[These are the remarks I shared with the General Assembly upon my installation as Grand High Alpha.] 

      I am humbled and honored to stand before you as Lambda Chi Alpha’s 22^nd Grand High Alpha.

      I wish my wife and best friend, Sheila, could be here with me.  If God ever gave me evidence of His love for me, it was the day He brought Sheila into my life.

      I would like to thank the Nominating Committee for its service and hard work, and most of all for their confidence in me to lead Lambda Chi Alpha the next four years.

      I would like to thank Epsilon-Nu Zeta at William Jewell College for extending to me an invitation to membership and the hand of brotherhood 30 years ago.

      Lastly, I would like to thank a friend and mentor, our last Grand High Alpha Ted Grossnickle.

“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold. ”

      The precepts and ideals of Lambda Chi Alpha have been planted in each of us.  Yet, for those of us present and for our other chapter brothers, are we producing as brothers a hundredfold, or sixty-fold, or thirty-fold.  Or, are we falling on rocky ground or withering away? 

      The True Brother Initiative will provide to every chapter and to every brother the tools to become life-long, True Brothers.  This program will redefine Lambda Chi Alpha the way Fraternity Education redefined Lambda Chi over 30 years ago.

      Next summer, at the 2007 Leadership Seminar, Lambda Chi Alpha will launch the True Brother Initiative.  You have heard mention of it the last few days.  Eight chapters have been recruited to be test chapters.  The High Pi’s who attended this year’s Advisor’s College have been introduced to it.  Over the next year, we will tweak it and make it better.  Come back next summer to the University of Memphis and learn how you can become a True Brother.

      As I look to the next four years, let me share some of my thoughts with you.

      My VISION is a better, stronger, bigger Lambda Chi Alpha that delivers a purer, higher, ever growing Lambda Chi Alpha Experience …

for our student brothers who pay for the experience; for our alumni brothers who give to make the experience better; for our staff brothers who work to make the experience stronger; and for the institutions who allow us to make the experience possible.

      My OVERARCHING GOALS are five-fold and have in common a return to the fundamentals.  (Remember, the word fundamental begins with the letters F-U-N.  It’s time to put FUN back into fraternity.)

      My first overarching goal for the next four years is RITUAL RENEWAL.  That is, for each brother to become comfortable with what our brotherhood is and the core values upon which our brotherhood is built.

      My second overarching goal is RECRUITMENT.  That is, to teach each brother how to share and talk about brotherhood in the first person, rather than as a “product.”

      My third overarching goal is RETENTION.  That is, to equip and challenge each brother to demonstrate in his life what we profess in our rituals.

      My fourth overarching goal is RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT.  That is, to secure sufficient alumni, staff, financial, information, and technology resources to continually strengthen our bond of brotherhood and support our chapters and brothers.

      My fifth, and final, overarching goal is REPUTATION.  That is, a better, stronger, bigger Lambda Chi Alpha reclaims our place as the Greek-letter world’s preeminent leader.

      To begin having some fun, I’d like to try two new things during my term as Grand High Alpha.  The first is a theme for each year that would focus our efforts for that year.  For 2006-2007, the theme for Lambda Chi Alpha will be, “Pure, High, Ever Growing.”

      The second new idea, in giving focus to that year’s theme, will be the Grand High Alpha Challenge.  Each year a new challenge will be presented by me to each chapter and colony to accomplish over the next year.  In all, the Grand High Alpha Challenge will contain between 4-6 goals for that year.  Each chapter and colony successfully accomplishing that year’s challenge will receive appropriate recognition at Lambda Chi Alpha’s summer event.  For next year, that recognition will occur at the Leadership Seminar at the University of Memphis. 

      The 2006-2007 Grand High Alpha Challenge has six goals.  They are:

1. Recruitment: If you recruited 11 or fewer associates last year, your goal is last year’s number PLUS 4. If you recruited between 12-16 associates last year, your goal is last year’s number PLUS 3. If you recruited between 17-24 associates last year, your goal is last year’s number PLUS 2. If you recruited 25 or more associates last year, your goal is last year’s number PLUS 1.

2. Initiate 90% of the men you associate.

3. Ritualism: The Associate Member Ceremony, Initiation Ritual, and the Ritual for the Conducting of Business Meetings are memorized (and documented by either the High Pi or ELC).

4. Academics: Chapter GPA exceeds the all-men’s average for fall and spring semesters / quarters.

5. Campus Involvement exceeds 90% by the end of the academic year.

6. Member Development: High Alpha PLUS one emerging chapter leader attend Council of President’s meeting AND five brothers/associates attend the 2007 Leadership Seminar.

      These two ideas are intended to allow us to have some fun and to move Lambda Chi Alpha forward in being a better, stronger, bigger organization.  I hope we can utilize the Fraternity’s web site to track each chapter and colony’s progress.  Let’s have fun with it!  Let’s challenge ourselves to be “Pure, High, and Ever Growing.”

      Lastly, I’m excited to work with Bill Farkas over the next four years.  I’ve known Bill since 1986 when, as a junior at Butler University, Bill worked at the Headquarters as an intern.  I’ve watched and mentored Bill during his career.  I look forward to being Bill’s partner over the next four years, which I’m calling Bill & Ed’s Excellent Adventure.

      These next four years WILL BE a great ride … a magic carpet ride.  To paraphrase a song loved by all Lambda Chi’s …

Well, you don’t know what we can find 

Why don’t you come with me true brother

On a magic carpet ride

You don’t know what you can be

Why don’t you tell your dreams to me

Brotherhood will set you free

Close your eyes bro’

Look inside bro’

Let the ritual take you away

      God Bless Lambda Chi Alpha.

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