The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-09-27
HIGH SCHOOL FRATERnlTIEs.

No one can have failed to notice the
disturbance which is going on all over
the country in regard to the high
school frat" The high school fra
ternity is the aping of the college fra
ternity of course-in a way 1t is just
as natural to the adolescent as the
wearing of so-called college clothes"
and the jaunty swagger which the
youth confidently believes is indica-
tive of the real cole gian.
But as regards to high school fra
ternities and college fraternities there
is demascation so strong that only
those who know nothing of colleges
can fail to see the difference.
The Greek letter society of the col
lege Is of honorable origin and of pros
porous growth. The college fraternit-
les number among their members,
presidents, statesmen, diplomats, not
ed divines, men of letters, financiers
and educators. These men are as
proud of their college fraternities as
the societies are of them. There
must be reason for the growth,
strength and the honorable place that
| these societies hold.
The college fraternity Yields a pow
erful influence for good in the college.
No reputable fraternity will counter
ance grave immortality and the fra
ternity in it's actual workings has kept
many youth in college by subduing
his craving for sowing wild oats.
Moreover as one of the most import
ant functions Of college life is in real
ity the making Of friends, the frater-
nifty acts as a powerful means of
bringing into the closest association
men of the most diverse tastes who
would otherwise never meet 1t gives
the merely athletic fellow an appre.
citation for things which he is to often
a scoffer at. On the other hand ii
keeps the real student from being a
book worn. 1t is humanizing in.
fluence and works on the well known
theory of association.
1t is often urged that the college
fraternity is Of aristocratic and snob
bish tendencies. Aristocratic in the
sense that it gathers in the most de
sirable students from all points Of
view it certainly is, but snobbish is il
very rarely. Snobbery has usually in
this country, to do with money Mere
money can not buy its way into the
college fraternity. The society takes
in men rich and poor, athletic and
literary and gives them common in
terest. These men work for the glory
of their alma mater and it is no un
common thing to see the societies
band together to help the college. Ir
a small college not two hundred miles
from here the fraternities gave $40,
600 each to the college for domitories
And so it goes.
4 But the high school fraternity ha:
no such reason for being. The fra
ternity is rarely if ever founded fol-
- ting but purely for social reasons
TfA frat" when it is nothing more
dangerous than gang" to PLAY
pranks. developes into a means of in
subordination. The fraternity has ne
place in the high school. Its member:
grasp merely the outer shell of sec
J. recy and plus and are content. Ths
: high ideals of the college fraternit,
dwindle into hodge podge of foolish
ness. great air of mystery, a mistak
en- sense of self Importance and to ;
: certain extent are snobbish in thei
! tendencies.
. Nothing can be more different tina,