The Brotherhood of a Lifetime

Read the testimony of current brothers and learn why they joined Delta Chi.

Why Delta Chi?

We, the members of the Delta Chi Fraternity, have a distinguished history here at Lake Forest. Of any fraternal organization, we have been here for longer than any chapter currently on campus. This offers our members a wide variety of advantages:

• Delta Chi has a strong base of alumni scattered across the Chicago area as well as around the US. These men, despite their graduation, continue to support the organization through financial as well as social support. They represent a powerful network of contacts in almost every discipline which have proven invaluable to many graduating brothers' careers, and are an excellent source of information, tips and advice on life after college.

• Delta Chi offers leadership opportunities and experiences to all of its members in a number of various ways.  Whether it be heading a committee, organizing and putting on an event, or even running an officer position inside the chapter, many of the men who enter Delta Chi without leadership experience graduate with not only the experience of leading in some fashion, but also with the understanding of how to participate in a committee setting and be a productive member of a group.

• Delta Chi is committed to the continued education of our members and to helping them better themselves in ways outside of their specific academic major. The KEY program, Delta Chi's continued education program for members, is a very valuable tool in teaching members the things that they may not be learning on their own in college: things such as scheduling and time management, work habits and support system utilization, as well as broader concepts like ethical learning, career placement and development, social etiquette, diversity issues, and financial planning.

• Delta Chi, in addition to the more "tangible" benefits, also offer social support to its members. In addition to the close knit group of brothers who can be counted on as an emotional support system in times of crisis or simply whenever they're needed, the social networking involved in a fraternal organization helps people who have problems meeting people or who feel uncomfortable in social settings to "come out of the shell". The social aspect of the fraternity helps boost confidence for members, and has worked wonders in helping to keep men who were considering transferring or dropping out at the college.

• Academic support for our members is a very strong motivation for many of the men thinking of joining the fraternity. All of the men who are members of Delta Chi have been through the beginning courses of their majors here at LFC and are an excellent source of information; whether it be advice on which course to take, which professors to avoid, or homework and exam help, the Brothers of Delta Chi represent almost all of the disciplines here at the college and are always willing to help a Brother.

• Delta Chi's brotherhood is non-denominational; based originally on the principles of upholding the law of the land, the fraternity continues to this day to stand for the ideal of justice for all. As such, Delta Chi is a secular fraternity; nothing that the Fraternity does promotes one religion over another, and all religions, races, sexual orientations, cultures and political affiliations are accepted unconditionally. 

Why Greek?

Many people, when faced with the choice to join a Greek organization, are skeptical of joining. And with good reason: the media and popular culture portray Greek organizations in a poor light. But the fact of the matter is that these representations are very far from accurate: the popular depictions are simply un-realistic and were designed for their entertainment value, not for their accuracy. For the majority of colleges, the negative fraternity and sorority view, like those depicted in Animal House and Revenge Of The Nerds have gone the same way as parachute pants and the word "groovy".

Greek organizations across the country have been known for a long time now as powerful social networking aids, and have transformed from closed off cliques to service orientated, interconnected communities. The typical member of the Greek community is right next to you: just another man or woman who attends your college. And you could be one too, without changing anything about yourself.

Social fraternities and sororities offer a number of advantages over other student groups like sports teams and academic groups.

• Not many fraternities or sororities have special pre-requisites. Those that do exist are rather basic, and include being a full time student, in good academic standing, having a relatively good disciplinary record, and being a good member of the community.

• Greek organizations don't start and end with a season, and you're not kicked out if you change your major. And benefits of the Greek communities last beyond the field or the classroom; brothers and sisters maintain a strong bond that persists all throughout and after college.

• There is no pressure to perform at any expected standard, and there is no jockeying for positions. Officers are nominated and voted on, and there are no MVPs; everyone holds an equal standing in the eyes of their brothers and sisters.

• There is much more independence: meetings are run by fellow Greeks, not by a professor or coach. This gives the members a chance to experience the role of a leader, and to have the chance to make real decisions affecting their fraternity or sorority.

• Greek organizations allow you to have access to a greater range of activities and opportunities for social interactions than most other student organizations. Part of being a member of the Greek community is having multiple opportunities to interact with other members of the Greek community.

Recruitment and Rushing process

Recruitment, often known as rush, is an informal process of recruiting men join us in the Lake Forest Chapter. It is an ongoing process by which Brothers seek to strengthen the chapter by recruiting the best and the brightest members of the college community to join the ranks of the Brotherhood. If you're curious about becoming a Delta Chi, simply ask one of the Brothers; we're always willing to answer questions about the Fraternity and the chapter on the campus.

