A history of the end: My experiences in Gamma Zeta and the final years.

[GammaZeta]

Bill 2

I got to know Bill pretty well over the years. He loved and cared for the fraternity, but he really never understood today's generation completely.

The best thing about Bill as high pi, was that he knew he was in an advisory role. He didn't come in and try to run everything, or tell us what to do or how to do it. He let us figure alot out on our own. He let us grow, experiment, and find out what worked best. He knew he was part of Gamma Zeta and LXA, but he also knew that he was an alumni, and that the pain and glory should be for the actives.

Bill was obsessive about records keeping. Which was good and bad in a way. He kept business cards, scrap papers, receipts for $.25 worth of nails, light bulb instructions, EVERYTHING. He was always nagging about getting this and that, which is good, but you really shouldn't be nagging a brother about his class schedule the morning after his 21st birthday at 8:00 am.

I can remember every event, he would bring this rattered tattered 3 ring binder with him. Every event he would hound you and ask what your address was, etc. for the alumni directory. Bill, I just gave you my address last week!

Bill wasn't an angel either. He had his own agenda for Gamma Zeta and there were people that were more accepting of it than others. Bill favored those people. But he always wanted the best for Gamma Zeta.

I remember 1 summer Umass was selling all their old, and I mean OLD office furniture. Sitting on the porch, I see his station wagon pulling a trailers of about 15 desks, 10 tables and dozens of chairs.

I thought to myself: "There goes my day."

I couldn't argue with Bill or make him see that we didn't need rusty old metal desks. There were no use or room for them. It was just easier to spend a few hours moving them into the house and chucking them the next day.

But Bill got things done. He would just nag you until you did it. Sometimes that really was the only way alot of brothers would have pulled their fair share.

Bill also wanted to bring the Umass Greek system into the new age. He advocated for no drinking, hazing, etc., not just in our house but across the campus, especially to the fraternities without those regulations. I remember one hot summer day several years back. Me and some of the older guys decided to come down to prepare the house for move in, rush and to clean. It was hot out, we were all broke. All of a sudden Bill pulled up. He pulled out of his car three big brown bags. I heard the clanking of beer bottles a mile away and came running. There's nothing better than doing work, hanging out with guys on a hot summer day, and having a few drinks while working. Bill had brought us a couple of sixers. So there we were, chugging some bottles, working hard in the summer sun, getting ALOT accomplished now that we had some refreshment. A few hours passed and I looked around. I saw the table where we were putting our empties, and it was pretty full. We've been drinking for a good 2 1/2 hours while working. I asked the other guys, who have also been drinking on pace with me, "Hey guys, do you feel anything?" They looked at me with a puzzled expression, realizing that they did in fact not feel anything. I walked over, grabbed a bottle, and there it was: O'Douls Non-Alcoholic Beer.

Bill was still probably a better brother, being a 70 something alumni, then most of our actives. I don't think he ever got the appreciation that he deserved though. He spent hours upon hours a week helping the house. He was at every meeting. He was at every crisis. He was at every event. Again, that's something I didn't realize until I was out of college.

So guys, consider yourself lucky that you have alumni support. Treat them with respect. They may seem old, out of touch, annoying and old fashioned, but they do know a thing or two. Take the time to get to know them. Listen to them. Let them be involved. Sometimes when they stay a bit too long, or tell a story that doesn't go anywhere, just bite your tongue and smile. Give them the respect they deserved and earned, hell, you may even learn a thing or two.

[Tom Earp]

GammaZeta, so far, I like this piece the best especially about How Alums may seem out of touch but are still there to be of help no matter how at times it can seem miss directed to the new young breed of Active members.

Associat vs Pledge.

The first time I heard that was in 1966.
Brother George Spasyk and I "Discussed" this until the wea hours of the morning. He was there for Colonization of what was to become LX Z in 1969.

[GammaZeta]

Thanks Tom. I know about the whole pledge v. associate thing. We always tried to use associate member and were pretty good at it. But at Umass, where the greek system is probably a good 10-15 years behind the national trend, it's just much easier to talk to other people and say you're a pledge instead of explaining everything.

