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Archive (2005-2006)

Year?s end spells end for all social units

The Daily Universe celebrates 50 years


This story originally appeared in the Daily Universe on Thursday, Sept. 14, 1961

A 34 year University tradition came to an end last weekend when Howard W. Hunter member of the council of Twelve, announced that Social units on the BYU campus will be discontinued at the end of the current academic year.

Decision to abolish these organizations was made last week by the Board of Trustees of the University. It was announced Sunday morning Sept 10, at Jackson Lodge, Wyo.

The brief statement of the Board stated: After long study and careful considerations, it is the decision of the Board of Trustees that the social units on the campus of Brigham Young University should be discontinued at the conclusion of the school year 1961-62.

?We sincerely hope that the young people who now belong to these organizations will seek to find expressions for their leadership ability and social activities in the many organizations that are available to them on the campus.?

Student leaders at the preschool conference spoke unanimously in support of the board?s decision.

So-called ?Greek-letter? fraternities and sororities never have been affiliated with BYU. Instead, small groups organized for social purposes operate under names peculiar only to BYU campus.

There are Athenians, Brickers, Brigadiers, Saxons, Tausigns, Phi Tau, Val Hyric and Vikings for men. Women?s social units are Aleyone, Azyan Tzata, Cami Los, Dilectus Chi Sorores, Kappa Debonaire, Nautilus, O. S. Trovata, Tokalon and Val Norn.

The decision to dissolve applies only to the social units. There are scores of other groups on campus organized in geographical , departmental, sports, service and religious frameworks, open to everyone on the basis of scholarship, interest or ability.

University officials explained that the social units were organized in 1927 with the understanding that membership would be open to all students and that there would be enough units to accommodate all who wanted to join. Now, with a studentbody of between 10,000 and 11,000 students, this arrangement is impossible.

Last year less than 700 students were affiliated with social units, or around 6 per cent of the studentbody, and selective membership inevitably has resulted.