1905-06 Volume 30 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

THE SCROLL. 279who, in a few years, will be the statesmen, the leaders in thelearned professions, the great landed proprietors and the captainsof industry in that great section of wonderful possibilities.THE college fraternity system, as it is called, presents, insome respects, similarities to Greece of ancient times. TheGreeks had a common language, and many interests in common,yet Hellas was divided into separate states, and only acommon danger brought them together in united action. Thestates were independent, some larger than others, some morepopulous or more wealthy than others, some with more renownthan others. They made a very loosely jointed federation,and so are the Greek-letter fraternities of today. Thefraternities differ in size, in number of chapters and numberof members. Pan-Hellenism has never obtained a strong holdupon them, for the reason, perhaps, that they are too jealousof one another. Be that as it may, each fraternity prefers tokeep its own autonomy. In the onward march each strives tooutdo the others. The Grecian hosts of to-day may be comparedto an army without military discipline and with no generalin command of all the troops. There is an advancemovement of the phalanx, but some march in front whileothers bring up the rear. Those who are most courageous,those who will achieve the greatest renown, are in thevan, ever prefsing forward. Their standards will fiy abovethe captured heights.NOT only are fraternities advancing in the way of establishingchapters in rapidly developing institutions, but theyare making progress along many other lines. They vie withone another in acquiring chapter houses. They have discoveredthe advantages of living in homes of their own, and atscores of institutions, east and west, north and south, theyare building or buying houses. Alumni clubs are springingup in all the large cities and in many of the small cities andtowns. The interest of alumni has been awakened, and their