When I used to sit in class with my pin on, people would ask what house I was pledging. I would nicely explain to them that I was not a pledge, was equal, etc.

So after 5 minutes and the puzzled look on their faces, they would ask again:"What house are you pledging?"

And I would frustratingly say "Lambda Chi."

I never personally thought pledge was ever a bad word. You are "pledging" your loyalty to a fraternity. You can use pledge, you can use associate member, as long as they both encompass the same ideals in the fraternity. That's just my opinion. Usually the term associate members were always used for anything within our fraternity. But if I had to clarify my status to every person that asked about what fraternity I was pledging or how I liked pledging, I would have spent half my day explaining what an associate member was.

I'm curious Tom, what were the arguments both for, and against, changing the terms? Could you tell us a little bit more about that?

[Tom Earp]

Funny you should ask!

I will never forget that night.

George was down for the Colonization and We went to one of the local bars. Yes, we had some beers. The rest of Beta Chi were all there, but not sitting with us, they were lurking wanting to know what was being said between George and My Self. Scared, Hell Yes, I was scared.

The bar closed and We went back to the house @ 12:30 and sat talking about Greek Life. How did you start BX, what did you expect from the members. How do you feel about hazing, the night or early morning drug on.

Geaorge then asked me, do you have Pledges, of course I said.

Well, LXA is changing course and there will be no more Pledges. What are you talking about was my next question. Well,

We are going to have Associate Members.

What is that and why.

It is because of the conotation of Hazing with Pledges. WHOA, We do not allow Hazing in BX and I see no need for any changes. Everyone uses the Termonology Pledge. Who will understand? Everyone will as LXA are trend setters of the Greek World.

I am thinking BS! But it came tpo the point @ 4:300 in the Morning and Geaorge just said, well Tom, that is the way it is going to be and can you live with it!

Of course since we were going to be colonized that morning.

He asked me to pick a Candidate to represent the Local and I did.

He then asked me to be there for Practice in @ 3 1/2 hours so I could observe and explain what was going on.

Little did I know, I was the Practice Guy.

Damn, what an experience, and can only tell you privately when I know who you are!

Yes, to this day, it is still hard, to explain it each time, but, it is well worth it when talking to New Young Possible. We do things different for sure.

LXA is and has been trend setters for many years and I cannot find anything wrong with that.

1909, We are not the Oldies, but, We are the best. We have set many New Presidences for all of Greek Society, they just dont remember them or ignor them.

[GammaZeta]

Great story Tom,

Just so I get things right, you were a member of a local fraternity that was converting to LXA?

Yes, I think we are trendsetters, but does anyone know if the Associate Member trend ever caught on to other greek orgs? Did other fraternities discontinue the use of the word "pledge"?

I'd agree with you though. It's not so much the name of a new member, pledge or AM, but that you treat the person with the respect and dignity they deserve. We were always so afraid of slipping in front of HQ all the time. I think that it should be enforced for ceremonies, national events, etc., but in casual conversation with an ELC, I really wish (excuse my french) that they wouldn't be such tight asses about it. They should be more focused that the AM's are being properly handled and guidelines followed and not so much concerned about slips of the tongue.

I'd say keep the Associate Member term, but just lighten up a bit if someone makes a mistake. I remember ELC's getting really pi$$ed off because someone made a mistake. Instead of coming down on us just for a mistake and putting a chapter on the $hit list because of an honest mistake, they really should just politely remind us the difference between pledge and AM. So much more would get accomplished by focusing on the real problems.

It's really difficult, but we were pretty good at it, in keeping with the AM term. On a campus that is very old fashioned where there are only 10-15 other guys (LXA brothers) using the term AM instead of pledge, it can be VERY difficult. It's alot easier when LXA is a leading fraternity on campus with 70-80 guys. It's also alot easier when the campus is a little more supportive and progressive in it's greek system.

[JoinerLxa]

Yes, some fraternities have adopted "new member programs"
which "are not pledges" though they may have different names
for them. When I received my Pike bid in '86 (I'm getting old),
it formally said "You are invited to accept Associate Membership
in Pi Kappa Alpha", though I've never heard a Pike use the
term "A.M."

