The Beta Theta Pi Magazine - Summer 2013

Editor’s Message

Lighten Up The Beta Theta Pi

“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” — Elbert Hubbard Recognizing that the last few issues of The Beta Theta Pi have centered on more serious aspects of the Fraternity, the editorial team agreed that this summer issue should focus on a theme that is a little more relaxed and “less heavy.” After all, the Fraternity is meant to be an uplifting, positive experience, right? What’s that saying about “all work and no play…”?

Fortunately, during last fall’s creative session, a common thread in a number of human-interest stories quickly became evident: Betas possess some incredibly extreme hobbies and passions.

And isn’t that one of the things most Betas find so rewarding? Getting to know what makes each brother so unique, interesting and special?

So… Say hello to this issue’s feature on “Extreme Betas.” Recognizing seven alumni who ride their own waves of adrenaline in quite different forms, you’ll find their personal stories intriguing — and maybe even inspiring.

Of course, consistent with how I acknowledged in the last issue of my love for quotes, here are a few that are sure to put a smile on your face — probably because of the degrees to which they ring true…

“I do not want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.” — Diane Ackerman

The oldest continuously-published college fraternity magazine, The Beta Theta Pi was founded on December 15, 1872,

by Charles Duy Walker, V.M.I. 1869.

Editor L. Martin Cobb, Eastern Kentucky ’96 Managing Editor Mike Roupas, Iowa ’10 Associate Director of Communication Kyle Grand, Wabash ’11 Creative Director Sarah Shepherd Graphic Designer Jenna Noah Director of Digital Media Robert Umstadter, San Jose State ’05 The Beta Theta Pi, (USPS 052-000) official magazine of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, is owned by the Fraternity, edited and published under the direction and control of its Board of Trustees, published Winter, Spring and Summer for $30 onetime pre-paid subscription. Standard non-profit class postage paid at Oxford, Ohio, and additional points of entry. Canada Post International Publications Mail (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 0397474. Copyright Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, 2012. Produced in the USA.

Publication Schedule Issue Deadline Winter 2014 October 15 Spring 2014 January 15 Summer 2014 April 15

Mail Date December 15 March 15 June 15

Send address changes to: Foundation and Administrative Office Brennan Hall 5134 Bonham Road PO Box 6277 Oxford, Ohio 45056 800.800.BETA or beta@betathetapi.org

“The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.” — W. M. Lewis “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “WOW — What a Ride!”

— Unknown

Sincerely and yours in ___kai___,

L. Martin Cobb, Eastern Kentucky ’96 Editor martin.cobb@betathetapi.org P.S. In the spirit of “lightening up”, we couldn’t resist sharing this shot of Forrest Buck, WisconsinOshkosh ’14. It was captured on a beach in Rome while studying abroad with two Beta brothers.

Page 47 shows just how much we loved it...

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THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

WHO GETS THE MAGAZINE? Upon initiation each Beta is guaranteed a lifetime subscription to The Beta Theta Pi. That commitment by the Fraternity remains, although for a variety of reasons, some no longer wish to receive the hard-copy version.

So, who receives the Fraternity’s magazine? Anyone who requests it, as well as all active Beta volunteers, donors to the Beta Foundation, undergraduates and parents. Make your preference official at 800.800.BETA, beta@betathetapi.org or go online at my.betathetapi.org.

Contents

The Beta Theta Pi Magazine | Vol. 140 | No. 3

Summer features

8 1 33 35

Extreme Betas

Betas with Unique Lifestyles and Hobbies

State of the Fraternity

A Look at the Fraternity’s 2012-13 Performance

Chapter Reports

100% of Chapters Reporting

10 departments

4 Beta Inbox

“The Porn Debate”

18

6 News and Notes

12

Mission To develop men of principle for a principled life.

Vision

To build lasting bonds of friendship and brotherhood, Beta calls for:

Undergraduate Highlights

48 Mystic Shrine

In Loving Memory

Intellectual Growth

Betas are devoted to continually

cultivating their minds, including high

standards of academic achievement.

Responsible Conduct

Betas choose to act responsibly, weighing

the consequences of their actions on

themselves and those around them.

Integrity

Betas preserve their character by doing

what is morally right and demanding the

same from their brothers.

Alumni Accomplishments

13 Campus Life

Mutual Assistance Betas believe that men are mutually obligated to help others in the honorable labors and aspirations of life.

Trust Betas develop absolute faith and confidence in one another by being true to themselves and others.

Lifelong Fraternal Brotherhood

Core Values

8 Marching Along 10 Alumni News

Every member will live Beta Theta Pi’s values.

Fraternity Updates

in the spotlight

12

32

51

Parent

A Focus on Character

Volunteer

Serving Yields Lifetime Friendships

A Lasting Moment

Beta as a Lifelong Journey

www.betathetapi.org

3

Beta inbox

“

”

The Porn Debate

No. Your eyes didn’t deceive you.

Beta really published an article about pornography addiction in the last issue. Here’s how readers reacted to the taboo topic: “Bravo for tackling online porn as a serious mental health and relationship issue. I will admit myself to straying into this ‘no-win zone’ and I have found that setting short-term goals, confiding in your soul mate and limiting online activity — of all types — to be helpful. Be assured you have raised the bar on the impact of the magazine by tackling this important subject. — Gary Lyon, Western Ontario ’79

“Please don’t legislate my morality. That’s what my church is for.” — Christopher Saul, SMU ’15 “Apparently internet porn and cell phones are now addictions worthy of a front page spread in a distinguished publication. What an embarrassment.

What a shame on an otherwise prestigious institution.” — David Williams, Ohio ’96

“[The articles are] spot on and necessary — regardless of those who may criticize the topics and manner in which the Fraternity has approached them.” — Senator Lugar, Denison ’54

Voice Your Thoughts: beta@betathetapi.org

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THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

Share on Facebook: facebook.com/betathetapi

“I actually have a close family friend whose father has a severe addiction to pornography, and it has torn her family apart. Proud of y’all for taking a risk and putting it out there. If you help one man (or woman), it’s hopefully worth the backlash!”

— Claire Davis, Friend of Beta “Your article on pornography addiction was obviously written by an immature, extreme right-wing, bornagain who is affected mentally and emotionally by the sight of a few hardcore pornographic pictures!

Emotionally stable, mature, heterosexual males are not affected by such pictures!”

— Hunt Banister, Johns Hopkins ’62 “I appreciate you and the staff exploring the deleterious effects of “new age addictions.” Excellent overall . . . and courageous, too . . . and really a noble display of magnanimous and brotherly concern and care. Wish more male institutions would be so progressive in their thinking and approach to problem-solving and humanitarian responsibility.”

— Schu Montgomery, Northwestern ’81

Connect on LinkedIn: betathetapi.org/linkedin

Engage on Twitter: twitter.com/betathetapi

Beta inbox

support from . . .

Dan Butler: What does this have to do with Beta? Like 43

Tom Coulter: I agree with Dan. I understand that it is a topic that no one wants to bring up and may impact a few readers, but it’s definitely not something that should have been in our fraternity’s magazine. Like 7

“It is a different world today than it was even 10 years ago.

[The article] reminded me of when the women's groups started to discuss eating disorders back in the late '80s and '90s. Some alumnae thought it was a topic that shouldn't be discussed. As a Pi Phi officer at the time, I knew it was an issue that was faced quite often.

If you've helped even one person, the flack was well worth it.”

— Fran Becque, Pi Beta Phi, Historian and Archivist

“I think more fraternal organizations should be tackling difficult issues such as these, and your coverage did not pull any punches while still remaining tasteful and informative.” — Mallory Curtis, Sigma Kappa Society, Director of Communication

Christopher Moon: I am with Dan on this one. I am sure there are a lot of issues impacting the lives of Betas, but is this the forum to address them?

Like 2

Interfraternal organizations

“If we’re really trying to make a difference in the lives of young men, we have to be willing to address the dark side of things. It doesn’t get any darker than this.

I hope your readers will be mature and supportive.”

— Jim Russell, Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, Executive Vice President

are looking at various aspects of men’s health is appropriate. May as well use the article to see if there is an interest in further dialogue about various issues relating to men’s and women’s health.

An article about excessive drinking or gambling would have been considered okay . . . why not this? Like 1

“The decision to tackle an issue (or issues) which are obviously prevalent in today’s society is a testament to Beta’s commitment to developing “men of principle” at both the undergraduate and alumni level.” — Tyler Wash, Phi Kappa Tau Foundation, Director of Development

“You should be commended for the courage to write such a poignant article that I am sure will resonate in a powerful and impactful way with those who have the chance to read it. It should be a cover story for Time magazine it is so important.”

— Steve Night, MD, Beta Parent

“Younger Betas may be dismissive of the article, and may think that pornography is silent, harmless and even beneficial. More mature members may have lived long enough to know that pornography is unhealthy, and may have seen it damage (if not destroy) relationships and marriages. The pornography industry is lucrative and exploits some of society's most fragile and vulnerable members: children, drug/alcohol addicts and the mentally ill. Real men know that pornography is no substitute for real relationships based on love and respect.”

— Katherine Hankins, MD, Beta Parent and Mississippi Chapter Mother

Nick Gilson: I’m just curious —

facebook chat

Medical Experts

Jeff Beavers: I think the fact you

for this who have said this is not the appropriate forum, why is it not, and more importantly, what is? Seems to me that if it is an issue that can negatively impact our members, their families, etc., then we should be willing and able to discuss it in ANY forum. Like 4

Alex Sullivan: I can see relevance in each of the points presented here.

And while some are uncomfortable with the idea of broaching this subject, or feel that Beta is not the proper outlet for airing such issues, I have to disagree. When we call ourselves “men of principle,” it should apply to every aspect of our lives. Whether anyone else sees it or not. And we should take some time to discuss the issue in a calm, rational manner. Take the shame out of it and you may be surprised at how many people who might come forward to admit they have a problem in one way or another with pornography.

Like 2

www.betathetapi.org

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News and Notes

2013-14 re/colonization update

darkening of the hall

The spring magazine announced the Beta Spirit will be expanding to four campuses during the upcoming academic year. The Fraternity is now excited to add two additional campuses to that list: Florida State University and the University of Pittsburgh!

Drexel University New Colony Philadelphia, Pa.

Florida State University Delta Lambda Chapter Tallahassee, Fla. Carnegie Mellon University Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. Greek Designation: Gamma Iota Founded: May 15, 1920 Chapter Motto: Honor the upright Total Initiates: 1,858 Undergraduate Members: 114

University of Illinois Sigma Rho Chapter Urbana, Ill.

Reason for Closure:

speaking

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THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

New Colony Pittsburgh, Pa.

University of Puget Sound Delta Epsilon Chapter Tacoma, Wash.

Quinnipiac University New Colony Hamden, Conn.

Want to get involved? Know a young man at one of these campuses?

Contact Director of Expansion Phil Erford phil.erford@betathetapi.org | 800.800.BETA

SEEING DOUBLE? The fall 1959 cover of The Beta Theta Pi featured six DePauw undergraduates who were named Phi Beta Kappa. This spring, seven men of Delta Chapter were inducted, and with a nod to history, they recreated the 1959 scene on the front steps of the chapter house.

Following the discovery of sexually explicit photos of members and non-members being circulated without their approval via the chapter’s email listserve, hazing activities within the chapter’s pledge education program became evident that broadened the scope of the related investigation. When the suspended chapter decided to host an organized social event that was prohibited in the midst of the larger investigation, the Fraternity was forced to act in the best interests of the University, noninvolved members and Beta’s long-term commitment to a presence at CMU.

interfraternally

University of Pittsburgh

AXD — On April 17, 1893, ten young women officially introduced Alpha Xi Delta to the student body at Lombard College in Galesburg, Ill. This year, collegiate and alumnae sisters from 118 chapters across North America celebrate the 120th anniversary of Alpha Xi Delta’s founding. Congratulations!

KS —With representation on more than 310 campuses across the United States and Canada, Kappa Sigma hosted an international “Spring Day of Service” on April 13. Men from each chapter selected a service event to participate in for the day to help improve their local communities and campuses.

News and Notes

August 2014

july 2013 Wooden Institute Session 3...................................................6-10 Session 4.................................................13-17

COME “HOME” FOR BETA’S 175th ANNIVERSARY There are a handful of times in Beta’s history when we are all called “home” to celebrate our heritage, recommit to Beta’s principles and re-establish the bonds of brotherhood with fellow Betas across North America. The 175th anniversary of Beta Theta Pi’s founding is one of those special occasions. Save the dates August 8-11, 2014, for this milestone occasion of the 175th General Convention in Oxford.

Contact Convention Coordinator Megan Vadnais at 800.800.BETA or megan.vadnais@betathetapi.org

174th General Convention Deadlines: General Registration ................................ 5 megan.vadnais@betathetapi.org Symposium ............................................... 5 ryan.king@betathetapi.org Housing Summit........................................ 5 anne.emmerth@betathetapi.org Leadership College .................................. 5 megan.vadnais@betathetapi.org

august 2013 General Convention.................................. 1-4 Charlotte, N.C. megan.vadnais@betathetapi.org

ANOTHER RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR SONS OF THE DRAGON CLUB Thanks to a herculean effort, the Fraternity has some exciting all-time records to share for the Sons of the Dragon Club! A total of 2,190 undergraduates joined this year’s Club, raising $43,840 for the Beta Leadership Fund. The Fraternity thanks the undergraduate brothers for giving their all to help fund their own brothers’ leadership development.

FIVE NEW FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS APPOINTED Charged with the responsibility of planning investment strategies, fundraising, donor cultivation and provision of educational grants, five men were recently appointed to the 16-man Foundation Board of Directors: Brad Bates, Michigan ’81; Dr. Robert Healy, Missouri ’64; John Mutz, Northwestern ’57; Matt Paynter, Florida ’00; Willie Romero, UNLV ’95.

MAKING A CASE FOR SAFER HOUSING Mike Rodmaker, Cincinnati ’13, and Keng Xiong, Arkansas ’14, traveled to Capitol Hill in April to lobby Senators and Representatives to sign on as sponsors of the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act (Senate bill 654; House bill 1449).

This bill will allow contributions to chapter housing projects to be tax-deductible.

Learn how you can support the bills at the Fraternal Government Relations Coalition website, www.fgrc.com.

october 2013

upcoming events

save the date

MIT 100th Anniversary.............................4-6 Boston, Mass. mike_feinstein@yahoo.com Penn State 125th Anniversary.................4-6 State College, Pa. grantkovich@gmail.com Utah 100th Anniversary.......................25-27 Salt Lake City, Utah chasfoote@comcast.net

November 2013 Nebraska 125th Anniversary................... 1-3 Lincoln, Neb. siebertkurt@yahoo.com Board of Trustees Meeting....................... 1-2 Oxford, Ohio ryan.king@betathetapi.org

A look ahead to 2014 Board of Trustees & Foundation Joint Board Meeting.................... Jan. 24-25 Miami, Fla. ryan.king@betathetapi.org Kansas State 100th Anniv.............. April 4-6 Manhattan, Kan. bhaney@k-state.edu Board of Trustees Meeting & Alumni Appreciation Dinner...... April 26-27 Milwaukee, Wis. ryan.king@betathetapi.org

www.betathetapi.org

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MArching Along

Shining Stars of Beta Theta Pi

Recognized for his distinguished service and professional accomplishments, Ambassador Eric M. Javits, Columbia ’52, became the Fraternity’s 77th Oxford Cup recipient at the New York Alumni Appreciation Dinner on April 27.

