The Dolores star., 1922-07-28

fraternities an influence for good? Are they
detriment rather than benefit TO the student?
What they? What is their purpose? Should
a boy join or keep out? These the questions
asked by fathers and mothers and guardians
The titles of nearly all of these societies
Greek letters which usually refer to a motto ex-
pressive Of the purpose of the organization. They
are secret societies, with grips badges rituals and
initiatory ceremonies
Probably the fraternities should be put In four
classes: General local. professional and womens
In the first group there about fifty fraternites
of established reputation. Their chapters vary
greatly as TO numbers; the range is probably from
seven to eighty Corresponding to these are the
sororities for women, perhaps twenty in number
Phi Beta Kappa was the first society with
Greek-letter name 1t founded in 1776 at the
college of William and Mary, and was originally
a secret society. Other chapters were established
Owing to an early prejudice against secret socie-
ties its secrets were exposed in 1881. The letters
stand for Greek words translated "Phllosopbv Is
the Guide of Life" Since 1881 Phi Beta Kappa
has been an honorary society in most of the large
colleges and scholarship rank determines the NOM
bership. Women have been admitted since 1917
In 1925 at Union college a group of congenial
students began the organization of a secret Greek.
letter fraternity. They divided over the ritua1
Some of them founded Kappa Alpha The rest
founded Sigma Phi in 1927. This was the BEGIN
ming of the college fraternities of TODAY
Membership in the Greek-letter fraternties ia
probably over 100000. Alumni usually retain
active interest There are executive committees
or councils composed of alumni which are cor
porations and hold legal title to the property of
the fraternlties-which is worth millions Most
fraternities own their chapter houses Conyen
tions held with supreme legislative mower
The 1nter-Fraternity Conference has met annually
since 1900 to act on questions of common interest
Thomas Arkle Clark, dean of men at the Uni
versty of Illinois, has interesting article with
the title, Shall join fraternity?" in the Amer
lean Boy MIR. Clark was not a fraternity man
in college; therefore he is able to speak from the
viewpoint of the outsider. On the other hand he
did Join a college fraternity five years after grad
uation, has visited fraternities all over the coun
try and has made study of them. Moreover as
a college dean of men for more than twenty years
he has had intimate relationships with thousands
of undergra duates, including the active members
of many fraternities. Mr.. Clark in short is con-
sdered competent authority college frater-
mites. In general he approves them. Moreover
his article before publication was read to several
college presidents and professors and high school
superintendent, some fraternity and some
not, and approved by them. Here are some of the
points he makes pro and
The young man entering college is confronted
with good many problems which his father be-
fore him did not have to solve, and one of these
is the fraternity question for though the college
fraternity was in existence thirty years ago. 1t
did not to anything like the extent It does today
dominate college life and control the direct under
graduate activities. Its influence was then con-
fined pretty largely to limited number of small
colleges In a restricted territory: its membership
not large, and its members not closely asso-
ciated.
In speaking Of the college fraternity I do not
wish to have it confused with the fraternity
In the high school. Excepting, perhaps in acad-
emies and boarding schools where the boys are
away from home and need the training and the
associations which come from organized home
life and the responsibilities which arise from
bringing these things about the high school fra
ternity has been pretty generally detriment both
to the character and to the scholarship of its men,
bers. 1t has often taken them away from the
restraints of home when these were most needed
1t has developed snobbishness, extravaganza and
social excesses which have been hurtful to the
general morale of the schools. 1t has had many