!'BE PHOENIX a
• • • • • •
VOLDHE I •
•
•
•
•
•
•
-
-
• • • • • • • • • •
•
• • • • • •
•
• • • • • • • • • • • •
•
•
•
c
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dece~ber •
•
1, 1914 '
,.
•
..
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
DUMBER 5 •
•
•
•
•
l1II'Y'
In erder tbat the alumnae of Alpha Sigma Alphn may understand something f>f the "t&riOUS obangtlS that hn·va ()0:tl0 to pasa in the Sorority recently, as well as tM i.mperativo neoeani ty :tor -those ona~ea i!l strue·67.lro s.nd. ambi~ions, it has be<Jn deemed best to set for·th an e.~~" la~ltl"~.ion 1n this issue of the. .PRODU:. · When Alpho. S 18mn Alpb.n was :tour..ded 1.~ l9~1, -:;'here soemoCl. t ., ·oa no reason w~y the snrori ty- should not ~1:"ro1Jl"t. cnrt ))n.a o~:-~'lbli~h chr..p".;er9 nn:;'\'7hare in the O:O"'lr.try, ns its predeze~OO:t"'S e.t ·thO' V1.'7" 3 ~- ·11n s ·~a:GI7 J~' o:r:wal Sohool !lad dono.. There was the whole SoutheTU fteld lyi~~ nt i:t~ r!.oor, eo -....i&\} spc~ak, ~.d a!to:r tho.-t, of oon.rsc th13 l'ro"t"·tn, th& ]is. -:.~·c S."lci ·~ho i7oE~t. A~pha 31p:mn. Alpha ~ :ioundo1l with tbe e~pac ·::;atlon -~nat 1·o woulJ "very soon b&aaa.o a strong nn·tional soroTi'hy. Lilrn its r1Ynls o~ ·i:;ho 'h ...mo (;round th~n. 1 t began to oharter groltps in tiitforo::Jt ?U:t> ts of iihe no·.tt!a.. In l9(}9 11; t1ent int• Ohio. I=. tho moa.nt1ms :t·i:o -oredooesso!'s a~ Fa:ntv'llle hurt ~J.leo extended, but somewhat mo:r.e ·~idely. I·t nss while e:w1ge. ~od in "ii~is gc:>e:::G.. l pol·~0J of extension ·tne c; 1 ts rivals, espe<'ir..l!:r Zap-pa :Jcl·ta. .:."ld ze · ~'l :r~~l Al:!ih-9. ~ ran into an obstruct 1011 that they ~ad ::.o~ eX?e o·t~C! to ~:ae et, 'L':bo:i:.r cxte:'lsion brought th.ern ln·co aJ.ose· q11.ar.te-r9 w~: ~!l sorue of tile ots J't"'n.:-t b.'= ~cn · or·i ers. and they begn:u. to k~.0~7 the m·Ja!:1.1ng o:r a.n ·•N .P .c .3ot-o!'i't;y". f nr ·i:.t oy found that they lost girls :t-iBht a.l():ng to sorori·t'!e9 t~s.1.·~ 'bore th8.t ;:i.a ll mark. 7lhat was the sienii'i~anae of t~1esc three magio lo"t;tex-r;? An tnvestig~rtion showl3d. ·that tb.;y stc.od fo~ "l;ationlll P.~.nnelleni ·o Congress", that this organh~ ·~tion had. boen established in l£' 02, ll· t the bsclge of any sorority on its roll mean~ that its t7carer had. b~e:n ~o s bo:n.a. fide aollege, whereas any o·ther badge m1~t. mean anything :Lro~ a smal, ?rtY~te so.bool to a college. Girls w;:,.o reeoived several bids at a la:rse univers1't7 naturally selooted the badg'3 that stood for a coller;e ee.'· ~;~ion 1n the eya:e of everybody, at all fa'Ili l :t.a:r wi tb the fraternity sys·i:om . '5 i -nc · these throe letters had such n magi~a.l ·ehar.m in winning girls, evc:t'Y cno o the South&m 8oror1ttos wished to b.e·long to N .P .c. This they fo"lllCi, h owcvc was absolutolJ" 1mposs1blo so long as there was on their rolls a n y in£titution that did not have oollogiato re.nk nccordillg to various agenl)ies ~hc:.t deoidea. whnt that word 'oollogia·te' I:lennt. Tho S.Outhom so:rori ty · discov er cd that it must drop from its roll anything tbnt dia not measure _up t o tho standard set by N .P .c. ·· Zeta !'au .Alpha, at its convention in l9¢6;· ua the fust to ra1s e · 1 its standards by dropping from its roll ev ry chapter not located at a aollega. is neoea th ss er Oha te t .Vir-:·inia S a e 1 Sohoo • Sigma Sigma St~a thought that 1'\ oould gain the same ond by keeping its ~othor Cr~pter and restri~t1ns its ~hart grants to institutions of collegiate r&rJ.k. Wh.en 1 ts ohnpters at · F.a.ndolph-~ Mcoon a:nd Southwestern asko·d f~r an ho~.o;c.ablo reloase to enable the::: to go. into nn B,P.C. sororit.y, the aooiety saw only too clearly the futility of trying to exist as a 'hibr1d' crgani.zoiiic:!l. r·t aocorciingl3 do~ided in 1911 to boco~ n protesai~tal eorgpity , limitina rts grents to No~a Schools. ita.pi f a ltn, aftno fbst !ounded ti:t '1f ne Virgtnin Stato ormnl scEool, postponed its cbnnge 1n polioy until 1911, when it too gal'6 up its Mother Chapter. All Southel"n sororities, with the e:l'.:oaption of Sigma ~ igina S:tgr'la an~ Llpba Si~ Alphs, aro now on the roll of the National Penh olldnic Con grees, havine been admittod as follows,- Chi O~ega. in 1903. Zeta Tau Al ? he tn 1909, Alpha Dolta Pi 1n 1910, Phi Mu and Knppa ,Delta in 19J ~ . / t
J..
e
:LO.
With tho ~1as~age of the yearA existenoo for Alpha Sismn Alvha sa c 'hybrid' bec.B.I:le ine:reasingly dif:Lioult. One af·~er another of its chapters was killed by faculty or trustee ruli~g against sororities, until there vas left to it, bosices the r·~o"litier Chapter, only three groups~ those at Rantlolph-llaoon, Brenau and i~t. Union. All thl·ee of these were :Cinding it 1noreusillGlY difficult to rush age.inst U.P.C. nationals in thoil' res?ective oolloges. They were really forceet to a.Ak for honorable dismissal. The chapter .at Randolph-11aoon u~;ts the first to malta its goal, fo~ it secured a cbarter :from Pi Bttta Ph.1 in 1913. The ~Jiother Chapter hesitated to take any definite steps towcrds advancing its oun interests so long as any of its chapters were 1mprovided for by affilintion 'ilith u.P.C. sororities, bttt 'flhen it beBan to look aa thoue;h tht Brenau and l!t. Union cha:t,Jters would be accepted b1 Delta Delta Delta, the sorority of their ohoioe, tho Vire1n1a girls f~lt that they ~ore justified in making plans that uould bring success to Old Alpha, both locally ann nnt1onally. At this june~ure, the girls bot 1n touch with Mrs. Id~ ~w Martin 8 name ot t~own. to the girls of Alpha Si a Al ha, bedBU e i sorority naa a regula on ore~ or aevera years, y ~hioh individual ounero in o " e Sororit Randb.ook" · . uired o:r~ all v xn ox-s. . rs.hlar in, moreover, a n ro uoe . hem . c r er mem ers o .t e Brenuu Cho.pter anC:. it wa1t her recommendation of Alpha ~igme. 1..1-:?ha that had boen largely instnunental in secUl'inB :for the s.orori't;r. t.~ petition from Ut. Union. · Mrs ttartin 'a advice VI a o make Aln . S:f · o. Al'Pha a strict! ·-1r o enoion 8 so .... • on..: ine o . orm& o s o c s· d ing. _ e r~ a c r 3 acted promptl7 upon this sugeestion and got into imoediate touch ~1thnR group in the Fprmal Delertment. at Miami University. These ner; Birla or Pi Alpha Tau as3iate·uhe "lir·uinia Girls in 1rlritinG to all the loael normal sorori tie a whose names \-rera given to th (!Jl by !:rs. llartin and any others knoun to their indiviC:'llR-1 mcmbaraJ. Mrs. llirtiri helped generously in tey·i ns to interest any locals tho.t replied to the many oot:lmtmicntiont=J sent out dnrine the S:Pring. T}le eloso of the SO'hoo.l yea·r fou..