The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 1, Ed. 1, Friday, September 10, 1971 Page: 6 of 8

                                
SBPTBMBBR 10 171
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Social Clubs: Yaki Hula to Sub-T
by HOWARD REYNOLDS
Prom Krittlan Kollege Krasy
Klub to S(gnM TheU Chi from
Yaki Hub to Kinsmen ACC's
clubs Have organised dissolved
regrouped and somehow contin-
ued. Aged copies of the
Optimist and the Prickly Pear
tell the seemingly unending saga
of the club scene.
The forerunners of social
clubs were the Harding and
Zellner Literary Societies which
began in 1914. They competed
in debates declamations essays
basketball baseball and foot-
ball. Doth were coed. As time
passed they became more and
more socially oriented sponsor-
ing picnics parties and other
social gatherings.
In the early twenties every
student at ACC joined either the
Harding or the Zellners. There
was a tremendous amount of
friendly rivalry and each club
carefully noted how it surpassed
the other in the number of
school offices and honors held
by members. It was the custom
at the beginning of each school
year to go to Blmdale six miles
east of Abilene and get on the
incoming T&P train. The Hard-
ing and Zellners would march
up and down the aisles yelling
and singing and trying to
persuade the students to join
their respective clubs. As more
social clubs were introduced
during the twenties the Harding
and Zellners became purely
literary societies again gradually
faded and finally disappeared.
Most clubs of the twenties did
not survive very long. The
Kristian Kollege Krazy Klub
lasted only a year. Other nine-
day wonders included: the Nim-
rods the 11-15'a the Bta Hunka
Pi's Los Cincos Companeros
the Twin Sixes the Ah Ha Club
the Yaki Hula Club the Saga-
cious Six the Tri-Q Club and
the Two-Tre Club.
The Z.H.B.'s told no one what
their initials stood for. Some
said it meant "Zellner Hall
Beauties" but other campus
wags insisted that was impossible
(not all the girls lived in Zellner
Hall???). The R.S.R. Club was
another group of dorm friends
whose true name was a profound
secret. S.O.S. stood for the
"Smile Oh Smile" club for girls.
The Karo Club was a mysterious
super-secret society of boys
addicted to corn syrup. The
Canary Club was followed
appropriately by the Kat Klub
and finally the Kitten Klub. The
chief surgeon of Post Mortem
men's club was assisted by an
undertaker embalmer grave-
digger and other members.
Gata started on January 16
1920 as the Girls Aid to
Athletics abbreviated G.A.T.A.
The purpose of the club was "to
entertain the visiting athletes as
well as our own to show our
appreciation of them and to
make them glad that they are
what they are . .  and where
they are." Some have suggested
a change of the name to "Girk
Aiming Toward the Altar." The
motto was: "Laugh and forget
it."
Ko Jo Kai was organised
about the same Ume on a
Japanese theme. The name
means "a little group of woman"
in Japanese. The head of the
elub was ealUd the Yaki Klab.
They started with ton girls who
enjoyed cooking and eating
exotic gourmet foods. The
motto was "Push pull or get
out of the way."
Sub-T-lS had its beginning in
1928 when a group of students
gathered around a nampflre and
began swapping yarns. (Skipper
George) Clingman a genuine
sailor naturally could lay the
landlubbers In the shade but it
was so much fun that the bunch
called for a repeat. The good
submarine Tusoarora was the
setting for Clingman 'a stories so
they organized the Sub-Tusea-rora-16.
The "Lucky 13" started as a
group who spent their evenings
telling ghost stories that made
the girls' hair stand on end. In
1932 they changed their name
to P.A.L.S. and in 1943 they
became Delta Theta also known
as the "D.T's."
Agitation built up in 1930 for
another men's club. There was
plenty of room and the need
was filled by the Trojans. A
contest was held to select the
name. Trojans were active until
1954. They reorganised in 1968
and have continued active until
the present.
The Mavericks coalesced in
1932 "for the purpose of avoid-
ing chapel" The elub is now
extinct although their philoso-
phy is not.
