Īn especially difficult problem is the degree to which any one society is an actual society or is simply an honorary designation. Usually, being a member of more than one fraternity is not considered appropriate, because that member would have divided loyalties however, typically, there is no issue with being a member of a secret society and a fraternity, because they are not considered similar organizations or competing organizations. One key concept in distinguishing secret societies from fraternities is that, on campuses that have both kinds of organizations, one can be a member of both (that is, membership is not mutually exclusive). Some secret societies have kept their membership secret, for example Seven Society and Gridiron, and some have not, like Skull and Bones (the Yale societies had published their membership lists in the yearbooks and the Yale Daily News). Secret societies can have ceremonial initiations, secret signs of recognition (gestures, handshakes, passwords), formal secrets, (the 'true' name of the society, a motto, or society history) but, college fraternities or "social fraternities" have the same, and some of these elements can also be a part of literary societies, singing groups, editorial boards, and honorary and pre-professional groups. There is no strict rule on the categorization of secret societies. Most class societies are restricted to the senior class and are therefore also called senior societies on many campuses. Some collegiate secret societies are referred to as "class societies", which restrict membership to one class year. A collegiate secret society makes a significant effort to keep affairs, membership rolls, signs of recognition, initiation, or other aspects secret from the public. They vary greatly in their level of secrecy and the degree of independence from their universities. There are many collegiate secret societies in North America.
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