FALL 2008 VOLUME 91 NUMBER 2
www.phikaps.org
Strategic Plan Strategic Plan
Moving Moving Forward Forward in in Phi Phi Kappa Kappa Theta Theta
MEET THE BOARD
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MANAGING EDITOR Heather Matthews (LSU, ‘04)
G. Rues Nathan‘01
COPY EDITOR Gregory E. Stein (CCNY, ‘70)
u, Missouri M easurer National Tr
vember. ried this No uff.” Getting mar etball and “building st sk e Loves art, ba to places with divers eling Enjoys trav story. d hi as cultures an scribe him brothers de Friends and tive and dedicated.” ea “genuine, cr
Indiana Zeta, ‘68 National Secretary
Married with three kids. Completed triathlons and marathons , including the New York Marathon. Visited almost every country in Euro pe and all seven continents. Proposed to his wife of 40 years at a Phi Kap dance. Friends and brothers describe his as “fun loving.”
Fall 2008 Volume 91, Number 2
GRAPHIC DESIGN 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)
Mark C. Anth
Georgia Gamm a Tau, ‘90 Trustee
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Married with tw o kids. Has a beagle-ter rier dog named Buzz. Favorite book is Truman by Da vid McCullugh. Really began to understand the lifelong connec when he met Fr tion to Phi Kap ed Kelly (Pitts, ‘39) at the 1997 when he shared Convention stories of his yo uth and career.
aggior‘6e8 Rick M , el D ta Rho Brandy. ildren. ith two ch ver named Married w r old golden retrie ea his daugh. Has a 17-y to Italy four times ars, which for 33 ye ed ss el ne av si tr Has g his bu of runnin . Proudest w a part of no th bo e ters ar
Quick Facts • 6 are married • 6 have pets (including one albino snake) • 5 are from the Midwest, 3 South, 1 East Coast, 1 West Coast • 3 are described by friends as “dedicated” • 2 lift weights • 3 love to golf • 4 travel as a hobby
Secretary Larry F. Dorocke (Purdue, ‘68) Trustees Mark C. Anthony (Georgia Tech, ‘90) Dan A Bureau (Univ. of New Hampshire, ‘94) Rick Maggiore (Univ. of Georgia, ‘68) Father Owen J. Mullen (Univ. of San Diego, ‘A) UGAC Chairman Dan E. Polisky (Duquesne, ‘09)
Georgia Trustee
Has an a Mortim lbino corn sn e Favorit r, or Mort fo ake named e r Cat’s C book of the short. radle m omen b becau se he y Kurt Vonn t is puts li e tive by fe into gut makin perspe g fun Loves co video games f it. writin , paint g child ball an ren’s spare storie time. s in his d Friend s him as and brothe r s “ and fu lighthearte describe d, pas n.” sionate
Treasurer Nathan G. Rues (Missouri-Rolla, ‘01)
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California wen J. Mull en P Trustee hi Delta Travels w ith Universit the baseball an db yo Loves rid f San Deigo wher asketball teams at ing Harley eh Favorite Davidson e is the Univers the ity Chap Ph m lain. held at B i Kap memory is otorcycles. att ro founded. wn University wh ending the 1989 ere Phi K appa Fra Convention ternity w as
UGAC Vice Chairman Benjamin M. DeLost (Eastern Illinois, ‘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 Operations Sarah Harris (Indiana Wesleyan University, ‘05) Director of Chapter Development Anita L. Kerlin (Bowling Green State University, ‘03)
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Lost Benjamin M. De , ‘09 Illinois Alpha Omega UGAC Vice Chairman
hshund named Buddy. Has an overweight Dac college football. Loves road trips and re he Leadership Institute whe Enjoyed his first trip to .A.C. other brothers on U.G the of all t mee to got dedicated describe his as “loyal, Friends and Brothers and tenacious.”
Director of Communications and Marketing Keith D. Harshbarger (IUPUI, ‘06) Accounting Clerk Bill T. Ryan (Indiana University, ‘79) FOUNDATION STAFF Director of Development Andrew S. Kowal (Kansas State, ‘06) Development Assistant Pam Schumann (Franklin College, ‘88)
Features
Contents FALL 2008
On the cover: Phi Kappa Theta maps a vision for the future with its new strategic plan.
08 Top of His Field One recent graduate receives accolades for his drive to help others through engineering.
12 Connecting to Leadership
Four participants of Leadership Institute and (iServe) blog about their experiences.
18 Join the Excitement
The Foundation seeks support for new programs and scholarships.
23 Chapter Capsules
Phi Kap chapters from across the nation describe how they live the mission of the Fraternity.
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03 STRATEGIC PLAN Highlights of the Board’s strategic plan to enhance the future of Phi Kap by focusing on the development of each brother.
THE TEMPLE is published twice a year as an educational journal for Phi Kappa Theta members, family and friends. 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 Š 2008
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Looking ahead By Heather Matthews Managing Editor
Developing the Fraternity By Developing Individual Brothers What do you think the ultimate Phi Kappa Theta experience would be like? • Would members graduate college and become leaders in business and civics? • Would they have passion for knowledge and achieve in their academic endeavors? • Would the bonds of brotherhood last throughout their lifetimes? • Would they demonstrate the values of Phi Kappa Theta through their actions and interactions with others? • Would Phi Kappa Theta be a leader in the fraternity world? A leader on each university campus where a chapter is present?
Our Mission — Phi Kappa Theta actively develops men to be effective leaders who passionately serve society, Fraternity and God.
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This year, the Board of Trustees spent several weekends contemplating these questions, trying to imagine a future for this organization where each brother and each chapter makes decisions in line with the mission – to serve society, Fraternity and God. The Board sees this imagined future becoming a reality by 2018. To move the organization forward, they developed a strategic plan to develop individual members in five distinct areas: leadership, intellectually, fraternally, socially and spiritually. To give you a glimpse into the creation of this plan, we interviewed Board of Trustees President Rob Stalder, who in the last year of his term geared his passion for Phi Kappa Theta into planning for its future.
Our Vision — Phi Kappa Theta will be known as the premier human development organization inspiring confidence through life experiences.
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What interested you in serving Phi Kappa Theta on the national board level? I had served as what we used to call a province volunteer when I graduated college. I felt the fraternity could use a little bit of my assistance in terms of emphasizing greater local and alumni control of our chapters, as opposed to control by the national fraternity. I had a bottom-up philosophy.
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In your tenure as President, how has the role of the Board changed/ evolved over time?
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The Board used to do a lot of looking backwards — about membership numbers, risk management issues and other things. I wanted to focus our time on our future. Our strategic plan really focuses on how we impact the individual chapter brother sitting in the chapter house. Trying to envision the future of Phi Kappa Theta goes hand in hand with thinking about how we can impact our individual members. Describe the strategic planning process the Board used to set the longterm vision for Phi Kappa Theta. We had tried to do some strategic planning as a Board in the past and had made a pretty decent effort, but it took a more concentrated effort to really make it happen. We brought
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documentation from previous efforts to the table, so we didn’t start from scratch, but some new board members suggested that we really think about how we were going about this right. We brought in an outside expert who we felt could really get us going, someone who could put our feet to the fire and get us over the hump from what we had tried in the past. Alumnus Ted Hellman (Missouri Kappa Upsilon, ‘71) helped us think about how we were going to go through the process. He had described to us this concept of building end states, what the future of Phi Kappa Theta would look like. Then we brainstormed strategies to develop those end states, then the tactics to get there, then the measures.
How did you determine that this was the right process? I think there was frustration in the way we had been dealing with chapters who faced struggles in the past. It was a personal frustration after 10 years on the board. I had always felt that we really needed to spend more time on visionary stuff and looking ahead. There was a real desire in my mind to change the nature of the national fraternity — we are now trying to pull the fraternity along into a vision instead of pushing it from behind. From the board to what the staff is doing every day, we want to make sure that everyone is focused on the future. Can you talk about where the Fraternity is in 2008? When I first got on the board 10 years ago, we were really thinking in terms of “we really have got to grow this thing.” We thought that if we could increase the
number of chapters and men that we could bring in the financial resources to do things that we really wanted to do. With that approach, it felt like we were losing as many chapters as we were opening. I knew that we really had to think about it differently, because running around and expanding was not getting us anywhere.