On Armistice Day 1982 the
Cadettes began with a military
motif. They changed their name
to Kappa Chi in 1963.
Phi Omega Chi organized in
1938 as a combination social
club and service club. They
began a loan fund for needy
students and added money to it
from time to time until they
decided to buy the first televi-
sion set on campus for the lobby
of Mabee Dorm. The same year
1953 they changed their name
to Phi Delta Psi.
Prater Sodalis meaning
''brothers together" began in
1943 with fifteen members and
a charter from the parent elub at
George Peppardlne College.
They soon established a reputa-
tion for elean living and drinking
milk.
1945 saw the creation of Zeta
Rho a club for women. The
purpose was to promote friend-
ship and interest in student
activities.
At various times soeial elubs
have been a center of contro-
versy. Student at ACC In
1996-36 were required to stfn a
pledge "Upon my honor I
certify that I will not join any
oiganiaatton not approved by
the faculty." Prom 1961 to
1964 soeial aiubs were restricted
from wearing sweaters Insignia
and plus; and from pledging new
members because of "unfavor
able publicity."
Alpha Alpha organised in the
spring of 1964 with the help of
Zeta Rho "In hopes of silencing
the heated disagreement con-
cerning the purpose of soeial
organisations." The elub
extended an invitation to every
girl on the Dean's list of those
eligible for club membership to
join Alpha Alpha. It lasted only
a few years.
Galaxy began in the spring of
1955 with an emphasis on "God
first others second self last."
They grew rapidly from the
original thirteen charter
members to a strong club.
The feeling that more social
clubs were needed resulted in
ACC
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Betkin Ftobbinc Mickey's Drive Inn
Dorsett's Melody Shop Pizza Inn
K&.N Root Beer - " Sirloin Stockade L.
McDonald's Hamburgers  Towne Crier Steakhoute
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the formation In 1M of
Knights and a slater elub Pan-
dora. Both used a noneieotre
aid system. Pandora became Phi
Alpha Sigma in 1967 and ia now
extinct. Kntghta are still active.
In 1968 a group of men
interested In judo and karate
instituted Mailt.
Kinsmen began fa' 1968 with
twenty-nine freshmen and Is
now the largest men's elub on
Nine professors
Nine Abilene Christian
College faculty members have
been named to the 1971 edition
of "Outstanding Bduoalors of
America."
The annual awards volume
Includes oomflots biographical
sketches of outstanding men and
women educators in America.
Guideline for selection include
talents in the classroom contri-
butions to research administra-
tive abilities civic service and
professional recognition.
ACC faculty members named
were: Dr. Walter H. Adams dean
emeritus and dean from 1982 to
1969; Dr. Wddon Baroett
professor of eduoation; Dr.
James G. Burrow professor of
history and political science;
Dr. Everett Ferguson profes-
sor of Bible; Dr. Orval Fllbeck
professor and head of the
Department of Eduoation; Dr.
Don H. Morris ohancellor and
president from 1940 to 1969;
FREE COUPONS
in
FOOTBALL PROGRAMS
The following places ofbusineas support
by Coupon Adc for Students:
' ' t . ifift V
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L'Amttk and Sigma Thete. CM
organ! d during the
1969-70 school year.
It had been said that social
dubs are declining hut the
evidence of the past fifty years
shows their durability as a
group. It seems likely that they
will continue to play an imper
tant part in axtra-aurriaular
activities for some time to some.
cited outstanding
Dr. Thomas Olbrteht profes-
sor of Bible; Dr. Wm. Clark
Stevens professor and head of
the Department of Biology; and
Dr. William E. Wright professor
of business administration.
The nine men have been at
ACC a total of 167 years
Writing in an introduction for
the volume former Vice Presi-
dent Hubert Humphrey said
"These are the men and women
who by their actions in the
classroom today mold the course
of history. Our hope the
nation's youth is in their
hand.
"As we honor these teachers
we are reminded of their awe-
some duty. As they have our
confidence we must give them
the tools to wage Jefferson's
'crusade against ignorance.' With
men and women like these we
know that our faith in education
has not been misplaced"
the Cats
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