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CHAW—TAW—QUAW (Or, The Early Hour at Wooglin)
by a Beta Bard of 1891

(reprinted from Beta Bards, collected and edited by F.W.S.)

The crows of Wooglin caw in the early morning air,
And they hold a consultation in the tree-tops on the beach
Concerning all the people in the Hall—Wooglin Hall;
Over tower of which and sleeping inmates floats a pennon fair.
And they ask, "What does it mean, this name of King or Queen,
Or deity of Saxon or of Dane? Is it Christian or profane?"
Calling: Chaw chaw chaw, taw taw taw, quaw quaw quaw, Caw caw caw caw caw — Wooglin!

"And, bless your marrow bone," said one venerable crone,
"Have you seen the curious pictures on the wall ?
There are emblems there of dog, owl and dragon polliwog,
And there's 'Beta Theta Pi' in the hall,
And a motto from the mummy of old Rameses or of Horus,
As 'tis written: 'Thebe Stisgo Oden Ough Forus':
Oh! they're worsted politicians, and they dine on boiled owl,
Or they beat their dog and make a pie, and never let him howl."
Chaw chaw chaw, taw taw taw, quaw quaw quaw, Caw caw caw caw caw — Wooglin!

Then spoke a crow whose glossy back was tinged with sheeny blue:
"To know them better you should keep your tree an hour or two,
And not take flight too early after dawn!
Then you'd see the fairy babies and the active girls and boys,
And the youths and merry maidens, dancing round the lawn;
And here, freed from household care, that noblest creature human,
Good, gracious, graceful, witty, soul-possessing, lovely woman;
And men whose knowledge shows itself in lines of such diversity,
They can keep a good hotel as well as man a university."
Chaw chaw chaw, taw taw taw, quaw quaw quaw, Caw caw caw caw caw — Wooglin!

"And many a college class-room from the north, south, east and west,
Sends Convention representatives, the brightest and the best;
These are life's unfinished poems, storage batteries of strength,
Athletes, racers of the Olympics, who will win the prize at length.
Their ambitions are the promise of some good for all the land.
Who shall set the limitations when 'tis God and Gideon's band? "
Chaw chaw chaw, taw taw taw, quaw quaw quaw, Caw caw caw caw caw — Wooglin!

Now, of Beta Theta Pi, and its history of old,
By this wise and well-disposed bird would doubtless have been told;
But, an early-rising Freshman, who had brought his kodak down,
Touched the button on the caucus—he would do the rest in town;
Was mistaken for a murderous wight; the caucus flew away,
Flapping broad wings toward Mayville, across the Wooglin Zee,
Calling: Chaw chaw chaw, taw taw taw, quaw quaw quaw,
Chau—tau—qua — Caw caw caw caw caw — Wooglin!

Some notes:
1. Mayville is the county seat at the northern end of Lake Chautauqua, just a few miles up the shore from the clubhouse.
2. I am not sure about the allusion to eating owl. I have never heard of this ritual. Possibly it was replaced with another food item sometime in the 1910s.
3. Pie made from dog - what Beta hasn't eaten such a splendid meal? But of course we cannot go into that here.
3. God and Gideon - see Judges 7:20
4. 'Thebe Stisgo Oden Ough Forus' - doesn't your chapter have this famous line above its dining hall? Why not?
5. "Dragon polliwog" I was given to understand that dragons came from eggs. I suppose this is poetic licence.
6. The flag - there was a flag bearing the word "Wooglin" which flew over the clubhouse. People around there wondered what it meant. Last I heard (in the early 1980s) people were still wondering what it meant.
7. "Wooglin" - needs no comment from me. However, I may point out that there IS a "W" in Greek, if you look hard enough. But it's shaped like an F. Ah, yes... you'd be surprised - it's an eye-opener.
8. (I was told that when Betas make lists there are always to be eight items.) Ah... "convention": don't forget that there were eight conventions held at the Wooglin Clubhouse. It's rather important to me, for a curious reason, but I shall reserve that matter for another day.