A magical organization or magical order is an organization created for the practice of magic or to further the knowledge of magic among its members. "Magic" in this case refers to occult, metaphysical and paranormal activities, not to the performance of stage magic. Magical organizations can include hermetic orders, Wiccan covens or Wiccan circles, esoteric societies, arcane colleges, witches' covens, and other groups which may use different terminology and similar though diverse practices.
The Phi Beta Kappa Society (ΦΒΚ) is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and is often described as its most prestigious honor society, due to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, and to induct the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at American colleges and universities. It was founded at the College of William and Mary on December 5, 1776 as the first collegiate Greek-letter fraternity and was among the earliest collegiate fraternal societies.
The term corporation refers to different kinds of student organizations worldwide. Generally, universities in the various European countries have student organizations called corporations. The name is derived from the Latin corporatio meaning a body or group. There was an earlier type of student organization, called a nation from the Middle Ages, where students from all over Europe at a particular university would unite according to national lines. Today, many student organizations in Sweden, Finland, and, to a lesser degree, Scotland are still termed nations, while most of the rest of European universities, the organizations are considered corporations.
Phi Iota Alpha (ΦΙΑ), established December 26, 1931, the oldest Latino Fraternity in existence, and works to motivate people, develop leaders, and create innovative ways to unite the Latino community. The organization has roots that stem back to the late 19th century to the first Latin American fraternity, and the first Latin American student organization in the United States. The brotherhood is composed of undergraduate, graduate, and professional men committed towards the empowerment of the Latin American community by providing intensive social and cultural programs and activities geared towards the appreciation, promotion and preservation of Latin American culture.
Pi Beta Phi (ΠΒΦ), often known simply as Pi Phi, is an international women's fraternity founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois on April 28, 1867 as I.C. Sorosis, the first national secret college society of women to be modeled after the men's Greek-letter fraternity.
Fraternitas Saturni is a German magical order, founded in 1926 by Eugen Grosche a.k.a. Gregor A. Gregorius and four others. It is one of the oldest continuously running magical groups in Germany. The lodge is, as Gregorius states, "concerned with the study of esotericism, mysticism, and magic in the cosmic sense". Today its purpose is in working on the spiritual evolution of humanity by means of development and advancement of the individual being. This is to be attained by mental and ethical schooling of the personality and complete mastery of esotericism and occultism. The FS adopts a system of degrees, ending with the 33rd as highest degree to reach this goal. The lodge claims further no political or economical objectives. It propagates ideals of freedom, tolerance and fraternity.
The Flat Hat Club is the popular name of a collegiate secret society and honor fraternity founded in 1750 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. The fraternity, formally named the "F.H.C. Society", was founded at the College on November 11, 1750. The fraternity has recently established a chapter at the University of St Andrews in Scotland as a joint venture with another secret society originally formed at Amherst College.
The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter is a traditionalist Catholic society of apostolic life for priests and seminarians which is in communion with the Holy See.
Theta Delta Chi (ΘΔΧ) is a social fraternity that was founded in 1847 at Union College, New York, United States. While nicknames differ from institution to institution, the most common nicknames for the fraternity are TDX, Thete, Theta Delt, and TDC. Theta Delta Chi brothers refer to their local organization as charges rather than using the common fraternity nomenclature of chapters.
Phi Sigma Alpha commonly known as La Sigma is a Puerto Rican fraternity established originally as the Sigma Delta Alpha Fraternity on October 22, 1928, at the University of Puerto Rico by 12 students and a professor. Phi Sigma Alpha can trace its roots back to 1898 to the Union Hispano Americana, as well as to the first ever Greek letter Hispanic-oriented fraternity, Sigma Iota, established in 1912. By 1998 there were over 4,376 members.
The Delphic Fraternity, Inc., also known as Delphic of Gamma Sigma Tau, is a historic multicultural fraternity originally founded in New York State in 1871 and re-established in 1987. The fraternity can trace its origin back to the Delphic Society founded in 1850.
An apostolate is a Christian organization "directed to serving and evangelizing the world", most often associated with the Anglican Communion or the Catholic Church. In more general usage, an apostolate is an association of persons dedicated to the propagation of a religion or a doctrine. The word apostolate comes from the Greek word apostello, which means to "send forth" or "to dispatch". The Christian origin of the word comes from the twelve apostles who were selected by Christ; they had a "special vocation, a formal appointment of the Lord to a determined office, with connected authority and duties". An apostolate can be a Christian organization made up of the laity or of a specific Christian religious order.
Estonian Students' Society is the largest and oldest all-male academical student society in Estonia, which is similar to Baltic German student corporations. It was founded in 1870 at Tartu. It has over 900 members in Estonia and abroad.
The North American fraternity and sorority system began with students who wanted to meet secretly, usually for discussions and debates not thought appropriate by the faculty of their schools. Today they are used as social, professional, and honorary groups that promote varied combinations of community service, leadership, and academic achievement.
The term Triad is used to designate certain historic groupings of seminal college fraternities in North America.
Secret societies at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, date back to the founding of the nation's first known collegiate secret society, The F. H. C. Society. Today a number of secret societies are known to exist at the College: the F.H.C Society or Flat Hat Club, the Seven Society, the 13 Club, the Ladies of Alpha, the Bishop James Madison Society, the Phi Society, the Wren Society, the W Society, the Y's, The Penny Brigade, The Order of the Silver Roses, Dirty Shirley Fraternity, The Fourth Wall, and one group "simply called the Society."
Fraternitas Vanenica is Latvian all-male student fraternity (corporation) which was founded in Munich, Germany on June 20, 1947. It is the youngest Latvian student fraternity.
Fraternitas Baltica was a Baltic-German fraternity founded in Riga. Its motto was Freundschaft, Frohsinn, Tugend, Wissen - soll man nie bei den Balten missen. and In Treuen fest.
The Fraternitas Scintilla Legis, otherwise known as Scintilla Legis, or simply FSL, is a law school-based fraternity in the Philippines. The name of the fraternity is derived from the Latin words scintilla which means spark, and legis which means law. It was founded in 1974 by seven students at the College of Law of Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City. In 1980, a chapter was established in Silliman University and for many years, the two chapters co-existed. In 1996, a group of FSL alumni from Silliman University established a third chapter in Western Mindanao State University. In 2005 a chapter was established in Liceo de Cagayan University and in 2007 another chapter also followed in Bukidnon State University. At present, the fraternity is composed of five chapters, four in Mindanao and one in the Visayas. They meet annually in a national convention.
Bernhard Cathrinus Pauss was a Norwegian theologian, educator, author and humanitarian and missionary leader, who was a major figure in girls' education in Norway in his lifetime.
