The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-01
DIVIDED AS TO FRATERNITTES
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BARRED
FROM SECRET SOCIETIES.

Or. FelteP Of Brooklyn and Dr. MCAndrew
81 Manhattan Call such ORGANIZATIONS
Undem0crltIc -Other Principals APP
prove Of Frats. Under Proper COntrOl.
The Chicago Board OF Education. which
has for years been wrestling with thesubjeCt
Of high school secret sOcieties and trying
either 70 abolish them or TO find some way
TO ourtRil their influence. asked the Board OF
Education Of New York recently what meas
urss were taken here to control fraternities
and sororities. To the great surprise OF
the Western school officials they learned
that the board has never taken up this sub
iect, that the fraternity question was solved
separately by the principals Of the various
schools, all OF whom were satisfied with
their SUCCESS in handling il.
Within the last few days, however, n
principal has beer forced to declare that
the secret societies in his school must go.
The school IL the Girls' High School of
Brooklyn and the principal Is DIR. WilliamL l..
Felter.
DIR. Felter has announced that while he
will not disband the sorOrities already
formed they must take in no more new
members. A a result when the June class
OF 1903 is graduated there will be no more
sorority members i'm The school.
DR.. FeIter has not made his decision with
out studying the question for years. Two
years ago he told the members Of the eight
secret societies In the school that he wasop
posed to them unless they stood for high
scholarship. and he made 10 plain that girls
who were invited to join the societies must
attain a high scholarship. He forbade the
admission of girls who were not in their
third or fourth year. and none could be-
pledged until her fourth term.
No public limitations were to be held, and
private limitations must 1be restricted to
five days. He directed that all social Hunc-
tons be held or Friday nights or evenings
before a holiday.
None Of these rules has been violated, DR..
FeIter says. but he has found that after ini-
tiation some Of the girls were not capable
Of school work. He found that many OF the
members Of secret societies were poor in
their scholarship. which was made plain to
him by the comparison Of the records OF
members for two succeeding years. All
Of them had lost ground. When these facts
we're presented to the faculty advisers Of the
societies they were astonished. and the
members themselves could say nothing by
way Of explanation.
UNDEMOCRATIC, SAYS DIR. FELrKR.
.These frats are opposed TO the spirit Of
democracy in the public schools" said DR..
Felter. The members have an idea that
they are somewhat better than the girls
who are not in their society. and class
feeling results.
1T does not seem TO me that any Of these
societies have a high purpose. II they
stood for scholarship or some ideal there
would be less objection to them.
The Sketch Club, the Camera Club. the
Glee Club or the Debating Club, or any
other club with a defined purpose is for the
advancement Of the student. and member
ship to them Is generally open. On the
other hand the frats are merely for social
purposes. and such purposes shOuld be
arranged for at home. The public school
certainly is not the place for them.
These societies do not even stimulate
the school spirit. The members are salts
fed with membership in their society. and
care little about the school. They sell
dom Join the alumni association.
Parents to whom l have spoken rave
approved of what I have done, and ven
those who were members of societies while
in the school hav told me. now that they
hav gon out into the world. that the
schoOl might wei be rid OF them"
FRATERNITIEs CALLED ~NECEssABY.
Even the opponents Of high school fra
ternities have said that II all were con-
Quoted like those in the Erasmus Hall High
School, Brooklyn. there might be less
objection to them. ~Dr. GunnisoQ seems
to know how TO control them. and L believe
they work well in his school," is the in
variable comment OF other high school
principals.
The principal Of Erasmus Hall, DIR. Walter
B. Gunnison, says that there is really no
harm in fraternities II the principal OF the
school in which they exist has absolute
control Of them.
IF raternities are not necessary in the
sma Her schools. but in a big school some
thing is necessary to take the place OF
the social life which a big school cannot
furnish" said DIR. Gunnison. In my
school there are twenty-five or thirty boy
and girl societies. My theory in regard
TO them is that unless they are under full
control they had better be out.
These societies are one OF the greatest
incentives to promote scholarship and
discipline. but they ought to be treated
the same as athletics and other subjects
of general student interest. Whether they
are useful or not depends IN whether they
are under full control or none at all,