ZBT has supposedly gone a step further than us....they
require new members to become fully initiated within
a week (or other short period of time) after accepting their
bid....they "skip" pledgeship/AM-ship totally....though I
think some of their chapters "unofficially" still have a
pledge program (as do some LXA chapters).

Very short pledge periods are not unheard-of....
in fact it was the standard before
WWI. Even early LXA's were supposed to be "fully initiated"
within 3 weeks after taking a bid (that was the early plan),
being "partially initated" in stages during that 3 week
period. They were to begin the first stage as soon after
accepting their bid as possible....probably explaining why
we had no "Pledge Ceremony" before 1939.

Phi Mu Fraternity (for women) calls their new members
"Phis", though I don't know if that's really different from
a "pledge"....they have enough trouble explaining how
they are a Fraternity eventhough they are all girls!

I'm not sure the "new names" make much difference.
We could just as easily have said that "LXA pledges are"
what A.M.'s are today...just used the same term.

I think it was GA 2002 that someone sponsored a bill
to change "LXA Fraternity" to "LXA Brotherhood". Obviously
it didn't pass, and it wouldn't have done any good anyway,
other than causing more confusion. Does anyone really
think that Kappa Alpha is "not a college fraternity" because
they are "KA Order" instead of "KA Fraternity"?? LOL

[boz130]

Point of clarification...the Kappa Alpha ORDER is the younger of the two organizations using those Greek letters; their HQ is in Virginia. Kappa Alpha SOCIETY is located in New York.

As I've understood the differences between the two groups (through conversations @ the NIC Convention), the ORDER consists of chapters south of the Mason-Dixon Line; conversely, the SOCIETY'S chapters are north of the line.

FWIW in ZAX,
BF

[Tom Earp]

GZ, as I have said before, Local Beta Chi, but for only one school year, 9 Months.

Evrything that I designed went by the wayside. But what the heck, it was worth it.

Back then, I got turned down by 6-8 of the Old Line Greek Fraternitys as they were not expanding so they said. It was a State College at the time. May have had something to do with it from the get go.

Very few were expanding in the mid 1960s. There was a local that would have become DSPhi and we won on that note. Only one would be allowed on Campus. We were contacted by LXA and then TX and it was decided to Affiliate with LXA. A lot of thanks must go to Eric Conard who was the TKE Advisor at the time. He and George S were tooth and nail trying to expand at the time as LXA and TKE new the maeaning of expansion back then, and they did. Then the Oldsters decided oops maybe we screwed up and started expanding anew.

There is still a question on who you may be and if you are real. I am just adding this as I have contacted you and still, NADA.

I am glad joinerLXA so stated as I was not aware of anyothers who have changed to Associates. I have no problem with Associates as when it is explained, they have a lot more respect as compared to Being A Pledge. Negative conotation of course as that is what is put in All of The News Media. "Pledges Were this and this happened to them"!

As a writer, you are doing a wonderful job, but still wonder if it is a writer typing or a Brother from reading posts and web sites?

Oh, Kev, you are still young and keep thinking that way!

[JoinerLxa]

KA Society and KA order have no historical connection
with each other....just a coincidence they have the
same name.

KAS chose to remain small (about 1 or 2 dozen active
chapters I think?? no national HQ) and only expanded
in the NE and Canda....I don't think they ever had "policy" of "no southern chapters"...just a policy
of "no more chapters anywhere".

KAO was founded as a southern fraternity that USED
to limit itself to the south, but they have a few
northern chapters now. Just read an article about
KA at Purdue Univ. in northern IN.

P.S. Just checked out their web pages:

KA Order (Southern) has 1 chapter in NJ (Princeton)
and a handful in OH and IN (which are half populated
by x-southerners anyway)

KA Soc. only has 10 active chapters (5 are in
Canada), with four listed as closed.

Interestingly enough:
- Princeton Univ seems to have an active chapter of
BOTH KAS and KAO
- There used to be a KAS (northern) chapter at
U of VA, definitely below the Mason-Dixon

But KAS can still claim to be the oldest general fraternity
still in existence!

[Tom Earp]

Kevin, I will leave the research up to you! For sure!

But, KA # 1 seems to be very selective on expanding and stagnent.

