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Secrecy in Beta Theta Pi
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The Omicron Chapter of
Beta Theta Pi is proud of it's exceptional
administrative and governing bodies and the business
they conduct; therefore, we are completely transparent
regarding all chapter operations and policies such as
our dry house, budget allocations, and strict
prohibition of hazing. This often leads to confusion as
to the realm of secrecy and its purpose within our
Brotherhood. Whether you are a fellow Greek, prospective
rushee, or an inquiring parent, we hope this article
will
clarify any ambiguity you may have. |
 Written
by MacGregor Hill, William & Mary '04
An Excerpt from the General Fraternity's Website
In
the introduction to his book Betas of Achievement William Raimond Baird, Stevens 1878/Columbia 1881
wrote that Beta Theta Pi was, “a secret society, but, as a
matter of fact, the secrecy was purely nominal and its aims
and purposes might have been freely disclosed without fear
of criticism or comment.” Does today’s world offer negative
external consequences for divulging Beta Theta Pi’s three
principles and seven obligations?
Even if no irreparable damage were to come to Beta Theta Pi,
many members would surely be disappointed if the
Fraternity’s principles and obligations were posted on the
internet for the entire world to see. In the hearts and
minds of many, the radiant black enamel of the badge would
somehow be tarnished and something about the nature of the
organization would be forever changed.
This troubling scenario poses some interesting questions for
Beta Theta Pi. Most significantly, why is secrecy important
to the Fraternity and its members?
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Historical Perspective
American college fraternity origins rest in the fascination
with early European secret societies. Freemasons, among
others, selected few members for initiation who were
instructed in the central teachings and philosophical wisdom
of the ages. The organizations were so secret that often
their members were not known, causing general public anxiety
about their aims, objectives and influence on society.
For freemasonry in the United States, this anxiety boiled
into outright distrust due to what would be termed the
“Morgan Incident.” In 1826, freemasons were rumored to have
killed a man named William Morgan, who was intent on
publishing their secrets. While never proven to be true, the
ensuing hysteria extended to all societies that were secret
in nature, eventually pressuring the first fraternity, Phi
Beta Kappa, to become a purely public honorary society in
1831.
This general distrust was alive and well at Miami
University, and other campuses, where members were often
denied access to the prominent literary societies if found
to be fraternity members. Many were expelled from school.
Thus, when Beta Theta Pi was founded in 1839 and in the
subsequent years, there was a very real and significant
reason to conduct fraternity business with the utmost
secrecy.
Slowly, the tide of public opinion began to change. When the
faculty at the University of Michigan forced all fraternity
men to give up membership or face expulsion in 1850, the
Betas held true to their fraternal commitments. Knowing
their association was good in nature they refused to
relinquish their membership. Since the expelled men, Betas
included, were publicly known to be of high character, the
opinion of townspeople and University Board of Visitors
eventually swayed and they began to recognize the value of
the associations – secret or not. Shortly thereafter, the
Lambda Chapter became the first fraternity chapter to secure
official recognition from the University of Michigan.
By the late 1870s the role of secrecy in Beta Theta Pi was
vigorously debated among members and in The Beta Theta
Pi magazine. The prompt for the debate was the radical
proposal by Wyllys C. Ransom, Michigan 1848, to
publish a public constitution separate from the esoteric
Ritual of the Fraternity to demonstrate Beta’s pure aims and
relevance to universities and the world.
A March 1879 letter printed in the magazine from the Rho
(Northwestern) and Psi (Bethany) chapters opposed the move
stating that the issue, “strikes at the very principle in
human nature out of which secret societies grow; that desire
to know — to be connected with that which no one else knows
or understands; to be regarded with a degree of romance by
the uninitiated.” It was argued that men would rather join a
secret group with the luster of old and the allure of secret
aims.
Baird recounted the argument in favor of the change in his
book, Fraternity Studies, stating, “It was urged
that an open constitution would enable the Fraternity to
overcome the opposition of college authorities by presenting
to them an intelligible statement of the object, aims and
scheme of government of the Fraternity; that it would, by
being printed and distributed, diffuse a wider and more
general knowledge of the foundation principles of the order,
and would be a powerful argument in inducing desirable men
to become members.”
