Alpha Kappa Lambda
| Alpha Kappa Lambda | |
|---|---|
| ΑΚΛ | |
 |
|
| Founded | April 22, 1914 University of California, Berkeley |
| Type | Social |
| Motto | "Αλήθεια Και Λόγος" Alethia Kai Logos ("The Truth and the Word") |
| Colors | Purple and Gold |
| Symbol | Coat of Arms |
| Flower | Souvenir de Claudius Pernet |
| Publication | The Logos |
| Philanthropy | These Hands Don't Hurt Cystic Fibrosis Adopt a School |
| Chapters | 33 active |
| Members | 1,600 collegiate 22,000 total lifetime |
| Headquarters |
354 Gradle Drive Indianapolis, Indiana USA |
| Homepage | akl.org |
Alpha Kappa Lambda (ΑΚΛ) is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1914. Today, it operates approximately 41 active chapters and colonies and has approximately 25,000 initiated members.
Alpha Kappa Lambda was founded on April 22, 1914 by a group of young men attending the University of California, Berkeley. Its birth, however, dates back to 1906 when a group of friends discussed the "need of Christian men for a place to live and study that was within their (financial) means."
After assisting in the cleanup of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, four students re-addressed their desire to organize a house club during a YMCA conference in Pacific Grove, California. They decided to form "Los Amigos" in 1907, a house club named from the Spanish translation of "The Friends." Shortly after, seven more men joined Los Amigos. Reverend Gail Cleland, one of the original eleven members of Los Amigos, recalled, "when we organized Los Amigos as a house club...house clubs and fraternities were dime a dozen. They came, they lived for a few months or a few years, then they went out of existence again. But Los Amigos did not go out of existence."
He continues, "and seven years later...in response to the suggestion of Benjamin Ide Wheeler, president of the University of California, we organized our house club as a national fraternity of one chapter."
The founders of Los Amigos were a diverse group, but they shared a common desire for studious living in a college environment and continued integrity after their formal education concluded.
Alpha Kappa Lambda's cornerstone is its "five Ideals":
Alpha Kappa Lambda teaches men that the commitments outlined in the Fraternity's Ritual are not merely remote ideals, but areas of discipline for daily life. ΑΚΛs support, and in turn have the support of, their brothers in living these principles. Through Alpha Kappa Lambda, men with different backgrounds but similar ideals unite with a common purpose: to foster excellence in scholarship, leadership, individual growth, and involvement in community service. ΑΚΛ is dedicated to Men of Character, Committed to Making A Difference.
The motto of the fraternity is "Alítheia Kai Logos," which in Classical Greek means "The Truth and the Word". Former National President William B. Herms explains, "The motto is a symbolic statement of our Ideals. We are seekers after Truth, the highest Truth... and the Word, which again lends itself to interpretation."
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