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

®ljr &rr0U 0f f Ijt i^lta Stf^taVOL. XXXVIl. JANUARY, »13.THE NATIONAL CONVENTION AT CHICAGOIt is customary to compare each National Convention with thosethat have preceded it. The Chicago convention will stand the comparison.It was a great success—enjoyable to all who were presentand profitable in many ways to the Fraternity. The attendance waslarger than at any previous convention, larger even than the greatconvention of 1902, held in New York. The enthusiasm was greatand everybody carried away delightful recollections of the event.The attendance at the last eight conventions, including the semicentennial,has been as follows: 1898, Columbus, 208; 1900, I^ouisville,269; 1902, New York, 548; 1904, Indianapolis, 503; 1906,Washington, 331; 1908, Pittsburgh, 353; 1910, Niagara Falls, 290;1912-13, Chicago, 584.The figures for Chicago are incomplete. When the writer lastsaw the registration book, at noon of the last day of the convention,the number recorded was 584, but many who attended the eveningentertainments were not recorded, and the total attendance undoubtedlywas in excess of 600.The registration system at Chicago was much more perfect thanat any previous convention. Books of coupons were issued to allthat attended any of the business sessions or evening entertainments.These books and the coupons were serially numbered, and no onecould attend a session or entertainment without filling out the propercoupon and presenting it at the door. Many neglected to register,but by checking up the registration list with the coupons, whichwere used as admission tickets, a complete list of all of those in attendancecould be obtained. This system is the only one that has beendevised for getting a full convention roll.There was a host of fine fellows at Chicago, there were men ofall ages, from the freshmen to the alumni who had been graduatedforty years before. It was a great pleasure to meet them, and everyone regretted that there was not opportunity during the weekto meet and become acquainted with all of them. The number wasso large that no one who did not have a marvelous memory couldremember the names of all those whom he met for the first time.But everybody present added to his list of acquaintances many whomhe will be delighted to meet hereafter, and those who had attendedprevious conventions had happy reunions with many whom theyhad met before. As usual for many preceding conventions, every