Striving for Perpetual Growth
by John Holloway • April 2007 • 10 Comments •
One of Lambda Chi Alpha’s fundamental precepts is growth. From local chapters recruiting new members, to the General Fraternity colonizing new chapters and re-colonizing dormant ones, growth is a key to Lambda Chi Alpha’s long-term stability.
The Next Three Years
Within the next three years, Lambda Chi Alpha International Headquarters has committed to reactivating the following chapters:
Ball State (Iota-Alpha)
- Chartered in 1951
- Dormant since 2004
- 1,700 total members initiated
- Located in Muncie, Indiana
California–Santa Barbara (Zeta-Eta)
- Chartered in 1949
- Dormant since 2004
- 1,304 total members initiated
Drexel (Epsilon-Kappa)
- Chartered in 1941
- Dormant since 2006
- 1,470 total members initiated
- Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
North Carolina State (Gamma-Upsilon)
- Chartered in 1924
- Dormant since 1998
- 1,186 total members initiated
- Located in Raleigh, North Carolina
North Carolina–Wilmington (Delta-Sigma)
- Chartered in 1991
- Dormant since 1998
- 175 total members initiated
Wisconsin–Whitewater (Lambda-Iota)
- Chartered in 1965
- Dormant since 2005
- 932 total members initiated
In the Creed we state, “The crescent is our symbol; pure, high, ever growing….” This concept of perpetual growth as individuals, chapters, and the entire Fraternity is a vital aspect of our framework for striving to do more than those who have not accepted the oaths and obligations of membership.
Since 1909, Lambda Chi Alpha has expanded to a combined 334 college and university campuses throughout North America. To put this in perspective, there are only 800 campuses that have fraternities and sororities as a part of their culture.
In spring 2006, the Grand High Zeta and the General Fraternity Staff worked cooperatively to establish criteria the General Fraternity would use to ensure sound decision making with respect to expansion and colonization.
This marked the first time in many years a viable and sound process existed for determining when and where Lambda Chi Alpha would endeavor to grow.
Passionate and dedicated alumni helped drive our need for expansion criteria. Many times, alumni brothers contact Headquarters inquiring about current and inactive chapters, as well as if and when we plan on returning to campus if their local chapter is dormant.
Lambda Chi Alpha owes each brother and potential brother the opportunity to have a lifelong and life-changing experience, rooted in core values that guide our moral compasses for life.
Understanding this responsibility, our professional accountability, and the need to communicate with our different constituencies and publics, the General Fraternity makes every effort to exhibit strategic thoughtfulness and intentional, sound rationale for our expansions and re-colonizations.
Based on the expansion criteria currently in place, the General Fraternity Staff considers the following topics when evaluating a campus for colonization:
Institution’s Receptiveness
One key to successful expansion, as well as successful chapters, is Lambda Chi Alpha’s ability to partner with a university’s administration.
- Support for expansion team: Has the administration and staff of the institution committed to support the General Fraternity; is there a clearly defined and functioning set of policies and procedures available from the institution regarding expansion and recruitment?
Alumni Support
Alumni guidance, as well as their time, talent, and treasure, are the determining factors in successful day-to-day colony operations. As the colony grows, it needs older, experienced brothers showing them the Lambda Chi Alpha way.
- How many alumni live within 30 miles of campus, and out of that number, how many alumni are willing to commit to practical support of the colony on a consistent basis?
- One of the most important offices in a chapter and an essential role is that of the alumni adviser, and a very important consideration is if there is a credible and interested alumnus available and willing to serve as the chapter’s chancellor (High Pi).
- Another benefit of our analysis is assessing how many Lambda Chis are donors to the institution, as well as to what degree of support our alumni play in volunteer capacities on the campus.
Legacies on Campus
Understanding what the name Lambda Chi Alpha means on campus is an important gauge on whether or not it is time to re-colonize a dormant chapter.
- How long has the chapter been gone from the campus and what were the reasons for going inactive?
- Are any members from the closed chapter still students on campus, and what, if any, reputation remains?
State of Greek Community
The current state of the college or university’s Greek community is a strong indicator on the type of environment the colony will grow into in the ensuing years.
- As far as the overall Greek community is concerned, there is a focus on how many IFC recognized fraternities exist on the campus, the cumulative GPA of these groups, as well as the recruitment format practiced (traditional fall recruitment or deferred recruitment).
It is also necessary to consider the average membership total of each fraternity on the campus. Finally, with regard to the overall community, the housing format and the number of occupants in the recognized chapter houses bears scrutiny.
