Cross & Crescent

The final event celebrating Lambda Chi Alpha’s Centennial year took place on November 6-7, 2009, in Boston, where the Fraternity was founded.

The Marriott Boston Cambridge Hotel served as the site for two alumni/undergraduate receptions and a formal banquet to close Lambda Chi Alpha’s first 100 years as an organization.

More than 50 Lambda Chis and their guests attended the various activities commemorating the Fraternity’s founding in Boston.

Bus Tour Highlights

The two-day event included a Saturday bus tour of places associated with the early years of our Fraternity. This historical tour featured stops at the current chapter house of Lambda Zeta at 99 Bay State Road; early living quarters of Warren A. Cole at 22 Joy Street; the site of the actual founding of our Fraternity at 35 Hancock Street; the house at 292 Newberry Street that served as the site of the Second National Assembly; a drive across the Harvard Bridge to view the famous “Smoots;” and then on to Cole’s burial place in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, located just a few miles from his birthplace in Swansea.

Lambda Zeta House – The Water Show

The stop at the Lambda Zeta House got off to a “watery” start when the tour bus damaged a temporary water pipe and unleashed a geyser of water 40 or more feet into the air! The water thoroughly drenched about 20 bicycles parked near the sidewalk and the neighboring Phi Delta Theta residence for well over an hour.

The brothers of Lambda Zeta were gracious hosts and provided a continental breakfast and a guided tour of the chapter house for the visiting group. The continental breakfast featured Dunkin’ Donut products. As the tour group would learn on its trip to Rehoboth and back, Dunkin’ Donut shops are as ubiquitous in Massachusetts as Starbucks Coffee shops!

There are a number of impressive rooms in the rear of the chapter house that overlook the Charles River. These public areas still retain their Victorian charm. The view from their rooftop deck was magnificent!

This 1895 mansion is a unique home with significant architectural value. The brothers of Lambda Zeta are fortunate to live at 99 Bay State Road.

Newberry Street – The Birthplace of Our Current Ritual

The stop at 292 Newberry Street served as a reminder that this was the site of the Second National Assembly in 1913 where Jack Mason’s famous letter was read to the group. Of course, that letter put Lambda Chi Alpha on the path to a new Ritual that has served as the foundation of our Fraternity since that time. This is also the site of the first Grand High Zeta meeting with representatives from more than Alpha Zeta.

It was observed by a brother in the tour group that Lambda Chi Alpha was just a partially formed idea before the 1913 Assembly embraced the ideas found in Mason’s letter.

The decisions made in the backroom of this house were so far reaching in the development of our Fraternity that the 1931 Ashville Assembly declared March 22nd as Lambda Chi Alpha Day. Since 1942 it has been called Founders Day. By whatever name, this date was chosen to honor the intellectual, spiritual, and practical impact of the ideas that Jack Mason expressed in his letter to the Second Assembly.

A photograph was taken of the four undergraduate members of our current Grand High Zeta. It was observed that those young men were about the same age as most of the early members attending the Second National Assembly.

Rehoboth – The Burial Place of Founder Cole

The highlight of the tour was a visit to the grave site of our founder, Warren A. Cole. The long drive to rural Rehoboth in late autumn provided the group with time to talk about our Fraternity and thereby forge closer bonds of fraternal friendship among themselves.

About 25 brothers took the short walk up a leaf-covered lane to the stone enclosed cemetery that serves the family of Cole’s first wife.

It was a clear, not too cold, afternoon that was perfect for conversation and contemplation. The location was surrounded by brush, broken stone, and old trees. The lot was well hidden from the road.

The cemetery was carefully maintained, with Cole’s grave featuring live plantings and a unique two-sided tombstone.

Many photographs were taken by the group to document the occasion. As time went by the group became quieter, more somber, and thoughtful. It was as though time slowed down in that beautiful resting place of our founder.

After a few more history lessons about the significance of this occasion, the Creed of Lambda Chi Alpha was recited by the assembled brothers.

A dozen white roses were left behind as a final tribute to, as stated on his tombstone, Warren A. Cole — Founder of The Lambda Chi Alpha.

Swansea – A Historic Marker For The Birthplace Of Our Founder?

On the way back to Boston a couple of our brothers discussed the fact that Founder Cole did not have a historic marker in Swansea to indicate that the town was his birthplace.

What an oversight!

There is a perfect spot near the public library in Swansea, close to the cemetery where many of the Cole clan are buried, that would honor him and add historic interest to his community.

Of course, such a marker would need the support of the local community and our Fraternity. The work to document the appropriateness of the historic marker should prove to be simple, and the cost is typically low. Hopefully, interested brothers would support such a project to recognize our founder and create more public awareness of our Fraternity.

Wouldn’t such a historic marker, dedicated to our founder, really be the perfect way to end our Centennial year?

And So It Officially Ends

The Boston Commemoration marked the official conclusion to 16 months of celebrating the Centennial of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.

It served as a combination of fun, fellowship, and fraternal education.

Most importantly, it served as a reminder of the high ideals and principles that Cole, Mason, and other early leaders brought to Lambda Chi Alpha.

But, The Story Goes On Forever

As Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity moves toward its next historic milestone in 2034, let us keep in mind the need to embrace change within the enduring framework of our Ritual.

The Ritual is the base from which everything we know and love about our Fraternity grows.