Page 28 - 1913 May - To Dragma

TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI 185

ment to new conditions and surroundings. A n d so i t is a step i n
the right direction, and one that shows actual serious effort on the
part of sororities to improve freshman scholarship standards.

The usual rules regulating rushing f o r next semester have not yet
been formulated. As they now stand, pre-matriculate rushing is
allowed, but no expense may be involved i n die entertainment o f a
rushee.

Since there is so l i t t l e to add to the article published i n the
November T o D R A G M A by last semester's Pan-Hellenic president.
Fay Frisbie, I am going to seize this opportunity of offering a b i t of
criticism on Pan-Hellenic methods as they exist at least, at the U n i -
versity of California. For instance—two years ago the question o f
matriculation day as pledge day came up, as it does, I believe, annu-
ally. I was very much interested in the point, attended the meeting,
and then and there reached the conviction that a l l discussion i n a
Pan-Hellenic meeting is f u t i l e . T h e delegates had been i n f o r m e d at a
previous meeting that the matter would be discussed, had been i n -
structed to determine the attitude of their respective houses on the
subject, and had of course come to the succeeding meeting, each w i t h
her mind previously made up and her vote determined for her, by
her own chapter. A n d then there occurred i n Pan-Hellenic a violent
discussion in which no one f e l t that she could change her m i n d as
she represented her house and was consequently not open to con-
viction without consulting her chapter.

When matters reach a dead-lock and the question is postponed,
the arguments at Pan-Hellenic meeting are then to some point, f o r
they can be presented by the delegate to her house, and may i n -
fluence its point of view. But in the case of a definite m a j o r i t y and
minority on a point, the best of arguments presented by the minority
can have no effect, f o r the delegates do not feel at liberty to be i n -
fluenced to the extent of changing their votes. Does i t not make of
Pan-Hellenic discussion rather a farce? I was perhaps unfortunate
in obtaining this impression from the particular meeting described,
but the possibility of the situation's recurring is always present, and
surely gives food for thought.

And—one point more. I t is one that caused a f o r m e r Dean of
women much consideration, without, however, the discovery of
any solution. Pan-Hellenic is an organization. I t has at C a l i f o r n i a
regular meetings attended by at least twelve or fourteen delegates.
A n d these girls give an hour or more at their meetings to the dis-
cussion of how many courses the freshmen may have at the inter-
sorority dance or to similar burning questions. The matter of
scholarship is a serious one it is true, but outside of that, little that