1912–13 Volume 37 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

136 THE SCROLLOn the other hand, in some places it increases the expense of college life,it increases the average size of chapters, and makes in many cases a largerchapter a necessity where a smaller one would be better. It engenders andfosters social exclusiveness. It makes some students narrow and conceitedbecause they arrogate to themselves as personal attributes the chapter reputation.The advantages undoubtedly outweigh the disadvantages. The fraternitiesdiscountenance any form of dissipation in the chapter, houses. Mostof them cause a thorough supervision to be made of the scholarship of themembers and some of them have good libraries. At any rate the chapter househas come to stay. Its development is sure, but it needs watching by the olderheads among the alumni and college authorities.The chapter of X * at Michigan erected a log cabin in 1846 andthe chapter of A K E at Kenyon erected one in 1855, The authorsays: "A log cabin in the woods near Ann Arbor, used by this (X *)chapter soon after its foundation (1845), at a time when the facultywas hostile to the fraternities, may be considered in some sense as thepioneer chapter house, although it was not used as a dwelling placefor the members as are the chapter houses of today." This conflictswith what appears elsewhere in the book: "The Kenyon chapter (ofA K K) in 1854 built the first fraternity building that was ever usedexclusively for society purposes; it was situated in a ravine, near the-college town, was built of logs, at a total expenditure of $50, and wasabandoned in 1871."A table in the book shows the number of houses owned and rentedby the different fraternities. The number of houses owned by thefraternities that own the greatest number are: B 0 II, 47 ; * A ®,45; *rA, 34; AKE, 32; 2 X and 2 A E, 29 each; *K*, 28; K2and A T A 24 each; A Y, 23 ; 2 N, 22; * Y and A A *, 19 each; X *,® A X and A T n, 15 each; Z *, 14; X *, 12 ; * K 2, 10. Since