Congratulations to Brother Jeff Reisdorfer on his creation of the cover of the January 2009 edition of the Cross & Crescent magazine:

Great job, Claude!

~Fuzz

Be sure to check the December 2008 Cross & Crescent, which focuses on our Brothers Helping Others.

Lambda Chi Alpha Brother Dr. John Seffrin who is the American Cancer Society’s CEO

Brother Todd Graves, Co-Founder of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers Restaurants who participated in the FOX show Secret Millionaire

2008 North American Food Drive Results

A Centennial Celebration of Cyril F. “Duke” Flad

Chapter News section which has news about Brother Tommy Kempfer who is no longer stuck in a truck and Brother Michael Easton!

From the November 2008 issue of the Cross & Crescent

The Father of Veterans Day
Max C. Floto (Gettysburg 1918) grew up in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, and was the oldest of these three men. Floto and Lybarger were elected officers of the Chess Club in 1916 and also faced each other on the inter-class debating team as sophomore and freshman, respectively. Floto was on the 1917-18 championship debating team. Later, in 1927, and after the chapter became Pennsylvania-Alpha of Theta Kappa Nu, they continued their close association and their support by serving on the chapter’s Alumni Association Board.

Floto graduated in 1918 with a degree in accounting; a year before the other two. He’d also been active in ROTC and was immediately drafted into the U.S. Army in June 1918. “I was a member of the largest band of draftees that ever left Connellsville,” Floto once said. He also remembered that he was one of only three draftees wearing a uniform that day because it had been required by ROTC. The war ended with an armistice, signed on November 11, 1918.

In 1919, Floto made a motion before the Milton L. Bishop Post 301 of the American Legion in Connellsville to make November 11 a holiday and to be known as Armistice Day. The motion passed on September 11, 1919, but Floto wasn’t satisfied to stop with convincing just his hometown. He and another veteran successfully petitioned the first-ever American Legion state convention in Harrisburg, and lobbied the State of Pennsylvania to declare it a legal holiday. It was approved by the legislature on March 31, 1921.

They then moved their petition to the national level. “We had a dozen or so Congressmen working on it,” Floto said in an interview with the (Connellsville) Daily Courier in 1978. A resolution was presented in practically every session of Congress until it was finally passed, and then signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 13, 1938.

The name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954. Then Congress voted in 1971 to shift the observance to the fourth Monday in October and Floto immediately became part of a committee that battled to have the holiday returned to its original date of significance, Nov. 11. In 1975 they were successful. A Certificate of Appreciation signed by Congressional Rep. Hamilton Fish, Jr., was presented in 1978 to Max Floto and designated him “Father of Armistice Day.”

Max Floto died January 13, 1985.

This month’s Cross & Crescent marks the 3rd year that the official magazine has been published completely online. Features include:

An interview with Professional Wrestling legend Tito Santana

An article on Neal E. Boyd, winner of NBC’s America’s Got Talent

An article about the founder of Veteran’s Day, Max C. Floto

An article I wrote about controling your image online

Chapter News section which has news about Brother Tommy Kempfer who is (still) stuck in a truck!

Keep an eye out for this special edition of the Cross & Crescent, coming soon. It will feature an interview with Brother Phil Dalhausser. The interview was conducted by Brother Chris Barrick in Cincinnati,OH a week after Brother Dalhausser won his Gold Medal in Beach Volleyball at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Be sure to check out this month’s Cross & Crescent which features many stories about Lambda Chi Alpha Football Stars. Also, be sure to visit the Chapter News Section to read the inclusion of Brother Juan Paz, Jr.

And, download the .pdf version and print out the sweet Lambda Chi Football Helmet cover I designed!

Be sure to visit CrossAndCrescent.com for the full re-cap of General Assembly in the July 2008 issue of the Cross & Crescent. Also, read the great article about Lambda Chi Alpha’s Centennial Logo.

Be sure to check out the Cross & Crescent this month. The entire issue is a tribute to our Brothers who serve & have served in the armed forces.

Also, I had the privilege of illustrating the July 2008 cover, shown above.

