An email I received

[Albert109]

Dear Undergraduate Brothers and Alumni:

The Board of Directors for the Lambda Chi Alpha Alumni Association of Tampa Bay ask that you take a moment and read the following request for your support. We have submitted the following Resolution entitled A Mandatory Resolution Regarding Chapter Rights to Due Process for consideration at the 2008 General Assembly. With an unprecedented 37+ chapters closed within the last 10 years any loopholes, Article XI Section 6, within the Constitution that may deprive individuals of their timely due process need to be investigated and need to be corrected.

We believe that Undergraduates and Alumni are unaware on how Article XI Section 6 is currently being used by our National Staff Members. It is being used within a practice that they call “Burn and Turn”. Basically it is easier for Staff to close your chapter indefinitely than to take the time to properly investigate allegations, work with undergraduates, and work with Alumni. By closing the chapter no one is found guilty and no one is found innocent. During the implementation of Article XI Section 6 members have no right to assemble, members have no right to counsel, chapter operations are suspended so the chapter is not recognized, National immediately asks the chapter to turn over all money, and the only opportunity for appeal is offered every other year at General Assembly. If anyone questions the charges National staff threaten with Revocation based on reports of rouge chapter activity.

The practice of “Burn and Turn” has no place within our fraternity. The practice does not solve any problems that may truly exist within the chapter. No one is found guilty of a charge, those that are innocent are punished by the loss of their chapter, those guilty are rewarded by becoming Alumnus upon graduation, and Alumni are disenfranchised since their chapter is closed without the opportunity to get involved or have input.

We hope that you will seriously consider supporting the following Resolution personally by writing National, by having your local chapter officially submit the resolution to National, and by sharing this with others.

Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity
Attention: Dr. Ed Leonard III
8741 Founders Road
Indianapolis, Indiana 46268-1389

Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity
Attention: Committee on Constitution
8741 Founders Road
Indianapolis, Indiana 46268-1389

Let us send a message to the people that are paid $130,000 a year to serve the members and Alumni not to continue seeking ways in which to hide the light of Lambda Chi Alpha by continually extinguishing Zetas. We look forward to hearing from you and your support.

A Mandatory Resolution Regarding Chapter Rights to Due Process


WHEREAS, the ritual, constitution, and statutory codes of Lambda Chi Alpha are predicated on Brotherhood, fair and impartial judgment, and the right to due process within a timely manor and

WHEREAS, Chapters are the life of the fraternity and should be cultivated and cared for and

WHEREAS, Chapters themselves should have the same rights as the members within them and

WHEREAS, ARTICLE XI, Section 6 entitled Declaring a Chapter / Colony Inactive does not provide a Chapter, its active members, or alumni with the basic rights granted members of the fraternity under Article X of the constitution and

WHEREAS, a Chapter placed within such state for a protracted period of time causes irreversible financial and emotional damage to the Chapter and

WHEREAS, the executive administrative staff of Lambda Chi Alpha is promoting a culture that is in direct conflict with the teachings of our Fraternity by practicing such tactics as “Burn and Turn” in which ARTICLE XI Section 6 is used to close a Chapter and circumvent the requirement to provide Chapter members and Alumni the due process that is called for within Article X of the constitution.

BE IT RESOLVED that within 48 hours of the enactment of ARTICLE XI, Section 6 the Chapter’s Housing Corporation and Alumni Association shall be contacted and actively engaged.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that within 60 days of the enactment of ARTICLE XI, Section 6 all members of the Chapter shall be tried in accordance with Article X by the national office so that individual innocence and individual guilt and punishment can be issued. The member(s) from national must be Alumni for a minimum of 5 years or in an executive leadership position.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if a majority of the membership is found guilty then such actions against the Chapter as remaining inactive, being placed on probation, suspended, or revoked can be rightfully considered.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it is national’s responsibility to ensure the proper inventorying, safekeeping, and storage of all chapter belongings once a Chapter has been made inactive, placed on probation, suspended, or revoked.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the national office’s and Grand High Zetas’ objective and directive should be one in which every effort is made to ensure that the innocent are cleared, the guilty are punished, and that the continued existence of the chapter is in the forefront.


