BETA ETA
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PI KAPPA PHI FRATERNITY BETA ETA CHAPTER
Building for the Future On June 30, 2013, the Beta Eta House Corporation
“I could describe the management and performance of the Beta Eta House Corporation and, specifically, its Board of Directors, over the last several years in one word: exceptional.” This quote is from Greg Buehner, Executive Vice President of Pi Kappa Phi Properties, Inc., director of the National Fraternity’s housing division. Buehner is infinitely qualified to make such statements as he manages the national fraternity’s property division and overseas all loan, acquisition, and house corporation advisement operations for the Greater Fraternity. In the fiscal year that just ended, the BHHC ran a budget surplus of $83,611, exceeding its surplus target by $38,943.
Moreover, it’s important to note that these surpluses have come from solid management and not as a result of deferred maintenance. Quite the contrary. While revenues have remained steady, the BHHC has continued to invest in the property, recently upgrading fire safety equipment as well as numerous aesthetic improvements such as a new landscape and parking plan for the front of the house and refinished hardwood floors in the common areas. In addition, the corporation has continued to add to its Board Designated Reserve Fund each year. Seeded in January 2011 with an initial transfer of $50,000 from its unallocated cash, the Reserve Fund today stands at $80,000 with additional unallocated cash buttressing its reserves. Lastly, the House Corporation has continued to seek new volunteers who have a passion for the fraternity and/ or property management. Part of its outreach has been built
BETA ETA
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Beta Eta Alumni Chapter, Inc. P.O. Box 11244 Tallahassee, FL 32302-3244 www.BetaEta.com fsupikappalumni@yahoo.com
The Beta Eta Data is published by the Beta Eta Alumni Chapter, Inc. Please submit questions, comments, and corrections to Tom Atwood at tatwood@pikapp.org.
NOTES NAMES: The number after each name in this newsletter represents the year of initiation. NEED TO FIND A BROTHER? The BHAC would like to help you stay connected with fellow Beta Eta brothers. Email us at fsupikappalumni@yahoo.com to request contact information for alumni you would like to contact. PUBLISHING NOTICE: The Beta Eta Data volunteer team apologizes for the delay in the publishing of this issue. CHAPTER ETERNAL: The following brother was reported to the National Fraternity as having passed to the Chapter Eternal since the last publication: Myles K. Gaupp Jr. ’75 Deceased: 12/27/2012 Randal “Buzz” Geoghagen ’60 Deceased 11/4/2012 Kenneth E. Lippincott Jr. ’60 Deceased 12/24/2012 Edward A. Mason ’57 Deceased 2/12/2012 Charles G. Smith ’50 Deceased 3/16/2012 Captain Victor S. Spoto ’52 Deceased 6/4/2012 Carlos R. Taylor Ed ’50 Deceased 10/25/2012 BETA ETA HOUSE CORPORATION BY THE NUMBERS FYE June 30, 2013 budget actual revenues $179,029 $189,206 expenses $134,360 $105,594 net income (loss) $44,668 $83,611 WWW.BETAETA.COM
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in Alumni Programming In August 2012, Washington, DC played host to over 1,300 Pi Kappa Phis and guests at the 53rd Supreme Chapter. Ten Beta Eta alumni, spanning six decades of chapter membership, attended to reconnect with their fraternity and to celebrate the accomplishments of friends and fraternity brothers. Beta Eta alumni in attendance were Tom Coley ’63, Jeff Wahlen ’81, Michael Loy ’91, Tom Atwood ’92, Jeff Butler ’92, Adam Fox ’09, John Frazier Strickland ’09, Brad Middleton ’09, Brett Tickell ’09, and Craig Filar ’11. The Beta Eta undergraduate chapter was recognized with the Champion Master Chapter Award, given to the fraternity’s top overall chapters based upon overall chapter excellence. The students also picked up the Most Outstanding Recruitment Growth Award based upon rush success. For the seventh straight year, the BH Alumni Chapter was named Pi Kappa Phi’s best alumni chapter. The award is based upon an alumni organization’s efforts to connect alumni to each other and to their fraternity through event planning and effective communication efforts. President Michael Loy ’91 was on hand to accept the award. Brother Loy also keynoted the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation’s luncheon for over 400 Pi Kappa Phi alumni. As the Chief Managing Officer of Intermarkets, Loy offered a “behind the scenes” look at how advertising technology was being utilized by political campaigns and how those techniques translated into everyday networking lessons.
