FALL 2007 VOLUME 90 NUMBER 2 www.phikaps.org
Living the Mission Phi Kappa Theta reconnects with its Founders’ vision
In their own words
How the Fraternity influences the lives of its members
PRESIDENT’S NOTE My Fellow Brothers of Phi Kappa Theta: Your Board of Trustees is in the middle of a strategic planning process that will outline the future of our great Fraternity for years into the future. As part of this process, the Board has revised the mission statement for the Fraternity to reflect this new overall direction. The new mission statement reads: “Phi Kappa Theta actively develops men to be effective leaders who passionately serve their society, fraternity and God.” You may be asking, what does this new mission statement mean, and what is driving this new direction? First of all, the idea behind this direction isn’t so new. It has been under discussion by the Board for some time now, because we felt that many fraternities, including ours in too many instances, were not living up to our Founders’ visions. In short, we were talking the talk, but not walking the walk. The Board is deeply committed to recreating the fraternity experience to be one of nurturing both undergraduate & alumni Brothers to be leaders who serve their communities, their Brothers and their Creator as part of the fabric of their very being. It is not something ancillary that they do separate from the rest of their lives. Fortunately, we see examples of several universities and even other fraternities who understand the challenge the way we do. Some campus Greek Systems have instituted standards programs that challenge their fraternities and sororities to live up to their creeds. Other fraternities are implementing individual membership development programs, similar to the FISCUS Development Program we have started rolling out to our undergraduate Brothers. It is imperative in this competitive marketplace that we not only match, but also exceed, the efforts of our university partners and interfraternal competitors on campuses across the country. We are starting to reach out to our Brotherhood at the individual level, rather than at the chapter level, which has been the focus of our membership development for many years. Phi Kappa Theta must be able to affect the lives of each Brother directly to fulfill the dream of our Founders back in Hope Hall in 1889. This issue of The Temple is focused on the importance our new mission and our shared vision for Phi Kappa Theta. The Board wants this to become the entire Brotherhood’s “North Star” to guide their actions every single day. We hope you are excited about this new journey as much as we are, and we solicit your feedback at any time. Thank you for the honor to serve as President of our great Fraternity, and please join us as we try to reinvigorate the fraternity movement in the 21st century. Fraternally,
The TEMPLE of PHI KAPPA THETA Fall 2007 Volume 90, Number 2 MANAGING EDITOR Heather Matthews (LSU ‘04) COPY EDITOR Gregory E. Stein (CCNY ‘70) GRAPHIC DESIGNER EDITOR Keith D. Harshbarger (IUPUI ‘06) NATIONAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES President Robert P. Stalder (Case Western ‘94) Vice President Kevin J. Lampe (Western Illinois ‘83) Treasurer Nathan G. Rues (Missouri-Rolla ‘01) Secretary Larry F. Dorocke (Purdue ‘68) Trustees Mark C. Anthony (Georgia Tech ‘90) Dan A Bureau (Univ. of New Hampshire ‘94) Doug D. Dilling (Kansas State ‘84) Jerry J. Traigle (Nicholls State ‘87) UGAC Chairman Jason M. Melville (SDSU ‘08) UGAC Vice Chairman Dan E. Polisky (Duquesne ‘09) EXECUTIVE OFFICES 9640 N. Augusta Dr., Suite 420 Carmel, IN 46032 317.872.9934 FAX: 317.879.1889 executiveoffices@phikaps.org www.phikaps.org EXECUTIVE OFFICES STAFF Executive Vice President Robert W. Riggs (RPI ‘02) Director of Finance Sarah Harris (Indiana Wesleyan University ‘05) Director of Chapter Development Andrew S. Kowal (Kansas State ‘06)
Robert P. Stalder National President Phi Kappa Theta National Fraternity
Director of Communications and Marketing Keith D. Harshbarger (IUPUI ‘06)
THE TEMPLE is published twice a year as an educational journal for Phi Kappa Theta members, family and friends.
Accounting Clerk Bill T. Ryan (Indiana University ‘79)
Postmaster: If undeliverable, please send notice on Form 3579 immediately to Phi Kappa Theta, 9640 N. Augusta Dr., Suite 420, Carmel, IN 46032 Submission deadlines are February 1 and September 1 of each year. Brothers and friends are encouraged to provide clippings, releases or notices about themselves or any aspect of Phi Kappa Theta for consideration. All submissions become property of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity. Pictures cannot be returned. Letters to the Editor will be printed at the discretion of the editor. Phi Kappa Theta Foundation donors are published in each Spring issue of The Temple. Copyright © 2007
Development Assistant Pam Schumann (Franklin College ‘88)
Contents FALL 2007
Features 16 MAN OF EXCELLENCE Alumnus Robert S. Bailey (Purdue ‘52) is recognized as the 2007 inductee into Phi Kappa Theta’s Men of Excellence.
18 HISTORY IN PKT Find out about the post WWII years at Rolla.
23 SERVING PHI KAP
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Get involved in this unique volunteer network that seeks to serve our members and utilize alumni brothers.
LIVING THE MISSION Learn how Phi Kaps on national and local levels are using the new fraternity mission statement as a guide for living life to its fullest.
