Why Join A Fraternity

       Fraternity means friendship and fellowship. Fraternities or fraternity chapters are groups of college men who have, by their own selection, banded themselves together as brothers for life. They are guided by laws, rituals, and traditions; they aid each other, and they endeavor to educate their members in those "social" areas which the college classroom leaves untouched. In the process of "building men," they benefit not only themselves, but their alma maters and all mankind.

The reasons why fraternities came into existence and continue to live today are these:

       FIRST: Human beings naturally seek the companionship of others. When students find themselves on a campus, participating in common experiences with others of their own age, it is but natural that they should seek the friendship of those they find to be particularly congenial. In fact, wherever and whenever a number of persons are thrown together for a considerable period of time there is certain to arise the formation of individual units or groups. Each unit or group will have its separate ideals and purposes and will attract persons of like ideals. Look at any large organization of any substantive size, and you will find similar interests, goals, personalities or ideals. The formation of such groups is probably a natural human trait dating back to the beginning of time when men, for the sake of protection, banded together. Man's first group was the family, but as other human needs developed, the necessity arose for additional numbers. Thus was formed the basis for tribes. In modern times, the formation of groups in America called college fraternities was brought about because their founders felt and realized the value of the association of men of like ideals. Their purposes were specifically set forth, but only for the formation of theinitiated. The idea of secrecy has always seemed to have a firm grip on the imagination and has contributed to the continued existence of the fraternity system. As a practical matter, secrecy in the early days of college fraternities enabled chapters to exist in the face of external opposition. Perhaps because of the possession of these secrets, the fraternity man has taken a greater interest in his organization than would have otherwise been the case. Such a community of interests results in a greater degree of cooperation, and shared ideals of the group have proven to be a stimulus for the individual members.

       SECOND: The college, by its very nature, emphasizes mental and intellectual training. The academic program, however, is only a part of the educational process. Fraternities supplement classroom instruction witha vast variety of experiences which can contribute significantly to the mental, physical and spiritual growth of its members. Dr. John B. Bowman, a noted educator, said that:

"The well organized and properly operated college fraternity can and should do more for its undergraduate members than the college of which it is a part. All the college can do is afford the student an opportunity to acquire a certain amount of knowledge. The fraternity can go a long way in teaching him how to use that knowledge."

       THIRD: The ideals of behavior to which fraternities adhere provide a universal appeal, just as they do in religion, to those who respect such guides for their personal growth. The formal expression of high aspirations is not only inspiring, but an uplifting and wholesomestimulus for the individual. Such expression is found in the ritualistic ceremonies of pledging and initiation where the ideals of Phi Kappa Psi are enumerated. The bonds of brotherhood created through the adherence to stated ideals bring together young men from every section of the country, from every stratum of society and from every economical level, so that former strangers, now Brothers in Phi Kappa Psi, become intimate friends almost upon meeting.

       FOURTH: The intimate relationships formed during college days constitute one ot the most valuable assets a man can possess, and they frequently ripen into life-long friendships of social and sometimes material benefit. The career of many a young Fraternity man has been shaped by the interest of some older, successful Brother, brought into contact with him through Fraternal bonds. Around the turn of the century the administrators of colleges and universities were generally indifferent towards fraternities, if not antagonistic. Today the installation of any new chapter on practically any campus is made a subject of congratulations on the part of the administration. Official representatives at the institution not infrequently participate in the installation program. More and more, the colleges and universities are accepting fraternities as educational adjuncts, which they are, and encouraging them to serve more completely and more effectively their members and the institutions of which they are a definite part. The late Dean Thomas Arkle Clark of the University of Illinois bore testimony to this fact when he wrote:

"The control of students living in fraternity houses is likely to be more satisfactory...under rules which they themselves have devised and approved. The spirit in which such regulations are regarded, and discipline, are recieved altogether more kindly than is true of such things in private or institutional dormitories. I generally find that a fraternity officer can enforce the regulations in a chapter without much difficulty and this is not always equally true in a dormitory. Then, too, in the correction of the habits of the conduct of individual students or in the stimulation of lazy or indifferent students to better scholatic work, I have regularly found the fraternities helpful. If a fraternity man is behind in his college work, or is developing into a loafer, I have learned that if I talk with the president of the chapter, I can have added to my own influence of the whole fraternity, which in many instances is much more potent than my own. My experience, then, as an executive University officer, is that the Greek-letter fraternities have been to me the greatest service in advancing the best interests of the university. I am glad to encourage them because of...easier development of the right sort of student morals and ideals."

       Regardless of any criticism which may arise concerning fraternities, they have proved that they have a definite and constructive place and they will continue, in one form or another. The desire for the benefits of fraternal associations is too deeply rooted in man's being to be eliminated.