Atkinson and Scarboro join Jim Scarboro ’82 and Tim Atkinson ’84 were elected to the Board of Directors for the Alumni Chapter at the BHAC’s annual meeting last April. Scarboro has served as the Chapter Advisor for the undergraduate chapter since it was reconstituted in 2008 until he recently stepped down. He is a Senior Vice President at Capital City Bank. Atkinson is an experienced attorney in Tallahassee. He is a shareholder with Oertel, Fernandez, Bryant & Atkinson, P.A. “We are very excited to have Jim and Tim join our Board,” said BHAC President Michael Loy. “They both have been involved with our organization from its early stages and their energy and commitment brings a lot to our organization.” The Board also recognizes the significant contributions provided by past directors Jeff Niedenthal ’67 and Chuck Cutajar ’62. “Jeff was a member of our leadership team since Day 1 and his passion for Beta Eta will be missed. Chuck was the first Mr. Beta Eta and his commitment to our chapter has been a constant for decades. We are glad he continues to serve as our unofficial homecoming chairman. Both will be missed,” added Brother Loy.
around the BHHC’s “Annual House Improvement Day” which is a one day workparty, held each August, matching Beta Eta alumni and students together, for a day of fellowship and work at the chapter house. This past August was the fourth year in a row the event has been held. The next Annual Meeting of the BHHC will be held on the morning of Saturday, November 16th at the Chapter House. Additional details will be made available soon. If you have interest in volunteering, or have additional questions about the BHHC, please contact Brian Baber at bbaber@arhomes.com.
Alumni Meet in Tallahassee; Wahlen Named ‘Mr. Beta Eta’ On Saturday, April 21, 2012, chapter alumni and guests from across the Southeast gathered at the University Center Club for the Annual Meeting of the BHAC. The event provided an enjoyable opportunity for alumni to reconnect with each other and hear the successful status of the entire Beta Eta Chapter organization. After hearing reports from each of the Beta Eta organizations (the BHAC, Housing Corp., Board of Alumni Advisors, and student chapter), an open discussion was held to discuss ways to encourage more young alumni to become more involved in alumni activities. Board elections were also held, and Jim Scarboro ’82 and Tim Atkinson ’84 were each elected to a three year term. Following the business meeting, the alumni, students, and guests enjoyed a reception and congratulated Jeff Wahlen ’81 for being named Mr. Beta Eta. Plenty of stories were shared between the students and alumni. “It never ceases to amaze me how our current students and alumni appear to be cut from the same cloth,” commented Tom Atwood ’92. “This is a wonderful annual event, and it is something that I wish all of our alumni could enjoy,” commented Steve Messer ’03. During the weekend, longtime local and national volunteer J. Jeffry Wahlen ’81 was named Mr. Beta Eta. This award is presented to a Beta Eta alumnus who best represents the ideals of fraternity and who has exhibited considerable and sustained service toward the promotion and advancement of the chapter The award was presented at a reception following the annual meeting of the BHAC. To celebrate Wahlen’s contribution to Pi Kappa Phi, fellow alums, Jim Scarboro ’82 and Sean Bower ’82 played a part in recounting the many ways in which Brother Wahlen contributed to Beta Eta and enriched the lives of so many Pi Kappa Phis. Brother Wahlen joins Chuck Cutajar ’62 as the only other alumnus presented with this award.
