2023 Leadership Institute and Alumni Weekend
Neither raging Canadian wildfires nor burning Philly bridges could keep Pi Lambda Phi from holding another highly successful Leadership Institute, a program that helps emerging leaders improve their skills to empower and inspire positive change.
Leadership Institute highlights
Trained alumni volunteers and professional staff guided participants through the program, hosted at Camp Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania.
For undergrads the group challenges were many, focusing on commitment, followership, and leadership. Among other problem-solving activities, brothers were tasked to:
- Rely on teamwork to navigate traffic jams, minefields, and other sticky situations.
- MacGyver “chariots” out of duct tape, PVC tubes, and blankets then run like the wind through the Circus Pilamus obstacle course.
- Juggle responsibilities without “dropping the ball.”
- Scale to great heights and make leaps of faith.
- Engineer “boats” with plastic bags, cardboard, and duct tape (a truly Titanic task).
Undergraduates overwhelmingly approved
“This is something that I wish every brother could experience. The learning was very much going down one road even though every chapter had different paths. Overall, the experience was great and the learning was eye opening.“
— Julian Bermejo, UC Berkeley
“Excellent experience, being able to network with other brothers and see how they operate their chapters and exchange tips and tricks was immensely beneficial.”
— Ryan Williamson, Western Carolina University
Why the Leadership Institute is important
The institute takes an immersive approach to teaching the bedrock principles of good leadership that will help our brothers build stronger Pilam chapters.
This program’s team building and interactive exercises have proven to be more engaging and effective than classroom-based learning.
Ian Lowe was very pleased with the outcome this year, saying, “we saw increases across the board in student and alumni participation, comprehension of the material, alumni donations for the institute, and overall satisfaction by the students. We’re excited to do it again next year!”
Chapter Awards
Congratulations to our 2023 Chapter Award recipients!
Chapter Improvement Awards – Virginia Commonwealth University, Eastern Washington University, Bloomsburg, and University of Virginia 
Jack Buchheit Interchapter Travel Award – Eastern Washington University 
Isador Halprin Memorial Scholarship – Ohio State University 
William “Snap” Melniker Community Service Award – Virginia Commonwealth University 
George A. Beck Outstanding Chapter Award – Ohio State University
Alumni Weekend in Philly
Events shifted to Philadelphia on Saturday, kicked off by the 3rd Annual Philly Golf Outing. Snaps for a strong showing by Drexel, Penn State, and recent alums from Hofstra!
A great mix of alumni also headed downtown for a Phillies watch party at Xfinity Live!
Kris Reiber said of the week’s activities, “to see so many alumni from across multiple generations facilitating sessions of the Leadership Institute, attending the golf outing, and enjoying some brotherhood time at a sports bar was amazing!”
Volunteers and Sponsors
Thank you to all of our alumni volunteers and donors! Your time and financial contributions not only make these leadership programs possible, but they also demonstrate the true meaning of “not four years, but a lifetime” to our brotherhood.