We, the brothers of Pi Lambda Phi, pride ourselves on how vastly different each one of us is and yet how unshakable our friendships are. When looking for new members, we do not judge you by your race, religion, ethnicity or social status.

What we look for is men who want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, are accepting of others and want take on leadership roles all while having the time of their lives at Penn State.

If this sounds like something you would want to be a part of, feel free to contact one of our officers, recruitment chairs or just come out to the house and meet the members during on of our events.

Be a part of something special!

Be a Pi Lam!

Not 4 Years, But a Lifetime. REGISTER HERE NOW!

              Welcome to our fraternity.

              Pi Lam was founded in 1895 at Yale University and since has grown to become an international organization. Over the years, the organization has produced many outstanding young men whom have gone on to do great things in society.  

You might have several questions about fraternities. Why join a fraternity? With all the negative stereotypes of Greek members, is joining a fraternity truly worth it? What can a fraternity provide you with? There are many more questions you probably want to ask, and these next few sections will serve to answer them.

                It is very easy to question fraternity life. After all, media constantly places fraternities in poor light; portraying members as immature boys, who do nothing but vandalize the community. Although there might be a few bad apples, in reality, the Greek men provide many great services, especially at the Pennsylvania State University. So, with that being said…

WHAT CAN PI LAMBDA PHI DO FOR YOU?

Pi Lambda Phi and the rest of the Greek community can provide members with three invaluable things: involvement, leadership and access to many alumni via the vast Penn State and Greek networks.

As a Pi Lam, what can you be a part of?

1.       Lifelong friendships that you will develop at the Fraternity.

 Pi Lam brothers come from all walks of life. You will be exposed to people from various parts of the country, with varying faiths and interests. These experiences will expose you to various points of view which you might never have been aware of and will help you grow as a person.

2.        As alumni, you will always have place to come back to in Happy Valley. You will always have a unique connection to the school and the millions of other Greek members in society.

3.       THON! Greeks began the IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, also known as THON, which last year raised over $7.4 Million for the Hershey Medical Center and to help children with cancer. Our fraternity alone raised $43,000 last year. The Greeks have raise over 35% of the total, much more than the rest of the clubs combined. We take four weekends of the school year, to divide into groups, drive to various parts of the east coast, to collect money and find donors for this event. There are many sick children who count on us to raise enough money to continue their treatments. To learn more about this, please visit our Philanthropy page or www.THON.org.

4.       Pi Lambda Phi is heavily involved with the March of Dimes foundation, which raises money to help premature infants. Every Fall Semester we run our Munchkin Munch Off philanthropy in partnership with Alpha Phi Sorority. The event is a munchkin eating contest, sponsored by Dunkin Donuts. The proceeds are split between the Alpha Phi Foundation and the March of Dimes. Last year we donated close to $1,000 through this one event.

5.       Pi Lam also participates in the Homecoming festivities during the Fall semester. We consistently have one of the best floats in the event and are perennial winners. In each of the last three years we won, 1^st, 3^rd and 5^th place.

6.       Pi Lam has athletes. Last year, we placed 5^th overall in the Greek Intramural League, which has over 100 fraternities.

7.       On top of all that, we also participate in the philanthropies other organizations start, the annual Red Cross Blood Drive and many other events on and off campus.

We encouraged and need all members to participate in various events! There are many great ways to get involved, meet people and help your community and the Greek system.

What kind of leadership opportunity awaits you?

There are over 20 possible positions in the organization, ranging in various amounts of responsibility, that you have the option of taking on.

As president, you can be responsible for running a small business worth over a $1 Million. You will be responsible for all assets of the organization from recruitment to rent collection to paying the bills. You will build invaluable communication and organizational skills that will last you for the rest of your life.

As treasurer or K.O.E, you can be responsible for maintaining the organization’s annual budget, over $200,000. You will be running all finances of the organization and keeping track of all the various budgets, not to mention developing valuable business acumen which can be applied at any career you take on.

Of course, those positions are awarded to the most responsible members who are willing to take on such momentous tasks and sacrifice valuable time for the organization. However, you can still take on positions with incredible importance that are not so time consuming.

As THON Chairman you can spearhead the efforts to raise as much money as possible for that year’s dance marathon by organization canning trips and fundraisers. These efforts not only benefit the organization, but many small children in need of help.

