Cross & Crescent

Why was Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity created? Our Fraternity is not a product of circumstance or luck. We were purposely built upon a firm foundation of ideals and principles by men of character and vision.

General Assembly

The 51st General Assembly will take place July 20-23, 2006, across the street from Downtown Disney at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

Conference participants will help determine the laws and policies of the Fraternity and learn how to improve chapter operations.

Programming:

• Chapter Development: workshops on ritualism, operations, recruitment, standards
• Alumni Development: Advisers College and Alumni Conference
• Council of Presidents
• International Ritual Exemplification
• Impact Leadership
• Interaction: meet members from all over the country
• Free time to explore and enjoy Disney and Orlando

Deadlines:

• Apr 1: Ritual Team Applications
• May 1: Award Applications
• May 1: Impact Level IV Applications
• May 8: Early Registration
• Jun 15: Registration and Payment

This venue is the perfect complement to a family vacation at Disney and Orlando attractions. Visit our website for more information.

Part of the drive to create Lambda Chi Alpha was derived from the dissatisfaction our earliest members had with other fraternities. Some of the local fraternities and clubs that would later join our organization, were opposed to the older fraternities, their political monopolies, and their elitism. All of our earliest chapters were designed with a new spirit of fraternalism that would follow new practices of organization, recruitment, and service.

Equal Chapter Representation

L. F. Robbins (Brown), writing in the October 1919 issue (1.7M PDF) of The Purple, Green, and Gold magazine believed that Lambda Chi Alpha was more democratic than the older fraternities of his day. At least as democratic as the culture of our country would allow prior to the late 1960s. He believed that our fraternity was more democratic because most of our early chapters were already existing groups.

Robbins correctly pointed out that such governance features as equal chapter representation in the General Assembly; an elected Grand High Zeta (board); and the equality of our members in our Constitution and Bylaws were adopted in the earliest years of our existence.

The principles of absolute democracy, equal representation, and majority rule are all hallmarks of Lambda Chi Alpha. No chapter, geographical area, or individual has the power to impose its will on the general membership.

The earliest political crisis of our Fraternity was settled by members who were already committed to the ideals of democracy. Clearly, one aspect of our fraternity’s historical foundation is the concept of democracy.

Founders, Organizers, and Builders

Robbins credited the creation of Lambda Chi Alpha to three distinct groups of fraternal leaders.

The first group were the founders of the various local clubs, fraternities, and societies that became our earliest chapters. A few of these local groups like the Alpha Brotherhood of Sigma Phi Delta at Brown University (Iota) and Delta Phi Fraternity at New Hampshire State College were created with the intent of becoming national organizations.

Robbins called the second group the organizers composed of men like Warren A. Cole (Boston 1909) who had the enthusiasm, stamina, and vision to create a new fraternity. Robbins gives Cole much credit for conceiving a plan to unite existing local groups into a national fraternity. He also credits Cole’s untiring work on behalf of our Fraternity as “…possibly the greatest single factor in its growth.” Other men like Samuel Dyer (Maine 1912), Albert Cross (Pennsylvania 1913), and Ernst J. C. Fischer (Cornell 1910) were singled out by Robbins as prominent organizers of our fraternity.

The final group were the builders who refined our organization so that it took a respected place as a leader in the fraternal world. While coming into leadership positions after the founding of our Fraternity, these men strengthened the internal organization of Lambda Chi Alpha and made vast contributions to our ritual heritage. This powerful group of men stamped their creative and innovative mark on our organization. We would not recognize Lambda Chi Alpha today in the absence of such famous Lambda Chis as Jack Mason (Pennsylvania 1913), Ernst J. C. Fischer (Cornell 1910), Ray Ferris (Pennsylvania 1913), Bruce McIntosh (Depauw 1916), and Linn Lightner (Franklin & Marshall 1918).

In a very short span of time, the work of our founders, organizers, and builders placed Lambda Chi Alpha among the finest fraternal groups on many college and university campuses.

Our founders, organizers, and builders created more than just another college fraternity. They created a strong organizational foundation that has lasted nearly 100 years.

Lambda Chi Alpha is not the oldest fraternity, it is not the largest, and it is not the wealthiest. However, it is a robust organization that protects something deeper that cannot be seen by those who are not members. As Robbins said, “things that lie deeper must be brought to light and then analyzed.”

Judge of Character

How do we judge a fraternity? Robbins builds a strong case that outsiders form their opinions about a fraternity by judging the character of the men who belong to the group. What justifies the existence of a fraternity like ours? Our only justification is also our only product — our members as seen by others.

All of our symbols, like our badge, coat of arms, and letters, give evidence of something deeper that is part of our experience as members of Lambda Chi Alpha. Our Constitution and Bylaws, ritual, and even our personal experience of membership don’t tell the whole story.

There is a principle that is reflected in all of the outward signs of our fraternal bond. That principle, which can be found in every symbolic aspect of Lambda Chi Alpha, is the spirit of service.

The clearest expression of this core principle can be found in our creed. The symbolic importance of the crescent and cross both point to the ideal of service to others.

It is important to note that the Creed mentions the crescent first. We normally say, “The Cross and Crescent.” The crescent usually symbolizes purity and growth while the cross is associated with sacrifice. The union of these two concepts can be stated as “pure and growing service to others even to the point of sacrifice.” It can also be stated that this principle of service is based on a self-sacrificing love for others, symbolized by the cross, and the ideal of perfect brotherly love.

Our Fraternity was created by a variety of men who shared a number of important values that are reflected in our organizational structure and in our belief system.

Why did they work so hard to create Lambda Chi Alpha? Did they do it for personal power, prestige, or gain? Did they do it from a spirit of interfraternal rivalry or for a brief four year friendship? No, they did it because they believed in democracy, religious values, brotherhood, and service. Our Creed of Lambda Chi Alpha embodies these values and serves as a guide to our conduct as men.

We are called upon by our founders, organizers, and builders to serve others without the expectation of reward or recognition. We are called upon by our Creed to sacrifice for others to the point of suffering and humiliation. Ultimately, we are called upon to distinguish ourselves from other men by bravely following the difficult path to reaching the goal of perfect service to others.