The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 8 - Categorization of Rituals
educational experimentation and throughout its own groping for its proper place
and function, it has remained the one last stronghold where youth did for itself
and by itself." 1683 Moreover, the institution of college fraternities in the U.S., just
like Masonry, is extremely long-lived. This is explained by Baird as a
consequence of the moral aims: "It is an enduring institution because the values
of the good college fraternity chapter are enduring" 1684 . Furthermore, in Baird's
Manual it is argued that religion is fostered in the college fraternities, which
bears striking resemblance with "mainstream" Masonic features. And similar to
the Masons, who are admonished by their Constitutions that they ought to be
peaceful subjects, the college fraternity members have to accept and obey their
authority: "Fraternity undergraduates are, first of all, believers in their Creator;
they may not be agnostics, pagans, or atheists; and they must be loyal students of
their college, so long as their college is itself loyal to the Creator." 1685 Baird in
his Manual sees religion as principal for the duration of a college fraternity -
once the religious aspect is removed, it grows into a fun club and is liable to
cease to exist after a short time: "Frequently only after a fraternity chapter dies or
has turned into a club is it observed that there has been no altar in the house and
that is why it has died or turned into a club." 1686
For comparison, we will now take a closer look at a specific college
fraternity, the Phi Kappa Psi. This fraternity was founded on February 19 th , 1852,
at Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, by Charles Page Thomas Moore
and William Henry Letterman (formerly Letherman). 1687 As is written in their
manual, the Phi Kappa Psi have a constitution, by-laws, rules, and a ritual 1688 ,
features we also find in Masonry. Further, they have a similar administration,
divided into "Chapters," "District Councils," and "Grand Arch Councils," 1689 the
last expression resembling the term "Royal Arch Masonry."
In contrast to Masonry, the requirements of the candidates are less severe -
while Masons reject handicapped candidates and eunuchs, the Phi Kappa Psi
initiate any male undergraduate "possessing talent, ambition, and a good moral
character," as long as he has not been expulsed from another college fraternity or
is already a member of a rivaling fraternity, such as Quo Vadis or Kappa Beta
Phi. 1690 Also in contrast to Freemasonry, this college fraternity has a two-thirds
vote 1691 , and not the Masonic blackballing, whereby one black ball rejects the
cause brought up for election.
The Phi Kappa Psi use titles for their officers that are similar to the Masonic
titles: they have a President, a Vice President, a Treasurer, an Executive
1683 Robson (ed.), p. 5.
1684 Ibid.
1685 Ibid, p. 2.
1686 Ibid, p. 9.
1687 The Manual of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, p. 221.
1688 Ibid, p. 234.
1689 Ibid, p. 225.
1690 Ibid, p. 221.
1691 Cf. ibid, p. 224.