The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-06-04

or have been estabtfshed) was generally
| regarded as limited and very eXclu-
| sive." While the policy OF the fraternity
was distinctly one OF non-extansion. Its
| immediate imitator. Sigma Phil was not
! long in securing n like classification It.
! too. had Il restricted number OF chap
grandfather" as having much 10 do with
| the man. Delta Phi was rather less TX
elusive, but evidently did not care to es-
abllsh many new chapters. Coming TO
the Three Great Fraternbties. Alpa Del
ia Phi was regarded as having high
social standing, paying special attention
to literary excdllence among its MEM
bers. and sensible view OF conserva-
tism as TO the extension of the fraternity.
Perhaps II would be unjust to repeat this
with references to Psi Epsilon.
AT the West, the arrival OF Alpha Del
10 PM at Miami gave rise to Beta Theta
ri, now one OF the largest, most pro-
gsessire and best governed of the Greek
letter fratsrnities 1T certainly places
less weight on the propriety or desirabili-
W OF what peopfi have chosen to call
conservatism with respect to extension of
membership and unques tlonably main
talns as high LITERARY excellence among
It's mjsmberS as some of!ths older and
formerly more impo?tant fraternities
chi PSI, while not so restricted as TO
number of chapters as Sigma Phi or
Kappa Alpha. is one OF the smaller So
cieties and It's general reputation at
times has beeniaS much for good fellow
snip as Tor social or literary excellence
Another one OF the smaller f!aternities
until recently twhen IL policy OF extern
sion seems to have been adoptedD Is Zsta
Psl, said to be very secret fraternity,
to have made particularly in rec mt
years., a remarkable advance as to MEM
bsrship. The comparatively few and So
ctully exclusive members OF Delta Psi.
IKE those of Sigma Phi and Kappa Al
pha. prefer few chapters. Whether by
accidentlor design. there is consid: ra-
bic wealth conferred In this organiza-
ton. Among Western societies which
nave shown more enterprise and promi-
nence of late years. are Phi Kappa Pse.
Phi Delta Theta and Phi Gamma Delta
RITUALS AND CEREMONIES.
Among some of thu older organizations
the rituals SUCCESS familiarity with ceie-
monials. customs or peculiarlties of
Free Masons, Lodge and Encampment
OF Odd Fellows, the Foresters and hlsto-
ricai data concerning '5he Te.nplars and
other societies of the middle ages. Evil
IDENTIFY members of some of the frater-
nltisS last manned have If5nt hand in
dressing up ceremonials for the college
f!aternit:es. Most rituals of college fra
ternities, however. would be considered
commonplace and unsatisfactory by
good judges.
During THE last fifteen or twenty
wears, 1t Is probably fact that some of
the older fraternltes, notably Kappa
Alpha. Delta Phi and Sigma Phi have
retrograded somewhat During the same
period, the Three Great Frate,nitles, AL
pha Delta Phi. Psi Upsilon and Delta
Kappa Epsilon, around which names the
entire Greek lettsr world has been won't
TO revolve, have not much more than
held their own. Some of nthe younger
ones. notable Western and Southern fra
ternities have gone out no the Pacific
coast and into Canada, and have thrived
even In tha halls of Eastern universities
where older societies had been presumed
to exercise the right of sovereignty
The foregoing has been condensed from
Encyclopaedia of FranternitIes. copy
right, 1896, by Albert c. Stevens, and 1t
is of interest TO point out that while the
college ftaternities, unlike almost all
other general and reputable secret So
cteties do not appear to be even directly
or Indirectly an offshOt from the Fra
ternlty of Free Masons. still they did not
begin to multiply or extend until the pir-
riodof anti-Masonic agitation, when they
increased IN number and prospered sur
prisingly. Meanwhile some of the best
known OF the college societies may be
said 10 have rummaged the bureau
drawers of Masonry. fOdd Fellowship,
Forestry and other "Ordsrs" for finery
SHIPPING NEWS.