Page:The Fraternity and the College (1915).pdf/113

 Usually not more than two or three members at the most from each fraternity are eligible to membership in these organizations. When these members come back to the chapter house from the weekly or fortnightly or monthly meetings there are often private references between them to what has gone on or subtle and unintelligible allusions which not infrequently arouse the interest of the brother classmen, even if they do not go so far as to develop petty jealousies. The fact that one brother knows something that he can not discuss with all the others, that he laughs uproariously over a joke which he does not feel at liberty to explain, or that he belongs to something that the others of the same class'and attainment can not get into, even if these things are in themselves trifling, will often prevent that unity of feeling—and action which would otherwise be easily possible. I have known frequent instances of the development of factions and cliques in fraternities, which have tended seriously to the disruption of the organizations, caused entirely by the misunderstandings and jealousies incident to the membership of some of the brothers in organizations outside of the fraternity. I said to a man not long ago, "What is the matter with your fellows this year? You do not seem to be working together." "Three of our boys expected to get into 'Crescent' and only two made it," he replied. "They have