Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25

societies which are doing the harm
which is laid at the door of the rest
of us. Very respectfully,
HENRY p. GOODWIN"
Mo Tobacco or Cards
Thomas r.. Spalding, a member of the
z. D. @. s. said that his frat held semi
monthly meetings at the homes of the
members parents, and the meetings
were necessarily respectable. The rules
of the society forbid smoking or card
playing. Besides" he said. at isn't
Just to punish a lot of girls for things
the boys are said to have done
Mr. Spading was even more pro-
nounced In his views. 81 consider the
present move as undue interference of
the school management with the social
life of the students. One of the Oregon
schools attempted to expell a boy for
belonging to a secret society," and the
case was taken to the courts. where the
school officials lost. The boys met sew
eral times at my home and at the
homes of Hon. II. w. O'Melveny and
w. d. Woolwine. and there has never
been anything done tnat was not
proper"
Charles Reed, the founder of the
Alpha Pts, was exceedingly wrathy at
some of the charges made against his
order. This fraternity has two rooms
on the third floor of the Wilson build.
ing, where the members gather for
social times, and to entertain their
friends. The rooms are beautifully fur
nished, the Greek letters of the society
be ing very much in evidence. piano
occupies a conspicuous place in the
rooms, and library table, well stocked
with the current magazines and books,
furnishes entertainment of literary
character. In another room small
buffet is maintained, where the MEM
bers serve light lunches to their friends
OH special occasions. The rooms are at
all times open to the parents and MEM
bers of the boys, and Mr.. Reed declares
that the most rigid discipline is en-
forced.
Discipline Vigorous
Indeed, on one occasion, the strict
ruling of the guardian is said to have
caused the resignation of the president, ;,
vice president and treasurer. The
original home of the society is in Ohio
and by the laws of the grand chapter
the local society must maintain a
room or forfeit its charter. The society
is regularly Incorporated under the
laws of California and, Mr. Reed de-
clared is more certain of it's power to
exist in spite of adverse ruling than
the other frats. Most of the members
of this society are not high school
boys.
Mr.. Reed said Friday: "The work of
this fraternity is of such a nature that
the organization could not meet in at
tics or barns and were obliged to get
a respectable place to do business as
would any other corporation. The
rooms have always been open to the
public, and when the parents and those
interested in the boys wished to know
where they spend their time they were
always welcome. Instead of spending
their allowance in the billiard rooms
and fine cafes of the city, the boys take
pride in keeping up their rooms, where.
once a month, they entertain their
parents and friends in an informal way
liquors and card playing
are not allowed, and smoking, even on
the part of the visitors has of late
been forbidden in the chapter rooms.
Fraternities UnfriendIy
Members of two leading and popu-
lar fraternities of the high school have
tried to create an unfair impression of
these rooms by coming to them in such
a condition that, owing to the strict
laws of the fraternity, they were re-
fused admittance, but were taken care
of. No mention would have been made
Of this fact had it not been for the
unfraternal way in which fraternities
have attacked this chapter. This fra
ternity has not the means of spending
money so lavishly as the other socie-
ties, and owing to the presence at all
times of the founder and representative
of the grand chapter members of other
fraternities could not be entertained
as they desired because of the strict
laws under which this body is incor-
porated. These facts have gone q long
way toward making this frat mot in
good standing" and upon this point we
greater spirit of'fraternity exists in Los
Angeles than has been shown to an
organization trying to do it's best then
it is is time that fraternities in the high
school should cease when they cannot
be a help to one another"