Bell/Sweetheart Song/TEF
 

Question for everybody. As I understand it my chapter (Alpha Xi @ Drake University) is responsible for three big TKE symbols; I'm wondering how many other chapters have/know these things.

1. The Bell
We have two bells, one smaller bell rung to call all members to the common area for meeting, and a larger one that is rung by each member in scroll order after each of our initiation ceremonies.

2. TKE Sweetheart Song
Of all the girls that I have met,
The one most dear to me,
is the girl who wears above her heart
the badge of T K E.
No other girl could be so fair,
so loyal or so true.
I pledge her my heart,
that i never shall part,
from my sweetheart of TKE.

3. TKE Educational Fund
Some years ago (~1998) an Alpha Xi (I believe scroll was 986) member named David Allen Reed committed suicide. He was found with four things: picture of his family, picture of his girl, TKE plege paddle, an empty Southern Comfort bottle. We still drink SoCo in his honor after each ceremony, before we ring the bell. The TEF was also formed in his honor.

I just wondered if you all know of these things. I know the bell has at least spread around the midwest.

I heard or 2 and 3 but never heard of number 1.

not to knock on your tradition, but I have never understood why people "honor" fallen brothers by drinking.

Like Sigma Alpha Epsilon does with their Paddy Murphy celebration. Paddy Murphy was a SAE brother that was found dead in a closet during prohibition. Now SAE drinks their asses off while they bury a coffin in the ground.

It is beyond me.....

We drink SoCo to remember Reed, because it was his favortie drink; we don't drink it in excess. We take a 750ml bottle and pass it around our family, which is currently about 8 guys. Considering that its about seven times as strong as beer, and about 25 oz. it's roughly equivolent to 14 drinks. Split that 8 ways, and that's not even enough to get anybody tipsy.

at lambda zeta we ring a bell when you exept your bid, then all the brothers stand around the new guy and sing a song welcoming them to their pledgeship.

we have a bell at beta rho, (it's actually the bell that there's a picture of in the teke guide) and we just ring it once for every new iniate, it's pretty much just to rub how many people we got in the other fraternities faces though.