The hundreds of Brothers and thousands of Alumni of the following chapters have no say in the future of their chapters. Will you have a say in the future of yours?
Arizona, Zeta-Beta (inactive since 2000)
Arizona State, Zeta-Psi (inactive since 2003)
Arkansas Tech, Phi-Zeta (inactive since 2006)[1]
California–Berkeley, Mu (inactive since 2006)
California–Los Angeles, Epsilon-Sigma (inactive since 2000)
California–Santa Barbara, Zeta-Eta (inactive since 2004)
California State–Chico, Phi-Chi (inactive since 2003)
California State–Fullerton, Phi-Epsilon (inactive since 2006)
Fresno State, Iota-Gamma (inactive since 2003)
Colorado, Gamma-Mu (inactive since 2005)[2]
Colorado State, Gamma-Pi (suspended since 2000)[3]
Calgary, Delta-Zeta (inactive since 1993)
North Florida, Delta-Alpha (suspended since 2006)[4]
University of South Florida, Lambda-Mu (suspended since 2006)[5]
Georgia State, Delta-Epsilon (inactive since 1995)
Georgia Southwestern State, Sigma-Sigma (inactive since 1990)
Southern Tech, Sigma-Xi (inactive since 2001)
Idaho, Epsilon-Gamma (inactive since 1998)
Western Illinois, Beta-Tau (inactive since 1998)
Southern Illinois, Delta-Chi (inactive since 1998)
Bradley, Kappa-Upsilon (Recolonized September 2007)
Northern Illinois, Phi-Omicron (inactive since 2003)[6]
Ball State, Iota-Alpha (inactive since 2004)
Indiana State, Iota-Epsilon (inactive since 2002)
Vincennes, Sigma-Alpha (inactive since 1995)
DePauw, Xi (inactive since 1995)
Morehead State University, Beta-Lambda (inactive since 2006)
Massachusetts, Gamma (inactive since 2003)
Grand Valley State, Delta-Theta (inactive since 2006)[7]
Missouri State, Beta-Psi (inactive since 2003)
Montana State-Bozeman, Epsilon-Delta (inactive since 2002)
New Mexico, Zeta-Mu (inactive since 200?)
Syracuse, Alpha-Upsilon (inactive since 1997)
Alfred, Kappa-Sigma (inactive since 2002)[9]
North Carolina State, Gamma-Upsilon (inactive since 1998)
Methodist, Sigma-Theta (inactive since 1991)
Dayton, Sigma-Eta (inactive since 2003)
Widener, Beta-Chi (inactive since 200?)
Indiana-Pennsylvania, Beta-Gamma (inactive since 1994)
Mansfield, Beta-Omega (inactive since 2003)
Bloomsburg, Beta-Xi (inactive since 1990)
Drexel, Epsilon-Kappa (suspended since 2006)[10]
Washington & Jefferson, Gamma-Zeta (inactive since 2000)
Susquehanna, Iota-Eta (inactive since 1993)
Lock Haven, Lambda-Gamma (inactive since 2000)
Slippery Rock, Lambda-Xi (inactive since 1991)
Tennessee Tech, Beta-Mu (inactive since 1991)
West Texas A&M, Iota-Xi (inactive since 200?)
Stephen F. Austin State, Sigma-Omicron (inactive since 1990)
Texas Wesleyan, Sigma-Zeta (inactive since 2003)
Texas A&M-Commerce, Iota-Kappa (inactive since 1991)
Texas Tech, Sigma-Nu (inactive since 2000)
Richmond, Alpha-Chi (inactive since 1999)
Glenville State, Beta-Beta (inactive since 1991)
Marshall, Zeta-Zeta (inactive since 200?)
Wisconsin-Whitewater, Lambda-Iota (suspended since 2005)[11]

Please contact us at LCAAATB@aol.com with any questions or comments.

In ZAX,

Board of Directors
Lambda Chi Alpha Alumni Association of Tampa Bay
LCAAATB@aol.com

I got this email on our chapter's email address (lxa@stlcop.edu); has anyone else here gotten this message? What does everyone think? (I'm sure GammaZeta has an opinion on this one.)

ZAX,
Adam

[Tom Earp]

Have not seen it until now and is pretty scathing towards IHQ and our leaders there.

I will not go into it further.

I just wonder if there is smoke, is there fire?

I hope none of it is true but a lot of Zetas have been closed in this period of time let alone many others over the years.

[HONKY660]

I bet the Lambda Chi Alpha Alumni Association of Tampa Bay is made up of the members of Lambda Mu Zeta at the U. of South Florida who was closed recently for hazing or something, and believed they were wrongfully accused of hazing by AM's who were disassociated, and they felt they didn't get due process to prove that they were not hazing. I saw it in a article a while back, from what I remembered, LMZ at USF was the top fraternity on campus.

