Pi Kappa Alpha
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History
Pi Kappa Alpha, whose members are referred to as the "Pikes" have a long and rich history. Since establishment March 1st, 1868 at the University of Virginia the Fraternity has grown from the three men who founded it to over 215,000 members with over 200 active chapters in the United States and Canada. Pi Kappa Alpha being founded at the University of Virginia turned out to be a significant matter in the development of the fraternity, especially considering it was formed almost immediately after the civil war ended. The country was still very divided in opinion, and evidence of such conflict was the founders felt the only colleges worthy of housing a PKA chapter at their school lay below the Mason-Dixon line. So from it's founding in 1868 until 1909 the Pi Kappa Alpha remained strictly a southern fraternity, and was white male only. In 1909 the decision was made to go national and grew drastically from that point on. In 1960 PKA eliminated its segregated title and again saw a flux in membership.
Object
The object of the Fraternity is to advance the educational interests of its members, to promote leadership development, and to make, maintain and uphold a high standard of life, happiness and integrity for its members by uniting them in closer bonds of friendship and brotherly union.
Focus
The focus of the fraternity is to help young men become well rounded individuals, this meaning that they are adept intellectually, athletically and socially. The fraternity also wants men to grow to become well structured highly and respectable, therefore it places an extremely high standard on the ethics and morals of its members. It holds that there are ten ethical norms that are universal and timeless values essential to ethical life. 1) Honesty 2) Integrity 3) Promise-keeping 4) Fidelity 5) Fairness 6) Caring for Others 7) Respect for Others 8) Responsible Citizenship 9) Pursuit of Excellence 10) Accountability.
PKA is also very dedicated to etiquette. The fraternity expects all member to act appropriately at all times and offers a series of guideline on how to behave in many situations, from weddings to phone and email conversations, to meeting guests, women and alumni, and even dining. Members are also expected to know how to dress appropriately in a given situation, and those guidelines are included as well.
Oregon State's PKA
Though most students on campus today have no idea, the Pikes have been a part of OSU since May 12, 1920. On this day Pi Kappa Alpha officially recognized Beta Nu (Oregon State) as an official chapter of PKA. In 1936, the Pikes left the OSU campus, and did not return until September 28, 1947 and they remained on campus until 2000. In 2005 efforts to once again bring the Beta Nu chapter to life started up. Today the Pikes of Oregon State remain uncharted but are a colony (unofficially recognized). Through all of this Pi Kappa Alpha has retained the rights to a beautiful house on 14th and Jackson, and is currently leasing it out to a Co-Op.
Check out the official Pi Kappa Alpha website at http://pka.org/