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Board of Trustees 2007-2009
Robert S. Stalder National President Case Western ‘94
Kevin J. Lampe National Vice President Western Illinois ‘83
Nathan G. Rues National Treasurer Missouri - Rolla ‘01
Larry F. Dorocke National Secretary Purdue ‘68
Mark C. Anthony Trustee Georgia Tech ‘90
Dan A. Bureau Trustee University of New Hampshire ‘94
Doug D. Dilling Trustee Kansas State ‘84
Jerry J. Traigle Trustee Nicholls State ‘87
Jason M. Melville UGAC Chairman SDSU ‘08
Dan E. Polisky UGAC Vice Chairman Duquesne ‘09
Phikaps.org gets a facelift Re-designed site to launch soon with new features and services
CHAPTER TOOLS
Re-imagined navigation includes brand new web presentations and tutorials to help with undergraduate chapter management.
INTEGRATED MEMBERS SECTION
Members and guests can log-in to utilize resources and information.
CALENDAR
Upload events to the calendar to share happenings with brothers across the country.
PROMINENT ALUMNI
See how Phi Kap brothers have succeeded in serving society by living the Fraternity’s Mission.
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“The qualities which are unseen... Brotherhood, Faith, Friendship, Loyalty, Respect... These are found inside of men ... these make Phi Kappa Theta.”
Mission A Board approves new mission statement to refocus fraternity experience by Robert W. Riggs (RPI ‘02) Executive Vice President
road map. A compass. Or a Global Positioning System. These things were created to help lead us on a journey – uphill, down a winding road, or even across country. In Phi Kappa Theta, the Board of Trustees has designed a new road map for our brotherhood. A new mission statement was developed with the hope of teaching and aligning brothers’ values and actions with the core ideals of Phi Kap. The new mission statement reads: “Phi Kappa Theta develops men to effectively lead and passionately serve their society, fraternity and God.” With this issue of The Temple, we hope you learn how both undergraduate and alumni brothers are already living their lives with parts of this mission statement as their guide. We hope their stories inspire you to chart your course with Phi Kap values in mind. Service to Society In this issue, you will see how Leonard Amari has dedicated his life to serving his communities, from his law school alma mater to his undergraduate college and from the law community to Italian-Americans in Illinois. Chapter brothers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute will show you how they serve their community with the efforts to organize a Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society. Service to Fraternity Indiana Alpha Gamma Chapter alumni from Tri State University band together to organize the construction project of a new home for their collegiate brothers. Service to God The Nebraska Pi Chapter at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln focuses on this ideal in chapter events and programs. FALL 2007
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ideas, recruiting volunteers and teams, “Phi Kappa Theta actively develops event and planning logistics. “It was crazy,” he said. “One day we were not doing anything service-wise, and men to be effective leaders who then the next day we were full-on putting our efforts into this.” passionately serve their By the time the day of the event — April 21, 2007 — approached, the chapter was ready and excited. More than 32 teams society, fraternity and God.” and 350 participants, including community
WPI Relay for Life New chapter ‘Celebrates, Remembers and Fights Back’: Event binds community By Heather Matthews Managing Editor From the time the Massachusetts Lambda Chapter of Phi Kappa Theta was re-founded, the 11 original chapter brothers wanted to focus their attention on serving others. Although writing a constitution, getting to know each other, and recruiting additional brothers would assist them internally, the brothers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute also wanted to put energy into helping others. “When we had just started out as a chapter, we immediately knew right away that we wanted to do something that would make a difference,” Chapter President Nick Pelletier said. “We knew that the internal stuff was important, but that is not all there is to being a Phi Kap.” “You have to do something for others, something external to make something out of the organization,” he said. “A fraternity means something when you start accomplishing things greater than yourself.” The 11 brothers brainstormed project ideas, including Relay for Life, an American Cancer Society fundraising event. Pel“During the letier immediately contacted the survivor lap, I organization to see if organizing a realized we were Relay for Life was a possibility. Yet, there were several really helping potential roadblocks in the planthese people and ning process. Only one brother had ever attended a Relay for Life, that they were and the chapter was already three affecting us too.” months behind the typical planning timeline. The chapter brothers “just — Nick Pelletier jumped in” and began discussing 06
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members, students, faculty and staff, rallied to raise more than $57,000 before and during the event, far exceeding the American Cancer Society’s goal of $25,000. The Relay for Life kicked off with an opening ceremony at 6 p.m. on Saturday, when the mayor addressed the crowd. The survivors then walked the initial lap together, a symbol of celebration over the disease. “For me, the most emotional point was the survivor lap,” Pelletier said. “This was the culmination of four months of non-stop, cramming preparation. In this moment I realized we were making a difference.” “A fraternity Relay for Life focuses on this sense of celebration, remem- means something brance and fighting back against when you start cancer. Remembrance was the focus of the luminary ceremony, accomplishing where participants lit candles things greater inside paper bags, lighting the night to honor survivors and than yourself.” loved ones. The fighting back came through the information distributed about cancer and — Nick Pelletier prevention. The brothers organized games throughout the night to keep everyone excited, from inflatable exercises to a “Relay Idol” competition. Teams earned medals for each game they tried and were awarded prizes near the closing of the event at 10 a.m. on Sunday. The Phi Kap brothers are already planning a 2008 Relay for Life for the campus. Pelletier said each brother had his own motivation for wanting to serve society by hosting this moving event. “In high school, my best friend’s brother died of leukemia. I am never going to forget that. It will be with me forever,” he said. “That was my driving force.” However, his proudest moment came near the end of the Relay for Life. “I was standing up on the hill looking down at everything – seeing 32 different teams from 32 areas of campus – you see all of these people interacting with each other,” Pelletier said. “It didn’t matter if you were in one Greek organization or another, if you were on a sports team or ROTC. You were all walking together. There were points where I was like ‘I can’t believe this is happening right now.’ It was emotional.”
