, 1923-02-11
ATHLETIC FRAT
HARD To JOIN
Smallest College Fraternity
Has Many Qualifications
for Membership.

BY HUGH FULLERTON.
Sigma Delta Psi is the hardest fra
ternity among all college organiza-
tons to join. There are no ~tappings
no rushing" no favoritism, but the
college man who is entitled to wear
that pin and DO received into thc fra
ternity has earned his way.
There are now fourteen chapters
OF Sigma Delta Psi among the Amer.
can colleges. The closest estimate of
membership at present is that. since
it was organized, about 225 youths
have earned the right to wear the
pin. Yale, with thirty-nine members
since 1915, probably leads the list with
the largest chapter.
Plenty Qualifications.
This fraternity is open to any man
in any college in America, yet it is
one of the smallest of them all. All
a fellow has to do to become a mem.
Der is to run 100 yards in IL 3-5 sec
onds. runs the 22O-yard low hurdles in
81 seconds. leaving all standing. make
4 running high jump of 5 feet, n run
mig broad jump of II feet. put the
%1G-pound shot 80 feet. pole vault s feet
6 inches, throw a baseball 100 feet on
the l4S punt II lbblbdA l-u ltcl vi
he ~, swim 100 yards without rest
o. floating. run two miles in IL min
utes Is seconds. and in tumbling do a
front hand spring. n hand stand main
IA ned for 10 seconds and n vault over
4 fence the heighth of the chin. Then.
T the erect carriage of the candidate,
secretly observed) meets the approval
Of the committee, he is eligible to get
his key.
The fraternity was founded at In
diana university in 1912. and numbers
among its members many of the most
famous athletes produced in American
colleges. Yale's LIST alone includes the
GLOWING named famous athletes, all
"Y" men.
Nick Carter, rs: E. J. Stackpole
10; w. +. Roos. is; ]. H. Grubb, 16;
w. NJ. Oler Jr.. &c; ]. w. Overflow, II,
killed in war; w. b. Schle!ter, 81;
Thomas Campbell, 20. H. Potter, II;
H. c. Rolfe. II; Stephen Potter 10,
killed in war: Gordon Brown, 20; T.
J. O'Brien. '21; NJ. p. Aldrich, '22; p
H. Crane, 90.
Can Substitute Letter.
The rules permit any letter man to
substitute his letter for n one OF
| the required events, and in spite OF
the reasonable requirements in each
event extremely few candidates are
able to do all the performances and
many have used their letter to com
pete the list.
One of the greatest of eastern ath
letes failed in his attempts to make
Sigma Delta Psi. He could do every
thing excepting pole vault and run
two miles. Try as he might he could
not Vault eight feet, normake the re
uuired time in two miles. He made
scores of attempts, and failed by sec
onds.
Following the national champion
ships in Buffalo next Saturday, the
| scene Of action will shift to the mid
die west, where the University OF
Illinois will hold its annual relay car
nival on March 3. Practically every
university and college of athletic note
in the middle west will be represent
ed, while the entry of Pennsylvania
has already been received.
Western Meet March II.
This event will be followed by the
western conference track and field
games at Northwestern university on
March II. While the middle west Is
| staging its events there will be meets
of Importance in the east. while
| schools on the Pacific coast Will be
competing In dual events.
Following the indoor season col
lege athletes will be pointed for the
Penn relays at Philadelphia on April
| rs. on the same day the Drake relays
will he he.O at Des Moines, so that
fiddle west universities and colleges
will have to divide their squads ano
send teams to both meets.
For tho first time in It's history
University Of Kansas will stake n sci
of relay games. These will be held al
Lawrence on April u, and Director
Allen is already assured n success
full went. lie is meeting with excel
lent resDunse from institutions in the
Missouri Valley conference and thos'
in the southwest. The more of thes'
relay games the better and it Is hopeC
the Kansas event will be well sup
ported.
AthIetes Pointed for Chicago Meet.
The various outdoor intercollegiate
will be held in May and June. an'
then all athletes will be pointed TO
the National A. A. U. outdoor tract
and field championships, to be hell
IN Chicago the latter part of Angus
and early in September. When n re
sumo Of all these meets Is made, ont
can readily imagine that an almos
unbeatable track and field team vii
compete in the 1924 worlds games ir
France.