Page 41 - 1920 February - To Dragma

124 TO PRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON Pi

SIGMA'S H O U S E S Y S T E M

B Y D A I S Y M A N S F I E L D S H A W , President of the Board of Directors

W H Y it should f a l l to me to write this article, for which I can
not even give a comprehensive title, I do not know, f o r while I
have first hand knowledge of the house finances of Sigma Chapter
for the past few years ( i n what capacity I am not stating as I do not
wish to divulge m y identity) I a m not so f a m i l i a r w i t h the begin-
nings of the house f u n d .

Each g i r l to w h o m I have appealed has referred me to another, so I
think I have eliminated in this way all who might question my state-
ments.

K a p p a A l p h a T h e t a was the first sorority to own a house. Others
were making plans to do so, and f r o m that time, about nineteen
hundred eight, Sigma had one predominant idea, namely, to own
her own home. F o r several years the girls talked of i t , but i t seemed
such an enormous undertaking, and Sigma at that time had, com-
paratively, only a small number of alumna: to back her i n this.

Finally, early i n nineteen thirteen, i t was decided to start a house
f u n d . Notes of five dollar denomination were sent to every Sigma
girl. The girls active in college were pledged to take four notes,
and each alumna: member was urged to take as many as she possibly
could. These notes were payable at some time d u r i n g the year. I n
nineteen fourteen the same plan was f o l l o w e d and by nineteen fifteen
about twenty-five hundred dollars had been collected in this way
with more to come i n .

The next step was to investigate the different plans by which the
b u i l d i n g of a house could be financed. T h e different b u i l d i n g and
loan associations were interviewed and banks, too, as to the possi-
bility of borrowing money on a mortgage.

By a very fortunate circumstance a contractor in Berkeley was
anxious to sell his home. T h e location was the very best possible
f o r a f r a t e r n i t y house, and lots i n as desirable a location were scarce
and high. The house was new, of excellent construction, and at-
tractive in appearance. The contractor was willing to make the
additions and alterations necessary to render i t suitable to the needs
of a fraternity, and the proposition he offered was superior to any
plan that had been investigated.

Sigma was then incorporated so as to transact business. T h e
necessary papers were d r a w n up, the sum collected paid down, the
balance to be met i n m o n t h l y payments to include interest and a pay-
ment on the principal, and the house was Sigma's.