Brother serves society as law school board president By Heather Matthews Managing Editor Leonard Amari entered college at Northern Illinois University standing just 4 feet, 8 inches tall. When he graduated four years later in 1964, he was almost a foot taller, and had experienced far greater personal growth than his height indicated. A child who had been raised in housing projects in Chicago left college matured, with a new confidence gained from his experiences and membership in the Illinois Psi Chapter of Phi Kappa Theta. Almost 45 years later, Amari is still growing through his commitment to serving others in his community. In July, he was elected president of the Board of Trustees for John Marshall Law School in Chicago, his alma mater for law studies. He sought this role out of his passion for helping people and has a demanding agenda for his term. “My charge is to make sure the mantra of access and opportunity is vouchsafe,” he said. “We don’t want to make it an elitist law school, but one that provides access to the kids who couldn’t be here otherwise so they can become lawyers.” He also hopes to help John Marshall improve its law school ranking, construct a new building and keep the bar passage rate above the state average. The John Marshall Law School in Chicago is a private law school founded in 1899 and boasts several nationally-ranked programs. Amari has been on the Board of Trustees since 2000. “In my new role, I want to give something back – to ensure future generations have the same opportunities I was given,” he told the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. Amari has always tried to take full advantage of opportunities provided to him. In his undergraduate fraternity experience he was involved in recruitment, coordinated social events and played intramurals. “In each role, I experienced different successes and I grew more confident in myself,” he said. “I was an immature kid when I was a sophomore in college. I got into Phi Kap and … got really close to several people – some leaders – who helped me to realize my potential.” It was this confidence that propelled him into the field of law. He graduated third in his law school class in 1968 and has since risen to be a leader in the Chicago law profession and the Italian-American community in Illinois. He served as president of the 37,000-member Illinois Bar Association and on the Northern Illinois University law school Board of Visitors. Amari also helped to create the Italian-American Political Coalition in Illinois, which assists Italian Americans hoping to get involved in politics and gives the ItalianAmerican community a voice. “For Italian Americans, you climb up the ladder, but you know that it is important to help people along the way,” he said. “It’s something that is ingrained in you as an Italian American.” Amari has helped many college graduates seeking admit-
tance into law schools, worked with lawyers in job searches and recruited attorneys to leadership roles. “It is important for prospective lawyers to know that law is a mentoring profession,” he stressed. “It is inherent in the legal profession to help people. Having people to guide you through what you want to do is important.” Amari’s passion for service to society is evident. It is a part of his everyday life and a value he seeks to instill in those who cross his path. “You should do service for two reasons: The first one is to be altruistic,” he said. “It is what we are supposed to be about – helping others. And the second reason is just karma – he who gives good, gets good, and I firmly believe that.”
“You should do service for two reasons: the first one is to be altruistic. It’s what we are supposed to be about — helping others. And the second reason is just karma.” — Leonard Amari
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“Phi Kappa Theta actively develops men to be effective leaders who passionately serve their society, fraternity and God.”
Photos by Keith Harshbarger
New home construction Tri-State alums serve members with construction of “ultimate tool” By Heather Matthews Managing Editor Constructing a new home for the Indiana Alpha Gamma chapter has been a vision for the local alumni association for decades. Forty years after the original chapter house burned to the ground, the Tri State University Phi Kaps were finally able to celebrate the building of new state-of-the-art housing on the 08
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same ground as that original home on October 6th of this year. The house dedication celebration came just one year after the ground breaking in October of 2006, and included a ribbon cutting, tours and a dedication of the chapter room. Plans for the house have been in the making for decades. Brother Whitey Hanzel (Tri-State, ‘50), who served on the alumni association for more than 50 years, had a set of plans drawn, but the process to start construction proved challenging to the board. Three years ago, Tri-State University began building a new type of housing. They constructed residence halls that provided single-occupancy options, where students could live in an oncampus, apartment-style atmosphere with several students, but
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1 and 2: The old Phi Kappa Theta house at Tri-State University. 3: Alumni participate in ground-breaking ceremonies in October 2006. 4: Construction of the new home took less than a year. 5: The new home was dedicated October 6, 2007. 2.