Institution’s Reputation
When assessing campus potential for a healthy Lambda Chi Alpha colony, the reputation and standing of the institution in the U.S. News & World Report annual survey are important indicators for success.
- The laws of the Fraternity state that Lambda Chi Alpha can exist only at accredited, four-year institutions. We also take into consideration the acceptance rate, graduation rate, enrollment trend, and freshman retention rate of the college or university.
Established Interest Groups
An established interest group can expedite the expansion, as this provides an opportunity to evaluate potential members and quickly begin training, as opposed to spending initial time periods recruiting and establishing a core of initial members.
- Is there a collection of undergraduates already organizing their efforts and desire to affiliate with Lambda Chi, to include the policies, procedures, and laws of the Fraternity?
Once the criteria are applied and assessed, the staff and Grand High Zeta review the information gathered and apply Lambda Chi Alpha’s theory for essential support.
This theory applies to all chapters, and the General Fraternity firmly believes all chapters need this essential support, known as the “four legs of the table,” to succeed.
The first “leg” is the presence of local alumni support for the colony. As mentioned earlier, alumni are the guiding hand in day-to-day operations, as well as teachers, mentors, and consistency over time. The second leg of the table is the support of the campus administration and the condition of the fraternity and sorority community.
Again, Lambda Chi Alpha looks to partner with the university, and a mutual willingness to approach every situation as a team is a key to success.
The third piece is the ability of the General Fraternity to provide adequate support through a commitment of staff and essential resources.
The General Fraternity staff understands its responsibility to commit entirely when leading an expansion effort.
Finally, the decision to re-colonize a dormant chapter or to colonize on a new campus is the Fraternity’s ability to recruit a collection of undergraduates who embrace the values of the brotherhood and their willingness to subscribe to our creed.
We can have the alumni, and partner with the college or university, but a group of men with values and beliefs consistent with that of the Fraternity must exist.
In addition to bringing the Lambda Chi Alpha experience to new campuses, Lambda Chi Alpha will remain committed to monitoring campuses where we have dormant chapters.
The Fraternity’s ability to weigh whether or not a campus is ready for Lambda Chi Alpha is stronger for having expansion criteria, and it will help in establishing a strong pool of expansion opportunities over the coming years.
Tom Earp Says:
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:27 pmFinally, this is a point brought up in a long time in coming!
This is one of the most important posts I have read in a very long time and have along with others have been very vocal.
It is a two pronged attack as it were for making a decission of re-colonizing(Chartering).
It is a fine edge of the sword as it were.
Where to go? Back to a school that a Zeta lost on its own or expand to a school that is open for expansion.
1. If a Zeta decided to close down then they could be placed on the front burner depending on the reasons.
2. Zetas that were closed because of Risk Managemente problems.
3. New opportunities if if they arise and is amiable and justifiable.
While I see many reports of the demiss of Greeks, I find this hard to beleive as there are some change in mind sets of some schools about Greeks.
We as fellow Greeks have the responsibility to prove them wrong.
Just look at History and see who is who and what is what and who they or doing what needs to be done.
1909 is a very young year in Greek Social History, but just look and see what has been done by LXA Brothers in leading.
In ZAX,
Tom Earp
LX Z
Jeff Steele Says:
April 2nd, 2007 at 5:35 pmThanks for publishing the new criteria Biff. I agree that it is most helpful to have a standard set of criteria to guide us in making decisions about where to colonize. Tom asks about whether dormant chapters or new colleges should have priority in colonization decisions. That has been a difficult and controversial question which many have argued about for 30 years since I first became involved. While nearly all of us want to go back to the major state schools where we have lost previously great chapters, the fact is that the Fraternity has only very limited resources and in recent years starting new chapters on young campuses has been easier that re-colonizing on older campuses with well established greek systems. I’m uncomfortable with the implications of that since my own chapter has flirted with dormancy itself and I have many good friends/Brothers who are from great, now dormant chapters who long to see them revitalized.
Again, having objective criteria will help.
in ZAX,
Jeff
jon williamson Says:
April 2nd, 2007 at 5:51 pmExpansion is positive. There are a number of rules for successful chapters, but the two which cannot be violated are: 1) have a supportive base of at least 3 alumni who will oversee chapter operations…one working with the president and executive committee, one working with the treasurer, and one working with new member education. Those three brothers should be active, alert, and attend each chapter meeting, and 2) in their developmental stage the international headquarters must be able to provide staff support through chapter visitations as well as education to the alumni advisors. The key is alumni who have been recruited purposefully, trained not only in Lambda Chi Alpha policy and procedures, but also regarding the current generation of student, and whose performance generates feedback and evaluation from Lambda Chi headquarters.
