Talk:Professional fraternities and sororities

Professional fraternity and honor society
Can anyone find information outside of wikipedia about how to distinguish between a professional fraternity and an honor society? As far as I can find, it's totally a matter of preference in the organization, and even then some chapters will use a name of their own designation; eg. a friend of mine refers to her "fraternity" AED, even though they cite themselves as an honor society. &mdash;ScouterSig 22:54, 2 June 2007 (UTC)


 * According to my research, the definition of honor fraternity is muddled. From Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (circa 1920), a professional fraternity "confines their membership to students in professional schools," (pg. 485) and "aims to restrict its membership to persons intending to engage in the same profession" (pg. 9). Baird also provides a definition for Honor fraternity where membership "is determined primarily by ability in some chosen field of intellectual endeavor and if social qualities are considered they are secondary" (pg. 600).  Baird further states "it is difficult to draw the line between them and a professional fraternity, and others like Tau Beta Pi are emphasizing the social element and encouraging their members to enter houses and to assume some or all of the characteristics of a regular undergraduate organization."  This I get a kick out of: "It might be said that there are too many of these fraternities [honor fraternities] in conflicting fields and their consolidation or simplification would be of benefit to all" (pg. 600).  lol


 * So if we accept the professional fraternity definition of "aiming to restrict its membership to persons intending to engage in the same profession" we can contrast that with the honorary fraternity definition of "some chosen field of intellectual endeavor" and stop there. Many honorary fraternities are established based on GPA whereas professional (and social) are not.  My 2c. IlliniFlag (talk) 23:07, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

Alpha Zeta
I'm not sure if this is intended to include historical organizations (no longer active). If it does, I recently ran across what appears to be a sorority for pharmacy students called Alpha Zeta (apparently different from Alpha Zeta Omega). It is in a yearbook page on Ancestry.com, specifically for a yearbook called The Scarlet Ray (1928 edition). This yearbook is from the New Jersey College of Pharmacy of Rutgers University. Ancestry.com subscribers can reach it by searching for "Jeannette Golosoff" (who was my mother). So far as I have been able to determine, this sorority is no longer active. It was apparently started at Columbia University in 1924 and the New Jersey chapter, the Beta Chapter, was organized in 1926. Ccf149 (talk) 16:43, 16 October 2011 (UTC)
 * There is a disambiguation page for Alpha Zeta, as this name has been used already by two similar organizations. This smaller pharmacy sorority would be a third, and may or may not be connected to the fourth group you mention. Alpha Zeta Omega is indeed an active professional pharmacy fraternity founded at Philadelphia College of Pharmacy which adds to the naming confusion. Its Rutgers chapter, Epsilon chapter, founded in 1923 and therefore a presence at the time Mrs. Golosoff was at the school, closed in the Spring of 2019. Baird's indicates that it also had a Columbia chapter (likewise formed in 1923). Jax MN (talk) 01:10, 29 August 2019 (UTC)

Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma?
Do they belong in this list or not? Naraht (talk) 01:23, 15 March 2014 (UTC)


 * I know your question is old, but is still valid. They say they are an honor and service fraternity/sorority but are also a member of PFA. Rublamb (talk) 03:59, 1 February 2023 (UTC)

Military groups...
How do people feel about trimming out the ones with just a facebook page started in the last 10 years...Naraht (talk) 22:45, 20 September 2018 (UTC)


 * They have websites now. One has four chapters. The others seem to have a few members and a IRS ruling. I can probably find a source for the latter, if that makes a dfiference. Rublamb (talk) 10:53, 1 February 2023 (UTC)

Theta Nu Psi
What is the proper protocol to have Theta Nu Psi Military Fraternity Inc. added to the list of military fraternities? We have been established since 2016. — Preceding unsigned comment added by SCgentleman98 (talk • contribs) 17:54, 4 December 2019 (UTC)


 * Additions to the page are based on notability, which is indicated by significant external, verifiable references or by having the groups own Wikipedia page. Once someone creates a valid Wikipedia page (which itself will have one or more external references), that is generally considered as proof of notability and a link may be added here. Jax MN (talk) 18:34, 4 December 2019 (UTC)


 * Got it! So we need to establish our own wiki page or if we add our reference (i.e. official website) we should be ok? — Preceding unsigned comment added by SCgentleman98 (talk • contribs) 18:57, 4 December 2019 (UTC)


 * Sort of... But just having a website isn't always proof of legitimacy. Better to add a second, external and link-able reference like a citation in a known and legitimate magazine, or an article on a verifiable military website. (I'm clarifying for you and other readers, and not trying to make life difficult for you.) See, anyone can make a website and self-reference to make it appear legitimate.  Wikipedia editors sniff this out fairly easily. Multiple references help assure your fine efforts don't get deleted because of a simple omission.


 * Also, a couple of pointers:
 * When responding to a Talk discussion like this, best practice is to inset your comment with one or more colons " : ", with each comment gaining an additional colon to indicate a response rather than a new paragraph. I've fixed yours, here.
 * Always sign your comments with four tildes, that's this symbol " ~ ". This is a Wikipedia shortcut that will automatically insert your user name.  If you don't have a user name, your comment will appear to be either anonymous, or the system will attempt to insert one for you based on your IP code.  But this doesn't always work well.


 * Best wishes to you, and others who seek to improve Wikipedia. Jax MN (talk) 19:22, 4 December 2019 (UTC)

Current red/unlinked.
The following were removed from the article for lack of proof of notability. Having a website is not enough. These can be restored to the article with a secondary source (newspaper, magazine, college website).

Rublamb (talk) 15:54, 17 May 2024 (UTC)
 * ΑΓΞ - Alpha Gamma Xi Military Sorority, Inc. --Founded 2014
 * ΑΠΥ - Alpha Pi Upsilon (local - Olivet College) - pre-medical; d.?
 * ΩΚΛ - Omega Kappa Lambda Military Fraternity Inc.
 * ΦΨ - Phi Psi (textile) - national textiles fraternity
 * ΠΚΧ - Pi Kappa Chi - chiropractic; men's fraternity ---local but founded in the 1960s
 * ΨΔΧ – Psi Delta Chi military Sorority, Inc
 * ΨΔΤ	 Psi Delta Tau, Military, African American
 * ΨΡΦ – Psi Rho Phi military fraternity
 * ΣΑΝ - Sigma Alpha Nu - law; co-ed -local
 * ΣΑΣΜ - Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu (local - Ohio State University) - sport management; co-ed, formed 2013
 * ΣΦХ - Sigma Phi Chi - chiropractic women's sorority
 * ΘΨ - Theta Psi - sustainability; co-ed
 * ΖΘΩ - Zeta Theta Omega - zoology---Two chapters and relatively
 * ΖΣΨ – Zeta Sigma Psi military sorority