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still have their own rooms. This inspired alumni association members to get the ball rolling in a different direction for the Phi Kap housing project. “We saw the mentality of students, where they wanted to live in their own spaces,” Craig Harris (Tri-State, ‘97), said. “We learned a lot from what Tri-State was doing, and we piggybacked some of our architectural plans from theirs.” The new chapter house has five apartments where four to five brothers each live in their own rooms, allowing the house to sleep around 20 men. They share bathrooms and common living space, much like in the new Tri-State residence halls. However, the exterior of the home is unique. “The architecture on the outside of the house is completely different,” said Matt Clemens (Tri-State, ‘96). “It still looks like a fraternity house, and that was important to us. [Brothers] can enter through one main door, rather than having numerous outdoor entrances like the dorms. When they come in, they have a large common space, and when they walk down the hall to their rooms, they all have their doors open and can hang out.” This structural design was “It’s a place intentionally created to provide a designed for sense of community and promote brotherhood among the men. bonding and Each apartment living space has brotherhood.” leather couches and a television provided, and the kitchens were stocked with high-quality appli— Matt Clemens ances. Harris, Clemens and Mark
Seiler (Tri-State, ‘87) of the alumni association were striving to provide a top-notch living experience for the chapter brothers. Their favorite part of the house is the basement, where there is an “awesome stereo system,” foosball table, plasma television and vast recreational space. “It’s a gathering place where guys can hang out and let loose a little and Fraternity not be too worried about messing “The whole purthings up,” Clemens said. “Since pose of our exisfreshmen and sophomores have to tence as an alumni live on campus, it is a place where board is to better they can come over and feel comfortthe active chapter. able just hanging out. It is a place We feel that with designed for bonding and brotherthis house, we hood.” have given them Clemens, Harris and Seiler put the ultimate tool to hundreds of hours into planning and succeed” organizing the construction of the new home, because they saw it as a — Craig Harris way to serve the fraternity and their undergraduate brothers. “The whole purpose of our existence as an alumni board is to better the active chapter,” Harris said. “We feel that with this house, we have given them the ultimate tool to succeed.” The house is the closest fraternity home to the academic portion of the campus. It has also proven to be an asset in recruiting. This year, the chapter has already added around 20 new members to the chapter. “We don’t just want to be another fraternity. We want to help the active chapter be the best fraternity,” Clemens said. At the house dedication, Phi Kaps honored Whitey Hanzel, the man who saw this vision and began planning for the new house by naming the chapter room after him “Any man that could do this job for 50 years is amazing,” Harris said. “Just think about how many kids he has had a direct impact on and how many lives he has touched.” Harris, Clemens and Seiler have also committed to lengthy service in the association. They joined soon after they graduated and plan to continue their service to the fraternity. “I have a sense of duty to Tri-State and the fraternity,” Clemens said. “I see myself staying on the board until the house has a good history and I always see myself being active in one way or another.” Harris’ involvement stems from the experience he had as a collegiate member. “It is important because we were able to bond through the brotherhood and fraternity experience, and we want to pass that on to the current guys in the chapter,” he said. The alumni association is still accepting donations for the house construction. Please contact Craig Harris (craig. harris@hughes.net) if you are interested in sending a donation. FALL 2007
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“Phi Kappa Theta actively develops men to be effective leaders who passionately serve their society, fraternity and God.” Leading through faith Nebraska Pi leads the Greek community through living spiritual ideals By Aaron Beauclair Nebraska Pi Chapter member “A beacon not a bunker,” is the motto spoken and heard frequently by the brothers in the University of NebraskaLincoln Chapter of Phi Kappa Theta. They strive to stand out on campus for their values and their faith. This has been the aim of the men since their first Quo Vadis in September 2005, and continues to hold value as they strive to improve. In 2005, the chaplain of UNL’s Newman Center, Fr. Robert Matya, had a unique vision for a potential fraternity on campus. He recruited the first class of the chapter, starting with around 25 freshmen and instilled in them the idea of changing the Greek system by actively engaging fellow Greeks to become a lively part of the community. Fr. Matya believed that Phi Kappa Theta would only be successful, however, if it stayed true to the spiritual pillar. By firmly rooting the fate of the fraternity in God, there could be no failure. From the first Quo Vadis, it was clear that upholding the spiritual pillar, growing in faith, and building a relationship with God was important to every one of the neophytes. This common goal has kept the brothers united throughout the pains of founding a new chapter. “The Nebraska Pi The spiritual ideal is foschapter prides itself tered by the Nebraska Pi chapin setting the exter in several ways. The first is ample for the other through mass. Every Thursday Greek organizations night, all the brothers and asby challenging sociate members are strongly each brother to step encouraged to attend mass held outside himself to at the Newman Center. It is a put the brotherhood great chance for the brothers to before his own not only grow closer to God, wants and desires.” but to also grow closer to each other. 10
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Above: Brothers in the Nebraska-Pi chapter brave the cold at the March for Life in Lincoln, NE. Left: Chapter brothers attend weekly mass together at the Campus Newman center.
“We lead the Greek community not only by our example — that true brotherhood is not achieved by exterior means — but also by our interior faith life.
Once every month, the brotherhood participates in what they call a “church crawl.” The Phi Kaps go to other Lincoln parishes and attend Sunday mass as a brotherhood. This outward expression of the Catholic faith has given them support throughout the community of Lincoln. “It’s a great way to get our name out to the community and to tell them that we are trying to initiate change here for a college campus,” — Michael Gokie Treasurer Andy McNaughton said. In addition to mass outside of the Newman Center, the chapter is active in the pro-life movement. Every January the brothers a brave the cold winter wind and march the streets of downtown Lincoln during the March for Life. They march through the snow and ice garnishing their Phi
Kap banner and praying a rosary for the unborn. Lastly, the Nebraska Pi chapter prides itself in setting the example for other Greek organizations by challenging each brother to step outside himself to put the brotherhood before his own wants and desires. By being true, virtuous, men of God, in all things, the brothers hope to instill the importance of righteous, honorable leadership in fellow Greeks. “We lead the Greek community not only by our example -- that true brotherhood is not achieved by exterior means -- but also by our interior faith life,” chapter brother Michael Gokie said. It is through leadership in all the pillars that the Phi Kaps have already begun to change the Greek system. Through excellent academic requirements (2.8 to initiate), service to the university and community of Lincoln and sportsmanship on the playing field, the Phi Kaps have taken the lead to show what a complete, true man looks like. The brothers believe that the fraternity system was made to develop men, and the Nebraska Pi chapter intends to set the standard and shine a light upon the rest of the Greek community at UNL. FALL 2007
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Giving for Men of Excellence The Phi Kappa Theta Men of Excellence program recognizes Brothers of our Fraternity who have demonstrated deep commitment and passionate embodiment of our four beloved ideals: Fraternal Living, Intellectual Development, Social Engagement and Spiritual Enhancement.