Michael Cassens Says:
April 3rd, 2007 at 5:45 amI agree in all aspects of how to solidify a chapter in a structured enviorment, however post topics of how a anit-greek enviorment chapter needs to survive. As in the case of Lambda Mu Zeta, at the University of South Florida. We flourished as a chapter during our tenure but was mostly in part because of our ability of our chapter to realize that we were already men outside the letters it was just the letters that bonded us together. We were able to build a strong chapter on the basis of our unique personalities that combined to form our mold as a chapter that seperated us from the rest of the Greek life here. That is where i see the future of recruitment is from showing people that aren’t “fraternity” orientated that we all share a common goal and we can’t reach that full plateau without somebody there to help each other.
Lambda Gamma 699 Says:
April 3rd, 2007 at 11:09 amWe need to bring back Lambda Gamma Zeta Chapter at Lock Haven University. Why Bring Back North Carolina–Wilmington Delta Sigma it only has 175 members. We need to re-light the lamp in chapters with a larger number of iniated members and Alumi for support and growth.
Ed Thuer Says:
April 3rd, 2007 at 2:03 pmLambda Gamma 699,
Please contact me regarding what can be accomplished towards this end. One of my best friends and closest brothers, with whom I served wearing this country’s uniform, C. Michael Steadman, made Lambda Gamma his home (he was initiated at Shippensburg). Before he was lost to us, he invited me to your home there often, and through him and the other brothers, I was able to glimpse that light again during a dark time in my life. I’d like to help any way I can.
ZAX,
Edward H. Thuer
Z1082
eht111@psu.edu
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” -
Harry S Truman
Michael Deen Says:
April 3rd, 2007 at 5:25 pmBeing one of the ELC’s that colonized at UNC-Wilmington, I am happy to see us return there. The founding brothers at Wilmington were an amazing group of men who were committed to the ideals and principles of Lambda Chi Alpha. Keep up the great work on expansion. I am so pleased that expansion is back on the front burner for HQ.
In ZAX,
Michael Deen, Phi Rho Zeta 61
Michael Hinshaw Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 10:51 pmHey there Edward,
I’m Steak’s (C.Michael Steadman)little little. What an individual huh! I’m sure you can tell a few stories. I only had a few short years with him but everyone who knew him thinks fondly of him as well. His annual golf outing is coming up. The brothers from Shippensburg and his brother are very involved in it.
Thanks for the kind words for Lambda Gamma Zeta as well!!!
ZAX,
Michael Hinshaw
Lambda Gamma 614
Glen Alan Graham Says:
April 16th, 2007 at 11:28 amHow timely this topic is! As I’ve expressed several times in different contexts, I continue to mourn the demise of my home Zeta, Epsilon-Gamma, at University of Idaho. Having left the Gem State upon graduating in 1976, to spend the rest of my life ’til now in Texas or Tennessee, there isn’t much I can do about the late EG Zeta. Plus, then-Grand High Delta Bro. Ed told me at the San Antonio Founders Day barbecue picnic back in March of ‘06, that due to the scarcity of LCA alumni who continue to reside near Moscow following graduation (obviously I’m not the only example!), it would be hard to get a viable Zeta going on the U of I campus. However, I clearly remember that the Greek system overall was extremely strong. So, is there hope? I pray there is!
Also, I was briefly involved as an alumnus/faculty advisor in the colony at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville Tennessee. But alas! a great start fizzled quickly after the colony’s second initiation, due to some severe personality conflicts. Talk about forgetting the Brotherhood’s ideals and teachings!
And I certainly don’t wish to discourage colonization on new campuses! Right here in San Antonio we have a sterling example of a great new start! Our colony at the University of the Incarnate Word existed merely one year (or two at the most) before it achieved Zeta status, as Pi-Epsilon! Wow! And the Zeta is keeping on, going strong! (See my post at “Voices” about the Tri-Zeta Gala just held in S.A.) I’m proud of the Brothers at UIW!
I applaud the sage words of caution in the fourth and fifth paragraphs. Brothers, QUALITY is the word, not quantity. Let’s be slow and deliberate about both re-activation and new colonies! I urge the GHZ and Headquarters staff to limit such efforts to five or less annually, so that support doesn’t get so spread out and diluted as to be ineffective. Yes, let’s grow our Brotherhood, but let’s not move so quickly as to end up with colonies that “die a-borning”!
In ZAX,
Glen Alan Graham
EG 540
Tom Robertson Says:
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:46 pmI am willing to help in reestablishing LXA at NCSU. I need names and numbers.
Tom Robertson 919 676 2541