Tau Phi goes local: from donating nationally to the on-campus veteran community 

The Cowboy Show is one of Lipscomb’s oldest traditions and celebrated its 45th anniversary on September 13. In 2020, Tau Phi sent the profits from ticket sales to Wreaths Across America (WAA). However, the impact of the pandemic led Tau Phi to a philanthropic shift. After a period of giving to different off-campus causes, they have decided to focus on serving veterans—specifically those on campus. 

Tau Phi is a fraternal social club that strives to raise money for charity through their annual Cowboy Show. From humble beginnings on the steps of the Collins Alumni Auditorium during Bison Day in 1974, the Tau Phi Cowboy Show has evolved into a full-blown production. The members of the club come together and sing to popular country instrumentals performed by a live band. 

Previously, they had given to other causes such as Room in the Inn in 2018, which serves the Nashville homeless community. In 2020, veterans organizations were the target audience, and the fraternity gave to Wreaths Across America: a nationwide nonprofit organization that places wreaths on veterans’ graves during the holiday season. By 2021, when Lipscomb’s campus was still experiencing the effects of Covid-19, the students decided to give back to the community. They used the funds to support on-campus faculty and staff who worked to maintain the in-person meeting of students during a time of separation. 

Tau Phi continued to give to WAA, whose mission statement is to “remember the fallen[,] honor those who serve[, and] teach the next generation the value of freedom.”

“All proceeds go to support the veterans …” said Haven St. Jean, the director of the 2024 Cowboy Show. “We get up there and we sing and we dance, and we just have fun.” St. Jean is a senior finance major. 

However, in 2023, The Military Times and CharityWatch grew skeptical of where the received money was being allocated. Worcester Wreath Co., which supplies wreaths to WAA, is a for-profit organization. While they initially donated excess wreaths in 1992, the tax reports portray a seemingly obscured relationship between the company and nonprofit. The charity group has also not responded to the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB’s) requests for evaluation, which would also verify if their charity is abiding by the rules to maintain its status. 

Tau Phi did not relate this information to their shift to a different charity. “We see … a more direct result from our giving … because the donation is to scholarships for veterans here on campus.” St. Jean said. 

“… It’s an enormous nonprofit,” said R. Samuel Lynn, the Director of Veteran Services, “… Tau Phi usually raised a couple thousand dollars, and donating that to an organization the size of Wreaths Across America is like throwing some pennies at them …” 

After speaking to Brent Culberson, Lipscomb’s Vice President of Government and Community Relations, the social club was able to get connected with Veteran Services: a small department located in the basement of the student center. 

“We realized that this partnership would be really, really beneficial because just last year, we had just started 4 initiatives: 2 scholarship funds—one endowed and one a little bit more immediate. Both of them [are] named after Lipscomb student veterans who lost their lives.” Lynn said. The proceeds from the show would support these scholarships, providing for some of the 413 veteran students on campus. 

They are currently pushing for a missional support fund which would cover gatherings for the veteran student community. “Last year, we raised enough money at the Tau Phi Cowboy Show to provide Thanksgiving dinner to one of our student veterans who had 8 children and 6 grandchildren.” Lynn said. “Without the donations provided at the Cowboy Show, … their family would have gone without Thanksgiving, so we’re hoping to raise more funding this year for other student veterans that are in need.”

Although no student veterans comprise the brotherhood of Tau Phi, they persistently give to Veteran-related organizations. “I guess we all just like to support the veterans.” St. Jean said.