Date: Sun, 02 Mar 2003 19:54:08 -0500
From: danceswithcarp <dcombs-AT-bloomington.in.us>
Subject: RE: Reply to Bart


At 09:58 PM 3/2/2003 +0000, Dave Coull wrote:

>Even as you deny being American, you display
>your American-ness. "College fraternities" is
>an American concept, gr3g.

This is true as far as the specifics

http://www.tx-gamma.org/origin.htm

but in general the uppercrusted schools of Europe had this down pat long 
before William and Mary.   Those "boarding schools" and "academies" of the 
islands are definitely fraternal organizations and serve the same purpose 
as American fraternities--networking, nepotism and debauchery.

>As it happens, I do
>know what you mean, but the vast majority of folk
>here would have no idea what these words imply,
>because that is one American invention which,
>thankfully, we never imported to this country.

I agree.  On top of the exclusive social clubs the islands already 
have/had, importing fraternities might have been too much.



carp