Looking back on the period in Beta history, Baird remarked,
“All the predictions of the committee have since been more
than realized, and it is now difficult for us to understand
upon what ground was based the intense opposition to the
plan.” Baird was indeed correct, considering that successful
act of publishing the constitution is now revered as an
emphatic example of the Fraternity’s pioneering spirit, the
impressive foresight of early Beta leaders and the beginning
of a transformation in the fraternity world.
Understanding
Purpose
For nearly a century following the publication of the
constitution the Fraternity flourished, growing in members
and achievements. However, by the 1990s history seemed to be
repeating itself, as Beta Theta Pi and other fraternities
again struggled to prove their relevance, this time on
competitive college campuses. Universities began to be less
tolerant of fraternities that did not live their values or
add to the academic mission of the institution. Parents
began to take a greater interest in the campus involvement
of their children. Students themselves became extremely
selective in where they chose to allocate their time with
jobs, internships and graduate school admissions on the
line. Beta Theta Pi needed a response to this emerging call
for relevance.
Statistics proved that the Fraternity was not beyond
reproach with dwindling membership, frequent risk management
problems and poor scholarship. These symptoms all appeared
to stem from a basic lack of knowledge by its members and
application of the Fraternity’s purpose. Former General
Secretary Richard R. (Misty) Shoop, Denison ‘41,
pinpointed the problem, “. . . we see chapters which have
lost touch with our ritual and with our Code. We have
members who are Betas in name only, never having been
initiated in conformance with the initiation ritual. Unless
we are to disintegrate gradually into a loose federation of
otherwise ‘local’ fraternities we must place greater
importance within our chapters on perpetuating the ritual of
our Fraternity and on educating new members in our
traditions and history.”
Beta Theta Pi’s response was the Men of Principle
initiative in 1997. Fraternity leadership attempted to
tackle the issue head on with a new public restatement of
the principles and obligations in modern terms — the
Mission, Vision and Goals. However,
more was needed to improve the Fraternity than a mere
republication of its objects. The Initiative’s philosophy
became the centerpiece for expansions, and for many
chapters, in recruitment and member education. This has met
with great success by recruiting men who first believe in
the values of the Fraternity and then share bonds of
friendship with like-minded men.
Further, as part of the Men of Principle
initiative, the Fraternity developed numerous leadership
development programs aimed at facilitating increased
values-based discussions and empowering undergraduate
leaders to improve their chapters. Many of these programs
feature in-depth sessions about the Ritual of Beta Theta Pi
– a key component to facilitating a greater understanding of
the Fraternity’s purpose.
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An Internal Obstacle
Unfortunately, each year at events such as the John and
Nellie Wooden Institute for Men of Principle, several
attendees appear to learn for the first time what the three
principles and seven obligations are, inspired to enact
reform upon returning home. How can members, given a proper
pledge period and a well performed initiation, still not
retain this essential knowledge? What barriers exist that
prevent this epiphany from happening at every campus for
every undergraduate? Secrecy may be part of the answer to
this question, which hits at the heart of the Fraternity’s
efforts to increase understanding and practice of the
fundamental values of the organization.
Newly initiated members can often recall the entire
founders’ paragraph verbatim or a quotation on the “Beta
Spirit” from Willis O. Robb, Ohio Wesleyan 1879,
yet they cannot recite the obligations they promised to
uphold. The reason may be, in part, that the newest members
of the organization are not exposed to the obligations until
the emotion-filled moment of initiation. Just like a nervous
groom focusing on not tripping or stuttering on his vows,
new members are usually consumed by the experience and
rarely absorb the full meaning of revelations divulged in
the initiation ceremony.
Thankfully, most chapters revisit what happens in an
initiation in some form of post-initiation training.
Further, they recite the seven obligations once a month at
formal chapter meetings. Still, the number of Betas within
the entire Fraternity capable of reciting the obligations
would likely fit in a small room. If the seven obligations
were no longer secret, chapters would likely make extensive
study and discussion of their meaning and application a
staple of pledge education, before asking pledges to give
their assent for a lifetime.
