Fraternal organizations in Thoreau denote a distinct society, an association of brotherhood, which, depending on their structure & purpose, may or may not have differing degrees of secrecy, some form of initiation or ceremony marking admission, formal codes of behavior, disciplinary procedures, very differing amounts of real property and assets.
Fraternal organizations in Thoreau have various purposes, such as- university education, work skills, ethics, ethnicity, religion, politics, charity, chivalry, other standards of personal conduct, asceticism, service, performing arts, family command of territory, and even crime.