Dartmouth Charter Revoked

A Presidential Report by Ralph R. Haney

HE length of time elapsed in affecting the proper handling of the New Hampshire Alpha charter revocation caused many divergent opinions to shade the true events, both in time and substance. During the latter part of 1965, it was learned that New Hampshire Alpha, indifferent to some opinions, had pledged a young student. ^Vith this knowledge, in November, 1965, California Delta filed a formal and legal protest against the initiation of this young man. T h i s act was a normal function from the belief of a u n i t rule governing inter-chapter membership acquisition. New Hampshire Alpha was precluded from initiating until this protest was heard before the Executive Council. At Cleveland on December 29, 1965, the Executive Council denied the protest against the initiation of this young man. This, however, gave the California chapter the right to appeal before the August 1966 Grand Arch Council. Steps were taken to do this with New Hampshire Alpha keeping status quo. In the interim two other protests were filed. At the 1966 G.\C, the Grievance Committee confirmed the decision of the 1965 Executive Council meeting, and the GAG ratified that decision. T h i s decision was followed by the pledging of a young m a n under like question by Wisconsin Gamma Chapter (Beloit) in March of 1967. .\ protest to this was filed by Mississippi .\lpha, in proper and legal form. T h e result of a hearing on this matter permitted W^isconsin G a m m a to initiate this pledge. Although both New Hampshire and Wisconsin Gamma had been permitted to initiate the two men in contention, the desire of New Hampshire Alpha to sever ties from the Fraternity grew apace. Investigation disclosed that this desire for local autonomy was of long standing, even before the pledging episode. Financial and other factors were involved. Although New Hampshire . \ l p h a cited the Beloit case as a part of its withdrawal argument, Beloit had already pleclged its man. T h i s phase of membership opinion was not a part of the New Hampshire Alpha charter revocation. O n May 16, 1967, New Hampshire .\lpha submitted a letter in which it stated its request to be permitted to disaffiliate from our Fraternity. Immediately a committee, predominately of Dartmouth members, with E d m u n d J. Felt, '15, chairman, headed an investigation. T h e report of this investigation and rev iew of all available data resulted in the suspension of the Dartmouth charter by the Executive Council as of August 26, 1967. Following a period to reassemble the chapter for a reconsideration of its demand, the undergraduates again affirmed their desire to disaffiliate, this on SepFALL, 1967

tember 9, 1967. T h e r e then followed the only step possible, and this to make the charter suspension of August 26, 1967, firm and operative from that date. Expediency was used, with knowledge of the College's fall rushing dates, so that the rush program of the new local fraternity would not be impaired. New Hampshire Alpha Chapter was installed by the Fraternity on January 24, 1896, and had initiated a total of 1,307 members at the time the charter was revoked. Many loyal a n d distinguished Phi Psis are included on the chapter roll.

Philip A. Singleton Elected President of Plastics Society

Philip .\. Singleton, Michigan '32, vice president of Vistron Corp., a subsidiary of T h e Standard Oil Co. (Ohio), was elected president and director of T h e Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., at the a n n u a l meeting of the SPI board of directors, held at T h e Homestead, H o t Springs, Va. Since 1956, Brother Singleton has been president of Pro-phy-lac-tic Brush Co., Florence, Mass., which was acquired by Sohio in 1963. As vice president of Vis-. tron, he has responsibility for its Consumer Products Group, including Pro Brush Division and Prolon Dinnerware Division in Massachusetts; the Oxco Brush Division in Maryland and Tennessee; and its Loma Products Division, a plastic houseware operation, in Fort "Worth, Texas. .\s newly elected president of the SPI, Phil Singleton will guide the activities of the plastic industry's trade association over the next two years. T h e membership of SPI includes 1,375 companies in the U.S., Canada and 29 other nations, as well as 1,203 individual members. .Activities of the SPI include some 22 divisions, and 28 committees covering e\ ery important sector of the plastics industry. A native of Detroit, Mr. Singleton graduated from the University of Michigan in 1935 with a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering. He also studied at Harvard Business School and graduated from Yale Law School in 1941 with an LL.B. degree. H e joined the Pro-phylac-tic Brush Co. in 1956 as executive vice president, becoming president a year later. Previously, he had been with Monsanto Chemical Co. successively as assistant to the president, assistant director of Monsanto's Foreign Dept., and for five years served as managing director of Monsanto Chemical Ltd. in London. Brother Singleton is a member of the Connecticut State Bar and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. He has been vice president and director of SPI for the past two years.