Why Lambda Chi?
 

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That is Coe College in Iowa I beleve, correct?

1. The first was that LXA did not haze as when I started a local, that was part of the program.
2. The Associate members are immediately a part of the chapter even though not initiated.
3. This has changed over the years and I do not beleive there is a formal recruitment now.
4. The first thing you should look at among the many are the members and how well you fit with each other. Then, look at what they as a chapter and a National do such as charity, size, what is available for instructional help from such as ELC's or chapter visitations from HQ.

While LXA is one of the newest of the largest fraternitys, it has done more to expand the greek social life world by having one of the first "pledge manual", first to do away with hazing, first to promote no ethnic clause. It has always been in the fore front of changes that will be fore the betterment of all Greeks and its members. LXA also has the largest paid staff of ELCs, who visit each chapter twice a year where many use volunteers only.

While we do have our ups and downs, we have more ups than most if not all.

I can say I am a very proud member of LXA having been a member since 1966 and still active!

All I can say to you is I hope you find your home and it be LXA!

Yours,

I suppose that the fundamental reason why you would choose one house over another is that there is a better fit between you and the membership. There could be several fraternities where you might fit in, but you must ask yourself "where do I feel most comfortable?" That will be the best guide for this choice.

We had formal recruitment of "rush" at Berkeley and they still do. It isn't as organized as it used to be. Recruitment at other times is known as "informal rush" but the net effect is the same: Finding and meeting men that we would like to ask to join, and simultaneously, showing how these prospective members can best be served by joining our house. You see, we're both making a choice here. Personally, I like informal rush as it takes the pressure to decide off the men being recruited and they can give some thought to the process, rather than rushing to a decision and choice.

The Associate Member program was a big factor in my recruitment in '76. I was well through my sophomore year and had no intention of being a pledge. It worked for me. But we've got something new int he works right now. There is a new member development program called TRUE BROTHER that will not be a pledge or new member program; rather, it is a member development program designed to last four years. Your growth and development as an individual cannot be completed in a few short weeks or months. College is a time of personal development and growth and change and TRUE BROTHER recognizes that.

BTW, I have a friend from Coe, Mark Beckham, who should be on their alumni books somewhere; a '75 grad, I believe.

1) What made you decide that Lambda Chi was right for you in the first place?

I think that the biggest reason that Lambda Chi Alpha is the perfect fit for me is their acceptance for change. Since the beginning Lambda Chi has been leading the way the fraternity world. It adapts to what society feels is right, but at the same times keeps with its tradition of excellence. Mostly though, I fit in with the guys in our chapter. We do to the most community service events on our campus, both large and small scale. At the same time we keep a very active social life with the sororities on our campus. Its like we work hard and we play hard. We remain active, and we remain exclusive, we do not need dead weight.


2) What advantages are there to Associate Membership?

There is no separation. In other fraternities you are with your pledge class. You aren’t really members of the fraternity, and in my opinion it’s more or less a caste system. You spend your pledge period doing activities for the brothers, and often times getting treated as an unworthy person by the same guys that will call you brother after your initiation. I don’t understand how you can treat someone wanting to be your brother like that. In the AM process your eligible to hold all positions except that of ritualist (because you haven’t seen it yet). As an AM you can vote, serve on committee’s, and your excepted immediately as a member.


3) Did you have a formal or informal rush at your school?

We have a informal week, and then 365.


4) Can you give me any advice in choosing this or any fraternity, and if I do choose this one (it is currently my 1st choice) what did you do, if anything, to ensure your bid?

I suggest checking out all the fraternities on your campus. Lambda Chi Alpha isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok. I have friends that are in every fraternity on our campus. You’ve already shown that you are doing your research which is good. If you know alum from that chapter, ask him for a letter of recommendation, or just ask the brothers of that chapter the same thing you asked here. Good luck and good call with looking into Lambda Chi Alpha, for me it is the greatest possible way to have the greatest college experience. Naught without Labor is one of Lambda Chi's open motto's one that each generation of brother certainly outshines. What is being a brother of Lambda Chi Alpha like? Simply becoming a brother will be one of the greatest and most meaningful accomplishments you have ever done throughout your lifetime.

1) What made you decide that Lambda Chi was right for you in the first place?
I had no intention of joining a fraternity...hadn't even considered it. But the first time I walked into the Lambda Chi house, I felt like I had come home. I knew I belonged. Sort of a "love at first sight" kind of thing.

