Alpha Slants of Beta Theta Pi - Fall 2019

Alpha Slants of

BETA THETA PI ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

FALL 2019

ALPHA CHAPTER EARNS CHARTER Active Members Finished Spring Strong in Grades and Community Service Hours

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t has been quite an active few months at Alpha Chapter as we finished the spring semester strongly. After parting ways for the summer, we reconvened at the 180th Beta Theta Pi Convention here in Oxford. Over that weekend, we officially became a chapter again.

Alpha Receives Its Charter

Receiving our charter was a significant milestone for our chapter, and our current strengths and improvements have us on a positive trajectory.

This could not have been done without the immense help and support from our alumni, advisors, and General Fraternity staff. On behalf of the active brothers at Alpha Chapter, I would like to thank everyone who was involved in this process.

Chapter representatives receiving the return of Alpha Chapter’s charter at the 180th Beta Theta Pi Convention.

There was much hard work and effort put into earning our charter.

Part of this was a presentation given by Anthony Raffin ’21, Jack Beatty ’20, and me to a chartering committee consisting of a panel of chapter delegates, alumni association delegates, and general fraternity officers. During the presentation, we detailed what makes our chapter strong, how we have improved in certain areas, and how we are set up for success moving forward.

National Recognition

Alpha Chapter was recognized at this year’s convention for implementing the Most Outstanding New Member Education Program among all of Beta’s 140 colonies and chapters. Special recognition goes to Vice President of New Member Education Jack Beatty ’20 and former new member education advisor Larissa Marple.

Improving Academics and Community Involvement

One of the main areas of strength for Alpha Chapter is academic success.

Our brothers’ cumulative GPA was 3.3, which places us fourth among all fraternities and higher than the all-campus average. Additionally, our new member class GPA was fifth last semester in the Greek community.

Undergraduate members were excited to be represented at the 180th Beta Theta Pi Convention. Alpha received the Most Outstanding New Member Education Program from the General Fraternity at convention.

The biggest area of improvement for Alpha last semester was community service participation. We had the most community service hours recorded in the Greek community along with the highest average at 22.2 hours per member. This is a vast improvement from semesters past where we were consistently in the middle of the pack.

As always, please feel free to stop by the chapter house when you find yourself on campus. We always love hearing what alumni are up to and learning about your time with Beta Theta Pi. Yours in ___kai___, Christian Daniels ’20 Chapter President danielc7@miamioh.edu (317) 908-2050

Congratulations to the Alpha undergradutes who were awarded $25,000 in scholarships at the April Alumni Leadership Forum banquet.

(L to R: Shane Swartzenruber ’22,Will Ceccoli ’21, Massillon Myers ’20, Michael Barrett O’Quin ’20, Christian Danielas ’20)

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Alpha Slants of BETA THETA PI

FOREVER ALPHA CAMPAIGN NEARS $4 MILLION MILESTONE!

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Make Your Mark on Alpha Chapter

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hank you for your support. Through the generosity of 328 donors, the Forever Alpha Campaign has raised $3.948 million toward this historic effort. A huge amount of thanks goes to each alumnus who contributed financially to the campaign. The beautiful home you have created will significantly impact the long-term vitality of Beta Theta Pi at Miami University.

Your gifts not only sustain Alpha Chapter for the future, they’re proof of the value you place in your Beta membership and the commitment you hold to better the lives of our undergraduate members. Simply put, your gift states that Beta Theta Pi matters. The academic support, brotherhood, and sense of community our fraternity provides today’s young men cannot be underestimated. Our chapter is still a place that positively shapes the lives of undergraduates and will continue to for generations to come.

As we admire our magnificent new home, there must be an understanding that more is still to be done. In addition to the need to pay down our bank loan, essential projects must still be addressed and require further funding. We must finance our Leadership Coaching Program with GIANTWorldwide Consulting and cover costs for our live-in house director.

To place Alpha Chapter in a strong position financially, and to support these projects, we must raise as much as possible for our campaign.

You can help the campaign and show that Beta matters to you by contributing in one of the following ways: • • • •

Join the cause and make a multi-year pledge.

Make a new or additional one-time contribution.

Extend the gift you have already made by adding a sixth year to your pledge schedule.

