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Ceres Fraternity
Ceres (ΧΕΡΕΣ) is a international women's fraternity with an appreciation in agriculture. Ceres was founded on October 12, 1985. Currently there are three active chapters and 11 inactive chapter.

History
The establishment of a women's chapter of the FarmHouse fraternity was first proposed to the International Board of FarmHouse in the spring of 1978.

At the 1978 Conclave, a "Blue Ribbon" role of Women's Study Committee was authorized by the International Executive Board. After two years of study, this committee proposed that two to three chapters be piloted on a trial basis for the 1980-82 biennium’s. The proposal made by the committee was approved at the 1980 Conclave.

At a local level, alumnus at Colorado State FarmHouse began working on the concept of an agriculture-based sorority in 1976. A FarmHouse Women's Club was formed at Colorado State University in 1978 primarily through the efforts of Andy Grant and Melissa Miller.

On February 18, 1980, eighteen women signed a document that officially founded the FarmHouse Women's Club as an organization that was dedicated to the formation of an agriculturally orientated sorority based on the ideals of FarmHouse Fraternity.

In the fall of 1980, the International Board selected three women's clubs to be in the pilot program. Those clubs were located at Colorado State University, West Virginia University, and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At the 1984 Conclave a "Proposal for the Establishment of an Agricultural Sorority" was passed unanimously. Three of the women's groups which had been affiliated with FarmHouse as clubs or colonies (Colorado State, Alberta, Cal Poly-Pomona) for at least the previous two years indicated that they wanted to be a part of forming the proposed ag-related women's fraternity or sorority.

John Bard, 1984-86 FarmHouse President, appointed a special task force to begin implementing the proposal.

This group chose the name Ceres International Fraternity and developed its by-laws and rituals, all of which was subsequently ratified by what were to be the three founding chapters and by the FarmHouse International Executive Board.

On October 12, 1985, Ceres International Fraternity became a reality. On that date, nineteen women were initiated as chartering members of the Colorado State Chapter. They were the first members of the new agriculture related women’s fraternity. This chartering culminated years of discussion and work by the members of FarmHouse International Fraternity and of women in agriculture

The first Biennial Conclave of Ceres International Fraternity was held August 4-7, 1986 at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in conjunction with the FarmHouse Conclave. The agreement between Ceres and FarmHouse Fraternities was to continue until the 1988 Conclave.

By the 1988 Conclave, Ceres had successfully grown. This Conclave marked the beginning of all Ceres board positions being held by Ceres alumnae. Delegates voted to have Ceres governed by a six-member board. With the current size of Ceres, a six-member board was deemed most economical. In 1994, Ceres celebrated their 10th anniversary at the 5th Biennial Conclave in Scottsdale, AZ. This conclave also marked the end of Ceres business being taken care of by the FarmHouse International Office. The delegation voted to create a Ceres Executive Director position for Ceres Women's Fraternity. Ceres continues to maintain a six-member board of directors and an Executive Director.

Objective
"The object of our Fraternity is to build the whole person, to effect bonds of sisterhood, and to unify Ceres as a comprehensive entity. Ceres is committed to building qualities of leadership, to building meaningful fellowship, and to building a desire for scholastic achievement.  Our commitment to Ceres is predicated on the values and ideals descriptive of a rural environment and offers lifelong sisterhood to women with an appreciation of agriculture.  Membership in Ceres may at times require the sacrifice of time, pleasures, and comforts." '''THIS PAGE IS STILL BEING WORKED ON AND EDITED. THIS IS FOR PRACTICE'''