True Brother Initiative Unveiled
by John Holloway • August 2007 • 19 Comments •
At the 2007 Stead Leadership Seminar, Lambda Chi Alpha unveiled the True Brother Initiative. True Brother is a conceptual framework organizing the formal education and experiential learning of associate members and initiated brothers throughout their entire undergraduate experience, and paves the way to a meaningful, lifelong experience as an alumnus.
This initiative is the medium through which all members adopt the personal identity of a true brother. True Brother is the holistic means by which Lambda Chi Alpha accomplishes its organizational mission and realizes its strategic vision.
True Brother represents a fundamental shift in the way we view our undergraduate chapters. Instead of focusing on organizational structure (as represented by the Standards for Chapter Excellence program), True Brother is a strategically-aligned system that focuses on individual member development.
Lambda Chi Alpha has always been a leader in the Greek community, best represented by the abolishment of hazing and pledges in 1972. At the 2005 Leadership Seminar, the Grand High Zeta continued this leadership by authorizing committees to look at and assess the needs of our chapters.
A group of dedicated alumni, including Drew Hunter (Denver 1980), Dr. Elgan L. Baker Jr. (DePauw 1971), Wayne Gossard (Southern Methodist 1973), and Mike Smith (Denver 1976) took the lead in developing an enhanced experience for undergraduates.
New efforts to assess the development and education of undergraduates began with specific attention to a member’s first-year experience and evolved into the idea of learning and growth beyond initiation. From this process, True Brother was born.
During the development of the True Brother initiative, the Fraternity critically evaluated its two previous leadership training programs: Lead by Example and Precept (LEAP) and Impact Leadership.
The True Brother initiative offers members the best material from these two previous programs, which has been supplemented and redeveloped to interconnect with the Seven Core Values and overall True Brother identity.
True Brother is the pathway defining a brother’s journey through Lambda Chi Alpha, from recruitment and association to alumni status by introducing the Inner Circle, Outer Circle, and Lifelong Mastery Circle.
Seven Core Values
The backbone of True Brother is its Seven Core Values. The acronym LDRSHIP is used to represent the values of loyalty, duty, respect, service and stewardship, honor, integrity, and personal courage.
- Loyalty: Bear true faith and allegiance to Lambda Chi Alpha, your chapter, and your brothers.
- Duty: Fulfill all your obligations from associate member and ritual oaths.
- Respect: Treat people as they should be treated.
- Service & Stewardship: Put the welfare of Lambda Chi Alpha, your chapter, and your brothers before your own. Know that as a brother you hold something of value in trust for others.
- Honor: Live all our values and be an honorable man.
- Integrity: Do what is right all of the time — walk the walk.
- Personal Courage: Demonstrate the courage of your convictions.
LDRSHIP is who we as a Fraternity are, what we know, and what we are expected to do. It’s our character, our competence, and how we take action as leaders that define the True Brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Outer Circle
New members of Lambda Chi Alpha are recruited and then immediately welcomed as potential brothers in the bond through the Fraternity’s exoteric Associate Member Ceremony.
To maintain consistency and encourage values-based recruitment, the Fraternity created the Cole Recruitment Institute — a full day’s training experience provided to chapters at international Lambda Chi Alpha events.
After experiencing the Associate Member Ceremony, new members are exposed to the Calling to Brotherhood — Lambda Chi Alpha’s associate member education program and training curriculum.
Over the course of the eight weeks, associates learn about Lambda Chi Alpha, its history, organization, and governing bodies. The associates are trained to become leaders of their chapter, campus, and country. As important, associates are taught how to develop brotherhood.
During associate member orientation, new members learn the Seven Core Values, which form the foundation of Lambda Chi Alpha’s approach to brotherhood.
Over the ensuing weeks, the Seven Core Values are examined, one per week, and defined as to how each core value relates to real situations in Lambda Chi Alpha.
