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

366 THE SCROLL.THE DEVELOPMENT OF SORORITIES.Under the title of "Kappa's Record," Mrs^. Minnie Ro3'seWalker, of the DePauw chapter, has issued "a short historyof the K K r Fraternity." It is a pamphlet of 67 smallpages, and it is full of valuable and interesting information,all conveniently arranged. It contains a historical sketchof K K r and one of each of its chapters and each of its alumnaeassociations. Among other features are a list of prominentmembers, and a list showing rival societies at each collegewhere there is a K K T chapter. It is noticed that K K Fis always mentioned as a "fraternity," not as a "sorority" or"society."According to this "Record," it is the first historical sketchpublished by any fraternity for women. K K T was also thefirst fraternity for women to publish a magazine, the initialnumber of its Key being issued in 1881.K A ®, founded at Indiana Asbury (now De Pauw), January27, 1890, was the first Greek letter fraternity for women.The I. C. Sorosis, founded at Monmouth,.April, 1867, establisheda chapter at Iowa Wesleyan, 1868, and one at IndianaAsbury, 1870, but it did not adopt a Greek-letter name until1888, when it changed its name to II B $. The "Record"says that an effort was made to establish a chapter of K A ®at Monmouth, but "the women who were asked to become itscharter members preferred to organize a new fraternity, andthus K K r came into being on October 13th, 1870."The Alpha chapter at Monmouth was the grand chapteruntil 1875, when the fraternity held its first convention. TheIndiana chapter was grand chapter from 1875 to 1878, theIllinois Wesleyan chapter from 1878 to 1881. In the latteryear the grand chapter system of government was abolishedand the grand council was established, "K K T being the first(woman's) fraternity tp take this progressive step." The"Record" says:The grand council at first consisted of a grand president, grand secretar},grand treasurer and grand marshal. In 1892 the office of grand marshalwas dropped, and that of the editor of the Key added. The conventionof 1900 provided for the appointment by the grand council of an historianand grand cataloguer. These last two officers are to hold office for terras often years, and have the privilege of attending all grand council sessions.K K r has adopted the province system, but the date is notgiven. The first alumnae association was established at Chicago,1892. In 1903 when the Record" was published,K K r had 4,025 members, 29 active chapters, 10 inactive