The Oxford Cup The Fraternity awards the Oxford Cup in recognition of achievement of the highest order by a Beta. Recipients must be loyal members of Beta Theta Pi who have brought honor to the Fraternity through distinguished service and accomplishments in their chosen professional fields.

The Oxford Cup was developed in 1984, by then President Peter E. Van de Water, St. Lawrence ’58, and General Secretary B. Hume Morris, Centre ’68. Brother Morris also wrote the award ceremony and designed the Cup, a smaller version of the Pater Knox Golden Wedding Loving Cup.

Ambassador Eric M. javits recognized in New York Eric Javits, Columbia ’52, was initiated into the Alpha Alpha Chapter on May 1, 1950, as Roll No. 691. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor’s degree from Columbia, he attended the School of Law at Columbia University. In 1955, Javits graduated from law school and was admitted into the New York Bar. In 2001, Javits was nominated by President George W. Bush as Ambassador and Permanent U.S. Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. Having been confirmed unanimously by the Senate, he served in that post from 2001-03. Javits was then nominated and again unanimously confirmed as Ambassador and U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, the capital city of the Netherlands.

He served in that position from 2003 until he retired in January 2009.

During his illustrious career, Ambassador Javits garnered an impressive list of awards. In 1994, he was honored at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute’s Gold Medal Gala, recognizing him for his contributions to the cultural relations and international appreciation of Spain and Ibero-America. Ambassador Javits has been honored twice by King Juan Carlos I of Spain, in 1981 and 1990, with Isabela La Catolica decorations. This award recognizes an individual’s services that benefitted the country.

In addition to his professional career, Javits has volunteered for the Fraternity, serving multiple years on his own Alpha Alpha Chapter’s house corporation board.

Congratulate Eric at javits@me.com.

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THE BETA THETA PI Summer 2013

MArching Along

1

SENATOR LUGAR KNIGHTED On April 16, former U.S. Senator of Indiana Dick Lugar, Denison ’54, was named an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. He joins an exclusive list of Americans who have been knighted, including former Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Lugar is pictured with his wife, Char, and grandchildren.

2

AIDING BOSTON MARATHON VICTIMS During emergencies there are always people who run towards the danger. Dr. Chris Rupe, Kansas ’00, did exactly that during the Boston Marathon bombing tragedy.

The explosions happened seconds after Chris finished the marathon, and he immediately began helping those injured from the blasts.

Thank you, Chris. You truly are a man of principle.

3

WATCH OUT, HOLLYWOOD Are you a fan of NBC’s “The Voice”? Joey Femia, Central Florida ’12, works for the show’s production team. Joey has also worked for Fox’s “X Factor”. The future is bright for this brother!

Connect with him at jfemia@knights.ucf.edu.

4

INVESTING IN EDUCATION The University of Utah is receiving a new building with the help of Oxford Cup Recipient Spence Eccles Sr., Utah ’56. Joining him at the groundbreaking ceremony for the George S. Eccles Student Life Center were current members of his Gamma Beta Chapter. Connect with Spence at sfeccles@efventures.com.

5

A SURVIVOR’S JOURNEY In 2007, Matt Cotcher, Texas ’94, was diagnosed with a Grade II ependymoma, a racquetball-sized tumor wrapped around his brainstem.

Following an emergency nine-hour surgery, three months of hospitalization and four subsequent surgeries, Matt’s journey included relearning to walk, talk and swallow because of damage to his brainstem. In 2011, Matt and two brain tumor survivors founded “Hawktober” (hawktober.com), a nonprofit organization to raise awareness for brain tumors. They launched the “I CANcer” initiative to motivate and empower survivors to push through physical and emotional challenges they face. Matt’s proving he CAN too, after completing the Austin Marathon in 4:19:28 this year. Congratulate Matt at mlcotcher@gmail.com.

6

NEW TRUSTEE AT MIAMI Congrats to David Budig, Miami ’84, on being selected as Miami University’s newest member of the Board of Trustees. Budig will serve a nine-year term that began in March and ends in February 2022.

7

COMMUNICATIONS GURU Tom Wheeler, Ohio State ’68, has been nominated to become the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Congrats on this major accomplishment, Tom, and good luck in the new role!

8

SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENTS William Pease, M.D., Vanderbilt ’77, of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center received the Distinguished Physician Award from the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine. Congratulate him at wpease@aol.com.

Have you been “marching along” with achievements? Email beta@betathetapi.org or mail a letter to the Administrative Office with the subject line “Marching Along.”

www.betathetapi.org

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Alumni News

Eternally Linked in ___kai___ Adventures of a National Geographic Photographer and His Pledge Brother Barry Bishop, Cincinnati ’51, and Dr. Walter Clare Reesey, Cincinnati ’50, became lifelong friends at the Beta house and now give new meaning to being eternally linked Beta brothers. Their friendship began in the early ’50s, lasted throughout their lives, and continues after their passing.

Barry was a climber, photographer, explorer and scientist for the National Geographic Society. Barry was always fascinated with climbing, and at the age of 19, summitted Denali via the first ascent of the West Buttress. His love for mountains took him to the Himalayas where he made the first ascent of Ama Deblam in 1961. Barry was best known for climbing Everest in 1963 with the first American expedition as the official photographer for National Geographic.

His iconic photographs from the ’63 expedition graced the cover of LIFE magazine and National Geographic.

In subsequent years, Bishop staged several exploratory treks to Everest and solicited his old friend, Clare Reesey, to be the expedition doctor. While there, Reesey provided much needed medical are to the indigenous community that the expeditions worked with. Through this process, Reesey developed a lasting love and appreciation for the people of Nepal. This shared Everest experience between Bishop and Reesey further solidified their Beta brotherhood and enhanced their mutual respect.

Tragically, Bishop was killed in an automobile accident after recently retiring to Bozeman, Mont., in 1994.

Above: Barry Bishop (left) and Clare Reesey (right) on Mt. Everest base camp.

Right: Bishop’s memorial and a teapot holding Reesey’s ashes, flanked by a copy of the picture above.

A portion of Bishop’s remains were buried in a chorton (memorial) in the Tangboche monastery in the Khumbu region of Everest. Reesey retired from his practice in 2006 at the age of 75, and died in April 2012 in Youngstown, Ohio. He revered his experience in Nepal with Bishop, and requested that some of his ashes be returned to Nepal. Reesey’s son Trea, Cincinnati ’84, contacted Bishop’s son Brent, who continues the Bishop climbing legacy on Everest. In the spring of 2012, Brent traveled back to Everest with Reesey’s ashes in a clay teapot made

by Reesey’s grandson. The teapot and a picture of Bishop and Reesey from their 1970 expedition were placed on Bishop’s chorton. Their ashes are situated such that they look up the Khumbu Valley and have an excellent view of Mount Everest. A brotherhood and friendship that began in the early ’50s in Cincinnati now continues on an ethereal level in the mountains of Nepal.

— El Bourgraf, Cincinnati ’54, e.bourgraf@ferno.com

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THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

Alumni News

1

TENTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION The Zeta Tau Chapter at Saint Louis University celebrated its 10th anniversary in March, reuniting brothers from across the continent. With 225 Beta alumni, undergraduates and guests in attendance, the Beta Spirit was and is alive and well in St. Louis.

2

BETA BIRTHDAY BASH Beta brothers gathered at Tommaso’s Ristorante in New York City to celebrate the 70th birthday of Beta Convention Veteran Tom Lipton, Western Reserve ’63 (front, far right). Lipton has attended an astounding 43 Beta conventions. Connect with Tom at tomliptonwru63@ yahoo.com.

3

FRATERNAL FIFTIES RECOGNITION In April, the Johns Hopkins chapter co-hosted a cocktail reception with brothers from the early 1960s. This year marked the 50th anniversary for the class of 1963, an impressive milestone in their lives as brothers of Beta Theta Pi.

4

BETAS HIT THE LINKS In March, the Tampa Bay Area Alumni Club hosted its inaugural Wooglin Wedge Golf Classic. Twenty-five area alumni from five alma maters and six generations of Betas participated in the event held at the Northdale Golf and Tennis Club.

5

A LEGACY VISITS OXFORD A little Beta royalty paid Oxford a visit in April. Blake Greiner, the grandson of former NIC Chairman and Beta General Fraternity President Peter F. Greiner, Minnesota ’51, was in town touring Miami University. Blake will be attending Miami University beginning fall 2013 to pursue a finance degree. Joined by his Beta father Brad Greiner, Colorado ’84 (right), Blake also calls Former Beta Foundation Chairman Jeff Greiner, SMU ’80, his uncle.

Have you and your Beta brothers stayed true to lifelong fraternal brotherhood by attending an alumni event or celebrating a chapter anniversary? Email beta@betathetapi.org or mail a letter with photos to the Administrative Office with the subject line “Alumni News.”

www.betathetapi.org

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Parent Spotlight

A Focus on Character New York Times Columnist Reflects on Son’s Beta Experience I went to a college that didn’t really have a fraternity scene, or not much of one. So my stereotypes of fraternities were mostly formed by movies like “Animal House” and “Revenge of the Nerds.” When my son Joshua matriculated at Indiana University in Bloomington and told me he was thinking of joining a fraternity called Beta Theta Pi, I figured he’d enjoy the brotherhood, but didn’t know what else this might mean for him.

Then during his initial pledge period he told me he was being required to read sections from “The Book of the Courtier,” by Castiglione. This is a 16th century book on how to be gentlemen. Then he mentioned the minimum GPA required for admission, and the pressure to keep the GPA up so the Fraternity could keep its academic reputation.

I was impressed because my central beef with America’s universities is that they have stopped teaching character.

Most of our schools were founded with a strong mandate to improve not only the career prospects of their students, but their souls as well. Over the years they’ve focused more on career and less on character because they often don’t know what to say.

David Brooks David Brooks became an Op-Ed columnist at The New York Times in September 2003. He has been a senior editor at The Weekly Standard, a contributing editor at Newsweek and the Atlantic Monthly, and he is currently a commentator on “The Newshour with Jim Lehrer.”

David is the author of “Bobos In Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There,” “On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense” and, most recently, “The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character and Achievement.”

Over the past three years I’ve stopped by the IU Beta house many, many times. I’ve taken the young men out to meals. I’ve seen them when a brother is struggling, rallying around him and getting him through hard times. I saw them euphoric after winning a charity hockey game against their rival fraternity, dancing on the ice in joyous solidarity. I heard the raucous cheers over the phone and on video after they won IU’s famous Little 500 bike race this year (the one featured in the movie, Breaking Away.)

Beta has provided good friends, as I knew it would, but it has also provided a deeper level of comradeship and it gave Joshua a chance to take a leadership position.

Last fall Joshua’s little sister passed through IU and visited Beta. By that point I knew that all the brothers would behave toward her as perfect gentleman, as indeed they did.

Beta has been one of the core experiences of Joshua’s time at college. It’s been eye-opening and comforting for his parents.

— David Brooks Follow David on Twitter: @nytdavidbrooks

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THE BETA THETA PI summer 2013

campus life

don’t judge a book... paul fothergill, iowa ’15

This winter, Paul Fothergill set aside his preconceived notions to help a man in need, reminding us to be grateful for our blessings and help those who are less fortunate: “I was outside today and noticed an elderly man digging through my chapter house’s dumpster. My first reaction was, ‘this guy is a loser.’ So, I yelled at him to leave and told him he was on private property. He waved at me in recognition and walked away.

Later, I noticed he was looking through the neighbor’s dumpster. I started to really feel bad for the guy. There is snow on the ground. It is so cold outside. And this guy has nothing.

I went inside and started loading up a bag of ramen noodles, a can of chicken, water bottles, an old pair of sunglasses and some hand/feet warmers for shoes or gloves.

When I went outside to give him the bag, the look on his face was something I will never forget. He looked me square in the eye and said, ‘Bless you, young savior.’

“The look on that man’s face is something I will never forget.”

I know homeless people have a stigma that they are completely useless people in society who can’t — and won’t — get a job.

When we got to talking, I found out he was in the military and served in Vietnam. HE SERVED OUR COUNTRY. When he came back from Vietnam, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder which makes living life everyday difficult for him. He tries to find jobs, but it is difficult for him to hold them with his disorder.

We had a chat for about 10 minutes before I left him. I would like to think that I helped him out by giving him some food and necessities. However, in reality, that man is the one who really helped me.”

— Paul Fothergill, Iowa ’15, paul-fothergill@uiowa.edu facebook.com/betathetapiiowa

www.betathetapi.org

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campus life

introducing, Eta Zeta Northeastern chapter installation

After three years and countless hours of work, the men at Northeastern held an Installation Banquet on April 13, 2013, and officially became the Eta Zeta Chapter of Beta Theta Pi. The recognition comes after the men received their charter at the 173rd General Convention. The banquet included the official Installation Ceremony, a three-course meal and dancing.

Presiding over the installation was Fraternity Board of Trustee Ben Swartz, Connecticut ’05. More than 80 brothers attended the ceremony, including 18 Eta Zeta alumni.

The celebratory banquet was held at the Westin Copley Square in Boston, Mass.

More than 130 people gathered to honor the achievements of Eta Zeta.

Keep in touch with the men on their Facebook page, facebook.com/betanu.

14

PIES TO THE FACE

TEAM JACE WALKS FOR A CURE

SIX STUDENT BODY PRESIDENTS

The Epsilon Delta Chapter at Cal Poly celebrated March 14th (Pi Day) by getting pied in the face for charity. The men showed their commitment to the community by raising more than $400 for the Prado Day Center, a local homeless shelter in San Luis Obispo. Great work, brothers! Stay updated at facebook.com/calpolybetas.

This April, the men of Zeta Mu at Nova Southeastern participated in Walk with Walgreens in support of diabetes research.

The chapter raised more than $8,000 for Jace Tacher (son of Jared Tacher ’99) who has Type 1 diabetes. For more news on the brothers at Nova, visit facebook.com/ zetamuchapter.

The student bodies of six universities across North America are currently being led by members of Beta Theta Pi: Michael Schutte, Denver ’14 (pictured above); Mike Schmit, Minnesota ’15; Alex Hermann, San Diego ’14; Christian Kurth, Southern California ’14; Cody Westphal, TCU ’15; and Taylor Hennessey, Washington State ’14.

THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

campus life

WELL WISHES FOR BETA BROTHER

INTRAMURAL CHAMPS IN CANADA

INDY BETAS WIN LITTLE 500

When Nick Palomares, Arizona ’14, was diagnosed with testicular cancer that spread to his stomach and lungs, he was forced to withdraw from school and resign as Delta Beta’s pledge educator. With medical bills mounting, Nick’s Beta brothers showed their support by promoting a fundraiser in his name to raise $30,000. Send words of encouragement to Nick at nickpalo@email. arizona.edu. Get well soon, brother!

