THE HISTORY OF DELTA THETA - ZETA
For a brief timeline click here
Looking back to the fall of 1990 we were just a group of young guys trying to get a thing called Lambda Chi Delta off the ground and to charter with lambda Chi Alpha. We never envisioned that it would take five years to do such a task. In the spring of 1992 we colonized with Lambda Chi Alpha, and we realized our work had just begun. The two years we were Lambda Chi Delta would serve as our motivation, strong hold, and drive to obtain our charter. The determination of the "Delta Boys" and the many other committed brothers we gained in the following years made this accomplishment possible.
Lambda Chi Delta was started by a graduate student who was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha from Northern University named Wes Orr, and a freshman at Grand Valley named Brian Weaver. Wes wanted to get a chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha on Grand Valley's Campus. Not being able to set up a Lambda Chi Alpha chapter right away prompted the birth of Lambda Chi Delta. Lambda Chi Dleta generated between seven and ten members that first semester. Those first few months of the fraternity were very busy. The creation of our local constitution, bi-laws, initiation, recognition by GVSU, IFC and Greek Council, and the largest goal: trying to attract the attention from the LCA Headquarters took a lot of work. Due to the lack of members in the beginning, members had to hold more than one office at a time. This was a rough semester!
Our initial contacts with LCA Headquarters were not as easy as we thought they would be. They had no interest in expansion that year, and they would not come up to look at us. LCA had petitions from many other local chapters at other Universities all over the country.
After several rejections to get a representative from the Headquarters to come look at us, Lambda Chi Delta worked only harder on campus and in the community to get the attention of LCA. It was hoped that our achievements and persistence would help us gain the attention of LCA. We had to walk a thin line between being persistent and not being annoying. For example, when we helped build a 250 foot ice cream sundae for a philanthropy event for the Children's Miracle Network, we asked that they send a letter of our contribution to Lambda Chi Alpha Headquarters. We hoped that the more contacts we made with Lambda Chi Alpha chapters, and recognition sent to them on our behalf, the better off we would be. Whenever possible, we would ask Lambda Chi Alpha chapters to mention meeting a group of guys from Grand Valley that were trying to start a chapter on their campus.
After several rejections to establish a colony at GVSU we came to the realization that we may never become Lambda Chi Alpha. We feared stagnation and envisioned that what we started would just die off as members graduated. We realized that we had to become affiliated with a national fraternity in order to continue our dream. We established what we referred to the "National Task Force." They started researching other national fraternities, in the event that we were not able to become LCA. Our "National Task Force" looked at the following criteria in researching a national: they had to be a top ten fraternity, have a Christian based ritual, offer some type of insurance program (we never had insurance as Lambda Chi Delta, and it was an increasing concern), be a national that had other chapters in Michigan, and have an associate member program - no pledging.
The more we contacted other nationals and researched them, the more we realized we would never be satisfied with anyone but Lambda Chi Alpha. We were honored by the interest of other nationals to come to GVSU and give us presentations and try to "rush" us to become their fraternity. We were surprised that other nationals that would send consultants to come look at our University, bue we still wanted Lambda Chi Alpha.
In early February 1992, Lambda Chi Alpha sent a consultant to come look at Lambda Chi Delta and our University. We were all nervous and excited that finally, after two years, we were going to have a chance. We felt that the visit did not go as well as we would have liked, and did not think we would be accepted. in the second week of march we received word that the Grand High Zeta voted to colonize at Grand Valley.
This news was bitter sweet. Internationals would only take the brothers that had the minimum GPA needed to join Lambda Chi Alhpa. If we colonized it meant that five of our brothers would not be able to colonize with us. In a five hour meeting, we voted in favor of going national. In a time were Lambda Chi Alpha was not expanding because of a high commitment to service the active chapters, we were proud to be the only campus colinized by Lambda Chi Alpha in 1992.
The next three years served as a challenge and a period of development. We strived for a commitment ot excellence which is not asked by all Lambda Chi chapters and colonies, but expected.
The following standards had to be achieved before chartering.
These goals were accomplished in the fall semester of 1994. Through the work of the members, and the compilation of the application by Todd Begerow, John Mach, and Brad McClure (The first three presidents of the colony) the Grand High Zeta voted unanimously on February 6, 1995, to grant us our charter. It was an 8:15am call to the Headquarters that former president Brad McClure recalls, "Once I hung up the phone with Todd Helton (Regional Leadership Coordinator at the time), I began calling down the phone list. By the time I had made the third call to John Mach, he had all ready received a call from another brother. I think this was our most successful, and quickest phone tree calls!"
The next few months held the planning of our Chartering Banquet, continuing philanthropies, recruitment, and the general operation of the chapter. On April 8, 1995, we received our charter and were named the Delta Theta - Zeta (chapter) of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Elections came and went, and Jeff Patterson took over the reigns of the chapter. His job along with the chapter was to ensure that our standards did not drop, and that we did not become the stagnant chapter with no goals. We believed that we were incapable of a "slump," and continued operations as normal. We were wrong. Graduation hit us hard, and we needed new members. Fall rush 1995 was a success, and we gained 11 new members. Then the "slump" hit. But we perservered, and with Jeff's, Scott Light's (5th and current president), and our Alumni, we have pulled out of this slump.
The next year faces the chapter with many challenges. Dale Ave-Lallemant has been elected to the position of president, and many members will be graduating. But we are ready for the challange.
Pictures will be added soon of a few of the events held in the past. Check out the pictures page to see past events. Click here.