History of The Lodge

The history of Alpha Pi Delta of Chi Psi Fraternity begins in the spring of 1997 here at N.C. State University. A group of friends wanted to do something that would leave their mark on campus and bind them together long after they had graduated. Discussions about starting a Fraternity began within the group, though little was known about the process. Led by Ryan McGinnis, they talked to Drew Smith, the then current Greek Advisor, about colonizing a new Fraternity on campus. Drew informed the group that Chi Psi was a Fraternity looking to expand in the area. He explained that Donald Beeson, a local Chi Psi, was involved with the colonization at N.C. State and gave them his contact information.

They soon met with Brother Beeson. The group was very impressed with the Chi Psi values and decided they wanted to represent the Fraternity at N.C. State. Beeson became aware of their strong sense of motivation and asked the group to head up Pi Delta Colony of Chi Psi.

The Colony was officially founded in September of 1998 after the rush period had ended. However, they soon suffered a major setback as all but three members of the original interest group withdrew for various reasons. Seven individuals who had expressed interest in becoming the first pledge class were invited to join the remaining three as the Founding Fathers.

The Colony's first Lodge was established when four members moved into a small three-bedroom house on Brent Road in August of 2000. Having a dwelling to hold meetings, dinners, and social events was a huge step for the relatively new Colony, and recruitment was noticeably improved. With eighteen members, the Colony petitioned for Alpha status at the 160th National Convention in Eugene, Oregon during the ensuing summer. The vote to grant Alpha status was the first ever unanimous in the history of Chi Psi Fraternity.



The Brent Road Lodge was sufficient but the Alpha was looking to expand. Therefore, a six-bedroom house became the new Lodge for the 2001-2002 school year. In January of 2003, the Founding Fathers were initiated at the Lodge in Chapel Hill. The Brothers later discovered that the former Delta Chi house on Hillsborough Street had been vacated and was available for rent/purchase. After talking to the owner, the Brothers signed for the house, moved in, and established it as the new Lodge.
Immediately, extensive painting and cleaning with minor renovations took place in order to uphold the Chi Psi tradition of having respectable and orderly Lodges. Interest in this new dwelling greatly increased, and many of the Brothers moved in shortly thereafter. This Lodge served the brothers well until it was decided to move out in the spring of 2009 in preparation for the move to the university's new Greek Village project where they are slated for construction on phase one.
Throughout the year, the lodge serves as a common meeting place for brothers to gather socially and academically. Whether you are coming for poker night, meetings, a grab-a-date, mixer, or homework help, the lodge is an integral part in the development of true Chi Psi brothers. Throughout Pi Delta's history the Lodge has somewhat paralleled the growth of the organization. Last year's second Lodge showed the slow but gradual steps that were being taken to have a more permanent center of the Chi Psi Alpha. The new lodge is an indication of the growth and development of Alpha Pi Delta. Each time we relocate, the lodge grows in size and improves in appearance. Over three years, we have advanced from a small house on Brent Rd. to a location on Hillsborough St, and now we are looking towards the future in Greek Village. The next few years will be an exciting period as an Alpha of Chi Psi.
In 2005 Pi Delta was fortunate to receive the prestigious Founder's Award for most improved Alpha of Chi Psi. This symbolizes our commitment to each other and to the community and we are proud to have this honor bestowed upon us.

A year later, in fall of 2006, we received the Caldwell Cup from NC State University. The Caldwell Cup is the most prestigious award NC State has to offer fraternities. The Lodge has also managed to win Greek Week 3 years in a row starting in Spring of 2005 as well as the coveted first place in Delta Gamma's Anchor Splash in March of 2008.
Chi Psi National History

On May 20, 1841 Chi Psi Fraternity was founded at Union College. 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. 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. 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."

Chi Psi is known by the fact that it extends to only the very best schools. Chi Psi chooses its host institutions by carefully analyzing the student body, the academic standards, the endowment, the faculty, and the alumni activity of the institution. Additionally, the Fraternity extends only to institutions which have sufficient regional concentrations of active alumni to support the chapter.

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.

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 Psis 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.

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 studentās chosen field to provide counseling and to assist them in employment search techniques.

For over 150 years Chi Psi has dedicated itself to refining and elevating fraternal friendship. Concomitant with this realization has been the need to foster more than just friendship by assuming the complimentary role of educator in the name of brotherhood. With its innovative leadership and scholarship programs, small size, committed alumni volunteers, and rich financial resources, Chi Psi looks forward to the challenges of the 21st Century and to maintaining its status as one of America's preeminent fraternities.