There is also a Facebook group where men in the community can sign up to be informed of events that the Brothers are hosting. We host a number of events during the year which all are invited to attend: whether you are curious about joining, want to see Greek life, or are simply bored, you're more than welcome to join the brothers of Delta Chi in a rush activity. 

Once a young man has been selected as a man that we, the Brothers, would like to welcome into our ranks, he will formally receive a bid. After being given a period of time to consider whether fraternity membership is right for him, the man will be asked to return the bid to us so that he can be instructed on how to participate in a formal Pinning Ceremony. It is there that the young man will given a pin that symbolizes his dedication to the Fraternity, and will be admitted into the Associate Member Education Program (AM program).

The Associate Member Process (AM Program)

The AM program for Delta Chi is different from that of a lot of fraternities. Associate Members are not "pledges"; they have the same rights and privileges as the rest of the Brothers, with the only exception being that they will not be told the secrets of the Fraternity until they have finished the education process.

The focus of the AM program is to educate AMs about the finer points of the Fraternity and general Greek life in order to bring them up to speed with the rest of the Brothers. There is no national test at the end of the program that determines membership; instead, it is the perceivable effort a man puts into the program along the way that will determine whether or not he is admitted.

AMs are taught about the history of the Fraternity and the chapter, the ten basic expectations of a Delta Chi, and the Fraternity preamble. Additionally, they learn about the campus Greek organizations, history of Greek life on the campus, and about Greek life in general.

One thing that makes Delta Chi prides itself in is its members. As a result, in addition to the education that we give the new members, we aim to help make them more productive members of the college community. The AMs get to meet the members of the faculty in a relaxed, comfortable setting, giving the men a chance to meet the people who make the policies that effect campus life. Such visits have included the Dean of Students, Director of Residence Life, and even the College President.

The AM program is a dry program, even for the AMs who are of legal age to drink. In a nation where the college culture encourages misuse of alcohol and drugs, Delta Chi takes great pride in standing up against this trend and setting a good example for the community at large. If an AM is found to be abusing alcohol or drugs of any type, it is grounds for expulsion from the program.

Big Brother Program

One of the best and most important part of the AM program is the Big Brother program. Every AM chooses the Brother that they feel the closest connection to, and if that Brother is available and accepts the responsibility, then he takes the Associate Member under his wing and becomes like a mentor to him. This has a great number of advantages to the AM: in addition to a mentor and a close friend, he is able to receive advice from someone who has gone through the AM program before and knows what to expect. The Brothers act as more than a resource: they are a close friend during a difficult process, and will stick by the AM to give encouragement, support, and an open ear whenever it is needed of him. 

AM Projects

Additional parts of the program include an organized community service event, a fund raising event, and a lounge improvement project funded by the chapter. The Community Service Project is organized by the men of the AM class, and can be benefiting any organization of the AM class's choice. Previous community service projects have included reading to the public school kids of the surrounding area and organizing and running the Fraternity's Turkey Bowling event, benefiting the V Foundation.

The Lounge Improvement Project is an open-ended assignment that asks the men of the AM class what changes they would like to see in their Fraternity's Lounge, and then challenges them to follow through on their idea. While the idea for the improvement comes purely from the AM class, any funding and tools needed for it comes from the chapter. 

The Fundraising Event is generally the most difficult project for any AM class. It is an opportunity for the AM class to give to the chapter they are members of, helping them to defray the cost of dues as well as fund events for recruitment and Brotherhood. There is no minimum requirement of funds needed to be raised; however, it is expected that the men of the AM class give this project their best effort, both in coming up with and executing their fundraiser. 

A Word on Hazing

Delta Chi was the first Fraternity to abolish "Hell Week" in 1929, a traditional period of brutal hazing that initiates would have to undergo before being accepted into fraternities. We are very proud of this tradition of upholding human dignity, and therefore refuse to participate in activities that can be abusive, offensive, or derogatory to our AMs. We also work closely with the school and the administration to insure that our educational program does not contain any activities that could be harmful to our associate members and does not fall within the school's hazing policy.

Additionally, the Associate Member program strictly adheres to Delta Chi's national policies concerning hazing, as well as the Lake Forest Chapter's Bylaws forbidding hazing. Finally, all new members are given absolute freedom to either not participate in any activity they wish, or quit the program at any time for any reason.

All members of the AM class will be given a lecture from a Resident Life administrator informing them about the school's hazing policy, followed by a video and a Q&A session to ensure that all participants understand the policy.