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5 areas of focus of the Strategic Plan Leadership Development — To develop the next generation of business, professional and civic leaders by providing real world experience. People worldwide seek Phi Kappa Theta members because they are ethical, values-based and socially responsible leaders. Fraternal Development — Commitment to a journey of lifelong brotherhood. Intellectual Development — To attract intellectually motivated men who share a passion for lifelong knowledge, learning and development. Social Development — To foster human development through community service and social interaction. Phi Kap values are demonstrated through the actions of our members, who better their communities as citizens in a global society. Spiritual Development — Brothers explore their natural curiosity about spirituality and individual purpose. The Ritual is a guide to help men develop spirituality.
So since the Board is using a 10-year timeline, let’s pretend that it is 2018. What does Phi Kappa Theta look like now? We will have an impact on the individual brother in the five areas we have outlined. If we come anywhere close to achieving the end states within those five areas, ideally we would have a young man that comes in as a freshman, spends four years in college and graduates and is a better man in all five areas. He is the complete man that we envision.
Today, I think we are a little bit smarter. We are focused on the individual member. We are thinking about what experience would make more people want to be Phi Kappa Thetas. We are thinking about improving the quality and then quantity of our existing chapters, rather than just opening new ones. We need to build better brothers because better brothers build better chapters, and better chapters build a Above: Fraternity President Rob Stalder is interviewed, better national fraternity. about the strategic plan.
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There was a real desire in my mind to change the nature of the national fraternity — we are now trying to pull the fraternity along into a vision instead of pushing it from behind. — Rob Stalder
has become so open and available to so many people that we have a tough time as a fraternity trying to figure out who are the right people to recruit within the college environment.
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What obstacles do you foresee that will cause resistance to this cultural change? We might have resistance from existing chapters because they do not think developing (in those five areas) is important. There might be guys who think, “Nationals
has this crazy idea that I should develop in all these ways. I am not here for that, I joined for the partying.” And honestly, we have to find a way to get rid of those people.
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I don’t know if the current culture on our campuses lends itself to the way that we’re thinking. For example, all too often we have a binge drinking problem on campuses. It
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What are some of the strategies Phi Kap plans on implementing to achieve your vision? We must continue to rethink what we do. A tangible example is when we changed the focus of our Leadership Institute, when we shifted to building brothers’ skill set from a general leadership perspective instead of training them in a specific office. Not only do we want to focus on developing individual brothers who are currently in college, but we want to build better brothers who have already graduated. The spiritual idea is also very important to Phi Kappa Theta. In my opinion, on our campuses spirituality takes a back seat. We are trying to teach brothers that spirituality isn’t something to put on the back burner. It’s very crucial that the Fraternity brings to bare some of the ideals in our ritual that are spiritual in nature, so our brothers think about who they are and what they believe in.
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It is certainly public perception or university administration perception that we might not be capable of this type of vision. It may sound good to some folks out there, but they may not believe we’ll ever get there. We could ignore this resistance and just plod along, but we want to partner with these people to achieve this vision. It is important that we try to work with everyone to make it a reality.
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For many of the members, 10 years seems too long to think about. How will they see effects of this vision in the short-term?
What can the average member do to become part of Phi Kappa Theta’s cultural change? There is an element of keeping the faith. Understand the end states of what we’ve tried to paint as a picture of the future of the fraternity. Try to understand them to the extent that when you have an individual action with a member in a chapter and you have to make some tough decision – understand the principles in the strategic plan that say “this is who we are in Phi Kappa Theta and this is where we want to be” and make sure your actions are in line with that. This is the bottom line of the strategic plan; as long as our brothers keep these principles and end states in mind, I think they will do the right thing.
How Do We Get There Phi Kappa Theta 2008 Strategic Plan Phi Kappa Theta 2018 Strategic Planning Process 1. Build the dream —What could Phi Kap be? 2. Create end states — These paint a picture of the desired future of Phi Kappa Theta. 3. Develop strategies — The logic of how to achieve the end states. 4. Develop tactics — The action plan of how to achieve the end states. 5. Define measures — Help pinpoint short-term and long-term changes.
The way they experience the fraternity in the short-term has to be in ways like the improvements made in our Leadership Institute and possibly bringing such programs “to them” to make it more applicable. These are tangible examples of how the strategic plan is already working. With our alumni, it’s getting them more involved in the (iServe) Network to help better our alumni base so they can take greater ownership in what is happening in our chapters day to day. Hopefully, this is something an individual member will feel tangibly in the next two to three years.
Watch the Website Learn more about the Strategic Plan and how to get involved at www.phikaps.org
Letter to the Editor Please send feedback, congratulatory or constructive, about The Temple! We would love to hear your thoughts. keith@phikaps.org Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity Attn: The Temple Managing Editor 9640 Augusta Dr., Suite 420 Carmel, IN 46032 To The Editor of The Temple, Thank you for my copy of The Temple. I look forward to receiving my copies and this one was no exception. The spring edition made me proud to be a brother Phi Kap. The articles of “The Peace Maker,” “Now a Father,” “brother Cop,” and “The Bonds of Brotherhood” were inspiring and heartwarming and brought a tear to my eye. I’m proud and thankful that brother Messenger was able to donate a life saving organ to brother Zorich, and I would like to share a few thoughts about that “beat-up little house” on 15th avenue (near The Ohio State University) pictured on page 12. The brothers returning to campus following World War II found their beautiful house on Iuka Ave. leased to a sorority who said the lease had two years to mature. After much searching, a house was found to rent until a more suitable one could be purchased. If brothers Zorich and Messenger thought the house on 15th was beat up and little, they should have seen our annex on Neil Ave. with a loud clanking trolley going by every 15 minutes, day and night. With the expertise of brothers Galloway, Coors, Moran, Stoddard, McCabe, O’Rully and others, the house on 15th was purchased. To say it was beat up and little was no exaggeration, and with a lot of soap, water, paint and prayers, we were able to have a rush program that fall and make a presence on campus. 15th Ave. was my home for two years. I left O.S.U. to go to work and graduated from the University of Dayton, where I spent my freshman year before entering the service in 1943. Those two years provided many, many truly wonderful friendships which have endured to this day. With much respect and heartfelt brotherly love for brother Messenger and brother Zorich’s recovery, I thank you for letting me share this with you. Fraternally yours, Bill McGree Springfield, Ohio
CALL FOR PHOTOS See yourself or your Brothers in The Temple of Phi Kappa Theta! 10/21/08
Send us story ideas and suggestions about ways that you, other brothers, or your chapter is living out the Mission of Phi Kappa Theta. Share your stories with more than 30,000 readers in The Temple! E-mail Executiveoffices@phikaps.org with ideas or to share your story. We would also like to include photos from your collegiate chapter and alumni brotherhood events in each issue of The Temple. Submit your photos to help illustrate the great things our chapters and brothers are doing! These pictures have certain guidelines they must meet in order to be used. Follow the tips for submitting photos to get yours published! • Turn off your camera’s date stamp. • Send pictures of small groups of members, rather than trying to fit the whole chapter into one frame. • Keep your background and foreground uncluttered. • Photos of members wearing letters make Phi Kappa Theta stand out. • We do not print photographs that show alcoholic beverages. E-mailing photos • Photos must be 300 dpi, so set your digital camera shoot at 4.0 megapixels or higher. • They must be in an accessible format such as .tif, .jpeg or .eps. • Photos from your cell phone, Facebook, Snapfish (or other similar photo collection websites), or any website cannot be reprinted in the magazine because of their poor quality. Send digital files that come directly from the camera. • E-mail photos as attachments. Do not paste them in an e-mail or Word document.
