[15672] in APO-L
Re: Chi Kappa Rechartering - keep reading
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lee Correll)
Tue Nov 19 05:40:28 1996
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 21:17:15 -0500
Reply-To: Lee Correll <rec700z@MAIL.ODU.EDU>
From: Lee Correll <rec700z@MAIL.ODU.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <199611182034.PAA21142@tahiti.cc.odu.edu>
On Mon, 18 Nov 1996, Shannon Davis wrote:
> Hi. This is Shannon Davis from the University of North Carolina at Asheville.
> Our chapter (Chi Kappa) was originally chartered in April, 1971, but became
> inactive during the late 1970's. After 18 long, hard months, we became a
> rechartered chapter yesterday, November 17, 1996.
I re-presented the charter at this ceremony yesterday; I saw something
that touched me like few other things I've ever seen in this Fraternity,
and I wanted to share it with you. I know, you don't have the time to
read this, but do it anyway.
Part of the day's events include the presentation of the charter to the
school, where it gets passed down through advisors and Scouting reps to
the students. Yesterday, at the request of Chi Kappa, we inserted into
that passing down a gentleman whom I'd never heard of; an original
chartering Brother. I was unaware that he was the first chapter
President; indeed, if that's the case, he was probably instrumental in
chartering the chapter in the first place. There were only 39 Brothers
activated before the chapter was declared inactive - he was Brother #1.
During this passing down of the charter, everybody who receives the
charter says a few words on how great it is that APO is on the campus, how
happy they are that we're teaching leadership skills and giving back to
the community, etc. etc. We're all up front, before the entire group
(about 100 or so people) and this Brother gets handed the charter.
Now, I don't think many people saw what I saw. I saw, in the time span of
about 8 seconds, everything from sheer joy to immense sadness as he looked
at the names on the charter - all people he had known, 25 years ago. Some
have probably passed on, perhaps in Vietnam; some are probably successful
fathers, businessmen, community leaders. He just looked at it; his lips
moved on a couple of the names; his eyes filled with tears and he blinked
them back. His voice cracked, said "I'm sorry" and passed it on to the
first rechartering President of the chapter.
It amazes me sometimes, the things we do. He's not a Life member; APO had
taken a back seat in the car of his life, then it wound up in the trunk
somewhere. Yet an invitation from people he didn't know motivated him to
drive about 12 hours to this ceremony, not knowing what would happen, how
he'd be received, etc. He may not have even known what we had become. In
the end, it didn't matter - he was called; he responded.
These ceremonies are usually exciting, upbeat, people chatting, but
respectful as things happen and people speak. This Brother asked for
permission (permission!) to speak after the last recipient had made her
comments. You could have heard a pin drop as it he took it back in his
hands.
He said nothing profound; nothing spectacular; just a mere thank you, a
good luck, maybe another little comment. He could have just stood there,
and it would have been okay. Speaking to some of the audience members
later, they mentioned that they were wiping tears away.
I'm no writer, and I know that I've not done this justice. There are
times when I get burned out, times I go with "the flow"; but good God, I
hope that 25 years from now I do as well as he did. He made my speech
about commitment look like it came from an amateur (and I picked up
compliments on my speech), and maybe the next time I get sick of it all,
I'll just think about him.
I wish y'all could have been there.
Lee Correll *
* No .signature file required on this one
Region III Director *
lcorrell@capaccess.org *
