Page 21 - 1908 November - To Dragma

16 TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI

second definition, "the mutual interest and affection that is char-
acteristic of the fraternal relation; brotherly regard and sympathy
for others." A fraternity is founded upon just that—mutual in-
terest, interest in the welfare of its members, in what they do, what
they think, plan, strive for, and, more than all else, in what they are.
There is always this interest, and it has the saving grace of being
an interest that is dominated by affection. The fraternity takes a
girl unto itself and offers her its affectionate regard and sympathy.
I t is not watching her with merely a critical eye, quick to see her
errors; it is looking at her with a great pride in her successes and a
genuine desire to help her to avoid mistakes. There is no influence
in college that cares more vitally for a girl's best interests than her
fraternity; and this "regardless of relationship by blood." I will
go even farther and add "regardless of differences in religion, home
training, in fact, of pretty nearly everything."

The normally constituted fraternity, exclusive of its particular
characteristics, endeavors to supply its members with the elements
which, taken in connection with her college course, will tend to give
her the most perfectly rounded development. There are certain
things that the college does not do, that it does not pretend to do,
that it would not be in its province to do. But these things are
within the scope of the fraternity. The college offers courses that
broaden a girl's outlook, that make her wake up perhaps to her
deficiences. The college points the way, but it is often the older
fraternity sister who has the practical blazing of the trail to do for
the eager but incompetent freshman. I have seen, within the limits
of my personal experience, girls unselfishly devoting their time, their
energy and their money to help a younger girl and with a whole-
souled joy in the feeling that they could do it. I have seen women,
long graduated from college, with demands on their time, their
strength and resources, come to fraternity girls and ask i f there was
anything that they could do to help. This loyalty has been bred by
something strong, something true, something worth while.

The fraternity brings all this to the new girl. The question im-
mediately arises—"What ought a girl to bring to the fraternity?"
The very first thing is interest. No fraternity can expect loyalty
from a neophyte, unless she has an active interest, a desire to ally
herself with the particular organization. I do not pretend to even
theorize as to the basis on which a freshman makes a choice in the
matter; the mental processes of the majority of new students are
too involved for easy solution. But I insist that she be interested,
or that she does not join. Lukewarmness is the bane of any or-
ganization.

I f she is interested enough to become a member, she ought to