Sigma Lambda Beta

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Sigma Lambda Beta
International Fraternity, Inc.
ΣΛΒ
The official crest of Sigma Lambda Beta.
Founded April 4, 1986 (1986-04-04) (25 years ago)
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Type Social
Emphasis Culture and Service
Scope United States
Puerto Rico
(International Membership)
Motto Opportunity for Wisdom,
Wisdom for Culture.
Colors  Royal Purple   Pure White 
Symbol White Stallion Mustang
Flower Red Carnation
Publication El Iluminador (Blog) &
REGO Magazine
Philanthropy Big Brothers/Big Sisters,
Latino Vote USA,
The Bro. Victor Correa CPR Awareness Day,
Hero Street U.S.A.
Chapters 109 undergrad,
18 colonies,
17 Alumni Associations
Principles Brotherhood,
Scholarship,
Community Service,
Cultural Awareness
Headquarters North Liberty, Iowa, USA
Homepage www.sigmalambdabeta.com

Sigma Lambda Beta (ΣΛΒ) is the largest Latino-based social fraternity established on cultural understanding and wisdom. Founded on April 4, 1986 at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, the organization is committed to create and expand multicultural leadership, promote academic excellence, advance cultural awareness and service while influencing its mission amongst all dedicated collegiate men worldwide. With over 144 entities consisting of colonies, chapters, and alumni associations across the country and in Puerto Rico, Sigma Lambda Beta is the largest historically Latino Fraternal Greek Lettered intercollegiate fraternity in America.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] History

In the early spring semester of 1986 at the University of Iowa, Baltazar Mendoza-Madrigal, wanted to further expand the possibility of a Latino-based organization with multicultural membership that would grow just as notable. The purpose of creating such an organization came from the social and cultural dynamics at the time. Minorities on campus were under represented and lacked interaction amongst each other. Thus, Mendoza along with seventeen other men began to explore the idea of establishing a Latino-based fraternity in order to unify all under represented minorities and to promote cultural understanding along with academic excellence.

The men met officially on March 7, 1986 with some of the Latino students at the University of Iowa

On April 4, 1986, the members finalized the philosophy of the organization and the eighteen men who came to study in the US from Latin America, Africa & Asia became the eighteen Founding Fathers of Sigma Lambda Beta. They were inducted as brothers at the university's Danforth Chapel with the following principles in mind: brotherhood, scholarship, community service and cultural awareness.

[edit] Founding Fathers

This picture contains 13 of the 18 Founding Fathers of Sigma Lambda Beta.
  • Baltazar Mendoza-Madrigal
  • Thomas Carrasquillo
  • Manuel Chavarria
  • Luis Jimenez
  • Luis Marquez
  • Mario Buendia
  • Enrique Carbajal
  • Rudolfo Garza
  • Jose Fong
  • Eric Montes
  • Olakunle Oyeyemi
  • Kuy Ou
  • Jaime Ramirez
  • Olivero Rivera
  • Juan Jose Rojas Cardona
  • Eugenio Soria
  • Juan Valdez
  • Ricardo Zamudio

[edit] Mission

The mission of Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Incorporated is: To nurture and further a dynamic, value-based environment which utilizes our historically Latino based fraternity as a catalyst to better serve the needs and wants of all people.

This article is a part of a series on
Sigma Lambda Beta
International
Fraternity, Inc.
See also:
Fraternities and Sororities Wikiproject


[edit] National Recognition

States with a Sigma Lambda Beta entity.

Sigma Lambda Beta is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), a confederation of 72 men's college fraternities with over 5,300 chapters on more than 800 campuses throughout Canada and the United States. The NIC represents over 350,000 collegiate members and four and one half million alumni. Its volunteer leaders and professional staff serve fraternity leaders in university, government, and media relations. The promotion of scholarship, leadership, service, and friendship among fraternity members is the NIC's purpose.

