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

412 THE SCROLL.usefulness to brethren. He pointed out that there were eight members ofthe active chapter present.This was because that chapter held that a freshman's clothes were hismerely that he might have the privilege of lending them to upper classmembers. If there had been more thaneightdressshirts amongthefreshmandelegation of the Columbia chapter, he said, more upper classmen wouldhave been present.Dean George W. Kirchway of the Columbia University Law School setforth his opinion that the colleges of today are the breeding places and thepreservers of idealism in modern life. No stiffening of the curriculum andno letting down of the bars could destroy idealism, he said, so long as agreat body of young men were gathered together in the colleges to keep italive.Lee Fairchild, entitled "General" on the toast list, explained how hewon his title on the dread fields of campaign spellbinding. He also contributedthis academic epigram."The small college is as likely to turn out a big man as the university Islikely to turn out a small man."Mr. Fairchild closed the speaking with a fervent appeal for temperanceamong the younger men of this generation.City Attorney Winslow also spoke, principally in derogation of the presenceof ex-Justice Mayer'. He said he never would have come had he knownhe was to be subjected to one of Justice Mayer's speeches, but he had beenled to believe that Mayer had promised to go to a St. Patrick's day dinnerlast night.Toastmaster Terry explained that Justice Mayer had discovered that theIrish were one of the logt tribes of Israel and that his promise to go to theSt.-Patrick's day dinner, which is to be on Thursday, was based on thatdiscovery."'SCHENECTADY.Our usual Alumni Day celebration was a very quiet affair for severalreasons. Bro. Walter L. Lawton, '94, president of the Schenectady club,lost his little girl, just prior to our proposed meeting, and that sad fact coupledwith the loss of several of our foremost members, made our meeting asomewhat poorl}' attended gathering. However, there was plenty of goodPhi spirit evident, and our enthusiasm has in no way abated. The absenceof Bro. J. E. Swanker, formerly treasurer of the club, and manager of theEmpire Bridge Company at Albany, N. Y., and now manager of the TeesideBridge Company at Mid dies bo rough, England, was especially regretted.Bro. Swanker was a most popular and painstaking officer, and he is greatlymissed.The report of Bro. W. E. Hays, secretary and acting treasurer, showeda balance on the right side and a flattering increase in interest among ouralumni in our new house plan. Progress is necessarily slow, especially asour chapter is rather young and most of our men have their own ways tomake. Still we see no reason why we should not be in a position to build,providing our plans continue to prosper, inside of two or three years.The directors elected for the year 1904-1905 are Bros. Conover, '89;E. G. Blessing, '94; Burgin, '95; West, '96; L. M. Scofield, '97; Ripley,'00, and W. E. Hays, '02. The officers are: president, Bro. Burgin; vicepresident,Bro. West; secretary and reporter, Bro. W. E. Hays; treasurer,Bro. E. G. Blessing.Another circular letter similar to the one Issued last year will be drawn uptomorrow night at a meeting of the board of directors and sent out to the