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

THE SCROLL—Palladium Supplement—January, 1954 269
Alpha's period of probation.
32. The- General Council heard, with some degree
of satisfaction, some of the more recent' developments
at Ohio Alpha which have ensued since
that chapter was placed on probation on June 1,
1953, and simultaneously directed to pattern its
future activities along the lines of a constructive
operating program as drafted by the President of
Zeta Province and officially and unanimously
adopted by Ohio Alpha at the time probation was
imposed.
At this juncture the meeting was recessed at 5:30
P.M. and re-convened at 8:10 P.M. on the evening
of Tuesday, August 25.
33. Upon learning that certain chapters are admittedly
using the paddle in their pledge training practices,
it was moved by Wright, seconded by Wilterding
and passed unanimously that the Executive
Secretary remind all chapters of A9, in the
first Fall General Headquarters Newsletter that
the General Council will insist upon a literal and
rigid interpretation of Section 137 under Title VII
of the General Statutes which states that:
"No chapter of Phi Delta Theta shall indulge
in any physical abuse or undignified treatment
of its pledges or members."
It was further ordered that Secretary Beam be
directed to write letters of warning to certain chapters
which are known to be in violation of the
above statutory provision.
34. Recent evidence having been submitted that
Kansas Beta is making little headway in purging
itself of the infiltration of Theta Nu Epsilon and
Kappa Beta Phi into the chapter, membership in
such organizations being in direct violation of Sections
154 and 155 under Title VII of the General
Statutes, it was moved by Wilterding, seconded by
Herrick, and passed unanimously that the President
of Mu Province and the Executive Secretary be given
all necessary authority to deal effectively with this
problem including, if it is deemed necessary, the
suspension of Kansas Beta for whatever period of
time may be necessary to correct the situation.
35. After reviewing the difficulties in which Michigan
Beta became involved in May of 1953, including
the temporary withdrawal of the chapter's social
privileges by the Interfraternity Council at Michigan
State College, it was moved by 'Wilterding, duly
seconded, and passed unanimously that Secretary
Beam write the chapter an admonitory letter at the
opening of college in September and that, thereafter,
the General Headquarters Secretariat make it
one of its first orders of business to visit Michigan
Beta with a view toward helping this chapter solve
its disciplinary problems.
36. Executive Secretary Beam, and Assistant Executive
Secretary Miller, having collaborated in editing
and preparing for publication a new (13th)
edition of Phikeia—The Manual of Phi Delta Theta,
presented for the inspection of the General Council
the page proof as recently run off the presses of the
George Banta Publishing Company. The work of
Brothers Beam and Miller was well received by the
General Council and it was directed that the Banta
Company proceed, as promptly as possible, with the
printing of 5,000 copies of the new edition under the
terms and conditions agreed upon in order that
there may be no interruption in the flow of these
valuable books to the active chapters and the
pledges thereof.
37. The General Council examined, with satisfaction,
the newly-designed Chapter Officers Calendar
which is sent to the major chapter officers each
autumn as an aid to prompt reporting to the Gen.-
eral Headquarters.
38. On behalf of the Committee on Awards, Secretary
Beam presented a report of the results of the
1952-53 General Fraternity trophy competition involving
the Harvard, Founders, Cleveland, Ward
Scholarship Excellence, Herrick Scholarship Improvement,
and General Headquarters trophies.
Beam was able to announce on behalf of the Committee
that the winning chapters of the abovenamed
trophies, in order enumerated, were Kansas
Alpha at Kansas University; Texas Delta at Southern
Methodist University; Indiana Delta at Franklin
College; Illinois Beta at the University of Chicago;
Maryland Alpha at the University of Maryland, and
New Mexico Alpha at the University of New Mexico.
Additionally, the Executive Secretary took pleasure
in reporting that Kansas Alpha also succeeded in
capturing the traditional crest-mounted scrapbook
for having submitted in competition the chapter
publication adjudged to be the best in the 1952-53
competition.
In further pursuance of this matter, the General
Council urged that the various Province Presidents
involved, attempt to arrange for appropriate presentation
ceremonies for each of the above trophies
and prizes.
39. Beam announced to the General Council that
a revised edition of the Chapter Officers Handbook
and a Pledgemaster's Manual are in process of preparation
and that these useful booklets will be made
available to each and every one of 4> A 9's chapters
early in the Fall, 1953, season. The General Council
heard this report with satisfaction.
40. The printed program for the General Officers
Conference which, as previously noted, was to take
place in the Memorial Library and General Headquarters
Building on August 27, 28 and 29, 1953,
was presented to the General Council for final approval.
The agenda, as prepared by the Executive
Secretary, was approved with only minor alterations.
41. P.P.G.C. Housser, who had previously accepted
the commission to serve as Chairman of a Standing
Committee to re-write and revise the Constitution
and General Statutes, gave a full report of his
preliminary work in this important matter. Brother
Housser was firm in his conviction that, because of
the multitude of contradictions and inconsistencies
in the present Code, nothing short of a complete
revision would produce the desired results.
After hearing Housser's report, it was moved by
•Wilterding, seconded by Gardner, and passed unanimously
that a sum of money be appropriated by the
General Council sufficient to the needs of Brother
Housser and his Committee to proceed with the
work of completely revising the Constitution and
General Statutes. It was further ordered that the
Chairman of the Committee be given full authority