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

28o THE SCROLL.loyalty is shown in enthusiastic reunions which they hold atfrequent intervals, and in the financial aid which they renderin acquiring chapter property. The publications of thevarious fraternities are of a high order of merit, and attestthe devotion of the alumni, by whom they are invariablyconducted. The fraternities publish very creditable songbooks,and catalogues, the compilation of which involves avast amount of painstaking labor. Some of them have publishedfraternity histories and some chapters have publishedchapter histories. Certainly fraternity journalism has maderemarkable progress in the last few years, and its presentexcellence is due not alone to the journalistic talents of theeditors but to the hearty co-operation of the several fraternitieswith their official organs. The editor of a fraternity magazineto-day sees many admirable features in its contemporaries,and he feels that he must exert his very best efforts tomake his own journal measure up to their high standard.IN commenting upon the advance along all lines of fraternityactivity, we refer to about three-fourths of the generalfraternities for men. .\bout one fourth are making no progress,or if making any it is scarcely perceptable. The relativepositions of some fraternities, in the estimation of collegemen, have changed greatly in the last few years. Some havenot developed with the times; they have been distanced bysome that formerly were in the rear. Certain fraternities thatonce were recognized as leaders are no longer conspicuousand few there are who do them reverence. These fraternitiesrarely ever establish a new chapter. They call this lack ofthe progressive spirit conservatism, but doubtless one reasonwhj' they do not extend is that they do not have opportunities.These fraternities seldom receive applications for charters.In nearly all cases local societies desiring to becomeattached to inter-collegiate fraternities prefer the largenational fraternities, and not the small sectional fraternities.The non-progressive fraternities seemingly can see nothing