Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-19
HIGH SCHOOL SOCIETIES
Tire Evils in tire sttemp: 70 Initiate
College Conditions

their elders Scarcely had me Greek
letter <-a-e-ritEes e-Irenchel them
selves permanently il Tie colleges
/ u her madness seized hold on lhe high
schools. especially IN those iovSns
!. here college fraternity l-ts vas raucH
I ii evidence SEEING These things
anorg the college students ard hear
! Tx fraternity lie talked Of - much
HE minds II the pupils II Ihe his1
schools, and sometimes even Il
I TIE grades, became affected b. the
+ mysteries concealed under ire Greek
letters They SCI about organizing
i secret traterai-ies. Ihe purposes and
I intentions OF which were totally IN
EroE- 70 u.re.ts ana teachers
However much ~-e may Il impressed
with ,se idea. ta1: tht.e j 9 field q
usefulness :o- sec-s: organizations il
college lie. ! .t7ik al educators Nj!
ar4e tia, l1er= i TO srcn field il The
nigh schools Or the grades. Why
should ,hey exist? rat lseN-l, PR
pose DO they s..be--v=? What pro6ta-
bic led 60 ,h@y cccu7t O cover /
anyone car suggest en affirmative
answer 10 any OF Of those questions
there : field IL discussion Il i
eas,-. 4, II he rieN ra--- @ Tn
schools. 10 realize why. -h@E should
roc t. Permitted 70 eA-s.-
n IL. rs. rlace ;.e!- : Z csrtal1
democracy n o. cc-.-:-.ca schools maj
!s r!g...- teEe1c.a! 70 TIE acreage An
erican l9y or girl Tr+-t is -.ot an
should Tot u an a-.s:oc-acy n The
schoo.s That should grow. = - al.
elsewhere. TIE r.la are o.. re same
!eve! with tle per. ana th- Children ~
me distinguished receive 10 better
treatment - l-st-lc;-vn Than ne
children G: the obscure. II = one q
our gTea, t-0as.s that here ali are OF
ne same plane. and III have equal
rights and opportunities. This IS as Il
should be.
kut. i. 4 secret fraternity Be CT
gained IT. = school, and watch tie de-
ye!ogment AL 1t once democracy
..as vanished and yoG find in the mem
bers Of such organizations q sEobb:sh
and detest.b!e ariS-o-l-acE that ---o-oF-
c.izes OF attempts 70 -loropol.ze al.
,.e Ir:vi!cg.s. benefits and hU.OTs -
the scho-o. Arrogance abouLds. and
egct.srz likes th- place o. nlodesty.
such q society :, in many cases
without the rocr relief Of competition
IN -lanE o. our high schools -heTe -
ro- en3ugh material Tor rIl0re than one
fraternity and those admitted Into the
charmed circle are the e1r.- and Tor
!-:e.t Q. the less fortunate. TIE fra
rer-.tr thus creates. as one nen sDaItr
4ayS "A nasty spirit OF sEobU.shness
between ..rats' and 'Barbs' and estab-
, !istes q school caste ina, IS utterly
! foreign u, and has 10 place in or
American school life
! Tie envy and heartachss. the dis
tress and bitterness engenderei by
such organizations in the breasts Of
The pupils Hot rejected for admission.
is often pititul. Taey are JUST as good
and sometimes better than those ad-
InitteQ. Tie bitterness o. such &c
( jectlon and the neglect ard cruelty
which :o.!o- e often 50 pititul that i
Cannot lie PASSED over as merely 4
/ ca.!5:s!. grievance. ON TIE Contrary. il
often DEVELOPS into real i1ju-T and
/ distressing wrong. even sometimes .
tragedy.
Many a sweet, spirited girl. whose
heart has been crushed. because she
/ has not been admitted into this. 70 hcr,
q beautiful and charmed circle, and
: who has been refused agreeable CON-
i rarionship Of those with whom she
! formerly associated. has left school
! rather than become TO all :ntentS and
purposes a social oUtcast. Many a
proud boy vino for some foolish rea-
/ son has been denied fraternal relations
xith former companions, has b4en
! driven away from school Even where
this has not resulted. the bitterness
/ that has been engendered has largely
destroyed the spirit Of the school and
its usefulness. and has rendered II
/ much less capable Of awakening me
ambition o: its pupils.
All this bitterness, wornwood and
I gall is for what purpose? None.
| Absolutely none. Only that these
+! children (and sometimes their parent :,
God save the mark. may play al
! college life. before they have reached
the age OF understanding to be able to
appreciate or understand fraternal life.
its object and obligations.
Such fraternities are distinctly
! subversive Of discipline in high
! schools No one who is familiar with
! school work will question the assertion
that discipline must be stronger and
more in evidence in high schools than
in colleges. Even in academies. con-
. nected with colleges, the pupils are
older and more capable Of discrimina-
ton and discipline may be less strict.
In colleges the students are supposed
to be. and usuallysare. old enough to
get out their work. without being I'M
der the eye OF the master. This is not
true Of the high schools and discipline
is necessary there to preserve order, u
induce habits Of application and study
and to restrain the thoughtless.
In high schools the boy. or girl that
| belongs to q Frat" feels that his
| fraternity relations are a protection
and a refuge against all school disci-
pline. Where there is organized OPP
position to the enforcement Of law. ii
is much more difficult to enforce. and
| where there is body Of pupils banded
together IN 4 secret organization, and
standing together in mutual support
and vindicatiOn. X is a much harder
matter to enforce obedience TO school
orders and regulations. Knowing
| thar ro-rer errch societies are rb-