Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-12
COUNCIL OF COLLEGE GIRLS
Good Work is Being Done by the Pan
Hellenic Conference.
MEN MAY YET COPY THE PLAN
Association of Frnternities In
wonen's Colleges I'm which sut-
ragists Find Argument Ter
Votes for Women.

NEW YORK. Dec. hs-SlNNN ihNiAt
senting fifty-siX colleges and twenty-slS
fraternities, met the other day AT inc
University club to talk over certain phases
Of fraternity life in the colleges. The meet
ing was called at the instance OF President
Faunce Of Brown university, but none OF
the delegates had power to commit his
fraternity to any line Of action. II was
the first interfraternity conference to be
held for twenty-seven years.
The suffragists may find an argument
for votes for women in the fact that for
the last eight years the women's frater-
mites. or sororties, as they are sometimes
called, have held annual meetings In Chi
cago to which delegates have been sent,
with the right to act for their fraternittes
in all matters of national interest Though
the National Pan-Hellenic conference, as
Il is called, does not enact legislation, its
recommendations unanimously passed be-
come laws when accepted by oil the grand
presidents.
This national Pan-Hellenic Is represented
by a local Pan-Hellenic in every college
where two or more chapters OF national
fraternities exist. The locals have their
own constitution. based on the national
model, but may make their own rules and
bylaws so long as they do not interfere
with the national agreements.
All the fraternity evils are discussed at
these local meetings twice a month, and IL
they can come to no conclusions, or n
any member broke a rule or a contract
the matter is referred to the national or
ganization. which acts in a judicial capac-
ity and may punish the offender.
Growth of Eight Years.
At present fourteen national fraternitieS
- A. 1900 ~ The afnh
years of its establishment the national
Pan-Hellenic has suggested many improve
ments, has Investigated the fraternity and
club regulations and problems in all the
leading universities in the country, has CO.
operated with the deans of women at their
meetings and conciliated the faculties
whenever necessary or eXpedient.
1t has worked with the school authorities
in the crusade against the high school fra
ternity by adopting the policy, to go into
effect within two years, OF refusing TO ini-
tate any member of a high school fra
ternlty. 1t has worked with them for a
higher moral standard and to discourage
cheating, cribbing and cutting classes. 1t
has sought to discourage lavish entertain
ments by making the fraternities limit the
number of social affairs and by restricting
the so-called rushing.
At the last meeting i'm September, of
which the reports has just been published,
the two principal subjects discussed we're
the evils of rushing and the raising of
scholarship. OF. the first much has been
written and more has been said. Rushing,
, the biggest evil Of the whole fraternity
system, is a process through which every
candidate must pass.
what ushin Means.
n - --a
behavior, and secondarily, a good time.
Its simplest definition is the presence OF
more than one fraternity girl at a party
but in reality it is much more complex.
Rushing from the standpoint of the upper
class girls means being agreeable, show
ing off your good points and spending your
time, energy and money on people whom
you are no going to like anyhow" To the
freshman o. sophomore 1t means company
manners, more tea and eats than are good
for you, being talked at. made to show off,
being bounded by bores, snubbed by the
naughty or captivated by the fasclnat-
ing"
1t is the bugbear Of the fraternity world,
for at its best It means a tax on the
nervous energy of the students which none
of them can afford; it means dIsappolnt-
ments and heart burnings for the less for
tunate girls who are not invited, and It
means antagonism and jealousy among the
fraternity members themselves.
A committee OF the Pap-Hellenic council
has investigated the nonrushlng policy in
use at Harvard and Yale which II has
recommended to the Greek letter world for
I adoption. The only college that has fol-
n lowed this advice, and that at the request
OF the faculty. is Barnard. The experiment
I is being watched with interest.
I Pledge Day Importance.
4 Pledge day, the end OF the rushing
g season, or spike as It is called out vest,
is the most exciting day OF the year.
o P~ledging-there is a movement abroad row
q to include rushing as well-before matric-
. ~ulation is absolutely forbidden by the Sor-
GRITTY council. except at Michigan, where
chapter house conditions demand the early
; ~pledging Of new members.
A The date of the pledge day falls at tho
y fifty-odd colleges where Pan-Hellenics
have been established anywhere from
I matriculation to April OF the sophomore
: year. II seems, judging from careful OBJ
n servation, that the students favor a short
& spike" and the faculty a long one.
d At the instigation OF the faculty members
: members OF the fraternities several recon-
Z mendations in regard to scholarships have
a been made. One Of these, that scholarship
e be made the basis of membership, has net
yet been adopted, although the general
sentiment in regard to II is that II will add
e to the dignity Of the sorority and give the
freshman who has a propensity for social
pleasures an added reason to exert herself
ACCIDENTALLY. Perhaps the lack OF enthusi-
s asm over this measure Is due to the rccol-
r lection by some Of the members Of their
e youthful marks.
Ie one fraternity has established a scholar
ship fund; another has provided a loving
i cup which is to go to the chapter that can
u boast Of the greatest number of honor stu
q dents in a year. The national board Of
: every fraternity now requests the deans
and presidents OF the colleges for an annual
report of the work OF each member OF the
fraternity. In this way a personal interest
n in the scholarship and academic standing
OF every member Is maintained. and good
q marks, II not coveted for personal reasons,
become necessary from a fraternity stand
point.
Effect of the sOrOritiss.
Recent Investigations IN some Of the
western universities show that the fra
D. ternity girl Rtauds hiOhar than tba fra.