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

IHE SCROLL. 449membership are: Virginia, 13; West \'irginia, 13; Stanford,13; Bucknell, 12; O. S. U., 12; Northwestern, 12:Mississippi,11; Iowa, 9; Beloit, 9; Gettysburg, 8; W. & L., 8. TheJohns Hopkins chapter, which has 14 attendant members, reports:The attendance at the university is 672; of thisnumber, but 150 are undergraduates, and of these almost 50are entirely impossible; of the remainder many are disqualifiedby their families' social position." Mr. Monnette says:Some chapters have entirely too large a membership, even though thereis a great excuse for that in the fact that rival fraternities maintain equallyas large active memberships. Vet, our fraternity ought to take an independentposition in this matter. It is scarcely possible to conceive how achapter of thirty-five or forty can be other than cumbersome, and affordinglittle chance for development along fraternal lines. There is not, and cannot be, the immediate association and contact with each other among themembers which is the basis of highest culture and influence. The membershipshould not exceed twenty-five, and twenty, is better (five to each class isbetter), but under the most favorable local circumstances it should not gobeyond thirty.On the other hand, the small membership of some of our chapters is asource of positive alarm, and the further fact, that this is largely due to .^false notion of superiority and exclusiveness, makes the situation more unfortunate.The sooner such policies are abandoned, the more rapidly willthese chapters develop and become forceful. And, if the answer is thatthe fraternity field at that particular institution is so limited that the chaptermust content itself with a small membership, if at the same time it maintainsits high character, then it is time the fraternity consider the question ofwithdrawing from that institution. The fraternity cannot afford to risk itswelfare upon the uncertainties of a small membership in any chapter. For,how frequently graduation, sickness or failure to remain in college reducesthe membership, and the chapter is forced to repeat a discouraging andheroic attempt annually to continue its existence. With this condition continuingeach year, what chance is there for the chapter to rightfully assumethe power and influence which are the privilege of being a component part ofour organization?Again, how can a chapter of less than twelve men, three to each class,attain to the highest possible achievements for chapter, for individual, forfraternity? Even with that number, chapter house occupation is almost animpossibility. Sixteen men in a chapter more nearly approaches the ideal.A membership from sixteen to twenty removes all chances of disintregation,establishes the confidence which numbers always inspire and renders effectivethe powers which reside in the community of inrerest and unity of effort.Local conditions, and the fact of what rival fraternities do in this respect,should not govern. 4» K 4' can be independent of these considerations. Ifthe institution does not offer a field sufficient to carry out this policy, it isonly too patent and the logical conclusion, that but one course is left, andthat is the withdrawal of the fraternity from such a hazardous and precariouscourse of existenceThe restrictions and regulations placed by the faculty upon the fraternityinitiations of new students in various institutions have been growing in favorwith college authorities and with the fraternities themselves. It is a wholesomemove in the right direction. It will minimize the mistakes whichevery chapter has the sad experience of making at one time or another. The