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Northern Chapter Traditions
I am a brother of the Epsilon Lambda chater at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (Miami of Ohio). We were the first chapter of KA founded above the Mason-Dixon line.
While technically we are the first northern chapter we still are able to keep most of our southern traditions. We have a large portrait of Lee above our fire place (at first glance many yankees that come into our house are like "what is that??". But oh well, they just don't know...)
We also have an "Old South Week" and we do have an "Old South Ball" which we are having in Gatlinburg, Tenn. at the end of April. Convivium is one of the most popular social events on campus and girls are very excited when they are asked as dates. We never forget that we are toasting Robert E. Lee.
I would say the main difference between our Old South Ball is the fact that brothers don't wear confederate uniforms and the girls don't wear civil war era dresses. Just suits and dresses. Unfort. it would be looked down upon in Ohio to wear such a uniform, and many of the girls from the north probably wouldn't understand.
However, during Old South Week the out-of-house brothers do "secede" from the brothers living within the chapter house. (about 50 brothers live in the house and 50 live out-of-house)
It is a great week.
While most of our members are from Ohio many are from the south and several from the deep south. I am personally from Virginia only a couple minutes away from General Lee's original home and my family as a portrait of Lee in our family room.
While we can't keep all of the southern traditions (which is against our desires) we strive to remember our heritage.
Our greek system is large, over 25 fraternities and almost 20 sororities, and while we are one of only a few traditionally southern fratnries (but the only true southern fraternity, I believe SAE is also traditionally southern) we are still considered the best fraternity on campus.
Brothers, our southern legacy does prevail in the north and I hope that we can continue our bonds despite the location of our chapter houses.
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