The Kevin courier. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1922, 1922-07-19

lhS VI dlS IN -
fraternitIes an influence for good? Are they a
detriment rather than a benefit to the student?
What are they? What is their purpose? Should
a boy join or keep out? These are the questions
asked by fathers and mothers and guardians.
The titles of nearly all of these societies are
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
%lnitiatory ceremonies.
Probably the fraternities should be put in four
classes: General, local, professional and womens.
In the first group there are about fifty fraternities
Of established reputation. Their chapters vary
greatly as to numbers; the range is probably from
seven to eighty. Corresponding to these are the
s%OrOrities for women, perhaps twenty In number.
Phi Beta Kappa was the first society with a
Greek-letter name. 1t was 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 PHILOSOPHY 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 men,
bership. Women have been admitted since 1875.
In 1925 at Union college a group of congenial
students began the organization of a secret Greek
letter fraternity. They divided over the ritual.
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 Ill the dIteh-lell6T ITdI6TUlIloS Is
probably over 100000. Alumni usually retain
active interest. There are executive committees
or councils composed of alumni, which are cor
p~orations and hold legal title to the property of
the fraternities-which is worth millions. Most
fraternities own their chapter houses. Conven-
tons are held with supreme legislative power.
The Inter-Fraternity Conference has met annually
since 1900 to act on questions of common interest.
Thomas Ankle Clark, dean of men at the Uni
versity of Illinois, has an interesting article with
the title, "Shall l join a fraternity? 2" in the Amer
lean Boy. Mr.. 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 a study of them. Moreover, as
a college dean of men for more than twenty years
he has had intimate relationships with thousands
of undergraduates, including the active members
of many fraternities. Mr.. Clark, in short, is con-
sidered a competent authority on 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 men and some
not, and approved by them. Here are some of the
points he makes, pro and con:
The Young man entering college is confronted
with a 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, it
did not, to anything like the extent it does today,
dominate college life and control the direct under
graduate activities. It's influence was then con-
fined pretty largely to a limited number of small
colleges in a restricted territory; it's membership
was not large, and its members not closely asso-
ciated.
In speaking Of the college fraternity / 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
awav from nome and need the training and the
associations which come from an organized home
life and the responsibilities which arise from
bringing these things about, the high school fra
ternity has been pretty generally a detriment both
to the character and to the scholarship Of its men,
hers. It has often taken them away from the
restraints of home when these were most needed.
It has developed snobbishness, extravaganza and
social excuses which have been hurtful to the
uonaral morale Of the schools. 1t has had many