Brother Robert S. Bailey Purdue University ‘52
FullName
SchoolName
Grad Year
Robert L. Brady
Purdue University
1962
Leonard S. Chan
Slippery Rock University 1995
Robert C. Forbes Jr
Purdue University
1970
John H. Denning
Purdue University
1964
Matt J. Goldasich
Purdue University
1966
Raymond S. Jevitt
Purdue University
1950
Robert B. McNamara
Purdue University
1950
Joseph M. Rua
Purdue University
1956
Fred J. Sharn
Purdue University
1949
Eugene J. Axe Jr
Purdue University
1954
William W. Byrne
Purdue University
1948
David T. Dahne
Purdue University
1975
John W. Durkin
Purdue University
1952
Many Phi Kap brothers have given gifts in honor of the 2007 Man of Excellence, Bob Bailey. Read more about his life and service on page 16.
Philip H. Ferro
Purdue University
1959
Todd A. Froehle
Purdue University
1989
The Man of Excellence program provides funds to support Excellence Scholarships, like the Academic Excellence and Leadership Excellence Scholarships. Academic Excellence Scholarships are awarded to those members who receive a scholarship for every semester they achieve a 4.0 grade point average. The Leadership Excellence Scholarships are given to collegiate members who have achieved high levels of leadership in either student government or the IFC. The scholarships become larger in dollar amount for each consecutive term/semester a member achieves either academic excellence or leadership excellence.
Robert L. Johnson
Purdue University
1951
Thomas P. Kozlowski
Purdue University
1971
John E. Streicher
Purdue University
1970
William Scalora
Purdue University
1953
James B. Wilke
Truman State University 1968
Charles E. Zidek
Purdue University
1952
If you would like to contribute to this program, send gifts to the Phi Kap Foundation with Men of Excellence in the memo.
Gregory B. Wiltrout
Purdue University
1974
“I can see how my achievements in life have gleamed from the fraternity.” — Bob Bailey
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Gifts in Honor
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In their own words Allen Hofman President of Alpha Xi Chapter at Duquesne University
Evan Tinker President of the Kansas Iota Chapter at Kansas State University
Service to Society The Alpha Xi Chapter exhibits service to society by doing community service and being respectful to everyone around us. The chapter actively participates in all Interfraternal Council-sponsored community service efforts, including Keep It Clean South Side and Spring Clean Up. Both projects are done in an attempt keep the city of Pittsburgh clean and an enjoyable place to live. Service to society can also be seen in the brothers everyday through little things, such as opening doors and being courteous to those around us.
Service to Society Every year the Kansas Iota Chapter holds numerous philanthropy events to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network and the local Manhattan, Kansas community. The biggest of these events is our annual Easter Egg Hunt that 100 to 200 area school children attend. At the Easter Egg Hunt we have a carnival that features a cake walk, face painting, dunk tank and appearances by Willie the Wildcat and the Easter Bunny.
Service to Fraternity We exhibit service to Fraternity through the constant support of each brother. This starts during the Associate Member Education Process, in which the brothers work with the associate members to facilitate growth into brotherhood. Each member of Alpha Xi puts his brothers above everything else and the chapter always puts priority on the things that will make the Fraternity stronger. Service to God We serve God by serving those around us in the community, as well as our fellow brothers. We promote strong values and good morals and grant membership only to true gentlemen. The chapter also sponsors a mass in the University chapel each year around St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate the Fraternity’s Irish Catholic heritage.
Service to Fraternity Our chapter exemplifies service to Fraternity by always striving to reach out to our brothers. Several times a year, our brothers make trips to different chapters around the nation. We believe that we can learn from our other chapters and through visits and communication and continue to build a stronger national Fraternity. Service to God Kansas Iota was re-founded in 2000 as a Catholic fraternity. As a result we are very active with the Newman center on campus. We participate in RCIA, student retreats, bible studies and praise and worship. We have also initiated Father Keith, our Catholic campus chaplain.
Submit Your Own Stories Begin to think about how this mission can guide your chapter or personal actions and activities. We would like to feature how Phi Kap brothers and chapters are using this new mission statement. Send us your own stories for the Spring issue of The Temple. Tell us how you are living the mission of Phi Kappa Theta, or even tell us how one of your fraternity brothers takes this mission to heart! E-mail quotes and stories to Heather Matthews, Managing Editor, at Temple@phikaps.org by February 1, 2008.
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Fraternal Education
Professional Development
Social Networking
Financial Intelligence
Personal Wellness
Spiritual Guidance
$
Get it all at the 2008 Leadership College August 7-9, 2008 – Mark your calendars. At the beautiful Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, AZ Look for more information in the Spring issue of The Temple and on www.phikaps.org/2008LeadershipCollege.asp This year, the conference is expanding to focus on both undergraduate and alumni leadership development.
