Sorority is a society of women or girls. In most sororities, the members are college or university students and graduates. Sororities, like fraternities, are often called Greek-letter societies. Most form their names by combining two or three Greek letters. The word sorority comes from the Latin word soror, which means sister.
There are four kinds of sororities: (1) general, also called social; (2) professional; (3) honor societies; and (4) recognition societies. General sororities are the most common kind. One of the most important purposes of a general sorority is to encourage formation of close and lasting friendships among members. General sororities also encourage high academic standards, carry on charitable and educational programs, and sponsor social activities. On many campuses, sororities also provide rooms and meals for members in living quarters called sorority houses.
Professional societies consist of people with the same academic interest, such as education or journalism. Honor societies enroll people who have exceptional academic records. Members of recognition societies have done outstanding work in a specific area. Some of these organizations also admit men.
The branch of a sorority at a particular school is called a chapter. Most general sororities have a national headquarters that advises local chapters and promotes the broad interests of the organization. Many individual sororities belong to the National Panhellenic Conference, which has headquarters in Indianapolis. This conference promotes cooperation among national sororities. Most universities and colleges have an intersorority council to regulate general sororities on campus.
Many school clubs, the forerunners of sororities, were formed during the 1800’s. Adelphean began as a literary society at Wesleyan College, in Macon, Georgia, in 1851. It adopted the name Alpha Delta Pi in 1905. Pi Beta Phi was organized as I. C. Sorosis at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, in 1867. Pi Beta Phi was the first organization of college women established on a national basis.
Kappa Alpha Theta was the first group founded as a women’s Greek-letter society. It began in 1870 at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Gamma Phi Beta, founded in 1874 at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, was the first to use the name sorority.
See also Hazing .
