Evening star., 1921-06-02
SCHOOL BOARD BAN
PUT ON SOCIETIES
Members Of unsanctioned
Secret Bodies Will Be
Denied Honors.

4
cret societies caused the board of
education at its meeting yesterday
afternoon to take drastic action to
eradicate these organizations. In
doing 50. a former ruling making
members Of the fraternities and So
rortties liable to expulsion from
school was rescinded, and new rules
| were adopted which make 1t virtually
impossible for students who are mem
pers OF such societies to obtain any
KIND or q distinction or honor while
attending the senior Institutions
Ine board took this action upon the
recommendation Of Supt. Frank w.
6al!ou, who. In q comprehensive re-
port pointed out that parents and
principals of the high schools had
complained Of mistreatment Of new
members OF the honor societies.
Declares Initiate tainted.
"One father Of q high school boy
who was recently initiated into q fra
ternity. said the superfntendent's re.
port, asserts that tho chief feature
OF the initiation was beating him with
his body and hips were black and
blue from the bruises. Two other
| boys were initiated at the same time
and understand that one of them
| tainted twice during the beating and
all of them had to be helped to bed
! afterward.'
This father. although a member of
a. college fraternity, disapproves Of
high school fraterniues. He con-
! demns this initiation Of his son as
simply brutal. one Of the boys break
| lieves that high school boys arts not
| able to judge whether prospective
victims are physically able to with
stand such treatment He thinks
there is great danger of spinal in
are carried on in the dark"
Reports Of mistreatment Of many
other students initiated into the se-
cret societies also have been carried
to school officials. Recently q girl
was taken into sorority at Eastern
High school. 1t Is said. and was ad-
ministered a large dose Of quinine.
The girl. according to the report,
| tainted. and later became i'll and had
to be confined to bed for several
days. A niece Of a prominent woman
| High School. according to this woman
was forced to go from door to door
Of various homes and beg for bread
and butter. These are mild initia-
tions, it is said.
New Ruling.
The new rules provide:
That after June /, membership on
the part of any junior or senior high
school student in any association. Or
ity which has not been approved by
the superintendent is forbidden.
That an association, organization
| club. fraternity or sorority. which
now enrolls in it's membership stu
dents of Junior or senior high school
shall submit to the superintendent
such information as he may require
regarding its constitution, bylaws
membership. eligibility Requirements
for membership. time and place OF
meetings. programs of meetings and
any necessary information. as a basis
for the superintendent's approval OF
disapproval Of said organizatin.
That all associations. organizations
clubs, fraternities or sororities. which
may be approved by the superintend.
supervision Of the faculties Of the
several senior and Junior high
schools.
Honors Denied.
Any student. who, after June l
joins. or after October /, has not dis.
continued his membership in any as.
sociation, organization. club, frater.
nifty or sorority. which has not beer
approved by the superintendent shall
thereby disqualify himself or herself
from: Holding a commission or war.
rant in the High School Cadet brigade
holding any position, either elective
or appointive, on any school publica.
ton: representing his school on any
team in competitive athletics. rife
matches, interscholastic debates ol
dramatic performances; being certi.
fed as eligible to stand for election
to any class office: holding any posi-.
tion in a high school bank, holding
any Office in any organisation. clut
or activity which comes under the
direction of the school: receiving any
form of honors, other than those
awarded scholarship attainments ant
from holding any position as repre-
sentative of his school.
The rules further provide that aftel
September I, and at the beginning o.
each semester or more frequently, Il
required. each student shall be re
auired to furnish the principal o.
the school with signed statement
countersigned by one Of his or he
parents or his or her guardian. indi
fraternity or sorority Of which he o.
she is a member.
1t is pointed out that 1t is no
the purpose Of these rules to debal
student from securing higl
school education. but 1t 10 the in
tention to exclude from representa-
tive honors students who continu,
to be members OF organizations which
exist contrary to the regulations o
the school board.
Former Order Ignored.
In submitting his report to tn,
board Supt. Ballou emphasized thu