The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1922-07-28

fraternities an influence for goodf Are they O
detriment rather than a benefit to the STUDENT
What are theyf What Ia their purposef Should
a boy Join keep outf These the questions
asked by fathers and mothers and guardians.
The titles Of nearly oil 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
nitiatory ceremonies.
Probably the fraternities should be put in four
classes: General. local. professional and women's
In the FIRST group there are about nifty fraternities
Of established reputation Their chapters vary
greatly rs TO numbers; the range Is probably from
seven to eighty, Corresponding to these are the
sororites for women. perhaps twenty In number
Phi Beta Kappa the first society with
Greeketter name. II was founded In 177e mt the
college OF William and Mary, and was originally
secret society. other chapters were established
Owing 10 an early prejudice against secret socle
ties Its secrets were exposed In 1891. The letters
stand for Greek words translated PHILOSOPHY Is
the Guide OF Life" Since 1891 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 nj Union college a group of congenlaI
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 frnternities OF today.
Membership In the Greek-iettcr fraternlties is
probably over 100000 Alumni usually retain
active interest. There are executive committees
councils composed OF alumni. which are cor
porations and hold legal title to the property of
the fraternties-whch Ia worth millions. Most
fraternitles own their chapter houses Conven-
lions are held with supreme legislative power.
The Internationally 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
tha ShalI fstlu fraf in tha Auuar
lean Boy. Mr.. Clark not q fraternity man
In college; therefore he Is able to speak from the
viewpoint OF the outsider. on the other hand he
did Join college fraternity Ave years after grad
uation has visited fraternties all 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 undergraduates including the active members
of many fraternities Mr.. Clark In short, is con-
sldered n 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 some OF the
points he makes, pro aud con;
The young entering college Is confronted
with n good many problems which his father be-
fore him did not have To solve. and of these
ts the fraternity question; for though the college
fraternity was In existence thirty years ago Il
did not &C. anything like the extent Il does today,
dominate college life and control the direct under.
graduate activities. Its influence was then con-
nned pretty largely to a limited number of small
colleges In a restricted territory Its mbership
was not large and It's members not closely asso-
ciated
In speaking OF the college fraternity do not
wish to have Il confused with the fraternity
IN the high school. Excepting, perhaps, In acad
emles and boarding schools where the boys are
away from home and need the training and tn,
associations which come from an organized home
life and the responsibilities which arise from
bringing these things about. the high school fra
ternty has been pretty generally n detriment both
To the character and TO the scholarship OF Its mem
bers. II has often taken them away from tn.
restraints Of home when these were most needed
II has developed snobblshness extravaganza anS
social excuses which have been hurtful TO tn,
general morale OF the schools. II has had man,