niversity Fraternity Antics

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

Professor Hamblin, the Baron's chief advisor, lived in a chateau high atop one of the lovely peaks of the Alpine Mountains. From his chateau he could observe a small isolated mountain cabin just a hilltop away. It was rumored that a fraternity from the nearby university was going to bring some of the future members or pledges to the cabin one evening as part of the initiation ceremony.

The Professor found out that the newly-elected pledge master would give the pledges just two matches to use to keep the cabin warm, some bread, cheese and a pot of soup to have for their overnight stay in the very cold climate.

The Baron heard of these happenings from the Professor. It seemed that the university fraternity was not allowed to use the cabin without the permission of the Lilliland Mountain Rangers. The activities they had planned and later conducted were far more dangerous than any pledge master could realize. A sudden shift in the temperature, a snow or ice storm could render the cabin inaccessible for days. All the pledges could easily freeze to death. This was no harmless prank or initiation test.

After the even had taken place and no one was hurt, the university administration and fraternity leaders were summoned into the Baron's office at Lilliland Castle.

The Baron reminded everyone that bringing students up to a cold isolated mountaintop cabin for an overnight stay was not welcomed and did not build character nor qualify the pledges for anything.

If a fraternity should exist at all, it should promote the aims and objectives and responsibilities of the university. The Baron reminded everyone to put first things first. High academic grades are the primary mission of a university. Social fraternities as well as athletic activities are secondary. When a student fails to obtain passing grades he is asked to leave the university. Fraternity life and sporting events are no longer available to the dismissed student. A fraternity can survive only if students are encouraged to pass all the courses and maintain an appropriate social life.

The Baron as the country's leader, along with his chief advisor, Dr. Hamblin, a university professor, could not have given the fraternity leaders better advice.