~d a total or t".lO ot:1er interestec~ gr01.ti1S, one of the:Je known 6.:3 ::ap11a Theta l:'s 1 o:r t:-.e tassonri State No1·mc.l at Kirksville the other the Gamma Pi Beta or the Pennaylvania Stete N~rm~l at Indiana. Both the V!r(;inin ana the Miami girls :rel t tha t Hrs~ McrUn coul~ bo of more value· to the sorority, i:C she were an Alnha :t . a L.l·)ha so thg"r 'electec ieii}'fo hciiiorart mem"oorshin, and u:pon her aooep ance they serte; he:r e denstitli ion and Ritual. In votin Mrs .....art in into Honora copy o a~membership, the girls were conscious o he 1 o that, in audi 1on o beg a college woman, she had attended a Normal School, th ~t she ha". been a teaeher for a numb·e r o~ yoars;~ that her fmnily on both sides of the house had been devoted to tho profession of tea~hing, that aho herself had be-en closely- assooiatod with eC.uoo.tional uork for girls for nearly -a quarter of a centuey. lt was while Mrs. Martin was a s'tudant at Boston University that ~be founded tho nntionaJ eqro~ity k!lown aa l?§.l.t§z Delta ~. at present the larga~t in the countryy reason ot ita 51 oolle sc Ch~ers and its 60 alumnae associations. . .Aa Mra.j.dartin had wrcitten the Constitution and Ritual of Delta . . Delta M i ta, as abe had se~ved. it :!or yenro in various of :~ ioial ca:;:>acitias ae she had made a close study of the frt ternit:7 system. a. study uhich hn.s resulted in five e.eit ns o"" "Tho Sorority Ha.n~book'' in su years. ;:~ r:c.s not su.r-prie g the a e ad somo v ,.. e sug ~estions to ma ke to Alpha Sism& .Alpha concerning its ConstitoJ.t1on snd Ritual. I:rs. ~:ar·t._.n . beorune so 1ntere!3ted in the ma ttcr that she gnvft a l arge ,art of th:.'J mon·':;h o:C .August to n oone1derat1on ot tho need~ and ?OS::Jibilities o:C Al-pho ::>:i.g.r11::: AlDha as a professional aororit7, As a result of her inte rest, ths sororit.y hag a C~~ton and R1t l equ§l to th~ bes~ The Cons titution follows. --
19.
CONS'!ITUTICN Art1olo I
Name Thia sooioty shall bo known as thn Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority.
Artittlo II
A1m Tho ntm of this sorority ahall be to ostabltah a s1otorhoo4 tha~ shall havo for its four ,fold object the pbysioal, 1ntelleotual, moral and so~inl 4cTOlopmant of its members.
Artf.olo III Organisation !'his so:rorit;J shnll have \'lithin it four sub-organisations, (1) Unaorgradunto Ohapters.C2} Graduate Obaptora,(Z) Graduoto OtQbs.(4) State Assoo1at1ona. S.oa. 1. Dnde~sraduato Chapters may bo established in Bormnl Sehools or i'oaohers ColloBo& tbnt require fourtesn tmits f'or ontranoo. . Soa• E.. Graduate Chapters 3hall be ~ompoaod of the ox-e•hola or ex-oolloaio members of ono ohnptor. Soo. 3. Graauato Olubo may be ostablisbed tn any o1ty Wbcro there are at lonat four ox-sohola or ex-8ollogea
Seet. 4.
ue~abera.