KA # 2 seems to be finally figuring out, if there is no expansion, We Will Die and no longer be.

Mason Dixon Line, I cannot speak for or about. You are the one who can guru this out.

Thanks!

How many people really know what the Mason Dixon line was all about, probably damn few!

It anint about the No/So (Civil War)conflict, but seemed to be used for the dividing line!

[JoinerLxa]

The "real" Mason-Dixon line is just the border between
Maryland and Pennsylvania. In the 1700's, it was surveyed
out from Delware to the mountains by two surveyors named,
you guessed it, Mason and Dixon!

It became symbolic as the border between the northern
colonies (states) and southern colonies....it became
the "nickname" for the "border between north and south"
as we expanded westward.

If you actually extended the true MDL, half of Ohio, IN and
IL would be "in the south".

KAO was founded by "confederates" after the civil war, and
like many southern fraternities, only opened chapters in states
considered to be "confederate". Its arguable whether or
not KY and MO were "rebel", but the KAO considered them
so. They also accepted "new" states which were territories
claimed by the confederates: OK, AZ, NM, KS, etc.
(I think the confederates intended the KS/NB border
to be the "MDL" in the west)

But sometime in the 1900's, they decided to remove that
restriction and to charter chapters in northern states, though
they haven't been as effective as Pikes and others who
followed the same pattern....prolly because they hold
on to the "confederate" theme more than the others.

The KA house at Gtown used to have (maybe still do) a
big sign on the front that said "Home of All Fine Southern
Gentlemen"....which was funny, since most of their members
in the late '80s were football players from Ohio!

KAO is "famous" for its "Old South Week"...they dress up
in confed. uniforms and have a "ball" with the ladies dressed
in hoop skirts. In the 70's and early 80's, the LX's at Gtown
always held a fake "Old North Week" during the same week
just to make 'em mad

[LXAAlum]

Reflections, by George W. Spasyk
Executive Director of Lambda Chi Alpha, 1969-1990
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pledges -- Who Needs Them?
Can Lambda Chi Alpha, or any other fraternity, get along without having pledges? I submit that not only can we, but in the long run we must.

Lest that startling statement shock the reader into thinking that the Executive Director is suggesting a phasing out program which would eventually eliminate fraternities, let me hasten to add that I don't mean we should stop the recruiting of new members -- in fact we must continue to increase our efforts in this direction, and the program suggested in this column is designed to do just that.

Since last summer members of the Grand High Zeta and the administrative staff have been talking with our student members, alumni, and college administrators about many of the problems which confront us as chapters, as an international fraternity, and as part of a fraternity system. Some of the problems are chronic, others are new, as times and students, attitudes and philosophies change. All of them must be faced seriously and knowledgeably if we are to deal with them effectively.

One of these problems is the tragic loss of so many of our pledges who never make it through to initiation. Last year 1,358 LCA pledges did not become members -- about 30% of all men pledged. For some reason I had always felt that more men were de-pledged by the chapters than dropped by their own action. Perhaps this was true at one time -- apparently not anymore.

A study completed last summer showed that 65% of the men de-pledged last year withdrew by their own action. Any thinking member must wonder why, since this represents one out of every five men pledged. After long and careful analysis of the problem, I must conclude that most of them drop out because we're still playing games with them, and they have decided that they have better things to do with their time.

And, come to think of it, why should a bright young freshman (or sophomore, or junior) who has met the entrance requirements of his university, who has perhaps worked all summer to help finance his education, be expected to enjoy a role in which his fraternal status is second class? We expect a pledge to obey every rule (while actives don't); be respectful to the housemother (while actives frequently aren't); light cigarettes; carry matches; say "yes, sir; no, sir"; clean the toilets; and never say anything which offends anyone. In these negative ways the pledge is "proving" himself worthy of membership. Yet if we found a spineless person who would subject himself to such a status of semi-servitude anywhere else in society, we'd be disgusted with him. The problem, as I see it, is that we have been doing an excellent job of training men to be pledges... a role they will no longer have as soon as the training period is over.