The last step before initiation is the associate member’s exposure to our Exoteric Mysteries — the True Brother’s approach to pre-initiation. As understanding the pre-initiation is a crucial component of the undergraduate experience, the Fraternity now offers 20 approved pre-initiation events and activities.
Inner Circle
The Inner Circle is the stage in Lambda Chi Alpha where brotherhood development takes root and answers the question: “How do I translate what I learned while in the outer circle and best use my talents and skills to help build my leadership and programmatic skills?”
Historically, this is the area where most chapters drop the ball by not continuing to develop our members after initiation.
During this important stage, knowledge about the Fraternity and rituals is translated and turned into action and skill building for our members. Thus, we create better chapters for Lambda Chi Alpha by increasing the capacity of our undergraduate brothers to work productively at the chapter and community level.
The initiated brother’s journey of True Brother is divided into four levels, with each level focusing on a set of developmental outcomes that contribute to the construction and adoption of the True Brother identity.
Each level focuses on a developmental pathway — faithful stewardship, servant leadership, leadership of character, and lifetime brotherhood — from which brothers can choose a range of participative experiences that suit their learning and development styles.
Reflective exercises associated with each developmental level ensure that brothers do not miss the meaning of their experiences.
- Faithful Steward: A brother who is a faithful steward understands that Lambda Chi Alpha is a precious gift that is given to him and that it is his duty to be a good steward of its welfare all of his life.
- Servant Leader: TThe servant leader is committed to self-improvement, lifelong learning, and personal growth, and he always strives to provide for the legitimate needs of people. He also understands that being a servant leader means investing personally in the development of others by actively teaching, mentoring, and role modeling the way of the True Brother.
- Leader of Character: Lambda Chi Alpha expects a member to be a leader of character. The leader of character leads from a base of values. He not only has the technical competence to do things the right way, but his character gives him the courage to do right things..
- Lifetime Brother: The True Brother understands that the solemn oaths freely undertaken during our rituals obligate him to commitments beyond graduation from college. The lifetime brother seeks ways to continue to serve because he sees real value in his fraternal experiences and wants others to have the opportunity to share those same experiences.
Lifelong Mastery Circle
The Lifelong Mastery Circle is simply a way to convey there is life in Lambda Chi Alpha after graduation. It recognizes that those brothers who truly grasp our ideals and teachings have much more to offer the Fraternity and the larger society as men of character.
The goal of the undergraduate experience is to master the experience and then live our principles and ideals.
The Lifelong Mastery Circle actually begins before graduation and helps our graduating seniors’ transition into productive alumni. Service back to the Fraternity is also something that should be striven for and can be tracked.
Examples of service include serving as a chapter adviser or housing corporation member, being a local alumni volunteer, donating financially, or serving on the Fraternity staff or an international board.
Initiative in Summary
The True Brother journey is designed to support the successful development of young men, understanding the significant developmental tasks of this period of life, maximizing the positive influence of peers and mentors, and moving our brothers towards an increased capacity for self-reflection and self-awareness, empathy, altruism, and intimacy.
This program sets up goals of leadership, stewardship, learning and service, and explicates a range of core values associated with being a true brother, which when pursued, leads toward a better tomorrow for Lambda Chi Alpha.
Duncan, DHZ-32 Says:
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:39 pmGenius. Focussing on the individual, within the context of the chapter/fraternity, is the way to go.
Dan Parker Says:
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:58 pmWow.
this is the best example of “hope for the future of Lambda Chi Alpha”.
I want to rush all over again after seeing that video!
Len Hodgson AP 681 Says:
August 2nd, 2007 at 3:04 pmGreat article! A “must read” for all brothers, then live it!
Fred Herbert SZ-836 Says:
August 2nd, 2007 at 3:17 pmHere’s hoping that all living LCAs take the time to read and consider this initiative. Especially like the recognition of need for continuing development and formation post-initiation. May this program enjoy great commitment and success.
Christopher Johnson PT-337 Says:
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:17 pmI love the ideal…proves that the journey isn’t over after initiation.
