The Arvada enterprise., 1922-07-20

since they are 4 feature Of student
life Of large importance. Are the
SratsrnltIes IN induenre for goodi Arc they .
detrtmenf rather than beaeiit to the studentf
What are theyf What IL their purpose' Should
boy j0n or keep outf These are the questions
asked By fathers and mothers and guardians.
Tie Titles OF nearly all Of these societies are
Oresa letters, whIch usually refer to motto ex.
eresslvs of thu purpoae Of the organization. They
are secret societies with grips badges rituals and
snIttatsry ceremoDes
Probably the fraternitIes should be put In four
riasses: Oeseral. local. professional and women'a.
Sa the Arst group these about afv fraternities
Of establlsAed reputation. Their chapters vary
Grentty % 10 numbers: the range II probably from
s-ven 10 eighty. Corresponding to these ars the
sororifies for women. pcrhapa twenty In number.
Phi Beta Kappa was the first society with q
6reek-leiter natne. II was founded In 177G At the
college Of william and Mary and was originally
secrst society. Other chapters were established
Owing to an early prejudice aGHinst secret socie-
e'es lie secrets were exposed In 1891 The letters
seand for Greek words translated "Phllosophy II
tha GUIDE Of IAfe." Siuce 1891 PhI Beta Kama
has been an hOaorary society In most Of the larfe
colleges and scholarship rank determines the mes.
hershp. Women have been admitted since ls7n
IN l&2o at Union college = group Of congenIul
students began the organization Of secret Greek.
letter fraternity. They divided over the ritual.
Nome Of them founded Kappa Alph. The rs,,
founded Sigma Phi In 1927. This WINS the begin.
ming Of the college fraternitles Of today.
Membersisip In the Gresa -irtter fraternitIc,, I,
probably over S0O.OO0 Alumni usuniy rctn,n
active interest Therr are executive committees
ar councils composed Of alumni which nre cor
Sorations and hold legal title to the property OF
the fraternitie~-whch 10 worth millions Most
trntcrnltie~ own their chapter houses Conyen.
tlons nrc held with supreme Legislative power
The Inter r-fraternlty Conference has met annually
since 1000 70 act n questions Of common interest
Thomas Arkle Clark. dem Of men nj the Uni.
S"rsy Of Illinois, has sn interesting article with
the titlc "ShHll Join . fratcrnity?" In the Amer
team Roy. Mr.. Clark wHn not fraternity man
IN coilcEe therefore he In able to speak from tho
tiewr0nt OF the outsider On the other hand he
dId Join college fraternity I'VE years after grud
antio0 has visited frxternitica nii over the coun
Try and has made study of them. Moreover, a.
= college dean II men for more than twenty ycnrs
no has had intimate relationships with thousand.
of undergraduates including the active members
of many fraternltieA Nr. Clark. In short In con.
sldcrcd 4 competent authority on college frrter.
aitica In general he approves them. Moreover
Nls article before publication was read to several
college presidents and professors and high school
superIntcndents. somc fraternlty men and noms
not. and approved BY them. Here are some Of tho
sonts he makes. pro and CON:
The young man entering college Ia confronted
with u good many problems which his father be.
Gore him did not have to solve md one Of these
" the fraternity question: f"r though tho college
Fraternity vas In existence thirty yenrx ngo. II
cid not t. anything llhe the extent II does today
dominate college life and control the direct under.
graduate activtica fts influence was then con.
aned pretty largely 70 4 limited number Of small
roiirgcs In . restrietsd territory: Its membership
was not large. and its member not closely asso-
cNtcd.
In speaking Of the college frntcrnty I do not
wish to have II confused with the frnternIty
n the hiyh school ExcrptinE pcrhnna in ncud.
emics and boarding schoOls where the boys ars
away FROM home and need the training aud the
associations which come from organized home
tIfs and the responsibilities which arise from
bringing these things ntout. the high school fra.
tcrnity hns been pretty generally detriincnt both
b the character and 10 the scholarship Of s mem
ben. Il has often taken them away from the
restraints Of home when these were most needed
u has developed saohblshnesA sxtr,vagancv and
onclai syceaess which have been hurtfui to the
eseassl mosal4 eS the sch0olA Il has had many