Accelerate your payment schedule and submit your next payment before year-end.

We are only $51,225 from our $4 million goal. Help us hit this important milestone! Use the enclosed pledge form or make your gift at foreveralpha.org today!

Yours in ___kai___, Campaign Chairmen Jeff Newton ’77, #1609 newton1609@yahoo.com

Tom Pierce ’77, #1610 tpiercersn@aol.com

Forever Alpha Company Board Members Pete Barnhart ’66 Jim Deuser ’69* Jack Deyo ’69 Bill Haywood ’74 Jonathan Brant ’75 Jeff Newton ’77 Tom Pierce ’77 Gary Riddle ’77 Jim Colley ’79 Mark Flanigan ’81* Bob Gillespie ’81* Calloway Robertson ’81 Woody Fitton ’82* Ben Willingham ’84 Zac Haines ’05 * New board member

Jonathan Brant ’75 (center) accepts his Distinguished Service Award from the Fraternity Executives Association with Jeff Rundle, Kansas State ’03 (left), Beta’s executive director, and Jud Horras, Iowa State ’97 (right), President and CEO of the NIC.

Many thanks to the following outgoing Forever Alpha Company board members (effective October 27).

Scott Fessenden ’74 Ben Suffron ’74 Justin Beck ’02 Phil Fernandez ’06 Brian Breittholz

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Alpha Slants of BETA THETA PI

TAKING THE HIGH ROAD

Why John Czyzycki ’87 Gave to the Forever Alpha Campaign

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fter attending a regional Beta Theta Pi Men of Principle presentation in Chicago a few years ago, John Czyzycki ’87 was really impressed with the program that was being implemented around the country.

John has always been thankful for how Beta taught him the principles of intellect, responsible conduct, mutual assistance, integrity, and trust. However, he struggled with the future purpose of fraternity life due to a negative perception derived from incidences reported by the national media.

bankers and self-generates his own business, which focuses on building relationships for Wintrust with large, privately-held, family-run businesses in the Chicagoland area.

Whether it be in Chicago, Oxford, or wherever, John would love to reconnect with his Beta brothers while reminiscing about Alpha Chapter memories. For those who haven’t been back to Oxford recently, John assures them that Alpha Chapter is still helping young men grow intellectually and socially just like he did.

The Men of Principle presentation in Chicago not only reminded John about Beta’s beliefs but allowed him to listen to the success of the Alpha Chapter’s resurgence from Tom Pierce ’77, Phil Fernandez ’06, and Bob Gillespie ’81.

This interaction convinced him that contributing to the cause would be a sound investment. This was validated when John took a trip to Oxford in October 2018 for the chapter house rededication. He was blown away by the new house, the men who lived in it, and the decades of Alpha Beta alumni who attended and supported the Forever Alpha campaign.

“The brothers who I spoke with convinced me this was the real deal and the right path to take for a fraternity. I was also impressed that the Forever Alpha Company engaged Miami University in the campaign, a key stakeholder in our Alpha heritage,” John said. “More inclusion versus less is a good thing.”

Beta helped John prepare for life after college by giving him a sense of accountability toward something other than himself. Accountability has meant everything to John, an executive vice president for Wintrust Commercial Banking in Chicago. He manages a team of middle market

“Beta Theta Pi is taking a high road in returning fraternity life to a better purpose. The Alpha Chapter is leading that philosophy and to put support behind that is a good investment,” John said. “I would encourage alumni to grab a few friends and head back to Oxford for a weekend to check out the house and meet the brothers. Or, at least reach out to members of the Alpha Chapter House Company, The General Fraternity or a local Beta District Chief to get a feel for where we are today as a chapter.”

Just as John wants Alpha Chapter alumni to be informed about the success of Beta Theta Pi at Miami and nationwide before contributing to the campaign, he has some of the same words of wisdom for the undergraduate members of the chapter.

“As you get started in your career, don’t be a wallflower. Ask as many questions as you can,” John said. “Be a sponge and soak it all in. But perform well with integrity, be professional, and remember to have fun. If fun is not a quotient, you are probably not in the right place.”

You can connect with John at czyzycki@att.net.

