The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-11

their founders had when they were in
stituted. In earlier years the frater-
mites We're always more or less an
tagonistic towards each other: today.
they are working hand in hand to
maintain the ideals and to accomplish
the good purposes for which they were
founded. As the colleges have grown
and developed. so have the fraternf-
ties In the formative period of the
fraternities. the parent chapter was
generally the executive head of the
fraternity. AS the fraternities grew
it became necessary to change the
method of government; today. the fra
ternities are ruled by councils elected
by the national conventions. Today
the larger fraternities have divided the
country into districts and provinces of
Su1ta bic and convenient size so that
the national organiza ton can keep in
closer touch with the various chapters
As the fraternities grew the chapter
house system developed and TODAY the
fraternities throughout the land own
many millions of dollars worth of
property.
Older Members an Influence.
The fraternity as it stands TODAY is
the logical development of the loyalty
and many years of activity Of the old
er members If-you search the rolls of
the different fraternities you will find
inscribed thereon the names of many
or our most prominent and iIIustrious
citfzens-men who have devoted their
time and energies to the building up
OF the nation. Small wonder then that
the fraternities have grown To such
wonderful proportions. The college
fraternity is firmly rooted as a neces-
sary part and adjunct of college life.
The college fraternity fills place in
college life which IS absolutely indis-
pensable- As such it will continue to
grow and develop.
Within the last decade a wave Of
anti-fraternity legislation has been in
in the various states In
only two-Nississippi and South Caro-
lna-has this legislation gone so far as
to prohibit the college fraternity. 4
very small number of colleges hay,
forbidden fraternities. but most of
these have done so to secure an en-
doWment- 1 do not intend to go into
the merits of this movement. but sim
ply wish to point out a few of the {
many things which the fraternitfes are
doing to improve their condition
Pan Hellenic Conference.
Within the last ten years there has been
FORMED national pan-heIlenIc confer /
ence- This conference is cOrnpCSeI Of rem
7esentatEe alumni OF all the Greek letter /
y sAhlzallonS This conference contains /
many o. the prominent educators OF the 7
and; President Faunce of Brown uni +
t>Ity i tee president of the conference Z
ne main purpose of the conference is to /
iraW the different fraIe-nitfeS together in /
an EFFORT 70 place the fraterniries OF the /
llSEeSt plane possible. TO make the fra
-ern1tIeS institutions which will be of /
benefit 70 the colleges and TO the under /
graduate student body Although the /
conference has been maintained only for
1 short time. it has already accomplished 4
much good
Fraternities have realized for some time
mat there has been tendency among
some chapters 70 a lower standard or
'choIarship- But just as quickly. have
,aey Planned 70 a4opt new measures to
correct this evil By consulting the rec
'rds OF the registrars of the various col
eyes il will be found that the scholarship
y the fraCe-Dities has gradually improved
md in many institutions the fraternity
men rank higher than the nOu-frat ernity
men All the fraternitieS have in their
'aHkS prominent college men who are de-
'oJlns their time TO improving the schoi-
lrship of their fraternity. Phi Delta
er.nont. Or, H A Sanders of the Uni
-erSity OF Nj -higan. DR.. O. c. Caldwell
II the | University of Chicago.
Degree of Morality
1t has been charged that the fraternities
Ire lax in their moral regulations This /
can be refuted by inQutring or
he various college officers. The various
raternIties their national conventions
lave gone on record as favoring the
itrictest measure to maintain among the
,hapterS q high degree Of moral charac-
e- and attainment It is true that fra
e--itv men fall from grace Just the same
raternitIeS are quick to discipline such
members Expulsion from fraternities