Tau Kappa Epsilon and Greek Society Traditions

There are a lot of fraternities and sororities that are out there for college students to take part in. Many of them are new to the scene while some, such as Tau Kappa Epsilon are quite old and very well established. The great thing about sororities and fraternities is that the new and the old embrace some great traditions from the past while incorporating new ones from more modern times to make the experience a very positive one for most of those who chose to become involved.

Tau Kappa Epsilon was founded a long time ago, on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois. The fraternity boasts that it has initiated hundreds of thousands of men since its inception and continues to do so up until the present time. Currently the fraternity has 276 active chapters throughout the United States and Canada. This is a fraternity that is steeped in tradition and brings forward many of the things from the past such as the symbol and colors, which is a triangle that is cherry and gray. The fraternity also celebrates Founder's Day each year, has the same flag that sports the fraternity colors, and has a coat of arms that was adopted in 1926 and is still used today.

As you can see, Greek tradition is important in sororities and fraternities, no matter where they are based and if it is a men's or women's organization. There are some traditions that have come from the past, such as Greek paddles. These are usually made by the incoming class of pledges and they are often given to the older "brothers" and "sisters" as a show of spirit and gratitude for support and guidance. Greek paddles can also be purchased, but many sororities and fraternities still have the new pledges make their paddles as a part of the initiation process.

A more modern tradition in many Greek sororities and fraternities is the purchasing and wearing of Greek sweatshirts. This is a great idea because it allows for men and women to show their pride and spirit in class or wherever they go. This also works as a marketing campaign because it lets those who aren't involved know who is involved and become a point of contact. Greek sweatshirts, shirts, shorts, hats, and more are all very common today and can also stand to make the organizations money if they plan correctly. This is a newer tradition but one that has taken sororities and fraternities by storm and isn't likely to go away any time soon. Most organizations are embracing this new tradition and ensuring that their society is seen on the bodies of their members!