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The fraternity or sorority badge is an enduring symbol of membership in a Greek letter organization. Most fraternities also have assumed heraldic achievements. Members of fraternities and sororities address members of the same organization as "brother" (in the case of fraternities) or "sister" (in the case of sororities).
For others, the symbol has a religious reference (as with the Masonic Knights Templar, for which the skull and bones symbolize Golgotha, the place of Jesus' crucifixion). Another common fraternal use is one of warning wherein the skull and crossbones symbolize a dire warning against betraying the group's secrets and/or failing to keep one's oath.
Social, collegiate, or general fraternities in the North American fraternity system are those that do not promote a particular profession, as professional fraternities do, or discipline, such as service fraternities. Instead, their primary purposes are often stated as the development of character, literary or leadership ability, or to serve a ...
Like other fraternities, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows began by limiting their membership to white men only. On September 20, 1851, the IOOF became the first fraternity in the United States to include white women when it adopted the "Beautiful Rebekah Degree" by initiative of Schuyler Colfax, later Vice-President of the United States. [2]
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first intercollegiate Greek-lettered fraternity in the United States established for people of African descent, and the paragon for the Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs) that followed. [132]
A meeting of Freemasons in West Germany in 1948. A fraternity (from Latin frater 'brother' and -ity; whence, "brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular aims.
[1] [2] Its symbol is the Maltese cross, surrounding a skull and crossbones. Maltese Cross is also the name of its publication. [3] The fraternity's flower is the yellow chrysanthemum. [1] Its motto is "Stellis Aequus Durando" or "Equal to the stars in endurance." [1] [2] The fraternity's badge was designed by its founder, Samuel Brown Wylie ...
On January 25, 1948, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho sororities, and Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma fraternities were charter members of the ACHR. [51] Kappa Alpha Psi later was included in March 1949. [52] [53] In 1939, Alpha Kappa Alpha was the first sorority to apply for life membership in the NAACP. [54]