Evening star., 1925-09-18
NEW STEPS TAKEN
IN FRATERNITY BAN
Parents to Be Asked to Sign
Pledge CardS-CIoser
Check to Be Kept.

Supt. of Schools Frank w. Bal
lou and his subordinate officers be-
gan shaping plans today for enforc-
ing the Board of Education's anti
fraternity rule as soon as the schools
open for the new term Monday. Ad
ministration of the rule will be car
ried out as in former years, but the
high school principals probably will
the fraternal affiliations of their stu
dents.
The pledge cards, used to show
whether a student belongs to any of
the secret organizations which have
not met the approval of the board, will
be distributed to the students soon
after the beginning of the new term.
Parents as well as the students them
selves will be asked to sign these
cards. II a card is returned unsigned
school officials will assume that the
student is a member of disapproved
organization and will automatically
cancel his eligibility to offices of
honor and other school activities.
Position Outlined.
DR.. Ballou has ordered printed thou
sands Of pamphlets containing infor-
nation regarding the fraternities for
distribution to the parents of high
school students. These circulars out
line the boards position regarding the
secret organizations and the methods
of enforcing the anti-fraternity rule.
Under the heading Statement of
Boards Position" the pamphlet reads:
THE Board of Education is not op
posed to secret organizations among
men or women. The board is not op-
posed to fraternities and sororities in
colleges and universities. The board
is not opposed to fraternities and So
rorities in the high schools, because
they possess some of the common
characteristics of such organiza-
tions. The board Is opposed to fra
ternities and sororities in the high
schools solely because. in its judg
ment. such organizations are not con-
ducive to the achievement Of the best
educational results in the high schools.
Exclusiveness Hit.
THE Board of Education is opposed
to membership on the part of junior
high school or high school pupils in
any organization, association, club,
fraternity or sorority whose member
ship is narrowly exclusive, self-per
petuating, or secret, whose members
are required to pledge support of one
another as against non-members:
whose eligibility requirements for
membership are not approved by
school authorities and known to all
pupils SO that they may qualify for
membership If they wish, or whose
meetings are not held under school
auspices and under official faculty
supervision. Accordingly, membership
on the part of any boy girl in
junior or senior high school in any
organization. association, club, fra
ternity or sorority which possesses
any of the characteristics to which
the Board of Education Is opposed
is hereby disapproved"
The pamphlet recites that any stu
dent who joins an unapproved or
ganization will be penaliZed with dis
qualification from holding a commits
mission or warrant in the High School
Cadet Corps; from holding any posi-
ton, either elective or appointive, on
any school publication; from repre-
senting his school on any team in
competitive athletics, rifle matches,
interscholastic debates or dramatic
performances; from being certi-
fed as eligible to stand for cleo
ton to any class office; from hold
ing any position in a school bark;
from holding any office in any organi.
zation, club or activity which comes
under the direction of the school, from
receiving any form of school honors,
other than those awarded for scholas-
tic attainments, and from holding any
position as representative of his
school,