Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-01
SECRET SOCIETIES MUST 60
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
EXPLAINS HIS ATTITUDE.
Says Boards Of Education An Over
Country are Opposed to Such
Organizations.

All secret societies in the public schools
are to be placed under the ban II Supt
Chancellor has his way. The novel propo-
stion of chartering the pupils organiza-
tons under the school regulations Is to be
presented this afternoon by the superin-
tendent to the principals and teachers OF
the high schools a meeting in the Frank
lin School.
According to the superintendent, 1t is not
to be matter Of reforming the secret So
cieties but Of putting them out of exist
ence as secret societies by making 1t an
ironclad. rule that members of the facul-
ties and parents Of the pupils shall have
access to pupils organizations at all times
The effect of the order, if it be issued in
the form outlined this morning by DR..
Chancellor. will be to put out of existence
two national fraternities in the Mckinley
Manual Training School and two national
frater1ities in the Central High School, as
we'll as local fraternlties in the Eastern and
Western high schools and numerous girls
sororities That these "frats' Will fight
hard to retain their existence is believed to
be certain. and a pretty howdy do is
likely to be the result
Considered for Several Months.
Secret societies have been under cons.d-
Grafton by the superintendent for several
months, and he says the hazing case at the
Central, which is now being investigated by
Principal Wilson, has nothing to do with
his position. but has simply served to bring
the subject into the limelight. He adds
that there is a crusade on all over the coun-
try by boards Of education against secret
societies.
..Of course, / am too much of an Ameri-
can to say that the pupils have no right to
organize for legitimate purposes, and TO
limit their membership: but the feature OF
secrecy Is un-American. l believe these
fraternities frequently try to insure or pre-
vent the graduation OF pupils, and 90 otner
things entirely inexcusabe from the true
Americans viewpoint
At the meeting this afternoon commit-
tee of high school teachers is TO De ap-
pointed for the purpose Of outlining the oe
tails of a plan Of action against the secret
organizations. DIR. Chancellor is gong 10
ask the high school principals. he says. to
ascertain the names and number OF sucn
bodies in their schools and the names OF
al the members He wants this informal
ton by Friday Of this week
Cause of Hazing.
No report of the facts in the case OF the
hazIng of William Searight at the Central
Monday of last week. which Is said to be
responsible for the broken wrist Of that
pupil, has reached the Franklin The SUI
perintendcnt Is of the opinion that 1t will
be well nigh impossible for Principal Will
son to learn the facts Of the case. owing to
the secrecy which the boys will probably
maintain with regard to 1t. Young Sea
right himself. 1t is declared. Is determined
not to peach
DR.. Chancellor believes some fraternity
was connected with this case. He said this
morning he had learned of another case of
a student having been made to run CANT
let of barrel slaves.
II believe the boys pride was hurt more
than anything else" the superintendent
said. but nevertheless. it will bear investi-
CATION. 1 know the boy, but do not yet
know in which school the affair occurred"
High School Fraternitfes.
To the Editor of The Star
Against high school fraternties there is
one absolutely irrefutable argument. The
crux and vice are that children learn some
thing they may not tell their parents. All
other arguments are subsidiary to and pale
before this. That members Of these fra
ternities become arrogant assuming a
caste; seek to control class organizations.
forming clique; protect one another in de-
linquencies encouraging meeting: thus
tending to characterization may be urged.
But these. while forceful against fratern-
ties. are weak compared with the fact that
secrecy in these organizations fosters, and
necessarily there nheres in them, defiance
of legally constituted authority IN the home
and in the school.
While 1t may be that yet the evils
have not appeared in our midst they have
elsewhere. and it would be we'll for our au-
thorities to prevent them in time. so they
viii not have toecare for them afterward.
In the state Of Washington the matter
has climaxed. Students of fraternities were
permitted to attend school. but were de-
barred from athletic. musical, literary and
military societies. Although the meetings
were held outside Of school hours and did
not meet with the disapproval of parents
yet the supreme court of the state upheld
the school board the latter had not pro-
hibtted children from attending school, but
had adopted rules for the we'll being of the
school. thus distinguishing this case from
that Of the state college at Purdue Univer-
slty. Indiana where members of fraterni-
ties had been excluded.
1t Is well established that school authori-
ties not only have control over children
while in school, but also while out of school
In matters which relate to school life and
interests.
1t beh the parents to see that their
children do not belong to these fraternities
and thus support our school authorities NOT
only in the literary education of the chill
dren. but in making them responsible men
ana women. w. H. SINGLETON.