Fraternal Organization

"Fraternal organization" is an umbrella term used to define and describe any organization that has traditionally restricted its membership to men; "fraternity" comes from the Latin word for brother. Historically, the basic concept of a fraternal organization centered on bringing men together into relatively small social communities, most often for civic and/or religious functions. The primary purpose of such organizations has been to provide men with special opportunities for extending their business contacts. These organizations, some of which have centuries-deep roots, have also long been dedicated to providing a forum for the intellectual development of its members as well as providing an environment for friendships.

Anthropologists trace the development of fraternal organizations to the earliest roots of Christianity. A paternalistic institution itself, the Catholic Church provided for secular religious orders of men dedicated to protecting the church and its teachings. In addition, during the same time, when businesses were entirely owned and directed by men, there emerged guilds, which were loose confederations of men engaged in the same business. Each was a precursor of modern fraternal organizations. Today, fraternal organizations include a variety of groups, including community-service organizations such as the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (commonly known as the Elks), the Loyal Order of the Moose, or Rotary International; local gentlemen’s clubs; secret societies such as the Freemasons; and Greek-letter organizations for college students on campus and/or alumni.

Historical Background

Although they flourished during the Christian Middle Ages, fraternal organizations date back to antiquity, most notably to ancient Rome, where wealthy and politically influential men would gather in forums away from public scrutiny to develop and direct government polity. In the late medieval period, fraternities expanded greatly under the protection of the Christian church. At the same time, guilds were established to protect trade routes, maintain taxation, define fair pricing, and govern against criminal trespass into business operations. To protect their community and to preserve their unity, these organizations inevitably developed secret handshakes and passwords and created club books that outlined their rituals and their goals. Monarchical authority (and the entrenched wealthy) found such organizations a threat and often worked diligently to break their secrecy and destroy their membership. The most famous of these medieval organizations, the Freemasons, survived only by becoming increasingly secretive and careful. As the industrial progress of Europe and then America guaranteed economic stability, these organizations focused less on business and more on complicated visions of the cosmos, becoming spiritual or even religious orders. Other organizations, however, turned to philanthropy and saw their mission as helping in the development of their larger neighborhoods and cities.

With the right to free assembly guaranteed in its Constitution, the United States saw a particular flowering of fraternal organizations, particularly in universities. The Phi Beta Kappa Society, first chartered during the American Revolution on the campus of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, became the first Greek-letter organization in North America. Within a generation, most campuses had such student fraternal organizations, also known as fraternities. Each developed its own mission statement, its own rite of admission, and its own manual of meeting rituals. Since the mid-1800s, there have been hundreds of fraternities in the United States. These organizations, in turn, became important networks of influence in business, as students who pledged a particular fraternity would find business opportunities waiting after graduation from alumni of the same fraternity.

Overview

Modern fraternal organizations divide generally into three types: college fraternities, community social fraternities (often dedicated to building a community’s business resources and/or promoting patriotic agendas), and actual fraternal organizations, ends to themselves, that provide members with a range of benefits from social events to health care insurance and retirement plans. These societies in the United States cross state boundaries and often represent national (and even global) memberships.

In return for whatever benefits the organization provides, members are asked to accept the fraternity’s bond as sacrosanct. Members agree to preserve the rituals and traditions of the organization. Because most of the more prominent of these fraternal organizations have roots that predate the civil rights movement, many of them needed to adjust their membership regulations to admit minority candidates. That adjustment was often achieved only through public pressure. Admitting women was another sticking point—many of the organizations, in turn, provided auxiliary organizations for women, most notably for wives of members. Although a few women were elected to men’s college fraternities, the first college fraternities specifically for women were founded in the mid-1800s and were later referred to as sororities. Since 1909, the National Panhellenic Conference has used the term "fraternity" to refer to both fraternities and sororities.

Each fraternal organization provides its own governing board, most often through elections and secret ballots. The organizations that have state or regional governing bodies require members to send representatives to such national bodies when they meet in conventions. In turn, these delegates vote on the organization’s rules and often select the officers who make up the organization’s national governing body.

Fraternities can be organized for virtually any purpose. The most common purposes, however, are to promote education, provide businesses with a network of communication, participate in various civic projects (most often by raising money), and ultimately project a positive image to their larger communities by being role models, exemplary in their conduct and their standards. These organizations can center on a single philanthropic mission—for example, helping veterans or the disabled, providing for the homeless, or working with schools—as a way to create a brand within the community.

In addition to promoting high ideals, fraternal organizations have long provided members with often lucrative business connections. This particular aspect of fraternal orders led to landmark legal challenges from women, who argued that such exclusivity in membership denied them the opportunity to succeed. Thus, since the mid-1980s, most prominent fraternal organizations have admitted women. Around the same time, membership in fraternal organizations began to decline. Exposés about hazing rituals, for instance, in college fraternities have caused many universities to restrict such organizations. Also, with the rise of the Internet, businesses no longer rely so completely on face-to-face meetings, making fraternities seem increasingly anachronistic.

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