or a merchant licensed by the fraternity headquarters. The Horseshoe In April 1921, members of the Fraternity at Ohio State University made their way to the Conclave in Madison, Wisconsin. At the conclusion of the vote granting their charter as the Omicron Chapter, one of the members pulled from the pocket of his pants 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 World War II at the Alpha-Chi Chapter (University of Louisville), but 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 the Alpha-Chi Chapter, which had been held for years by a charter member of the chapter. At the 49th Biennial Conclave, the original horseshoe from the Omicron Chapter was displayed, and the story behind its loss explained. The horseshoe, now an adopted symbol, is traditionally displayed on a plaque given to new chapters at their founding. The Sweetheart Song The tradition of singing a Sweetheart Song to a fraternity's sweetheart is one shared by most fraternities. is rare in that it has three different Sweetheart Songs (Sweetheart of T.K.E., recorded by The Lettermen in 1969, found on I Have Dreamed (The Lettermen album); Iota Sweetheart Song and the Old Sweetheart Song). The Old Sweetheart Song was started at the Alpha-Xi Chapter (Drake University) in Des Moines, Iowa. Grand Council The Board of Directors of the Fraternity is known as the Grand Council, which is composed of the Grand Prytanis (Grand President) and seven other Grand Officers elected at Conclave, one representative selected by the Collegiate Advisory Committee (CAC), and two other alumni selected by the Grand Officers as ex-officio, voting members. The Grand Council is entrusted with authority over managing the property, assets, and finances of the Fraternity, adopting budgets and financial estimates, proposing amendments to the Fraternity's Articles of Incorporation, and authorizing the establishment of colonies or affiliated local fraternities. The Grand Council also oversees the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Fraternity who manages day-to-day operations, subject to the direction and control of the Grand Council. The CAC and its chairman are active undergraduate members appointed by the CEO of the Fraternity and approved