THE
VOLU!.'IE II
PHOENIX
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. . VJHAT ASA
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NlJ!I.uffiER . . . 6
ACCOI\IPLISHE~
. . A quarte~ of a centul~ y ago, the six collegiate sorer i ties the~ l~ e~1stence dl.SC1.1ssed the a dvisability of orgD-ni z ing . a Panhel-
lenlc Conference, fo r the p urpose of e stablishing and mai nt a ining standards of · ~xcelle::.1 ce, and. v; i th a view to evolving a p ractic a l p l an for a fratern1ty-sororit y exhibit at t h e Chicaao ~orldrs Fair. It was the intention of these Gre ek-Lett er Societies for women to hold. these confer ences every year or s o, but circumstances v.rerc such that there ~as no othe~ gathering for ten yea rs. Tihen the idea was ag a in f ostered , lt . to~k deep root · ~d flourished v i gorousl y . Annual meeting s ~ ere inS~ltuc:.ed. Because 1t meant so much to be on t he roll of the orga ni zr. tlf:ln.and represented at its gathering, many sororities applie d for membership. It became necessary. accordingly, to est abl ishQn cert ain standards for admission. A ruling v1as passed to debar any s ororit y with less t han five chapters, or one 1:..aving o.ny chap ter in a n i nstitu tion below colle g iate rank. In order to gai n the coveted admission, four of the then distinctively Southern Soro rit i e s we re forced to drop a number of their chapters. These were mostly in seminar ies a nd fashionable fi n ishing schools, but in t wo ca se s, th a t of Zet a Tau Alpha and Kappa Delta , the insti tutiou dropped put an en d to the I\~ other Chap ter a t the Virginia State Normal School, where li kew ise vvere. and still are, t he ~'! other Chapters of ASA and sss. Those of you who have read th e History of .ASA th at app-eared in tr.e na.ree:t Exch ant;e 11 , o f Deceri!ber. 1 914, will recall t hat ASA and S3S, m1like ZIJilA anc: Iill, de cid!ecl no t to ·a ttemp t to gain adr.1issi on to the 1Tat i cnal Panhe1leni c 0ong rc ss of Co lle gia te Sororities, but to give u p su c'h c oll e t; i ate chap~e r s a s th ey had on their rolls, confin ing ·all cha rter grants of t he future t o high-grade normal schools and teact er sr colle ges . The first a nd second i s s ue s of tLe l'HOENIX of th i s year gav e a ver~r full account of t h e or g mli~ation b y LSA and SSS o f a n Associath ':Jf PeC.agog i cal Soro r it i e s, ·.-.·h i ch. it is p l anned she.ll be to the Pedagogical Sorority ,. ,hat the N:ttional Pa:'1.h ellen ic Con t;;ress i s to the Coll e giate Order. The idea of or ganizing th is Jls s oci a tion v:as suggested by the national P resident of ."..S r , and much of its s uccessful cl·y st alJ. iz a t ion was due to he r pe rs onal efforts and influence l'.r ith t he ra t i ono. l Officers of SSS. One re ason r;h:J the Na t i on&L. Presiden t of ASA 17as so 1 . insistent t ha t th e Associ a tion sr_ould be :1ormed t he p resent ye a r Vi aS StfA,• 'u ecause she wa s av:are of cert c in movements in Hell as and · fe r:: red a c on - 1 9 t e st wi t h 30 n ~ of the Con~ ress sor or i t i es in ce r t a i n p edagog lcQl fi e l ds Even before a ll tl:e plans i'or t~H·~ Assoc i u ti on \''ere f u lly 1- Lf·i£ fo r me d the Na ti onal President of ASA en de av ore d t o sec r:.re f ro m the Ua t .ional 'P anhetien i c Co np:r_iiSS , v1hi ch me t in Culifo rn i a e a rly in August , 2. s t o.terr:en t o . dl.e, effect th&t the Congress Soro r i 1es Vl OU s 8-.y ou t of the Pedagogical Fiel 'd entirel;~. In s.? i t e o f h~rl ~ty supp ort of 1:. e r ~ Jan by a numb er of t he . Cong r ess Scr o l' l t1es, ~he ,;- a 1led to secure t r: e s t cJ t ement desired. It 1s no t necess a r y , no r 1s t nere sp ace, to g o H d . O rle tail.s as t o why a ruling favored by the stronge st and best Cong ress 3oro ri ·cies failed cf ·tJ a ssage . ·:ve h ave to de a l only with t h e c ircurn J .