The Auburn Phi Spring 2024

President’s Letter

Each spring is a sign of new life, not just in nature but in our Fraternity as well. For the brothers of Alabama Beta, it is a time for us to spend as much time as possible with our seniors before they move on and start the next chapter in their lives. The senior class has served and enhanced our chapter, and it has been a blessing getting to know them and calling each a brother for life. On behalf of Alabama Beta, we thank the seniors for transmitting the Fraternity to those who have come after them, better than they found it, and showing our chapter the idea of true brotherhood. We are excited for these men and cannot wait to see how they make our world and communities better. Although we may lose a great group of brothers

this spring, our chapter has worked non-stop. Recruitment Chairman Cameron MacRae 2561 and his committee have been preparing to recruit the next class of Phis and scheduling and planning events for potential new members. This summer, the chapter will host seven events, and we hope to have most of our Phikeia class filled going into formal recruitment. The chapter has set a goal of forty-five Phikeias this year, putting our membership over 160 members. If you know an Auburn man who would like to go through recruitment or would make a great Phi, please contact Cameron at cammacrae0723@ gmail.com.

In February, we had the privilege of hosting a unique alumni event at the Country Club of Mobile. Over forty

local Mobile alumni and eight executive committee members graced the occasion. This event was a wonderful opportunity for us to reconnect with our alumni, inspire them to stay engaged with the chapter, and update them on our current progress. We are deeply grateful to brothers Jimmy Webb 1509, Rick Osborn 1610, and Michael Hawkins 2505 for their efforts in making this event a success. We are also excited to announce that we will be hosting a similar event in Birmingham on May 9. As we look ahead to the fall, we extend a warm invitation to our joint Parents-Alumni Weekend on September 20, coinciding with the Arkansas football game.

On April 13, our chapter hosted its second annual Parents Weekend Casino

to raise money for the Live Like Lou Foundation (livelikelou.org)and Iron Phi (ironphi.org). We are happy to announce that we raised over $12,000 from this event; more than a 25 percent increase from last year! We now qualify to become an Iron Phi and Triple Crown Chapter for the third consecutive year. We appreciate all present at this event and donated items to the raffle.

On April 23, brother and former chapter president, Will Banks 2482, was honored by the Auburn

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Buck Marsh Scholarship Matching Opportunity

We are incredibly fortunate to have Brother Jimmy Webb 1509 stepping forward with a generous offer. He has pledged to match all donations to the Buck Marsh Scholarship, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000. This is a unique opportunity to double the impact of your donation and bring us closer to our fundraising goal of $100,000. We have received donations totaling $80,722—81 percent of our goal.

The Buck Marsh Scholarship promotes leadership within the Alabama Beta Chapter and helps create a digital history museum that highlights Alabama Beta’s wonderful heritage and legacy.

If you feel compelled, please visit phide.lt/BuckMarshMemorial and donate to the Buck Marsh Scholarship.

Please watch a short video from Buck Marsh at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3getPMKMhg

Alabama Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta at Auburn University

Buck Marsh Digital History Museum Launched

The Buck Marsh Digital History Museum launched on March 15, Founder’s Day. This museum is a collection of artifacts, photos, and documents relating to the long history of Phi Delta Theta’s Alabama Beta Chapter at Auburn. The museum is named in dedication to one of our most beloved brothers, Malcolm “Buck” Marsh 884, who entered Chapter Grand two years ago.

The creation of the digital museum was a by-product of a desire to digitize and preserve the many composites that cover the walls of the chapter house. After several years of work and negotiation along with alumni donations we have begun the process to digitize as many composites as possible. The digitized composites will become an integral part of the museum which will preserve them for the future and allow them to be displayed on an interactive largescreen display that is expected to be installed in the house this fall.

Financing for the museum comes from donations to the Buck Marsh Scholarship Fund, which now has a

balance of over $80,000. Information about the fund can be found at https://bit.ly/BuckMarshFund

The Buck Marsh Digital History museum is only a beginning point. As time marches on, we hope that future members of the chapter will add their history, their stories, and their composites to this museum. The seven-member Alumni History Committee meets periodically to discuss and plan additions to the museum. Currently, the committee includes Frank Feagin 1255, John Hornsby 1434, Booth Malone 1392, Marvin Thomas, Emory ’67, JR Wright 1560, David Kennedy 1566, and the current chapter historian, Mason Sloan 2587. This committee has worked together for over three years to bring the digital museum to fruition, and we hope that work to preserve our chapter’s heritage will continue for generations to come. The Buck Marsh Digital Museum can be found at https://phideltatheta.historyit.com/ public-sites/home/digital-museum.

House Corporation Update

The chapter house is in great shape, and the house corporation stays focused on interior improvements. We recently completed the addition of a second hutch in the alumni room. This hutch will serve as a library and store additional chapter office supplies and essentials.

We completed the installation of a large entertainment-style hutch in the foyer that will house the Buck Marsh Digital History Museum and serve as a trophy case. In June, the hutch will be populated with a 55” monitor, sound system, and Trophies.

We have completed our upgrade of all the original interior can lights to LED fixtures. We have some exciting new artwork to hang over the summer.

We want to enhance the look of the living room and foyer. To that end, Lea Verneuille 1555, and principal at WAV Architects in Fairhope, Alabama, has agreed to visit the house and offer advice on making these improvements. Longer term, we will replace the black-and-white tile floors in kind and add an illuminated sword and shield and

Greek letters to the east-facing exterior wall at the patio. We will also complete the installation of midnight green shutters on all exterior windows.

As we near the completion of these improvements, the house corporation is taking proactive steps to ensure the long-term maintenance of our chapter house. It continues to plan for future repair/replacement of major systems such as the roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, etc.