E-mail photos to: Executiveoffices@ phikaps.org Subject: (Chapter Name) Temple Photos Mailing Photos: • If you have a valuable or important photo, scan it at the “Mashpee Muster” in 300dpi and send it Mashpee, Mass. on Cape by e-mail or print a professional copy at a drugstore photo department. We do not return photos. • We cannot use color copies or digital photos printed on your home printer. • Write the chapter, names and explanation on a label and stick it to the back of the picture. Do not write directly on the photo or paperclip paper to the photo.
Mail photos to: Phi Kappa Theta National Office Attn: Keith Harshbarger Director of Communications & Marketing 9640 N. Augusta Dr., Suite 420 Carmel, IN 46032
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Phi Kap in Focus Charles Gammal
WPI Grad Awarded on National Stage For Work on Medical Device By Heather Matthews Managing Editor Recent alumnus Chuck Gammal (Massachusetts Lambda, ‘08) got the most out of his collegiate experience. From academics to activities, Gammal was a star student at Worcester Polytechnic Institution in Mass. Gammal was recently recognized for his efforts on a national level, named to the USA Today All-USA College Academic Team and selected as the sole national Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Electrical or Computer Engineering Student of the Year. He was nominated for both honors by WPI, where he majored in electrical and computer engineering, as well as mechanical engineering. Gammal was student government president and a founding member of his chapter. Almost 600 college students vied for the USA Today award. The national newspaper chooses 60 students to make up the three 20-person academic teams. Gammal was selected to the second-team in February for his excellence in scholarship and work outside the classroom to benefit society. This notable contribution was Gammal’s work to design a device to measure the severity of edema in the lower legs. Early in his college career, he saw a posting for students interested in medical device research. When he learned more about the project, he knew he wanted to be part of the research. Medical professionals previously judged severity of edema by touching and feeling the swollen area, which gave inconsistent results because every doctor potentially conducted the exam differently. “It’s a great feeling to
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know that we made something that will help these patients,” Gammal said. “You’re in the hospital and you see the people with this condition. Doctors will be able to tell how much better people are getting. It’s neat to know how you are directly helping people.”
“I thought what I was doing was important, but hearing it from someone else makes you realize that it really is.” — Charles Gammal Gammal was enthusiastic to be recognized for his collegiate contributions. “It’s great to get recognized for your achievements, but they are also motivation,” he said. “I thought what I was doing was important, but hearing it from someone else makes you realize that it really is.”
He was also rewarded by Eta Kappa Nu, the electrical and computer engineering honor society, as the Alton B. Zerby and Carl T. Koerner Outstanding Electrical or Computer Engineering Student of the Year. Since 1965, this award has recognized the most outstanding electrical or computer engineering student in the nation. In his letter nominating Gammal for the award, Stephen J. Bitar, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and HKN faculty advisor, said, “I have come to admire Charles’s dedication to his studies, his commitment to community service and his leadership ability. He has distinguished himself by earning an impeccable 4.0 GPA and receiving numerous campus awards for his academic achievement.” His experience inside and outside of the classroom prepared Gammal for life beyond
Chuck Gammal (far left) spends time with WPI chapter brothers.
WPI. “They teach you the theory in the classroom, but WPI gave me the real-world piece,” he said. “More than me as a person, WPI created an environment that really let you get involved in engineering and see how it could affect people. It says a lot about the community at the school.” Gammal is now pursuing an M.B.A. at M.I.T. He hopes to stay involved in medical technology from the business side. “We worked on the device for two years and got it ready to use,” he said. “I could build this device and I can tell you how it works, but that doesn’t relate to the people who are using it. They want to know how it feels, how it helps them, how they interact with it.” He is entering his work on the device into the M.I.T. $100K Entrepreneurship Competition for the chance to win funding for production. Gammal credits his experience in Phi Kap with his drive to succeed. “A really small group of people can have an enormous impact on the community,” he said. “We did the first Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society in the spring of 2007 which brought together 340 people from all over campus and raised $55,000 for the American Cancer. We couldn’t take credit for raising $55,000. We got 350 people motivated and excited about it and helping us; it brought everyone together, working for one cause.” This taught Gammal that he could accomplish greatness if he set his sights on big goals. “That’s why I am pushing ahead with this project, because I believe I can do it,” he said. “There will be 400 people competing for [the $100K] … the odds are crazy. But the odds were crazy for the USA Today thing, the odds were crazy for our success in Phi Kap with Relay for Life, so everything is possible.”
NEWS FROM YOU Brother dies serving his country
Above: Brothers and wives from WPI class of 1962-66 gathered for a reunion.
WPI Reunion: Mashpee Muster Brothers and their wives of the Massachusetts Lambda Chapter at Worcester Polytechnic Institute gather each year for the “Mashpee Muster” in Mashpee, Mass. on Cape Cod. This year marked the sixth year alumni and wives from the classes of 1962 to 1966 have gathered in Mashpee, some traveling from as far away as California and Florida, for a weekend of fellowship and brotherhood. Events included a Friday night cookout, golfing, kayaking, an excursion to the Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and a bocce ball tournament. The weekend culminated with an old fashioned clam bake with lobster for dinner, followed by singing
Brothers greet one another after a long break at the Mashpee Muster
fraternity songs and toasting around a camp fire. “The bonds of brotherhood have been strengthened as a result of this reunion with many brothers rekindling old friendships to embrace other activities during the year,” said Al Giannotti (WPI, ‘65). This year almost 60 people gathered for the event. Bill Grogan, past national president and long-time WPI chapter advisor, joined the group Saturday afternoon and spoke about the recent history of the chapter. Missouri Alum Returns to Alma Mater to Minister to Students, Brothers Austin Conner (Missouri Kappa Upsilon, ‘07) is giving back to his alma mater at the University of Missouri by investing his time and talent to help students grow spiritually. He works with Veritas, a Christian campus ministry that provides Bible studies, retreats, social events, conferences and service opportunities. Conner spends his time building relationships with students, including chapter brothers, to “help them answer some of the tougher questions they face as college students,” he said. To work with Veritas full-time, Conner has been fundraising to help cover his living expenses. To help support Austin Conner, e-mail him at austin@thecrossingchurch. com.
Tom Brown, 26, a 2004 graduate of George Mason University and an alumnus of the Virginia Gamma Mu Chapter, was killed in the line of duty on September 23 when his patrol came under small-arms fire about 60-miles north of Baghdad, Iraq. He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in December. Brown, who was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, completed both ranger and airborne training before being deployed. He grew up in Shelton,
Connecticut where he played varsity soccer in high school and was an avid Boston Red Sox fan. At GMU, he majored in government and international politics and was a good friend to his chapter brothers. “He was a fantastic person, a true brother and he taught us all what friendship really means,” said Marvin Singh (VA Gamma Mu, ‘01), his big brother in the chapter. “He always put his fellow brothers and chapter before himself. He was always first in line to volunteer to do things that nobody else wanted to do, and he never complained.”
Tom (right) and his brother Tim (left), both VA Gamma Mu Phi Kaps.
Phi Kaps’ Own Amazing Race Two Phi Kappa Thetas are traveling the globe and recording their trips on the web. James Mattis (‘02) and Reece Robbins (‘03) are Phi Kap brothers from the California Phi Iota Chapter at San Diego State University. They spent years planning a trip around the globe together and then decided to each do his own trip, one of them hoping to travel by bicycle. Mattis started his journey in March in South Africa. He remembers deciding in college that he would “go to Europe when he graduated.” He and five friends went to Europe and “ran with the bulls, went to a party with over a million people, and saw some of the world’s most renowned works of art.” After returning home
and working for several years, he decided his travels were not over. Mattis has already traveled to 30 cities in 8 countries in 2008. He saw the pyramids in Egypt and held lion cubs in South Africa. Read about his travels on www.flashpackerbackpacking.com. Robbins bought the most important piece of equipment for his trip almost a year ago – a bicycle. With his “excitement level off the charts, [he had] trouble focusing on anything other than the upcoming adventure.” On his first day traveling in March, he biked 100 miles, got a flat tire and a taste of his new lifestyle. In seven months, he has been all over the lower half of the United States, Mexico and Latin America. He is now in Costa Rica. Read about his travels on www.reecerobbins.blogspot.com.
