1930–31 Volume 55 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

VOLUME LV | | 1 [- ^ ^^ |^ K ) |_ |_ FEBRUARYTHE SCROLL"""' PHI DELTA THETA ""Editorial . . .This number of THE SCROLL is very much reduced in size because ofthe necessity of remaining within the budget for this college year. Thestories about the five installations of new chapters coupled with an unusuallylarge amount of fine material caused two of the previous numbersthis year to run to a much greater size than is contemplated in our financialset-up.It will be noted that the Chapter News in Brief has been omitted fromthis number and it is planned to run the April number also without thisfeature. The March and May numbers, however, will be complete inevery detail.THE SCROLL thanks the active chapter reporters for their co-operationin helping to work out of our present situation. It is not an easy nor apleasant thing to have to condense a publication arbitrarily.Phi Delta Theta sustained a most severe loss when the library of the lateWalter B. Palmer was destroyed with the burning of the Georgia BetaChapter house at Emory. This valuable collection of fraternity literaturehad been willed to his chapter by Brother Palmer at his death.A cruel object lesson to us all projects itself into this picture. Nothingof lasting historical or sentimental value which cannot be replaced oughtto be left outside a fireproof building and much of it should be lodged in avault. If active chapters or individual members of the fraternity havevaluable material without the proper place to keep it, it should be sentto General Headquarters where ample facilities have been provided forthat purpose.Original charters should be reproduced by the photostatic process andthe original placed in fire-proof vaults. Each chapter should provide itselfwith a safe of a fire-proof type and keep its minutes, Bond, and otherrecords safe at all times. I well remember that when I first entered myactive chapter as a freshman, I found a minute book dating back to theearly fifties on the floor of a closet where it had been reposing for sometime.Two Rhodes Scholars again for Phi Delta Theta! Because the candidatesfor this honor must measure up in every way to the standards whichcollege fraternities are trying to maintain, there is a particular satisfactionto us in having such a high percentage of the total number of RhodesScholars over a period of years.[331]