Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-22
OPPOSED TO FRATS
High School Teachers Ask
That They Be Abolished.
SAY THEY ARE HARMFUL
Parents Complain of Costs They Add
to Education-No Action
Taken by the Board.
SAY THEY ARE HARMFUL

To abolish every secret society in
every high school in the city is the
recommendation Of the High School
Teachers Association in a long report
now in the possession of the board of
education, but there is no assurance
that the board of education will do
anything in this direction beyond al
lowing the control of the high schools
to be placed firmly and squarely in the
hands of the new superintendent. DR..
Davidson, whose arrival in this city is
expected any day.
The high school teachers. as represented
by the association. consider the local IN
fluence Of the fraternties as so serious
an evil that they have gone to great trou-
BILE to collect evidence on the issue and
to obtain letters from parents and ex-
pressionS Of opinion from a very large
number OF educators from other cltles.
Requested Immediate Action.
They made their report yesterday and
requested that the high school committee
OF the board of education get to work on
the subject at once and stop the pledglng
of new fraternity members for next year.
However, Capt. oyster. president Of the
board and chairman of the high SchoOi
committee said that he had all tho work
he could attend to in the hot weather
without taking up the frat question again.
IF you will stay here all summer and
act as witnesses and dig up evidence,
perhaps something can be done, he Is
said to have replied.
The teachers, looking forward TO va
cation, did not make unanimous reply
TO this suggestion.
The association believes it would be
difficult perhaps impossible. to abolish
the frats today. therefore they recon-
mend that one year of grace he given,
but that no new fraternity brothers or
sorority sisters be pledged for next
school year.
Think Frats Too Numerous.
The associations report, with its
condemna tions of the secret societies,
| their dances their politics. their weirf
mysteries of fake bloody hands and
burning sands, gold pins and schoolboy
| and schoolgirl secrets. bases its main
! objections on several points. The teach
ers believe that the fraternities are too
numerous, for one thing. They say
| that when the fratS were few in num-
| ber the trouble with the members was
inconsequentia1
| They say that to belong TO a frat or a
| sorority is too expensive. To substan-
a
sheaf of letters from parents who objec,
| to the cost One girl had TO spend $s-
| on frat dances. This is held up as one
| OF the objections. The associations re-
| port SAYS that every now and then q
new sorority springs up, and the splurse
| il makes to attract attention is erea,
waste OF money. They quote letter
| from a parent who gave list of ex-
penses for q daughter: the dues were S15
| formal entertainments during a schoo
| wear cost the girls parents Sp: excur
| sions and picnics. etc, cost $l5; house
| party cost s..
There was a mysterious item Of
! twenty dollars. incurred for secrets
/ of the organization
The report also says: I'VE feel that
| the entire false ideals of show. dis
| play. vainglory and certain popuarit.
| arc being set up by societies"
Say Frats Run Schools.
The association tells the board that
| :, has positive proof that secret socie-
! tics have developed a harmful atti-
/ tude toward school activities. that the
1 frats run the schools, in other words
| thar the politics of class events and
/ alactions are saturated with frats.
| that the societies have maintained club
/ rooms and have met on school nights,
| a violation of the regulations.
- h>n n,.1 H. a.