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

THE SCROLL. 373rapidly away, and, at the door of the building in which thetemple met, a guard stopped us, and said: "Take off yourshoes, for you are standing on holy ground." They came offvery promptly, and then I was blindfolded.After walking backwards and forwards past the door seventimes, my guide made seven distinct raps, and then followedseven raps from the inside, after which the door was opened,and some one said: 'Who comes? ' My guide answered:A fellow mortal whom Minerva has called, and he desiresintroduction and initiation into the mysteries and benefits ofour fraternity." Several parts of the solemn ritual were readto me, and I was again addressed as "Fellow Mortal," andasked if I preferred to retire or desired to take on myself theobligation of all that I had heard. On my favorable response,some one said: "Let there be light," and the bandage wasremoved from my eyes. I recorded my name on the roll ofmembership, pledging myself to loyalty and fidelity to thefraternity and all of its members.Then followed instructions as to the requirements andduties and privileges of membership, and the importanceof doing my part towards sustaining the honor and reputationof the society. I was told that the eye of Minervaand of every member would be constantly upon me, and thatmy eye was also to be upon every other member; that wewere a band of brothers, each under obligations to watch andwarn each other against doing wrong or neglecting any dutywhich would ennoble our fraternity in the eyes of the facultyor our fellow students. As I look back now through morethan fifty years, I can remember no scene of my college lifewhich was so impressive or which had a greater influence onmy life and character. The memory of my initiation intothis noble brotherhood is still as vivid, as of yesterday.At every weekly meeting the question was asked: ' Areall our members doing their duty as representatives of ourfraternity and as students of the college?" There was rarelyany complaint, and during my four years' course, there wasnot a case of severe censure or reprimand of any memberfrom the fraternity or the faculty.One of the rules of the fraternity was that there shouldnever be less than seven active members, and never morethan fourteen without a dispensation from the parent organizationat Wesleyan University.This restrictive rule and the prestige of the Mystics inbeing the oldest fraternity, naturally lead to a very select