Example Contact Letter to Relatives

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith

111 16th Avenue,

East Indianapolis, Indiana 46000

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith:

We are pleased to announce that your son, Thomas, has become a pledge of our National Professional Engineering Fraternity — a fact which you probably already know. We feel that this relationship will be of mutual benefit to him and Theta Tau. While in school, membership can provide valuable experiences contributing to a student's complete education. At the same time, the chapter provides a home away from home.

As a professional engineering fraternity, Theta Tau limits its membership to those in an engineering field. Since we believe that a fraternity should contribute positively to student's education, scholarship is given a major emphasis by our chapter, and our service, professional and brotherhood activities are molded around it. Generally, we have one informal social activity a month. Each month, our professional development program brings our members and pledges an opportunity to associate closely with professionals and to become better equipped for the years after graduation.

Our Adviser Dr. Sam Johnson and the other Theta Tau members on the Purdue faculty take an active interest in the affairs of our chapter.

Each prospective student member is required to fulfill a period known as pledging. During this time, the candidate is instructed in the principles and history of the Fraternity and given an opportunity to demonstrate interest in Theta Tau and ability successfully to meet the academic standards of the University. Upon successful conclusion of pledging, the candidate will be formally initiated into membership. The ceremony of initiation (or Ritual) is a meaningful and serious ceremony stepped in over 100 years of history and tradition. It does not include any form of hazing. As a member, the student enjoys the additional benefit of leadership training as a participant in the operation of the chapter.

On behalf of all our members, I should like to invite you to visit the next time you are on campus, so that we may become acquainted. In the meanwhile, if you have any questions regarding our Fraternity, I should be happy to answer them for you.

Yours truly, James M. Walter, Regent