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About Alpha Chi Sigma
Alpha Chi Sigma (ΑΧΣ) is a professional, co-educational chemistry fraternity. The Rho chapter is located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Joining ΑΧΣ provides an excellent way to advance yourself vocationally, academically, and personally. We encourage you to take a look around our website, and if you’re interested in joining, be sure to come to the information session at the beginning of the semester (date and times will be posted on the rush page).
If you’re interested in purchasing a laboratory notebook, please email Marsha Massey <ftirqueen@gmail.com>.
What is a Professional Fraternity?
A Professional Fraternity is a specialized fraternity which limits its membership to a specific field of professional education in accredited colleges and universities offering courses leading to recognized degrees therein. It maintains mutually exclusive membership in that field, but may initiate members of the general social fraternities. It also organizes its group life specifically to promote professional comeptency and achievement within its field. The professional fraternity may initiate faculty members and qualified students who are pursuing an organized curriculum leading to a professional degree. It usually has a minimum scholastic requirement for membership and elects its members by secret ballot after careful investigation. Membership is for life.
Development of Alpha Chi Sigma
The Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity was organized at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, late in 1902, by a group of undergraduates who were fellow students in chemistry at the time. Later documents set the date of the founding as December 11, 1902.
The Founders of the Fraternity
The Three Objects of the Fraternity : Our Purpose
To bind its members with a tie of true and lasting friendship.
To strive for the advancement of chemistry both as a science and as a profession.
To aid its members by every honorable means in the attainment of their ambitions as chemists throughout their mortal lives.
The Obligations of a Member of the Fraternity
That a member will remember the Objects of the fraternity and endeavor always to further them.
That a member will pay promptly all financial obligations.
That a member will so act so as never to be a reproach to Alpha Chi Sigma
That a member will cheerfully fulfill any assigned fraternal task
That a member will maintain as satisfactory a scholastic record as possible
Membership is for life.
There is no organization quite comparable to a professional fraternity. Socially, it presents them with the opportunity of meeting those interested in their work. Fraternal bonds are ever so much stronger than professional ones, but there are no bonds as strong as those created through combined fraternal and professional interests. As a member of Alpha Chi Sigma, you will share common fraternal ideals with all its members, many of whom are leaders in the industrial and scientific world. Purely professional organizations such as the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers have their place, and Alpha Chi Sigma constantly encourages its members to become active in these organizations. Social fraternities also offer much to the student, but only a professional fraternity – and Alpha Chi Sigma is the only national professional chemistry fraternity in the United States – can provide the college student and the professional in chemistry and related fileds with the interests and bonds of a fraternity.
The Ideal Chapter
The ideal chapter is one in which its members actually live and carry out the three Objects of Alpha Chi Sigma. In such a chapter there would always be perfect harmony and accord. All members would be tolerant and sympathetic to the viewpoint of others. All members would be actively engaged in work which reflects credit not only to themselves but to the organization. The ideal chapter through its officers maintains constant efficient contacts with the national organization and the professional members (alumni) of the chapter. Such a chapter continues a program of professional activity which compliments and augments activities of the faculty, the school, and the surrounding scientific community.
Its members perform the duties alloted to them promptly and cheerfully to the best of their ability. They remember that the returns from an organization are commensurate with the giving. Each will therefore give the organization what one can and expect the reciprocity which eventually comes to every giver.
Important Events in the History of Alpha Chi Sigma
1902 – Alpha Chi Sigma founded at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
1903 – Badge first displayed. First initiation.
1904 – Incorporation of Alpha Chi Sigma – the vision of a national Fraternity.
1906 – The ritual initiation revised by J. Howard Mathews. Gamma Chapter installed at Case School of Applied Sciences employing the new ritual.
1908 – The first truly national Biannual Conclave held at Madison, Wisconsin. Representatives from seven chapters elect J. Howard Mathews G.M.A.
1909 – Coat-of-Arms and pledge pin designs adopted. The ritual is revised.
1910 – The Hexagon of Alpha Chi Sigma is first published. First Alumni Chapter formed in Chicago. First chapter newsletter, The Germ (Zeta Chapter).
1911 – Alpha Chi Sigma expands from the Midwest to the East, with the installations of Mu, Nu, and Xi Chapters.
1912 – Fraternity expands to the South – Rho Chapter
1913 – Fraternity expands to the West with Sigma Chapter. Scholarship Award instituted.