Mrs. B Wins House Director of the Year at Convention

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elp us congratulate Gail Behrens, better known as Mrs. B, who was awarded House Director of the Year at Beta Theta Pi’s General Convention. As house director, Mrs. B is responsible for overseeing the food budget, being the hostess for all events, upkeep of the chapter house, and cheering on all the individuals in the chapter. With 25 years of sorority experience under her belt before Beta, Mrs. B was ready to take on a new challenge to work with her first fraternity. She left such a good impression during her first year with Beta that several brothers chose to nominate her for the award.

cooking may not be in her job description, she dealt with this adversity by cooking herself. Not once did she complain to the brothers in the house.” – Joseph Wuest IV ’19 “As the house manager for the first two semesters that the Alpha Chapter house was open, I worked more closely alongside Mrs. B than any other active Beta at Miami. I very much doubt anyone else could have been nearly as successful as her. She is incredibly hard working, amazingly knowledgeable about her profession, has creative solutions to complex problems, and is truly a parental figure to us all.” – Luke Winner ’19

“Though Mrs. B has only been our director for one year, she has been instrumental toward the success of Alpha Chapter. As the year progressed, she had to deal with many ups and downs. Though this was expected considering this is our first year back in our house at 200 East High Street, there are many ways in which she proved why she deserves this award. Mrs. B had to deal with two chefs leaving. Though

“Mrs. B has consistently shown commitment to developing our brothers in the areas of mutual assistance and intellectual growth. There was an instance last semester where I planned a recruitment event and weather caused plans to fall through. With 24 hours’ notice, Mrs. B was able to help plan a grill-out for 100 brothers.

The true mark of what makes Mrs. B special is the follow-up conversation after the event. I sat

down with Mrs. B and she helped me reflect on the process of planning for the cancelled event and where a contingency plan could have been made ahead of time. This instance is not unique in the opportunities Mrs. B takes to assist brothers and taking the time to help us learn from our shortcomings to become better leaders.” – Kyle Fischer ’20 Mrs. B says that it was sentimental reading the sweet words from those who nominated her.

She is looking forward to getting back to work this fall. “Every day there is a new experience that surprises me and makes me proud,” Mrs. B said.

Housemother Mrs. B accepts the House Director of the Year award at the 180th Beta Theta Pi Convention.

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Alpha Slants of BETA THETA PI

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CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS LEAD THE WAY...

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e are deeply grateful to the following brothers for committing $3,948,775 to the Forever Alpha campaign. These individuals recognize the importance of ensuring the future of Alpha Chapter and have demonstrated a sense of gratitude for their personal experience by making an investment in the future of Beta Theta Pi at Miami University.

The _kai_ Society ($500,000 and above) Thomas W. Hook ’81 The John Reily Knox Society ($250,000 to $499,999) Roy C. Ostberg ’62 Mitchell P. Rales Family Foundation The Alpha Heritage Society ($100,000 to $249,999) Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Smith Lynn and Tim Pistell ’69 In memory of John E. Dolibois ’42 James W. Haywood ’74 In memory of James Schellhase ’73 Jeffrey M. Anderson ’75 Jeffrey N. Newton ’77 and Thomas A. Pierce ’77 In memory of Art Ensey ’76 Christopher M. Gorman ’83 The 200 E High Society ($50,000 to $99,999) Cottrell Family Gift Philip F. Cottrell ’78 Robert S. Cottrell ’79 Rick Cottrell ’80 Stuckey Family Gift John H. Stuckey ’66 Thomas D. Stuckey ’76 John R. Deyo ’69 Gary V. Chensoff ’74 W. Bradfield Trucksis ’75 Arthur J. Reimers III ’77 Wagner Family Gift Douglas ’78 and Peggy (Porter) Wagner In memory of Art Ensley ’76 Charlie ’12 and Jackie “Jue” Wagner Maureen and Bob Gillespie ’81 Jeffrey W. Edwards ’85 Trout Family Glenn D. Trout Jr. ’89 Zachary T. Haines ’05 In memory of H. H. Stephenson Jr. ’39

