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From its founding, Chi Psi has had a uniqueness that has persisted throughout its history particularly because it has sustained an innovative tradition. This innovative spirit has spawned many firsts in the fraternity world.
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Traditions -
A Fraternity of Firsts
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On May 20, 1841 Chi Psi Fraternity was founded at Union College, New York. While it was the eighth fraternity in the country and the fifth to be founded at Union (Union College is known as the "Mother of Fraternities"), it was the first to emphasize the fraternal and social principles of a brotherhood, rather than the literary characteristics of existing societies. |
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Traditions -
A Fraternity of Firsts
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In 1926, Chi Psi anticipated the enormous educational pressures that would begin to bear on college undergraduates and as a result the Fraternity undertook the first Alumni subscribed Educational Trust Fund in the fraternity world. A unique outcome of this first fund drive was that almost 50% of all living Chi Psi’s contributed to the effort. Also, in less than five years the Trust fund had received approximately $565,000, an astonishing figure especially given the fact that the drive was conducted at the height of the Depression! This fund now maintains manageable assets of approximately $2 million in addition to each chapter being required to have its own independent educational foundation. The Trust has been responsible for providing innovative leadership programs and generous fellowships and scholarships to fulfill the needs of undergraduates. |
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Traditions -
A Fraternity of Firsts
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Our latest "first" revolves around leadership training. In 1990 Chi Psi became the first fraternity to offer a National Leadership Training Program (NLTP) to every undergraduate Brother. Although other fraternities have offered leadership programs, their training has been restricted only to elected officers of each chapter. The Chi Psi Educational Trust realized the need to offer all undergraduates a sequential four unit program that coincides with the four years of college. The result is a comprehensive four year National Leadership Training Program that begins with the freshman's introduction to college life and study requirements, then turns to self awareness, moves to group and community leadership skills and concludes with career guidance in the senior year. The benchmark of the final career guidance unit is the mentoring program. Seniors are matched with alumni mentors working in the student's chosen field to provide counseling and to assist them in employment search techniques. |
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Traditions -
A Fraternity of Firsts
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In 1846 Chi Psi Fraternity was responsible for constructing the first fraternity house in America. The undergraduates at the University of Michigan constructed a log cabin in the woods in Ann Arbor to provide a meeting place for the Fraternity, as the faculty was then hostile to secret societies.
The undergraduates dubbed the cabin "the Lodge" and this tradition has continued today as all Chi Psi chapter houses are called "Lodges." |
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Traditions -
A Fraternity of Firsts
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To properly oversee the chapters, Chi Psi developed the first consultant program in which full time professionals of the Fraternity visit each chapter to ensure that the undergraduates adhere to the ideals of the fraternity. Today, this program is a standard practice in the fraternity world. Chi Psi has still remained unique, however, in conducting this standard program. Whereas other fraternity consultants visit 60 to 70 chapters a year, Chi Psi's consultants visit no more than 15 chapters allowing for thorough and effective visits due to the small size of our intimate association. |
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