As chapter members, Betas are encouraged to take out the
ritual book and study the ritual, but the basic fear exists
of it falling into the wrong hands. Nearly every member has
felt, at one point or another, the responsibility of
protecting the secrecy of the Ritual. One could contend that
in this instance the Fraternity’s great advances in
education are still somewhat incomplete in the face of
secrecy.
A new challenge arises now that Beta Theta Pi has hundreds
of Friends of Beta sharing their time and talents
with the Fraternity as advisors and leadership experience
facilitators. Members become nervous about slipping up and
revealing a “secret” to a non-Beta. This relatively new
addition to the Beta family has helped many chapters reach
new heights while also making some uneasy about the
boundaries of secrecy. With a greater prominence of
values-based discussions comes uncertainty in distinctly
associating phrases from the objects as principles and using
direct language from obligations to make points in
conversation.
Many members live by the statement, “so full of mystery to
the ignorant, so full of meaning to the initiated.” This is
a practical solution for including non-members in values
discussions, but often Friends of Beta must simply
leave certain conversations for Betas only. A radical
alternative would be to revisit what “secrets” should be
restricted to members only. While heretical, perhaps the
Fraternity should make knowledge of the principles and
obligations available to all, Beta or not. A true, rather
than vague, appreciation for what members swear to uphold
would certainly promote accountability and improved advising
from Friends of Beta.
Such a move would definitely change the complexion of Beta
Theta Pi. “Completely eliminating the element of secrecy
would diminish the organization and potentially the desire
of a person to be connected with it,” points out former
General Treasurer John Stebbins, Emory ’92. “The
Fraternity will not fall apart but it would be wrong to
eliminate that.” The past practices of the organization
support this point and, in their hearts, many members
probably agree.
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The Future of Secrecy
The basis for the Fraternity’s practices, including
maintaining secrets, should be grounded in solid reasoning.
For instance, early masons protected their secrets fiercely
because they included proprietary construction methods that
if learned would lead to the advantage of individuals not
necessarily entitled. Likewise, the use of a secret grip for
Beta Theta Pi can enable members from different universities
and experiences to identify each other and share in the joys
and privileges that accompany membership. This is a very
practical and defensible use of secrecy. In similar light,
the Fraternity should have good reasons for keeping
anything, including the three principles and seven
obligations secret. If there are none, they should not
remain secret for the sake of tradition.
Fortunately, there are no longer negative external
consequences. There are no expulsions awaiting students, no
likelihood of being forced into becoming an honor society as
Phi Beta Kappa was and no grave decline in membership on the
horizon. In fact, Beta Theta Pi would directly benefit from
more external constituents such as parents, advisors and
university administrators holding members accountable to
what they promised to do.
Regardless, that desire to be “regarded with a degree of
romance by the uninitiated” remains. Secrecy feeds the basic
human psychology of wanting to belong to something special.
It entrusts members to protect secrets passed down for
generations in that “long illustrious line” of Betas. If for
no other reason this prevalent desire may be sufficient to
justify the survival of secrets.
In an 1843 letter, Founder John Reily Knox, Miami
1839, described the inspiration for founding a secret
organization, “There was an interest about the actions of
men who bound themselves together by vows which were never
broken, and who pursued the great objects of their
association with an energy that never tired, with a zeal
which knew not self, and with a devotedness that never
counted gold.” Knox’s interest seemed not to be specifically
in having secrets or being a secret society, but in what
that society could accomplish through association. The power
of Beta Theta Pi remains today in the friendships, shared
experiences, growth and personal joy enjoyed through seeing
the values of
the Fraternity come to life, not the isolated knowledge or
understanding of those values.
Interestingly, it was reported by a close friend later in
life that Samuel Taylor Marshall, Miami 1840,
author of the original constitution in 1839, never “got
over” the publication of the constitution in 1879. He could
not agree with the reasons for publishing something he
viewed as always intended to remain a secret. Are our own
opinions rooted in a similar attachment to our experience
like Brother Marshall?
A rogue member publishing the principles and obligations on
the internet would certainly be inconsistent with one of the
obligations and the practices of the Fraternity. But, if
someday the entire Fraternity chose to make them public, in
an effort to increase knowledge and application of the
Ritual, would the luster of the black enamel be forever
lost? The charge for all Betas is to ask just why secrecy is
important, what should remain secret and whether the
Fraternity would be better off in such a future.
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