[JonoBN41]

It's not very well written, and I don't support anything that's not very well written.

[Bilski]

I received this email as well. I believe it was sent to all chapter presidents or their chapter email addresses. I'm at least glad to see someone has the foresight to mass distribute proposed legislation well before GA. I haven't formed an opinion on this bill yet, but I like that it was distributed ahead of time. I hope the rest of the GA's legislation can be reviewed before showing up in July.

[lambdaindenver]

Without examining the proposed legislation carefully, I know that it would not have mattered for at least two of the schools on this list. When the Colorado State University chapter was closed, that University's message was very clear - the president of the University had decided that the Lambda Chi Alpha chapter was no longer welcome on that campus and was to be closed immediately. At the University of Colorado, after two very poor recruiting years, the undergraduates elected, on their own accord, to close the chapter and return the charter. In neither situation would the legislation have any meaningful impact.

[33girl]

Pardon my crash, but if their bone of contention is the amount of chapters closed in the last 10 years, the list needs to be those chapters only, not including ones that have closed as far back as 1990-91.

[Tom Earp]

I am still not sure of what is going on, the list that was given has happened over I think it said 10 years.

I know for a fact that there were 3 Executive Directors including Bill Farkas at the moment, Tom Helmbock, and Kip Zurker being the previous two.

In going over the listing, I see some that I am familiar with some that have been suspended because of Risk Management and rightly so.

One that sticks out was Alfred in NY, but the school banned all Greeks on the campus.

I think, we must all look at this with an open eye to see what is true and what is not true. We must also look at who is promoting this and why.

I would like more information before speculation.

[LXAAlum]

Originally Posted by lambdaindenver

Without examining the proposed legislation carefully, I know that it would not have mattered for at least two of the schools on this list. When the Colorado State University chapter was closed, that University's message was very clear - the president of the University had decided that the Lambda Chi Alpha chapter was no longer welcome on that campus and was to be closed immediately. At the University of Colorado, after two very poor recruiting years, the undergraduates elected, on their own accord, to close the chapter and return the charter. In neither situation would the legislation have any meaningful impact.

CSU still a thorn in my side...no evidence, no charges, but, since it made state and national TV news, I could see no other option but suspending the charter either...but you're right, for either CU or CSU, this resolution wouldn't have righted either situation.

I for one would not want to see LXA try at CU or CSU at the present time - both campuses are vehemently anti-greek, and will be for some time, unfortunately this is mainly the greeks fault themselves, but still....time will have to pass first.

[LXAAlum]

Alumni are disenfranchised since their chapter is closed without the opportunity to get involved or have input.

That is very misleading, or at least an unfortunate choice of words...I have been involved with several different chapters over the years, all the while being an alumni from a closed chapter (Sigma Omega, which was inactive for 12 years or so - rechartered in 2001)....

[boz130]

Point of clarification: To my knowledge, Brother Zurcher was never Executive V.P. -

[docroc67]

Brothers,

Check under the "Update From the Executive Vice-President" article in this month's C&C magazine.

It seems the boys from Florida have "notched" things up a bit.

Yours in ZAX,

Mike Raymond

[docroc67]

Brothers,

I just posted an e-mail at our C&C Magazine site requesting that our Executive V.P. or the Grand High Zeta explain what is meant by the term "burn and turn."

I have never heard that expression before this posting.

I sure hope that our IHQ can explain what this is all about - a bit of a mystery to me.

But I trust that they will explain their actual practice as opposed to this "burn and turn" idea put forward in the original posting.

Yours in ZAX,

Mike Raymond

Originally Posted by docroc67

Brothers,

Check under the "Update From the Executive Vice-President" article in this month's C&C magazine.

It seems the boys from Florida have "notched" things up a bit.

Yours in ZAX,

Mike Raymond

[docroc67]

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

It's not very well written, and I don't support anything that's not very well written.

I have to agree with Brother Jono.

But, I would like to hear from the other side.

Just what is going on here?

Yours in ZAX,

Mike Raymond

[Albert109]

I too am interested in this phrase. Is it something that HQ actually uses? If so, what do they mean? Or is it rather something that the writers of this legislation created to sway opinions? It appears this letter has sparked something heated.