J. JEFFRY WAHLEN | Mr. Beta Eta 2012 WHEREAS, the Beta Eta Alumni Chapter, Inc. of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity has established the Mr. Beta Eta Award as its highest honor; and WHEREAS, John Jeffry Wahlen was initiated into the Alpha Epsilon Chapter at the University of Florida on November 21, 1981; and WHEREAS, after coming to his senses, Brother Wahlen transferred from the University of Florida to Florida State University in 1982; and WHEREAS, Brother Wahlen helped reconstitute the Beta Eta Chapter following the temporary suspension of activities by the National Fraternity; and WHEREAS, Brother Wahlen, as a student member of the fraternity, served Beta Eta as Archon, leading fellow student members to a deeper appreciation and understanding of commitment and lifelong brotherhood; and WHEREAS, with that effort, Brother Wahlen set into motion an impressive 23-year period wherein nearly 700 men were initiated into Beta Eta; and WHEREAS, Brother Wahlen was recognized for his leadership, scholarship, and community service as a student by the National Fraternity as Pi Kappa Phi’s Student of the Year in 1985; and WHEREAS, Brother Wahlen has served Beta Eta in numerous official and unofficial capacities, including Chapter Advisor, President and Treasurer of the Beta Eta House Corp., and as a founding member of the Beta Eta Alumni Chapter; and WHEREAS, Brother Wahlen proudly served as Installation Officer when Beta Eta was re-chartered on October 2, 2009; and WHEREAS, Brother Wahlen has also served Pi Kappa Phi on a national level as Area Governor and in multiple roles on the National Council, including National President; heights upon which no other Beta Eta alumnus has ever reached, which brought great honor upon the Beta Eta Chapter; and WHEREAS, Brother Wahlen’s work on behalf of Beta Eta has touched nearly all facets of the fraternity, amounting to a substantial and generous body of work which has helped maintain Pi Kappa Phi’s superlative presence at Florida State University; and WHEREAS, Brother Wahlen has faithfully upheld the ideals of Pi Kappa Phi as expressed in the Member’s Oath, thus setting an example for all brothers to follow; now be it therefore RESOLVED, that Brother John Jeffry Wahlen be extended the Beta Eta Chapter’s deepest appreciation for his proven love and devotion to this chapter and fraternity; and, be it further RESOLVED, that the Directors of the Beta Eta Alumni Chapter do hereby declare Brother John Jeffry Wahlen to be the recipient of the Mr. Beta Eta Award this 21st day of April, 2012.
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Even before his first day as a student at Florida State, Armando Mendez was eager to find opportunities to serve his campus, his community and the world. In fact, he chose to attend FSU in large part because of his acceptance into the Service Scholar Program, a scholarship program that recognizes students who already have a record of service and prepares them to become active citizens and community leaders after graduation. Mendez’s work with the Service Scholars has included coordinating local service projects, such as helping neighborhoods to cultivate community gardens and organize libraries. This year, he is serving as the organization’s program chair and is charged with creating the monthly program for the group’s meetings. In addition, Mendez is involved in the Undergraduate Certificate in Leadership Studies program, which prepares students for leadership in multiple ways. Through discussions he has had within the program’s courses, Mendez has come to believe that leaders must be adept at adapting to an everchanging world. “Leadership is based on relationships with others,” he said. “A leader’s ability to truly understand those around him or her is critical.” As a freshman, Mendez co-founded the Fuller Center Student Builders at Florida State, one of the first studentrun Fuller Centers for Housing in the nation. Since then, the organization has repaired or rehabilitated five home for impoverished Tallahassee residents. “This type of service has been satisfying to me because, unlike much of the other service I do, the nature of helping to repair someone’s home has an immediate and concrete effect,” Mendez said. “This kind of service also provides an avenue for sustainable change to take place because we are constructing and repairing something that will last and serve a family for many years.” Mendez also has been active with Alternative Break Corps, making one trip as a freshman to Spain to serve a community of people living with HIV/AIDS, another as a sophomore to Haiti to volunteer at a homeless shelter and an elementary school, and a third as a junior to the rain forest of Ecuador to work on a construction project and share cross-cultural experiences with the indigenous Shuar people. As a senior, Mendez has been interning with the U.S.
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Department of State’s embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Working from Tallahassee, his responsibility has been to create a database with news stories about human trafficking and human rights violations within the Dominican Republic, which will be included in the State Department’s annual human rights report. Mendez also spent time as a junior in Washington, D.C., interning for U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. “These have been fantastic opportunities for me as an international-affairs major, because I have gotten to experience firsthand the immense impact that policy can have in addressing the root causes of various social problems,” Mendez said. The internships made Mendez aware of the global effect of U.S. policy and the importance of the relationships between the United States and other nations. In recognition of his leadership through service to others, Mendez received one of six Florida State University Profiles of Service Awards for 2011. The distinction, sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs and the Center for Leadership and Civic Education, is given to students who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to community service at local, national or international levels. “Armando blends intellect, curiosity and reflection into his daily life,” said Laura Osteen, director of the Center for Leadership and Civic Education. “He intentionally turns moments of learning into daily acts of leadership. His passion for ideas and care for others combine to create a generous scholar and gentleman.” After he graduates from Florida State, Mendez plans to work for a year in Washington, D.C., and subsequently enter law school. Reprinted from fsu.com
Shooting the rock with Mo McHone players and coaches. I often wonder just how great Wilt Chamberlain or Elgin Baylor would have been had they had access to the things the players have today.
