Joining a National Fraternity
On February 19, 1983, the selection committee chose Chi Phi by unanimous vote. Preparations were made by the national fraternity and the alumni for the genesis of the national fraternity's newest colony. An affiliation agreement was drawn up and approved, and the Phi Lambda Theta code was revised to include provisions for inclusion of a national fraternity.
The fraternity house had been occupied by a few brothers and many non-fraternity university students. One man, the resident assistant of the house, Steve Gyrsting, had shown interests in beginning a new fraternity to be based in the old Phi Lam house. According to the agreement, all Phi Lam brothers were elevated to alumni status.
Once Chi Phi was selected, the assistant national director, Jonathan "Duke" Lee held interviews of young men on campus. An interest meeting was held in the fraternity house and was chaired by Duke and Steve. The group continued to meet on a weekly basis until a solid core group of men, mostly freshmen, was established. A majority of the freshmen were from the fourth floor of Trax Hall. Two members of the group, Jay Broshkevitz '85 and Dave Klimes '85 had been pledges in the last pledge class of the Phi Lambda Theta Fraternity. That spring, 17 men were pledged into the fraternity, with Duke Lee presiding over the ceremony. A composite was made and was hung in the house. Plans were made for the first "Hell Week."
Campus acceptance of the new fraternity was immediate and widespread. Men brandishing their new Chakettes were often allowed into other fraternity parties without waiting in line and even without paying the common admission fees.
Elections took place for this band of pledges. Steve Gyrsting was the undisputed leader and the first Alpha. John Giannetti was elected Beta, while Dave Klimes, Rick Hess, Jay Broshkevitz, and John Lindenthal were elected Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta respectively. The group continued to hold weekly meetings, which often lasted four hours or more.
After exams, the entire group stayed for a solid week; of house clean up. Long meetings were held each night. Rush parties were planned, large-scale social events like Cell Block C, Castle Chi Phi, and others were developed and planned. The group wondered when they would be initiated into the brotherhood, each hoping it would occur before the end of the week. All such hopes were crushed when word came from national that arrangements could not be made with another chapter, so the members of the group went their separate ways for the summer, all remaining pledges.
One brother, Rick Hess '86, did not remain a pledge the entire summer. Rick attended the Chi Phi national convention hosted by Steven's Institute of Technology, and was initiated while Congress was in session. He thus became the first initiated brother of the Phi Lambda Theta chapter of Chi Phi.
When the men returned from summer, they discovered that the Alumni had arranged for Duke Lee to spend the entire academic year living in the house, to ensure proper supervision and growth. Plans were made for the six-week, first semester rush. Rush began, and all but one of the brothers were still pledges. Then one night in late September, the group was told to drive to Penn State for initiation. That evening, September 25, 1983, 15 men were initialed into the Fraternity. Rick Hess participated in the ritual performed by the Brothers of Alpha Delta. Invigorated, the new brothers had a successful rush, and pledged 15 new members. The successful rush meant the colony could qualify for chapter status that spring.
Whereas Steve Gyrsting built the fraternity's character, soul, and identity, the second Alpha, John Giannetti, built it's organization and ritual. Weekly executive committee meetings were held, and the fraternity designed and acquired all necessary ritual equipment. Early in the semester, George Kinsey '85, who was studying in Europe the previous semester, was initiated, and thus became the first initiate of the Phi Lambda Theta chapter of Chi Phi. In March, the colony was finally granted chapter status at a dinner held in their honor in the Bucknell Terrace Room.
The group initiated many projects, including an idea generated by Frank Duplak '86, to hold an area Special Olympics. Frank known for his paternal, fun loving, and appealing personality, came to be known by all as the "Father of the Fraternity. "Frank and John Lindenthal '86 chaired the first Special Olympics event, which was a great success.
Frank became the next Alpha, and was the first of six Alphas presiding over a three-year stretch in which the Phi Lambda Theta chapter won Chi Phi national's most coveted award, the Gehring Award for Chapter Excellence.
During homecoming, 1984, Thomas R. Deans and four other Phi Lambda Theta Alumni, were ceremoniously initiated in the name of all past Phi Lambda Theta Fraternity members. Thus the cycle was complete. What was once only Phi Lambda Theta then also became Chi Phi, in the same way that all Chi Phi brothers at Bucknell are also initiated into Phi Lambda Theta.
The tale of this Fraternity is not yet complete, and there will be many more pages to add in years to come. What becomes important and what becomes forgotten is determined by the individuals involved, whether in the active chapter or in the alumni, for it is within the moments of their brief lives that their portion of the enduring Fraternity's history is lived.