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Presidents Academy 2009 Leadership is Learned 01.06-09.09
“The only thing a title will buy you is a little time—either to increase your level of influence (credibility) with others or to undermine it.” — John C. Maxwell, Author of “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” Presidents Academy is Phi Kappa Theta’s premier leadership development program. The Academy is an intense weekend that provides Phi Kappa Theta’s best and brightest leaders the opportunity to engage and learn from both professionals and their peers. The 2009 Academy will provide attendees with interactive workshops and opportunities that will require them to utilize their leadership training from the workshops. For more information visit http://www.phikaps.org/presidentsacademy.html
(iServe) January 6th - 9th, 2009
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To be held during winter’s President’s Academy, the (iServe) Institute will provide volunteers with the essentials necessary to effectively serve in Phi Kappa Theta’s volunteer network. If you wish to become an active member of Phi Kappa Theta’s (iServe) Network, register for this January’s Alumni Values Institute
Training our Coaches Training Alumni Volunteers
Advisor Profile
Mike Murphy A Brother for All Seasons By Gene Ney Slippery Rock ‘90 When most people hear the word altruism, they generally think it means a selfless concern for the welfare of others. For the current active brothers and alumni of Iowa Xi Chapter at Iowa State University, that word describes brother Michael R. Murphy, ’81. It is without doubt that Mike Murphy epitomizes the ideals of Phi Kappa Theta in his role as Iowa Xi chapter advisor, as well as in his professional and personal life. Raised in the small north central Iowa town of Eldora, Murphy was always task oriented. As a student at Iowa State University majoring in Industrial Administration, Murphy was always looking for challenges as well as ways to develop his interpersonal skills which would serve him in a business career later in life. It wasn’t until his junior year that he discovered Phi Kappa Theta at a recruitment event. Impressed with the ideals and camaraderie of the members, he decided to pledge that fall. Although some might consider him as a “late bloomer” for joining the fraternity late in his college life, this was no deterrent to Murphy. He immediately stepped in to assist the chapter as its social chair. Impressed with his diligence, dispatch and determination, the chapter elected him as president during his senior year. Following his graduation, Murphy took a position as a horticultural chemical sales representative for the Shell Oil Company. True to the belief that brotherhood is a lifelong experience, Murphy volunteers his efforts to the Iowa Xi Alumni Association and serves as a chapter advisor. Among some of the things Murphy has observed and dealt with in his capacity is that the collegiate male population today has changed over the years. “Students today have more money and their expectations for their standard of living have
changed,” Murphy said. “Whereas at one time most college students expected dormitory style living conditions, today, they want more conveniences.” In order to deal with those changing needs, Murphy has supported a $40,000 alumni fundraising campaign. Proceeds from this were reinvested into upgrading and improving conditions at the chapter house. A full-time chef was hired for the chapter dining hall, a position that had been vacant for many years. Efforts seem to be paying off with the chapter recruiting double digit associate member classes which now boast a 90 percent retention rate. Murphy feels that all alumni should try to maintain some degree of involvement, either with their chapter or a chapter that might be close to where they live or work. “Just because your chapter is no longer active, or you live far from your chapter of initiation, is no cause for inactivity,” he said. Another tip for alumni who want to get re-involved is “not to get discouraged by the undergraduate membership,” he said. “Often times active brothers may not
realize that they need help, or are too proud to ask for it. Just be there and let them know you are there for them to help make a difference. Once actives realize that an alum is sincere, they will often take advantage of the help that is out there.” Through his business travels, Murphy tries to visit as many chapters as possible. Through help from the Newman Center at South Dakota University, he is also guiding a new expansion group at that campus. Murphy is currently employed by BASF in the horticultural chemical business as he has pursued all of his life. With his wife Kim of 24 years, he has a son, Kyle (an active Phi Kap alumnus from Iowa State). When not tending to the needs of his family or Phi Kappa Theta, Murphy is an active member of his church, as well as serves as a trustee for the Knights of Columbus. The gift of brotherhood is a gift that lasts a lifetime. For Murphy, continuing to pass that gift on is the ultimate duty.
Below: Murphy proudly holds up the Phi Kappa Theta Flag.
“Just because your chapter is no longer active, or you live far from your chapter of initiation, is no cause for inactivity.” — Mike Murphy
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<learning
through experience> This August, Phi Kaps from across the country flocked to Arizona for the combined Leadership Institute and Alumni Values Institute. This Institute sought to develop both alumni and collegiate members’ leadership skills and philosophy in a four-day whirl wind of sessions, speakers, round tables, networking gatherings, brotherhood events, a Ritual and recognition programs. For the first time, Phi Kap offered training tracks for collegiate chapter leaders (Leadership Institute), as well as alumni advisors (Alumni Values Institute). Collegiate members navigated topics from credible leadership to brotherhood building while alumni focused on communication and the relevancy of the organization. This new model created a meaningful week for participants, some of whom “blogged” about their experience each day throughout the Institute. Meet the four bloggers and share in their experiences from the Institute:
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Active brother —
Alumni brother —
Chris Liepman
Matt Sullivan
Paul Restivo
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By Heather Matthews Managing Editor
<Meet the Bloggers Junior, University of San Diego Double majoring in Finance and History President of the California Phi Delta colony
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Four Participants Blog about Leadership Institute
Chad Mondor
Junior, Worcester Polytecnic University Majoring in biochemistry and chemical engineering VP of Massachusetts Lambda Chapter
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2002 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Trained as an advisor for the Northeast Region
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2004 graduate of Kansas State University Has served on the Kansas Iota Alumni Board for four years
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Day One — Thursday, August 7th: On our way to Leadership Institute Chris> As a freshman at the University of San Diego in January 2007, I decided that I needed something more in my life. California Phi Delta had a long history at USD and was beginning its re-founding process. I took the opportunity to be a re-founding father, to lead, to make a difference at the university, and to take initiative on changes
Left: Brothers, including Chris Liepman (Right), discuss Leadership. Center: 13 people participated in the Children’s Miracle Network 5K run during the Institute. The Children’t Miracle Network is Phi Kappa Theta’s philanthropic charity. Right: Matt Sullivan (RPI, ‘02) discusses leadership with various other alumni assembled durring the Alumni Values Institute.
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I thought needed to be made to the Greek system. A year and a half later, the colony is off to a great start and is looking to charter within the year. The Leadership Institute not only offered the chance to begin a new history nationally for California Phi Delta but a chance to reflect on my personal leadership allowing me to improve on all aspects of my life. Chad> I chose to attend the Leadership Institute this summer because of the
amazing experience I had at the Presidents Academy last winter. The educational sessions did more for me in terms of personal development than any other lecture I have attended. The Presidents Academy changed not only how I conduct myself in chapter, but also how I conduct myself in everything I do. I am most looking forward to communication with other chapters to see what works for them best and if any of their unique practices will work well in my chapter. I am also looking forward to talking with alumni, since MA Lambda’s Alumni Aquinas Association has proved essential in both our presence on campus and continued development. Finally, I
<blog
Main Entry: blog Part of Speech: n Definition: (a contraction of the term “Web log”) is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Definition: Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author. Usage: shortened form of Weblog Usage: blog, blogged, blogging v, blogger n (dictionary.com / Wikipedia.com)
am looking forward to talking with the staff about how MA Lambda can more effectively live out the Mission. I expect the upcoming days to be filled with excitement, learning and deep discussion, with some fun mixed in along the way to connect chapters more deeply in the bonds of brotherhood. Matt> Aside from the “how’s” of fraternity leadership, I’m interested in meeting Phi Kaps of different ages from across the country. One thing that catches me by surprise is how much the religion is still a part of many chapters. At my chapter, NY Sigma, religion was a non-existent part of the fraternity. We had an advisor, who
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was a Catholic priest, but faith did not play a role in day-to-day operations and we even had two Jewish presidents during my tenure. I’m sure I’ll learn new things this weekend and look forward to having my eyes opened. Oh, and I’m surprised by the rain today. It rains in Phoenix?
tion I was very proud of this resume but he enlightened me in ways to drastically improve it. This presentation was worth the travel and the time to spend this weekend in Arizona because the information he gave me would help me land a job and hopefully a future career!
