A
fraternity
A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...
or fraternal organization is an organized society of men associated together in an environment of companionship and brotherhood; dedicated to the intellectual, physical, and social development of its members.
Service club
A service club or service organization is a Volunteering, voluntary nonprofit organization where members meet regularly to perform Charity (practice), charitable works either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money for other organizations. ...
s,
lineage societies, and
secret societies
A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence a ...
are among the fraternal organizations listed here.
College fraternities and sororities appear in the
List of social fraternities and sororities. Fraternal
benefit societies are included in
List of friendly and benevolent societies.
International
These are fraternal organizations that operate internationally.
Fraternal orders
Druids
*
Ancient Order of Druids
*
Order of Druids
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* ...
*
United Ancient Order of Druids
Freemasonry
*
Freemasonry
Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
**
DeMolay International
**
International Order of the Rainbow for Girls
**
Job's Daughters International
**
Order of the Amaranth
**
Order of the Eastern Star
The Order of the Eastern Star (OES) is a Freemasonry, Masonic List of fraternal auxiliaries and side degrees, appendant Masonic bodies, body open to both men and women. It was established in 1850 by lawyer and educator Rob Morris (Freemason), R ...
**
Prince Hall Freemasonry
***
Prince Hall Order of the Eastern Star
**
Scottish Rite
**
Shriners
Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic body, Masonic society. Founded in 1872 in New York City, it is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and has over ...
**
York Rite
Gardeners
*
Order of Free Gardeners
Loyalists
*
Orange Order
The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants. It also has lodges in England, Grand Orange Lodge of ...
Odd Fellows
*
Odd Fellows
Odd Fellows (or Oddfellows when referencing the Grand United Order of Oddfellows or some British-based fraternities; also Odd Fellowship or Oddfellowship) is an international fraternity consisting of lodges first documented in 1730 in 18th-cen ...
**
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political, non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Odd Fellows, Order ...
(IOOF)
***
Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity
Late antiquity marks the period that comes after the end of classical antiquity and stretches into the onset of the Early ...
(AMOS)
***
Daughters of Rebekah
***
Ladies of the Orient (LOTO)
**
Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity
The Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity Friendly Society Limited, also called the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows; trading as ''The Oddfellows'', is a fraternal order founded in Manchester in 1810.
Some of its lodges claim histo ...
**
International Association of Rebekah Assemblies
**
Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America
***
Household of Ruth
Other fraternal orders
*
Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis
AMORC (standing for, among others, the Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross or the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosæ Crucis) is a Rosicrucian organization founded by Harvey Spencer Lewis in the United States in 1915. It has lodges, chapters a ...
*
Ancient Order of Hibernians
*
Fraternal Order of Eagles
Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.) is a fraternal organization that was founded on February 6, 1898, in Seattle, Washington, by a group of six theater-owners including John Cort (impresario), John Cort (the first president), brothers John Considin ...
of US and Canada (Fraternal Order of Eagles in the Philippines is not an affiliate or under its jurisdiction)
*
Knights of the Maccabees
*
Order of Alhambra
*
Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes
*
Sons of Norway
*
Vasa Order of America
Fraternal service organisations
*
B'nai B'rith
*
Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo
*
Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan
*
Gyro International
*
International Organisation of Good Templars
The International Organisation of Good Templars (IOGT; founded as the Independent Order of Good Templars), whose international body is known as Movendi International, is a fraternal organization which is part of the temperance movement, promoti ...
*
Knights of Columbus
**
Columbian Squires
**
Squire Roses
*
Knights of Pythias
*
Round Table
The Round Table (; ; ; ) is King Arthur's famed table (furniture), table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status, unlike co ...
Australia
Fraternities or lodges were an important part of Australian society in the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. After the Second World War, they were gradually replaced by "
service club
A service club or service organization is a Volunteering, voluntary nonprofit organization where members meet regularly to perform Charity (practice), charitable works either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money for other organizations. ...
s", such as
Lions,
Apex and
Rotary. By the end of the 20th century, most fraternities had been wound up except for the
Freemasons and a few lodges of the
Buffaloes. Many fraternities also offered insurance to their members and as membership declined, these operations were either combined with other non profit insurance companies or sold with the proceeds being distributed to charitable causes.
The reasons for their decline probably have something to do with their male only membership, generational change and bemusement at secretive rites and rituals. All fraternities had different rules and rites, but they all appear to have been complex. The service clubs that succeeded the fraternities also operated as social networks and did fairly similar charitable work. No general history has been written, but some of the many lodges that operated in the state of Victoria were:
*
Freemasons, including
United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
*
Knights of the Southern Cross
Canada
*
Beta Sigma Phi
Beta Sigma Phi International () is an international noncollegiate sorority with 200,000 members. Founded in Abilene, Kansas, Abilene Kansas, in 1931 by Walter W. Rose, Walter W. Ross "for the social, cultural, and civic enrichment of its members", ...
