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

210 THE SCROLLtree can only lash its sinewy limbs in resentment of injustice and intoleranceuntil the return of things that are green and sweet. One isreminded of his Lord's forgiveness of those whose spiritual eyes wereblinded with passion so that they knew not what they did. And thisresentful mood will bring also the reflection that in the spring anotheryielding of fruit and shade will turn the winds that are poisonousinto caressing breezes of admiration, and the winter of our discontentwill become glorious summer. So the American collegefraternity, the tree of the American college fraternity, must takedeeper root now than ever before, and be content to bear with thepassion, the injustice and intolerance of the undiscerning, and to befaithful always to the tasks that the fathers assigned us.One word more and I am done. Sometimes when I think of ourbeloved Fraternity, of that noble band of heroes who founded it atold Miami College in 1848, their dreams of our greatness, theirhopes and ambitions that those who would come after them wouldprove worthy of such a Fraternity, and how surely destined it was inthe very beginning to be a great power for good in this gloriousrepublic, when I think of these things I am reminded how large aduty lies upon all of us to make the time of our tenancy here usefulin its character and splendid in its record of achievement. And letme say right here, and let me say it with all the power at my command,that we owe it to this Fraternity, and to the best that is withinus, to consecrate our energies to nobler things than strife, and tobuild our hopes upon surer ground than the doctrine of discontent.Rather let us work together, heart to heart and hand to hand, for thecommon benefit. I can invoke no sentiment more worthy of thissplendid assemblage than the earnest prayer that God may keep PhiDelta Theta safe and glorious always. I thank you.ADDRESS AT THE PHI DELTA THETA CONVENTIONBY DR. FRANCIS W. SHEPARDSON^ SECRETARY OF THE INTERFRA­TERNITY CONFERENCEMr. President and Members of a Great Fraternity: A few monthsago while visiting the Wabash chapter of Beta Theta Pi, I founda good deal of enjoyment in reading over some of the old records ofthe chapter. Among the accounts of meetings there was one whichattracted my attention at once. It was the report of a joint meetingof the Phi Delta Theta and Beta Theta Pi chapters of that institution.It stated that the members of the two chapters met togetherand spent an enjoyable evening. College songs were sung,college stories were told and all expressed themselves as greatlypleased with the results of the evening together. The date of thismeeting was twenty-five years before that of the first abortive attemptto form a Pan-Hellenic alliance and almost fifty years beforethe meeting in New York in 1909 when there was organized the Interfraternity Conference, whose representatives are present with you