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Associate Membership & Fraternity Education
When Lambda Chi Alpha ended its pledging program in 1972, it was the first fraternity to do so. The Associate Member program was created to take its place. An Associate Member (AM) of Lambda Chi Alpha is entitled to all of the rights and privileges of a fully initiated member. Accordingly, he also bears the same responsibilities as a brother. An AM is prohibited from few things before he is initiated: he may not run for the office of Ritualist (High Phi); he may not serve as the Official Delegate to the General Assembly, and he may not vote on his own initiation or the disassociation of an initiated member. Unlike most pledge programs, however, AMs do not have separate meetings or officers. Indeed, there is no Associate Member Class as the entire concept of the AM program is designed to encourage chapter, rather than class, harmony. That principle also implies that there is no separate dress code or work responsibilities for AMs.
Similarly, the concept of “fraternity education” replaces “pledge education.” The fraternity education program is designed to include all members of the chapter equally. There are no separate tests or quizzes for AMs. The program of fraternity education should be designed to integrate the new member into the chapter as a whole, develop a standard of treatment that treats associate members and initiates completely equally, and should continue throughout a member’’s undergraduate years.
True Brother Initiative
The True Brother Initiative, unveiled at the 2007 Stead Leadership Seminar, is a reorganization of the concept of fraternity education. The Initiative is a conceptual framework, modeled after the U.S. Army’’s Army Values program, that organizes both associate member and initiated brother education throughout their undergraduate years and as alumni. True Brother is an attempt to return to the basic values of our founders focusing on Seven Core Values, the acronym LDRSHIP
Loyalty: Bear true faith and allegiance to Lambda Chi Alpha, your chapter, and your brothers.
Duty: Fulfill all your obligations from associate member and ritual oaths.
Respect: Treat people as they should be treated.
Service and Stewardship: Put the welfare of Lambda Chi Alpha, your chapter, and your brothers before your own. Know that as a brother you hold something of value in trust for others.
Honor: Live all our values and be an honorable man.
Integrity: Do what is right all of the time — walk the walk.
Personal Courage: Demonstrate the courage of your convictions.
Using an eight week curriculum Associate Members focuses on demanding, but not demeaning, development.
The eight week program is meant to ensure that all new members are ready to experience both Pre-Initiation and the Initiation Ritual.
The True Brother journey is designed to support the successful development of young men, understanding the significant developmental tasks of this period of life, maximizing the positive influence of peers and mentors, and moving our brothers towards an increased capacity for self-reflection and self-awareness, empathy, altruism, and intimacy.
This program sets up goals of leadership, stewardship, learning and service, and explicates a range of core values associated with being a true brother, which when pursued, leads toward a better tomorrow for Lambda Chi Alpha.
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