What Makes You Stick With LXA

Tom Earp · #1 11-27-2005, 04:44 PM

In the conversations with Members of other GLOs, I just wonder what makes LXA Brothers So Close?

Is it We Are Brothers For Life?

Is it From The Brothers That We Have Met On Line on Sites Such as GC?

Is it from Brothers We have Met from other Zetas?

Is it from the Great Reports from Brothers of other Zetas that We all Applaude?

Is it from Our Own Zetas and Brothers that We were With and Those That Came Later?

I feel that it is an amazing thing to behold and enjoy!

Brothers (People) That I would Never know, talk to or care about:

Andy, Jono, Kevin, Roy, Matt, Bill, Shawn, and The List can go on!

Thanks for Being My Brother One and All!

GammaZeta · #2 11-27-2005, 05:36 PM

Hi Tom,

Well, I guess I don't really "stick" with LXA, there are no chapters in my area to get involved with, I don't have the $$$ (damn school loans) to travel or donate, and I don't really have the time.

I do however, still love LXA and declare it on a regular basis. I am always on the watchout for our letters.

I do also have great friendships with many of my brothers that I see on a regular basis. In that sense, I do "stick" with LXA though my relationships.

College is probably the most influential, toughest, fun, exciting part of my life. I met the absolute best people, most diverse, intelligent, stupid, people I could have through LXA. The fraternity brought together people of all different backgrounds, goals for a common, shared cause and value.

So by keeping in touch with those people, that is how I continue to stick with LXA, by fostering the relationships I formed through it.

Oh yeah, I took a damn oath as well. Stupid oaths. If it wasn't for that damn oath, I'd be a SAM or TKE right now!!! GUYS I'm KIDDING!!! LOL!!!

JonoBN41 · #3 11-28-2005, 02:11 AM

Tom, I don't know why. Do you?

Perhaps we are Lambda Chi "junkies".

Sometimes I realize I have spent an entire day doing various Lambda Chi stuff and it wears me out. I wonder why I do it. If I had a family, I wouldn't be able to do it.

Lambda Chi is my family. Yes, I do believe that is my answer!

Now if I could just learn to get along with my brothers, everything would be fine (it's that love/hate thing that keeps revolving).

ZAX,
Jono

Tom Earp · #4 11-28-2005, 05:29 PM

GammaZeta, if you did not beleive, You wouldnt be here would You?

Jono, think I will have a Scotch on that!

LXA is Your Family, Yes, I beleive it is as much as it is mine or I wouldnt have done as much for LXA and LX Z

lifesaver · #5 11-29-2005, 05:30 AM

They pay me. Dont they pay you all??

Just kidding. I dont know. I guess faith in the future of Lambda Chi Alpha.

GammaZeta · #6 11-29-2005, 02:49 PM

They have me handcuffed to the radiator on the second floor.

RACooper · #7 11-30-2005, 04:18 PM

I took an oath... and I don't take oaths lightly.

Other than that the sense of friendship and brotherhood that I have seen since I was a wee one - the UofT LCAs used to party at my cottage with my uncle way back in the 70s and 80s...

Actually it is/was because of these "old boys" that I still stick with LCA despite differences with my chapter...

LXAAlum · #8 12-01-2005, 11:49 AM

It's simple. The Ritual changed my life.

Tie that to what my big told me just before initiation "you only get out of something what you put into it," and I still don't think I've done enough to pay back to LXA.

That, and the memories and friends that are brothers to this very day keep me forever indebted. Or, it could just be the overwhelming passion I have for this fraternity.

GammaZeta · #9 12-01-2005, 12:05 PM

You mean that you stick with LXA because of faithfulness, oaths and doing good?!?!

I didn't think I was the ONLY one that IHQ had pictures of with dead hookers in a hotel room.

That crazy IHQ!

ZetaPhi708 · #10 12-06-2005, 02:17 AM

Well, as I sit here trying my best to procrastinate from doing case briefs for Law of Evidence class, I thought I might expound upon the topic of this essay assignment that Professor Earp has assigned us:

Brotherhood comes to mind first and through the power of the internet and GC, I have come to know a lot of brothers from across the country and I look forward to meeting them at GA next summer. We may have our differences from time to time but we still care about one another. That is the power of ZAX.

Our Ritual binds us together all over the world and the Ritual changed my life also. I had no clue what it was all about going into my I week back in 1986 and I would do anything to forget what I know just to experience it again.

Right now, basically, I am at a crossroads on my place within our fraternity. I am a alum brother with a lot of energy and spirit for LXA but have nowhere expand that energy for the fraternity. I guess you could say I have a lot of passion for its welfare. With me being a returning adult undergrad at UTC, I am that rare brother who made the decision not to give up on getting his 4 year degree. Yeah, I voluntarily took early inactive alum status but that was the toughest decision I had to make at the time in 1988. If any of my brothers on here wish to know why I do not help out my home chapter, PM me and I will let you know privately.

Happy Holidays to all of my brothers on GC.....

Yours in ZAX....

