VOL.
JANUARY, 1956
I,
0. 2
A Message from our National President DEAR SISTER
IN ALPHA SIGM A TA U ,
The old year with its successes and failures has departed, and a new year with its promises and opportun ities has dawn ed. How can we make this year rich and meaningful in our own lives a nd in those of others? First, let us begin each day with a little prayer for strength a nd guidance in all that we undertake throughout the day, and at the close of day let us thank God for our accomplishments and ask forgiveness for our mi takes. Let us strength en our bonds of fri end hip both within and without the sorority. As the years pa s, friends m ean more and more to us . " Th ank you for being my fri end all th ese years," the closing sentence of a Christ-
mas note, was my most cherished gift this recent holiday season. L et us forget ourselves in helping others a nd so know the joy that com s from selfless service. Let u take advantage of our many opportunities for self-improvement through good books, fine music, inspmng sermons, beautiful pictures, a nd well-chosen plays a nd movies. Let u always strive to be kind, patient gracious, a nd tolerant m our associations with our fellow beings. And fin ally, let us ever remember the ideals and purposes of Alpha Sigma Tau, a nd so live "Joyou ly a nd valiantly." Fraternally ~~ours, MARY ALICE
PETER 0
New Appo intment t A NOUNCING the appointment of Mrs. D onald Nichols ( Pa tricia Ann Mau e} as national music chairman . ...
Mrs. Donald Nichols 路 (Patricia Ann Maue). new bride and new national music chairman.
T HE ANC HOR
P.a tricia a ttend ed Buffalo Sta te T eacher. College a nd since graduation has taught first gra de in the Eggert Road El ementary School. Patricia h as attended two national conventions and is p a rticularly intere ted in working ou t .a rich mu ical program for our n ext conven tion. You'll he h earing from h er. M ea nwhile she would like to have ou r suggestions for ong (with mu ic ) that our chapter likes to ing. She will compile them into a songbook to be used at the next con~ vention. Write to her a t 147 Prin eton \路enu e, Egge rts ill e 14 New York.
Why Scholarship? Bv
M ARY GA UG H AN ,
Nat ional A wards Chairman ";\; IT' s time agai n for our annual scholarship repor t. Statistics do not m ake for pleasant reading, but they are informative. When you read the chapter standings, do you feel an individual chaHenge? Alpha Sigm a T aus, wha t is the most important phase of your college career? Is it winning all the campus p rizes, electing beau ty quee n , and g;aining social prestige? This m ay be true in part, but you are in college to receive an educa tion. Education is the most important phase of your college ca reer. Scholarship .is a fund amental par t of educa tion . W e ·do not expect all A~Ts to be straigh t A students, but we do expect them to make the most of their capabilities and do the best they can. Good scholarship has played a part in membership selection from the firs t, so it i no new point we are stressing. Sometimes you b ecome so involved in other campus activities that you lose s·ight of your primary reason for being there . . . to receive an education. In an article which app eared in the F all, 1955, issue of the Cross and Crescent of Lam bda Chi Alpha Fraternity, Dr. Houston T. K a.rne says, "Although there is virtue in working for high scholastic attainments for the purpose of recognition, there is more to be said for scholarship in its own right .. The foll owing sta tem ents are offered for thoughtful consideration: " 1. Society owes us nothing, but we owe soc iety our very bes t efforts. Tod ay when the community, the state, our country, and ye , the world, are crying for well-trained peo ple in aH walks of life, it is a serious fai lure not to take a dvantage of every opportunity to pre pare yourself so that you can be o f service to m ankind. '2. W•ithout prac tice the athlete cannot reach high a ttainmen ts. His muscles just will no t re. pond p roperly unles they are trained .
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The classroom is the practice field for one' mental powers. Bu iness, educational, and professiona l leaders to day must be able to think, plan, and reason logica•lly, practica lly, and consistently. If you do not learn to o use your mental power in college, you will never learn to use them. " W e have conclusive evidence that a chapter showing a high scholastic average also ranks high in other ch <epter activities. "Today we have a serious anti-fra terni ty movemen t. Fraternities are trying to counteract this movement through a pulblic relations program . The .improvement of schol arship is one of the most important activities in this program. When your scholarship is sound you will have the support of your faculty and college administra tion ." There is a grea t deal of food for though t in Dr. K arnes' a rticle. So, let us take a dvantage of the opportun ities afforded us by our colleges and work diligently, so that as leaders of our community, sta te, or country we will b e able to take our places with humility, but also with the knowledge tha t we a re a:ble to think clearly, reason logically, and plan practically.
New Rules About Inactive Status (1955 N. P.C. Conference) 1. Inactive status extends over the period of the entire college year during which in activity is granted. 2. Grades of inactive m embers shall not be counted in comparative scholastic ratings.
THE ANCHOR
National Scholarship Committee Report 1954- 1955 GIRL WITH HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL AVERAGE
Carol Willman Betty Ross Carol Dickey JoAnn Browning* Ann Uhlir J ody McLaughlin Joan Harvey* Joan Fanning Charlene Schul* June Steine* Joellen Donnelly Marian Riggs Mary Alice Ellington Carolyn M ayer* Jacqueline Bates Joyce M cClanahan Ellen Maples
AVERAG E
3.000 3.000 2.818 2.894 2.800 2.795 3.000 3.000 2.764 2.777 2.933 2.774 2.903 3.000 2.800 2.323 2.222
Parrial reports were received from Alpha, D elta, Chi. No reports from Lambda and Alpha Beta. Pi Chapter is the winner of the scholarship cup. Carol Willman, Pi, Betty Ross, Alpha Epsilon, a nd Joan Fanning, Alph a Lambda, are the winner of the schol arship ring. Theta Chapter received an award for making rhe most improvement during the past year. The following had an A average for the entire year: Beta Chapter- Joellen Donnelly, Jewell Chaffee, M ;uilyn Spurlock, Barbara H eflin , Marilyn Jones, !Marlo Davison. Pi Chapter- Carol Willman, t Dorte Schwerdt, Betty Kickel, J ackie Hudson, Arlene Bouligny. Zeta Chapter- Janet Hauke, Ruth Flemmg. Rho Chapter-Sue Van Dyke. Zeta Tau-Mary Alice Ellington, Nell *Indicates grades for one semester or term only. tindicates ring winners with a p erfect 3,000 average.
