The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-10
they ARE EXCITED
High School Students May Lose
FraterHities.
They Say That Mothers Don't
Understand.
AN APPEAL TO BOARD.
win Ask Authorities to Sup
press Frats and SOrorities.
Secret Meeting to Discuss the
Situation Is Held.
Objection to the Late Dances
and Expenses.
AN APPEAL TO BOARD.

The mothers of high school stu
dents, who are members of secret fra
ternities and sororities, twenty-five
strong, held a meeting Tuesday in the
Y w. G. A. rooms which they hoped
would be d secret meeting, to take ac-
ton against the secret societies OF
which high school students are mem
bers.
The members of the meeting. not
wishing their children to know that
they were working secretly against the
organizations, selected J. B. Larimer,
James A. ITOuIman, j. ID. Mcfarland,
j. w. Gleed and Dell Keller as a COM
mittee to appear before the board of
education and protest, on behalf of the
mothers, against these societies.
Within a few hours after the secret
meeting the members of the fraterni-
ties knew all about the session behind
closed doors and knew who attended
and what was done
Mrs. J. 3. Larimer this morning re-
quested the publication of the resolu-
ton adopted by the mothers meeting
but declined to give a list of the
signers to the resolution. 1.-The moth
ers who attended the meeting thought
it best not to give out the names of
those who attended" explained Mrs.
Larimer. They thought that in the
interest of the home and harmony in
the households that it would be best
were p present and 20 out of that
number signed the resolution, and
more signatures are being secured to-
day"
Resolution Adopted.
The resolution, and an unofficial list
of those who signed the resolution, are
as follows;
Believing that the secret fraterni-
ties in the Topeka high school are in
furious and detrimental to the best in
fnTHEfg of cnh0O.i nd
we, the undersigned patrons of such
school, hereby agree to do all that
lies in our power to discourage fur
Their extension and continuance of
such organizations therein"
Mrs. j. b. Larimer Mrs. J. D. Nc
FarlOnd, Mrs a. D. Gray, Mrs. c. K.
Holiday, Mrs. J. A. Reed, Mrs. J. A.
Iroutman, Mrs. J. w. Gleed, Mrs. Ira
o. Howe, Mrs. z. w. Thompson, Mrs.
Q. w. Jones, Mrs. w. w. Mills, Mrs.
II. A. Heath, Mrs. Fannie Sutherland,
Mrs. c. P. Bolmar. Mrs. David Over
myer, Mrs. n. H. LOOMS. Mrs. P. c.
Chamberlain,
Three who refused to sign the reso-
luton were Mrs. J. T. Close, Mrs. John
7. Lagerstrom, Mrs. John z. Lord.
There Are Four Societies.
The four secret societies organized
in the high school are the Delta Omi-
Crom OmicrOm fraternity, the Phi
lambda Epsilum fraternity, the
lambda Alpha sorority and the Owl
sorority.
The objection on the part of the
parents seems directed mostly at the
boys fraternities and the mothers
think that their sons spend too much
money for elaborate dances for
hacks, and some OF them even wonder
where the money comes from. One
of the mothers said that her son had
to pay $13 as his share for one dance,
III x r,4A ,,g.- g-s-- f-e
for a hack, American Beauty roses,
white kid gloves, full dress suit. etc.
In Kansas City parents have been
fighting the Phi lambda Epsolum
fraternity in the courts for three
years, without results, trying to dis
band the society.
Three of the high school secret So
cieties have arranged for dances as
Phi lambda Epsolum fraternity
Lambda Alpha lambda fraternity,
May 26
The Owls sorority, June 9.
Don't Understand, Says One.
George w. Veale. III, a member of
the Delta OmicrOm Omicrom fraternity
said today. Twenty-Five mothers of
members of the sorOrities and fraternf-
ties, attended the meeting at the Y W
q. a. rooms yesterday to take a stand
against the societies. The trouble seems
mothers understood that our fraternity
gave dance which cost $500 and which
lasted until o'clock in the morning.
The dance did not cost that sum nor
anywhere near it, and the dancing was
over by 1 o'clock. The agitation seems
to have arisen on account of this mis-
information. The mothers also seemed
70 wish an age and grade basis for
membership established. They wanted
no one with less than a G grade to be
allowed to join and to have the fresh
men and sub-seniors declared inteligf-
bic.
The members of the societies think
mat the mothers went about this in a
secret may to get us by the nape of the
neck. We found out about the plans
through some mothers who favor the
secleties- II the mothers viii come to
the socleUes and ask questions they
VIII nnd out more than they know
about these organizations. At this
meeting the mothers gave items of ex-
penses for dances that were not accur-
ate. These societies are not a part al
the school. We think that when the
mothers look into the facts they vii
change their minds. During the las
two weeks mothers gave their consen-
20 their children joining the societies
The children were too young and nov
the mothers are sorry they gave thei-
consent We are ready to do all W,
can to inform the mothers and we ar,
ready to meet their wishes"
Quinton Adams, a member of the Phi
lambda EpsOlum fraternity. said to
day: Our fraternity viii give a dane,
on May 49, The dancing will enc
promptly at u o'clock. We have decid
ed on this as we understand it is a com
plant made by the mothers that tn
dances hold too late If the mother
viii come to us and tell US what the.
want we viii follow their wishes
WhittemOre NoncommittaI.
Superintendent Whittemore. of tn
cftw schools. said this morning: Il bav
always thought that the matter of fra
teruities and sorOrities is one for tn
parents to decide, as the meetings an
social features are held out of schoo
hours and the societies have nothing t
do with the school organization cal
see how some harm may result in som
cases from scholars being members o