Roy Roberts
Zeta Phi 708

lifesaver · #11 12-06-2005, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ZetaPhi708

Right now, basically, I am at a crossroads on my place within our fraternity. I am a alum brother with a lot of energy and spirit for LXA but have nowhere expand that energy for the fraternity.

This is something I have been hammering at staff and board members for the last year and a half. Granted, you are in a unique position as a returning student, but there is no mechanism in place for utilizing the thousands of brothers we graduate each year. They get a fare-thee-well and are sent on their way, only to recieve yearly pleas for money from the foundation and thats it. Its rediculious from an investment point of view. It would be like putting thousands of dollars into a house, only to give it away once you saw that it was worth a lot.

Even if only 20% of borthers wanted to stay active/involved with the fraternity immediately after graduation - that would translate into a guestimated 200 alumni brothers a year.

Among some of the problems:
1. We dont train our undergraduate members to be alumni. (the Advisors College, while an awesome program, is geared towards existing alumni - there's no 'senior year program' or transition program.
2. There's no follow through. I think about 17 of us GC'ers are on one of the 'Centnnial Committee's' that have never met.
There's nothing to do for the alumni who want to get involved - other than the off-the-shelf positions of House Corp, High Pi's or advisors. Many of our chapters dont have Alumni Advisory boards set up. Most High Pi positions are filled and many of the HC's board positions are filled. (an alum gets told, come back in april when we have HC elections....)
3. We dont make it easy or understandable for them to be involved in the inter/national fraternity.
4. There is no targeted communication geared towards recent grads and alums under 35. (its a one size fits all deal - yet the different alum 'publics' have different needs and committment levels that arent accounted for.)

I know a huge part of the reason nothing exists now is lack of funding. I also think part of it is shortsightedness on the part of past staff and board members. Failure to think outside of the box -AND- that BS historical hangup 8741 Founders suffers from; if it wasnt a LXA idea, we want nothing to do with it. The belief that Mason (or Cole, if we are acknowledging his involvment in our founding this particular week) would roll over in his grave if we borrowed an idea from another group. Like it would somehow make us less of an org or something. Maybe (hopefully) things have changed recently, but thats EXACTLY what kicked us in the nuts as an org in the 90's. We havent had a new idea as an org in 15 years(and that comes from a former board member, not me).

Sororities, NPHC groups and some NIC fraternities have had this 'problem' figured out for years. (its called junior circles, or new alumni associations) Yet we stand there watching our investment continue to walk out the door each December and May.

ETA: I guess the above is the essence of why I am involved. I want to make the fraternity better for those who will inherit it. We do have the best product. The best brotherhood. We just need to tweak the administration of that brotherhood. Its a continual process. As I have said before, if any board in the history of the org can deal with the challenges we're facing, its this one.

ZetaPhi708 · #12 12-06-2005, 01:00 PM

Another thought comes to mind: what about young alums who became alums due to their chapter being shut down?

Tom Earp · #13 12-06-2005, 05:50 PM

lifesaver, I cannot agree with You and Roy More!

We become the lost souls of LXA until they want money!

This is just wrong and should be taken care of.

Alums can and will be an important part of LXA as We are Brothers for life or I thought We Were so supposed to be.

I have been on the House Corporation for many Years and Andy, John, Eric, Shawn, Boz, Doc, Jono and others have been for many years have been those who have been doing so much and there are so many who could that have not been asked!

Example:

A Brother who had not been heard from for Years and His Brother, another Brother who Passed, is financing a New House that many of You have heard Me talk about for LX Z.

So, Here is an Alum who has stepped up to the plate as many of us have done and will do.

Alums, Andy, I hope You keep reminding IHQ of this and We are not forgotten! We are The Actual Back Bone of LXA!

Ottor 246 · #14 12-07-2005, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lifesaver

Among some of the problems:
1. We dont train our undergraduate members to be alumni.

I had mentioned to Lenox over a year ago that we should have a program like that for our chapter. It would be a lot easier to retian our membership than to do what we're doing now, which is essentially re-recruiting guys who have already joined years ago. My vision was to have two or three key alumni go back to their own chapter once or twice a year and do a presentation to the undergrads about what he alumni are doing for the chapter, what they could do if more would get involved, and why each of them should consider serving as an alumni volunteer.

When I told Lenox about it, he said, "That's a great idea. Why don't you work something up?" Unfortunately, I have a very short attention span, and between working on the newly acquired chapter house, taking care of my family and attending to my various other volunteer endeavors, I've never gotten back to it.

I did however, have a lovely master slide for my power point presentation. I had hoped to share the presentation and a sample script with other chapters.

Maybe someday...

lifesaver · #15 12-07-2005, 12:14 PM

Absolutely. Its 100X easier to transition our new graduates into the role of active alumni, vs. trying to recruit them into the role. The recent grads are often the ones who have the most time and energy to give; they are still 'indoctrinated' that LXA is something you do for life. THey are used to being involved on a daily basis. They have the fewest comptiting obligations (ususally dont have a family, etc). Their professional jobs are entry level, so they arent running a business, etc. It just makes sense to engage these alums before they are lost.