The men of Monmouth College’s chapter of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity have been on a roll, and that string of success has continued this summer with a major honor from the North American Interfraternity Conference.
Monmouth’s Delta Lambda chapter of ZBT received one of five Chapter Award of Distinction honors that the NIC presents nationally. The award will officially be presented to the chapter on Oct. 17 as part of Homecoming weekend festivities.
The chapter was selected for the following reasons:
prioritizes strong leadership, enhances campus life and consistently positions itself for both local and national recognition;
consistent growth and stability as a result of consistent leadership and values-based education;
generations of dedicated individuals committed to improving the chapter, the college and the greater fraternity;
and high engagement in campus life and levels of connection from both undergraduates and alumni.
‘Heart, discipline and purpose’
Chapter president Cameron Shook of Morton, Illinois, listed another reason why NIC recognized Delta Lambda, along with chapters from much larger schools, including the University of Iowa and Kansas State University, as well as Samford University and Sacred Heart University.
“ZBT has always aimed to push the boundaries of what’s possible for a fraternity of our size,” said Shook. “We’ve proven that success comes from showing up, year after year, with heart, discipline and purpose.”
Both Shook and Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Student Engagement Cullen Marshall said that although past chapter presidents Rodolfo Garcia ’21 and Corey Pevitz ’24 have both graduated, the award is a direct result of the work they put into the nomination process.
“They worked with Monmouth College administration, ZBT headquarters, distinguished Delta Lambda alumni, and even a parent of a former brother to help tell the story of the chapter,” said Shook. “This award isn’t just for the current undergraduate brothers and our chapter adviser; it’s a culmination of years of collective effort. It’s an honor to be part of this moment, and we’re incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from our alumni, families, faculty, administration and ZBT nationals. Without them, this recognition wouldn’t have been possible.”
Marshall said the “very reliable and participatory” men of ZBT provide a great example for the rest of campus.
“When they’re asked to do something, they do it promptly and well,” he said. “They have the most consistent attendance at Interfraternity Council meetings, and they do a good job of supporting events hosted by other chapters on campus. Other organizations could take notes from Delta Lambda’s skills related to organization, planning and follow-through.”
“One of the key factors that contributed to receiving this distinguished honor was consistency, not just in leadership, but in our unwavering commitment to the fraternity at both the local and national level, to Monmouth College, and to the greater Monmouth community,” said Shook. “This award reflects years of steady dedication from the brothers of Delta Lambda, whether through academic excellence, participation in a diverse range of activities, or our consistent national recognition within ZBT.”
Earlier this year, the men of ZBT took home campus awards for Excellence in Philanthropic Programming, Excellence in Community Service, and Excellence in Chapter Education and Programming. They also shared Monmouth’s Greek Week Champions honor with another fraternity.
In 2021, Monmouth’s Delta Lambda chapter won Zeta Beta Tau’s most prestigious award, the Brummer Cup.
“The Delta Lambda chapter is a successful organization and an asset to our campus,” said Marshall. “They set the bar very high for recruitment, philanthropic programming and participation in campus events, pushing our other fraternities to keep up with them. It is also very apparent that the members develop strong bonds with each other and their alumni that continue post-graduation, which is always a good measure of the state of the chapter.”
Shook agreed: “Our alumni stay deeply involved, with some even serving on Monmouth’s Board of Alumni and Board of Trustees. That lifelong connection, from active members to alumni and advisors, continues to drive our chapter’s growth and impact.”
ZBT’s international convention will be held at the end of this month in New Orleans, so it will be interesting to see if the Delta Lambda chapter can continue its roll on the big stage.
***Courtesy of Barry McNamara, Monmouth College***
