February 3, 1933 - Friday

As is becoming my habit I went up to the library after my one o’clock and studied until after four-thirty. After dinner George and I went to an early show and then he went home about 11.

George's letter home:

Dear Mother,

This is the letter in which I ask you for the article commonly called the dollar. To pay the bills which I owe, I will need $8.25, and the Scabbard and Blade initiation fee will amount to the about eleven dollars. That makes $19.25 for the month. That seems to be quite a lot for me to ask for, I know. If you think it too much, I will not go into the organization --- then I would only need $8.25. It isn’t so much what one likes to do now, as it is a case of what they can do. So, in spite of the fact that I will be giving up an opportunity, don’t hesitate to discourage my joining the Scabbard and Blade. Please let me know, however, for I have promised to tell them by the early part of next week.

Jack Chaille, our fraternity visitor is here, and will probably leave Sunday or Monday for Portland. Being the treasurer of the fraternity, he has of course talked a lot to me. He thinks I am doing fine, and that of course pleases me a great deal. We have the lowest house bills in the whole Chi Psi fraternity, and I am still trying to devise means to lower them further. Jack said that he may have an opportunity of visiting some of the mothers in Portland; I certainly hope he has time for you. He is one of the very finest young men that I have ever enjoyed an acquaintance with.

I am taking Ann to the Senior Ball Saturday evening. This is an all campus dance except for the Freshmen, who are excluded from it. It is the very acme of formality, and I shall have to crawl into my straight jacket for it. Stan is going home this weekend, so I will get out of the job of tying his tux tie. Every time there is a formal function around here, I just about have to dress the boy.

I have a speech in my speaking class today that is just about the best I have ever given. For the first time, I could feel myself on a real communicative and friendly basis with my audience. I just felt as though I were carrying on a conversation with some friends, which is just the way I should feel. It must have been fairly good, for I got an “A” on it. I am not voicing the great ego; I am simply elated to feel a little progress within myself.

Mrs. Schloth should make a very fine President. From what I have observed of her, she is just the type of person who would work her head off in such an organization --- more for the gratification of her own artificial superficiality than for any desire to be of real value, perhaps, but so long as the desired results are obtained, it makes no difference who handles the gavel.

Love, Brother