The Cross & Crescent is released on the 2nd of every month. Here are some of the upcoming features:

July 2008 – A tribute to all of our Brothers who are members of the armed forces. (*note: I have been given the honor of illustrating the cover for this issue, keep an eye out for that!)

Future issues could possibly have features on famous Alumni Members Will Forte and Tito Santana.

Will Forte (UCLA) of Saturday Night Live is slated to be featured in an upcoming issue of the Cross & Crescent. I posted an article back in April about Will upon hearing the news from the C&C Staff. Looks like that feature will be coming soon to the Cross & Crescent. Will is currently filming a movie. Although I am not sure which, as the Internet Movie Database lists both A Good Old Fashioned Orgy and The Slammin’ Salmon as both being filmed, under his bio. This interview will be a can’t miss! Lots of exciting news from Brother Forte!

Also, Tito Santana (West Texas State University), Professional Wrestling Legend is on the short list to be featured in the Cross & Crescent as well. Actually, until yesterday when I found out about the potential interview in the C&C, I was unaware that Tito Santana was a Chopper! What a great addition to our list of Famous Alumni! I will be looking forward to reading this interview, as I grew up on 80’s-90’s wrestling! Tito Santana was always a great sportsman and competitor…he embodied the essence of the purity of the sport!

You heard it here first, that the National Lambda Chi Alpha website is getting a re-design.

Now, I have an image to share with you, on the potential look & feel of the new site.

This may not be the exact look & feel, but it is the direction that HQ was interested in moving towards. You will notice that important information is a lot easier to access through “tabbed browsing” at the top of the page and in the lower portion of the page. Cross & Crescent articles will be featured on the homepage (the image shown is from the May Issue) and will link to those stories on CrossAndCrescent.com

My sources tell me the goal is to have the new site launched by General Assembly (July 17, 2008).

Also, the staff at HQ is working overtime pumping out newly designed Paedagogus, Officer Manuals, and a Directory. Oh yes, they also produce the Cross & Crescent every month. Big props to Tad, Chris and the rest of the people who make these things appear seamless!

This article was published in this month’s Cross & Crescent (June 2008).

I felt it worth sharing here on our site, as it shows the true depth of self-sacrifice. May Brother Robert Cook (Missouri S&T 2007) be an inspiration to us all.

On July 29, 2006, an Australian woman, Kimberley Dear, was to have made her first skydive in the United States. But when engine failure caused the plane to plummet to the ground minutes after take-off, Robert Cook (Missouri S&T 2007), her instructor, clipped his skydive harness to hers and demanded she use his body as a human shield. He was killed on impact.

Robert Cook (Missouri S&T 2007)The 22-year-old Cook, a skydiving fanatic and civil engineering student at the Missouri University of Science & Technology (formerly University of Missouri-Rolla), had clocked up 1,727 jumps and earned every possible United States Parachute Association certificate.

In the mere seconds it took for the plane to fall, Cook turned to Dear and told her to focus on his instructions. He clipped his harness to hers and told her to brace herself using his body to cushion the fall.

(more…)

Our Chapter at UW-Whitewater is well-represented in the May 2008 issue of the Cross & Crescent.

Lambda-Iota is noted in the article Expansion Plan Update, focusing on Lambda Chi Alpha’s expansion plans for the coming years. (See our info listed in the box on the right).

In the Chapter News Section, Brother Nick Schreck and I are highlighted. Nick, for his winning of the 2008 Assistant Division Manager Award from Physicians Mutual; and I am mentioned for my trip to Oklahoma City where I traveled on business and was able to visit the Lambda Chi Chapter at Oklahoma City University.

If you have accomplishments or happenings in your life you would like listed in the Cross & Crescent and/or on our website, please visit the Contact Us page and let us know what you are up to!

I believe a good deal of stress should be put upon Lambda Chi Alpha Day. Morale is greatly stimulated by wholesome sentiment. Such sentiment is stimulated by anniversary speeches. We stand for something. Let us unite and say so.
…
Lambda Chi Alpha Day is a day upon which articulate expression is to be given as to what the Fraternity stands for, and recognition is to be given to all those who have made it what it is, and any time in its history, before, at, or after that particular anniversary.

