Our Founders could not have envisioned what life would be like for today’s college or university undergraduate student.  Nor could they have predicted the ways in which our fraternity and others have grown and the roles we have come to play on campuses throughout the nation.  We have become providers of chapter housing, active members in the communities where our chapters are located, campus leaders actively involved in student governance, community service, athletics and social activities.  We are able to do so because we still recruit to our number those who take the oath of Theta Xi and commit themselves to its principles.

Along the way, we have had our distractions.  The almost constant social and economic changes of the past 147 years and our own growth have, at times, brought us to places where our oath has not directed us to go.  As a fraternity, we have suffered for that, but we need not be afraid to acknowledge those shortcomings if we are honest about them and remain committed to our basic principles of brotherhood, caring and pride in our fraternity, as we pledged in our oath.  If we stay true to our word.

As National President, I am proud to say that at the national level, we are being true to our principles today.  We are staying true to our word.  We are making expectations clear to our chapters and all of our members.  Through our annual accreditation program, our ongoing efforts at education and leadership development through our District Leadership Academies, President’s Academy, Rising Stars Academy and our All True Men program, we are supporting our chapters and our undergraduate Brothers in their efforts to provide a quality Fraternity experience at all our chapters.  We are also holding chapters and individual members accountable when they do not.

We have much to celebrate as we approach Founder’s Day this year.  Later this spring our Gamma Kappa Chapter at the University of Illinois-Chicago will become the eleventh chapter to make the commitment to excellence in becoming an “All True Men” chapter.  Just last weekend, I was honored to preside over the chartering of the Gamma Chi Chapter of Theta Xi at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.  The chapter has 39 outstanding young men as they become the newest chapter in the Theta Xi family.  A wonderful chartering banquet was held following the ritual ceremony, attended by parents, representatives of the University, including the University President, and Theta Xi Brothers from Gamma Alpha at Shepherd University, Eta at Lehigh and Beta Omicron Colony at Clarion.  At the end of April we will be re-chartering the Beta Zeta Chapter at Auburn University.

Finally, it gives me great pleasure to announce that our Executive Director, Brother Jim Vredenburgh, will be honored by the National Inter-Fraternity Conference at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. later this month.  Jim will be receiving the Gold Medal Award for his lifetime of service to the Fraternity movement.  It is the highest honor that can be bestowed by the NIC.  Jim has spent his entire professional life in service to Theta Xi and to the Fraternity movement and I can think of no more deserving recipient.  Congratulations Brother Vredenburgh.  We are extremely proud of you.

As we approach Founder’s Day, I ask each of you to reflect on the principles we pledged ourselves to uphold when we took the oath of Theta Xi.  I ask you to apply them in your daily lives and in the operation of your chapter.  By doing so, we will build a stronger Theta Xi. We will remain true to our word.

Yours in the Bonds,

Don Meringer
I-1093
National President