The New York herald., 1922-10-12

scholarship. and any number OF cases
in which they have lowered IT,"
Another school officer said that he
knew of a country club which occa-
slonally rented its house to other or
ganizations for dancing. One OF these
was a high school fraternity. 1t was
notified that 1t would have 70 provide
chaperons, but neglected TO do so.
The boys took hip flasks TO the
dance" this officer said, "and at .
o'clock I'm the morning they were riding
up and down the country roads yelling
like wildcats and waking everybody up.
The club felt itself disgraced. Now II
the clubhouse had been rented to the
senior class OF the school a teacher
would have been there TO see that the
youngsters were held in check. But
fraternity has no standing in the school
and cannot be controlled by the school
authorities"
In answer to this the fraternities say
they would be only too happy to have
standing in the school, and to elect to
membership teachers who would be
their mentors, as some OF them have
done in the past. but the rules of the
Bard of Education forbid. Men who
have long since left high school. but
still retain their interest in and defend
mark that flask toting infants to be
seen at dances nowadays are by no
means confined to the secret societies.
"Frats'' Lower Scholarship.
Erasmus Hall High School, in Flat
bush. has often been mentioned as
'hotbed" Of fraternites and societies
II is true that they were lively in the
time Of the prlncipalship of the late
Dr. Walter r. Gunnison. He believed
in and encouraged them. under faculty
guidance. But census taken last
spring by the present principal, Dr. J.
Herbert Low. disclosed only 142 boys
and girls who were members of the
secret Greek letter societies. and seven
teen other boys who were members OF
Omega Gamma Delta, which was re-
solved into open clubs" by permission
Of the Board of Education In 1914
There are $500 pupils in Erasmus Hall
DR.. Low feels, he said to the reporter,
that the secret societies do not present
much of a problem at present. and that
IL there were no agitation they would
gradually die out. His judgment as to
scholarship Is: Generally speaking, the
student who belongs to a fraternity, all
things considered. is not apt to do as
we'll as a student who does not belong"
He believes that the "frats" do not cut
much figure in school elections. "Frater-
nifty members are often put in office"
he said, but il is because they are
popular. not because of fraternity in
fluence." SO far as he knew. the fra
ternity members had their meetings in
their own homes.
DR.. Low sends to the parents OF
entering freshmen this note: THE
school authorities do not countenance
secret societies-so called fraternities
end sororities. Experience has shown
that 1t is very unwisA for a parent TO
allow a child to join such an organiza-
ton. because il Is primarily social in
character as well as updemocratic. The
work OF so many students in the past
has been hurt because Of their member
ship in such clubs that parents should
take a strong stand against allowing
connection with a secret club. 1t is In
no sense under the supervision Of the
school,"
When he became principal DR.. Low
carrying out a bylaw of the Board of
Education. forbade the existence OF any
school secret society. the use of the
which include pupils. and the wearing
of their insignia in the school. In
letter to DIR. Clarence e. Meleney. asso-
ciate superintendent of schools. DIR. Low
said this year: "The old days when
thev (secret societies), governed school
matters are gone forever. But I am
personally opposed to students belong
ing to these organizations. because !