Chapter 7:

"Alpha Tau Omega holds before the young men of the country an ideal and something greater than a mere intellectual ideal. Alpha Tau Omega stands for heart as well as head. It has given men a true ideal of life."

Wm. Brian Ruyle, Stephen F. Austin, was elected National President at the New Orleans Congress in 1992. His terms marked an accelerated rate of change within the Fraternity. As the boom of the 80s gave way to declining membership in the 90s, the Fraternity became aggressive in its belief that ATO must be more relevant to college men or face a diminished future. Ruyle knew that ATO's deeper meanings...those truths contained within the Ritual...needed to play a more prominent role in everyday chapter life.

Thomas M. Schneider, DePauw, succeeded Thorsby as executive director. Schneider believed as Glazebrook, that true brotherhood was anchored in love demonstrated by Jesus Christ. During Schneider's tenure, the Fraternity carefully began moving back toward its heritage. ATO welcomes men of all faiths into the Brotherhood. However, the Fraternity cannot ignore or try to hide its founders' deeply held beliefs that "Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life."

Schneider was responsible for ATO's membership in a select group of national fraternities making up the Fraternity Insurance Trust. F.I.T., later reorganized as FRMT, Inc. Members demonstrated they could successfully manage the risk inherent in operating a fraternity chapter. A record number of chapters were closed between 1992 and 1994. Most lost their charters only after members demonstrated an unwillingness to correct problems.

By the end of 1994, M. Scott Gilpin, Oklahoma State, had replaced Schneider as the Fraternity's executive and the Fraternity Board of Directors and the Foundation Board of Governors had adopted a vision that would dramatically change the organization.

One component of the vision that had the greatest impact on the Fraternity was the creation of boards of trustees. A group of alumni, parents, faculty and community leaders makes up a local board of trustees. The Board's mission is to provide encouragement and accountability for its chapter.