The Washington times., 1914-11-04
COLUMBIA STARTS
FRATERNITY REFORM
Experiment viii Be Watched
With Interest by Colleges
Throughout the Country.

NEW YORK, Nov. t.-In view Of the
extensive agitations which have been
urged against college fraternities the in
terfraternity agreement which went into
effect at Columbia when the university
opened this year will be watched with
interest throughout the college world.
The agreement is aimed at correcting
the chief drawbacks which were ad-
vanced against the secret societies, and
on the success Of the new system at Co
lumbia will depend the inauguration OF
similar schemes at other universities
where the national fraternities flour
ish.
The result soughts by the interfrater-
nitv agreement is to raise the scholar
ship of the freshmen on the campus,
and to bring about closer relationship
between the fraternity men. The agree
ment Is the product of many years OF
work on the part OF few men who
have fought patiently for interfrater-
nifty or pan-Hellenic relations at Co.
lumbia. One of the important figures
In this movement, Lawrence r. Clapp,
who stroked the Columbia varsity crew
IN 1910, as a member of the Phi Delta
Theta Fraternity, one of the largest
fraternities at Columbia, and, although
this fraternity is In full accord with the
purposes in the agreement, It has not
as yet given its approval to some of its
details.
Some of the Difficulties.
Some OF the difficulties which have
been experienced at Columbia seem to
lie in the early joining OF a fraternity
by the freshmen. Many of them under
the old regime were pledged for some
one of the fraternities before Columbia
opened. while others had most of the
hours of the afternoon and evening OF
each day engaged by the fraternity
men who <ere bound upon giving them
better time than their rival frater-
nifty class mates. The result was that
4e freshmen utterly neglected their
studies during the first term and then
awoke only TO find that they had iunked
out of college.
BY the agreement which was adopted
May II, 1914, each of the fraternities
which signed agrees that it will not
offer any pledge before the first We'd
nesday in November or the third We'd
nesday in March where the student has
entered Columbia the preceding febru-
ary. For the present year, however,
TO help adjust the agreement to the
present situation the fraternities may
pledge men from the day college opened.
These regulations are designed to give
the freshmen a chance TO pursue their
studies without devoting their entire
time to the fraternities in the opening
weeks OF college. II falls short, how
ever, in that 1t permits rushing during
this period. BY the second part OF the
agreement the fraternities bind them
selves not to initiate any Pledge in
his first year at Columbia as an under
graduate until by the first mid-term, or
a later report, he shall have maintained
an average Of at least CD, which is
bare passing mark. II the fraterni-
agreement and abandon the regulations
as to rushing and pledging. the re-
suit desi.ed. il is felt, would be Sc
cured very simply. The freshmen
would have an incentive to work for
: q passing mark and the fraternities for
making the freshmen work.
There are only four OF the twenty-siX
fraternities which have not signed the
agreement, and one fraternity which
comes under a special dispensation from
the committee. The four fraternities are
Phi Delta Theta, Delta Phi, Psi Up
silon, and Sigma Nu.
The Financial System.
One of the very real difficulties found
hy the fraternities which have not
signed the agreement as we'll as many
of those which have signed is the proper
adjustment OF their financial system 10
such a change. To postpone the initis- |
ton Of the freshmen for six months !
means a loss in revenues of approx |
mstelv $50 on each freshman inasmuch |
as they will not begin to pay the fra |
ternity dues until they are initiated. |
The frsternities are forced to expend |
many thousands Of dollars in operating |
expenses. and all Of them run on close !
margins. II Is felt that Tlany of the |
fraternities which have signed the |
agreement will run into very serious |
financial problems through such q |
course. and the frank stand of the fra |
ternities which have refrained from |
signing the agreement is that some pro- |
vision should be made to take care of |
this END OF the matter before they in !
rolve themselves I'm any financial diff |
Guilty
The entire situation is one Of keen in |
ierest to the undergraduates at Column |
hia University. and little else is Being |
talked OF on the campus. The Under I
graduate body will demand that the fra |
ternities which have signed the agree !
ment live up strictly to this promise, !
and anv violation thereof is sure TO |
bring down singing rebuke.