Page:The Fraternity and the College (1915).pdf/107

 In the meantime I suppose that there are a good many unfortunates like myself throughout the country whose job is to get fraternity men to meet their chapter obligations. To help them and me I believe the active chapters of fraternities may do a good deal. While a man is in the active chapter he should be required to keep up all of his obligations. If he gets behind, his father should know about it. The fraternity is too often sensitive about letting parents know just what their son's financial situation is, and so an obligation which might often easily be met goes unpaid for years.

The fraternity as a whole should not go into enterprises which cost money without seriously counting the cost. House parties and formal dances, and banquets, and automobile trips are all well enough if one has the price, but when young fellows have to go into debt for these pleasures, they should choose the more simple life. "Are you going to have a house party this year?" I asked a fraternity man not long ago. "No more house parties for us, believe me," was his reply. "The one we gave last year has kept us on the verge of financial ruin all year. We've been trying to save on the board in order to make up for our social splurge, and we haven't had a decent meal for three months." He had learned what many of the rest of us have learned, that it is a pretty