[edit] Chapters

[edit] National Philanthropies

Part of a series of articles on
National origin groups
Argentine Americans
Bolivian Americans
Chilean Americans
Colombian Americans
Costa Rican Americans
Cuban Americans
Dominican Americans
Ecuadorian Americans
Guatemalan Americans
Honduran Americans
Mexican Americans
Nicaraguan Americans
Panamanian Americans
Paraguayan Americans
Peruvian Americans
Puerto Ricans (stateside)
Salvadoran Americans
Spanish Americans
Uruguayan Americans
Venezuelan Americans
History
History of Hispanic and Latino Americans
History of Mexican-Americans
Political movements
Hispanic and Latino American politics
Chicano Movement
Organizations
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NALEO · RNHA
Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Congressional Hispanic Conference
LULAC · MALDEF · NALFO · SHPE
National Council of La Raza
Association of Hispanic Arts · MEChA · UFW
Culture
Hispanic culture
Literature · Music · Religion · Studies ·
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Lists
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Portals
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Since 1986 Sigma Lambda Beta has made an impact in communities all over the US through service that the fraternity prides itself in. The fraternity concentrates its ability to help underprivileged communities through its local chapter philanthropies. Service at the local level varies accordingly and may consist a wide range from tutoring, mentoring programs, motivational speaking, voter registration drives to fund raising for a cause. On a national level, SLB acknowledges two philanthropies that all chapters participate in.

[edit] Víctor Correa CPR Awareness Day

Health Education & The Community

The Victor Correa CPR Awareness Day was created in honor of Brother Victor "Ziggy" Correa Ortiz. Correa was born and raised in Puerto Rico and came to the United States to earn his degree in engineering at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. As a freshman and newly inducted brother, Correra went back to Puerto Rico to visit his parents. Unfortunately, during that winter Correa drowned while wading off the shores of Puerto Rico. Bystanders were not informed on how to administer CPR at the time to save his life. Today, brothers of SLB are encouraged to become CPR certified and also provide an opportunity for members of their communities to be certified through the Victor Correa CPR Awareness Day (November).

[edit] Collegiate Leadership Development

Latinos, Politics & Policy

Brothers of Sigma Lambda Beta train and serve through the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute in the seven-week Collegiate Leadership Development Program. The program is an interactive, bilateral, policy-oriented training program for Latino student leaders, university staff, faculty, and administrators. The program is designed to focus on how to formulate, exercise, and influence policy. Given the setting, this policy analysis program focuses on university policies pertaining to the outreach, recruitment and retention of Latino students; the recruitment and retention of Latino staff, faculty and administrators; beginning or expanding a Latino studies curriculum; financial aid; involvement in student government; support for Latino student organizations; and financial literacy.

[edit] National Events

Sigma Lambda Beta organizes various social, business, professional and personal development events for its members annually. Most of them are held in different states from year to year.

Formal
  • Convention (BETAcon): A business convention where delegates from every chapter vote on bylaws of the fraternity and discuss various business topics of interest for the development of the organization. Convention takes place every other summer.
  • The Leadership Institute: A personal development event where brothers take part in various workshops, bonding exercises, and networking events with other chapters around the nation. This retreat takes place every other summer, in years between Convention at a host university.
Informal
  • Founders: An annual social event that is hosted to celebrate the founding and existence of the fraternity. Brothers are also recognized across the nation for their contributions to the fraternity. The weekend of events take place during the beginning of April, near the founding date of the organization, as chapters nationwide alternate its location.
  • Festival Del Sol: An annual social held in Tampa, Florida on Labor Day weekend. (September)
  • Homecoming: An annual social held in Tucson, Arizona at the University of Arizona (November) .
  • Spanish Fly: An annual social held in Tallahassee, Florida during MLK weekend. (January)

[edit] Educational Foundation

"Fueling the Light" since 2001, the Sigma Lambda Beta Educational Foundation is a charitable and educational 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, separate and independent from Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity. The Education Foundation is supported by tax-deductible charitable gifts from loyal members and friends of Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity. It receives, manages and distributes endowment gifts, deferred gifts, annual gifts, and special gifts for the purpose of funding educational and leadership development programs for Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity, as well as direct financial assistance for undergraduate and graduate student members. The Education Foundation is governed by a board of trustees composed primarily of alumni of Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity.

[edit] Scholarships

The Opportunity for Wisdom Fund is the first endowed fund established by the Sigma Lambda Beta Educational Foundation. The interest earned from the principal of this fund provided scholarships to the brothers of Sigma Lambda Beta.

[edit] External links

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