Evening star., 1939-11-17
Little White Card Breaks Up
'Unrecognized' School Groups
Protective Trick of Fruternities Fails
Before l8-Word Clause

An 18-word clause on a little white
card is wreaking havoc with a neat
little device used by 'unrecognized'
fraternities and sororities at West
ern and Woodrow Wilson High
Schools to escape detection
Under rule of the Board of Edu-
cation pupils are forbidden to join
any organization "unrecognized" Of
ficially by the board. Any one be-
longing to such group is auto
matically barred from participation
in any school honors or activities
except scholarship.
But, as boys will be boys and girls
will be girls. fairly large unrec-
ognized group has grown up-one
principal estimated there were pos
sibly rs In his school-some of whom
have used an ingenious device in
their constitution to escape detec-
ton.
According to DR.. Elmer S. New
ton, principal of Western, the pro-
tective trick operated as follows: If
a member of the unrecognized or
ganiZation was asked the question
do you belong to such and such
fraternity" or Are you men,
Der of such and such a sorority?'
under his fraternity's constitution
he was Immediately expelled from
membership and could truthfully an
swer mo" He then would go around
to the next meeting and be read
mitted.
One Little Clause.
The little clause which Is breaking
this up apparently is on card cir
culated among Western and Wood
row Wilson High School students
asking them and their parents tc
certify that the student has never
been member of the Greek lettel
sorority or of any other unapprovec
organization"
Apparently the fraternity consti-
tutions did not cover this contin-
gency of having been member
and a number of pupils have ap-
peared before DR. Newton and Prin-
cipal Norman j. Nelson of Woodrow
Wilson saying they could not with
a clear conscience sign this clause
Four members of the Wilson foot
ball team had to resign from the
team, and two from the student gov
ernment, according to Mr.. Nelson
but Dr. Newton said there had been
no designations forced by the card
in Western as yet.
There are two approved fraterni-
ties at Western and no sororities
while Wilson has four sororities and
three fraternities. This is exclusive
of organizations of Army and Navy
juniors, it is understood, which are
permitted.
Under past procedure, principals
have had the boys and girls sign a
card listing organizations to which
they belong. The signers are sup
posed to keep the card up to date by
informing the principal of any or
eanization joined after the signing
of the card. The parent of the child
also is signatory
Caught Through Parties.
Sometimes the boys and girls
"odlu UC CdUkllU tlIOUkIl pdI Ul6S
given by the unrecognized unit at
some hotel or inn. DR.. Newton said
he sometimes had called up the
place of the party and inquired who
was handling arrangements. He
got the name of the students, he
said, and called them into his Office
do you want to make any change
In the card?" he said he would ask
II guess you got me-" he said
one replied, amending the card.
This does not work any more
however DR.. Newton said with a
merry grin. Now, he explained, the
students swear the proprietor OF
wherever the party is given not to
reveal the names of any one han
ding or connected with the event.
At Wilson, issuance of the new
card caused considerable discussion
among the students and Mr.. Nelson
finally solved the situation by call
ing in all heads of fraternities and
sororities, recognized and unrecog-
nized, and explaining it was a rule
of the Board of Education which he
was enforcing. Mr.. Nelson indi-
Gated he might work to have some
of the ruling changed, if possible
In particular he said he had in mino