My Hope for Lambda Chi

Lambda Chi Alpha needs you now more than ever! 

Reed Bonee (Vanderbilt, Gamma-Delta) 

Because of the generosity of many, I had the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of 299,000 brothers whose bond with Lambda Chi Alpha we share. Your financial support is as crucial as ever as our organization looks ahead. 

I grew up in a sleepy little town in Southwest Tennessee and have always felt like I was cut from a different cloth. Many in Savannah, Tennessee, are born, grow up, and never aspire to leave. I knew from an early age that I was destined to do great things and to accomplish those things, I would need to move on from my hometown. This same passion for personal growth and new beginnings is also what led me to join Gamma-Delta Zeta as a founding father. 

The day I received my acceptance letter to study health care policy and politics at Vanderbilt University, I identified May 8th, 2020, as my graduation date and circled it on my calendar. As a first-generation college student, this would be my day to celebrate an educational accomplishment that no one else in my family had attained. Although I could not celebrate with my family, friends, and classmates as I had hoped on May 8th, I know this minor setback is nothing compared to what others have lost to this pandemic. 

While my heart goes out to all those who have been affected, this story is not about COVID-19. This article is about how an organization that changed my life plans to continue serving young men through its quest to become the premier service-learning organization in North America and how your continued support will help Lambda Chi Alpha accomplish this monumental task. 

Imagine a college landscape where at any given time, 20,000 undergraduate brothers were committing themselves to Lambda Chi Alpha’s timeless values, graduating, and practicing our sacred teachings. With your support, over the next decade, we can grow from 10,000 collegiate brothers and make this dream a reality. However, we must start now to realize it. Because of your support, Lambda Chi Alpha will change the world, one brother at a time! 

Doubling our brotherhood and its impact on the world takes resources. Not only does each new expansion effort cost upwards of $40,000 per project, but currently the Fraternity is prioritizing providing every undergraduate Brother with top of the line programming and resources to expand already established Zetas. 

The catalog of resources that Lambda Chi Alpha provides its members is expansive, but our most impactful include: 

• A growth-focused Stead Leadership Seminar for every recruitment chairman and chapter president, where they will learn how to grow their chapters both in quantity and quality. 

• A Zeta Management System that provides a comprehensive suite of tools focused on finances, recruitment, communication, and programming. This will allow our chapters to perfect their operating standards, increase their impact on their campuses and communities, and provide an increasingly meaningful experience for every member of our brotherhood. 
• Strategic partnerships with Up&Up and Dyad Strategies, allowing Lambda Chi Alpha to provide its members with insightful resources like a Future Brother Profile and a comprehensive brotherhood assessment. These tools will help chapters identify the ideal Lambda Chi Alpha member, identifying strengths they can leverage during recruitment. 

To continue to provide the best tools to our brothers, we need your help, and I graciously ask you to contribute. With a gift to the Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation, you will help fund growth during the 2020–2021 school year. Any amount you feel inspired to give will ensure Lambda Chi Alpha’s efforts to grow. 

• $1,000 provides registration, lodging, and a travel stipend for each chapter president to attend the High Alpha Summit and learn situational leadership styles and how to motivate officers to achieve personal growth through goal setting and review. 
• $500 equips a chapter with relevant learning resources and LCA teachings through the online Zeta Management System – meeting our undergraduates where they are at today. 
• $250 covers the registration for four High Zeta officers to attend the 2020 virtual Stead Leadership Seminar. 

After finishing out my senior year from home, I’m genuinely thrilled by the direction Lambda Chi Alpha is heading. I believe Lambda Chi Alpha is positioned to support and grow our chapters better than ever before. We would not be in this position without you. Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do for Lambda Chi Alpha. 

Yours in ZAX

Reed Bonee 
Grand High Nu 
Undergraduate Brother, International Fraternity Board of Directors 
Vanderbilt University Class of ‘20