Traditions
TKE Coat-of-Arms
The Flower
The Colors of TKE
TKE's Greek Patron Apollo
The TKE Badge
The Equilateral Triangle
The TKE Flag
The Horse Shoe
Founder's Day
Gules, on a bend argent, five equilateral triangles, bendwise, at the first, voided. Crest- Above a peer's
helm, a death's head, three-quarters profile, proper. Mantling- Gules doubled argent. Motto- pi alpha
omega epsilon alpha.
The official flower of the fraternity is the red carnation. From the red carnation is derived the color for our
Coat-of-Arms, flag, banner, and many other symbols. The official flower is worn during initiations and at TKE
banquets. It is also represented by the Red Carnation Ball, a banquet and dance celebrated by most TKE
chapters each year.
The official colors of Tau Kappa Epsilon are cherry and gray. These colors are displayed in the official flower, the
red carnation, and in the official jewel of the fraternity, the pearl.
The TKE Coat-of-Arms consists of a shield of the Norman form, upon which is a bend with five equilateral
triangles, surmounting a scroll bearing the initial letters of a secret motto in Greek, and surmounted by a skull, or
death's head, three-quarters profile. This assemblage is done in the official colors, cherry and gray, properly
mantled. Its connotation, or meaning, is also revealed by the initiation ritual. The Coat-of-Arms may be used only
by official members of the fraternity on stationery, jewelry, and other personal effects. It is used by the fraternity
upon its official stationery, membership certificates, and other documents. Distinctive and beautiful, the TKE
Coat-of-Arms is vastly unique to that employed by any other fraternity. Modified slightly several times during the
early years of Tau Kappa Epsilon, the present Coat-of-Arms, adopted in 1926, was designed by Dr. Carlton B.
The primary symbol of the fraternity is the equilateral triangle. It appears proudly upon the fraternity's badge, upon
it's Coat-of-Arms, and upon the fraternity flag. Equal-sided, representing the striving toward a full and equal
development of mind, body, and heart, it means much within ranks of our fraternity. It serves as a reminder, too,
of the early days of the fraternity and the traditions established by it's founders, since the first three chapters of
Tau Kappa Epsilon, which supplied the foundations for its growth, formed an equilateral triangle in their
geographical relationship.
The present design of the TKE flag, as adopted at the 1961 Conclave, features five voided triangles, in cherry red,
on a gray bend surmounting a red field. Due to it's patterning after the shield of the fraternity Coat-of-Arms, the
flag is readily associated with Tau Kappa Epsilon. Individual chapters may also purchase and use pennants and
wall banners of various designs. These usually employ the name or Greek letters of the fraternity and chapter,
and may incorporate the basic TKE insignia. TKE insignia must be purchased from the Offices of the Grand
Chapter.
In April of 1921 members of the Fraternity at The Ohio State University made their way to the Conclave in
Madison, Wisconsin. At the conclusion of the vote granting their charter as Omicron Chapter, one of the
members pulled from his pants pocket a rusty horseshoe which the fraters had picked up along the way.
Believing that the horseshoe had granted the chapter good luck, the tradition began to pass the horseshoe down
to each chapter. The ORIGINAL horseshoe was lost during WWII at the Alpha-Chi Chapter (it was replaced with a
new horseshoe to continue the tradition).
In mid-1995, the ORIGINAL horseshoe was discovered by Past Grand Prytanis Rodney Williams among some
artifacts belonging to Alpha-Chi Chapter, which had been held for years by a charter member of the chapter. At
the 49th Biennial Conclave this past August, the original TKE horseshoe from Omicron Chapter was displayed,
and the story behind its loss explained.
On the cold night of January 10, 1899, students of Illinois Wesleyan University in the small midwestern town of
Bloomington had just returned from the Christmas holidays when Joseph L. Settles went to the room occupied by
James C. McNutt and Clarence A. Mayer at 504 East Locust Street to propound organization of a new society on
campus. Joined immediately by Owen I. Truitt and Roy C.Atkinson, these five men then drew up the first set of
regulations for the Knights of Classic Lore, a society whose avowed purpose was "to aid college men in mental,
moral, and social development." This organization would eventually become Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, and
has grown into the world's largest social fraternity.
On or near January 10th of each year, undergraduate and alumni chapters of the fraternity celebrate the founding
of Tau Kappa Epsilon and honor the Five Founders. There is usually a traditional banquet on this day. Fraters
take time to remember the vision of the Founders, and to reflect upon the commitments they have made to one
another.
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