Congratulations to the men of Gamma Omicron at British Columbia who won the Intramural Sports Trophy for the 23rd time in the last 28 years. The men continued their strong athletic presence on campus in March, having bumped, set and spiked their way to a volleyball intramural championship (pictured above). Stay up to date with the chapter happenings at facebook.com/betaubc.

The Little 500 at Indiana is the largest collegiate bike race in the United States with more than 25,000 spectators each year.

For the first time since 1964, Team Beta won! William Kragie ’13, passed the Delta Tau Delta team on the last lap to secure the victory. Congrats to Kragie, Matt Green ’13, Tom Laser ’13, and Eric Anderson ’12, on the big win! Check out more from the team at facebook.com/BetaCycling.

It’s been a long journey for the men at Furman University, but after much dedication and hard work, the Zeta Lambda Chapter is back!

Zeta Lambda is back Furman chapter installation

Closed in 2006 and re-established in 2008, the men petitioned for and received their charter at the 173rd General Convention.

An Installation Ceremony was held on April 21 at the Younts Conference Center on campus. Nearly 75 Betas and guests attended the event, with Fraternity General Secretary David Schmidt, South Florida ’92, serving as the presiding officer.

As a special tribute, the chapter donated a Beta Epsilon pin to the Fraternity’s Administrative Office. Beta Epsilon was a local fraternity that became a chapter of Beta Theta Pi once the University allowed national organizations on campus.

Stay connected with the brothers at facebook.com/furmanbeta.

www.betathetapi.org

15

Buckle Up.

It’s going to be an exciting ride.

Convention’s All-Star Lineup:

Ray Mabus, Mississippi ’69 Barney Calame, Missouri ’61 Retired Wall Street Journal 78th Oxford Cup Honoree deputy editor and New York U.S. Navy Secretary, Amb. to Times public editor Saudi Arabia, Miss. Governor

Joe Allen, DePauw ’59 Beta’s first astronaut and recipient of the second Oxford Cup alongside Seth R. Brooks

Dan Lindsay, Missouri ’01 Oscar Award-winning director for documentary film Undefeated

Jim Martin, Davidson ’57 Former two-term governor and six-term congressman of North Carolina

174th General Convention | August 1-4, 2013 | Charlotte, N.C. Register by July 5, 2013 at betathetapi.org/convention

“The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.”

— Napoleon Hill

The Journey Begins 08.01.13

TAS EXTREME BE

Betas are internationally

recognized as gentlemen, scholars and leaders. But that’s not all. With lifestyles and interests that are off the beaten path, these seven Betas are all that — and more.

These Betas are EXTREME.

18

THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

ONE-WHEELED WONDER Meet Forrest, one of the world’s most

elite unicyclists.

While most people prefer bike

riding on two wheels, he is perfectly

content on one.

This is no circus act.

Beta:lorida ’15 e m e Extr ard, F k t Rac

s Forre

Learning to ride

My dad used to ride when he was little, and he actually taught me and my brother how to unicycle one day when I was in the seventh grade. I first started learning how to do little tricks and it went from there. It took me three hours to learn how to ride down the street. At the end of the first day, I could ride 100 yards by myself.

national competitor

After about two years of practice I attended my first national competition at the North American Unicycling Convention and Competition. Since then, I have competed in four nationals: 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

I placed second in the nation in street unicycling in 2010.

That’s tricky

At the 2009 Nationals, I became the first person in North America to land a 900-degree uni-spin. You start on flat ground, jump the unicycle in the air, spin it 900 degrees (2.5 revolutions) and land back on the pedals.

Major Recognition

Being sponsored means you are part of the elite group of riders in the world. I was one of ten riders from around the world sponsored by Kris Holm Unicycles and was on his factory team for two years. He gave us a free unicycle, free pads and free parts for the year. I felt like I had arrived.

Connect with Forrest at forrestrackard@cox.net

www.betathetapi.org

19

COASTER CRAZY Ever since Martin experienced

airtime in his car seat as a

baby, he’s loved the feeling of negative G-forces. Traveling to nearly 70 parks a year

across the world, he

and his wife have each ridden more than

900 coasters

: ’88 BetaColumbia

eme n, Extrrtin Lewiso Ma

20

THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

.

// Extreme Betas //

Challenges to overcome

Other than the obvious time and money obstacles, the challenges of the hobby come down to maintenance schedules of the rides and weather.

Just because you’ve traveled 6,000 miles to visit some amusement park in a foreign country, there’s no guarantee that a particular ride will be up and running that day, even if that’s your only day scheduled for that park.

You can try to find out about closures in advance, but there are always unforeseen circumstances. Add the impact of weather to that and you realize that every trip is a gamble. That’s just the nature of the game.

Travel Bug

Airtime!

My wife and I love traveling! We’ve done roller coaster trips to Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Taiwan, as well as many trips around the good ol’ U.S.A.!

My favorite part of coaster riding is the airtime. I love that feeling of flying from the seat. I also love well-run, well-designed parks, the ones that remind me of the magic I felt at Six Flags Great Adventure as a kid. Of course I also love the travel, and the companionship of my wife and our friends and family when they join us.

On the downside My pet peeves are line jumpers, parks with draconian rules about the contents of riders' pockets, inefficient ride operations, parks that won't allow adults to ride without being accompanied by children, lack of shade and seating in the queues, typical theme park restrooms and food.

Other opinions

My dad would disown me if he could. He finds my hobby completely superfluous, but he’s the exception. My wife, of course, is my partner-incrime. Most of my friends think my hobby is pretty cool, especially those who suffer from the same affliction.

Words of wisdom

I tell this to people who are afraid to get onto a scary looking ride: "The terror in your mind is much worse than the actual experience!" I think that piece of wisdom goes a long way, whether or not you're at the amusement park.

Front or Back?

I used to have a bumper sticker: "Roller coaster riders do it in the back seat". The back seat travels over the apex of a hill faster than the front seat does, because the front slows as it crests the hill. By the time the back seat arrives at the crest of the hill, the train is accelerating, so the back seat rider gets the ejector airtime.

Connect with Martin at milst1@yahoo.com www.betathetapi.org

21

LIFE IN THE SKY John is a member of the elite group of pilots known as the

Blue Angels.

Performing precise maneuvers at

Mach speeds

is a

dangerous and daunting endeavor, but for him it’s a way of life.

eta, A: uburn ’95 B eme er

Extj.rJohn Heck

22

Ma

THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

// Extreme Betas //

First solo flight

When you are learning to fly, it is not the first flight with your instructor that means the most, but the first flight by yourself. It’s your opportunity to take everything you have learned and apply it without any backup. You have to rely on yourself to take off and get back safely to the ground. On my first solo flight, I actually yelled out loud. No one else could hear me, but I was so excited in the moment that I had to let it out.

practice makes perfect

Everyone has heard the mantra “practice makes perfect.” It’s true. At the beginning of every year, we take almost three months to learn the demonstration. We escape as many distractions as possible and head to El Centro, California, for the winter months. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays consist of three practices per day for a total of 12 hours. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, we practice twice a day for a total of eight hours. We take Sunday off and start over again on Monday.

Show Season

During show season, we travel about 300 days of the year to approximately 35 different cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. It is an intense schedule.

Monday becomes our day off. On Tuesday and Wednesday we have a single practice. Thursdays are the most intense days and include the transit to the show site. On Fridays, we head out to area high schools and try to inspire the next generation of Americans to strive for greatness. Saturdays consist of a demonstration in the afternoon followed by signing autographs at the crowd line and pictures in front of the jets. Sundays include a flight demonstration and the transit back to our home base in Pensacola, Florida.

Physically Demanding

Because fatigue is detrimental to good airmanship, we treat ourselves like professional athletes and are required to work out six days a week. We try not to fly when we are sick, and we cannot fly when we are on certain (and what most people would consider, “normal”) medication for an illness. We make sure we are hydrated and well-nourished. By ensuring we maintain a healthy lifestyle, it helps us mitigate some of the risk associated with flying.

Close Calls Flying is inherently dangerous. As pilots we do everything we can to mitigate the risk of flying. You can’t just pull your plane over to the side of the road and wait for the tow truck to come get you and take you to the mechanic. As a pilot you need to be able to handle the situation by yourself if something goes wrong. Your knowledge of the systems in the aircraft can save your life. I have had smoke in the cockpit twice in my career. I have had landing gear indication issues multiple times. I almost came in contact with another plane. And there have been countless times where I have had students take me to the edge of my comfort level before I took over.

Connect with John at john.d.hecker1@navy.mil

www.betathetapi.org

23

Extre

Jas o

me

osle Beta : y, W itten ber g ’1 0

nB

HUNTER OF THE SEA The

thrill of the hunt draws

Jason away from land and into the water.

Diving down

60 feet to the ocean floor

on a single breath, he is always on the prowl for his

24

next catch

THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

.

// Extreme Betas //

easy mac? I’m eating lobster.

I have always been interested in the marine environment. When I moved to Florida for graduate school, I found myself snorkeling and investigating the reefs. As I felt more comfortable, I would swim out further and dive deeper. Spearfishing just seemed like a logical progression. On a student’s income, I was fascinated by the idea of bringing home fish and lobster for dinner while my friends were still eating ramen noodles and Easy Mac.

tHE ROUTINE

I’ll go out in the morning, load up the kayak and paddle out one to two miles. If the visibility is clear enough, I swim along the surface and search for areas that look like they would have a lot of fish. When I see an area I think will be productive, I’ll spend a couple minutes getting my body ready.

I then take one deep breath and enter the water. When you enter the water you do it with as little as movement as possible. After about 10 meters, the pressure compresses your body and wetsuit and you start to sink. It takes about 30 seconds to get to the bottom of the water, which is about 50-60 feet deep. Most dives last about one to two minutes. If I don’t see any fish in the first minute or so, I will usually go back up. If I do see something, I can stay down longer.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS A lot times, I will chum up the water to attract the fish we are after, and obviously that brings in sharks. I fairly regularly have bull sharks that will come up and swim under me. A lot of times, you get some really close calls with boats almost running over you. When you are on the bottom of the ocean, you can hear the motor above you, but you don’t know what direction it is coming from. You have to come up for air and sometimes right when you come up there is a boat in the general vicinity.

eSSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

One essential component is a dive belt. When you get to the bottom of the ocean, your body wants to float back up to the surface. When you are out there hunting, you can’t waste energy trying to stay on the bottom.

The speargun is essentially a crossbow. The spear itself is connected to a fishing line that is attached to a reel on the bottom of the gun. When you shoot bigger fish, a lot of times it doesn’t kill them and they swim off quickly. Being able to reel them back in is an important feature.

SPEAR TO EAT

I don’t think a lot of people have any concept for what spearfishing is as a sport. They think it’s primitive. I think the important thing to remember is that spearfishing is such a selective way of harvesting fish. So many species are now endangered or threatened, so everyone is always anxious about shooting a fish. Everyone that spearfishes knows about the environment. A lot people think we are just out there shooting fish to have a good time. Everything that gets shot is eaten by friends or family.

Connect with Jason at bosleyj@gmail.com www.betathetapi.org

25

a: Kentucky ’74 t e B tern eme

Extreterson, Eas Bill P

TENACIOUS TRIATHLETE Being an Ironman® is

no easy task.

Bill has swam, biked and ran more miles than he can count. At the

age of 60, he

has completed 75 triathlons in 30 years, and

no intention of stopping

he has

any time soon.

26

THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

// Extreme Betas //

You’ve Done How many?!

I have completed more than 75 triathlons in 30 years, starting in 1983.

Twenty-nine of those have been an Ironman Triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run). In 2012, I completed my first Hawaiian Ironman World Championship triathlon at age 60.

race Day Challenges

I think that for anybody who does a race, none of the three sports is challenging. What’s challenging is the long day and keeping yourself focused on getting through the day. Each event has an element of pain and an element of satisfaction. They all have different emotions that occur.

Managing the ups and down throughout the day is what’s tough.

finding time to train

I’m a corporate executive in charge of world-wide operations, so I travel a lot. The biggest problem I have relative to business is that I never know when the day is going to end because of meetings. I do know one thing.

I always know when the day is going to begin. The only time that I can successfully train to where I know it’s not going to be interrupted is in the early morning. I usually train between 4 and 5 a.m. to get done by 7 a.m.

nutrition facts

My nutrition is self-developed after all these years. I know what’s good for my body and what it needs. I start off the morning with a power bar and oatmeal. I have fruit on my desk, so it’s available for me throughout the day.

I also make sure to drink a lot of water. I try to keep a balanced diet with 30 percent protein, 30 percent fat and 40 percent carbs.

Words of Wisdom I have a quote from Socrates that I live by: “Pity for a man to grow old and never know the strength or the endurance of which the body is capable.”

I think for me, and for a lot of people, we don’t know what our potential is. I’m constantly looking for what my potential is, even though I’m 60.

When somebody tries something they think is impossible and they find out that if they are willing to make the sacrifices, invest the time and have family support them — and then they do find out that it was possible — it opens a whole new world. All of a sudden they start believing they really can do anything. It takes a small sacrifice here and there and an investment of time and resources, but one can do anything they want if they’re willing. Up until then we always think we believe in ourselves, but until I crossed that first finish line in my first Ironman in 1987, I didn’t believe in myself. When I did finish, I broke down in tears and I knew who I was. I believed in me.

20 more years

I’ll stop once it takes me 17 hours to finish. I’m going to try and do it until I’m 80. I think I’ve got a good 20 years left in me.

Connect with Bill at wgpjr2000@aol.com

www.betathetapi.org

27

Beta:vens ’11 e m e r t te Ex wski, S rko Pete Yu

SURVIVING REALITY TV After “Survivor: Philippines” Castaway Pete adjusted to the

hunger pangs

and daily life on the island, he realized it’s

surviving the elements. It’s about surviving the no longer about

other castaways.

28

THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

// Extreme Betas //

Life-changing application

I live my life without a calendar. Most of the time I don’t know what day of the month it is. I truly believe in Carpe Diem and following passions. You can probably guess that it was just a spur of the moment decision. Seeing the application for “Survivor” while perusing online was a life-changing moment.

I knew they’d pick me and all that was left was to send in the application. Fame wasn’t my motivation; I wanted to play and have a life-changing experience.

Preparing for Isolation

Before leaving for Survivor, I put on 15 pounds of mass by lifting, eating and swimming, knowing I would come home emaciated. I abused my body, knowing that the game would abuse it even more. I refused to allow any pain or discomfort affect my thoughts when it was go time on the island.

