February 5, 1933 - Sunday

Doro and I were invited over to the Lodge to dinner this noon. We stayed there until almost three and then went to the library. At five-thirty Jean and George came down here to tea. George stayed until 9.

George's Letter Home:

Dear Family,

“After The Ball Was Over”, and it certainly was a lovely one too, Ann and I both decided that we had had about the best time of our little lives. The dance was all done in black and silver modernistic design. The music was the best that can be obtained in this country, and the crowd of people there could not be improved upon. It was not crowded either; there were just enough people there to make it enjoyable. I am sending one of the programs home to you; I think they are very pretty.

I am having Ann over for Sunday dinner. There will be about seven girls here, so it should prove to be quite a nice dinner. After dinner, we are both going to study until six in the evening, when we will go down to her house for tea. It looks like I am doing my share of studying. My mid-term grades are turning out to be alright, and I certainly hope to do as well as I did last year (term).

The Alpha Phi’s had their initiation yesterday, and I think Annie was just as thrilled as those who were just admitted. You know, many people condemn fraternities and sororities, but there must be some fundamental good in them. Otherwise, they would not stir that loyal sense of duty; otherwise they would not create such an emotional feeling within the various members. Those people who condemn usually point to one or two specific incidents of people who have turned into rounders at a fraternity, or they point to the waste of time put in on social activities. It has been my observation, since in college, that the fraternity usually makes every effort of which it is capable to drag these few people out of the mire. A boy or girl with bad character does not acquire that character in college, it is usually created long before their college days. Apparently, the American College Fraternity is just made the dumping grounds for all the blame of ruined personalities, when properly, that blame should as a general rule, be traced to the family or pre-collegiate companions. It is my opinion, that the Collegiate Fraternity has a definite place in the educational system of our country. No amount of bookishness can provide that background congeniality, of tradition, of polish, that the American college Fraternity is providing. That is why it gripes me so, when I hear the thing condemned as an insidious evil, destroying the very aim of higher education.

This is just a little Sunday morning note. I thought you would like to hear a word about the weekend.

Love, Brother

P.S. You should have seen my darling in her formal last evening --- Ah-Me.

Jane’s Note: Attached to this letter is the program from the ball with the list of committee members and music by the Rhythm Club.