Theta Chi - Ideals, Traditions, and Symbols

Ideals, Traditions, and Symbols

The Greek motto of Theta Chi is Θηρόποσα Χείρ, which is translated as "An Assisting Hand." Theta Chi's motto was secret from the founding in 1856 until the 1930s, at which time it was made public and incorporated into the fraternity's coat of arms.

When Freeman and Chase founded Theta Chi in 1856 they very clearly spelled out the purpose of the Fraternity in the original Constitution. Article I stated that the objects of Theta Chi were to “bind by closer bonds the members to each other and the mutual assistance of each of its members;” “the advancement and carrying out of any measures at the institution in which it shall be established which shall be of importance to its members,” and “the mutual benefit and improvement of all its members.”

The Fraternity's maxim is "Alma Mater First and Theta Chi for Alma Mater," and refers to one of the founding ideals of the Fraternity: loyalty to one's college or university over the course of one's lifetime.

The Fraternity's colors are military red and white. Its flower is the red carnation. The national alumni publication is The Rattle, named for the rattlesnake that appears on the Fraternity's coat of arms and badge. It has become a Theta Chi tradition to celebrate Founders Day on April 10, usually as an alumni gathering.

Sometimes mistakenly called the crest, the Fraternity Coat of Arms consists of a gold shield with a red bend containing two downward pointing swords and a knotted rattlesnake, surmounting a scroll bearing the date of the Fraternity's founding and the motto in Greek. An esquire's helmet sits on top, on which stands a gold eagle.

According to The Manual of Theta Chi, the original design for the coat of arms was suggested by Freeman, and members of Alpha Chapter used his ideas to develop an official image. The coat of arms has undergone over a dozen modifications since, with the current design being approved in 1939.