What Brother Hood Means!

[Tom Earp]

Brothers, I would like to take a few moments of your time to share some
thoughts with you. And yes, at the end I¹ll be asking you to donate to the
new house fund. If you don¹t wish to read of my experiences and don¹t want
to be bothered, then I wish you the best in your life. To those who
continue, I talk with you today as a brother.

To understand what I mean, I must share what happened about 16 months later,
November 1971. The army had sent me to war; a war much different than the
ones we¹ve recently been in. This war was unpopular and many reviled the
soldiers. Many people, including friends I had grown up with, didn¹t support
us. Anyway, after a few days in country I was injured and spent the next 18
months in Walter Reed Hospital recovering. The time came when I was to be
released, turned back into society and I had to make a decision on what to
do. I had many options; stay with my family on the east coast (where I had
been recovering); I could go to any part of the country and start my life
over; or I could return to Pittsburg Kansas.

I chose the latter‹return to Pittsburg. Many of you may think I returned to
finish my education, which is partially true. But looking back after almost
30 years I know I returned for more than the education. I returned because
of the boys I knew in the fraternity; Tom, Bob, Ronny, Dale, Mike, Paul,
Bill, John, Tim, Steve, Gary, Greg and 120 others. I knew that most of the
brothers I had started college with, some friendships going back to junior
high, were gone-graduated and starting their professional and family lives.

But I knew the fraternity would be there. I came back because of the
fraternity. I would be able to start over with brothers who would give me a
chance to become their friend & brother without the negative connection of
being a soldier who went to an unpopular war. And the reason I was able to
come back was due to Tom, Bob, Ronny, the members of my pledge class and the
actives that were there in August 1970 and wanted me to be a part of what
they were building. New friends awaited, Bill, Rick, Roy, Howard, Jon, Mark,
Donnie, Chuck, Mike and 50 more over the next several years I was in
Pittsburg. And yes I did receive an education and got a diploma, the first
in my family to do so.

Many of the brothers I¹ve mentioned have remained lifelong friends. I look
forward to seeing them every opportunity I get, Homecoming, Founders Day,
golf tournaments, alumni gatherings, dinner, socials etc. I look forward to
meeting the newer men we have in our chapter Bum, Rodney, Bill, Kerry, John,
Eric and so many more.

I share this with you today, as I know our legacy is about to end, the
chapter house is coming down. The chapter is down to about 15 actives. And
without a new house our fraternity is in jeopardy of closing. We¹re at a
turning point.

I ask, do you want to see another 600 boys have the opportunity to develop
friendships and to grow into men as we did? Do you want the fraternity
experience to continue? Do you want the legacy to live on?

If you answer yes to those questions, then you¹ll make a donation, as I
will today. It won¹t be much, but if we all contribute a little then our
legacy will continue. And young boys, as we once were, will have the
opportunities we were afford as brothers of LAMBDA CHI ALPHA.

We¹ve had many mailings and opportunities to contribute. But, to quote our
founder, THE TIME IS NOW.

There are several ways to contribute. Send a check to the housing
corporation c/o Kent Bumgarner 31 East 52nd Street Kansas City, MO 64112 or
contact Pete Cole via email mailtoetecole@sbcglobal.net
<mailto:Pete%20Cole> if you¹d prefer to establish a draw from your checking
account.


I look forward to seeing many of you next weekend when the physical house
will start its ending journey and a new home will rise to begin a new life.
Also, next weekend is the annual mentoring session which begins Saturday at
3:00 pm.


In ZAX
Ken Smart #99
913-338-0362
12219 Sagamore Road
Leawood, Kansas 66209

The Love is there! This is a Brother that I did not really meet until about 4 years ago!!!!!!!!!!!


It just shows, the Love is still there!