Skull and Swords

[NUCC13]

There is a room at the top of the stairs in the Chapel. I once was in the Chapel at night doing some homework with a few people from my class and I heard something making noise from what I thought was the roof. When I started walking towards the doors I heard it from the stairs on the side of the building. I climbed up the stairs and saw that there was a door that was slightly open so i peeked in and just saw a wall that was covered in what looked like papers and pictures. Does anyone have an idea of what actually that room is and what was on the walls?

[fromwithin13]

You know not what you seek, nor will you ever find it. If you are so worthy, you shall be chosen. It is not for you to know. Heed these words and tread lightly.

We Are Always Watching . . .

[Gadoosh]

For god sakes, will some current students please watch The Lords of Discipline, then form a task force to investigate this stuff. Go up to the chapel, start exploring other parts of the campus. Go check out the cemeteries at night, go look in the archives.

Get a camera, set up a flickr account, post the link, and start uploading photos of your adventures. Let's see who can be the first to upload something significant.

[Hawk131]

Nov 11, 2010 1:37:32 GMT -5 @fromwithin13 said:

You know not what you seek, nor will you ever find it. If you are so worthy, you shall be chosen. It is not for you to know. Heed these words and tread lightly.

We Are Always Watching . . .

Fromwithin13, if it is true that the Group that we discuss only includes Seniors and then taps Juniors when the time is nigh, Then how would you, someone who from your post name is in the same class as myself, know anything? Please explain this to me

[rook573]

Hey I'm a current Rook and my buddies and I are thinking about taking up Gadooshes challenge. We'll be sure to document our adventures in the chapel and we're also going to go ghost hunting around campus. Any advice about where to start? I gotta be honest, that comment about spirits following you back to your room is freakin me out a bit but I'm too curious for my own good. If you have any advice send it to [e-mail] please

[gadoosh]

All I can say is keep it lighthearted and don't break any laws. Wouldn't be worth doing anything that will ultimately get you expelled. Remember, that's how these secret societies got booted in the first place.

There's nothing wrong with doing a little 'investigative research'.

Doosh

[inquisitive one]

the tunnels go from the boiler room to the tracks and the ski lift. what happened in 1919 that there wasnt a yearbook. librarians are quiet about it.

[keys2]

www.indiana.edu/~thetachi/history.html

[Keys2]

At that time Frederick Norton Freeman '57, and Arthur Chase '56, met in Freeman's room in the Old South Barracks of the University and, to quote from the minutes of the first meeting, "being called to order by Mr. Chase, Messrs. Chase and Freeman mutually took the oaths prescribed and declared each other true and accepted members of the Theta Chi Society." From this humble beginning Theta Chi Fraternity has grown to its present status.

To quote again from the minutes of the first meeting we learn that, "The Theta Chi Society was the idea and plan of Frederick Norton Freeman, and with the assistance of Arthur Chase, his plans were perfected and the society was organized.” Chase was elected president and Freeman was elected secretary. The next evening, April 11, the first initiation was conducted. One of the initiates was Edward Bancroft Williston of Norwich Vermont, and the other was Lorenzo Potter of Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

Theta Chi was the first Greek Letter society to make its appearance at Norwich. It was preceded in 1853 by a secret society known as the "Regulators." In a latter from Arthur Chase sent to the chapter in the 1880’s Chase states that he and Freeman were members of a “secret society” prior to founding Theta Chi. However, whether there was any connection between the Regulators and Theta Chi is open to conjecture. The fundamentals of Theta Chi, as expressed in the original constitution, to this day remain unchanged; strengthening the bonds of true friendship, loyalty to Alma Mater and the mutual benefit and improvement of its members. Our present ritual includes the original ritual used in 1856. The oaths taken by Freeman and Chase on that April evening long ago have since been shared by every man initiated into Theta Chi.

The early history of Theta Chi Fraternity is closely connected with the history of Norwich University. The University was founded at Norwich, Vermont, in 1819 being then known as The American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy. It was a pioneer engineering college of the country and has always maintained its military training and traditions. In 1834 the name was changed to Norwich University. In the Spring of 1866 the Norwich University buildings burned. Old South Barracks, where Theta Chi was founded, was completely destroyed. The University moved after the fire to Northfield, Vermont, its present location. At the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Convention the Fraternity erected a granite monument with a bronze plaque at Norwich, Vermont, to commemorate the founding of the Fraternity.

In the first decade of the Fraternity's existence a number of serious handicaps were experienced. The Civil War greatly depleted the student body of the University, for Norwich was a military school. After the fire in 1866 there was doubt for a while as to whether or not the University would continue. The war, the fire, and the uncertainty regarding the continuation of the University seriously lowered the attendance, and the school opened in the Fall of 1866 with only nineteen students. In spite of the low enrollment, which continued for some years, “The History of Norwich University” by Dodge and Ellis says that “The Theta Chi and Alpha Sigma Pi fraternities flourished in this period, 1866 to 1880.

In 1881 the student body of Norwich was reduced to a dozen men, and Theta Chi found itself with one active member. This critical situation was relieved when local alumni worked with the undergraduate member, James M. Holland, '83, in initiating Phil S. Randall, '86, and Henry B. Hersey, '85, thus preserving the existence of the Fraternity.

After 1888 the affairs of the University took a decided turn for the better, and from then on there was never a question of Theta Chi leadership on the Norwich campus. From its very inception Theta Chi was planned as a national fraternity. However, while there were several requests for chapters as other colleges, Theta Chi existed as a single chapter for nearly fifty years due to the conservative nature of the undergraduate brothers at Norwich.

In 1888 Theta Chi Fraternity was incorporated under the laws of Vermont. From 1888 until the establishment of the Beta Chapter, fourteen years later, the history of the Fraternity is a history of steady growth of a chapter both in general strength and in members. Norwich University disbanded its fraternities in 1960, so Alpha Chapter no longer exists.

The establishment of Beta Chapter at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was spearheaded by brother Park V. Perkins, Alpha ’05 who began attending college there. The installation of Beta chapter on December 13, 1902, began a new era opened for Theta Chi, an era of country-wide expansion and national organization and administration. Although hindered by a serious depression and two world wars, Theta Chi has grown, and prospered beyond the dreams of the Founders to the position it now holds in the national fraternity scene.

[Gadoosh]

Hey rook573,

Go to the library archives and look at this:

library2.norwich.edu/catablog/president/reeves-ira-l-1872-1939/#more-2519

This has some papers from the president in 1919. Perhaps there is something of interest.

Doosh

[Gadoosh]

My mistake... he was president only until 1917. However the collection does have papers from 1919.

[Gadoosh]

Gold mine at the library. Class of 1922. Rooks in 1919

library2.norwich.edu/catablog/category/alumni/class-of-1922/

[NU97]

"192" is for the Night Riders. The mechanics, at least during my time there, were a "spin off" from the night riders. They were mostly a group from the senior class from the "ranger club." They thought they were the "example" cadets on campus.

[NU 97]

Oh, I forgot. I thought it was common knowledge that SS likely originated from Theta Chi. As someone already posted, many years back, NU consisted of several frats, not the companies as we know today. Once frats went away, and battalions/companies started, the some of the tradtions from the frats continued and SS started from theta chi. I believe if you google the by-laws of theta chi and you will find NU mentioned there.

For a while, SS members had traditionally come from the football team and riders came from artillary company (until that became a club). During the mid to late 90's both groups broke from that tradition.

[nustudent]

what do the numbers 145 mean? i know it has something to do with the riders.