The father/son bond is a special blend of mentorship, guidance and friendship. Though many won’t openly admit it to their sons, having the ability to share membership in an organization, like a fraternity, is something of which a father dreams. For those who get to experience it, having shared Membership in Lambda Chi Alpha allows father and son to appreciate their bond on a deeper level.
The Lynch, Prout, Jackson and Witous families know just what it’s like.
Jeff and Mike Witous
Jeff Witous (California Polytechnic State University, ‘83) dove headfirst into Lambda Chi when he joined in 1979. In his first year, he was elected the Recruitment Chairman (High Delta) and spearheaded the production the Chapter’s first electric Ritual Badge. Jeff’s involvement didn’t stop there. Throughout his undergraduate years, he served on the Ritual team, multiple Officer Committees, was elected President (High Alpha) in 1981 and accepted the Chapter’s first Grand High Alpha Award in 1982.
Even after his graduation, Jeff was heavily involved with Lambda Chi, assisting with expansion efforts at UC San Diego, San Diego State, Chico State, the historic Regional Chapter for Lambda Chi Alpha in San Diego and more.
With Jeff’s heavy involvement with the Fraternity, his son Mike (University of California – Los Angeles, ‘15) knew Lambda Chi from a young age. Yet when it came time for Mike to start at UCLA, he was still unsure if he really wanted to be a in a fraternity.
Eventually, Mike secretly went through recruitment without informing Jeff. After receiving a bid from Lambda Chi, he and his friends took a few days to sit with the idea of joining a fraternity. They later decided they were going to join.
Like his father, Mike dove headfirst into Lambda Chi. Within his first year, he served on the Kappa and Delta Committees and was the captain of the Chapter’s intramural soccer team. Being a leader felt natural to him. The next year, Mike was eyeing the President position. He felt he could handle the position and bring the Chapter to success. In hopes of receiving some support, Mike called Jeff.
“He said, ‘You know Mike, I’m always in your corner, I’m supportive of you, but you’ve got to work your way up to this’,” Mike said.
He reassured his dad that he could handle it and he felt the time was right, and it was. That fall, Mike was elected the President (High Alpha) of the UCLA Chapter.
“This took the bond that my dad and I had with the Fraternity to a whole other level,” Mike said.
From then on, Jeff took on a new role as a mentor for Mike. Mike already had their Advisor (High Pi) Damon Anastasia but sharing the High Alpha bond with his father changed the game. With Jeff’s playbook and guidance from Anastasia, Mike was able to accept the Chapter’s first Grand High Alpha award since 1931.
As time passes, Mike and Jeff continue to grow in their relationship with each other and Lambda Chi.
Randy Prout
At the start of his collegiate years, Randy Prout (California Polytechnic State University, ‘83) learned quite fast what pledging in other fraternities looked like and he was not interested. For a while he abandoned the idea of joining a fraternity. His freshman year roommate, however, changed his mind. Randy learned that Lambda Chi Alpha had a significantly different new member process.
“Just the concept that you don’t have to demean the person to have them join and organization, I resonated with that,” Randy said.
After attending a few events with his roommate and meeting more Brothers, Randy joined during the winter quarter of his freshman year.
Lambda Chi Alpha added meaning as substance to his life at Cal Poly. From then on, Randy stayed involved in the fraternity, advising Chapters and officers. He kept in contact with many of his Cal Poly Brothers, some he sees on a regular basis.
As much as he loved Lambda Chi, he never pushed his sons towards the fraternity. They grew up around Randy’s Brothers. He hoped that they would see the friendships, what they do together, how close they are well after college. He wanted them to want to have the same experiences and join the fraternity.
When Randy’s first son Matthew (California Polytechnic State University, ’15) told him that he would be joining Lambda Chi Alpha at Cal Poly, he could hardly contain himself. It was one thing for Matthew to join Lambda Chi, but at Randy’s alma mater, it made that even more special.
“For me to go down there and see him go through initiation and meet the folks down there, it was just an amazing experience. Hard to put into words,” Randy said.