THE ANCHOR
RANK
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17
C HAPTER
Pi Alpha Epsilon Nu Alpha Gamma Alpha Alpha Alpha Delta Psi Alpha Lambd a Iota Rho Beta Theta Zeta T au Zeta Phi Upsi,lon Omicron
NO. O P MEMBER S
88 57 29 13 38 21 40 41 54 19 31 24 26 21 20 22 12
CHAPTER AVERAG E
2.663 2.627 2.466 2.374 2.278 2.21 5 2.201 2.170 2.1 53 2.138 2.110 2.074 2.023 1.961 1.955 1.779 1.669
Crocker, Muriel Boswell, Shirley O sbourne. Phi Chapter- Jackie Bates. Theta Chap ter-Marian Riggs. Psi Chapter-Frances Brickey, Loretta Jeter, Joan Pease. Nu Chapter-Carol Dickey, D elore Benzel, Beve rly Grove, Roberta Brunner. Alpha Alpha-Ann Uhlir, Barbara Somsel, Jane BaJbcock. Alpha Delta- Jody McLaughlin, Gayle Gough, Donna Fite, Ann Brown. Alpha Gamma- Dorothy Graves, Ruth Stone, Ca roline H awthorne. Alpha Ep ilon- Betty Ro t Betty Collins. Dori Derkson, K ay Nordgren, June Chambers. Alpha La mbda-Joan 'F anningt, Ann Smith .
Our N ews Agency Is Prompt/ S end orders to: MR . PR E TO N E. S EWELL 6541 Williamsburg Boule,路ard Arlington 13, Virginia
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Mrs. Meade McNeill Box 171 Athe ns , W. V a.
'The Weak Sister" Bv J uDGE FRANK H . !MYERS, Ka ppa Alp ha O rd er
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Part zn L'onstructzve :J -v ay .;) esswn ut Whit e Sulphu r Springs, W. Va.
t ALPHA SIGMA TAU wa represented at this conference in the hi toric setting of the Greenibrier Hotel by five national offi cers: Mrs. Joseph Steen, vice president ; Miss Marg.aret M acdonaid, treasurer ; Mrs. Ri chard Snidow, vice p resident ; Mrs. E . C. Phipps, housing chairman ; and M rs. Francis Graflage, editor. They came away from the session with a feeling of plan, of promise, and an eagerness to get on with the job. Presiding over the conference wa M rs . Robert Carlton Byars, D elta Gamm a, who opened the meeting with a dignifi ed ye t down to earth m essage. She referred to th ese as " troublesome times when fraternities h ave been hurt b y a hostile press and certain segments of the motion picture industry who deliberately sought controversia!l m aterial for monetary reasons. The lack of a good press has not served to block progress of fraternities, however, for on an average, one ch apter has b een added every two weeks." M any vi tal.problems of sororities were di scussed in afternoon worksho ps--college Panhellenics, housing, and administration. 路 One of .the highlights was the speech given by Judge Frank H. M yers and which 1s condensed for you in this issue.
'T HE Weak Sister" is th e girl who pledges, contributes nothing except her person and her duties to the ch apter, and becomes the wom an who forgets tha t she ever belonged . The weak ister i the chapter's fault, not hers. Poor chapter operation allows her to become a member in the first place. These are the serious d efects tha t bring the weak ister into existence: 1. Improper creening and selection of n.ew m embers by the active chapter ; 2. Inad equ ate training and education during the period of pledgehood ; 3. Careless and negligent presenta tion of ritu alisti c observances; 4. Absence of or poor refresher lectures and talks during cha pter life on the meaning and rea l purpose of the fraterni ty; and 5. F ailure by hapter members under the leadership and examp le of chapt er officers to put their fraternity ideals into their own lives. ;\; JuDGE MYERS, an a sociate Judge of the Municipal Court of the District of Colum bia, is a form er national offi cer of the K appa Alpha Order, and is chairm an of the Interfraternity R esearch and Advisory C ouncil and vice chairman o f the N ational Conference of the N ational Confe rence on C oll ege Fra ternit ies and Societies.
Announcing .. . A New ANCHOR Contest For the best collegia te li terary contribution of 1956. It may be an editorial, essay, short story, or poem . $5.00 will tbe awarded to the winning writer, $5.00 will be given to her chapter. (N ext AN CHOR deadline, M arch 1, 1956 ) .
Entered as second class matter Nov. 2~. 1S37_. at the post office at St. Paul , Minn ., under the Act of Aug. 24 1912. " Acceptance tor mailing at the special rate of postage provided for in Section 34.4o, P .L. and R ., 1948 edition , paragraph d, Act of Feb. 281..1925; 3S, U. S. Code 283, was authorized Oct. 10. 1949." THE ANCHOR of Alpha Sigma 1au is published during the months <> ( November, January, April, and July by Leland Publishers, Inc., The Fraternity Press <.dicial sorority publishers to the sorority at 2642 University Ave:J St. Paul 14, Minn. Subscription price, $3.00 per year. Editorial Office : Mrs. Francis Granage, 10310 Capitol Dr., St. iLouis 21, Mo.
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THE ANCH R