, non-collegiate sorority
*
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political, non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Odd Fellows, Order ...
*
Loyal Order of Moose
*
Orange Order in Canada
*
Order of Alhambra
Europe
Denmark
*
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political, non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Odd Fellows, Order ...
Republic of Ireland
*
Knights of Saint Columbanus
Sweden
*
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political, non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Odd Fellows, Order ...
*
Swedish Order of Freemasons
*
Samfundet SHT
United Kingdom
*
Apprentice Boys of Derry
*
Grand United Order of Oddfellows
*
Grand Order of Water Rats
*
Independent Orange Order
*
Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity Friendly Society
*
Knights of St Columba
*
Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes
*
Royal Arch Purple
*
Royal Black Institution
South Africa
*
Afrikaner Broederbond
The Afrikaner Broederbond (AB) or simply the Broederbond was an exclusively Afrikaner Calvinist and male secret society in South Africa dedicated to the advancement of the Afrikaner people. It was founded by H. J. Klopper, H. W. van der Merw ...
*
Freemasonry in South Africa
United States
*
Afro-American Sons and Daughters
*
American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association
*
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), commonly known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks, is an American fraternal order and charitable organization founded in 1868 in New York City. Originally established as a social club for m ...
[Elks lodges in the Philippines and the Canal Zone were founded while those areas were United States territories and/or possessions. Those lodges are still in operation and recognized by the Grand Lodge. United States citizenship is still required for membership in those lodges.]
*
Beta Sigma Phi
Beta Sigma Phi International () is an international noncollegiate sorority with 200,000 members. Founded in Abilene, Kansas, Abilene Kansas, in 1931 by Walter W. Rose, Walter W. Ross "for the social, cultural, and civic enrichment of its members", ...
, non-collegiate sorority
*
Danish Brotherhood in America
*
E Clampus Vitus
The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the Western United States, especially the history of the Mother Lode#California Mother Lode, Mother Lode and gold ...
*
Fraternal Order of Eagles
Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.) is a fraternal organization that was founded on February 6, 1898, in Seattle, Washington, by a group of six theater-owners including John Cort (impresario), John Cort (the first president), brothers John Considin ...
*
Fraternal Order of Moai
*
Fraternal Order Orioles
*
Honorable Order of the Blue Goose, International
*
Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World
*
Improved Order of Heptasophs
*
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political, non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Odd Fellows, Order ...
(aka Odd Fellows)
*
Independent Order of St. Luke
*
International Order of Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor
*
Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America
*
Household of Ruth
*
Improved Order of Red Men
*
Junior Order of United American Mechanics
*
Knights of Columbus
*
Knights of Peter Claver
*
Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia
*
Knights of the Globe
*
Knights of the Golden Eagle
*
Loyal Order of Moose
*
Military Order of the Serpent
*
National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
*
National Haymakers' Association
*
Native Sons of the Golden West
*
Omicron Epsilon Pi, non-collegiac lesbians and lesbians of color
*
Order of Alhambra
*
Order of Heptasophs
*
Order of Owls
*
Order of Scottish Clans
*
Order Sons of Italy in America
*
Patriotic Order Sons of America
*
Rascals, Rogues, and Rapscallions
*
Sons of Hermann
*
Sons of Norway
*
Tribe of Ben-Hur
The Tribe of Ben-Hur was a fraternal organization based on the novel '' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'' by Lew Wallace. In 1930 it became the Ben-Hur Life Association.
History
The idea of starting a fraternal organization based on ''Ben-Hur'' ...
*
Vasa Order of America
See also
*
Benefit society
*
Fraternal order
A fraternal order is a voluntary membership group organised as an order, with an initiation ritual and traits alluding to religious, chivalric or pseudo-chivalric orders, guilds, or secret societies. Fraternal orders typically have secular p ...
*
List of friendly and benefit societies
*
List of Masonic Grand Lodges
This is a list of all verifiable organizations that claim to be a Masonic Grand Lodge.
A Masonic " Grand Lodge" (or sometimes "Grand Orient") is the governing body that supervises the individual " Lodges of Freemasons" in a particular geographic ...
*
List of North American ethnic and religious fraternal orders
*
List of North American fraternal orders
*
List of social fraternities
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 purp ...
*
List of social sororities and women's fraternities
*
Secret society
A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ag ...
*
Service club
A service club or service organization is a Volunteering, voluntary nonprofit organization where members meet regularly to perform Charity (practice), charitable works either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money for other organizations. ...
*
Social club
A social club or social organization may be a group of people or the place where they meet, generally formed around a common interest, occupation or activity with in an organizational association known as a Club (organization), club. Exampl ...
References
External links
Survey of Secret Societies and Museum of Fraternal Lithographs{{DEFAULTSORT:General fraternities, lists
*
Fraternities