Stnte .Aseoe1nt1ons sbnll bo cstabliahoa 1n avery state that haa fQur res14ent mambors, Artiole lN Conventions
A Uat1onal Oonvont1ont. oomposGd of delego.toe ~om all four su'borenn1zat1ons, shall be held evory two yoare, and shall, at the time o! moottns, eonstitute the supreme governing board of thG sorority • •
Art1oltt
v
Govormnont In the interim bot\7ecn Conventions the govemmoJlt of this sorority shAll be 1n the hands of a National Oouno1l, oleotcd at one Convention to serve until the next, nnd composed o! a President, a ScorotRry, a Troaa uror and an Historian.
.Art1ole, VI
Duos Nntional duos
shall~~
(2) Under-g~duato nues,
of four kindR,(l) National Initiation Fee,
(IJ Grnduato Dllea,(4) Club Dues.
20.
Soc.l. Seo.2.
Soa.s.
Tho Nntional Initiation Fo.o shall bo
04
and must bo
paid ns aoo' an cloctio~ to membership is aooepted. Undd.r-ernduatc Dues shall oc lovio·a nt the mte of · 04 par nnnum on every undergraduate member and must be pn1d on or before Haroh first. ' Graduate Dues ahnll be loviod at the rate of $2 per
annum for five ye~rs on oTer.y ox~sohola or ex-oolleg1e membor, en4 l!)Ust be pnid on or bci'oro May first.. Soc.~ \: Olub Dues shall be lov1ed nt the rate of t~2 per annum on every Cluo membor. The payment of Club Duos shall e*'use any exsohola or. ex-collegie member from hor Graduate Duas. ·· ·. .
Article VII Publioations The' pnbl1ont1ons of this sorority shall be as numbi'JJUs and as , fre().uent as National Funds shall vmrrnnt.
Art.1 cla VIII
Amendments This Oonstitut_ion may bo amen,ded by a three-fourths vote of all delegatea present at n National aonvont1on. (This
O•~t1tution
was adoptod on Nov. 27th,l914)
It will be notifted that the Convent1an did not eon:f"ino tho duties of tho National Oounoil, so far as individual work is concerned. It wcs doomod beat to nllow tbo p-r esent Couneil to make ita own interpretntlaon of offiaial duties nnd to sucgast to tho. noxt Conv&Ltion whnt these sball
be.
Tbore Wfl6 &onsiderablo discussion of the Art1ole on National Du.as. Tbe Convention folt tbe.t it was net :fair to· the groups 1n Missouri and Pennsylvania, in view 'of the fact that the;y had not seen copies o:r tho Ccmstitu'ftion, to ihs·ist that their plcdgns o:r this yoo.r should be hold by a ruling mado after. they hnd boon pledgen undor looal group rUles. It was, therefore, ruled that Missouri nnd Pcnnsylvnnio. pled.ges on the rolls at ~ho time of tho ConTention should be taken under looal group regulations, but that any now girls receiving bids shouli bo under ASA rules. It is not wholly clear to the Contre.l Cffioo Y.rhe.t was tho apportHmof tho Initiation Fee to be paid into tho Nati onal Treasury, because <lon:pleta Minutes hav·e not b&on reoe ivoii at tho timo t11nt this goes to pres 1 ,. but in all likelihood the Central : Offioc 's sugs ost1on met with ap:;>ro?al, viz. ~)1 for National End9rn:1cnt, ~~ 1 for Hasrzino ~ndornnont ,... 01 for Certificate o:f' lJiooltlarship and :)1 for Handbook. t uas made clear during the discussion of the National Dues for Grndua tm Chapters and Grndunto Clubs that of tha ~2 levied on each mcmbe~ O l is for a aopy of tho Phm nix. It is hoped that there nill be enough subscriptions to tho magazina received to enable the Ocntrnl Office to issue 25 copies during tho 'snhool yeac • .National Unaergraduate lhtcs go into ~he Nntional Treasury. men~