188
Aa SLURS
more in touch with the younger alumni
who count too little in shaping the
policy of Yale to-day.
Col. Osborn, I believe, represents
these requirements more fully than most
of the names which have been men-
tioned, and, being a resident of New
Haven, and a loyal believer in Yale, in
touch alike with student body and
Faculty, could be counted on to aid
most intelligently and effectively in a
new and progressive policy.
RESIDENT ALUMNUS.
New Haven, February rith.
—_—___4>>—___—_-
Lectures by Prof. Phelps.
Prof. W. L. Phelps will deliver six
lectures on American Literature, in
Warner Hall, on the following dates:
Wednesday, March 1, 8 p. m—‘“Two
Representative of Colonial Literature—
Jonathan Edwards and _ Benjamin
Franklin.
Wednesday, March 15, 8 Pp. Mi—James
Fenimore Cooper.”
Wednesday, March 22,
“Ralph Waldo Emerson.”
Monday, March 27, 8 p. M.—‘‘Daniel
Wooster,”
Thursday, April 6, 8 ep. m.—‘Mark
Twain.
These lectures are practically the
same as those given by Professor
Phelps on Tuesdays in Course 115, and
they will not be repeated this year.
Although the lectures will. stand
intelligible by themselves, it 1s sug-
gested, to those who wish to derive the
greatest benefit from them, to read the
following works: First lecture—
Franklin’s Autographical sketch of
Edwards: Second lecture—“Thanatop-
sige The “Flood of . Years’; 10.4
Waterfowl”; “Sella’; “The Death of
the Flowers,” and “A Forest Hymn.
Third lecture—“The Spy’; “The Pi-
8 Pp.
Me
lot's “The “Last: of sthe Mohicans’;
“The Red Rover.” Fourth lecture—
“Nature”; “The American Scholar,
and “Napoleon.” Fifth lecture—“The
Seventh of March Speech,” and the
“Reply to Haynes: <The ; Sixth—
“Huckleberry Finn.”
This course of lectures will be de-
livered in the New Haven University
Extension Course, the tickets for which
are $1.50. Single lecture tickets 35
cents.
———<$<$<$—$<$
The Sons of Sixty-Eight.
On Tuesday evening, February 7,
Henry B. Wright, ’98, invited all the
men in the University who are Sons
of ’68 men, of which Class his father,
Dean Wright is a member, to meet him
informally at his room in Dwight Hall.
Invitations were sent to the folowing
men: RoE «Hume P.G.; C:..D.: Berry,
0. 4 Ws Greene, Jt, "oe; Gu B.
Tinker, ’99; F. F. Ferry, 1900;. C. R.
Page, 1900; A. S. Williams, 1901; A.
P; “Wright, toot; G. B. Kip, 1901; °L:
Manierre, 1901; J. F: Ferry, 1901 S.;
M. Ferry, 1901 S.; H. C. Thacher, 1902;
D:. Viele, 1902: B: A. Welch, 1902;
and A. E. Manierre, 1902. Light re-
freshments were served and the even-
ing was spent in a very informal way.
Of the eighteen sons of Sixty-Eight
men who are now in the University,
thirteen enjoyed this opportunity of
meeting one another. G. B. Kip, L.
and A. E. Manierre and M. and J. F.
Ferry were unable to be present.
The Winter Pull.
These
But
Knox hats are good work-
The long term is on.
are working days.
ing day hats—stiff or soft,
caps or derbies. Knox
business or negligee hats
are as good as Knox dress
hats.
PHT BETA KAPPA CHANGE,
The Amendment Adopted—A Radical
and Promising Move.
At a meeting of the Phi Beta Kappa
Society held on Feb. 15, the following
amendment to the Constitution was
adopted by a decisive vote:
“The Society shall elect as members
all men who have attained a philosophi-
cal oration stand in the work of Fresh-
man and Sophomore years; and, in ad-
dition, a number from among the first
fifty men in the class sufficient to bring
the membership up to thirty.
“All those not already members who,
at the end of Senior year, have received
a stand of 3.30 on the work of Junior
and Senior years, shall then be elected
members of the Society.”
