This year, the 148th Chi Phi Congress was held in Baltimore, Maryland and was attended by five active members of the Phi Lambda Theta Chapter: Davis Gallinghouse ‘14 Matt Argiro ’14, Alec Pflaster ’15, Charles Cole ’14 and Chris Dunne ‘15. These brothers also met up with Tom Deans ’55 and Tyler Moyer ’11, both of whom continue to be involved with PLT and Chi Phi. Brother Deans is currently serving as the chair of the Chi Phi Nationals Accreditations Committee and is a member of Chi Phi’s Grand Council, while Brother Moyer has just finished a year as a Chi Phi field executive and will begin working towards a PhD from John Hopkins next fall.
Congress was a great success and included numerous meetings, greetings and social events. Each PLT brother served on one of several committees including: Total Membership Education, Accreditation, Credentials, and Finance. Within these committees, discussion was predominated by undergraduate Chi Phi’s, and a wealth of ideas were shared and debated by members of different chapters. Further, contact information was exchanged by many delegates, and plans were laid to incorporate some of what was discussed into the future workings of the Phi Lambda Theta Chapter.
On the large scale, Chi Phi leadership acknowledged the need to create increased opportunities for officer training, and the founding of a Delta’s academy to occur in conjunction with the highly successful Alpha’s academy was discussed. Serious consideration was also given to planning a future Chi Phi Congress aboard a cruise ship, and this possibility remains for the future. As for the 149th Congress though, the location is set for Austin, Texas as announced at Congress this year.
Baltimore is a beautiful city and the brothers of PLT were lucky enough to attend a Yankee’s-Orioles game at Camden Yards. Congress attendees also enjoyed an impressive reception on the rooftop of the Maryland Science Center and a stellar array of cuisine throughout Congress.
Phi Lambda Theta was honored to receive a Philanthropic Achievement Award for the second straight year, and is looking to continue with that trend in the future. Tom Deans was awarded with the Alumni of the Year award for his continual involvement in relation to PLT and the Chi Phi national organization. Tyler Moyer was presented with a national scholarship for his involvement at the National Office for his future academic endeavors at John Hopkins.
Chi Phi is looking towards a bright and prosperous future, as our national membership increased yet again this year, and several dormant chapters were reopened. With the support of a strengthening and dedicated base of alumni, Phi Lambda Theta will continue to set high expectations for Chapter success and involvement in our community. We are dedicated to pushing ourselves to our fullest, and we know that we have an outstanding year ahead of us.