Foundation Update Brothers, This is an exciting time to be a Phi Kap! Under new leadership, the Foundation and the Fraternity are working in true alignment toward achieving our new mission, as outlined in this issue of The Temple. As an entity, the Phi Kappa Theta Foundation especially seeks to fully embody service to the Fraternity by enabling brothers to reach out and impact other Phi Kaps. Through donating your time, talents and skills, you can reach another brother and create an often powerful impression. Yet, through donating your money and resources to the Phi Kappa Theta Foundation, you can provide opportunities for leadership, development and education to brothers who you have never met from around the country. We are now making this outreach possible through the re-establishment of the annual fund. We will be sending out correspondence throughout the coming months to engage alumni in donating funds that can propel educational initiatives in ways we have not seen to date. However, you can also help in this effort on a personal level. One great example of an alumnus paving the way is Bob Bailey, the Man of Excellence honoree, who is sending a letter to the alumni of his own chapter asking them to join him in donating. The Foundation is also passionately supporting Fraternity initiatives through financing key educational programs to develop future Phi Kap leaders. One of these is the annual President’s Academy, where the brightest leaders from each chapter have the opportunity to hone their leadership skills to serve their own chapters. This year, the academy will be held in Bloomington, Indiana from January 4th-6th. The Foundation also plans to increase its support for the Fraternity’s Leadership College to be held in Phoenix, Arizona in August 2008, which will serve both undergraduate and alumni brothers. In addition, we hope to increase the number of scholarships offered to Phi Kappa Theta undergraduate and graduate students. Such opportunities help to address the developmental needs of our individual members. You can play an active role in the success of these programs and other educational enterprises. To learn more about donating to the Phi Kappa Theta Foundation, visit www.phikaps.org/Foundation.asp Fraternally,
Anthony R. Zinnante Phi Kappa Theta Foundation President
Scholarship Winners Academic Excellence Award Recipients for 2006-2007: (Each Receiving $150.00) Ryan Beeching Ohio Psi Ohio University Charles A. Gammal, III Massachusetts Lambda Worcester Polytechnic Institute Ian Hartsig Kansas Iota Kansas State University *Stephen Krumland Nebraska Pi University of Nebraska-Lincoln Joseph Kutter Illinois Psi Northern Illinois University Jayce Radcliffe Texas Gamma Sigma Texas A&M University Kevin Sueper Nebraska Pi University of Nebraska-Linclon Sean Sullivan Ohio Omicron University of Cincinnati
*Received $400.00 Excellence in Leadership Award Recipient for 2006-2007: (Receiving $150.00) Charles A. Gammal, III Massachusetts Lambda Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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A Man of Ex By Gene Ney Slippery Rock ‘90
Brother Robert S. Bailey, the recipient of Phi Kappa Theta’s 2007 Men of Excellence Award, attributes his personal and professional success to the foundation of leadership he gained from membership in the fraternity. This annual award, formerly known as the Man of Achievement Award, honors an alumnus who epitomizes the ideals of the fraternity and has achieved great success in his professional life. Brother Bailey’s journey to excellence began to take shape during the spring semester of his freshman year at Purdue University in 1949 when Phi Kap brother John Cleary asked Bailey to join the Indiana Zeta Chapter. After giving it some thought, he agreed and became one of eight members in the pledge class. Pledging was a period of fraternal and personal growth for Bailey, who said that the day of his initiation into the fraternity is one of the most memorable of his life. Even though he had limited finances and had to work as a waiter, he made time to actively participate in chapter life. He took on a variety of leadership roles, ranging from managing the chapter house kitchen to Rush Chairman. Through these positions, Bailey developed managerial skills, as well as the ability to work well and relate to other people. It was also through Phi Kappa Theta activities that he met his wife Jackie, now the proud mother of their three daughters. After graduation, Bailey entered graduate school and began to serve on his chapter’s alumni board of directors. His involvement included helping to organize the construction of a new $475,000, 90-man chapter house in 1968 and successfully implementing a zero tolerance policy for illegal drug usage and abuse, which was prevalent on college campuses during the 1970s. Bailey’s fraternal involvement was not just limited to his own chapter at Purdue University. In 1975, he joined Phi Kappa Theta’s International Board of Trustees and served as National President from 1977-1981. In this role, he visited every chapter, hired a new Executive Director, implemented minimum chapter standards, and changed the philosophy of the national office to approach operations more like a business. “My role as president helped me learn to combine business
“Leaders must respect and trust those they lead, they must listen, must take action and make decisions, even if unpopular, and then they can effectively lead those who they feel are more intelligent than they are.” — Bob Bailey
with a little fun,” Bailey said. “In a volunteer organization, it is essential for success.” He also served as President of the Phi Kappa Theta National Foundation from 1981 to 1987 and received the Distinguished Service Award in 1989. In his professional life, Bailey worked for an Indianapolisbased industrial coatings company for more than 40 years. Although he was trained as a chemical engineer, a significant part of his job required managerial training skills, which utilized the lessons he learned as the kitchen manager of his undergraduate chapter. When he retired in 1994, he had risen to the position of 16
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xcellence
Bob Bailey, Phi Kap Alumnus who inspires and represents fraternal living
Spread Photo: Bob and his wife in their house in Carmel, IN. Bottom Left: Bob works in his office managing for Score.