Paul> It’s been four years since I attended a national Phi Kap meeting. It’s also been four years that I’ve served on the Kansas Iota Alumni Board. The chapter is thriving – everything is headed in the right direction. However, in March I realized we, as an alumni board, had not done much in the last eight years to change the way we function. There aren’t make-or-break problems, but there are certainly areas that need improving. I took it as an endorsement for change when the alumni board approved $1,000 to send me to Phoenix for this Leadership Institute. I’m not sure what awaits me. I’m not taking it as a sign that the thunderstorm in Phoenix is preventing my plane from landing there. We’re stranded at the gate in Tucson until the storm blows over. Hey I’m a Phi Kap – nothing is ever done the easy way: we take the long road, but we get where we want eventually.
Chad> Transitioning from a welcoming, relaxing Thursday arriving in Arizona, to a Friday jam-packed with hourly programming made me excited to hit the ground running. The panel discussion to start off the day matched exactly the enthusiasm I was feeling. The discussion was believable and incredibly relaxed and informative. Hearing advice and personal experiences from such distinguished and successful alumni proved to be one of the most invaluable resources of the day. The baseball game provided some much needed relief from all the sessions during the day and was a great opportunity to connect more deeply with other chapters on a personal level.
Day Two — Friday, August 8th: Workshops and Baseball Game Brotherhood Chris> As I finish up today, I have taken in a ton of information; so far, this experience has been more than what I expected. At this morning’s panel discussion of Phi Kap alumni, there was a question and answer session where the individuals provided a simple but great tool for leadership – to change from a typical meeting seating set up to a square set up – something I had never thought about. Steve Wymer (Washington Alpha Delta, ‘01) was able to help me enormously with his insight on running meetings that will get the most possible out of the group in the most effective amount of time. My final workshop of the day was “Confessions of a Recruitment Director” by Brad Karsh. Brad was a Vice President of recruiting for a huge marketing firm and now professionally helps college graduates land their first job. Brad’s presentation really hit home for me. As a junior in college I have not even begun thinking about what I plan on doing after graduation. I do have a resume, and before Brad’s presenta-
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Matt> While following the alumni (iServe) program, I’m still waiting to see where it’s going. The first thing we did in the morning was have each attendee share his goals for the weekend, and none of those goals have been addressed. The pre-
<by
the numbers
004 008 013 013 033 036 080 108
days swimming pools development workshops runners in the Children’s Miracle Network 5K hours of education alumni participating in (iServe) Academy collegiate participating in Leadership Institute degrees Fahrenheit in Phoenix, Arizona
Schedule in Brief Thursday
• Registration • Welcome and overview • UGAC Presentation
Friday
• Children’s Miracle Network 5K Run • Workshops for Leadership Institute and Alumni Values Institute • Diamondbacks baseball game
Saturday
• Workshops for Leadership Institute and Alumni Values Institute • Men of Excellence Luncheon • Initiation Ritual • Awards Banquet
Sunday
• Catholic Mass • Departure
senters are running a good program about communication, but I haven’t seen yet how this is really fraternity specific. Most of the best material is coming from the other participants; maybe this is the goal of the program. With that being said, there are still sessions to go, so I’m going forward with an open mind … This afternoon, it clicked! I had that light bulb moment. Today wasn’t about best practices, it really was about communication. As an alumni advisor, much of what we do is helping the collegiate students learn and not necessarily tell them what to do. This requires the coaching that we rehearsed. The purpose of today’s sessions, the value of the education, became apparent to me. Paul> We alums began our Values Institute sessions at 9 a.m. I was skeptical when our presenters began the program. Nine out of ten times, presenters are boring and lose my attention, but that wasn’t the case today. We were broken into groups throughout the morning and afternoon and were able to have large group discussions with everyone. There were a few key items I want to make sure I take back to my alumni board. For example, our alumni board does not have an undergraduate presence, and an informal survey at the session proved that we were in the minority here. It makes sense, and it mirrors what the Executive Office is
< doing with the UGAC representatives. More important than anything else that was shared was the ability to listen to my brothers from around the country share their experiences. Simply talking with these men and hearing their stories was well worth the cost of the Institute.
Day Three — Saturday, august 9th: Workshops, Ritual and Awards
Chris> Sadly, I have to leave Leadership Institute today. I cannot say how glad I am I came to this institute after Sean Stephenson gave his speech on “What it Takes.” This man is an incredible person. Sean was thought not to be able to survive his birth, diagnosed with a rare bone disorder where his bones easily fracture. He has been confined to a wheel chair his entire life and could not be any more happy with his life. Sean asked that all of us help/care for others instead of worrying about ourselves and from this our inner self will grow enormously. Sean reminded us that cause is greater than effect. Cause is the side of life where you have results you want but you own everything that has happened in your life. Effects are the reasons why you don’t have what you want. This is something that I feel I will remember for a long time. Sean truly did motivate me and I really feel that the information will stick with me for the rest of my life.
Chad> I took a special interest in the presentation on “power.” I had already set goals for my upcoming junior year of being a better public speaker, gaining respect in my chapter and conducting myself in a more respectful way. I knew that a session on power would lay the groundwork for what I wanted to improve upon on a personal level. Nick couldn’t have outlined the process for growing power any more easily. In addition to constantly being aware of how you are being perceived by others, obtaining power is as simple as building alliances, controlling information flow, communicating effectively, keeping informed, being courteous, avoiding blunders, getting quick and dramatic results, and consulting others. I feel as though I can easily start doing some of these things on a regular basis to help improve my level of leadership. When brother Steve Wymer spoke in another session, you could see the passion he has for Phi Kappa Theta in his eyes. I am incredibly passionate about my chapter, and to see the same passion in an alumnus solidifies that I know the time I’ve spent in my chapter will develop me for life. I was perhaps the most proud of my chapter in Steve’s session on “Credibility,” as he focused on building relationships with other Greeks, faculty and staff, and others, as well as 100 percent involvement and leadership in campus organizations as ways to gain credibility – all of which my
Leadership Institute participants prepare for an education session.
chapter does. It simply reconfirmed that my chapter is on the right path and made me feel so proud and humbled to be part of MA Lambda. Matt> At first I was going to make a Ritual entry and just leave it blank, you know, because of the secrecy thing. But, as I sat there and watched, I started to realize that I hadn’t seen our Ritual since 2001, my junior year at RPI. That means that I only had the opportunity to observe and reflect twice, after my own transition to brotherhood. All those times I learned a little more about our fraternity, but it was during the Ritual here that I was able to focus on the words, the meanings and what was the essence of our Ritual and fraternity. I think this opportunity reinforced my beliefs in the organization. I am a little ashamed that I never took it upon myself to learn more about this esteemed ceremony, which is the keystone of our brotherhood. About the awards, I’ve tried to write this entry a few times without any bias, but I really can’t. As a proud member of the New York Sigma chapter from RPI, it was great to see our collegiate members go home with a nice stack of hardware. If memory serves me correctly, we won the Social Action Award, Most Improved Chapter, and a Silver Award. (To be honest, my memory is just fine; I just wanted to see it in print.)
