Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-16
NEW SOCIETY FORMED
SIGMA Nu PHI, aHEEk LETTER
FRATERNITY.
Parent Chapter Located in Washington
and Chapter House ii view
The Officers.

A charter Of incorporation was Saturday
granted to the organizers OF new Greek
letter fraternity. to be known as the Sigma
NJ Phi, comprising members Of the faculty
and undergraduates OF the National Uni
versity Of this city The new fraternity in
its membership will be confined strictly to
undergraduates of law schools and MEM
bers Of alumni associations Of such schools
and will admit members Of the faculty as
honorary members. 1t will also be open to
members of other Greek letter law fra
ternities who are either law students o.
members of the bar. The fraternity en-
bodies all the better features Of the general
fraternities existing today in the foreign
and American universities, and in addi-
ton will have a system Of heraldry, a mys-
tic circle, a ritual and some other features
to which secrecy viii be invoked The OBJ
ject Of the fraternity, as set forth in the
charter, Is for mutual Improvement in legal
branches as an education and to promote
a higher standard of professional ethics
and culture in the law schools and in the
profession at large, and to strengthen the
bonds Of fraternity.
The chapter to be organized at the Ma
tional University will be known as the
in honor of Ambassador Choate, who is
expected to be the guest Of the fraternity
at its first banquet in April. 1t will be the
parent of the new fraternity and also the
seat Of the central council. There are 1O3
law schools in the United States. each one
Of which will be invited to form a chapter
in the new fraternity. In addition to this
the alumni association of the National Un'-
versity Is expected to furnish large gu ta
of the membership of the local chapter.
1t will be the aim Of the fraternity not only
to supplement the college curriculum and
enrich the college life, but to maintain a
fraternity house as home for the local
chapter as we'll as for visiting graduates.
Practically Secret Order.
The new fraternity will be practically
secret order, but non-secret in tho respect
that it's constitution will be open to any one
who cares to read it. and its meetings will
be open to those who may be invited to
attend.
Besides thirty-three Greek letter fraterni-
ties now existing in the United States there
are, 1t Is said, about twelve professional
fraternities Of which two are confined to
the profession Of law. and the new frater-
nifty. Sigma NJ Phi is the third of the lat
ter kind, but it is the first Greek letter fra
ternity to be founded In Washington Sig
niffcance is given this feature for the rea-
son that this city is the national capital,
the seat of the United States Supreme
Court and recognized as the greatest center
Of legal learning in the United States. The
advantages Of the location here in this city
of the parent chapter and the principal
fraternity house. WILL 1t Is supposed. be
particularly agreeable to All the chapters
in the various sections of, the country, for
the reason that 1t will be geographically
accessible to all. and 1t is expected that the
attractions that usually draw visitors to
Washington will lend an additional incen-
tive to the enthusiasm Of members Of the
fraternity who may be scattered through
out the country, but who, may be brought
thereby to occasionally visit Washington.
Fraternity Insignia.
The insignia of the fraternity will COM
prise ring, a pin and a watch seal, as the
taste OF each member may determine The
first named will be a sighet ring, bearing
the crest Of the fraternity and its Greek
letters The uniform will be a gown, pat
termed after judicial robes. The ,colors are
purple, gold and old rose and q handsome
flag has been designed with these colors.
The fraternity flower Is the carnation. The
test of membership will be personal worth,
and member showing connection with
law school or who is graduate therefrom.
Weekly meetings will be held for legal re-
views and more pretentious meeting will
be arranged each month, when prominent
lawyers will be invited to discuss legal SUBJ
jects The predominant idea, however, Is
legal work. with an opportunity for socia-
bility and companionship.
Another feature will be to cultivate the
relation of the faculty to the chapter of the
fraternities existing. namely the Phi Delta
Phi and the Delta Chi, there is comprised
in their roll Of membership, the faculty of
twenty-five law schools and about !, 700 un-
dergraduates.
Sigma NJ Phi fraternity will publish q
fraternity paper to be known as the Decla-
ration.
The Parent Chapter.
The parent chapter, to be located at the
lSational University here will be a repos-
itory for information for other chapters,
and Will issue charters to chapters that
may be formed in other law schools There
will be an executive council comprising
undergraduates Of the institution, and the
alumni will be represented in the general
conventions. or conclaves, which 1t is pro-
tosed to hold annually. Provision has also
been made for supporting alumni chapters.
In the organization Of the chapters the
usual titles of president secretary, ETC., will
not be known but the officials viii be desig-
mated as the chancellor" master of the
rolls" keeper Of the exchequer,' "custo-
dian Of the SEALS" and there will be two
vice chancellors and an orator, while the
general council in which all the chapters
Will be represented, will be known as the
board of regents, or governors"
Sigma NJ Phi fraternity was formed by
G. L. Whitaker and the 1ncorporators are
Eugene Carusi dean of the National Uni
versity, and Charles F. Carusi Of the fac
ulty: G. L. Whitaker. Pennsylvania; Sgd
ney F. Smith. Colorado; Oliver 8. Metzerott,
MARYLAND; j. A. Bailey, New York; c. G.
Huylman, Pennsylvania; H H. Allen, Ohio
James M. Britt, North Carolina: Louis G.
Julihen. Virginia; A. L. FIJI, District of
Columbia; Frederick F. Reisner, Missouri:
Raymond w. Moulton and E, r. Shipp, Dis
trict ne Columbia.
Naval Veterans Meet.
The regular meeting Of Admiral Geo.