Page 17 - 1909 November - To Dragma

12 TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI

ON CHOOSING CANDIDATES

A recent number of T o DRAGMA contained an able and timely
article by our Grand President, concerning the use of the black-ball.

That paper made so strongly for inclusiveness, breadth and the
larger fellowship, pointed so definitely to the nobler, more service-
able ideal of fraternity life, that I rejoice in the opportunity still
further to follow the upward trail.

The more charitable use of the black-ball, the use of it based
solely on realities rather than trivialities, I understand to be Miss
Ashley's thesis. Mine is that the same principle of fundamental
resemblances be applied to the choice of girls to be voted upon,—
that this matter, too, be stripped of narrowness and the smaller per-
sonalities.

I t is very important, of course, that every chapter should have a
firmly established ideal as to the kind of girl it considers eligible.
A well established ideal will save many heartburnings, both to our-
selves and to the student body. But it is even more important that
the chapter should have an ideal, rather than a preference.

We must select the "possibilities" not because they appeal to
our eye, or have a taking manner, not for any external merit, not
because of a sudden affection,—experience has taught us all to how
many black-balls this policy leads. We must choose candidates, as
we would choose any other things in life, for their fitness for the
purpose.

That leads to a deeper question. What then is our purpose for
them? That they should be merely pleasant comrades? That they
should be merely "pretty to walk with and witty to talk with and
pleasant, too, to think on?" That we may flaunt them proudly as
ours? That we may lock ourselves up in their companionship away
from an envying and plebean world?

I f that be the ideal of a fraternity or a chapter, well may it
select girls for superficialities, well may it "rush" them for their
beaux yeaux, and drop them for reasons as trivial. But may all
the powers that guard girlhood's aspirations and womanhood's f u l -
filments forbid that such a spirit should impel our Alpha! I , for one,
would rather see our order swept out of every college in the land,
than have it foster a spirit of snobbery, superiority and exclusiveness
in any one of them.

As I see it, and as I am sure you see it too, a fraternity should
want these girls for two things:

First. To form part of an organized body in every college,
bound by the closest ties to act as one in pushing the life of that