Stepping foot on the island

Realizing that this was really happening made my stomach drop, yet it put a huge smile on my face. It was one of the best moments of my life, but I knew I was in for a rough ride. People were coming at me left and right to talk about alliances, and everyone thought I was some dumb jock. It was awesome.

unexpected Challenges

It rained almost non-stop for the first 15 days, so we weren’t able to make fire the first day. No fire means no food, but the worst part was trying to sleep under what felt like a waterfall. The sky dumped on us day and night and that seriously killed moral. It brought me to a dark place where depression and hopelessness set in.

watching yourself on tv

It was funny to watch my mom squirm every episode, worrying that I’d say something embarrassing. Also, seeing what other castaway’s motivations truly were as we played was a cool experience. “I knew it!” was constantly going through my head.

Lessons Learned

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that some people really live their life the way I lived for only 29 days. Those people have it hard and deserve all the credit in the world.

Brothers’ opinionS

My chapter brothers thought my experience on “Survivor” was awesome.

Traversing with them in public isn’t fun since they enjoy yelling “IS THAT PETE FROM ‘SURVIVOR,’” but it comes with the territory, I guess.

I love them.

keep in mind

There’s more to the “story” than they show on television. Three days of footage can’t be justified in 45 minutes. The fans forget that sometimes.

Connect with Pete on Twitter: @PeteYurkowski www.betathetapi.org

29

PIN-TERFRATERNAL fraternity

Baseball cards? Stamps? No. Try

badges. With badges a century year old and more than 200 pins, Andy’s collection is like none other in existence. To add to his stockpile, he turns into a

merciless sniper

during the last ten seconds of an eBay auction.

Ext r

And

yB

30

THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

eme B

ush

, Te

eta:

nne

sse

e ’8

1

// Extreme Betas //

Peer approval

Some people look at my pins with passing interest. Others roll their eyes.

My wife seems happy I bought most of these pins before the price of gold went through the roof.

The First badge

Some years ago, our General Fraternity Historian, B. Hume Morris, gave a presentation at each annual Convention called Beta 101. The first couple of years Hume did Beta 101, from time to time he would interrupt to draw a pin or flag. The problem was when he was drawing; he wasn’t speaking, so I volunteered to create the artwork for Beta 101. I did a Google search for fraternity badge pictures, and one of the results was a photo in an eBay auction. On a lark, I bid on it--and won. It turned out to be an Alpha Tau Omega sweetheart pin, but I was hooked.

a collection begins

At first, I wanted to get a badge from each of the Miami Triad fraternities.

Then all the fraternities at the University of Tennessee. Then I wanted all fraternities ... and sororities ... and honorary fraternities, professional fraternities, and recognition societies. If it’s listed in Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities and hasn’t merged or gone out of business, I want their badge. And pledge pin.

Attending pinfest

I am one of only two Betas to have attended a PinFest. Yes, for several years there was a convention for fraternity and sorority pin collectors. We kept the location secret because there was at least a million dollars’ worth of gold in the room and we didn’t want to hire a security guard.

ebay to antique sTORES Most of my badges come via eBay, but I also visit antique stores. Once I stopped at an antique store near the border of Alabama and Florida. The town was a spot in the road you’d swear was a thousand miles from any institution of higher learning. But that’s where I found the rarest of the rare badges in a bowl of band medals. I bought the pin for the price marked, $2.

I was offered $100 for it at the next PinFest, but had to turn the offer down because it was the only pin I had ever seen for sale from that fraternity.

The biggest challenge

Without a doubt, it’s the other badge collectors. Some of these folks seem to have unlimited funds. Some have purchased sniping software. I can’t begin to count the number of times I came in second on auctions.

Fraternity Pride

I found out one pin I was buying was being sold by a fraternity member who had earned it. He told me he was so disgusted with his fraternity he had quit and that’s why he was selling his badge. That’s a hollow, sinking feeling for someone who loves his fraternity, even if that seller wasn’t a Beta.

Connect with Andy at pgbush@juno.com

www.betathetapi.org

31

volunteer spotlight

Serving Yields Lifetime Friendships “The most important part of the Beta experience has been the building of lifetime friendships.”

When I started at UCLA in fall 1955, I became a basketball manager for the freshman team. Eventually, I was blessed to serve in that same role under varsity head coach and Beta Brother John Wooden, Purdue ’32.

What a great experience and fun time.

In 1955, there were four Betas on the freshman team (and more on the varsity).

I am still in contact with some of them to this day. For me, the most important part of the Beta experience has been the building of lifetime friendships.

Upon graduating from law school, I joined Kindel & Anderson law firm. Benefactor of the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, Brother John E. Anderson ’40, was the co-founder of the firm. Gamma Nu’s Malcolm G. Smith ’57, was also there.

For more than 40 years, I’ve served our Gamma Nu Chapter as, first, a member of the board and then, for many years, as house corporation president. Remarkably, nearly 1,300 Betas have passed through the halls at 581 Gayley Avenue since my volunteer service began.

Russell W. Bogda, UCLA ’60 Beta Theta Pi: Initiated October 31, 1958 Roll Number: 650 Profession: Attorney-at-law Residence: Los Angeles, California

Interested in volunteering for Beta?

Email or call Director of Chapter Services Jeff Rundle, Kansas State ’03: jeff.rundle@betathetapi.org or 800.800.BETA.

32

THE BETA THETA PI SUMMER 2013

Thankfully, I can’t count how many times our Beta undergraduates kept my young son occupied while we were holding our alumni meetings or I was following up on maintenance issues and repairs of the chapter house. We even held one of his birthday parties on the chapter’s basketball court, which included two Harlem Globetrotters as the entertainment.

Serving our Fraternity has led to new personal relationships and satisfaction in watching young Betas grow and mature.

My special thanks to all those Gamma Nu alumni who have joined me on my journey.

— Russ Bogda, UCLA ’60 russbogda@aol.com

StatE of the Fraternity Dear Brothers, Parents and Friends of Beta: We begin this “State of the Fraternity” reflecting on two tenets that characterize Beta’s efforts this past year: 1) investments in infrastructure, and 2) purposeful growth.

Recognizing that the heart of the Fraternity is still built upon a brotherhood that sustains each of us through the trials and triumphs of life, Benjamin Franklin may have said it best when he suggested…

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning.”

As presented last year, we have structured this year’s digest in alignment with the Board of Trustees’ four key priorities: self-governance, education, recruitment and volunteers. These measures complement existing programs and standards that attempt to bring to life Beta’s mission of “developing men of principle for a principled life.”

: S t a t E

of th e

A

n analysis of the 2012-13 year in Beta Theta Pi . . .

Self-Governance: This priority seeks to champion good judgment and effective decision-making by our undergraduate members and the local volunteers and General Fraternity Officers who support them.

:Beta’s collective GPA for all 121 chapters achieved another record-breaking milestone of 3.18 — among the highest in the fraternity world.

:Blessed with an excellent claims history during the previous six years, this past year the Fraternity unfortunately experienced three liability claims at the chapter level that will likely result in insurance settlements beyond Beta’s deductible limits.

:With a goal of providing better coaching to Beta’s undergraduates and local advisors, the Fraternity completed the first of a two-year pilot process for a new chapter-centered, 360-degree, quantitative and qualitative feedback process.

:Following significant efforts to empower Beta undergraduates to correct the actions and attitude of their brotherhood, the Fraternity closed two chapters and one colony this year: Chapter/Colony Eastern Illinois Carnegie Mellon Purdue University

Founded 2007 1920 1903

Men 15 114 116

Reason for Closure Recruitment Conduct-unbecoming/Hazing Hazing

F r a t e r n i t y

:

Recruitment: This priority seeks to reinforce the notion that one of the best indicators of the relevance of our Fraternity on any given campus is the ability of Beta chapters and colonies to recruit new members who align with our core values. :For the second year in a row, Beta surpassed the 8,000 undergraduate mark and set a new record with 8,505 students.

:Beta’s average chapter size with 121 chapters is 69.7 — among the highest in the fraternity world.

:Seven re/colonizations occurred at Arkansas, Baylor, Charleston, High Point, MIT, Ohio and WPI (Mass.)

:At the 174th General Convention in Charlotte, four colonies will be petitioning for their charter: Kentucky, Michigan, St. Lawrence and Utah.

:This coming academic year, the Fraternity will re/colonize at least six campuses: Drexel, Florida State, Illinois, Pittsburgh, Puget Sound and Quinnipiac.

Volunteers: This priority seeks to support Beta’s 1,500 volunteers who support our young men on a daily basis as coaches, mentors and sometimes even as a second mom or dad. We know undergraduates thrive when caring adults are active and present in their lives.

:In the midst of record levels of volunteerism (on average seven advisors per chapter), many of our chapters and colonies still need men and women to mentor their officers and brothers. If interested, please email jeff.rundle@betathetapi.org.

:Now in its third year of existence, 49 of Beta’s 61 house

Education: This priority seeks to continually raise member and constituent knowledge of Beta-specific values, projects, resources and current events, while also advancing the mission and vision of Beta Theta Pi.

:We are proud to report that 1,618 individuals graduated from one of our leadership programs, which totals 14,514 since the Men of Principle initiative began in 1998.

:The Fraternity’s new online education and engagement program was piloted and will be launched publicly during the General Convention in Charlotte Aug. 1-4, 2013.

:Thanks to a $1 million gift to Beta’s new Promises to Keep Campaign by the Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation (Colorado/ Purdue ’47), the Fraternity expanded the Wooden Institute from three to four sessions (an increase from 255 to 340 students), offered 50 additional UIFI scholarships (above the 24 provided last year), and lowered student registration fees from $525 to $199 for the Peter F. Greiner Leadership College at convention (an increase from 250 to 300 students for summer 2013).

:Thanks to the generosity of Harold Hook, Missouri ’53, and son Tom Hook, Miami ’81, the grounds of the Administrative Office have been refreshed after 20 years of growth, and renovations began this spring to convert the Samuel Taylor Marshall Seminar Room into a state-of-the-art learning laboratory that will host Beta’s award-winning leadership programs.

:Thanks to dozens of additional Campaign donors, the Fraternity installed a professional, high-density archives storage system that will better protect thousands of irreplaceable Beta documents and artifacts.

34

THE BETA THETA PI summer 2013

corporations that own properties are members of Beta’s Cornerstone Housing Program.

Miscellaneous: Thankfully, the Beta Foundation’s Promises to Keep Campaign is bringing to life many of the achievements shared above. (See page 50 for details.) When asked to support this exciting project, we hope you will give generously. It’s already doing so much to influence our young men and prepare the Fraternity for an ever-evolving campus landscape.

Finally, considerable plans are being developed for Beta’s historic 175th anniversary that will be held in Oxford, August 7-10, 2014.

Please mark your calendar now. You won’t want to miss it!

I

n closing: Given natural risk management concerns at the chapter level and a consistent need for volunteers and resources to keep Beta’s momentum going, 2012-13 was a remarkably strong year for Beta Theta Pi. We certainly remain encouraged by the fact that investments in the infrastructure and membership of the Fraternity are growing and enriching our brotherhood — and all of the actions that flow from it. Thanks again for all you do to add vitality to the treasure we know as Beta Theta Pi. Sincerely and yours in ___kai___, David E. Schmidt, South Florida ’92, General Secretary Douglas G. Houser, Willamette ’57, General Fraternity President S. Wayne Kay, Virginia Tech ’73, Foundation Chairman Judson A. Horras, Iowa State ’97, Administrative Secretary Jonathan J. Brant, Miami ’75, Foundation Director

of th e

F r a t e r n i t y

T

his “State of the Chapters” report shares subjective and objective insight into the culture of each chapter and colony. Listed throughout, a chapter officer has assessed his chapter’s “extreme” achievement throughout the last academic year. Each officer’s assessment is coupled with quantitative data that reflects the chapter’s progress in each of the Fraternity’s four strategic priorities: Self-Governance (S), Education (E), Recruitment (R) and Volunteers (V).

:

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s Nu ive Ad mbe vis ors r of 201 Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

: S t a t E

Chapter / Colony

S

E

R

V

Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

Alabama (ΔΘ) Tuscaloosa, Ala. EXTREME Highlight: The chapter won the Outstanding Philanthropy and Community Service Award for the second year in a row at the Greek Excellence Banquet. This April, the chapter was named the Most Improved Fraternity at the Order of Omega Banquet. — John Trippe ’14, jctrippe@crimson.ua.edu

2.99

2.88

16

17

46

42

5

7

Arizona (ΔΒ) Tucson, Ariz.

EXTREME Highlight: We brought back our annual philanthropy, Beta Lei. It’s main attractions were a volleyball tournament and a puppy-petting pen. We were able to donate $2,500 to the Belwop Rescue Center, an orphanage for neglected children in Kenya. — Ryan Doner ’15, rdoner@email.arizona.edu

2.88

2.83

9

11

61

47

8

6

Arkansas* (Colony) Fayetteville, Ark. EXTREME Highlight: We hosted and conducted the Highland Games. This consisted of a caber toss, shot put, volleyball and trivia. Each team battled for the title of 2013 Highland Games Champion with nothing less than ferocity.

— Stephen Matlock ’13, smmatloc@uark.edu

3.16

2.90

10

N/A

108

N/A

11

N/A

Auburn (ΔΖ) Auburn, Ala. EXTREME Highlight: The Delta Zeta Chapter won the flag football and basketball fraternity championships and is currently vying for the softball championship. Hopefully, we will win there as well.

— Spencer Martin ’14, Sem0015@auburn.edu

2.91

2.83

10

8

46

44

7

7

Baylor* (Colony) Waco, Texas EXTREME Highlight: The colony has made tremendous leaps and strides in establishing ourselves as a strong fraternity at Baylor University. We have solidified our position as top competitors across the board, and in our first year too! — Tyler Anderson ’14, tyler_anderson1@baylor.edu

3.40

N/R

9

N/A

40

N/A

4

N/A

Bethany (Ψ) Bethany, W. Va. EXTREME Highlight: The chapter has planned one philanthropic or service event almost every other week of the semester to help the community, especially the Augusta Levy Learning Center in Wheeling, W. Va. —Alexander DelGiorno ’13, adelgiorno@bethanywv.edu

3.05

2.58

17

11

17

8

6

7

British Columbia (ΓΟ) Vancouver, B.C. EXTREME Highlight: The Gamma Omicron Chapter won the Intramural Sports Trophy again this year. We have won this trophy 23 of the last 28 years. All the brothers are extremely proud as this was a hard-earned victory.

— Nick McWilliams ’15, nick.mcwills@gmail.com

3.12

N/R

10

8

28

29

8

5

Cal Poly (ΕΔ) San Luis Obispo, Calif.

EXTREME Highlight: On Pi Day (March 14) the Epsilon Delta Chapter let the pies fly during our first annual Pie-a-Beta Philanthropy. More than 200 pies were thrown to raise money for the Prado Day Center, a homeless shelter in San Luis Obispo. — Casey Sheehan ’15, ccsheeha@calpoly.edu

2.88

2.89

9

9

26

17

1

1

Carleton (ΕΥ) Ottawa, Ont. EXTREME Highlight: This semester, we have helped champion the push for Carleton University to become the fourth Interfraternity Council (IFC) campus in Canada. We currently have two members serving on the steering committee.

