The San Francisco call., 1909-12-12

Some thousands of homes between the oceans
have heard an echo of this query within the last
month or two. In most of them the question was,
pardoning the pun, just Greek A letter comes
from the absent one, whom will suppose through
courtesy to skirts:
- And there is the incest lot of girls here,
oh just lovely. They are the Kappa Phi Kappa, quite
the incest sorority in college. And what do you
think? They want to join. They bid me last
night and told such lot about high ideals and the
noble sentiments they cherish and the beautiful up
lifting advantages of sisterhood and everything of
that kind. | told them would have to write home
first The initiation fee is SIS and the dues 81
year, and can get and board at the sorority
house for just little more than elsewhere. And, OH
doso want to join"
On receipt of this father, mother and Aunt Jane
hold solemn conclave. Father demands be in
formed whether his daughter has fallen in with
esoteric missionary society band OF female high
binders. Mother with superior wisdom and intui-
tion fills of the gaps The girl has been asked
10 join Greek letter secret society 1t is quite
the thing do she has heard and only those of the
best families are members Aunt Jane thinks they
ought to know more about this sorority house. and
who runs it. Perhaps the girl is asked to supply
more details, which she does, fully if ncoherenty.
The probable upshot is consent and SIS forked over
by father
What does it all mean, this talk of high ideals and
secrecy and Greek initials and initiation fees? To
father and mother and Aunt Jane it remains a
shadowy mystery Perhaps it might be we'll if all
these thousands of homes throughout the country had
some preliminary knowledge of the situation before
the annual decisions made. incidentally the out
sider the general observer has an interest in this
peculiar American phenomenon of college life.
The fraternity, using the word to cover associa-
tions both of young and of young in
institutions of higher learning is the biggest thing in
the average college community. One remember
the crcumscrbed horizon of the average college stu
grasp the tremendous seriousness with which
1t is regarded Affairs of the school, campus, the
student body are of first import Such matters are
the be all and the end all of existence for the time
And here looms the fraternity. collectively the
social trust the controller of social destnies, the
circle of the elect. To make" frat" to become
one of its members, is the hallmark of eligibility
To remain barb" or barbarian" to fail of gaining
such membership is the stigma of low caste and
outer darkness. Roughly, such is the distinction.
The question involved is whether the student
is to have the advantage of social recognition In
the typical American college university aside from
the mossgrown institutions of the east where special
conditions obtain it is the simple fact that the frater
mites hold monopoly of the social activities of the
little world.
WHAT THE FRATERNITY IS
In its organization fraternity is somewhat akin
TO the usual benevolent or fraterna order composed
of anywhere from 10 to 20 chapters the field OF each
chapter being college university. 1t is ma
tional body, holding national conventions electing
national officers, and frequently issuing pretentious
periodical devoted the interests of the fraternity
at large Its Secrets its name, its ritual its badge
held commonly by all Its members who are
active during their years at school. There are Is
such organizations for and eight for women.
An individual chapter of fraternity is close cor
bonds of brotherhood" or "sisterhood" situated at
some one college Usually it is lodged in a house
either owned outright or rented by the chapter At
any college from three to 20 fraternities are
represented In <eiaon to the college all the frater-
mites represented at given school compose the
social trust.
At the ordinary institution where the activities of
the fraternities have been interfered with by fac
ulty enactment, John, the freshman student, Just
from home and entering the sacred precincts of the
campus for the first time, is as much object of
avid eagerness as special cut at bargain counter
Ingratating young persons. with large cuffs on their
trousers raksh hats and pleasant smiles, ask leave
to aid him in registering in moving his baggage in
finding quarters for him. The gtoup that gets hold of
him first either carries him away bodily or makes
appointment with him for the next day If he is
well dressed, good looking and measures up at first
glance to the frat standard, he finds his engage
ment book full within few hours. The Eta Pi Etas
want him dinner The Gamma Epsons have a
smoker for him the next night The Tau Sigma Taus
have theater party in preparation and will be
broken hearted if he does not attend.
Ordinarily the newcomer is not hard to impress.
He is far from the old hreside usually for the first
time in his life He is lonely, little homesick. He
faces the conditions as the first great ordeal of
his experience. He is upon his own resources for
friends and companionshp now. He Graves aid a
welcome little kndliness There is nothing so
empty, helpless, far off moorings, probably as
boy who comes from a good home and the home
high school and who is thrown swim for him
self in college community
John is steered, with his wistfulness and his all
gone feeling and his awkward manner, into the Eta