You grew up in North Carolina and first attended Wingate College just outside of Charlotte. What led you to FSU? While a student at Wingate I worked a summer camp in Ridgecrest, NC as a counselor and met a basketball player from Florida State University. He knew that I wanted to coach so he recommended me to the coaches there to be a student manager which turned out to be the best break for me in my coaching career. During my two years there I became close friends with the assistant Coach Hugh Durham who later hired me as an assistant to him. As a member of the men’s basketball team coaching staff in 1972 when Florida State played John Wooden’s UCLA team for the NCAA championship, what memory (or memories) stand out from that season? That championship game? Being a member of the coaching staff at FSU in 1972 was an incredible experience as we made it to the championship game versus UCLA with a young sophomore named Bill Walton. Along the way we defeated the University of Minnesota, the University of Kentucky in the final game coached by the legendary coach Adolph Rupp and then the University of North Carolina who had a point guard named George Karl who I later was an assistant with for two years for the Cleveland Cavaliers. You’ve had a long career with several NBA franchises. In your opinion, what’s the most profound change in professional basketball of the last two decades? Having been close to the NBA game since 1980, I feel the biggest difference in the players is how better the practice facilities, the travel and of course the money being paid to the
If you could have coached one player of the last twenty years, who would it be? If given the opportunity to coach any player in my time with the NBA I would select of course Michael Jordan but would loved to have also coached the likes of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and of course Stockton and Malone. However, I probably would just stick to coaching the player that I spent 4 years with in San Antonio, George “Iceman” Gervin. What an honor and joy it was to coach not only a Hall of Fame member on the floor but a great person and friend off the floor as well. Getting to watch him play every night was such a great thrill. He was one of the great ones and a wonderful teammate. For our collegiate members of the fraternity, what advice would you have for those interested in going into coaching or professional sports management? I would tell any member of our fraternity to never be afraid to aim high in their career goals because if a little country boy from Marion, NC that was only a decent high school and junior college player can reach the NBA as I did then certainly anyone can. Probably the biggest break I got that led me to the NBA was being a student manager at Florida State that gave me the work ethic needed to achieve good things. Although coaching in the NBA and colleges my biggest thrill as a coach was being the head coach the USA National Team three times winning a Gold Medal at the Tournament of Americas in Montevideo, Uruguay and a Silver Medal in the Pan Am games in Winnipeg, Canada. Those meant more to me than any Coach of the Year award or championship.
Seniors Sent off in Style Continuing a tradition which began in Spring 2010, alumni members Frank Kaney ’59 and Michael Loy ’91 again sponsored the Alumni Chapter’s Graduating Senior Luncheon at the University Center Club last April. Joining Kaney and Loy were a majority of the graduating seniors who were scheduled to graduate in the spring or summer terms. Also joining the group at the Club was the former Chapter Advisor Jim Scarboro ’84, current Chapter Advisor Craig Filar ’11, BHAC Treasurer Lee Nichols ’87, and alumnus Tom Atwood ’92. According to BHAC President Michael Loy, “This was
a great opportunity to discuss the lessons we learned while members of the student chapter and to also say ‘thank you’ to the final members of the re-founding father who participated in reestablishing Beta Eta at FSU.” The conversation touched on a variety of topics, including why fraternity is a lifelong experience, and included some poignant anecdotes. Each year, the Alumni Chapter looks to alumni to sponsor the event. If you are interested in sponsoring the Spring 2013 luncheon in Tallahassee, please contact BHAC President Michael Loy at: mloy@intermarkets.net | (703) 865-7879.
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Courtesy of Pi Kappa Phi National Archives
Alumni and students after a friendly game of basketball in Tully Gym during Homecoming 1994. Front row (L to R): Brian Parker ’90, Steve Pryor ’89 and Jim Powers ’88. Back row (L to R): Mark Mills ’88, Mike Diblase ’88, Carl Johnson, ’85 Gary McAuliff ’87, Paul Aase ’85, Jim Phillips ’85, Pat Polito ’90 and John Weinberger ’87.
19 YEARS AGO REMEMBER
Beta Eta Alumni Chapter, Inc. P.O. Box 11244 Tallahassee, FL 32302-3244
The mission of the Beta Eta Alumni Chapter is to enhance the lifelong fraternal experience for Beta Eta alumni by maintaining an active alumni group that is dedicated to connecting alumni with each other and to their fraternity by providing timely communication of relevant alumni news and organizing meaningful events. This group shall promote the ideals of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity as expressed in our Ritual of Initiation and Supreme Laws and encourage Beta Eta alumni to renew their lifetime pledge to the brotherhood of this fraternity.