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Paul> Today was quite a day. The first session focused heavily on improving alumni relations with all constituents, giving annual awards to alumni, effective communication techniques, the physical design of the house, choosing the rent price, fundraising and overall image. My brain was on overload, but in a good way. I filled two sheets of papers just with ideas I can take back. Sessions like this make me wish I had an alumni board meeting tomorrow so that I could start implementing everything. The Exemplification of the Ritual was interesting; it really was a “users guide to the Ritual.” Everything was explained along the way. It was interesting talking afterwards with brothers from other chapters on how they prepare their guys for the initiation, or little tweaks in how they set up their houses or churches for these events. There were some great ideas (and some strange ones), but the different perspectives were fascinating. The awards night concluded the evening. I really didn’t know what to expect from the Kansas Iota chapter. I visit the house for our meeting once a month, and they really are doing great things, but when Kansas Iota was called to accept the Founders’ Cup tonight, I couldn’t have been more proud. It has been four years since I’ve been an undergraduate. K-State had never won a Founders’ Cup in the 20th Century and now the chapter had won it three times in the last four years. I knew how much it meant to them. I could see it in the tears that rolled down the president’s face when he accepted the award -- all the hard work, all the struggles. It had paid off. Iota may not be the best chapter in the country – how can you gauge that? But they had done enough to be recognized for what they were doing in their small Kansas town.
Day Four – Sunday, August 10th: Headed Back Home Chris> This weekend turned out to be extremely beneficial and eye-opening. I have made strong relationships with my fellow brothers from across the country and look forward to seeing them at another time. Chad> The Leadership Institute is an experience that I will not soon forget, and some of the values I have learned here will carry with me through my entire life. For a person who never thought they would never go Greek less than a year ago, I can say with sincerity that it has been one of
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the best decisions of my life, has helped me grow tremendously as a person and leader, and has provided me with a group of friends certainly worthy of the title of brother. I whole heartedly recommend the Leadership Institute to every Phi Kap seeking to get more out of their Fraternity in terms of personal development. Matt> I tend to be a hypercompetitive person, so after winning the Silver Award, as I look to next year, my mind is turning, wondering what I can do to help my chapter to reach gold status. But, as I start the (iServe) program, I also want to make sure I help other chapters reach their next level. As much as I love “winning,” this isn’t a competition between chapters, but rather a recognition of things done well, and that’s really the goal: to have everything done well. Paul> I head back home and I try to think of the best part of the weekend — it really is hard. More than any session or awards won, it was important to bond with brothers from around the country. Most often we get caught up in our own chapters
and forget that there are Phi Kaps thousands of miles away struggling with the same problems and celebrating the same achievements. Getting us all together, even for a few days, reminds us that we’re not alone. I appreciate that our Executive Office chooses to put our Annual Convention on hold every other year in order to develop Phi Kap leaders. But more than that, we’re not developing Phi Kap leaders — we’re developing leaders in our society. Men. Good citizens. And that makes all the difference.
Top Left: Chad Mondor (right) and Christopher Jeznach (left) from WPI attend a baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Bottom Left: Paul Restivo with fellow Brothers from Kansas State Winning a Gold Award. Right: Brett Beier (Kansas State, ‘09) and his Chapter at Kansas State pulled home the Founders Cup trophy this year.
<Leadership Institute Award Winners Founder’s Cup • Kansas Iota, Kansas State University George V. Uihlein Publication Award
• Winner 1: Massachusetts Lambda, Worcester Polytechnic Institute • Winner 2: Missouri Mu, Missouri University of Science and Technology
President’s Award
• Winner: Massachusetts Eta, Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Runner Up: Pennsylvania Alpha, Lehigh University
John F. Kennedy Associate Member Education Award
• Winner: Kansas Iota, Kansas State University • Runner Up: Pennsylvania Alpha Xi; Duquesne University
Social Action
• Winner: New York Sigma, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Runner Up: Pennsylvania Alpha Xi, Duquesne University
Edward J. Kirchner Most Improved chapter
• Winner: New York Sigma, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Runner Up: Massachusetts Lambda, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards • Gold Award for chapter earning an average score of 75 or higher o Missouri Mu, University of Missouri Science and Technology o Massachusetts Eta, Massachusetts Institute of Technology o Kansas Iota, Kansas State University • Silver Award for chapters earning an average score of 45 of higher o Ohio Psi, Ohio University o Missouri Kappa Upsilon, University of Missouri at Columbia o Pennsylvania Alpha Xi, Duquesne University o New York Sigma, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute o Massachusetts Lambda, Worcester Polytechnic Institute • Bronze Award for chapter earning an average score of 25 or higher o California Phi Iota, San Diego State University o Massachusetts Kappa Theta, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth o Washington Beta Delta, University of Washington o Nebraska Pi, University of Nebraska o Pennsylvania Alpha, Lehigh University
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JOIN the
Excitement
Help Our Foundation Build The Future of Phi Kappa Theta! In 2009, Phi Kappa Theta will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic merger that established our current Fraternity. As we reflect on the successes of our past, we also face many challenges of our future and the Foundation is focusing on them right now!
to invest their money in the future of Phi Kappa Theta men. This year, donations will be used to support a variety of programs and scholarships including the following new endeavors:
made on a recurring basis and many donors find this extremely helpful so that they can support the Foundation at the level they would like but in an affordable fashion. For instance, $21 a month, for a total of $252 per year, places you in the President’s Men level of donation.
In the coming year, the Foundation is focused on growing and attaining the additional support necessary to change lives and advance Phi Kappa Theta to a better future.
• (iServe) Institute – Alumni/volunteer education and training to give them tools necessary to improve overall development of collegiate members and long-term chapter success. • Career Guide – Resource for collegiate members to better prepare them to enter a challenging job market. • UIFI (Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute) Scholarships – Greek-wide leadership development program sponsored by the North-American Interfraternity Conference and designed to help individual chapter members become stronger Greek community leaders.
President’s Men In the Spring issue of The Temple, we recognize donors who contribute $250 or more in a year. • Ruby ($250-$499) • Pearl ($500-$999) • Amethyst ($1,000-$2,499) • Sapphire ($2,500-$4,999) • Emerald ($5,000-$9,999) • Diamond ($10,000+)
Mission Phi Kappa Theta actively develops men to be effective leaders who passionately serve their society, Fraternity and God. Vision Phi Kappa Theta is positioning itself as the premier human development organization for men. We are not simply a social organization but rather an organization that develops men fully as fraternal, intellectual, social and spiritual leaders who will impact the world. Phi Kappa Theta will be a major cause of a man’s development and success. Case for Support Phi Kappa Theta has a strategic plan that was unveiled on page 5 and calls for quality leadership development amongst collegiate and alumni members. The Foundation Board of Trustees is 100 per cent behind providing necessary resources to execute and grow these programs and have made a commitment to collectively donate $30,000 this year. We are asking alumni
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How can YOU invest in Phi Kappa Theta? Every year Phi Kappa Theta relies on the support of alumni generosity. In 20072008, only 1.2 percent of our members made a contribution. We encourage you to “join the excitement” and support the Foundation through one of the various ways listed below. Annual Gifts (July 1 – June 30) Annual gifts are the most commonly received donations. Typically, they arrive in the form of checks, credit cards or gifts of stock. The funds are not restricted and thus can be allocated to the areas of most critical need during a year. Gifts may be
The Knights Templar This order gives special recognition to collegiate members and young alumni (less than 10 years since graduating) who commit to giving to the Foundation. We ask for a commitment as low as $5 a month from collegiate members and after graduation for a minimum commitment of $21 a month. Gifts of that size will add up to $252 per year and $1260 over five years. What a contribution! Our goal is to instill a habit of giving back to Phi Kappa Theta while you are young. Memorial & Gifts in Honor You can recognize someone’s life and accomplishments in an appropriate way that benefits Phi Kappa Theta by making a memorial gift or gift in honor. Memorial gifts are acknowledged to the family while gifts in honor are acknowledged to the individual.
Parents of Phi Kaps Each year, parents of our collegiate members receive a donor solicitation asking them to make a gift to the Foundation in honor of their son. Matching Gifts Have you checked to see if your employer has a matching gift program? If so, you may be able to multiply your support. Ask your company’s human resources department for information and necessary forms. Chapter Designated Funds Several chapters have a designated fund in which all contributions made to the National Foundation will be earmarked
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Foundation to specifically benefit a chapter. Chapter Designated Funds require a commitment of $25,000 over three years to be established. To maintain perpetuity, annual distribution is limited to 5 percent. For example, a $25,000 fund will yield a $1250 disbursement annually that can be used for scholarships, attending leadership programs, or funding other educational projects. The following chapters currently have a fund: • Georgia Institute of Technology • Iowa State University • Merrimack College • Missouri Univ. of Science & Tech. • Northern Illinois University • Ohio State University • Penn State University • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • University of San Diego • Saint Louis University If your chapters does not have a fund established and you would like to learn more about starting one, contact Andy Kowal, akowal@phikaps.org.