A third section provided for the
methods of election, and also stipulated
that no candidate should be elected
without receiving a vote of the majority
of the Society.
The necessity for an amendment to
the Constitution arose from the en-
tirely arbitrary requirements which have
hitherto determined admission into the
Society. These requirements have been
variously fixed at stands of 3.15, 3.20,
and 3.30, they have been constantly
changing, and have resulted in fluctu-
ations of memberships from over fifty
to under twenty. In view of these facts,
the Society felt it imperative to provide
for a fixed and constant membership
of a size adequate to meet the needs of
its social existence, while keeping strict-
ly within the limits of high scholar-
ship.
Two amendments were recently pro-
posed to ensure this result. The first
was modeled upon the recommenda-
tions of the General Council of Phi
Beta Kappa, and provided for the elec-
tion of thirty out of the first fifty men
in a class, regardless of the appoint-
ment list. The second provided simply
for the election of the first thirty men
in each class. Neither of these methods
was found to be satisfactory. Tihe first
was regarded as too radical a departure
from the previous standards of the
Society. It was argued that under its
provisions the mere “grind,” however
faithful, would always run the risk of
missing his coveted key. Against the
second a graver objection was felt,
which can only be appreciated by an
intimate acquaintance with the new
conditions and living issue which the
Society is to-day called upon to meet.
THE SOCIETY'S CHANGE.
Since entering upon its new life, Phi
Beta Kappa has undergone what might
be described as a process of self-realiza-
tion. It has begun to discern the widest
possibilities of influence and usefulness
which lie within easy reach. It has also
realized that the asquisition of a position
of dignity and power involves the
primary requisite of a certain degree of
self-determination; that is to say, a
voice in its own perpetuation.
Without this power, it can never
escape the danger of being the mere
dead letter it has so often been in the
past, when an election meant nothing
more than the right to wear a Phi Beta
Kappa key around the Campus. This
condition was exactly what might have
been expected from a system under
which no man felt under any obligations
toward a society to which he had been
in no true sense elected, but which
had been thrust upon him as an un-
avoidable perquisite of an arbitrarily
fixed stand. Even then, Phi Beta
Kappa might be a coveted honor, but
it could not possibly fulfil its great aim
of promoting social intercourse, unity,
and mutual help and_ inspirations
among its members.
In view of these facts, a third amend-
ment was suggested in the nature of a
compromise embodying the advantages
of both the earlier proposes. This
amendment secured the requisite stable
membership, and secured it in a way
which made the long elusive ideal ot
a society an actuality. Through its
harmony with the recommendations of
the General Council it brought Yale
into line with the great majority of
other chapters, and furnished a basis
for membership whose flexibility in-
WEEKLY
sured its permanence. It was radical
only in avoiding the inherent and fatal
weakness of the system which it has
superseded, where the good of the in-
dividual was assured, but no regard
whatever was taken for the welfare of
the Society. ‘The new Phi Beta Kappa
recognizes two types of scholar. The
student who devotes himself exclusively
to his text-books, and succeeds in re-
taining a certain stand is admitted to
membership without let or hinderance.
SCHOLARSHIP AND MARKS.
But is true scholarship merely syn- -
onymous with ‘Marks’? Is the man
who, while eminently faithful and suc-
cesful in his studies, throws himself
heart and soul into other lines of col-
lege activity and by effort and achieve-
ment acquires the right to be called
a representative Yale man, less of a
scholar for the few points of “stand”
he has sacrificed? Under the new dis-
pensation, he too is to “have his re-
ward.” The former type of scholar is
not excluded, to the successful “grind”
Phi Beta Kappa is as open as it ever
was, but the latter is included. There is
not subtraction, but addition.
These were the general
thought which, after earnest discussion,
resulted in the passage of the amend-
ment and the establishment of Phi Beta
Kappa upon a new, and it is to be
hoped permanent basis. It is a matter
for regret that at a recent meeting of
the graduate members, the action of
the Society did not receive their formal
sanction. Their omission undoubtedly
rose from a misunderstanding of the
true position of the Society, and from
a failure to appreciate the changed con-
ditions which have brought with them
so much of promise and of responsi-
bility. It is also worthy of note that
before any action was taken by the
Society the graduate officers were per-
sonally interviewed and expressed their
hearty approval of the step which the
active members had under considera-
tion. This step was neither hasty nor
ill-advised. It was clearly seen to be
the precondition of future progress, and
its promoters feel very confident that
it is in every way calculated to further
a5 best interest of true scholarship at
ale.
