1953–54 Volume 78 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

THE SCROLL of Phi Delta Theta for November, 1953 123
Carl Jensen, Audubon; Don Brown, Lincoln, 111., and
Ron Kiger, Council Bluffs. This Fall has seen the
brothers' hard work pay off. Many improvements have
been made on the house. Among these are a new front
fence, Unoleum on the hall floors, individual room improvement,
freshly painted living room, shrubs donated
by George Welch, Shenandoah, and a new fireplace in
the backyard. The first social event ot the year was a
Bar-B-Q to inaugurate our new fireplace. Social Chairman
Jack Beckstrom also set the dates tor two other traditional
parties, the Buckaroo, October 16, and the Winter
formal, December 11. Besides winning the intramural participation
trophy last year the chapter was again for the
sixth straight semester over the all men's average; and was
ranked eighth out of the nineteen social fraternities according
to grade point. But there is still room for improvement,
especially in scholarship, which prompted Rick Sheldon to
start a pledge scholarship award, in the form of a plaque
awarded to holders of the two highest grade points in the
pledge class. Last semester the winners were Tom Adams
and Bob Youngblood. We were honored by the visit of
Marvin Perry, national traveling secretary, and Al Diehl
the new president of Psi Province last month. We hope
more Phis stop by during the school year.—MARSHALL
ENGELBECK, Reporter.
IOWA GAMMA, Iowa State College.—^With the start
of Fall quarter, Iowa Gamma will again be in excellent
position to gain recognition for top honors in all campus
activities. Only two active members were graduated at
the end ot last year, leaving the chapter in good shape
with 55 members and three men who were pledged during
the past year. This Fall we enjoyed a successful rush
week and fifteen new men were accepted as Phikeias.
They are: Ben Beirbaum, Cherokee; Wally Smith and
Robbie Walsh, Ames; Bill Speer, Tom Davies, Paul Billings
and Tom Twetten, Spencer; Robert Tyler, Sioux
City; Chuck Melhaupt, Des Moines; Ken Lister, Eagle
Grove; Bob Ferris and Harold Jensen, Davenport; Chuck
Meir, Pleasantville, N.Y.; Gene Martens, Manning, and
Jim Fero, Pickstown, S.D. Last Spring, Iowa Gamma
walked off with top honors in the Veishea parade bringing
home the sweepstakes trophy in competition with 80
other floats. We maintained a high standing in intramurals,
placing second in the race among 28 other fraternities.
*A9 will be well represented in varsity football
t^is season by the presence of Dick Stuber, Bruce Alexander,
Larry Herbold, Phi Zenk and Bob Meling while
Phikeias Billings and Melhaupt are fighting tor positions
of the Freshman team. This FaU found us minus a faculty
advisor, as Dr. L. Myer Jones has taken a year's
absence to continue his study in Europe, but Dr. Joseph
Picken has consented to fill the position. Plans are underway
for the annual pledge party, the "Bowery Brawl,"
to be held toward the end ot next month.—OWEN W.
NELSON, Reporter.
KANSAS ALPHA, University of Kansas.—Kansas Alpha
topped off an outstanding year of achievements and records
by winning the coveted Harvard Trophy for the fifth time.
This honor was not gained by a small group of individuals
but was won as a result of the concentrated and spirited
efforts ot the entire chapter. Such group achievements as
having the best all-around intramural program, placing
third out of 27 in an all-university skit contest, and
winding up third both semesters in scholarship, substantially
above the all-men's average, helped put Kansas Alpha on
top. Eight men, topped by the fabulous B. H. Bom,
garnered varsity letters; eight men were presidents of
prominent campus organizations, including Student Council.
Freshman class and Junior class; and seven men were
initiated into the two Honor Societies for Junior men
and Senior men. These are just a few ot the singular
contributions which helped make Kansas Alpha the best
Kappa Province Holds
Officers' Conference
By DEAN L. BERRY, DePauw '55
X^APPA PROVINCE, home of the first branch of
*Ae, claims another first—the first meeting
of chapter officers on a province level in the Fraternity.
Presidents, treasurers, and pledge trainers of the
seven Kappa Province chapters gathered September
26 in Indianapolis to discuss problems relating to
these offices and to the chapters in general.
Representatives from Butler, DePauw, Franklin,
Hanover, Indiana University, Purdue, and Wabash
met with Province President Bob Cross in the Hilton
U. Brown Memorial Room at the Butler chapter
house to discuss plans and officers' activities for
the 1953-54 school year.
Earning special attention in the morning and
afternoon sessions were discussions of pledge training
programs, treasurers' accounting methods, house
bills, and the effective use of every house officer and
committee. The question of the value to other chapters
of the individual problems presented by each
of the Hoosier chapters arose, but those in attendance
felt that the discussions were of interest to all,
for they too might one day be faced with similar
situations that are unfamiliar to them now.
The success of the conference was evidenced by
the planning of yearly gatherings of this nature at
chapters throughout the province, with more officers
attending and more time to be allowed for discussions
among the individual officers.
We who attended feel that the conference went
a long way in the dissemination of valuable ideas
that otherwise would be known to only one or two
chapters in the Province. After this initial success
of what is to our knowledge the first such meeting
of Province officers in the Fraternity, we, the member
chapters of Kappa Province, join with our President,
Bob Cross, in highly recommending such a
plan to our Brothers throughout the nation as a
\aluable means of strengthening the bonds between
regional chapters and for the sharing and development
of new ideas for the betterment of the Fraternity.
of the large chapters. After the initial thriU of winning
had subsided somewhat, word was received that we had
been awarded the prize for the best Phi Delt chapter
pubjication. This distinction was gained for Kansas Alpha
largely through the untiring efforts ot Editor Tom
Lyons. In keeping with its past traditions, Kansas Alpha
again pledged an outstanding group ot 27 young men.
Included in this pledge class are five aU-state baU players
from Kansas. Bill Mayer, sportswriter for the Lawrence
Journal-World, wrote in his column: "4> A 9 social fraternity
scored something of a slam by pledging a complete
and star-studded team from the Freshman basketball hopefuls.
None of the other fraternities landed as many gems