Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-19

Another father vas { physician
Nea-iy al the PARENTS were dis
rirguished citizens TIE judge upheld
MS daughter II her contention even 10
ire extent Of advising and threatening
Z Law suit. The professor and SEe
physician stcl7 bv the Judge and TIE
pupils So lI1 tle other prominent
-:arents and tn Aghc was ebaqdon@c
- the disgrace ard permanent injury
y the sch1o!
As these .ra.err--.@s ara secret
neither lh- pa-eI., Eor The teacher can
know II The principles on which they
are founded l:= right. Wholesome. or
conducive . lie good Of the sch5o!
hight. scholarship. or the best ince--
es-s q the pupils themselves: OF
whether they may not tend 70 dis
organization ami disturbance Of al
school aork. Those going into the
tra:e1niI.es are usually 10 Young and
!ali<crtet 70 discriminate between
god ana lid things. You cannot.
therefore. te.l On Tha- foundations the
Organization j. building: whether the
Principles are conducive 10 character
building o- subversive q the SAM:
whether they incuicate IDEAS q obe1i-
ence - Just authority and high pur-
poses; Or whether they teach & spirit
Of rebellion. and are nothing r7o-=
than Z mare clan :or social purposes
and mutual defense against lawful
authority.
The members are too young 70
understand true fraternity spirit. and
70 practice i as i should be pracIiced
Those 10. admitted n the charmed
circle are ignored and deemed BIZ t,e
fra-e--!-: q 10 consequence and are
not - he considered either IN th-i-
wishes o. feelings. The walk - and
from sch5oI mus only De with frat
brother or sister. no matter how
intelligent cr deserving or agreeable
other pupils may be. Many q splendid
boy and girl have gone through tie
whole Of their high school life in a5-
soluce isolation ana ost-acis-n by the
members q <-ate-nirisS. and have felt
Ire sting and humiliation - the
e-rbitter-re-- II their whole high
School career There j. 10 Reason IN
this. ana II ought not 70 be permitted.
Fraternjties are very expensive 20
the Parents II the members The
organization must BE- kept Up and pail
and social functions provided. 4 most
strenuous sccia! life = encouraged
THEREBY. and the minds o, the students
are distracted from their regular
schoo! work at time when social
matters ought 70 be held sternly in the
background These expenses must b.
q great burden 10 some parents VINO
are st-aining every resource u provide
i
frequently ara hard pressed % meet
the reasonable and necessary expens
OF school work. II Is wonderful how
adept d we'll organized fraternity can
become in finding ways Of spending
parents money for fraternity purposes
and interests.
Sucn traternitias are not conducive
70 the best efforts Of the pupils in their
school work The members arr young
and their minds and affections become
wrapped up in the Frat" Taken
away from their school studies. they
| lose ID some extent the proper interest
in their real work The fraternity De-
comes to them everything and the
school nothing. Such pupils come in
time 10 rely too much on fraternity
| relationship 70 pull them out Of tight
! fluences. instead OF hard mental effort
i Thus. to an extent. they fcrego that
| personal effort 50 conducive 70 good
! scholarship and necessary thereto. ana
without which there is no genuine
/ success.
One Of the most distinguished high
/ school teachers Of the state. and one
who had been brought forcibly in con-
/ tact with such organizations, and has
| intelligently studied their effect on
| school life. declares that such
| fraternities are injurious in a three
I fold sense-to the pupils in the fratcr-
/ mites. TO those not in them. and TO
| teachers and parents. Those in the
! fraternity do not perform their work
| as well as If they would were they not
! members. The fraternity fosters a
| spirit Of selishness and egotism that is
! detrimental 10 character. Those out
side the fraternity are eInbittered and
Inundated and lose interest in school
/ work. while the teachers are worried
| almost to the extent Of distraction in
! trying to curb and govern, and direct
! the tendencies Of such organizations
| Girls and boys are by the means of
these fraternities brought into so-called
| society at an age that leaves no place
for girlhood or boyhood. And" she
concludes, there is not one good
| thing in them or to their credit"
| What a spectacle we have recently
| beheld in the state of Indiana. Chill
dren who are OF an age when their i'm
maturity requires them to be governed
and to be subject to the control Of
bravely debated with school boards
whether they should obey the law.
| passed by the Legislature, abolishing
their societies If there was nothing
| else to show the vicious tendencies of
such organizations this alone would
| suffice.
So onerous had become the condi-
tons and so menacing was the atti-
| tude of high school fraternities when
| the legislature met in 1907 that ii was
apparent to any person in touch with
the schools that action was necessary
to relieve the situation. 1t was well