2) What advantages are there to Associate Membership?
That's another thing that I love about Lambda Chi: They were always 100% honest with me. They told me, "we don't haze," and it was the truth. The rationale, as told to me, was, "We're not going to treat you like $h!t for (at that time) 5 weeks, and then turn around one day and call you 'brother.'" I spent my time as an associate member getting to know the brothers and my fellow associates and learning about the fraternity. We didn't have pledge quizzes and stuff like a lot of fraternities had, and we didn't have "study hours." In short, the brothers treated us like men and helped us to become brothers.


3) Did you have a formal or informal rush at your school?
Half and half? It was formal in the sense that the school set starting and ending dates, and all the fraternities gave out bids on the same day and collected them on the same day. It was not, however, as formal as sorority rush, where you had to visit each house, etc.


And 4) Can you give me any advice in choosing this or any fraternity, and if I do choose this one (it is currently my 1st choice) what did you do, if anything, to ensure your bid?
Most fraternities claim to be based on mostly the same values, just worded differently. The key point is, do they do what they say? Do they live their values? Or do they put them on for initiation and wear them around for a couple of hours, then box them up for next time?

Pick the fraternity that is made up of the guys you want to spend the most memorable times of your life with. If your experience is anything like mine, they will be the best friends you'll ever have.

And the only thing you can do to "ensure your bid" is be yourself. If you put on an act to make the brothers like you, you'd better be prepared to keep it up until you graduate. Either they'll want you for a member the way you are, or it's not the right fraternity for you.

The coolest thing of all (well, for me, actually...) is that my Big Bro hails from Coe College (ZA 605).

I've met a few of the Coe brothers that occassionally come out here for our initiation - great group!

Coldest beer and hottest chicks hanging around for me.

I just went active on Feb. 1 and I can honestly say that rushing Lambda Chi was the best decision of my life. I initially rushed because I knew that Lambda Chi didn't haze and because it seemed different from other fraternities. I didn't even realize how different, it just kind of got more and more clear how different this fraternity really is as I kept getting toward my initiation. I don't know your particular chapter but I think you'll find that it's more than worth it if you decide to rush.

I think the biggest advantage is that you're not treated like a pledge. You're treated like part of the chapter and you're included in just about everything.

We have formal and informal here. I did formal and if you get the chance to do informal, that's the one I'd recommend. You get to know the chapter better through informal, at least at my school.

My best piece of advice is don't join any fraternity that's going to haze you. To me one of the qualities of a leader and a real man is whether or not he will allow himself to be hazed. To me, a man who will allow himself to be hazed is a follower and not a leader, and not mature enough to be a real man. Most other fraternities do haze and you shouldn't put yourself through that.

As far as ensuring your bid, I think the best thing you can do is show up at all the rush events and be yourself. That's all I did and it worked out pretty well.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

In ZAX,
Nate Nelson
AKA Puddles
Alpha Omega 1258

That too. And we've got Kenny Chesney.

In ZAX,
Nate Nelson
AKA Puddles
Alpha Omega 1258

1) What made you decide that Lambda Chi was right for you in the first place?
Even tho this all went down 30+ years ago, I can still remember the reason I joined LCA. I'd always been part of a team in some fashion, starting in junior high (what's now known as middle school). Basketball, baseball, football, track, etc. When I got to Illinois State, I lived on the top floor (26) of the tallest dorm in North America. There were as many people in the building (2,500) as I had in my entire high school north of Chicago. I decided quickly that I needed to get involved w/a group that could replicate that "team" aspect. As it turned out, my eventual Big Brother lived two doors down. I've never regretted joining.

2) What advantages are there to Associate Membership?
There's no "2nd Class Citizen" aspect - since I've been working w/a couple of chapters as an alumni advisor for 10+ years, I've come to appreciate this even more when I see the growth of an AM who's taken on an officer's position.

3) Did you have a formal or informal rush at your school?
Back in the dark ages, we didn't even have Greek advisors, let alone a formal rush. All of the fraternities/sororities got together & decided when they wanted to hold recruitment activities as a group. The sororities were more structured (driving rushees around from house to house), while the fraternities basically held "smokers" & "keggers" (two things you don't generally see anymore, especially since smoking's been banned in many municipalities and on numerous campuses).

4) Can you give me any advice in choosing this or any fraternity, and if I do choose this one (it is currently my 1st choice) what did you do, if anything, to ensure your bid?
Like everyone else has noted, JUST BE YOURSELF. Acting in a manner that's contrary to your true nature is simply a way to get your name scratched off of the callback list.

BTW, Coe has always had a great chapter, even back when we rode dinosaurs to class in the 1970's. One of my best friends in HS became a Chi Omega there, and she wound up going out on a date w/a Lambda Chi. I met the man a few years ago @ a General Assembly (our biannual convention), so it was nice to finally place a face w/the name I'd heard back in the olden times.

Good luck...