Page 52 - 1925 September - To Dragma

TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI 41

While convinced that that is the wisest as well as the most artistic
finish, we can't resist making sure you'll attempt to answer a few questions
the tables raise.

Can a fraternity reach the saturation point? Are there two distinct
policies here revealed—rapid growth until a certain number of chapters
attained and then a swing toward closed doors; or slow development and
then a rapid extension after ground work well laid? Does the fact that a
few fraternities maintain the same position in all the tables mean their
policy of growth is more uniform, more governed by a definite plan than
that of others? Does the swing of a fraternity from one extreme to
another mean a radical change of policy? Or is it mere chance at work?
Or the selection of new leaders who are not in accord with the fraternity's
history? Or the opening or closing of tempting opportunities for growth?
Who knows? We doubt if members of any one fraternity would give the
same answer to these questions, let alone all fraternities. Yet, somewhere,
somehow there must be a reason why behind each situation. ( A reason
why behind each situation but probably not behind extension as a whole.)

Note that but five fraternities are "expansionist," and but five "rapid
expansionist" in every table, while no fraternity stays put in either of the
conservative classes. Also that among the conservatives of the last five
years is a rapid expansionist of the two preceding tables, while the more
frequent conservatives are down the line in the expansionist group for the
same period.

Two interesting facts of the study do not show in the tables. While
the average time between charters is as indicated, every fraternity has had
periods of from three to eight years when no charters were granted. The
fraternities with early extension all have about the same number of inactive
chapters, charters granted at institutions that fell behind in the race for
lack of endowment or other causes. The younger fraternities show propor-
tionate lists of inactive chapters, mostly in similar under standard institu-
tions, removed from their active lists to quality for National Panhellenic
membership. The "middle agers," those whose growth started in the
eighties or nineties, largely escaped this inactive chapter problem, except in
the few colleges where opposition to fraternities banned them all.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The authors failed to point out one significant point—
one they probably did not realize—that any month, if not any week, the
figures' for any fraternity may become inaccurate, since the installing of
just one chapter could shift the position of many a fraternity in these
tables where between averages are so slight. So accept these percentages
as true only up to December 1, 1924.]

via The Trident, AAA.