30 Years Ago …
October 25th, 2005 by Ed Leonard. Popularity: 5%.I’ve never blogged before and it seems appropriate that my first blog entry be dedicated to an event 30 years ago.
October 14, 1975 - I accepted my bid into Lambda Chi Alpha on that day, 30 years ago. I joined Lambda Chi simply because I was on the college swim team, as were several upperclassmen. They recruited me and I joined. I thought it would be fun and the chapter house would be a great escape from the freshmen dorm.
I had no idea how my life would change - or more specifically how Lambda Chi Alpha would change my life. (I’ll share more next spring when we get to the 30th anniversary of my initiation.)
That fall, 27 of us joined Lambda Chi Alpha and we doubled the size of the chapter. Of course, it wasn’t until years later I realized how much power we really had, but none of us realized it at the time. We were a rowdy group and I’m sure the upperclassmen didn’t know what to expect next. That fall, we also pulled some great pranks, which will remain confidential. But most of all we had a great group of role models to serve as our big brothers. Four years earlier, my chapter was under a dozen members and riddled with drugs - on the verge of dying. But a major turn-around was underway and the pay-off was my rush.
I’ll finish by sharing that we continued to grow. We won the first of our four Grand High Alpha Awards my junior year. My senior year we reached a membership of 91 - 1 out of every 7 men on campus were Lambda Chis.
Thirty years later, I give thanks to the brothers who came before me. Who had faith in Lambda Chi Alpha and passion for its welfare - whose hard work grew the chapter from 12 to 54 to 91. Who had hope for a different future and, more importantly, the courage (strength) to make it happen. Most of all, I thank them for extending me the hand of friendship and brotherhood.