Peter Lauer, Lehigh '82 Says:
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:26 pmFraternities have a huge image problem, which we must combat!
I believe there is an important missing link in this initiative, which is a stronger external ethic and focus on community / public service through the alumni brotherhood. Just as corporations band their employee base together to do good deeds of volunteerism, and fund raising, so should LXA. We have several hundred thousand alums to mobilize.
Not only would such a focus do good for the community, but it would generate a positive glow & buzz for LXA (and fraternities more broadly), which would help our HUGE image problem with society in general. This in turn would make it more likely that young men would seek to become brothers when they get to college. We know it’s not all about partying, but the world doesn’t.
Nicholas Demyan Phi Delta 352 Says:
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:46 pmI participated in the True Brother initiative as a member of a pilot chapter, and I hope that every brother shares the same support for the program that you do. Our new initiates were well prepared for their time as brothers after the outer circle program, and I believe that most chapters will find the same of their classes in the near future. For those High Pi’s who read this article and review, I ask that you push your chapter to utilize this program to its full potential. Your chapter will not be disappointed.
Zachary C. Tucker Says:
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:39 pmI am glad to see that we’ve finalized realized that the fraternity is a valued centered environment. I am glad to see that we are emphaizing the need to judge the behavior and acitons by the valued prescripted by the ritual and creed of the fraternity.
Hat off the those of you who have finally come to this realization.
I offer my full suppor in developing and implementing this program through-out all of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Zachary C. Tucker Says:
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:47 pmI am glad to see that we have finally come to the realization that the fraternity environment is a valued centered one.
I am glad to finally see programs being developed that directly gives guidance to the undergraduate regarding the ritual and creed. I am glad that the new message of the fraternity is that all members must judge their conduct and action by the ideal expressed in the ritural and creed of ther fraternity.
I think if we implement this right, we as an organization might make a big impact on the fraternity movement. If we impress this and really begin the process of judging and making decision based on our values I think the fraternity will survive and thrive.
This concept is what has been missing from the entire fraternity movement in this country. I feel strongly that the lack of knowing and living our values has created all the bad in the fraternity movement. This bad has placed the fraternity movement in the position where many are questioning our relevance.
I full support our efforts to make faternity a valued centered enviroment dedicated to building character in young men and committing to devloping ethical and responsible leader for the future of this country.
If I can be of any help in implementing this through-out our chapter sign me up.
Ray Burrington ZL 488 UCONN Says:
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:37 amThe “TBI” sounds great. Altho the article doesn’t cover the HOW IT WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED, I suspect the training does…but how will the training permeate a chapter?
Background - UCONN ‘68; chapter thrown out 1970 by univ admin - 1st of nearly 20 frat/soro kicked out; re-colonized ~ 83 by John Farling [Baldwin Wallace? He just passed earlier this yr] and re-chartered in the late 80’s when I was Hi Pi for 5 yrs.
The HOW - I suggest the following [if not already included]:
-the 1st semester or 1 yr after initiation should be “probational” for achieving “True Brother” status…plus, there should be an acknowlegment/ceremony upon successful completion.
-not sure if the “Big Brother” still exists, but the BB should run the “developmental checklist” that includes the 7 goals pre-init [inner], and the 4 goals [outer]. Eg, the mentor concept.
-part of the checklist s/b performing a task for each officer position - to glimpse what each position does; help on workload; identify with older members; and form opinion of what future service they are most interested in. Some tasks during AM and some post-init [eg, ritual].
–> Sorry if I duplicated processes already planned…but did not see in the article.
Ray Farrow Says:
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:34 amReading about ‘True Brother’ makes me proud to have been a Lambda Chi for over 50 years. My only disappointment comes from the fact that my chapter (Theta Theta) no longer exists. The university decided many years ago to eliminate all fraternities from campus. However, the fraternities still get together at a brunch on graduation weekend.