The Men of Principle Society ($25,000 to $49,999) Robert W. Schneebeck ’55 Robert D. Wertz, M.D. ’61 In memory of Richard Felix Fryman ’61 Steven W. Martineau ’66 William F. Alderman ’67 James C. Deuser ’69 In memory of Ralph N. Fey ’40 Thomas I. Converse ’72 Scott C. Fessenden ’74 In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Fessenden Paul W. Hartung III ’75 In memory of Beth and Grant L. Hartung ’78 Pam and Mark Alder ’76 Gary A. Riddle ’77 In honor of Jane, My Beta Sweetheart Steven C. Stocker ’81 John K. Suckow ’81 David H. Budig ’84 Beau Cummins ’84 Thomas E. Fox ’85 Jeffrey A. Schwartz ’86 Michael A.Yukevich ’92 In memory of H.H. Stephenson ’39 and Todd Weaver ’93 Joseph J. Rosing ’06 The Campanile Society ($10,000 to $24,999) Phyllis Rhodes Brower In memory of Dan Charles Brower ’52, Forever Alpha 5136-001 R. Conrad Leslie ’47 Peter Hieronimus ’53 John M. Groom ’58 Wallace W. McCallum ’59 In honor of Class of ’59 and John Dolibois ’40 Donald E. Taylor ’60 W. John Hussey ’61 Wayne L. Nicely ’61 David A. Hill, M.D. ’62 Stuard W. Opdycke ’64 In memory of John Rawlings ’64 Hewett S. Wells ’64 Russ Morgan ’65

Campaign At-a-Glance As of September 27, 2019

Total Raised: $3,948,775 Campaign Goal: $4 Million Number of Contributors: 328 J. Douglas Gray ’66 Philip L. Conover ’68 Thomas M. Loeb, M.D. ’68 Robert J. Dolibois ’69 In memory of John E. Dolibois ’42 Gill Family Gift William L. Gill ’71 Robert E. Gill ’73 In memory of Deck P. Murray ’73 William Elliott ’73 Randall L. Kirschner ’74 Benjamin F. Suffron III ’74 Ted W. Brown ’76 Thomas Kinder ’76 David R. Teckman ’78 James H. Colley ’79 Thomas A. Mitro ’79 Robertson Family Gift T. Calloway Robertson ’81 Gail Robertson Boland T. Jones ’82 David P. Myers ’82 G. Lee Esler ’83 Richard P. LaFleur ’83 David M. Palmer ’83 Jeffrey H. Sherman ’83 Benjamin A. Willingham ’84 Mark E. Madson ’90 Andrew L. Gloor ’93 Michael D. Macechko ’05 In memory of Cathy Fey In honor of Tom Fey ’68 The Wooglin Society ($5,000 to $9,999) Judy and Ken Pierce In honor of Tom Pierce ’77 Sheri Stover In memory of Arthur T. Ensley III ’76

Frederick Brower ’50 Charles O. Chrysler ’52 John Y. Taggart ’53 Ronald P. Helman ’55 Robert W. Schneebeck ’55 In memory of John A. Stottlemyer ’55 William “Duff” Shardelow ’55 Theodore C. Hardy ’56 In memory of John A. Stottlemyer ’55 and Whitney D. Hardy ’58 Mynhier Family Gift J. Edward Mynhier ’57 James E. Mynhier Jr. ’82 Robert H. Kurz ’58 In memory of Robert T. Howard and Larry Binkley ’58 James D. Monnett ’60 In memory of C. David Whitman ’60, Capt. USN Dennis Tamcsin ’60 John D. Taylor ’60 Dr. Donald K. Bryan ’63 Peter W.C. Barnhart ’66 Theodore V. Boyd ’66 Bradford D. Smart ’66 Thomas W. Cleverdon ’67 Robert A. Haines Jr. ’67 John M. Slavens ’67 Fey Family Gift Thomas C. Fey ’68 Brian D. Fey ’00 In memory of Catherine R. Fey Bruce H. Branyan ’69 Christie Family Gift Richard L. Christie ’69 Mr. and Mrs. Gerald A. Miller ’69 James P. Talbott ’69 John D. Alderman ’70 John C. Grant ’70 Paul J. Hasemeyer ’72 William L. Phipps ’72

