Page:The Fraternity and the College (1915).pdf/136

 the college and college interests, and it frequently gives him social prestige and political prominence which he could not otherwise easily secure. In short is brings to him all the advantages of an organization as opposed to single-handed and unaided effort. It is therefore likely to be of more advantage to such a man to join a fraternity than it is to be to the fraternity which he joins.

The fraternity man who lives at home is likely to be constantly between the Scylla of home and the Charybdis of the fraternity—and between these two he will have a hard time not to go upon the rocks. If he is honest and sincerely desires to do his duty to each, he will often find himself between two conflicting duties—his mother will demand that he mow the front lawn while the president of the fraternity will as vigorously insist that he help wax the floor for the house party; his parents will complain that he is never at home, and the fraternity officers will regularly criticize him for never being at the chapter house. Unless he has unusual strength of character he is likely to be thought a poor son and an unreliable brother. A sensitive conscientious boy often sees the difficulty of successfully serving the home and the fraternity, and either gives up the struggle or gradually draws away from the fraternity, excepting when forced by necessity to visit it. Such a student generally helps to bring up the fraternity