The house corporation remains ambitious in support of our great chapter; please continue to donate to your alumni club of choice or join a club today!

YITB and WDE

Malcolm Marsh 1519 House Corporation President

Auburn’s IFC Recognizes Will Banks

Alabama Beta’s immediate past president, Will Banks, was recently recognized by the Auburn University Interfraternity Council (IFC) as the Greek System’s Fraternity President of the Year. Will served his Phi Delta Theta chapter as its president in 2023. Will is an outstanding leader and continued to remain active with the chapter after his term as president ended. Auburn has twenty-six fraternities, and Alabama Beta’s past president, Hunter Cunningham, won this award in 2020. Will graduates in May 2024 with a degree in building science. He has taken a job and will begin his career in his hometown of Atlanta.

Alabama Beta is proud of its history of great leadership and plans to honor all past chapter presidents this September 20–21 during its annual reunion weekend.

Chapter Advisory Board Update

It has been an outstanding spring semester at Alabama Beta. The chapter initiated thirty-nine new brothers from our fall Phikeia class. Auburn IFC recently named Will Banks as President of the Year and the chapter came in fifth place for GPA. Additionally, the chapter hosted a dinner for the Auburn Parent’s Association Board. The highlight for me was that the Student Affairs Assistant vice president referred a relative to our recruitment committee. The brothers have completely changed our reputation on campus while maintaining a full social schedule. Our parent’s club has become active and involved, and I have received feedback from many parents this year. The chapter just completed applications for various Phi Delta Theta awards, including a video application for the Oxford Trophy, where Alabama Beta was last year’s runner-up. The chapter is academically and financially sound, and any alumni support is appreciated. Therefore, please consider parking and tailgating with us this fall.

Dwight Bassett 1644

Chapter Advisory Board Chair

Annual Reunion and Parents Weekend

Building on last year’s success, our annual reunion is combined with Parents Weekend. Please join us in Auburn, September 20–21, for the Arkansas vs. Auburn home game.

Tentative Schedule of Events:

Friday, September 20

The Auburn University Club (1650 Yarbrough Farms Boulevard)

• 11:45 a.m. Dutch treat lunch

• 1:00 p.m. Tee times for golf outing

• 7:00 p.m. Dinner with cash bar (Club Room reserved exclusively for Phi Delta Theta alumni)

• 8:00 p.m. Golden and Silver Legion Ceremonies, Booth Malone Brother of the Year Award

Saturday, September 21

The Phi Delta Theta Chapter House (848 Lem Morrison Drive)

• TBD Pre-Game Tailgate with a band and lunch (three hours before game time)

• TBD Chapter Grand Ceremony (two hours before game time)

• TBD Kickoff time for the game

The fee for Friday dinner and Saturday tailgate/ lunch with a band is estimated at $65 per person. Friday dinner is estimated at $55 per person and Saturday is estimated at $25 per person.

Questions/RSVP: Brother Ray Briscuso: RayBriscusoJr@gmail.com or 202-345-3663.

Hotels are limited during the football season, and tickets are hard to secure, so please make plans. Consider staying in the adjacent areas of Columbus, LaGrange, Dadeville, Lake Martin, Opelika, etc.

Special Reunion Gathering for Phis who were initiated and/or graduated in: 2014 (10 years), 2004 (20 years), 1994 (30 years), 1989 (35 years), 1984 (40 years), 1979 (45 years), 1969 (55 years), and 1964 (60 years).

Ceremony and Pinning

1999 (Silver Legion 25 years) and 1974 (Golden Legion 50 years).

President’s Letter continued from page 1

Alabama Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta 2 South Campus Avenue Oxford, Ohio 45056

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Interfraternity Council as the Chapter President of the Year. Will’s servant leadership while at Alabama Beta included helping improve overall chapter operations and gaining a better relationship with Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters and the university. After graduation, Will accepted a job with Batson-Cook Construction company in Atlanta as a field engineer. We are excited to see what his future holds, and congratulations to him!

Lastly, I am proud to share how well our executive committee has done and what their accomplishments have been over the past semester. Vice President Michael Hawkins has planned both alumni events and Parents Weekend. Secretary Brooks Roberts 2553 introduced new plans and bylaws to help brothers succeed academically and increased the number of brothers involved with the academic committee. Treasurer Wilson Thrift 2554 created an adequate budget and allowed the chapter to flourish while also finding ways for us to save money. Phikeia Educator Frederick Osborn 2532 has created a new Phikeia education program for the fall that focuses on transitioning Phikeias to college men while also instilling the values of Phi Delta Theta that we all share. Social Chairman Kase McElwee 2552 planned and executed over eight social events for the chapter this semester, which benefitted all involved. Warden Zach Lightfoot 2569 ensured chapter operations and events ran smoothly with zero incidents or infractions recorded and revised our risk management and

crisis management plans. Recruitment Chairman Cameron MacRae has prepared for the upcoming summer and fall recruitment period with a final schedule. House Manager Max Johnston 2574 worked on house improvement projects and performed the tedious job of keeping the house to a high standard. My job would not have been possible without these guys by my side, and the chapter is better because they accepted this call to lead.

I look forward to working with these brothers and am excited to see them achieve their goals and grow our chapter.

The Alabama Beta Chapter is moving in the right direction and has not stopped growing. We have submitted our application for the Oxford Trophy through General Headquarters and you can watch the video here: https://phide.lt/AlaBetaTrophyApp. We expect to continuously improve through the summer and fall and create better men within our chapter. The door is always open, so do not hesitate to swing by if you are in town and have a meal with us or meet some of our current brothers. I look forward to a great summer and fall. War Eagle!

Proud to Be a Phi,

Blake H. Adams 2538 Chapter President