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Gary E. Goshorn ’73 Mindy and Jonathan Brant ’75 In honor of Steven R. Brant ’78 Steven A. Smith ’75 Michael S. Blue, M.D. ’76 James W. Fennell, D.D.S. ’76 Jay Foran ’76 In memory of Grant Hartung ’78 J. Scott Jamieson ’76 Steve S. Retzsch ’76 In honor of The BullPen James H. Ellis III ’77 Kathy and Peter Van Zant ’77 Jeffrey L. Walker ’77 James A. Whaley ’77 Glenn J. Pryor ’78 In memory of Dayton E. Pryor, Bethany ’52 Timothy A. Sando ’78 E.S. Sondles ’78 In memory of Lana’s Greenbeans George P. Wick, DDS ’78 Mark W. Haller ’79 Robert L. McIlvaine ’79 Mark F. Stephan ’80 Woody Fitton ’82 William E.York ’82 John E. Czyzycki ’87 Martin P. Dixon ’90 Edward J. O’Reilly ’90 Craig L. Cimoroni ’92 John J. Rock ’92 Ben Beshear ’01 Justin R. Beck ’02 William E. Rutledge ’05 T. Calloway Robertson IV ’08 Steven S. Bernet ’12 The 1839 Society ($2,500 to $4,999) Brian Breittholz Roger D. Fields Associates, Inc. Richard Stover In memory of Arthur T. Ensley III ’76 Jack L. Fryman ’51 Donald A. Gerber ’51 Charles E. Teckman ’51 Harold E. Kelch, M.D. ’52 Melvin A. Baker ’55 James F. Sommer ’57 In memory of John M. Sommer ’53 Barry Kent ’58 In memory of Larry Binkley ’58 and Jim Cushman ’58 Jack R. Saidel ’59 James R. McClanahan ’60

Alpha Slants of BETA THETA PI

K. Michael Foley ’61 In memory of Richard F. Fryman ’61 In honor of Robert D.Wertz ’61 Harlow W. Gregory Jr. ’62 Philip G. Kuehl ’65 James R. Robertson, M.D. ’66 In memory of Terrence C. Greaves ’67 Andy Bell ’67 John C. McClure ’67 David J. Kenley ’68 E. Phillips Knox ’68 Christopher Blatchford ’69 Chip Hunter ’69 James L. Kotschwar ’69 Thomas O. Moorhead ’69 Dennis C. Myers ’69 J. Michael Perez ’69 In memory of Terry Graves ’67 Thomas H. Edwards ’74 In memory of Steven Collins ’74 Marc G. MacKeigan ’75 P.J. Evans ’78 In honor of The BullPen Noel A. Follrath ’78 David S. Gilreath ’78 Louis R. Mohn ’78 Thomas P. Semans ’78 David J. Alexander ’79 James M. Bugel ’79 N. Richard Nelson ’79 Dave Pawlicki ’79 Michael J. Curran ’80 Mark C. Smith ’80 Mark E. Flanigan ’81 John C. Hart ’81 Barry Shields ’81 John B. Weimer ’81 William K. Frain ’82 Peter H. Gilreath ’82 Thomas K. Merrell ’82 Robert I. Rowan III ’82 James R. Geuther ’85 Albert E. Davies III ’86 Jeffrey I. Wood ’86 Michael J. Flynn ’89 John K. Schlueter ’90 Lawson E. Whiting ’90 Jon Gould ’92 Jack Weston ’02 Philip S. Fernandez ’06 Alexander M. Tipton ’09

Special thanks to the other 105 generous supporters that contributed at other levels.

Reconnecting as a Leader Class Leader Paul “Wick” Hartung III ’75 Offers His Financial Support to Alpha Chapter

Wick’s senior picture from 1975.

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uring his freshman year, Paul “Wick” Hartung III ’75 considered joining a few different fraternities before choosing Beta Theta Pi. While he was living in Morris Hall, Wick’s corridor friend, Jeff Anderson ’75, came to him with sound advice: “Wicker, there is only one fraternity to join and that’s Beta!” With that statement in his head, Wick realized that Jeff was right—Beta was the place for him.

Still an overwhelmed freshman when he joined Beta, Wick was able to lean on Alpha Chapter’s upperclassman brothers for support. “As an 18-year-old you are trying to figure out life and find a direction to go,” Wick said. “I got a lot of good advice from older brothers, which offered different insights than what I was used to hearing from my parents, coaches, and teachers.”

