By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11
Shideler award winner Callahan with Delta Kappa Alumni with Charter
Most of you will know the saying, “it takes a village to raise a child,” but I’d like to pose a spin on that proverb for the purposes of this piece, “It takes a chapter to win a Maxwell Trophy.”
Rising to the ranks of Maxwell Founder’s Four is challenging in and of itself, but to claim the title is an act of determination, hard-work, and brotherhood that displays the commitment of an entire group of men. The Maxwell Outstanding Chapter cannot be willed into fruition by a single member or even a small contingent, it takes the chapter as a whole to come together and share a common goal and mindset. Taking into account recruiting, scholarship, community service, fundraising, and countless other factors, it’s nearly impossible for the Founder’s Four and the eventual winner to hide areas in need of improvements within their chapter. The chapters that comprised this year's Founder’s Four were no strangers to success, but they all vary in personalities and time spent on their respective campuses. Earning the rank of the 2022 Founder’s Four are: the Upsilon chapter at Nebraska Wesleyan, the Chi chapter at North Carolina State, the Zeta Xi chapter at South Carolina, and the Delta Kappa chapter at Tennessee. These four groups displayed the utmost commitment to living as men of distinction and rightfully ranked among the best our organization has to offer.
Delta Kappa Chapter Participating in Community Service Event
Although each of these individual groups is deserving of the praise and recognition that comes with the Maxwell Award, it was up to the dedicated volunteers who comprised the selection committee to render the tough decision and select just one. As was first announced at the Virtual Brotherhood Banquet on August 17th, this year's Maxwell Outstanding Chapter winner was the Delta Kappa chapter at the University of Tennessee. Although proud and sure of their hard work, this award came as a bit of a surprise to the men of the Delta Kappa chapter. Former President and Sheidler Award Winner for Outstanding Graduating Senior, Ryan Callahan, Tennessee ’20, stated, “No one expected us to accomplish so much in just three years.” Having just recently rechartered, the group was quite familiar with the Borradaile Challenge—following it closely to regain their status as an active chapter. While some might be tempted to relax following the accomplishment of rechartering, the men of Delta Kappa used this as a guiding star to carry them to further success. After the announcement of their victory, Callahan described the feeling of the chapter and its alumni as “exploding with excitement,” and received praise from two key players in the new era of the Delta Kappa chapter—Harrison Moser, Tennessee ’20, and Jeff Moser, Tennessee ’87. With help and constant mentorship from alumni and supporters, Callahan and this diverse group of men were able to come together and rise to heights that far exceeded expectations.
Join us in congratulating all the Founder’s Four chapters on their diligence, dedication, and representation of our fraternity. Please send some extra congrats to the Volunteers on their Maxwell award win. Continue to make your chapter and organization proud.