The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-05
MUST Get OUT.
High School Students Are Given
an Ultimatum.
Either Quit the FraternitieS or
the School.
ACTION LAST NIGHT.
School Board Votes to Enforce
State Law.
superintendent WhittemOre De-
mands That Action Be Taken.

If the action taken last night by the
board of education is enforced to the
letter, it would seem that the death
| knell of the fraternities and sororitie.
in the Topeka high school has beer
sounded. A resolution was adopted by
| the board to the effect that any boy Oh
girl, who belongs to any of these socie-
ties which were placed under the bar
by the last legislature, shall be ex-
PEELED from the school and denied the
right to graduation diploma.
| 1t is hardly probable that all will be
smooth sailing for the board OF educa-
ton in its endeavors to enforce the
| resolution adopted last night. While
many of the parents of high school
pupils are opposed to their children
belonging to societies there are others
who are not. And as for the fraterni-
ties themselves, it is certain that they
will not voluntarily give up their or
CARNATIONS which are SO dear to them.
They will endeavor to find some way
to circumvent the order of the board.
So when the board gets busy and be-
gins to expel pupils for still retaining
their membership in societies that
were once, at least, a part of the high
school life they will eventually land on
some pupil whose parents are not OPP
posed to these societies and who will
take the matter to the courts. Then
the act passed by the last legislature
a boliShing all societies in the high
schools will be brought up and also the
right of the board of education to expel
pupils who may belong to such Socie-
ties. ~ fFs
E. A. Anderson, who has always been
looked upon as one of the conservative
members of the board of edu ca ton and
whose counsel always has weight in
the deliberations of the board, is the
father of the resolution which was
adopted last night. This resolution
read:
Believing that the best interests of
the high school of the city will be ad-
vanced by the abolishing of all secret
organizations and fraternities, and that
provisions of chapter 800 of the 1907
forced, it IS resolved by the board of
education of the city of Topeka:
"Ffrst-That no student of the high
school shall participate in the meet
ings of. or continue active membership
in any secret fraternity or secret or.
ganization whatsoever that is in any
degree school organization.
Secondary student who continues
his or her connection with any such
secret fraternity or organization in
violation of said statute and of this
resolution, shall be expelled from
school," -.-.
There was not much discussion on
the merits of the resolution. 1t looked
as though the members had talked 1t
all over out OF meeting ana had made
up their minds on the subject and the
resolution went through with colors
flying.
Mr.. Whittemore, the city superin-
tendent of schools, made brief speech
on the subject in which he urged the
necessity of taking action as suggested
by the resolutions.
These cliques of boys and girls who
form these societies. said Mr.. White
more among other things, ''seem to lose
interest in tn cir studies and they have
a generally bad influence upon the en-