Page 25 - 1923 February - To Dragma

122 TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI

is to stand. Second i n i m p o r t a n c e , I believe, is w o r k f o r p u b l i c health.
I f the scholarship is limited to A l p h a members it w o u l d n a t u r a l l y
a p p l y o n l y to such colleges as have chapters, b u t I a m n o t sure the
system o f rotation is the best. Practically it may be necessary but
t h e o r e t i c a l l y I s h o u l d like t o see candidates f r o m m a n y o r a l l o f the
institutions in which our chapters arc found competing f o r the honor
each year, and a selection made not merely on the basis of scholar-
ship but also f r o m the standpoint of character with a view to making
the a w a r d to the g i r l who is most likely to use her knowledge f o r the
benefit of society.

T h e idea of a national w o r k which shall be f o r the welfare o f
children appeals to me both f r o m the standpoint of sentiment and be-
cause it is more w o r t h while in its effects o n human progress. There
again i t is a question, i f o n l y one t h i n g can be done, w h e t h e r the need
is greater along the line of correction of bodily ills or education of the
heart and intellect. The crippled children and the boys and girls of
the mountains appeal to me most strongly among the objects men-
tioned in the report.

A s t o financing, t h a t needs c a r e f u l p l a n n i n g on the p a r t o f a
special committee, b u t an endowment f u n d seems t o . me to be more
effective in the long run. A very successful start has been made along
those lines by means of life subscriptions to T o Dragma and I believe
the same thing could be w o r k e d out f o r our national purpose. Such
a scheme means a slow start but the basis of it is sound and in the end
it pays. W i t h a definite w o r k to be accomplished enthusiasm f o r ac-
cumulating funds would grow. Some of the chapters have taken upon
themselves w o r k w h i c h is temporary in character, and others may pre-
fer to divert a portion of their funds from local work to that which
is broader i n scope.

Finally I believe in some w o r k in our o w n country, because a
thoughtful consideration of conditions would seem to indicate a vast
field f o r c o n s t r u c t i v e w o r k here i n the U n i t e d States,—a need t h a t is
sometimes overlooked in favor of the more obvious and therefore more
generally recognized needs abroad.

ELIZABETH HEYWOOD W Y M A N .

ALUMNAE RESPONSIBILITY I N NATIONAL WORK

A f t e r twenty-six years o f more o r less selfish existence, our f r a t e r n i t y
is preparing to take its place i n A m e r i c a n l i f e as an organization pledged
by its Founders to help humanity. I t is true that we have needed those
twenty-six years of internal, intensive, constructive work, but now, with
an organization better than ever before, we must turn our attention to
others than our own members.

T o our actives has fallen naturally the task of perpetuating our ex-
istence and the duty o f choosing those who w i l l reflect the ideals of our