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

THE SCROLL. 485the negative. In each instance also the opinion has beenadvanced thatmembershipin a high school "frat" has elementsof evil which should be considered by the college fraternityfrom the standpoint of self-preservation. Our fraternity cannot go along in the same old lines without watching everymovement that may work to its harm. I assume that ourideal memberisonewhoforfouryearsincoUegeworks faithfullyas an active member, and then goes out into the great companyof alumni retaining his love for B 0 n, his belief in theexcellence of its ideals, his devotion to its principles. Topreserve this notion we have fought vigorously class societieswhich, on an interfraternity basis, have sought to distract ourmembers from their primary allegiance.We have cast the whole weight of our fraternity againstany system which tended to restrict our chapter activitj' toless than four full years of the collegecourse. Is there any dangerfrom the other direction? Is B ® n in danger of beingweakened by the introduction of an increasing number of newmembers who have been trained in possible wrong ideas ofthe true meaning of fraternity, who have had the novelty ofassociation and comradeship worn off, who bring to us the"l-know-it-all" air and the blase spirit in place of that eagerinterest and enthusiastic ardor upon which we have reliedfor strength during those early days in the fraternity before thetrue meaning, hopes, ambitions and traditions of the chaptercan be drilled into the being of the novitiates.If such a danger even remotely threatens us, then I wonderif it is not both the duty and the obligation of the collegefraternity man to cast his influence against an evil which isbeing bitterly attacked by those in authority in our secondaryschools who find the high school fraternity objectionable forthe reasons given above. Influential men in other collegefraternities are considering this matter at this very time, andin one case the investigation among the chapters has gone toshow the injurious effects at which I have hinted as possibilities.—Prof.F. W. Shepherdson, of the University of Chicago,in the Beta Theta Pi.EXTENSION VIEWS OF CONTEMPORARIES.These are the tangible and important features of Americanuniversity growth at this period: (i) Attendance is growingfaster than the population; (2) Western institutions aregrowing faster than eastern; (3) the old arts course is falling