2002 to provide a fully-funded leadership training program for Chapter Presidents. Each January, 25 to 30 President’s attend this program. Contributions can be made to this endowment to increase the number of Presidents that are able to attend. We currently have 49 chapters and are unable to fund 100 percent of the Presidents. Planned Giving You can leave a legacy with Phi Kappa Theta by including the Foundation in your estate plans. There are a variety of methods, including bequests, charitable trusts and charitable gift annuities, to name a few. Phi Kaps who participate in planned giving recognize and understand the importance of providing for the future of Phi Kappa Theta and the generations of men who will benefit from such a gift. Here is an example of how to include the Foundation in your will: “I give and bequeath to the Phi Kappa Theta National Foundation (Federal Tax ID #23-7209653), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3), the sum of $________or________% of my estate to by used by the Phi Kappa Theta National Foundation in fulfillment of its educational purposes as the Phi Kappa Theta National Foundation Board of Trustees shall determine.” Images from Leadership Institute 2008 Top: Gene Ney (Slippery Rock, ‘90) left and Josh Gisi (Kansas ‘96) right listen intently. Middle: Kevin Lampe (Western Illinois, ‘83) right, speaks with Rick Maggiore (Georgia, ‘68) left, converse between sessions. Right: Sean Stephenson (DePaul, ‘01) delivers keynote speech.
Alum’s Brett Flannery (NIU, ‘97) right, and Luke Coyne (NIU, ‘99) discuss leadership.
President’s Academy Endowment Through the generosity of several alumni, including a major gift of $100,000, the President’s Academy was established in
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Man of Excellence
J.C. Smith: Former NFL player becomes philanthropic inspiration By Andrew Kowal Kansas State ‘06 From football to fundraising, J.C. Smith, (Ohio Northern, ‘74), showcases what it means to live our mission in his professional and personal life. • Believe in yourself. • Make a personal plan each day and write it down. • Work like the best. • Make something happen. These principles, first preached by legendary football coach Bear Bryant, represent the cornerstone and roadmap of J.C. Smith’s life. This summer at the Leadership Institute in Phoenix, Ariz., John Charles Smith was Phi Kappa Theta’s 2008 Men of Excellence honoree for his contributions to society and living the mission of Fraternity. The Men of Excellence program provides role models for collegiate members who have demonstrated a commitment to living the mission. With an audience of more than 120 brothers and guests, Smith discussed how his experiences with the fraternity, family, coaches and co-workers have helped shape his life and positively influenced his character as a leader, father and husband. Growing up in Cleveland, Smith loved football and dreamed of playing in the NFL. That was not going to be an easy route for him and his success was going to be a result of dogged persistence and relentless determination. At a young age, his father passed away and his mother was left alone to raise three children. Smith was fortunate to have another wonderful family, the Grimms, who helped inspire and motivate him. The father, George, was a Phi Kap and successful attorney. One of his sons and Smith became especially close friends. Smith was recruited by several colleges but ultimately chose Ohio Northern, where he and Jack could both attend school and join Phi Kap. Smith’s football career was supported by great coaches but also from the brothers and the Phi Kappa Theta
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house, known as “The Rock.” “It was Phi Kappa Theta that first introduced me to off-the-field, real-world teamwork, to cooperation, to sacrifice, to lifelong brotherhood and love,” said Smith. He reached his goal of playing in the NFL, signed by the Oakland Raiders in 1974 after graduating. He served as the back-up to Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ken Stabler and other great quarterbacks; he ultimately left the Raiders and went to play briefly in both the World Football League and Canadian Football League. In 1980, after his football career ended, Smith took his tremendous heart and leadership into education and has been helping students, schools and other nonprofits, including the Children’s Miracle Network. He helps develop dynamic and contemporary fundraising programs for these organizations. Smith is currently the General Manager and National Sales Manager of American Publishers, a unit of Hearst Corporation. “I am celebrating my 28th year in this industry and its true – time flies when you’re having fun!” he said. After telling his great story and discussing values, leadership and friendship, Smith left the attendees of Leadership Institute with one final thought about Phi Kappa Theta. “Phi Kappa Theta provides you with a perfect opportunity, both now and in your futures, to make a difference in our world and in people’s lives,” he said. Smith lives with his wife in Carthage, MO. He is still a football fan and also enjoys traveling and poetry. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Powers History Museum in Carthage and promotes his company’s fundraising initiative, “Support the Miracle” benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network.
“Phi Kappa Theta provides you with a perfect opportunity, both now and in your futures, to make a difference in our world and in people’s lives.” — JC Smith
Above: Smith playing football at Ohio Northern. Left: Smith with wife Jalon. Below: Smith reciving the Men of Excellence award, 2008 Leadership Institute in Phoenix, AZ.
Foundation Board of Trustees Events
Help us celebrate 50 years of Phi Kappa Theta!
Officers President Anthony R. Zinnante University of Houston ‘62 Vice President Scott E. Bova, CFRE Ohio University ‘94
Be on the lookout for alumni events in the following cities during the Spring of 2009: • Chicago • San Diego • Orlando • Pittsburgh • Indianapolis • New Orleans • Boston • Kansas City
Treasurer Stephen J. Hollander, AIA Kansas State University ‘80 Secretary John R. Covert Georgia Institute of Technology ‘72 Past President James F. Dickow Purdue University ‘65 Ex-Officio Robert P. Stalder Case Western Reserve University ‘94 Trustees Tim S. Clark University of Iowa ‘93 Laurence P. Czajkowski City College of New York ‘68 Douglas D. Dilling Kansas State University ‘84 Ed Fulford University of Florida ‘79
Andy Kowal, Foundation Staff Director of Development speaks at an Alumni Reception during Leadership Institute 2008 in Phoenix, AZ.
Joshua J. Gisi University of Kansas ‘96 Walter J. Kronzer III University of Houston ‘76
More details will be posted at www.phikaps.org We will send out e-mail invitations, so please make sure you provide your e-mail address to the Executive Offices at executiveoffices@ phikaps.org.
Gerald F. Morris Worcester Polytechnic Institute ‘65 Eugene C. Ney, Ph.D. Slippery Rock University ‘90 Thomas F. Patton, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin ‘71 Cameron E. Smith, OD University of Houston ‘78 Gerald J. Traigle Nicholls State University ‘87 Steven N. Welch University of San Diego ’84 Trustee Emeritus Edward R. Solvibile Temple University ‘63 Gregory E. Stein City College of New York ‘70 Executive Vice President Robert W. Riggs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ‘02 Director of Development Andrew S. Kowal Kansas State University ‘06
Alumni reuinon, Kansas City.
