Dever is right. Cole just seems like the guy you can have a beer with. I think it would take a personality like Cole's to have the balls to actually start a fraternity like LXA.

Mason, not so much. From what I read, he reminds me of the kid in class that reminds the teacher she forgot to assign the homework!

Maybe, have to give credit where credit is due. It would be a very very different place without Mason, probably not for the better. Hard to say though, another Mason could have came along, but Cole was no Mason from what I have read. He had the big ideas but didn't have the literal skills to put them on paper. Compare coles ritual to masons, mason was on a whole different level.

My school has the book through our interlibrary loan.

I think I can eat the $20 fine for "losing" this one...eh?

Is that all it is?.... I mean you are paying for it... I hope mine comes soon.

I checked last night...the actual narrative runs 175 pages. That's where the lists start.

Having an understanding of what Cole went through as I and others have started locals, it is never easy and a lot of hard work, with a lot of luck and drive.

I often wonder if I could have expanded Beta Chi to a national fraternity, but of course, I am very glad that I did not and affiliated with LXA!

The difference between Cole and Mason of course is like day and night.

But because of both of these men and others is the reason LXA is where it is today! It took and takes each and all members to climb where we are today in actually a short time span of Greek Social history.

Credit due when it is due.:D

If you want to witness the founding of our fraternity, watch this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdYdQ...elated&search=

It's from a 1999 TV movie called "Pirates of Silicon Valley." The first 1:30 of this particular part shows Bill Gates selling IBM an operating system he did not yet own. It makes me think of W.A. Cole convincing people to join his new and growing fraternity. The clip before this one shows him and his associates buying a necktie from a guy in an airport bathroom so they could make their pitch.

Lambda Chi Alpha : a historical perspective / Charles S. Peyser with Ernest Vargo II ; with contribu IN TRANSIT CIRCULATION DESK
:)

Just came from founders day, with Ed Leonard as the keynote speaker. Had a great time. We started talking about the history books and how I will soon be coming across a copy of the 92 history book. Mentioned that I was looking forward to Mike Raymond's upcoming history book.

Straight from the man himself: "Ask Mike if he plans on white-washing history, or if he plans on telling it like it is." Nice guy to talk to, gave a great speech. He was very excited about the true brother program they are unveiling this summer. Can't wait for Memphis.

The truth shall set you free. Hallelujah!

This can be an interesting story when we talk!:D

Guess if Ed said it, then there must be some truth!!!!:)

Like you, I cannot wait for it to be printed and available!

I think we really do need an indepth history widely available to all brothers.

"Warts and all". I don't think we benefit from a "white-washed" history. No pun intended from my previous post on lack of diversity within LXA.

Trust is a part of brotherhood, and by not disclosing true facts about our past because it may not look the best, that is a violation of trust. We are who we are. Good or bad, our past did lead us to the present, which we are all proud of.

Next time your in DC
 

They have it at the Library of Congress aswell. If you have some free time maybe one of you that have a copy could scan it? And send around a soft copy of it. Or we can wait the 2 years til the centenial for the next version.

Mr. Leonard was by all means joking, when he mentioned that. He said that he and Mike knew each other pretty well. He said it with a nice smirk. Great guy.

He said that his outlook on the history book that Peyser's version was too watered down.. History is history, I think he meant that Peyser was trying to play it safe, and didn't want to see how far he could push people with out bout upright upset. I haven't read the book YET so I am relying on other peoples opinions, but basically everyone says the same thing. I believe full disclosure is the way to go, otherwise interesting facts about the history of our organization would be lost forever, good or bad. When ever someone tells me about something they regret, I ask them two questions. One, if you knew then what you know now, would you have done things differently? Most people agree that they would, I do as well. The second is, if you had the option would you go back and change history? After an explanation of that principle they usually agree that they would not. If you don't believe that all things happen for a reason, you can at least believe that things happen based on past experiences and events. If Cole wouldn't have been expelled for whatever the actual reason was, it would be a whole different fraternity. Theory of evolution, one small change now however minuscule, 100 years from now could be seen as changing history.

My little rant on history. Its the largest problem i'm having, I cant find enough of it, with respect to my local chapter. We have had good times and bad, the bad have been bad, and the good have been good. It is understandable that you want to 'forget' about the past events but someone like me 20 30 40 50 years later might want to know about it. Historical paradox, you can only tell about what has been preserved through time. If no one will talk about it, or no ones alive to talk about it, it mind as well have never existed. Hoping I can dig up enough stuff myself while some people are still living with us.

I cant figure out why people get so upset about things that happened 100 years ago, it may look bad but what the hell are you going to do. I guess I just don't like not knowing things?

Interestingly enough, it was suggested to me last night that making a photocopy of the book would be a good way to go. Based on that persons advice and experience I will take his advice. :rolleyes:

Curiously enough... Mr. Raymond, as an author yourself, say 15 years from whenever your book comes out and it was out of print and impossible to get a hole of, would you mind some young kid like myself scanning your work?