— Mitchell Burton ’14, burton052@gmail.com

2.84

N/R

8

5

12

8

5

7

Case Western Reserve (ΛΚ–Β) Cleveland, Ohio EXTREME Highlight: During this year’s “Reduce, Reuse, Re-Greek Week,” the chapter had a great performance. In the Variety Show, we put on an emotionally moving piece about the true strengths of brotherhood.

— James Silay ’14, jws149@case.edu

3.57

3.22

20

17

17

16

12

13

*N/A: Data may appear unique or may not apply given this school’s re/colonization during the last three years.

N/R: Data which is not tracked by institutions or was unreported by chapters as of May 1, 2013.

Red: Chapter GPAs that fall below the Fraternity’s minimum chapter GPA of 2.8 or below the campus all mens’ average.

www.betathetapi.org

35

of th thee

FF r r a a tt ee r r n n ii tt y y ::

: Self-Governance = S, Education = E, Recruitment = R and Volunteers = V

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s N ive Ad umbe vis r o o 201 f rs Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

:: SS tt a a tt EE

Chapter / Colony

S Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

36

E

R

V

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

Central Florida (ΖΨ) Orlando, Fla. EXTREME Highlight: This semester Greek life was suspended temporarily at UCF. Despite the bad news, Zeta Psi was able to stick close together, grow stronger as brothers and hope Greek life will be reinstated very quickly!

— Jared Fuci ’14, jarrodfucci@knights.ucf.edu

3.11

2.81

10

15

36

26

7

7

Central Michigan (ΕΓ) Mount Pleasant, Mich.

EXTREME Highlight: Our annual philanthropy, Betas in Bowties, doubled its earnings from last year. Believe in Miracles, a charity started by a CMU brother, was chosen to be the recipient of all Greek Week proceeds.

— Adam Cable ’14, cable1aw@cmich.edu

2.91

2.81

17

16

19

18

7

8

Centre* (Ε) Danville, Ky. EXTREME Highlight: After graduating a large portion of our membership last spring, the amount of new members that chose Beta during spring recruitment exceeded the amount of actives that were on campus for the fall and winter terms. — John Kehr ’13, john.kehr@centre.edu

3.28

2.98

15

N/A

15

N/A

8

8

Chapman* (Colony) Orange, Calif.

EXTREME Highlight: It’s been two years since the colony started and we have seen our brotherhood grow exponentially. As of right now, everyone is doing their part to make sure the colony is improving every day.

— Brad Smith ’15, president@chapmanbeta.com

3.22

3.17

18

N/A

40

N/A

5

4

Charleston* (Colony) Charleston, S.C. EXTREME Highlight: For our first initiation, we had a joint ceremony with the High Point Founding Fathers. Brothers from the University of South Carolina drove down and lead the ceremony. It was an awesome scene!

— Justin Lyons ’14, jtlyons@g.cofc.edu

3.18

2.84

9

N/A

68

N/A

9

N/A

Cincinnati (ΒΝ) Cincinnati, Ohio EXTREME Highlight: Beta Nu has been very involved on campus. The chapter boasts the IFC President and VP Recruitment, chair of Sigma Sigma Carnival, President of Order of Omega, two Student Government Senators and the University Homecoming Chair. — Kyle Gundrum ’14, kyle.gundrum@gmail.com

3.11

2.89

35

22

33

29

7

8

Clemson (ΔΝ) Clemson, S.C. EXTREME Highlight: The chapter has been very involved in philanthropy.

We raised more than $12,000 for pediatric cancer at this year’s Beta Lei. The chapter has had a great year so far and we are excited for the future.

— Daniel Boulware ’14, Dboulwa@clemson.edu

3.23

2.99

12

11

32

30

7

4

Colgate (ΒΘ) Hamilton, N.Y. EXTREME Highlight: This past October, our chapter celebrated the life of Tighe Sullivan ’83. Since Tighe’s passing, his friends have raised $1.2 million in his name to dedicate a reception area in the future campus athletic center.

— Chris Weir ’14, cweir@colgate.edu

3.21

3.20

10

6

17

23

8

8

Colorado Mines (ΒΦ) Golden, Colo.

EXTREME Highlight: In the last year, Beta Phi has been working with an organization called Love Hope Strength to get people signed up on the Bone Marrow Transplant List. We found 10 potential life-saving matches and added 200 people to the list. — Tanner Ottaway ’14, tottaway@mines.edu

2.84

2.97

10

11

35

20

8

9

Columbia (ΑΑ) New York, N.Y. EXTREME Highlight: Last year’s president, Ben Ramalanjaona ’13, was named the Outstanding Graduating Senior at the Northeast Keystone. Jared Nichols deservedly took home the region’s Outstanding Chapter Advisor award.

— Issac Bunch ’14, ihb2105@columbia.edu

3.59

3.38

11

5

26

15

9

15

THE BETA THETA PI summer 2013

of th e

:

F r a t e r n i t y

*N/A: Data may appear unique or may not apply given this school’s re/colonization during the last three years.

N/R: Data which is not tracked by institutions or was unreported by chapters as of May 1, 2013.

Red: Chapter GPAs that fall below the Fraternity’s minimum chapter GPA of 2.8 or below the campus all mens’ average.

: Self-Governance = S, Education = E, Recruitment = R and Volunteers = V

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s Nu ive Ad mbe vis ors r of 201 Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

: S t a t E

Chapter / Colony

S

E

R

V

Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

Connecticut (ΖΧ) Storrs, Conn.

EXTREME Highlight: The chapter won seven awards at the Greek Accreditation Program, including Chapter of the Year, Outstanding Chapter Management, Excellence in New Member Programs and Fraternity Man of the Year (Matthew Dempsey ’13). — Andrew DeBarge ’15, AndrewCDeBarge@gmail.com

3.35

3.02

14

19

28

22

7

8

Cornell (ΒΔ) Ithaca, N.Y. EXTREME Highlight: Beta Delta recently made considerable strides in our commitment to the community. We held a benefit dinner for St. Jude Children’s Hospital called “Betas in Bow Ties” (Thanks, Central Michigan).

— Ryan Gryszko ’14, reg98@cornell.edu

3.48

N/R

19

8

23

22

6

6

Creighton* (Colony) Omaha, Nebr.

EXTREME Highlight: This year we have made a commitment to our community.

After completing a service project in the morning, we boarded a river boat for an exciting formal. Thankfully no one got seasick!

— Matthew Carlson ’14, matthewcarlson1@creighton.edu

3.47

3.27

15

N/A

13

N/A

7

7

Dayton (ΗΔ) Dayton, Ohio EXTREME Highlight: In an effort to develop brotherhood, more than half of our chapter attended a campus paintball outing. Some brothers were able to show off their athleticism and military training in the heat of battle.

— Cory Baker ’14, bakerc7@udayton.edu

3.33

2.77

10

8

22

18

6

8

Denison (ΑΗ) Granville, Ohio EXTREME Highlight: Hundreds of participants from numerous Greek organizations came together to participate in our annual King of the Wing. The chicken wing eating competition raised more than $1,200 for Big Brothers Big Sisters. — Sam Brigham ’14, brigha_s1@denison.edu

3.28

3.01

12

13

17

20

5

6

Denver* (ΑΖ) Denver, Colo.

EXTREME Highlight: This term, we organized a fun carnival-themed event, “The Great Escape,” where brothers dressed in costumes, creating a wonderful environment with games and food for children who have been greatly affected by illness. — J.P. Griego ’14, jpgriego10@gmail.com

3.53

3.21

10

N/A

29

N/A

9

7

DePauw (Δ) Greencastle, Ind. EXTREME Highlight: We currently have seven active members who are in Phi Beta Kappa. It’s the most our chapter has ever had. Last time this happened, Joseph P. Allen ’59, and his fellow brothers made it to the cover of The Beta Theta Pi. — Mike Curts ’14, charlescurts_2014@depauw.edu

3.26

3.07

10

13

32

31

6

6

East Carolina (ΕΑ) Greenville, N.C. EXTREME Highlight: The chapter has made significant strides forward.

Between increasing our alumni outreach and getting back into good standing with the General Fraternity, the chapter is solidifying its place as one of the top chapters on campus. — Ryland Jennings ’15, jenningsry11@students.ecu.edu

3.02

2.73

13

14

17

16

11

15

Eastern Kentucky (ΔΞ) Richmond, Ky. EXTREME Highlight: This term, aside from a great social, athletic and scholastic semester, we were named the Chapter of the Year for the University, along with many other awards, including Greek Sing Champions.

— Kyle Nicholas ’15, Kyle_nicholas13@mymail.eku.edu

3.06

2.76

14

18

8

17

8

11

Eastern Washington (ΕΩ) Cheney, Wash.

EXTREME Highlight: The Epsilon Omega Chapter held it’s fourth annual Mother’s Day Weekend. This was an opportunity for mothers to come visit their sons and the chapter. The main events for the weekend were an auction followed by a dinner. — Alexander Warrick ’14, Awarrick96@aol.com

2.89

2.94

1

10

14

16

7

9

www.betathetapi.org

37

of th thee

FF r r a a tt ee r r n n ii tt y y ::

: Self-Governance = S, Education = E, Recruitment = R and Volunteers = V

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s N ive Ad umbe vis r o o 201 f rs Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

:: SS tt a a tt EE

Chapter / Colony

S Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

38

E

R

V

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

Emory (ΓΥ) Atlanta, Ga. EXTREME Highlight: This semester we focused on diversity and philanthropy.

This spring’s pledge class was the most diverse any of us can recall. We also held our third annual Breast Week Ever and participated in a clothing drive for Grady Memorial Hospital. — Niko Franchilli ’14, nicholas.franchilli@emory.edu

3.29

3.31

8

9

25

29

5

9

Florida (ΓΞ) Gainesville, Fla. EXTREME Highlight: In February, we held our fifth annual Beta Bring It On philanthropy benefitting the National Alzheimer’s Association and March of Dimes. The event was a huge success and raised more than $45,000.

— Trent Talbot ’14, ttalbot@ufl.edu

3.30

3.19

13

15

51

57

6

6

Florida International (ΗΓ) Miami, Fla. EXTREME Highlight: We hosted our fifth annual Beta Breakdown, a dance competition between student organizations.The event was a huge success, and with our participation in Relay for Life, we raised more than $4,000 for the American Cancer Society. — Jeffrey Gutierrez ’14, jguti042@fiu.edu

2.79

2.8

17

20

22

20

7

8

Furman (ΖΛ) Greenville, S.C. EXTREME Highlight: This year, we held the first ever Philanthropy Week, which we hosted on campus. With the help of six other Furman organizations, we raised more than $1,000 for Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County.

— Blake Williams ’14, Blake.Williams2557@furman.edu

3.14

3.02

9

12

9

12

6

6

George Washington (ΖΝ) Washington, D.C. EXTREME Highlight: We raised a record shattering $11,250 through our annual philanthropy, Beta Cup. The money benefits the FealGood Foundation, which supports 9/11 first responders who have developed a variety of diseases due to their proximity to the attacks. — Colin O’Brien ’14, cobrien@gwmail.gwu.edu

3.20

3.13

16

9

21

31

7

7

Georgia (ΕΕ) Athens, Ga. EXTREME Highlight: The chapter is continually increasing its philanthropic efforts by making more monetary donations and sending representatives to service projects outside the country. Locally, members have won competitions benefitting charities on campus. — Albert Jordan ’15, aojordan@uga.edu

3.35

3.11

14

16

28

34

9

9

Hanover* (I) Hanover, Ind. EXTREME Highlight: We have effectively re-established ourselves as members of the Greek community at Hanover. With diligent work in the IFC, and the hard work of our officers, we are making progress to return to the status we once held on campus. — Spencer Hadley ’15, shrhadley3@gmail.com

2.98

2.91

5

1

8

N/A

7

N/A

High Point* (Colony) High Point, N.C. EXTREME Highlight: For our philanthropy week we were able to attract the attention of the President of the University and the VP of Student Life. We held a successful raffle and were able to donate to local homeless/hunger organizations. — Andy Ricchini ’14, riccha12@highpoint.edu

3.11

2.84

8

N/A

39

N/A

5

N/A

Idaho (ΓΓ) Moscow, Idaho EXTREME Highlight: The Gamma Gamma Chapter has had an outstanding year. As far as on campus events are concerned, we are well on our way to receiving the intramural points championship for the sixth year in a row.

— Colin Cain ’15, cain3566@vandals.uidaho.edu

3.20

2.85

15

13

24

25

5

5

Indiana (Π) Bloomington, Ind. EXTREME Highlight: The Pi Chapter started a joint philanthropic venture with the men of Sigma Chi to host a competitive hockey game to support brain cancer research. We raised more than $25,000. (See page 15 to read about Pi’s Indy 500 victory!) — Corben Sherlock ’15, Corbenlsherlock@gmail.com

3.27

3.06

19

15

50

47

8

8

THE BETA THETA PI summer 2013

of th e

:

F r a t e r n i t y

*N/A: Data may appear unique or may not apply given this school’s re/colonization during the last three years.

N/R: Data which is not tracked by institutions or was unreported by chapters as of May 1, 2013.

Red: Chapter GPAs that fall below the Fraternity’s minimum chapter GPA of 2.8 or below the campus all mens’ average.

: Self-Governance = S, Education = E, Recruitment = R and Volunteers = V

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s Nu ive Ad mbe vis ors r of 201 Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

: S t a t E

Chapter / Colony

S Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

E

R

V

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

Iowa (ΑΒ) Iowa City, Iowa EXTREME Highlight: The Alpha Beta Chapter launched a Hurricane Sandy Relief Aid fundraiser. We made T-shirts with the slogan, “Betas 4 Brooklyn,” raising more than $500 for the Red Cross relief efforts.

— Jake Fells ’14, jake-fells@uiowa.edu

2.72

2.86

7

9

27

16

8

5

Iowa State (ΤΣ) Ames, Iowa EXTREME Highlight: Tau Sigma’s most extreme achievement this last year was rechartering as a chapter. Being able to once to again say we’re active members of the Tau Sigma Chapter has been amazing.