In an area which cries out for dramatic changes, we have found many of our student members (and, tragically, some alumni) reluctant to break with tradition. The concept of pledge education vs. pledge training, which we introduced several years ago, has been almost universally accepted, but at the chapter level the transition has been made, for the most part, in the name of the program only, not in practice. While it is true that fraternities have rid their programs, for the most part, of physical hazing, there remain in most programs strong elements of separation between actives and pledges, with sharp distinctions between these two classes of membership.

What I feel is needed is not a new look at pledge education, but a totally different concept of this period between initial acceptance and initiation. In the program which I envision as the type of approach all fraternities must eventually adopt:

There is virtually no distinction between an active and a pledge.
The pledge period is limited to no more than six to eight weeks.
Pledge tasks and pledge work sessions are replaced by chapter work sessions involving both actives and pledges.
Pledges attend at least half the active meetings or a major portion of all chapter meetings.
Pledges are included on chapter committees and are given a voice in chapter affairs.
Pledge class unity is not considered a desirable goal since it tends to create horizontal divisions within the chapter.
Pledges are in no way subservient to active members, and discipline of pledges is handled within the same framework of laws and policies which govern all members.
Instruction of pledges is handled through a series of conferences using the concepts of group discussions, case studies, and individual development, rather than the traditional classroom methods and pledge class organization.
It may well be that the most serious deterrent to the implementation of such a program is the word "pledge" itself, since it has for so long been associated with subservient status in fraternities. Accordingly, LCA has developed this totally new approach into a program which we call FRATERNITY EDUCATION. In which the newcomer is called an ASSOCIATE MEMBER. Jon Nielsen, director of chapter services, has prepared an excellent paper on the program which was enthusiastically received at last summer's management training seminar. In it, he states that,

"While this program allows for a reasonable time of mutual observation, it pursues education of the new member from the standpoint that, since he has been chosen for unique and noteworthy talents and abilities, he can therefore participate with most major membership privileges from the outset and learn the guidelines of fraternal experience by doing. This is complemented by a series of educational conferences which emphasize chapter operations. fraternity history, personal and leadership development.

"At the end of the six-eight-week period, if college or IFC regulations do not permit immediate initiation, he then assumes all membership rights and responsibilities as an active member but must wait until he participates in the ritual to become an initiated member."

The paper concludes that associate membership is best understood as comprised of eight types of experience, some spontaneous, some organized. These include: member influence; participation; conference-type instruction; personal development; behavioral responsibility; academic and intellectual development; leadership development: and individual, unique experiences.

We genuinely believe this concept of fraternity education will appeal to students who are interested in the fraternity experience but who are unwilling to subject themselves to the lengthy, immature, and time-consuming activities which traditionally characterized fraternity pledgeship. Some chapters have already adopted the program in total -- some in part -- others are talking about it and gaining converts. Lambda Chi Alpha can take the lead in adopting wholeheartedly an innovative, imaginative, and exciting program in which each new member is given the freedom to explore his fraternal experience, to discover his talents and abilities, and to develop his individuality. His experience in LCA will be meaningful because it is his.

[GammaZeta]

Great article. I think it's great that we have been on the cutting edge of fraternities.

At Umass, we were the only fraternity that didn't call it's prospective member pledges. I see the points made for the AM name and agree with them, but in certain environments like Umass, I just wish that IHQ would focus more on the way we treated our Am/pledges then what we called them. I remember one brother accidentally slipped up and for the rest of the day the ELC lectured us on how we were supposed to use AM and not pledge. Was that a productive use of time? That's my only complaint. In my four years, not one person ever joined or dropped out because we used AM or pledge.

So to put this topic to rest, I only wish IHQ would focus more on the actual treatment and education of our AM and less on the name.

"A rose by any other name is still a rose."

[Tom Earp]

"In a very real sense, the Fraternity creates a family relationship among its members.

It aims to bring together in an intimate association a group of young men who will be, conginuasl, loyal, and be helpful to omne another during some of the best years of their lives, the college years".

Brother George Spaysk.


So, stop and think, is this true?

Is this what We are doing here?

I think so and that is why I respect My Brothers here on this Site.

[JonoBN41]

LXAAlum,

Thanks for posting that. Can you tell us when it was written? Thanks.

In ZAX,
Jono