[Erik P Conard]

There was a time in the 60s when Furman University in SC,
home of the Gamma Mu chapter of TKE, banned all national
fraternities. Our chapter, a strong one, took the name as a local,
The Knights Eternal, alluding to TKE. They hung on for these years and was encouraged by the Greenville, SC alumni chapter, largely headed by Lenny S Cochran, supported by Les
Hudson. The alumni chapter would initiate members of The
Knights upon graduation. Eventually, the Baptists decided that
fraternities and dancing was not all that bad, and TKE plus the
others came back to Furman.
The Knights Eternal has been adopted in subsequent years by
interest groups, some not allowed to affiliate, as the letters were
the same as Tau Kappa Epsilon, and the sweat shirts would read T K E--thereby sidestepping the school's reticence.
By the way, Lenwood S. Cochran served on the Grand Council
a long time, three terms as Grand Grammateus. The late Ed
Georgeff, in nothing this, mentioned that Leland F. "Pete" Leland
had served many terms as Grand Histor. The ever-jokester Ed
bestowed the moniker Lenwood S Lenwood for that reason. We
have had a lot of fun over the years calling our beloved Lenny this name. Almost forgotten, I was behind him walking outside
during the Indianapolis Conclave, and said--"There goes Lenwood S. Lenwood.!" His wife Jean laughed and Lenny said,
without turning around "There is only one frater alive who'd say
that (Jim Kane had just died)" Erik Conard, how on earth are you?..been many years (over twenty)...We had supper together.
A fun story about a dear Frater. YITB, Erik