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The History Center on Main Street, 83 N. Main Street, Mansfield PA 16933 histcent83@gmail.com
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The Telegram, July 1, 1923
"Annual Meeting in Elmira Profitable and Enjoyable; Officers are Selected"
Business Sessions and Entertainment Features Prove Most Interesting Including Banquet, Dance and Tennis Match—Organization is Oldest of its Kind in the state—Delegates Entertained At Grotto Park Saturday Evening—Scotia Selected as Place for Next Annual Session.
"Delegates and visitors from various sections of the state are leaving Elmira today after having attended the fifty-fourth annual convention of the Alpha Zeta Fraternity. A dinner at the Country club followed by an informal dancing party at Grotto park, Saturday evening, completed the festivities of a most enjoyable three days’ gathering. Today the visitors will attend church before leaving the city, bringing the convention to a close.
The convention opened Thursday with 74 delegates and visitors present. Upon arriving in this city the fraternity members registered at Monroe & Steen’s store. Business sessions were held at the Federation building. The visitors were welcomed at a banquet in the Langwell Rose Room, Thursday evening, when President Clarence Steen expressed pleasure at Elmira’s entertaining the guests and outlined the schedule of events.
Friday morning a business session was held when it was decided that Scotia would be the scene of the fifty-fifth annual convention next year. At noon a luncheon was enjoyed at the Goody Shoppe followed by a tennis tournament between teams representing Syracuse, Binghamton and Elmira chapters. Irvin S. COPELAND and Richard HELLER represented the local order and defeated Harold MERRIAM and Richard CROSSLEY of Syracuse. Gordon HARBY and Newton BAGGS in turn defended Binghamton’s laurels and won from the local players. Friday evening the formal ball was held at the Federation hall with Wesley Thomas Orchestra of Ithaca, furnishing the music. The event was a most enjoyable affair. The young women present received Egyptian leather vanity cases as favors while the boys were the recipients of leather pocket cases.
Business Session.
Saturday morning a business session was held at the Federation building when officers were elected for the ensuing year. Luncheon was held at the Goode Shoppe following which the visitors were entertained during the afternoon with motor trips and visits to points of interest in this section, including Watkins Glen. A dinner was enjoyed at the Country club Saturday evening followed by the informal dance at the Grotto park club house.
Oldest Fraternity.
The Alpha Zeta Fraternity is the oldest high school organization in the country. It was organized in Schenectady, December 8, 1869, with H.H. WESTINGHOUSE and J.R. TRAUX, also of national fame, as two of its charter members. For several years it remained a local fraternity of that city but in 1886 extended to Rochester where the second chapter was organized. Elmira was granted the fifth charter being added in 1890. In following years the organization developed rapidly and spread into other states.
With mental, moral and social improvement as its fundamental principals the fraternity grew to be one of the strongest and most popular of its kind in the state. It held a conspicuous place in the life of high school students until efforts were made a few years ago to abolish fraternities in high schools throughout the country. Desirous of co-operating with educational officials in every possible manner the Alpha Zeta promptly withdrew its relationship and associations with the high schools.
But the organization had developed to such a degree that its matured fraternal spirit could not be shaken and steps immediately were taken to incorporate as a club foreign to high schools. The incorporation was a success and as a club, founded upon the original principals of the fraternity, it has continued to prosper and now is growing in that capacity into eastern and central [w]est states where it previously had not been established.
Officers Elected.
Following are the officers elected for the ensuing year: Payson CURRY of Syracuse, grand president; Francis ROCHFORD, of Scotia, first vice-president; E. BOWMAN, of Scotia, second vice-president; Gordon DECKER, of Elmira, recording secretary; Clyde ROGERS, of Syracuse, corresponding secretary; A. RUGG, of Binghamton, grand treasurer; E. REED, of Scotia, chaplain; directors Francis WOOD, of Elmira, and E. REED of Scotia.
Delegates Present.
The following were delegates: Schenectedy, E.J. SALISBURY, Howard E. WICKS and Daniel C. CAMPBELL; Binghamton, Hubert THEOBALD, William J. JARVIS, and William T. SMITH, jr.; Elmira, Francis WOOD, Gordon DECKER and Frank REYNOLDS; Scotia, Henry SNYDER, Francis ROCHFORD and E. BOWMAN; Williamsport, Donald ORWIG, Mason BATSCHELET and E. Paul EDGKIN; Jamestown, Henry P. OSMER, Henry PINKHAM and James H. DUNBAR; Syracuse, Edward BURNS, Clyde ROGERS and C.F. WAYTE, jr.
Attended Banquet.
Those attending the reception banquet were: Elmira, Richard HELLER, Irving COPELAND, Anisworth BOOTH, William WINNER, Walter LASKARIS, Clarence B. STEEL, Peter HOWELL, Henry STREETER, Charles PUTNAM, Jack CAUSER, Leo MARKTHALER, Louis UNDERWOOD, H.M. MURPHY, L.H. BREESE, Elwood SPALDING, Robert COLEMAN, John WILSON, Gerald FREY, J.H. CARPENTER, William HOWELL, jr., J.J. BOLTON, jr., Fred AMBERG, Henry J. PETTIt, jr., Brion DAVIS, Charles MILLER, Norman LEARNED, Edgar BOWEN, Henry SCHWEPPE, Andrew SCOTT and Frank REYNOLDS.
Binghamton: Charles H. MEADE, 3rd, John KNAPP, M. Henry SAWTELLE, W> Alton HUTCHINSON, O. Gor-SLACK,, Louis JANOWSKY, William T. den DECKER, Wallace L. OWEN, S.L. SMITH, jr., Hubert THEOBALD, Charles S. PUTNAM, Francis WOOD, Leslie J.D. HAMMOND, Gordon S. HURLEY, Robert BAGGS, Raymond YETTER and William J. JARVIS.
Syracuse: Gerald MANLEY, Edward BURNS, Robert K. BURGESS, Clyde ROGERS, Charles F. WAYTE, jr., Gordon H. MOKLEY, P.M. CURREY, Raymond H. DODGE, James A. VETTER, J. Lamont CROSSLEY, Harold BECKER, Robert ROSE, Richard T. MUNSTER, James R. REYNOLDS, E. DALGISH, H. MERIAM and L. WILDMAN.
Williamsport, E. Paul EDKNI, E. M. BATSCHELET and Donald ORWIG.
Rochester, R. KINNEY.
Schenectady, E.J. SALISBURY, Howard E. Wicks and Daniel C. CAMPBELL."
Transcribed from The Telegram article dated July 1, 1923 by Anne Ross, Aug 13, 2005.
Upper case lettering added by the transcriber.
The History Center on Main Street, 83 N. Main Street, Mansfield PA 16933 histcent83@gmail.com
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