John E. Mason – September 26, 1931

(Source: The Cross & Crescent-March, 2007)

- The February 2008 issue of the Cross & Crescent features articles about tennis great, Gardnar Mulloy

- Louis Tharp, world class swimmer, West Point triathalon coach, and founder of 2 organizations designed to improve the quality of life for people living with chronic diseases.

- Chapter News features our Brother Jay Matusin winning of a Davey Award in the Wisconsin-Whitewater section

- A re-cap of the Winter Leadership Retreat attended by our Brother Nick Weisensel

- The 2nd installment of the history of the Paedagogus, the Fraternity handbook

On the 2nd day of each month, the Cross & Crescent magazine/website is updated with new stories and information. Visit the site at www.CrossAndCrescent.com or by clicking the Cross & Crescent button in the right navigation of our website. Visitors can leave comments and suggest stories. If you have suggestsions, leave them a comment or post a comment here and I will contact the C&C staff and let them know!

Chris Barrick has written a great article for the Cross & Crescent about Green Bay Packer Offensive Coordinator, Joe Philbin (Washington & Jefferson 1984). Be sure to take note of the list on the right of the article — it mentions all of the Lambda Chi’s who have played/worked for the Green Bay Packers.

Also, be sure to read the article 100 Years of Notable Alumni, this month featuring famous athletes who are Lambda Chi’s.

I wanted to let everyone know that we made the Cross & Crescent’s feature article on the 2007 North American Food Drive. Click here to visit CrossAndCrescent.com and read the story.

Check out the photo of Brother Darren Hafford presenting our Chapter’s check for $1150 to the Whitewater Food Pantry.

I am most proud to announce that UW-Whitewater’s Lambda-Iota Chapter ranked #34 in pounds of food raised, out of the 80 reporting Lambda Chi Alpha Chapters. Congratulations to us all and so many thanks to all of our Brothers who donated to this continually growing philanthropic event!

Be sure to check out the latest Cross & Crescent (available online).

Features include articles on our Brothers (Presidental hopeful) Ron Paul, (Award winning poet) H.F. “Pete” Fairchild and (Soccer star) Cobi Jones.

Remember, our own Fuzz Martin hosts the Official Cross & Crescent Podcast each month! Available free on iTunes* or streaming live on the Cross & Crescent website!
*You must have iTunes installed to subscribe to the Podcast via iTunes

Also, visit the Chapter News Section which has a column on Wisconsin-Whitewater’s own, Darren Hafford!

Ron Paul’s Presidential Bid

by Chris Barrick
Dr. Ron Paul is a U.S. Congressman from Texas, a physician, and a 2008 U.S. presidential candidate. His honest, grassroots campaign has been fueled by the Internet support, where his fund-raising has widely exceeded analysts’ predictions.

The top 2 stories from the September 2007 Edition of The Cross & Crescent.

Indiana’s New Head Football Coach
by Tad Lichtenauer
Previously an assistant coach, Bill Lynch was named Indiana University’s head football coach on June 15, 2007. He assumed the top job after Terry Hoeppner, the previous head coach, bravely fought and eventually lost a long battle with cancer.

2007 Order of Achievement Recipient
by Chris Barrick
A 2007 Order of Achievement recipient and owner of Sleep Train, Dale Carlsen has made hiring Lambda Chis a cornerstone of building his successful business. Today, his company has grown to more than 200 stores under the brand names Sleep Train, Mattress Discounters, and Sleep Country USA.

Emmy-Winning Actor Powers Boothe
by Tad Lichtenauer>

Powers Boothe stole the show last season in the Fox TV hit series “24,” and for three seasons in HBO’s critically acclaimed “Deadwood.” He also is starring in “The Final Season,” a family movie about a legendary high school baseball team from Norway, Iowa.

Check out the new issue of the C&C. This month’s featured interview: James Rebhorn. The rest of the publication is great and be sure to listen to the Podcast, hosted by our very own Fuzz Martin!

Veteran Actor Shines
James Rebhorn is a character actor who has appeared in more than 100 TV shows, feature films, and plays. He is best known for portraying lawyers, politicians, doctors, and military men, and often plays the bad guy.

Podcast for June 2007
Listen: Download and listen to the June 2007 podcast