1903-04 Volume 28 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

THE SCROLL. 31developmental period of Phi Delta Theta's existence hadpassed, and we were only accepting exceptional opportunitiesin unquestioned fields when we admitted the chaptersthat have been added to our roll since 1890, But during thistime, and all the time from the founding of the fraternitydown to the present, conditions have been changing. Thealumni body of the fraternity has been growing. Today wehave more than ten alumni to every undergraduate. Thesemen are a part of the fraternity. The fundamental idea ofPhi Delta Theta is that it is a social organization, and thisimplies on the part of the alumni a continued acquaintancewith and fair knowledge of the make-up of our undergraduatebranch, namely, the active chapters. It is a rude shockto the alumnus who at the annual reunion discourses aboutsome of the old chapters, to be told that certain ones nolonger exist, and he finds it equally disturbing at times tohis complacent reminiscences to have the undergraduateremind him that we have a number of new chapters on ourroll whose names and location he finds it impossible to finda place for in his recollections of Phi Delta Theta. He goesback to his home wondering if this is really the same PhiDelta Theta to which he belonged.At the same time the number of our alumni has been increasing,there has been growing up a closer feeling ofunion among all our chapters. The social life of our fraternitymeans more to the various chapters and their membersthan ever before. Visible evidences of the value ofPhi Delta Theta membership and the permanency of thefraternity are to be seen in our chapter houses, twentyof which are owned by the chapters occupying them. Thepositive value of membership in our fraternity has increased,—manyfold, I will say; the difficulties of gettingthe fraternity acquainted with a new chapter have likewiseincreased many fold; the developmental period of our existenceas a fraternity is past. Does the extension policywhich we have heretofore consistently followed obligate usto give favorable consideration to every well-indorsed applicationfrom institutions of present good standing or whichpromise healthy development in the future ?The facts given above this question indicate the wisdomof putting a value on our charters in proportion to theincreased value of membership in Phi Delta Theta. It wasin this spirit that our present laws in regard to the grantingof charters were formulated.