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

THE SCROLL 211today and which some of us hope may become before many yearsone of the most important of the educational meetings of our country; and so I count it a special privilege that my first opportunity toaddress the convention of any Greek-letter society, other than myown, is to speak before the Phi Delta Theta. I do not know whatspecial reasons called that meeting at Wabash many years ago, butthe records seemed to show me that there was some ground for agreementbetween our two fraternities.As a matter of fact we are children of a common mother. Wewere founded, as was Sigma Chi, whose representative has just addressedyou, at a little college in Ohio. The same enviromnentthat gave inspiration to the founders of Phi Delta Theta helped tostimulate the ideals and aspirations of the founders of the BetaTheta Pi. Together we have moved forward from "Old Miami"east and west, north and south, until today in all the educationalstrongholds of the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and fromthe Lakes to the Gulf, the flags of our fraternities are found flying.We have substantially the same number of chapters and the samenumber of members. Beta Theta Pi had to overcome the same obstaclesthat were found in the path of Phi Delta Theta. The sameenemies that tilted their lances against the shield of Phi Delta Thetaalso threw their weapons against the shield of Beta Theta Pi. Surelywith such a common ancestry and common history our fraternitiesat least ought to find ground for common action.There is a third reason why it is a pleasure to us to address youtoday, and that is because I am deeply interested in the work andthe possibilities of the Interfraternity Conference. We have enemiesaround us who seek to destroy us. They bring charges against us.They allege facts, some of which can not be denied. In more thanone place we must unite to fight for our rights or we may see thefraternity system seriously injured by those who are on the outsideand who do not understand the real significance of the college fraternityas we who are on the inside desire it to be understood.In the nature of the case we can never get away entirely fromthe necessary rivalry which must attend competing organizations suchas ours. I am sure more than once the members of Phi Delta Thetachapters will rejoice around the chapter fire because of substantialvictories gained over their ancient foe. Beta Theta Pi. I hope toothat in many a Beta chapter house, as the years go by, there will berejoicing over honorable victories won from the boys of Phi DeltaTheta; but the sting of these petty defeats and the glory of thesepetty victories will soon pass away. We ought to have large enoughvision and to be broad minded enough to see that on certain pointswe can work in harmony for the betterment of our Fraternities andfor improvement of conditions in the institutions where our chaptersare located.