H. C. Rossins, ’9o.
pa te
Graduates Against a Change.
The graduate members of the Phi
Beta Kappa Society, residing in New
Haven, held a meeting on Thursday
evening, February 16, to discuss the
recent amendment to the Society con-
stitution, passed by the undergraduate
members. In the absence of the gradu-
Vice-President, which office is now held
by Professor Wheeler, Judge Simeon
EK. Baldwin was chosen moderator.
The following resolution was unani-
mously passed by those who were
present at the meeting.
“Resolved: That in the opinion of the
graduate membership of the Yale Chap-
ter of Phi Beta Kappa, the recent
amendment to the constitution concern-
ing the election of members is unwise,
an :
“Resolved: That the active members
be advised to reconsider the amendment
and for the present to continue the
method of electing members on basis
of scholarship.”
Mr. Charles Dudley Warner, ’72 hon.,
made afew remarks before the close
of the meeting.
A committee consisting of Dr.
Edward B. Reed, ’94, and Dr. Charles
P. Kellogg, ’90, was appointed to inter-
view the bi-centennial committee in
regard to the recognition of the Society
in the exercises in IQOT.
_ oS --
Yale and the Press.
[New Haven Register. ]
There is no question involved of
catering to the “venal press’; it is
altogether a question of giving Yale
men information of what concerns them
by means of the agencies they are most
familiar with. Nor is it a question of
recognizing the press as such an agency,
though as a matter of fact, with but few
conspicuous exceptions, Yale owes
more to the press of New Haven and
the country than it can ever repay.
lines of:
TheEnglish Square
The phrase is historical—at least if
you substitute British for English.
Its present use, however, is to
describe the new tie, which is
running the Ascot out of the
market. Some of the designs are
stunning. Send for a few sam-
ples.
CHASE & CO.,
New Haven House Block.
HENRY HEATH HATS.
FRANK A. CORBIN,
TAILOR
TO THE
STUDENTS OF YALE
AND TO THE
Gir A DEA TES
in all parts of the country
Address :
1000 Chapel Street,
New Haven. Conn.
These remarks are called forth by the
fact that having determined upon a pro-
gram of exercises, the Yale authorities
left it to Professor Woolsey to make it
public through the dinner of the Boston
Alumni Association, which is one of the
most enthusiastic branches of the old
College in the country, but not the
largest and, therefore, the best to select
for such a purpose, if that is the round-
about way Yale is to adopt of imparting
its news. As might have been foreseen,
the news value of the information which
he gave in an entertaining manner was
not appreciated by all the reporters
present, as it would have been by the
different desk editors had it been de-
livered by the regular telegraph service.
One reporter, apparently more anxious
to obtain the speech of the gentleman
representing the Yale government than
his remarks for their own sake, pub-
lished the program in a perfunctory
way. It has attracted but little atten-
tion, and up to date has secured very
limited circulation. By this process of
ignorantly suppressing news, the object
of making the program public at all
has been practically defeated. It will
now be necessary for the authorities to
invent some different method of gettine
the facts before the public, if they desire.
as of course they must, the graduates
to keep up their interest in an occasion
that will be both overwhelmingly inter-
esting and historic.
Now that we are upon the subject,
which, by the way, is far from sympa-
thetic, we feel impelled to remind the
authorities at Yale that the newspapers
deserve better treatment at the hands
of those they have to deal with than
they receive. There is no disposition to
“poke the nose” into their private
affairs, but there is the fair contention
that such information as Professor
Woolsey gave out in Boston belongs to
the newspaper first, since it is expected
that the newspapers will perform the
service of publicity for them. No class
support this contention more spiritedly
than the alumni, who rely upon the
press first for their news of Yale
There should be a change in the tela.
tions of the press and the Yale author:
ties.
