5 minute read
2021 Fiji Academy & Courageous Leader Award Winners
The 2021 Fiji Academy, held on January 8-9, was the largest in the event's history, and it was the first time it was held virtually. While brothers missed the historic St. Louis Union Station, the usual Academy venue, the virtual platform allowed the Fraternity to provide this annual leadership training to more brothers, including those that might not have had the opportunity to travel for the event. The theme was “Lead with Courage,” which is more important than ever as chapters face challenges due to the pandemic.
By the Numbers
The 2021 Academy included a record 858 brothers and guests. The previous attendance record was 723 in 2019. • Undergraduates: 706 from 142 chapters and colonies. • Chapters/Colonies with 3+ Delegates: 94 (including 12 from Kansas State, 9 from Wabash and 8 from Kent State.) • Graduates: 128 (including 50 Purple
Legionnaires and 33 Section Chiefs.)
Archon President Opening & Better Fraternity; Better You
The 46th Fiji Academy began on Friday, January 8, with remarks from Archon President Nic Loiacono (Illinois 1974). Nic discussed the importance of Courageous Leadership and responding to testing points through the stories of four people he admires: Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Billy Martin and Casey Stengel. Next, Dr. Lori Hart gave her presentation “Better Fraternity; Better You,” which focused on getting to and addressing the core problems in fraternity.
Chapter Officer Training & Breakout Sessions
This year’s program offered robust opportunities for new chapter officers and chairmen to learn about their positions. It also included breakout sessions related to important challenges chapters face. There was training for officers, recruitment chairmen and new member educators. Some of the breakout sessions included Leading During Turbulent
4
3Archon President Nic Loiacono, President's Message 6Dr. Lori Hart, Better Fraternity; Better You
Times, Opening Doors: Simple Steps to Inclusion, Promoting Scholarship, and an Introduction to Foundation of Courage, the Fraternity’s updated new member education program.
Distinguished Fiji Keynote
The first day of Fiji Academy closed with a keynote by 2016 Distinguished Fiji Award recipient Jim McCloskey (Bucknell 1964). Jim is the founder and retired CEO of Centurion Ministries, the first nonprofit organization in the world dedicated to the vindication of the wrongly convicted. Jim shared his life experiences that lead to the founding of Centurion Ministries, and he also talked about the importance of helping those in need and finding a purpose in life.
It's Okay Not to Be Okay
The second day started with It’s Okay Not to Be Okay, sponsored by the Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation. Lead by Archie Messersmith-Bunting, the program focused on the importance of understanding and assessing our own mental health, identifying ways to improve self-care, and assisting others when they are struggling.
Graduate Leadership Training
Academy is not just focused on educating undergraduate brothers. At this year’s Academy, there were sessions designed to educate and support graduate brothers in their volunteer roles. The graduate volunteer sessions focused on risk and accountability; housing; diversity, equity and inclusion; and strategic priority updates from the Archons. There were also sessions specifically for Purple Legionnaires and Section Chiefs.
Redefining Brotherhood
The Fraternity is in its third year of a partnership with Dyad Strategies, which conducts an annual survey of undergraduate brothers to better assess the chapter experience. Dr. Gentry McCreary, CEO & Managing Partner, provided an update on utilizing the data and challenged brothers to think more critically about the chapter experience through the power of belonging and accountability.
Closing Session
This year’s Academy concluded with the second annual presentation of the Courageous Leader Award (see next page).
Although different in a variety of ways, the 2021 Academy was a huge success. We look forward to (hopefully) returning to an in-person Academy at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel in 2022.
3Jim McCloskey, Distinguished Fiji Award Keynote 6Purple Legionnaire Training session
2021 Courageous Leader Award Winners
In 2019, the Archons established the Courageous Leader Award to recognize individuals who, through acts of selflessness or courage, make an impact in the lives of others and demonstrate a commitment to their values at a testing point. The second annual Courageous Leader Award winners were announced at the 2021 Fiji Academy during the closing session.
The first recipient is David Ellis
(Virginia Commonwealth
2021), former President of the Mu Pi Chapter. In the summer of 2020, when incidents of racial inequality and violence increased, David knew he needed to stand up for what he felt was right. The Virginia Commonwealth University community pulled together all student organizations to raise awareness and support for the Black community. David worked closely with his chapter to manage their interest in fundraising and joining the protests safely, while navigating challenging communication through the entire Greek community. As a part of this effort, David led others to assist local Black-owned businesses, raising over $3,000. He also worked with his chapter to make the house a safe zone for protesters to organize.
The second winner is Richard
Hopkins 1988). Rich is an emergency room physician who worked on the front lines of the pandemic in Aurora, Colorado. Early in the pandemic, Rich faced a testing point when he chose to help people by sharing important medical facts instead of staying quiet. He has participated in podcasts and interviews and has been active on social media. Rich is also the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), professor and chair of Emergency Medicine at the CU School of Medicine. As CIO, Rich works to disrupt and reinvent healthcare, and he has led a massive redesign of emergency services.
The third winner is William
Bradshaw (Rose-Hulman
2023). William was elected Recording Secretary of the Rho Phi Chapter on February 17, 2020, as a freshman and new initiate. As an officer, he was heavily involved in his chapter's COVID-19 planning during the spring and summer of 2020. Once students returned to campus at the beginning of fall 2020, he personally created PPE kits for every brother living outside of the house. He also went grocery shopping and ran errands for brothers who were in quarantine. Even when William got COVID and was quarantined himself, he still organized brothers to get groceries for others who were quarantined. William's care for his chapter brothers is not the only reason he is a Courageous Leader. He also was selected because he spent the last half of his senior year working to become a volunteer firefighter, completing 400 hours of training in six months while attending school fulltime. William currently studies mechanical engineering and hopes to one day design lift-saving equipment for first responders.
Nominations for the Courageous Leader Award are accepted year-round, and recipients are announced each year in January. All brothers, new members and friends of Phi Gamma Delta are eligible to receive this award. For more information or to nominate someone, visit www.phigam.org/ CourageousLeaderAward. t