Randy’s middle son, Kevin (California State University – Chico, ’16), wanted to join Lambda Chi too. However, Chico State didn’t have a Chapter yet. With the mentorship of Randy, Kevin and his friends started a local Chapter on campus. Because of their achievements in Brotherhood and Philanthropy, they caught the eye of the Lambda Chi Alpha Office of Administration. After two years, the little local Chapter at Chico State became a part of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Having shared these experiences, Randy and his sons have a tighter bond as Father and Sons and Brothers.
Drew and Austin Lynch
As Drew Lynch (Texas State University, ‘79) was going through fraternity recruitment, the Brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha stood out to him. He was looking for an organization where he could meet people and be part of a dynamic group. Lambda Chi was all that and more for him.
Drew immersed himself in the brotherhood and fellowship of Lambda Chi. With the effects of the Vietnam War felt across campus, he found solace in the Fraternity. His Brothers encouraged getting involved and becoming a leader. Lambda Chi Alpha was an easy fit for Drew.
Later in life, Drew brought his son Austin (University of Arkansas, ‘14) into his world of Lambda Chi and was able to share his experiences. It wasn’t until Austin started touring universities that he realized what Lambda Chi Alpha was.
“My dad kept bringing up this ‘Lambda Chi Alpha’ group, and I had no idea what it was until he explained fraternities to me,” Austin said.
When Austin started the recruitment process at the University of Arkansas, his father made it clear that he did not have to join Lambda Chi.
“I encouraged Austin to look at all the options but was confident that he would see what I saw in Lambda Chi,” Drew said.
And he did. He felt at home with Lambda Chi and amongst individuals who could help him grow, something that may be attributed to being raised by a Lambda Chi.
The relationship between a father and son is special. Shared membership in Lambda Chi Alpha makes that relationship just a bit more special, adding another layer of guidance and mentoring.
Through the Fraternity, the two have grown into men of character and learned how to always be a positive force in the room.
Scott and Mason Jackson
Scott Jackson (Eastern Kentucky University, ‘02) joined Lambda Chi Alpha in 1997 after finding the Brothers of the Chapter incredibly genuine. Throughout recruitment, they were attentive and engaged when he conversed with them. From there, Scott’s love for Lambda Chi only deepened.
“I can’t put into words what Lambda Chi taught me; I can never repay the Fraternity or most importantly those guys from Phi-Beta [Zeta] during my time that shaped who I am,” Scott said.
Lambda Chi Alpha profoundly impacted Scott’s life, even leading him to meet his wife through his connections with the Fraternity. He formed lifelong friends, many of whom he sees on a regular basis. Given this impact, it was only natural for him to share this experience with his children.
Mason Jackson (University of Tennessee – Knoxville, ‘27) has known Lambda Chi Alpha since he was young. Scott was the Alumni Advisor (High Pi) for Eastern Kentucky when Mason was just a toddler.
“He would take me down to Richmond, KY when he was the Advisor at Eastern Kentucky and continued to have me tag along at times when he was the Advisor at Louisville,” Mason said, “I’ve been aware of Lambda Chi probably before I could even read.”
Though Mason grew up knowing Lambda Chi, Scott never tried to force him one way or the other. Yet, Scott was one of the main reasons why Mason wanted to join the Fraternity.
“I grew up my entire life wanting to be like my dad, so I’ve always wanted to be a Lambda Chi,” Mason said.
As he went through Fraternity recruitment at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, the Lambda Chi Brothers made him feel like the Chapter was already home for him.
“The first thing I did after receiving my bid card from Lambda Chi was call my dad and tell him that he’s an amazing father because he raised a Lambda Chi,” Mason said.
With an already tight bond as father and son, Mason and Scott’s relationship has grown stronger through their membership. This summer, they will have the opportunity to experience General Assembly together and relish the Lambda Chi Brotherhood.
As their journey through Lambda Chi as family continues, Scott can only hope that his other son Ty may share in the joy of Lambda Chi too, when he goes off to college.