— Josiah Ruhland ’16, jruhland@iastate.edu

2.75

2.90

22

13

18

13

7

7

John Carroll (ΗΕ) University Heights, Ohio EXTREME Highlight: This semester, Eta Epsilon was recognized as the Outstanding Greek Organization of the Year! We have been committed to our community by volunteering for Milestones Autism Organization, the Red Cross and Relay for Life. — Ken Clar ’14, kclar14@jcu.edu

3.22

2.94

16

14

18

17

9

11

Johns Hopkins (ΑΧ) Baltimore, Md. EXTREME Highlight: The Alpha Chi Chapter has shown a true commitment to the surrounding community. In total, the brothers have logged more than 500 hours in neighborhood clean-ups, tutoring organizations, philanthropy events and more. — Gilbert Pasquale ’14, gilbert.pasquale@gmail.com

3.38

3.31

15

10

20

22

10

10

Kansas (ΑΝ) Lawrence, Kan. EXTREME Highlight: The Alpha Nu Chapter’s football team came back from 14 points down in an intramural game to keep its playoff hopes alive. The team finished the year with a 7-0 shutout win to capture its second consecutive championship. — Jackson Long ’15, jacksonlong04@hotmail.com

3.44

2.94

12

5

24

24

10

6

Kansas State (ΓΕ) Manhattan, Kan. EXTREME Highlight: As the chapter approaches its 100th anniversary, we are beginning a fundraising campaign to personally connect with our 1,500+ alumni. We are hoping to expand our chapter house to meet the ever-growing needs of our men. — Andrew Waldman ’14, awal23@ksu.edu

3.19

2.88

17

20

25

26

6

7

Kentucky (ΕΟ) Lexington, Ky. EXTREME Highlight: Epsilon Omicron’s most EXTREME Highlight is having 42 undergraduates signed up for the 174th General Convention in Charlotte. We are excited about the accomplishments we have completed in pursuit of our charter. — Elijah Zimmerman ’14, elijahzimmerman@uky.edu

3.36

2.96

24

9

46

31

4

5

Kenyon (ΒΑ) Gambier, Ohio EXTREME Highlight: We put focus on philanthropy this year. The Beta Alpha Chapter held the inaugural “Dunk a Beta, Save a Puppy” fundraiser for the Knox County Humane Society. We were able to raise $450.

— Sam McQuiston ’14, mcquistons@kenyon.edu

3.29

3.26

9

4

7

10

6

5

Kettering A (ΔΗ) Flint, Mich.

EXTREME Highlight: With the few men we had in our chapter this past year (eight in our last term), we still achieved our goals and showed the University what it means to be Betas. We introduced ideas for improving brotherhood and grew closer as chapter. — Ray Hyder ’15, hyde3304@kettering.edu

3.40

3.03

10

12

9

4

8

8

Kettering B (ΔΗ) Flint, Mich.

EXTREME Highlight: The chapter is developing a Wiki infrastructure within the local chapter to document the “tribal knowledge” that is more typically passed down by word of mouth. This database will be a valuable resource for future generations. — Jakob Reed ’13, jakob.a.reed@gmail.com

3.35

3.05

35

16

8

12

11

11

www.betathetapi.org

39

of th thee

FF r r a a tt ee r r n n ii tt y y ::

: Self-Governance = S, Education = E, Recruitment = R and Volunteers = V

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s N ive Ad umbe vis r o o 201 f rs Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

:: SS tt a a tt EE

Chapter / Colony

40

S

E

R

V

Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

Knox (Ξ) Galesburg, Ill. EXTREME Highlight: Besides our academics, we had a large showing in our philanthropy events, most notably the Polar Plunge at Lake Storey in Galesburg Ill., where the funds raised benefited the Special Olympics.

— Nate Wilson ’14, nrwilson@knox.edu

3.01

3.09

1

11

15

16

6

6

Lawrence (ΓΠ) Appleton, Wis. EXTREME Highlight: The Gamma Pi Chapter has emphasized academics the past term, and our GPA has been on the rise. Additionally, we held a philanthropy auction, raising money for our chapter’s philanthropy.

— David Spitzfaden ’14, david.t.spitzfaden@lawrence.edu

3.07

3.15

14

12

18

16

5

7

Louisville (ΔΠ) Louisville, Ky. EXTREME Highlight: This semester, the Delta Pi Chapter has won the University of Louisville’s Greek Week for the third time in the past four years, initiated new brothers into our chapter and is in contention for the intramural championship. — Grant Ford ’14, Jgford02@louisville.edu

3.11

2.88

13

12

29

33

9

11

Loyola Marymount (ΗΑ) Los Angeles, Calif.

EXTREME Highlight: This year, we have put emphasis on getting involved in the community. One of our brothers runs an aspiring non-profit organization that we team up with to distribute sandwiches at skid row in downtown Los Angeles.— David Bloom ’14, dbloom@lion.lmu.edu

3.27

3.11

14

13

31

32

5

9

Maine (ΒΗ) Orono, Maine EXTREME Highlight: Beta Eta raised more than $10,000 during the 20th annual Beta Sleep Out to benefit the Rape Response Services of Bangor, making the event both the longest running and most profitable Greek philanthropy event on campus. — Sergio Afonso ’14, sergio.afonso@umit.maine.edu

2.93

2.88

10

11

22

25

9

9

Maryland (ΔΩ) College Park, Md. EXTREME Highlight: Delta Omega held a brotherhood retreat in Damascus, Maryland. The brothers spent time participating in activities to strengthen our chapter. We learned more about our brothers playing football and spent around 36 hours barbecuing. — Jack McCullough ’14, jmccull3@umd.edu

3.22

3.07

19

11

17

17

8

8

Miami (Α) Oxford, Ohio EXTREME Highlight: This term, we worked to develop brotherhood. Through many brotherhood events, we had a great increase in general buy-in across the board. There has been reduced friction between classes and the house is better for it.— Stephen Bowman ’15, Bowmansw@miamioh.edu

3.21

2.95

11

15

27

34

11

11

Miami (Fla.) (ΗΒ) Coral Gables, Fla. EXTREME Highlight: For this academic year, our chapter was given IFC awards for Outstanding Community Service, Most Improved Chapter Scholarship, Outstanding President (Christian Cox ’13), and Outstanding Sophomore (Carson Smith ’15). — Carson Smith ’15, cjsmith21@me.com

3.37

3.20

9

11

34

36

7

8

Michigan* (Λ) Ann Arbor, Mich.

EXTREME Highlight: Our focus this year was community involvement and we hit the bull’s eye recording 1,066.5 service hours (23 hours per brother) in the fall semester. We raised $10,711 for an orphanage in Meknes, Morocco.

— Maxwell Salvatore ’14, mmsalva@umich.edu

3.43

3.27

16

7

25

N/A

8

9

Michigan State*(ΓΨ) East Lansing, Mich.

EXTREME Highlight: We have a home! For the first time since recolonization, the Gamma Psi Colony will finally have a house beginning in the fall of 2013.

We will utilize the new house by starting off the 2013-14 school year with the first “Kai Kickoff” chapter retreat! — Alex Haddad ’15, haddada2@msu.edu

3.26

2.99

13

N/A

20

N/A

10

8

THE BETA THETA PI summer 2013

of th e

F r a t e r n i t y

*N/A: Data may appear unique or may not apply given this school’s re/colonization during the last three years.

N/R: Data which is not tracked by institutions or was unreported by chapters as of May 1, 2013.

Red: Chapter GPAs that fall below the Fraternity’s minimum chapter GPA of 2.8 or below the campus all mens’ average.

: Self-Governance = S, Education = E, Recruitment = R and Volunteers = V Chapter / Colony

S Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

:

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s Nu ive Ad mbe vis ors r of 201 Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

: S t a t E

E

R

V

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

Minnesota (ΒΠ) Minneapolis, Minn.

EXTREME Highlight: The chapter’s performance so far this term has been excellent. We have raised more money for the American Cancer Society than we ever have before. We also reached 100% chapter participation in the Sons of the Dragon Club! — Harrison Burton ’14, burt0330@umn.edu

3.07

3.07

23

18

25

20

8

7

Mississippi (ΒΒ) Oxford, Miss.

EXTREME Highlight: We hosted a Greek Trivia Night and raised nearly $2,000 for the Blair E. Bastion Children’s Hospital. We also co-sponsored an Easter Egg Hunt at the Boys and Girls Club of Oxford with the ladies of Pi Beta Phi. — Austin Jones ’14, cajones7@olemiss.edu

2.59

2.62

10

10

25

29

8

9

Missouri (ΖΦ) Columbia, Mo. EXTREME Highlight: The men of the Zeta Phi Chapter recently placed first in academics amongst all Greek organizations at the University of Missouri, making it the first time in the history of the school for a fraternity to score higher than all of the sororities. — John P. Miller ’14, jpm3h6@mail.missouri.edu

3.34

2.87

14

15

36

43

6

8

Missouri-Kansas City (ΕΛ) Kansas City, Mo. EXTREME Highlight: This past year, in the Alpha Eta pledge class, 100% of its members who applied to pharmacy school were accepted. Also, 100% of our recent alumni in the Six-Year Combined MD/BA Medical Program got matched to their top choice for residency. — Andy Kraft ’13, ajkwb8@mail.umkc.edu

3.52

3.06

16

15

18

25

5

5

MIT* (BΥ) Boston, Mass.

EXTREME Highlight: Our chapter has restarted, and as Refounding Fathers, we took upon ourselves the responsibility of re-establishing Beta Upsilon as a values-based chapter.

— Fernando Rivera-Gonzalez ’14, frg93@mit.edu

4.5

N/R

5

N/A

11

N/A

8

N/A

Nebraska (ΑΤ) Lincoln, Neb. EXTREME Highlight: This semester, Alpha Tau has had to live outside the chapter house for the first time in our 125 years. We have been living in two other fraternity houses with their members. We have still been able to maintain our brotherhood. — Kurt Siebert ’14, siebertkur@yahoo.com

3.46

2.92

20

18

28

31

8

7

North Carolina (Η) Chapel Hill, N.C. EXTREME Highlight: This year the Eta Chapter has made it a priority to increase community involvement through brothers’ participation in outside organizations, philanthropy events and service events.

— Patrick McKinney ’14, pmckinne@live.unc.edu

3.21

3.13

11

15

21

22

8

6

North Dakota (ΓΚ) Grand Forks, N.D. EXTREME Highlight: Gamma Kappa continues to excel in the classroom and athletics. The chapter boasts two members of the lacrosse team, six rated pilots, and also had two exec members travel to Ecuador during spring break on a medical mission trip. — William Hatfield ’15, williamhatfield@hotmail.com

3.01

2.85

9

10

21

10

6

6

Northeastern (ΗΖ) Boston, Mass.

EXTREME Highlight: This April, we had our Installation Banquet. It was a culmination of all the hard work members and alumni devoted to the chapter.

We were excited to welcome alumni back to celebrate this accomplishment.

— John Hubbard ’14, hubbard.jo@husky.neu.edu

3.38

3.17

25

13

21

28

10

10

Northwestern (Ρ) Evanston, Ill. EXTREME Highlight: Throughout the year, brothers of the Rho Chapter, along with the Pi Beta Phi sorority on campus, raised more than $30,000 for the Danny Did Foundation for childhood epilepsy as part of Northwestern’s Dance Marathon. — Kyle Sieber ’15, kylesieber2015@u.northwestern.edu

3.38

3.40

9

13

24

26

4

7

www.betathetapi.org

41

of th thee

FF r r a a tt ee r r n n ii tt y y ::

: Self-Governance = S, Education = E, Recruitment = R and Volunteers = V

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s N ive Ad umbe vis r o o 201 f rs Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

:: SS tt a a tt EE

Chapter / Colony

S Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

42

E

R

V

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

Nova Southeastern (ΖΜ) Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. EXTREME Highlight: We’ve improved alumni relations by starting a newsletter that we send monthly. We’ve also started a Facebook group where alumni can chat directly with active brothers. We’ve held charity events to support causes that the alumni already support. — Carlos Gutierrez ’15, cguti91@hotmail.com

2.98

2.82

11

9

12

14

6

7

Ohio* (BK) Athens, Ohio EXTREME Highlight: The highlight for the chapter was the formation of the great bonds that none of us thought were possible 15 weeks ago. Through our efforts towards building a successful colony, we have created bonds that can never be broken or forgotten. — Jamison Vaughn ’14, jv192509@ohio.edu

2.88

2.81

9

N/A

47

N/A

9

Oklahoma (ΓΦ) Norman, Okla.

EXTREME Highlight: In April 2013, our chapter was awarded the President’s Trophy for the first time since 2004. This is awarded to the most outstanding overall fraternity on campus, and is judged by University President David Boren. — Mark Stoltz ’14, mtstoltz@ou.edu

3.27

2.97

17

14

62

54

12

12

Oklahoma State (ΓΛ) Stillwater, Okla.

EXTREME Highlight: In the fall semester, the Gamma Lambda Chapter hosted a 50-year banquet where we had hundreds of alumni come and meet to talk about how far our chapter has come. It was great to meet with old alumni and swap stories. — Garrett Shaffer ’15, garrett.shaffer@okstate.edu

3.15

2.77

9

12

55

51

6

10

Oregon (ΒΡ) Eugene, Ore. EXTREME Highlight: This year we wanted to show appreciation to our volunteers. We partnered with restaurant Wrap City to create a new menu item to be named after our beloved house mom, Jan Franklin.

— Nick Rowland ’14, rowland72@icloud.com

3.07

2.97

12

11

35

32

9

9

Pacific* (Colony) Stockton, Calif.

EXTREME Highlight: The colony had a great year. Our biggest accomplishments were winning Greek Week in our first year eligible and winning Delta Idol for a second year in a row. We have been the only winners of Delta Idol so far.— Dominic Pratt ’15, d_pratt1@u.pacific.edu

3.17

2.90

10

N/A

24

N/A

7

9

Penn State (ΑΥ) State College, Pa. EXTREME Highlight: Some chapters may consider receiving their charter an extreme achievement, but earning a Sission and the chapter’s first Knox Award at the same time was certainly an accomplishment that has made Alpha Upsilon very proud! — Grant Kovich ’14, grantkovich@gmail.com

3.31

3.06

24

15

21

36

11

13

Pennsylvania (Φ) Philadelphia, Pa. EXTREME Highlight: The past several years our brotherhood hasn’t been as strong, so the executive board has done a great job unifying the chapter behind an identity of responsibility. It has fostered a more cohesive brotherhood.

— Daniel Zuvia ’15, zuvia@sas.upenn.edu

3.22

3.38

9

6

17

20

2

1

Saint Louis (ΖΤ) Saint Louis, Mo. EXTREME Highlight: Our most extreme highlight this year was our brotherhood camping trip. We spent a weekend doing team building exercises and getting closer with our brothers. It culminated in brothers opening up around a bonfire during the night. — Blake Bender ’14, bbender5@slu.edu

3.20

3.05

15

10

41

36

7

7

San Diego (ΖΩ) San Diego, Calif.

EXTREME Highlight: The chapter recently competed in the annual Greek Week competition. We placed second in the skit competition and third overall. We have really been focusing on community service as well.

— Sam Littlefield ’14, sdlittlefield@sandiego.edu

3.43

3.04

26

28

41

34

9

5

THE BETA THETA PI summer 2013

of th e

:

F r a t e r n i t y

*N/A: Data may appear unique or may not apply given this school’s re/colonization during the last three years.

N/R: Data which is not tracked by institutions or was unreported by chapters as of May 1, 2013.

Red: Chapter GPAs that fall below the Fraternity’s minimum chapter GPA of 2.8 or below the campus all mens’ average.

: Self-Governance = S, Education = E, Recruitment = R and Volunteers = V

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s Nu ive Ad mbe vis ors r of 201 Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

: S t a t E

Chapter / Colony

S Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

E

R

V

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

San Jose State (ΖΗ) San Jose, Calif.

EXTREME Highlight: We helped put on a Social Innovative Leadership Forum which encouraged more community advocacy among local business leaders.

We participated in more sports and philanthropies than previous semesters.

