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

324 THE SCROLLtowards it my allegiance, and towards the brothers of the Phi DeltaTheta fraternity greater love and loyalty than ever before in all mylife. (Applause.)I for one would like to express my appreciation of the splendiddecorum that has prevailed upon this occasion, and I think I may,in the name of all our alumni here in Chicago thank the GeneralCouncil and thank the local committee for the order that went outprescribing the decorum which we have here tonight, and whichwill ever reflect honor I am sure upon our Fraternity. (Applause.)Because if there is anything we want to do it is to stand out beforethis nation conspicuously as the fraternity of the finest type of menanywhere in the country. We have to insist upon a high type, thehighest possible standard for admission. We want only the pickedmen in every college. Then we must also insist, I think, upon maintainingthe highest standard, not tolerating men who do not reach thatstandard.I visited one of our great New England chapters this fall—youknow it; Massachusetts Alpha, at Williams College; as fine a chapterof a national fraternity as there is anywhere, I think—and I wasinterested in hearing one of the men say, it was quite incidental, thatthey had a Study Committee; that when a man didn't reach up tothe standard, and was likely to fall behind the standard of the menof that chapter, he was not only admonished, but he was assisted;and by that means they maintain there, in the presence of old AlphaDelta Phi and D. K. E., and Kappa Alpha—they maintain a chapterwhich everybody in Williamstown tells me is as fine a chapter asthey have in that old historic institution.With this introduction, I wish to propose at the very outset one ortwo toasts. I think we ought to have a toast this evening to theladies. I heard a young man called upon to respond to- the toast tothe ladies the other evening, and he gave about the finest sentimentson that subject that I ever heard. This was his toast; "I will dividemy toast into three heads. First, my subject never grows old."There was a little titter. "Second, my subject can always speak foritself," There was a little more of the laugh. "Third, my subjectis one which any sensible man ought to be only too willing to embrace."Then the house came down. We propose a toast to the ladies.Shall we drink it standing ?"They talk about a woman's sphere.As if it had a limit,There's not a place in earth or heaven,^There's not a task to mankind given,There's not a pleasure or a woe.There's not a whispered yes or no,There's not a life or death or birth,That has a feather's weight of worth,Without a woman in it."