Vice President of Marketing and Research, grossing sales of over $70 million per year. In his career and fraternity experiences, he was known for creating positive change. “If you get into a rut, are unhappy with your job or your career, get off the merry-go-round,” he said. “Life is too short to stay in a bad situation. Make a change!” Bailey said that his success is directly related to the experiences and lessons learned through Phi Kappa Theta. “I can see how my achievements in life have gleamed from the fraternity,” he said.
Among some of the most important lessons Bailey learned from the fraternity were those involving leadership. “Leaders must respect and trust those they lead — they must listen, must take action and make decisions, even if unpopular, and then they can effectively lead those who they feel are more intelligent than they are,” Bailey advised. In retirement, he is an avid fan of the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago White Sox. When not spending time with his family or watching his favorite teams play, Bailey involves himself with volunteer work within the local Indianapolis community. FALL 2007
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PKT History & Brothers
Life in Theta Kappa Phi in the 1940s
Adapted from a report by Ronald Becker (Rolla, ‘50) World War II had ended on August 15, 1945, with the formal signing of Japan’s surrender, following the earlier defeat of Germany on May 8, 1945. These events released many service personnel back into civilian life over the next several months. During the war, many college students volunteered or were drafted into military service. A backlog of veterans hoping to start or complete their higher education hit the colleges nationwide in the fall semester of 1946. Fraternities were also affected by these events. During the war, fraternities experienced a significant drop in their active membership and houses suffered from a lack of adequate maintenance. Brother Ronald Becker graduated from high school in 1946 and was faced 18
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with competing with veterans for acceptance into college. He enrolled in the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy (MSM -- now the University of Missouri -- Rolla). Becker said he “didn’t know much about fraternities but, joining one sounded like something [he] would like.” His father worked with a man in St. Louis whose son was the chapter president of the Theta Kappa Phi fraternity – a Top: Several Theta Phi Kappa brothfraternity for Catholics. He sponsored Becker’s ers with their dog Bolger, a memorable “brother” of their fraternal family. effort to become a pledge. In 1946, there were 41 active members Above: The house of the Mu Chapter and 25 pledges in Becker’s class. He recalls of Theta Kappa Phi as it was when this from counting the number of signatures on Becker was a member from 1946 to 1950. his 61-year-old wooden paddle. Many of the active members were veterans returning to or starting college. Only three “I wouldn’t trade members in his pledge class were recent high any of this life for any school graduates. From his first day in the fraternity house, other one.” Brother Becker was impressed with the cooperation and attitude of the brothers. The members arrived prior to the start of school to — Ronald Becker
make the house more livable. They scrubbed the floors, latrines and made repairs necessary after a period of inadequate maintenance during the war years. The house was often called the “Cow House” because it served the Mu Chapter of Theta Kappa Phi. The footprint of the house has been increased over the years, and renovations eliminated the top floor, where Becker slept and studied. The front porch was always a favorite place for gathering after meals and on weekends. “The old house was certainly a lovely and elegant home away from home,” Becker recalls. “When I first became a member of the fraternity, we had an ice box, instead of a refrigerator. I believe we had a wood-burning stove, and the cooks made excellent meals and desserts – especially pies. Becker’s biological brother Bud was a student at the University of Missouri in Columbia and used to visit him often. He became interested in fraternity life and was aware of a fraternity for Catholics on the Columbia campus called Phi Kappa. The two brothers worked through George Uihlein, the National Executive Secretary, to start a new chapter of Theta Kappa Phi in Columbia. Their father was supportive and helped with some of the expenses for the effort, including locating a house to rent and furnishing it for fraternity living. The Upsilon Chapter of Theta Kappa Phi was installed on May 21, 1949, and their father was made an honorary member. “This set up an unusual situation where my brother and I could refer to our dad as ‘brother’ – our dad became our brother,” Becker said. Several years later, the National Fraternities of Theta Kappa Phi and Phi Kappa merged forming the fraternity of Phi Kappa Theta. Social life for the students of MSM revolved around the school and the fraternities. At the time Becker attended MSM there were just a handful of female students at the school. Most of the social events involved having dates come to Rolla for weekend events. The major school social event was St. Patrick’s Day. Becker described it as a “blow-out of fun.” The parade featured one of the students, selected by the St. Pat’s Board, to be ‘St. Pat’. The 1948 St. Pat was TKP brother, Bernie McGrath. At that time, St. Pat led the parade aboard a manure spreader, and the grand ball was held on Saturday night at Jackling Gymnasium. Classroom experiences were a focus of the fraternity brothers. One of the activities at the fraternity that impressed Becker was that many of the upper classmen volunteered to tutor any lower classmen that felt they needed additional help with their studies. Brother Becker took on the leadership role of secretary in 1949 and 1950. His duties included taking meeting minutes and filling out university and fraternity reports and award applications. During his tenure, the chapter was awarded Outstanding Chapter Award for two consecutive years. Becker also was the recipient of a National Distinguished Service Award of TKP in 1950, becoming the first undergraduate to receive it. The award was in recognition of liaison efforts provided in establishing a new chapter at the University of Missouri and for the complete-
ness of reports to the National Office. “Although this gave much pride, it shows that the chapter provided an environment that permitted its members to excel in achieving their goals,” Becker said. “That is the challenge for all future classes to achieve as a goal.” As Brother Becker thinks back to the days of being a pledge and an active member of the Fraternity, he is reminded of the rewarding and life-changing experience. He can’t imagine what life would be like if he had attended another college or not joined the fraternity. “I would not have the memories that I currently have and would not have the opportunity to meet and marry my wife – Frances, nor have the same children and grandchildren that we have,” he said. “I don’t know how a different life would have been like, but I wouldn’t trade any of this life for any other one.”