— Johnny Tran ’14, JohnnyTran203@gmail.com

2.89

2.80

15

10

18

12

4

7

Sewanee (ΓΧ) Sewanee, Tenn.

EXTREME Highlight: The chapter was a semifinalist in the intramural basketball tournament. We managed to win our quarterfinal game in double overtime by one point. This is the furthest the Gamma Chi Chapter has ever gone in the tournament. — Jordan Buck ’15, buckjm0@sewanee.edu

N/R

3.08

6

7

15

17

3

3

SMU (ΓΩ) Dallas, Texas EXTREME Highlight: Brothers of the Gamma Omega Chapter recently enjoyed a five-day weekend to celebrate the opening and dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Many were able to take part in the festivities. — Jeff Robillard ’14, jrobillard@smu.edu

3.37

3.10

14

19

25

32

5

5

South Carolina (Υ) Columbia, S.C. EXTREME Highlight: Beta Theta Pi at South Carolina is thriving and for good reason! Thanks to the unrelenting commitment of our chapter, we took home 13 chapter awards, including Fraternity of the Year.

— Nathan Ewoldt ’14, scbetapresident@gmail.com

3.35

3.07

23

10

56

48

9

6

South Dakota (ΓΑ) Vermillion, S.D. EXTREME Highlight: The chapter recently paired up with a sorority on campus and held an Easter egg hunt for the children of the community. The event was very successful and the children loved the event.

— Derek Duerst ’15, derek.duerst@coyote.usd.edu

3.09

2.89

13

12

16

20

8

10

Southern California (ΓΤ) Los Angeles, Calif.

EXTREME Highlight: The chapter won the ADPi “Row Cup” Soccer philanthropy, the co-ed soccer championship with the ladies of Theta, and finished off the year with a championship in IFC 4-on-4 football.

— Kellen O’Connor ’14, kfoconno@usc.edu

3.26

3.11

17

16

40

37

6

7

Southern Illinois (ΖΟ) Carbondale, Ill. EXTREME Highlight: We held our inaugural Beta Theta Pi-athon. This philanthropic event helped raise money for the American Cancer Society and all profits went to Relay For Life. We were able to raise more than $700 to donate to the fight against cancer! — Matt McGuire ’14, matt.mcguire227@gmail.com

3.09

2.74

9

9

7

16

8

5

St. Lawrence (ΒΖ) Canton, N.Y. EXTREME Highlight: The chapter finally got an on-campus housing option. We have been petitioning and working with the University for around three years for a housing option, and we recently earned an eight-person house.

— Benjamin Landry ’14, btland10@stlawu.edu

3.20

3.14

12

4

33

28

3

3

Stevens (Σ) Hoboken, N.J. EXTREME Highlight: The Sigma Chapter, in coordination with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and the family of brother Ryan Neugebauer ’14, raised more than $700 for pediatric cancer through our Cuts for Kids Event.

— Michael DiLiello ’14, sigma1162@gmail.com

3.28

3.23

18

11

11

11

6

7

TCU* (Colony) Fort Worth, Texas EXTREME Highlight: The colony won the Outstanding Recruitment Award and Volunteer of the Year Award at the South Central Keystone Conference. It was an incredibly humbling experience and inspired us to work even harder to set the standard for TCU Greek life. — Austin Marple ’14, austin.t.marple@tcu.edu

3.32

2.92

13

N/A

43

N/A

8

8

www.betathetapi.org

43

of th thee

FF r r a a tt ee r r n n ii tt y y ::

: Self-Governance = S, Education = E, Recruitment = R and Volunteers = V

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s N ive Ad umbe vis r o o 201 f rs Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

:: SS tt a a tt EE

Chapter / Colony

S Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

44

E

R

V

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

Tennessee (ΔΚ) Knoxville, Tenn.

EXTREME Highlight: One of the brothers had a disabled sibling who passed away this semester. To pay respect, the chapter hosted a fundraiser and raised $600 for Camp Koininua, which is a camp that specializes in giving a camp experience to the disabled. — Zac Hyder ’15, Zac.hyder@gmail.com

2.72

2.90

10

10

7

14

5

3

Texas A&M (ΕΗ) College Station, Texas EXTREME Highlight: As a chapter, we have thrived in our philanthropic and public relations efforts. We look forward to an efficient and profound fall semester that will build from our successes in the spring.

— Cullen Mills ’14, mills.cullen@yahoo.com

3.03

2.91

13

10

25

31

8

5

Texas A&M-CC (ΖΡ) Corpus Christi, Texas EXTREME Highlight: The Zeta Rho Chapter had the highest grades last term.

We also held a candlelight vigil memorial to honor our recently deceased brother Holt Smith ’14, and raised money for a scholarship in his name.

— Eric Lindgren ’14, eric.t.lindgren@gmail.com

2.57

2.54

9

11

22

21

8

8

Texas at Arlington (ΔΡ) Arlington, Texas EXTREME Highlight: Two brothers landed campus-wide positions for the 2013-14 school year. Jay Leverenz ’15, will be the new VP of Finance and Administration for IFC, and Tyler Burch ’16, will take the position of UTA Ambassador. — Austin Sullivan ’15, jamesasullivan@mavs.uta.edu

2.84

2.83

16

10

17

12

4

6

Toronto (ΘΖ) Toronto, Ont. EXTREME Highlight: Our members strive to achieve goals within the chapter, our school and in our community. This term we won Greek Week, intramural football and had our scholastic chairman represent the chapter on Toronto’s debate team. — Jake Magee ’14, jake.magee@hotmail.com

N/R

2.7

9

7

15

11

9

7

Truman State (ΖΞ) Kirksville, Mo. EXTREME Highlight: The Zeta Xi Chapter is continuing to push the envelope.

We recently raised our minimum GPA requirements, held three very successful philanthropy events and are working hard to improve relations with our alumni.

— Matt Mueller ’14, mrm8327@truman.edu

3.42

3.13

22

17

34

23

5

6

UC Berkeley (Ω) Berkeley, Calif.

EXTREME Highlight: The Omega Chapter had its annual Beta Bowl philanthropy event. We hosted most of the sororities on campus. Delta Gamma held off Pi Beta Phi to take home the championship! All proceeds went to charity. It was a fun day in the sun! — Tyler Colin ’14, tcolin@berkeley.edu

2.87

3.25

9

8

16

14

9

10

UC Irvine (ΔΣ) Irvine, Calif.

EXTREME Highlight: The chapter was permitted an early return on campus through the hard work of our members. We showed why Beta Theta Pi contributed to the UCI community and how our chapter has learned from our faults. We will continue to improve. — Frank Jimemez ’14, fajimene@uci.edu

2.97

2.96

1

11

18

31

6

9

UCLA (ΓΝ) Los Angeles, Calif.

EXTREME Highlight: Our recruitment numbers and academics are at an all time high, but campus involvement became our focus. We currently have members involved in NCAA and club sports, the University Business Society and more. — Dominic Sandler ’14, dominic.sandler@gmail.com

3.26

3.17

23

18

35

48

6

7

UC Santa Barbara (ΕΠ) Santa Barbara, Calif.

EXTREME Highlight: After years of work, the Epsilon Pi Chapter was honored this year with the Excellence in Membership Recruitment Award. The growth of our chapter stands as a testament to the remarkable character of our members.

— Matt David ’15, mdavidsac@gmail.com

3.00

2.99

10

12

66

40

2

2

THE BETA THETA PI summer 2013

of th e

F r a t e r n i t y

*N/A: Data may appear unique or may not apply given this school’s re/colonization during the last three years.

N/R: Data which is not tracked by institutions or was unreported by chapters as of May 1, 2013.

Red: Chapter GPAs that fall below the Fraternity’s minimum chapter GPA of 2.8 or below the campus all mens’ average.

: Self-Governance = S, Education = E, Recruitment = R and Volunteers = V Chapter / Colony

S Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

:

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s Nu ive Ad mbe vis ors r of 201 Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

: S t a t E

E

R

V

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

Utah* (ΓB) Salt Lake City, Utah EXTREME Highlight: Our most extreme achievement of the year was winning the Dean of Students Award of Excellence. We were the first fraternity in the history of our campus to win this award. It’s given to a chapter who meets a number of requirements. — Charles Foote ’15, chasfoote@comcast.net

3.38

3.08

15

N/A

46

N/A

10

9

Vanderbilt (ΒΛ) Nashville, Tenn.

EXTREME Highlight: We held the third annual “A Celebration of Life: A Tribute to Kyle Craig,” our spring philanthropic event benefiting Minding Your Mind Foundation, an organization dedicated to educating students about mental health awareness. — Devitt Frank ’15, devitt.j.frank@vanderbilt.edu

3.32

3.24

17

9

24

23

4

4

Villanova (ΖΕ) Villanova, Pa. EXTREME Highlight: We held our annual Ducky Race to support United Cerebral Paulsy of Philadelphia & Vicinity. With the help of the women of Alpha Chi Omega, the event was a great success. We raised over $6,000.

— Greg Johnson ’14, gjohns09@villanova.edu

3.22

3.25

10

5

20

23

6

4

Virginia (Ο) Charlottesville, Va. EXTREME Highlight: One of the highest honors at the University of Virginia is the opportunity to live on the Lawn. During the 2012-13 academic year, five members of the Omicron Chapter lived on the Lawn, an unprecedented number for one organization. — Phil Dormish ’14, ped2de@virginia.edu

3.50

3.13

11

12

25

25

7

7

Virginia Tech (ΑΦ) Blacksburg, Va. EXTREME Highlight: This year we put our focus on our campus housing situation. We have been exploring the option of building a brand new $4 million chapter house in our campus’ new Greek community. We feel it would be an awesome addition for the chapter. — Ryan Callihan ’14, ryanc9@vt.edu

3.22

3.03

16

14

32

27

7

7

Wabash (Τ) Crawfordsville, Ind. EXTREME Highlight: This year we wanted to become more dedicated to helping our community. To do that, we partnered with Goodwill to start a donation drive at the end of the school year for unwanted clothes or furniture.

— Scott Campbell ’14, secampbe14@wabash.edu

3.16

3.01

19

17

19

18

7

8

Washington (ΒΩ) Seattle, Wash.

EXTREME Highlight: We co-sponsored an event that included marijuana researcher Dr. Jason Kilmer and Mary Segawa of the Washington State Liquor control board who presented on the controversial new Washington Initiative 502, which legalizes marijuana in our state. — Sean Carr ’15, carrr@uw.edu

3.41

3.16

18

30

36

30

8

8

Washington & Jefferson (Γ) Washington, Pa. EXTREME Highlight: This year has been a great one for the Gamma Chapter.

We won Delta Gamma’s philanthropy event, Anchor Splash, for the 29th consecutive year. The brothers were excited for another victory.

— Benjamin Mancini ’15, manciniba@jay.washjeff.edu

3.20

3.02

9

8

13

16

4

5

Washington and Lee (ΑΡ) Lexington, Va. EXTREME Highlight: The chapter sent out a newsletter reaching more than 700 alumni. We are proud of the response this newsletter garnered and have received letters from alumni. As we begin a new term, we hope to continue to reach out to these brothers. — James Lewis ’14, lewisj14@mail.wlu.edu

3.19

3.26

9

11

18

19

9

10

Washington in St. Louis (ΑΙ) St. Louis, Mo. EXTREME Highlight: We hosted a scholarship event where we invited University faculty members to discuss the value of higher education. We also organized our second chapter-wide paintball trip for a brotherhood event.

— Eliot Louthen ’15, louthenej@gmail.com

3.53

3.45

23

19

26

33

7

11

www.betathetapi.org

45

of th thee

FF r r a a tt ee r r n n ii tt y y ::

*N/A: Data may appear unique or may not apply given this school’s re/colonization during the last three years.

N/R: Data which is not tracked by institutions or was unreported by chapters as of May 1, 2013.

Red: Chapter GPAs that fall below the Fraternity’s minimum chapter GPA of 2.8 or below the campus all mens’ average.

: Self-Governance = S, Education = E, Recruitment = R and Volunteers = V

201 Po 2 Gra int Ave de rag 201 e Gra 2 Ca de mpu Po int s All-M Ave rag ale 201 e Pro 2-13 gra Lea ms der Att s Avg end hip Du . Ann anc ring ua e Pre l Atte vio n us danc 3Y e 201 ear s Me 2-13 mb Ne w er Avg Recru itm Du . Ann ent ring ua Pre l Rec vio r us uitme 3Y 201 ear nt Act 2-13 s N ive Ad umbe vis r o o 201 f rs Act 1-12 N ive Ad umbe vis ors r of

:: SS tt a a tt EE

Chapter / Colony

S Summary of All-Beta Chapter/Colony Performance

46

E

R

V

3.18

3.01

13

12

26

25

7

7

Washington State (ΓΘ) Pullman, Wash.

EXTREME Highlight: The chapter is representing itself as leaders on and off campus. The passion and brotherhood seen within our house is astonishing.

— Max Nelson ’14, max.nelson100@email.wsu.edu

3.15

3.0

12

12

25

22

10

10

Wesleyan (ΜΕ) Middletown, Conn.

EXTREME Highlight: We have been active supporters of “Relay for Life” and have raised funds to do what we can to fight cancer.

— Eliot Albert ’14, ealbert@wesleyan.edu

N/R

N/R

8

2

21

16

5

5

West Virginia (ΒΨ) Morgantown, W. Va. EXTREME Highlight: We have started the Marching Along Campaign — a fundraiser to improve the chapter house. We look forward to accomplishing our goals! — Chrisitian Fuentes ’14, cfuente1@mix.wvu.edu

3.12

2.70

11

10

35

27

6

6

Westminster (ΑΔ) Fulton, Mo. EXTREME Highlight: This year we got all 50 brothers to donate to the Sons of the Dragon Club. It was a big improvement from last year’s number!

— Myles Donnelly ’14, mdonnelly.14@westminster-mo.edu

3.07

2.99

22

8

14

17

7

7

Whitman (ΓΖ) Walla Walla, Wash.

EXTREME Highlight: We succeeded in filling the house. We are on track for growth and want to continue developing as a chapter.

— Kramer Hudgens ’14, Hudgenkd@whitman.edu

3.21

3.33

4

5

14

21

4

6

Wichita State (ΔΓ) Wichita, Kan. EXTREME Highlight: Our annual philanthorpy event raised nearly $2,500 for a local student who lost both of his legs when he was struck by a drunk driver.

— Justin Dugan ’14, jwdugan@wichita.edu

2.84

2.86

12

11

24

26

6

5

William & Mary (ΖΥ) Willamsburg, Va. EXTREME Highlight: William & Mary is building brand new fraternity houses and we have raised $6,000 towards our new house.

— Joachim Katchinoff ’14, jakatchinoff@email.wm.edu

3.40

3.17

9

11

24

24

6

5

Wisconsin (ΑΠ) Madison, Wis. EXTREME Highlight: This semester the Alpha Pi chapter hosted its first faculty dinner. Three professors were in attendance and the event was a success.

