As expectations are double-sided, there are rights or privileges of membership and obligations or responsibilities of membership, as well.  These rights and obligations tend to increase the longer you belong to and serve the organization.  What are some of the privileges of membership?  Just what does Chi Psi offer?  From its founding in 1841, Chi Psi has always sought to offer a special type of experience that is not provided in the classroom.

Safe Environment – Without a supportive, caring, forgiving environment, none of the rest of fraternity can take place.  Without a safe place to come home to, Brothers can not take risks, share their innermost thoughts and feelings, and try new experiences.  A safe environment and atmosphere is the cornerstone of trust.

Leadership – Leadership is learned largely outside the classroom.  Chi Psi is committed to encouraging opportunities for individual and collective self-government.  Through offices, committees, athletics, community service, and educational programs, you have the opportunity to develop and exercise your personal leadership skills within the environs of the Fraternity.  Additionally, Chi Psi offers formalized leadership training programs at the Alpha and national level, ranging from the Alpha Management retreat and the Program for Self Development to the Spencer Leadership Institute.

Network of Support – Your undergraduate college years may be your first time away from home, but as a member of Chi Psi, you are not alone.  Your undergraduate Brother will offer guidance and support in any situation, and the Alpha Delta Delta alumni and the National Fraternity are on your team.  Take advantage of their support.

Character and Values – The Chi Psi ritual is essentially a system of values.  As our values statement notes, “The extent to which these values are practiced is the measure of our fraternity… Chi Psi is committed to the growth of the individual in a social environment which nurtures integrity, dignity, and maturity while enjoying shared experiences and college sociability… Chi Psi is a unique brotherhood which forges a lasting bond transcending self-interest and unlimited by time or place… Chi Psi stands as proof that commitment to mutual assistance in these shared values, given in youth, does not alter or diminish with age.”

Teamwork – Alpha Delta Delta is self-governed within the national framework.  You will have the opportunity to work with others in the Alpha in a democratic manner, where your group’s success or failure is very much in the hands of you and your Brothers.  You will live, learn, and cooperate in an environment that you have helped to shape.  The teamwork and personal interaction you learn at the Lodge will stay with you long after graduation.

Commitment – Your commitment to goals, both at the personal and Alpha level, will lead to your involvement in the life of the Alpha.  Accomplishing goals creates the groundwork for integrity and self-esteem, and group awareness of commitments offers motivation, personal responsibility, and accountability.

Life-long Friendships – While this topic is perhaps the theme of Fraternity, it is really true that your closest friends throughout life tend to be your Chi Psi Fraternity Brothers.  You join Chi Psi for a lifetime.  The bonds you create in your undergraduate days endure long beyond college.  Even if communication lapses for a time, years later you will find that it is easy to pick up again where you left off.

Scholastic Achievement – Members of fraternities are almost a third more likely to graduate from college than non-Greeks.  Why?  For some, it is because of help from fellow Brothers on studies, ranging from assistance with difficult problems to proof-reading to academic experience that is yours for the asking.  The national fraternity also offers many scholarships and fellowships annually to undergraduate and graduate members.Scholastic Programs – Chi Psi offers a depth and breadth of educational programming unmatched in the Fraternity world.  In response to the lack of formal leadership training available at our colleges and universities, The Chi Psi Educational Trust offers the Chi Psi Program for Excellence to prepare all new Chi Psis for the challenges of the 21st century and to provide them with educational and personal development experiences not offered in the classroom.

National Organization – Your commitment to Chi Psi, and Chi Psi’s to you, is not just for the four years of college and not just with the men in your own Alpha.  You are part of a national organization with more than 25,000 living alumni spread out over fifty states and more than fifty countries.  Your have joined an organization far larger than yourself or your Alpha that comes with a unique heritage, an impressive legacy, and limitless opportunities for the future.  The national organization will help keep you connected with your Brothers for the rest of your life.