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

4 THE HISTORY OF PHI DELTA THETA.November 13, 1779:It is hereby declared a future law of this Society that a standing Vice-Presidentbe appointed who shall have the same powers, in the absence of the efficient President,that is'given by law.May 4, 1779:It being suggested that it might tend to promote the designs of this Institution,and redound to the honor and advantage thereof at the saifle time, thatothers moreremote or distant will be attached thereto,• •.-;Resolved, that leave be given to prepare the form or ordinance of a charterparty,to be entrusted with such two or more brothers of the * B K, as to a generalmeeting shall, on due application for the same, be thought to merit such a trust;with delegated power, in the plan and ^inciples therein,laid down, to constitute,establish and initiate a Fraternity 'correspondent to. this, and..that a committee beappointed of IVIr. President, Mr. Stuart, and Mr. Beckley, to prepare a draft of thesame and report at next meeting.The committee reported a form of charter-party, June 12, and itwas adopted, July 5. The Society granted to Samuel Hardy acharter for "a meeting to be called the B^Ta,"July 10, 1779; toWilliam Stuart a charter for a meeting (chapter) to be called theFa/i/M, July II, 1779; to William Cabell a charter for a meetingto be called the AtXra, August 14, 1779. The locations of thesemeetings are not known, nor is it known whether they were reallyorganized. However, it is probable that one of them was organizedat. Hampden-Sidney College, Virginia, and that the other charterswere issued for meetings in towns or counties in Virginia.Elisha Parmale, a graduate from Harvard,* was initiated, July 31,1779, and through him meetings were established at Harvard andYale. December 4, 1779, a charter-party was granted authorizinghim to institute at Cambridge, "in ye State of Massachusetts Bay,"a meeting to be called the "ETro-iXw. December 5, 1779, it wasResolved, that so much of Mr. Parmale's petition as relates to ye establishmentof a Phi; Society to be conducted in a less mysterious manner than the $ B Kbe not agreed to, as ye design appears to be incompatible with the principles of thismeeting.December 9, 1779, the following was adopted:WHEREAS, this Society is desirous that the * B K should be extended to each ofthe United States,Resolved, that a second charter be granted to our brother, Mr. Elisha Parmale, 'for establishing a meeting of the same in the College of New Haven in Connecticut,to be of the same rank, to have the same power, and to enjoy the same privilegteswith that which he is empowered to fix in the University of Cambridge. To becalled the Z^TO.March 11, 1780, a charter-party was granted to John Beckleyto establish the 'Hra at Richmond; May 18, 1780, one was grantedto George Lee Turbeville to establish the ®^Ta in WestmorelandYoung Parmale went to Yale and remained there until college work was broken up by thewar. He then went to Harvard, which had got a-going again after a similar susiension. In this,transfer of his college relations appears the reason why he afterwards established branches of « B Ein both the great northern colleges. He graduated at Harvard ini778 The poor fellow wasalreadym delicate health, being constitutionally consumptive. He went at once to Virginia andengaged himself there as a teacher. I think very likely he was a tutor in William and Mary College".—E.E. Hale, in Atlantic Monthly. July, 1879,