The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-09-09
Greek Letter Societies in Mum
Gle High School Await
ing Official Action.
DISCUSSED IN CONVENTION.
NEW INDIANA STATUTE MAY BE
TESTED-MEMBE OF FRA
TERNITIES AWAIT ACTION BY
THE SCHOOL AUTHORITIES

Richmond high school students will
be interested in the fight that is on
at Muncie against fraternities. A dis
patch from that city says:
When the last Indiana legislature
passed its famous bill making high
school frats Illegal, it precipitated a
fight that will wage at a white heat
before the next school term is over.
For several years the frats and school
officials have been engaged in an al
most unceasing controversy, and sew
eral times the latter have made des-
perate attempts to place the frats hors
de combat. However. after the two
opposing forces had fought the thing
over and over for several years and
neither seemed, apparently. to have
any particular advantage, affairs took
new turn last spring. when the In
diana Legislature enacted law making
high school frats and secret societies
absolutely Illegal
This was quite severe blow to the
frats, sororities and heir sympathizers,
and Immediately each of the organi-
cations among which principal ones
are the Kappa Alpha Phi Beta Phi
Sigma, Phi Delta Kappa, Psi Iota Ni
and Delta Theta Tau, all of which
have chapters in Muncie. began an
investigation of the law and its prob
able effects. Usually these discussions
were made pro and con in the frat
rooms and at the girls homes. How
ever, during the present summer sew
eral Of the leading state high school
secret societies have acted officially on
the anti-frat law at their annual con-
ventions
Girls Vote to Stay.
The first secret society to investi-
gate the Obnoxious" law was the Psi
Iota XII sorority. a young ladies' or
ganization, at the annual convention
in Muncie. last June. The Psi Iotas
acted on the statute in a very UNIQUE
manner. First they decided to an
nounce that they had disbanded. re-
move their pins and all outward evil |
dences of the organization, and let the |
sorority remain intact, secretly The
question was discussed at several
warm sessions. Some of the maidens
were in favor of the proposed secret
organizations: others scorned at it. |
saying that their beloved sorority |
should not be as "the rose born to |
blush unseen" And then, again, the
awful thought occurred to the young |
ladies that there would be no more
Christmas sorority or frat dances and |
other "doin's." So the sorority girls |
decided to stand pat.
A short time after the Phi Delta /
Kappa fraternity met and it, in turn,
decided that life was too sweet to be
abruptly ended by such a vile" piece
of legislation. 1t, too, decided to stand
pat.
The Delta Theta Tau sorority also
convened in Muncie this summer, but
ton in regard to the anti-frat law. 1t
did not disband, however.
Changed Constitution.
The Beta Phi Sigma fraternity met
a few days ago in Marion and 1t was
almost unanimously decided by the
frat men to hurl defiance in the
teeth of any school authorities who
tried to demolish their organization.
During the past week the Kappa AL
pha Phi fraternity held it's annual con.
vention in Anderson. No action was
taken on the law in question, it being
decided to let the school authorities
make the first move. The frat will
not disband until 1t is compelled to,
its members say. 1t is said that the
fraternity will contribute money to-
ward the fighting of test case to de-
termine whether the law shall stand.