The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-05-12
SECRET SOCIETIES. IN SCHOOLS

(Hartford Times.)
 The Bridgeport board of education adopted Monday night the rule already described in these columns. forbidding pupils of the high school from be- coming members of fraternities or sororities. Pupils who disregard the rule will not be allowed to be publicly graduated with the class, nor receive diploma, but may continue their studies to the end. It is the public distinction at graduation which is for feited. Nor will pupils who disobey the rule be permitted to be class off cers, or vote for class officer or whether literary, athletic or musical. There are other provisions which re- late more directly to visible signs of membership, such as the wearing of society badges, or assisting in the pulp Hcation of. society publication. The rule is one of the most rigid passed for any high school in the country but in general it follows the line al- ready adopted in many.
 The question of the utility or inutil ity of such societies is much debated. The members generally believe strong ly in them, and usually their parents take the same view But other pu- pills and their parents are apt to dis approve of the whole scheme. More important than this is the diSapproval of what seems to be the mass of edu- cators. in illustration of this senti- ment the Bridgeport committee pre- sents replies from thirty schools to specific questions. The replies showed that in twenty-six cities the school authorities declared themselves op posed to the societies, while four were neutral. Fourteen cities reported that the societies had been abolished or prohibited. Tt was also learned that ;,, and Vermont they have been forbid den by state law. Charles w. Deane, superintendent of schools, who collect of these statistics, added that the re- port of a committee of the National Education association was that high school fraternities are ''undemocratic, immoral and from every point of view deIeterious to the highest welfare of the school, and that they should be abolished Principal SimOndS of the Bridgeport high school said his knowl- edge of the societies there for nine teen years led him to believe that they are 'in no way helpful, to the school, but are in many ways decid- edly harmful All but three of the teachers in that school signed a state ment that in their opinion the influ- ence of the societies upon scholarship is seldom helpful, but often harmful, that they foster an undemocratic
 
 stitute for loyalty to the school . loyalty to the fraternity or sorority" The three teachers who did not sign are alumni members.
 The committee was further fortified by the opinion of two cases in which the supreme court of Washington and Illinois sustained the right of the board of education to forbid mem bership in such societies and enforce it's prohibition.
 These are the essential facts as to a very long and careful report by the committee. It was adopted and the rule passed in spite of urgent objec- ton by graduate members of the fra ternity Much that was said is omitted as not essential, particularly that part which related to the recent serious injury of girl pupil during an initiation. The objection which seemed most in all minds was the un- democratic character of the societies, which was held to be thoroughly in- congruous with a public school at which attendance is compulsory. On this it is unnecessary to enlarge There is an element of truth in it, which will be rated more or less im- portant, according to the individual point of view.