[lenoxxx]

#1- to Lifesaver, the underground chapter is primarily a northeast phenomenom, in my dealings with people outside my immediate area (PA) they dont even know what I am talking about, poorly run college greek systems and incompetant (sp?) greek advisors and up tight law enforcement has led to many chapters getting tossed, but since the colleges did little or nothing for them anyway, they can go right on operating. The SRU LCA chapter is probably having a better fraternity experience off campus than they did on campus in their eyes.

#2- To GammaZ- too bad we arent TKE or Sigma Tau Gamma, they had underground chapters at Shippensburg and just like you said they just re-recognized them after 10 and 4 years as underground chapters to "new colonies" respectively. Shippensburg is a state university just like Slippery Rock. It can be done, LCA isnt into bending the rules like those two fraternities are, otherwise we'd probably give SRU's chapter an award for perserverance. Personally I side more with them, it gets rid of long term problems. However LCA is very conservative and is probably afraid of some other legal problem it might cause somehow, it's just how they operate.

#3- To Mooch, I agree alot of this aggressive expansion is a bit weak, Kappa Sigma just recolonized at Shippensburg with the new wave of expansions from Kappa Sigma. From what I understand it is a everyone take a bid so we can be the largest fraternity kind of deal. They will most likely fall back to a modest to small chapter once the novelty and support goes away, along with having to actually do something to get letters. Phi Delt at Ship went through the same kind of hype/ fall off from 1999-2002 at Shippensburg

Hope it helps

Lenoxxx

PS- with LCA's website you can download most if not all pertinant officer manuals (except ritual) and you can buy pins and paedagoguses on ebay weekly. While they may lack the official stamp of approval you can do what they are doing and it would appear we (the official LCA world) cant do much about it.