“Our dad became our brother.” — Ronald Becker
Above: Members of the Columbia and Rolla chapters posing with George Uihlein, the National Secretary at the time (front row, far left) with Bud Becker (front row, far right).
Editor’s Note: Brother Becker served on the National Board of Theta Kappa Phi and later served as President of the Phi Kappa Theta National Foundation 1973-75. He was honored with the Distinguished Service Award in 1975.
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Being elected president
doesn’t make you a leader.
Leadership is learned. Phi Kappa Theta’s Presidents’ Academy January 4th - 6th, 2008 Indiana University • Bloomington, IN phikaps.org/presidentsacademy.asp
This event is sponsored by the Phi Kappa Theta National Foundation
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Phi Kappa Theta recognizes the need for its members to receive the best development opportunities available. For this reason, Phi Kappa Theta has partnered with Phired Up Productions, LLC in order to offer its members some of the best recruitment training available.
Any chapter or alumni group that would like to host a Dynamic Recruitment Workshop will receive a recruitment investment of $1000 from the national Fraternity towards the program costs.
PHIRED UP P R O D U C T I O N S P R O D U C T I O N S
“A great investment… I highly recommend this to any campus wanting to stay relevant.” — Bob Kerr, Dean of Students, Oregon State University.
For more information, visit:
www.phikaps.org/recruitment.asp or www.phiredup.com
“The seminar allowed each chapter member in attendance to evaluate not only their own recruitment tactics and to identify strengths and weaknesses, but also to re-evaluate their own values and specific goals for their chapters.” — Jeff Wallick; VP Recruitment, Ohio Psi, Ohio University.
( iServe ) New Volunteer program provides niche for your individual talents By Andy Kowal Director of Chapter Development Phi Kappa Theta is at an exciting crossroads. New leadership has emerged in the three entities that serve the larger membership of our fraternity. Brother Rob Stalder, Case Western ’94, assumed office as President of the National Fraternity Board of Trustees at the 2007 convention. Brother Tony Zinnante, Houston ’65, was recently called out of retirement to take the reins as President of the National Foundation and Brother Robert Riggs, RPI ’02 has been named the Executive Vice President and now leads the Executive Offices. This presents a rare opportunity for these entities to unite under a common vision and mission. However, the efforts of these three men and current trustees and staff members will never be enough to elevate Phi Kappa Theta to the premier national organization it desires to be. Our Fraternity’s future success lies in the hands of its members and those who rise to the call to serve as a volunteer. There is an old adage that says “many hands make light work,” and we believe this statement still rings true. In order for Phi Kappa Theta to improve as an organization, develop better men and grow our membership, we must increase the number of volunteers directly advancing our mission. There was a time in your life when you needed the fraternity and you proudly called yourself a Phi Kap. Now, college is over and you may be saying, “I was a Phi Kap.” In our eyes, you are still a Phi Kap brother and we are proud of you. Will you consider lending a hand and help OUR Fraternity that is in need of YOU? At the 56th Biennial Convention, the new Mission Statement of our Fraternity was unveiled, “Phi Kappa Theta develops men to effectively lead and passionately serve their society, fraternity and God.” This mission is about changing lives — the lives of our members and the lives of anyone who we interact with throughout our communities. In today’s world, life is busier than ever. Juggling a demanding work schedule, a spouse, children, finances, church and community roles, soccer practice and more can be difficult. Phi Kappa Theta is ever grateful to the many men who have contributed their time, talent and treasure over the years, balancing these priorities with fraternal volunteer commitments. Yet, the current number of volunteers cannot meet the growing and ever-changing needs of our members, especially the undergraduates who need your guidance and support. Being cognizant of this reality, we have designed volunteer positions that will allow volunteers to be more engaged based on their strengths and interests keeping their limited
time in mind. Being a volunteer does not entail attending every chapter function or staying up late on a “work night.” Rather, it is answering your cell phone, responding to an email and giving advice and guidance. This type of mentoring can occur while maintaining a healthy balance to the other priorities in your life. A wide range of opportunities exist for you to become a volunteer on a local, regional or national level. They vary from roles as a Chapter Recruitment Advisor to a Regional Assistant Coordinator of Membership Education or from a Regional Alumni Association Officer to a steering committee member to help plan the 2008 Leadership College. In addition, more resources and commitment from the Executive Offices will be provided so that you can be effective and successful in your chosen role. We seek to include and implement volunteer expertise at every level of our organization. Our vision is to re-engage you without overwhelming you and allow you the opportunity to make a tremendous impact on the Fraternity in your own personal way. If you are interested in serving as a volunteer in any capacity, we will find a suitable role that caters to your skill set and availability. Contact Andy Kowal, Kansas State ’06, akowal@phikaps.org or 317-8729934 ext. 506.
“Many hands make light work.”
( )
— John Heywood
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( iSer
ve )
“We seek to include and implement volunteer expertise at every level of our organization. Our vision is to re-engage you without overwhelming you and allow each volunteer the opportunity to make a tremendous impact on the Fraternity in your own personal way.”
( iServe ) How will you serve? If you are interested in serving our fraternity and its members, we will help you find a volunteer oportunity that utilizes your time and talents. For more information, visit www.phikaps.org/iserve.asp
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