Founder's Day A. E. Endourment Dues Now Payable (Year Ending March 9, 1924) IS To SIGMA ALPHA EPSILON, Box 254, EVANSTON, ILL. New Year's Day I herewith hand you $ One Year's Dues $ 3.00 in payment of IN Life Membership 50.00 in the Chapter National, for which I am to receive Membership Card. Founders Membership 1,000.00 S. A. E. Annual membership card will be issued for year ending March 9, 1924. Dated Address: Street No. The Fiscal Year Began March Ninth Chapter City State THE PHI ALPHA Entered as second-class matter at the post-office at Evanston, Illinois, under Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for Vol. XXXII A Quarterly Periodical Evanston, Illinois, April, 1923 mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized December, 1921. No. 2 Years ago Lew Fields used to say to Joe Weber, "Ever since the death of George coming impossible to find the right type of cipal centers of population in the United Washington." men, who were able to make the necessary States, and render the same kind of service "Death," said Joe, "is he dead? sacrifice to take positions on the council, and to the young alumni in those communities that "Didn't you know he was dead? certainly the fraternity had no moral right to the college chapters render to the students, and demand such sacrifices, even from those who "Huh," said Joe, "I didn't even know that he at the same time constitute a modest club and was sick." were willing to make them, if there was any center of fraternity activities for all the alumni other way to accomplish the work. So it is in the Fraternity when you talk in the community. about Centralization, National Endowment This situation brought about the adoption, In the meantime the fraternity has come and Chapter National, one meets SO many men at the St. Louis Convention in 1920, of the through the World War with the finest record who don't know what it is all about. so-called Centralization Plan. Under this plan three men were employed in the Central Of- of any fraternity organization in the country. Tons of literature have been prepared, fice. All the detail work of the fraternity was Over one hundred and fifty of her sons had printed and circulated, our magazines have done there by these men and under their su- made the supreme sacrifice, and were asleep been full of it for two years, and still it is all alas in those green covered tents the curtains new and a strange story to many. pervision. The members of the council, other than the Eminent Supreme Recorder, were re- of which never outward swing. In the hearts At the Nashville Convention ten years ago lieved of all detail work. The Supreme Coun- of all was a great desire to erect a fitting me- our Fraternity took the lead in two important cil acts as a Board of Directors. They meet morial to these Hallowed Brothers, and all Fraternity policies the employment of a paid in Evanston, at the Central Office of the fra- those who had served the country in the war. whole-time Secretary, who makes regular All these thing must be done, but to do them ternity, every six months, and, in a session Chapter visitations to all the Chapters, and the of several days, they establish the policies, the fraternity must have money. Everybody establishment of the Life Subscriptions to the direct the activities and review the accomplish- agreed that the boys in college could not be Record and the Record Endowment Fund. asked to pay more dues. The alumni of some ments of the office and generally perform the These innovations at the time seemed ex- function of a Board of Directors in any large of the best fraternities have paid dues in sup- tremely hazardous, many prophesied that they business. port of the national organization for years. spelled ruin for the fraternity, and the most The plan of national alumni dues had been optimistic failed to clearly to visualize the re- In the meantime the fraternity was begin- successful wherever it had been tried, conse- ning to feel the effect of its Record Life Sub- sults. quently the Convention established a Chapter scription policy in a gradual increase in inter- In these ten years, however, the following National, and made every living alumnus a est and activity in its Alumni, and had been advance has been made: member of it, and assessed annual alumni dues at work to devise ways and means to make of $3.00 on her alumni, payment of which TEN YEARS' GROWTH 1913 1915 Number of Chapters 1917 1919 75 1921 79 1923 Chapter House Owned 84 92 29 91 34 94 Alumni Associations 41 42 22 52 47 67 Active Membership 57 57 1350 66 1440 82 Amount Record Life Fund 1660 1830 000 2311 Amount Endowment Fund $9,821.45 2710 $21,334.21 $38,831.46 000 000 $67,018.19 Convention Fund 000 $95,377.21 000 $4,403.10 000 $4,680.00 $5,268.90 $48,202.56 Total Membership $5,533.40 16,150 $8,639.25 17,950 19,940 $10,503.00 22,962 25,000 28,500 The great growth, the extended service of the fraternity a part of the life of its members the fraternity to the chapters and the larger after college, as well as in college. It seemed kept the alumnus in good standing in the Chap- place that the college fraternity has come to all wrong that 85% of our membership should ter National. These dues go to the support hold as an administrative adjunct to the col- be dormant. Out of these studies grew the of the work and service of the national organ- leges has multiplied its opportunities for serv- ization. ice and has so increased the work of the mem- Alumnus Chapter, or Diomedian idea, a plan At the same time the National Endowment by which it is hoped that Alumni Chapter bers of the council, that it was rapidly be- Fund was established. To it was transferred Houses can be established in all of the prin- the old surplus fund in the hands of the Trus-