A fraternity 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 clubs, lineage societies, and secret societies 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
Catholic Orders
- International Alliance of Catholic Knights
- Knights of Columbus
- Knights of Marshall
- Knights of Peter Claver
- Order of Alhambra
Druids
Freemasonry
Gardeners
Loyalists
Odd Fellows
Knights Of Pythias
- Knights of Pythias
- Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia
- Pythian Sisters
Temperance
Other fraternal orders
- Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis
- Ancient Order of Hibernians
- Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo
- Fraternal Order of Moai
- Gyro International
- Knights of the Maccabees
- Loyal Order of Moose
- Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes
- Sons of Norway
- Vasa Order of America
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 clubs", 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, non-collegiate sorority
- Independent Order of Odd Fellows
- Ladies of the Orient (LOTO)
- Loyal Order of Moose
- Orange Order in Canada
- Order of Alhambra
- Pancretan Association of America
- Ukrainian National Association
Europe
Denmark
Republic of Ireland
Sweden
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
United States
Ethnic orders
African American orders
- Afro-American Sons and Daughters
- Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America
- Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World
- Independent Order of St. Luke
- International Order of Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor
- Knights of Peter Claver
- Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia
- Omicron Epsilon Pi, non-collegiac lesbians and lesbians of color
- Prince Hall Freemasonry
European cultural orders
- American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association
- American Slovenian Catholic Union
- Ancient Order of Hibernians
- Danish Brotherhood in America
- Emerald Society
- Independent Order of Vikings
- Knights of Vartan
- Knights of Equity
- Pancretan Association of America
- Pan-Icarian Brotherhood
- Order Sons of Italy in America
- Sons of Norway
- Ukrainian National Association
- Vasa Order of America
General fraternal orders
- Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
- Beta Sigma Phi, non-collegiate sorority
- E Clampus Vitus
- Fraternal Order of Eagles
- Fraternal Order of Moai
- Fraternal Order Orioles
- Honorable Order of the Blue Goose, International
- Improved Order of Heptasophs
- Improved Order of Red Men
- Independent Order of Odd Fellows (aka Odd Fellows)
- Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans (AMOS)
- Ladies of the Orient (LOTO)
- Junior Order of United American Mechanics
- Knights of Columbus
- Knights of the Globe
- Knights of the Golden Eagle
- Loyal Order of Moose
- Military Order of the Serpent
- Native Sons of the Golden West
- Order of Alhambra
- Order of Heptasophs
- Order of Owls
- Patriotic Order Sons of America
- Rascals, Rogues, and Rapscallions
- Tribe of Ben-Hur
See also
- Benefit society
- Fraternal order
- List of friendly and benefit societies
- List of Masonic Grand Lodges
- List of North American ethnic and religious fraternal orders
- List of North American fraternal orders
- List of social fraternities
- List of social sororities and women's fraternities
- Secret society
- Service club
- Social club
References
External links
- Survey of Secret Societies and Museum of Fraternal Lithographs