As philanthropy chairman, you would organize an event to raise money for the March of Dimes. You would have to collaborate with many other organizations to plan the logistics and financing of the event.

There are over 15 more positions to choose from, all of which can develop various talents which will prove invaluable in the world after college.

What kind of network would you have access to?

You will be able to network with over 1,000 other Pi Lam alumni who work in various fields and all of whom are more than willing to offer career advice.  Not to mention, you will have a unique connection to the thousands of other Penn State Greek Alumni, who you will most certainly meet, along your way to success.

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR PI LAMBDA PHI?

So what would your responsibilities be to the organization?

1.       Scholastic Responsibility – You will have to maintain a GPA of 2.7/4.0 as required by Pi Lambda Phi International Headquarters and Penn State Inter-Fraternity Council.  Although a 2.7 is the minimum requirement, we encourage all brothers to have a GPA of above 3.0.

2.       Character Responsibility – You will have to act as a gentleman in all facets of your life. All actions will reflect on Pi Lambda Phi.  From the way you treat your family and friends to the way you approach you academic career, everything is a reflection of the organization.

3.       Leadership Responsibility – You will be expected to take on leadership roles within the organization or the community. It will be your duty to carry on the traditions of Pi Lambda Phi. These roles will not only help you grow as a leader, but will also introduce you to many various people in the community.

4.       Organization Responsibility – The fulfillment of any job requires careful planning. It is the responsibility of the individual to implement methods of organization whenever possible, and maintain procedures to keep things running smoothly. If you are elected for a position, you must treat it as an honor.

5.       Financial Responsibility – You will be responsible for paying your share of rent or dues which will be used to pay for the upkeep of the fraternity house. This is something that we all must be a part of.

We hope that, after reading all that, you see the many benefits to being in a fraternity and will make the best decision for yourself.

-          Brothers of Pi Lambda Phi

1. Studies prove that Fraternity and Sorority Alumni are much more likely than non-fraternity/sorority members to participate in community service activities after graduation.

2. Forty-three (43!) of the 100 members of the U.S. Senate are members of a fraternity or sorority.

3. Twenty-nine percent of the House of Representatives are members of a sorority or fraternity.

4. Of North America’s 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by fraternity/sorority men and women!

5. 7 out of 10 people listed in Who’s Who are in a fraternity/sorority.

6. 85% of Fortune 500 executives are in a fraternity/sorority.

7. 40 of 47 U.S. Supreme Court Justices have been and are fraternity/sorority members.

8. All but two United States Presidents and two Vice-Presidents, born after the founding of the first social fraternity in 1825, have been and are fraternity members.

9. 63% of all U.S. Cabinet members since 1900 have been and are fraternity/sorority members.

10. All of the Apollo 11 astronauts were fraternity/sorority members.

11. With all of the power in these amazing statistics, only 2% of the population are members of fraternity/sorority organizations.

12. A U.S. Government study shows that over 70% of F/S members graduate, while under 50% of non-Greeks graduate.

13. A study by the University of Missouri found that F/S members throughout the U.S. and Canada are more involved on their campuses and rate their overall university experience better than non-fraternity/sorority members.

14. The same U of Missouri study found F/S members are more financially successful after they graduate than non-F/S members, are more involved in their communities, and give more generously to their alma maters.

15. F/S members not only participate in their own fraternity or sorority leadership, but are also involved in the same extracurricular activities as nonaffiliated students.

16. As undergraduates, F/S members raise approximately $7 million per year for charities.

17. As undergraduates, F/S members give approximately 850,000 volunteer hours per year.

18. Studies show F/S alumni are more satisfied with the social and cultural aspects of the college experience than nonaffiliated students.

19. F/S affiliation has been shown to have had a significant impact on the current income of alumni.

20. Employers consider 18 key factors in evaluating job interviews. The F/S Community provides opportunity to develop 12 of those key factors:  Studies prove that Fraternity and Sorority Alumni are much more likely than non-fraternity/sorority members to participate in community service activities after graduation; Real-World Experience, Leadership Qualities, Personal Presentation, Attitude, Communication Skills, Problem Solving, Community Service Orientation, Adaptability-Drive-Initiative, Proven Track Record, Ability to Learn, Preparation for Interviews and Self Confidence.