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

368 THE SCROLLter, was presented by one of the delegates of Delta Upsilon, whichat its last convention passed a resolution favorable to such a restriction.The question was. referred to the executive committee of theconference, with power to investigate the subject. If at its nextannual session the conference should feel itself unauthorized to adoptsuch a rule or incapable of enforcing it if adopted, the conferenceought at least to .adopt resolutions recommending college authoritiesto enact and enforce such a regulation. Doubtless many collegeswould act favorably upon such a recommendation.ANOTHER thing that fraternities should do, if for no other reasonthan to quiet to some extent the criticism directed against them,and that is to act more civilly, considerately and fairly toward thenon-fraternity students. Fraternity men are accused of acting hautilyand arrogantly toward non-fraternity men, they are accused of drawinga line of social cleavage and not recognizing non-fraternity menin social affairs, they are accused of playing politics in college organizations. and, by unfair combinations, monopolizing the desirablepositions in such organizations. These are serious charges, and theworst of it is that there is only too much truth in them. Every fraternitythrough its national organization shodld emphatically disapproveof such practices, and it should be oiie of the dearest traditionsof every fraternity that it should treat not only its Greek rivals butthe non-fraternity men with absolute fairness and honesty. And everychapter should assiduously cultivate the most friendly relations withthe non-fraternity men. This subject was alluded to in the splendidaddress of Dr. Francis W. Shepardson, Secretary of tbe InterfraternityConference, delivered before the last National Conventionof Phi Delta Theta, and published in THE SCROLL for January.College friendships should not be confined to the narrow limits of thechapter house. If representatives of other fraternities are invited,to social affairs in chapter houses, and they should be, representativesof the non-fraternity-men also should be invited, and frequently entertainmentsshould be given especially for the latter. If this doeshot appeal to you from the standpoint of broad-minded brotherhood,perhaps it may appeal to you for your own protection, for make upyour mind to this, that in this enlightened age the American peoplewill not tolerate undemocratic organizations in their institutions oflearning and especially in their state universities.