Fraternities in North America.

Fraternities are organizations of like-minded individuals that are open to new members only through invitation. While fraternal organizations such as the Freemasons, which was established in the United States during the colonial era, are technically defined as fraternities, the term is most often used to refer to Greek-letter organizations on college campuses. Unlike the sorority, which is exclusively female, a fraternity may be composed of both males and females. Examples of mixed-sex fraternities include academic honor societies such as Phi Beta Kappa and discipline-related societies. Fraternities in the United States have become a multibillion-dollar business that is represented by such organizations as the North-American Interfraternity Conference and the National Panhellenic Conference.