Greek mythology who was regarded as gentle and wise. The fraternity's colors are green and gold, although white does appear in reference to the fraternity's alumni members. The fraternity flower is the yellow rose. The fraternity's song, "Delta Phi", has two distinct melodies. The first is a somber ceremonial version, while the second is a festive toast version. Both versions utilize the same set of lyrics. The official song has three verses, but every chapter writes a unique fourth verse to commemorate the founding of their individual chapter. The formal motto of the fraternity is "Lambda Men are Making Their Presence Make A Difference." The highest honor bestowed by Delta Lambda Phi is the Vernon L. Strickland III Founder's Award for extraordinary service to the fraternity's brotherhood. Structure and policies Convention Delta Lambda Phi is governed by its Convention, which is officially the highest authority in the fraternity. The convention is held annually and, as a body, comprises two members from every active chapter, as well as alumni representatives and the fraternity's board of directors. The first Convention was held in 1989 in San Francisco, California. The location of the Convention changes from year to year and is selected by the fraternity staff. Board of directors The fraternity's board of directors (BOD) governs the fraternity between conventions and consists of eleven elected members, three ex officio members, and Life Members. The executive director (ED) and general counsel are appointed by the trustee and confirmed by the board of directors. The ED's principal responsibility is to direct the day-to-day affairs of the fraternity. Members who have served the on the board for ten or more years can be appointed "Life Member of the Board" by action of the Annual Convention. The fraternity recognizes three broad geographic regions—Eastern, Central, and Western. Each region is overseen by a regional steering committee, and also hosts two regional conferences; one in the spring, and one in the fall. Like the location of Convention, regional conference locations are generally rotated. Delta Lambda Phi Alumni Association (DLPAA) The Delta Lambda Phi Alumni Association (DLPAA) is governed by its own elected board of directors. Since January 2004, the DLPAA has sponsored an annual alumni retreat. This retreat provides alumni an opportunity to get acquainted or reacquainted. The DLPAA also allows for the creation of local alumni associations (LAAs). LAAs can be either in support of a specific chapter,