— Thomas Rawlins ’14, Trawlins@wisc.edu

2.86

3.17

13

10

8

9

5

2

Wisconsin-Oshkosh (ΖΖ) Oshkosh, Wis. EXTREME Highlight: This semester we organized a trip to Oxford to visit the Administrative Office. For many, it was the first time seeing the birthplace of Beta. — Easton Beckman ’13, beckme24@gmail.com

3.01

2.83

16

14

14

14

5

6

Wittenberg (ΑΓ) Springfield, Ohio EXTREME Highlight: This year, we were named the Chapter of the Year at Wittenberg. We couldn’t be more thankful and excited to receive this award!

— John Jacobson ’14, s14.jjacobson@wittenberg.edu

3.18

2.79

15

10

19

17

6

5

WPI* (Colony) Worcester, Mass.

EXTREME Highlight: This semester we wrote and ratified our bylaws and constitution. We are well on our way to becoming a chapter!

— Sean Weaver ’15, smweaver@wpi.edu

3.5

N/R

9

N/A

51

N/A

7

N/A

THE BETA THETA PI summer 2013

A

beta day is dawning recommend a young man. initiate his beta journey. betathetapi.org/recommend

Mystic Shrine

in loving memory Honor your brothers, friends and loved ones with a memorial gift to the Beta Theta Pi Foundation. www.betathetapi.org/gift

Alabama

Hanover

Kenneth L. Johnson ’80, March 16 Thomas M. Williams ’65, March 26

Thomas A. Bohlsen ’57, Dec. 22 2012 Robert A. Briscoe ’41, Jan. 24 Mark B. Chappell ’72, March 12 Glenn M. Mitchell, Jr. ’58, Jan. 30, 2011 John P. Roof ’59, March 17

Arizona Logan Eisele, III ’66, Jan. 1, 2012

Beloit

Idaho

Thomas M. Ferguson ’55, Feb. 11 C

Carnegie Mellon John H. Dougherty ’53, Dec. 17, 2012 C George A. Roberts ’39, Feb. 15 Thomas J. Woeber, Jr. ’50, March 27 C

Betty Rhodes Beta Sweetheart Elizabeth “Betty” Harvey Rhodes died on March 20, 2013, at age 93. She was the widow of former General Fraternity President, Congressman and House Minority Leader John J. Rhodes, Kansas State ’38 (1916-2003), and was a member of Delta Delta Delta Fraternity. In 1952, when John was elected to Congress, the two started a 30-year career balancing time between Washington, D.C., and Arizona. For her efforts, she received the Arizona Heritage Award and the Unsung Hero Award. A longtime Beta Sweetheart and supporter of the Fraternity, John’s and her gifts have named the John J. and Betty Rhodes Fireside Room in the Administrative Office and the Beta Foundation’s John J. and Elizabeth Rhodes Merit Scholarship.

Case Carl C. Tinstman, Jr. ’42, March 29 C

Chicago Donald A. Rowley ’45, Feb. 24

Cincinnati

Gene T. Fox ’59, Feb. 3 C

Indiana John F. Kimberling ’47, Jan. 27 Robert C. Parker ’53, March 18 C Charles L. Sims ’55, Feb. 11 C

Iowa State

Columbia

Johns Hopkins

Michael J. O’Connell ’60, Aug. 11, 2012

Dartmouth Lee J. Bronson ’49, March 1 C Leonard J. Clark, Jr. ’56, March 27 C David R. Gavitt ’59, Sept. 16, 2011

Richard R. Burns ’51, Nov. 2, 2012 Norio B. Endo ’56, Jan. 11 C Edward L. Kimmel ’66, March 1 J. R. Oden, Jr. ’51, March 27 C

Kansas

Thomas M. Roudebush ’52, April 3 C

William W. Hogben ’41, Jan. 27, 2011 John W. Lounsbury ’57, March 24 C Raymond W. Stockton, MD ’37, Feb. 1 C

Denver

Kansas State

James D. Briggs, III ’70, June 1, 2012

Burns E. Hegler ’43, March 14 Francis R. Stone ’56, March 21

Denison

DePauw Robert F. Heil ’47, April 11 C Robert E. March ’41, April 15, 2011 William L. White, Jr ’79, Feb. 1

Lehigh

Dickinson

Miami

Judson Laird, III ’59, March 27

Walter F. Bethune, Jr. ’49, Jan. 26 C William C. Folker ’56, March 9 David C. Holton ’52, April 2, 2011 George T. Jewett ’48, March 1 C William M. Junk ’38, April 3

Florida James L. Clifton ’63, Jan. 24 T W. Wooten ’49, April 13, 2012

General Fraternity Rolls Richard A. Persinger ’97, Feb. 20 C Isaac N. Bunce ’49, April 6, 2012

THE BETA THETA PI Summer 2013

Illinois

Arthur W. Forbriger, Jr. ’53, Feb. 3 Frederic H. Heis ’68, Feb. 4 C

Georgia Tech

48

Thomas C. Bucklin, Jr. ’52, Nov. 2, 2012 Robert G. Farley ’99, Feb. 2 Jerome H. Johnson ’41, Aug. 8, 2011 William H. Simmons ’52, April 14 C

Frederick W. Kieshauer ’52, Feb. 26 F. R. Wood, Jr. ’41, May 28, 2012

Michigan Walter D. Atchison ’53, April 6 C Harry M. Gustafson ’44, April 6 C

Need assistance locating an obituary? Contact Phyllis Bowie at 800.800.BETA or phyllis.bowie@betathetapi.org.

Mystic Shrine

Mississippi

Texas A&M-CC

John C. Howell ’80, April 6 John A. Lee ’75, April 1

Holt T. Smith ’14, March 14

Missouri Barth F. Hinkle ’49, Dec. 25, 2012 C

Spencer A. Brown ’13, Feb. 24 Brian Jeffries ’13, Feb. 24

MIT

Toronto

William M. Fitz-Gibbon ’56, July 30, 2012 Franklin Hawkins ’40, Feb. 19, 2012

Edward R. Flint ’59, April 20 Louis L. Odette, Jr. ’46, Jan. 1, 2011

Nebraska

Tulane

Walter Kiechel, Jr. ’41, Aug. 28, 2011

Walter J. Jung, Jr. ’41, July 22, 2011

North Carolina

UC Berkeley

Jeffrey P. Adams ’66, March 7 William B. Deal ’58, March 15 C

T. C. Melim, Jr. ’49, March 6 C

North Dakota

Quentin L. Clark ’47, May 18 Joseph P. Gannon, Jr. ’41, Jan. 11 C Kempton B. Hall ’38, March 12 C Michael J. Marienthal ’47, Feb. 27 C Leslie M. Paullin ’47, March 14 Richard F. Runkle ’50, Jan. 12 Richard B. Wilke ’54, June 10, 2012 Robert D. Wilke ’53, Jan. 1, 2011

Paul H. Gislason, MD ’48, Sept.10, 2012 C

Ohio Kenneth R. Peak ’67, April 19 C

Ohio Wesleyan Harry A. Ackley ’48, April 10 C Robert A. Baracca ’50, Jan. 10 C William Quinn, Jr. ’48, March 4 C

Oklahoma Scott A. Morton ’88, April 22, 2012

Oklahoma State John F. Owens ’92, Jan. 31 C

Oregon Huntley D. Alvey ’55, Feb. 1 C Wallace D. Russell ’57, Feb. 21 C James J. Walton ’56, March 24 C

Oregon State Donald S. Francis ’43, Feb. 10 C David L. Hall ’46, March 27 C Robert L. Lee ’64, Feb. 4 C

Texas Tech

UCLA

Union Robert A. Litke ’46, Feb. 6, 2011

Utah H. G. Richardson, Jr. ’43, Feb. 18 C

Vanderbilt James P. Green ’49, April 17 C

Virginia Collett M. Thach ’49, March 29 C

Washington William B. Bellman ’60, Sept. 29, 2012 Robert H. Kriebel ’46, March 21 C

Washington & Jefferson

Penn State

Warren S. Reding ’47, Nov. 16, 2011 C

James R. Anzalone ’66, Feb. 14 Jack A. Brown ’52, April 4 C Paul F. Gans ’41, Nov. 16, 2012 Peter C. Larson ’53, Feb. 19 C Thomas A. Mackin ’51, Nov. 22, 2012

Washington in St. Louis

Pennsylvania Frank R. Fowler ’50, Jan. 14, 2012 Clifford R. Jack ’49, Nov. 3, 2012

Purdue

Milton E. Meyer, Jr. ’43, Feb. 14 C John B. Roesler ’66, March 12, 2011

Washington State Orin E. Hollingbery ’44, March 3 C Ernest F. Smith, Jr. ’61, March 1

SMU

John R. Fraser ’70, March 1

Jack W. Nunnelee ’63, Feb. 24 C

Western Reserve

South Dakota

Alan R. Morgan ’59, Nov. 30, 2011

Henry R. Bramanti ’62, March 1, 2012 Charles W. Cook ’51, March 28, 2012 Patrick W. Flynn, MD ’56, March 1, 2012 Eric S. Greenfield ’73, March 15 W. E. Rodawig ’79, Dec. 10, 2011 Stephen A. Savary ’73, Aug. 20, 2012

Westminster

St. Lawrence

Williams

Paul Y. McCormick ’44, April 19 C

Holt Smith was killed in a car accident on March 14, after falling asleep at the wheel while driving home to Houston for spring break.

Holt had a passion for people and the outdoors, and was studying criminal justice in college. He joined the Fraternity in September 2011, and recently served as the chapter’s sergeant at arms.

Spencer Brown & Brian Jeffries Texas Tech ’13 Two members of the fall 2009 pledge class of the Delta Mu Chapter, Spencer Brown and Brian Jeffries, were killed in a car accident on February 24. Raised in Dallas, Spencer was a member of Park Cities Baptist Church and was an Eagle Scout. He is survived by his parents, Lawrence and Debbie, and brother, Bennett. Brian was studying international business. He is survived by his parents, Steve and Dina, and brother, Alec.

Eric C. Langille ’82, Feb. 17

West Virginia

Syracuse

Texas A&M-CC ’14

Wesleyan

Carl F. Emde ’57, Jan. 8 Arthur D. Rush, Jr. ’39, Feb. 14 Barton C. Wood ’43, Feb. 22 C

Ledyard P. Hale, II ’43, May 11, 2012

Holt Smith

John D. Brooks ’52, Feb. 1 C

Western Ontario

John C. Coleman ’73, Nov. 11, 2012 Lawrence L. Daniel ’75, April 30, 2012

Willamette William H. Freeman, Jr. ’56, Feb. 11 Jeremy S. Davis ’56, June 21, 2012 C John A. Lyden, Jr. ’55, Nov. 1, 2012

Wittenberg Richard A. Proos, MD ’54, Jan. 9 Howard E. Sanders, MD ’41, Jan. 2, 2011

Flags indicate those who have served in the United States or Canadian armed forces.

Ken Johnson Alabama ’80 Ken Johnson passed away on March 16. Ken served on the Alabama chapter’s house corporation board, and was a board member of his church and the Hoover Country Club. Ken was in the pipe and steel business for 32 years. He is survived by his wife Donna, daughter Jessica, son Wesley, sister Jill Woods and his brother Ron.

www.betathetapi.org

49

Building upon Beta’s 174 years of distinguished leadership, this $20 million campaign seeks to fuel Beta’s continued growth, while ensuring that generations of young men experience Beta’s unique brand of brotherhood and life-shaping growth opportunities.

A Promise to . . .

I.

Expand Student Participation in Award-winning Men of Principle Programs

$13.4 million

II. Launch New Online Engagement Platform for

All Undergraduates, Advisors and Beta Volunteers

$3.7 million III. Build a State of the Art Learning Laboratory and Historical

Preservation Center within the Administrative Office in Oxford

$2.9 million To learn more about how you can become involved in this historic Campaign, contact a Beta Foundation staff member at 800.800.BETA (2382).

50

THE BETA THETA PI Summer 2013

“Represented symbolically by the diamond in the badge, Beta undergraduates need the cutting of education and the polishing of experience.

These, too, are our promises to keep.”

A LASTING MOMENT

As a wide-eyed 18-year-old entering the college world, I was honored to pledge the Beta Nu Chapter at the University of Cincinnati. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Beta Theta Pi would soon become one of the most enduring relationships of my lifetime.

Beta as a Lifelong Journey . . .

As an undergraduate, the Beta Nu Chapter benefitted me in ways I am still thankful for today. On a seemingly impersonal campus environment, I found a group of men shared the same aspirations and values I had. At that time, the Fraternity’s leadership training wasn’t as prominent as it is today. Beta Theta Pi didn’t offer all of the award-winning programs that today’s undergraduates and volunteers benefit from. Instead, leadership training was through trial and error, as brothers in our chapter transitioned from being a pledge to an initiate, to then serving as officers of the chapter and other campus organizations. Though the training was raw, it was still beneficial. In addition, the strong alumni support in Cincinnati gave my fellow chapter members and me access to guidance from seasoned Beta community leaders. I cherish my chapter experience because of the many lifelong friendships I established and the lessons I learned at 2630 University Court.

The Fraternity has become an even bigger part of my life as my son Stephen Mergler, Florida ’88, became a Beta as well. As I’ve seen in both of our lives, our Fraternity’s high standards and leadership opportunities help young men become their best. In recent years, I have been blessed to witness the great success of our Men of Principle initiative as a director of the Beta Foundation. Our Great and Good Fraternity’s high standards and leadership are helping young men become their best — and this is inspiring! It’s because of this, the Fraternity is one of my cherished lifelong associations, and I welcome the opportunity to support it!

— H. Kent Mergler, Cincinnati ’63, hkm956@hotmail.com

H. Kent Mergler Cincinnati ’63 After graduating with a BBA , Kent continued at Cincinnati to earn his MBA while working as a graduate instructor in finance. He began his investment management career with Scudder, Stevens and Clark, working in Cincinnati and later Chicago, where he was executive vice president. In 1973, he established Stein Roe & Farnham’s office in Ft. Lauderdale and eventually served as president of the firm in Chicago.

Kent and his partners began a new firm in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., which became Northstar Capital Management from which he retired in 2012. Kent and Judy met at a Beta/ Kappa event in 1959 and will be married 50 years this August. They reside in Stuart, Fla., and Highlands, N.C., and have three children and eight grandchildren.

Beta Theta Pi Foundation & Administrative Office Brennan Hall PO Box 6277 5134 Bonham Road Oxford, Ohio 45056 www.betathetapi.org

“

I’m not sure what you boys are doing in your fraternity, but I would have to say you all have some fine young men, if they act like him.

Kim Wilson Rogers, Ark.

”

pay it forward.

A few weeks ago, Kim went to Starbucks to order coffee and treats for her children. Realizing she hadn’t brought as much cash as she intended, she started cancelling parts of the order. Imagine her surprise when a young man paid for her entire $25 bill. Kim watched him drive away in a car with Beta Theta Pi Greek letters on the back.

Tommy Maunakea, Arkansas ’16 Founding Father

He had written on her receipt, “Pay it forward. Have a blessed day.”

Beta Leadership Fund

developing men of principle for a principled life www.betathetapi.org/gift