Page:The Fraternity and the College (1915).pdf/181

 give help to the local chapter and ought to do so far more frequently than he does.

The same things might be said with reference to the alumni who are not connected with the faculty but who live in the college town. The undergraduate looks perhaps with more favor upon the opinions and advice of the successful business man than he is likely to do upon that given by a member of the faculty who is, of course, in his eyes a mere theorist. A steady, sensible business man is a tower of strength to any fraternity if he will show interest. No old members of the fraternity are so favorably situated as are these two classes of alumni for directly influencing the chapters, and yet a distressingly large percentage of them assume no responsibility and show no interest.

The alumnus returning after a separation of time or distance is also to be considered. At every institution, I have no doubt, there are specific times of the year when a definite effort is made by fraternities to get the alumni back in force. It may be at commencement time, or at college anniversaries, or reunions, or at the celebrations of various college events. With us it is at the annual Home-coming, though any other event would serve the same purpose and might bring the same complications. The officers of the chapters send out letters of invitation to all the old members, a few of the local alumni—good fellows and unmarried