He took this advice to heart when he was elected Outstanding Sophomore and invited to attend the annual convention at the Lake of the Ozarks. Motivated by the leadership conference during convention, Wick dedicated himself to serving the chapter as house manager during his junior year and vice president his senior year.

After graduating with a bachelor of science in marketing and management along with an MBA from Arizona State University, Wick became busy with his professional aspirations in real estate, his marriage, and his family. Wick spent 40 years as a licensed commercial-investment real estate broker. He says that Beta also gave him the leadership skills which he applied to volunteering for local 501(c)(3) boards over the years.

Despite his busy schedule, he remained in touch with a few brothers but wasn’t as involved as he wanted to be. That all changed in 2016 when he was engaged by Jeff Newton ’77 to represent his class in the Forever Alpha campaign.

“Like all Alpha Betas, I have pride in the chapter,” Wick noted. “I always remember the phrase ‘the first mark of a Beta will be his Beta spirit.’

I loved that old house and was intrigued by the idea of renovating it instead of tearing it down. Once I saw the drawings and heard the plans about Men of Principle, I was all in.”

Wick encourages his alumni brothers to show their support to Alpha Chapter through financial contributions to the capital campaign. “It is a small payback for all the years of comradery and the friends you made,” Wick said. He is currently the co-owner of Putman Properties and a board member of the Belden Brick Company. Wick is a proud father of four children and grandfather to six grandchildren.

If you would like to talk to Wick more about his support of the capital campaign, he can be reached at wick@putmanproperties.com.

Are You Interested in Mentoring an Alpha Chapter Undergraduate Member?

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lpha Chapter is seeking alumni volunteers to mentor active brothers. If you’re interested, please contact Gary Riddle ’77 at rids13@gmail.com. We are also looking for alumni to share expertise in their given industries for future networking events. If you would like to participate in a networking event, please let us know. Our collegiate brothers need your support!

Alpha Slants of

BETA THETA PI FOREVER ALPHA COMPANY P.O. BOX 943 OXFORD, OH 45056 Address Service Requested

ALUMNI WEEKEND RECAP

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he Miami Alumni Weekend was eventful for all in attendance, especially for the graduating class of 1969 who celebrated their 50th graduation anniversary. They were well represented by 10 brothers who were accompanied by friends and spouses. A tour of the newly renovated chapter house was offered on Friday for the class of ’69, and participating members were able to relive memories of their time at 200 E. High while seeing the results of the Forever Alpha campaign first-hand.

The class of ’69 had a special treat with the 50th anniversary dinner on Friday evening, which included a reception and welcoming into the Hughes Society for 50-year alumni, a Miami Merger reception, and walking up the slant walk to the alumni picnic. Special recognition goes to Susan and Bob Dolibois ’69 for being the 50th alumni reunion co-chairmen. They represented their class, and Beta, with pride.

WEBSITE: foreveralpha.org • FACEBOOK: facebook.com/AlphaBTP

(Left and middle) Then and Now: Roberta and Jack Deyo ’69 and Gay and Jim Talbott ’69 celebrate the class of 1969’s 50th graduation anniversary. (Right) Attending members of the class of ’69, including Chip Hunter, Jack Deyo, Bob Dolibois,Tom Smith, Gerry Miller, Jim Talbott, Denny Myers, Jim Euliss, and Tom Moorhead take in the new Beta Dragon patio. (Not pictured is Jim Deuser).

An additional open house was hosted the next day for all returning Alpha Chapter alumni. It was a resounding success with Mrs. B and many brothers in attendance. Adding to the visit were several Miami University administrative staff, various Greek community guests, and others.

We also participated in various alumni-only academic classes on contemporary subjects.

It was a fun and well attended weekend by alumni who represented Beta and their class.

We look forward to similar events in the future.

Yours in ___kai___, Jeff Newton ’77, #1609 newton1609@yahoo.com

Gary V Chensoff, President and Founder of Indian Hill Partners, Inc., a real estate development company, was this spring’s Alumni Leadership Forum guest speaker. Gary shared how his Beta experience prepared him for his life’s challenges and successes. Gary was joined by five of his pledge brothers: (L to R) Bill Haywood, Bob Dalhiem, Gary Chensoff, Ben Suffron, Scott Fessenden, Randy Kirschner.