Dr. Marvin P. Sondalle Says:
August 3rd, 2007 at 3:30 pmI am very proud that our Fraternity has evolved into such a strong and viable organization since my graduation in 1953. The True Brother Initiative is very impressive. It will be interesting to observe how this new concept will wotrk toward the development, leadership skills, and life experiences of our brothers.
Mike Secory Says:
August 4th, 2007 at 10:15 amAbsolutely tremendous! Way to go. This is long, long overdue. I just wish that this had been in place 50 years ago when I was an undergrad. at Ferris State. What a great way to educate associates as to the true meaning of fraternity and to keep it alive with the alumni. My hats off to those who had the vision to put this together. I hope that all Lambda Chis will have the opportunity to ready and reflect on this. Thanks!
Gary Hicks Says:
August 5th, 2007 at 8:32 pmGlad to see Lambda Chi is still at forefront of the Fraternity world.
I treasure the memories of my 3 1/2 years and the over 50 years since and send my regards to all U of Michigan alums.
Please keep me on E Mail list and hope to get to a football game this fall/
Gary Hicks 1951
Joe Manzella MSU ro2105 Says:
August 6th, 2007 at 8:58 amBrother Truman put it best: “Those who know the true meaning of brotherhood must practice it”.
The true Brother Initiative is a long time coming, and the ideals it represents are already here, and have been since 1909. Now we have a member-oriented program that focuses on member development, not a chapter program that emphasizes chapter development.
It is too easy for a chapter to seem successful because of a great crew of officers, and when the next ones are elected, the chapter falls apart. By focusing solely on member development, it becomes a grass-roots, bottom to top effort to build the best leaders and best brothers we can from the college fraternal experience.
Although i wish this had come about 4 years ago, i look forward to being an active alum and help support the growth of this program at my chapter.
Tom Caton Says:
August 15th, 2007 at 8:06 pmMaybe if we had this several years ago, my chapter would not have lost it’s charter. Outstanding idea.
Tom Caton BZ156 WCU 1979
David Larson Says:
August 27th, 2007 at 9:31 amExcellent idea for the fraternity.
There is a wonderful book that would fit into this initiative titled “The Servant, A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership” by James Hunter.
Tom Earp Says:
August 30th, 2007 at 5:09 pmWaiting to see it implemented.
The idea is Fantastic. We as LXA Brothers have always been at the fore front of change.
Tom Earp
LX Z 1
Graduated om 1967 and still involved.
PSU.
Glen Alan Graham Says:
September 10th, 2007 at 12:54 pmAfter skimming over stuff about the TBI for the past month or so, yours truly decided it was high time to seriously read it. Thanks go to Brothers Earp and Wood: their posts on the “Voices” blog lit the fire under my sedentary behind!
My reading and interpretation of the TBI is that our Brotherhood is taking the teachings that we’ve had since Bro. Jack Mason crafted the Ritual to a new level, a clearer focus. I especially endorse the Seven Core Values, most of which (if not all 7) always have been expressed variously in our ceremonies and in the fraternity education that Associates receive (I was High Kappa at Epsilon-Gamma Zeta vefore becoming High Phi). But it’s good to have these 7 set in such a specific setting, and I’d say that they complement well our Mission and Values, etc. as publicly expressed at our International office’s Website!
As an alumnus who longs to give back to the Brotherhood — or to “pay it forward” to a new generation of Associates and Initiates — I also firmly endorse the three Circles concept, with each Circle being crucial. Of course, as an alum that final Circle is currently the personal key!
I plan to bring up the TBI with the San Antonio Alumni Association and the High Zetas of the three local chapters in S.A. as opportunity is provided. I’d really like to see this implemented in the three local Zetas, in the hearts and lives of us alumni and thru’out the International Brotherhood!
One last question: Brother Ed, as our GHA, how do YOU plan to support and implement the TBI? I deeply respect you leadership, ever since that encounter with you at the “Deep in the Heart of Texas” picnic (when you were still “only” GHD)!