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2007-2008 Scholarship Recipients Academic Excellence Award (Each Receiving $150.00) Sayed Ali Massachusetts Lambda Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Chad Mondor Massachusetts Lambda Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Nicholas Baldo Pennsylvania Rho Carnegie Mellon
Kevin Onofrey Michigan Omega Detroit/Mercy
Charles A. Gammal, III Massachusetts Lambda Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Nick Pelletier Massachusetts Lambda Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Matthew Fitzgerald Massachusetts Eta Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Timothy Raschuk Pennsylvania Rho Carnegie Mellon
Alexander Marcus New York Sigma Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Jorge Ricardo Skorey Nebraska Pi University of Nebraska Lincoln
Excellence in Leadership Award (Receiving $150.00) Sayed Ali Massachusetts Lambda Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Alexander Marcus New York Sigma Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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CHAPTER CAPSULES
F
rom service to brotherhood, chapters are focusing their efforts on the mission of Phi Kappa Theta. They are serving society, Fraternity and God with programs, projects, events and outreach. Each active chapter was asked to provide information about their 2008 accomplishments. Chapters that submitted information by October 25 are included below. Chapters ranked academically in the top third of the IFC fraternities on campus are recognized. If your chapter is not featured or did not provide complete information, encourage them to submit information for the next issue of The Temple to keith@phikaps.org. California Phi Delta University of San Diego 20 actives, 2 associates 3.2 GPA Georgia Gamma Tau Georgia Institute of Technology 33 actives, 10 associates 2.84 GPA Illinois Psi Northern Illinois University 33 actives, 18 associates 2.457 GPA Kansas Iota Kansas State University 26 actives, 15 associates 2.8 GPA Massachusetts Eta Massachusetts Institute of Technology 37 actives, 15 associates 4.36 GPA – 8th among 27 IFC fraternities Service work helps chapter brothers stay true to the Phi Kap motto, “Give, expect nothing thereof.” Members logged almost 3,500 service hours last year and several traveled abroad to work on development projects. One event they look forward to each year is the annual Founders’ Day celebration where actives and alumni go to an island off the coast of Massachusetts and spend the day eating lobster and playing sports.
Massachusetts Lambda Worcester Polytechnic Institute 14 actives, 11 associates 3.5 GPA – 1st among 12 IFC fraternities Massachusetts Omega Merrimack University 15 actives, 5 associates 2.6 GPA This chapter described their alumni as a “life source.” They depend on them for guidance and support. This year, the chapter took recruits to Red Sox games; they got involved mentoring in local schools and raising funds for both Children’s Miracle Network and an organization that helps patients with brain damage. They won Fraternity of the Year at Merrimack. Missouri Mu Missouri University of Science and Technology 61 actives, 13 associates 2.96 GPA – 6th among 20 IFC fraternities This chapter stays in close contact with its alumni by sending out a biannual newsletter called “The Cardinal” to more than 600 alumni, and hosts a phone-a-thon and annual golf tournament with them. Alumni and active members give monthly seminars as part of the chapter’s professional development program. Seminar topics range from academics to personal finance; the chapter says this has been beneficial for all members. Missouri Kappa Kappa Saint Louis University 42 actives, 18 associates 3.179 GPA Nebraska Pi University of Nebraska Lincoln 55 actives, 20 associates 3.3 GPA – 5th among 15 IFC fraternities Brothers in this chapter are very active with the campus Newman Center. They volunteer at Catholic elementary schools that serve a largely underprivileged population and participate in the campus Catholic ministry. They enjoy traveling to away football games to watch the Husker football team and staying with other Phi Kap chapters. The chapter recently received its charter, which the brothers view as their biggest achievement.
CHAPTER CAPSULE
New Jersey Phi Beta Seton Hall University 15 active members 3.2 GPA – 2nd among 7 IFC fraternities New York Tau Syracuse University 17 actives, 1 associate 2.89 GPA This chapter takes great pride in its service and philanthropic work, participating in projects from cancer walks to blood drives. They focus on connecting with alumni brothers by sending weekly newsletters. Their most successful recruitment effort was hosting a small Super Bowl gathering where brothers really got to know the men they were recruiting well, making them feel like they were a part of the group. North Carolina Alpha Rho Belmont Abbey College 13 actives, 3 associates 2.8 GPA Ohio Omicron University of Cincinnati 18 actives, 8 associates 3.06 GPA – 1st among 18 IFC fraternities Pennsylvania Alpha Xi Duquesne University 17 actives, 4 associates 3.224 GPA – 2nd among 8 IFC fraternities On campus, this chapter won the President’s Cup for Fraternity of the Year, Outstanding Organization Philanthropy, Outstanding Fraternity Academic Achievement, and Outstanding Fraternity Risk Management Program. Individual members won Order of Omega Outstanding Greek, Outstanding Chapter Officer and President of the Year. They believe the recognition honors their extensive involvement in campus organizations, service and philanthropic endeavors.
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CHAPTER CAPSULES Pennsylvania Iota Temple University 28 actives, 10 associates 2.9 GPA – 2nd among 9 IFC fraternities This chapter was recently restarted and has jumped into serving society, Fraternity and God with full effort. Brothers gain a sense of accomplishment and a feeling that they are doing their part to help out in the community, whether they are organizing a holiday party for underprivileged children or doing a neighborhood cleanup. Texas Tau Mu The University of Texas-Pan American 10 active members 2.8 GPA
Since this campus is in a small community, involvement in service allows the chapter to network with local leaders and display the ideals they have learned as Phi Kaps. This year, the chapter picked up litter on the road leading to the campus, collected clothes for the local children’s home, setup blood drives, hosted two carnivals for children with the Catholic Student Ministries, and raised money for the Children’s Miracle Network. Washington Alpha Delta Washington State University 33 actives, 18 associates 2.97 GPA – 4th among 24 IFC fraternities
Washington Beta Delta University of Washington 20 actives, 5 associates 3.01 GPA Washington Beta Delta hosts an annual basketball tournament to benefit a local children’s hospital, which helps them to achieve their goal of getting more involved in the community. For each home football game, they host a barbecue for active and alumni brothers. This year, they are focusing closely on recruitment. One strategy that they have found success in is to approach students put in overflow housing through UW.
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Appearl & Accesories 24
FALL 2008
Phi Kap in Focus Nick Rhea
still serve him today. Looking back on his collegiate career, Rhea looks at his fraWhen the going gets tough… ternity experience as “a house full of energy and optimism, loaded the tough get going… with many opportunities to build By Gene Ney brotherhood and lifelong friendSlippery Rock ‘90 ships.” Through what he learned as a Phi Kap, Nick fructified a career of which he can be proud of. For Nick Rhea, (Kansas, ‘96), that is After leaving Kansas, Rhea moved the story of his life. Born in 1973 in the to San Diego, where he earned a master’s small town of Paola, Kansas whose claim degree in business. Through both his to fame is from a writer of the television undergraduate and graduate degrees, and sitcom “Alf,” Rhea has moved his life bethe lessons learned as a Phi Kap, he took yond the dust bowl era and share croppers control of Bombara Investments, Inc. This of the early 20th century, to head is a “real estate a major financial institution and brokerage firm community service agency. with a focus As a child growing up in on providing Paola in the early 1970s, Rhea detailed finanlived what would be considered a cial analysis normal life, playing sports at his to help buyers school and doing what all kids and sellers of the 70’s did. Basically, his life benefit from was much like Peter Brady of investments the famed 70’s television show, and personal “The Brady Bunch.” Unlike Peter, growth”, he Rhea’s life moved forward as he said. Unlike enrolled at Kansas University in typical investthe fall of 1992. As a freshman, ment businesshe registered to major in the area es, Bombara of business. has taken an Although he worked two active interest jobs to support himself, Rhea in outdoors longed for some sort of social life life and has or social output. Just by chance, founded a divihe stumbled upon a Phi Kappa sion to market Theta recruitment event and was innovative impressed with the active brothoutdoor gear. ers of Kansas Epsilon Chapter. Through Aside from the camaraderie, what his love of the attracted Rhea to the chapter was outdoors, Rhea that he was offered a private room got involved in the chapter house if he were to with the Outjoin. With that and what he saw door Outreach and liked about the active memprogram curbership, Rhea took the plunge rently based in and pledged Kansas Epsilon. San Diego. Unfortunately, due to scheduling problems, “Outdoor Outreach is a non-profit the private room never materialized, yet organization which empowers at risk and Rhea held strong in his quest for Phi Kappa underprivileged youth to make positive, Theta. lasting changes in their lives though chalAs an undergraduate Phi Kap at lenges in outdoor activities such as rock Kansas Epsilon, Rhea focused on what climbing, snow boarding, mountain biking he thought he could do best. Due to and surfing,” Rhea said. financial obligations to pay his tuition, he Rhea’s initial involvement was servmaintained at least two part-time jobs as ing as the second volunteer serving the an active, but found time to serve as the group in the first eight years of its exischapter’s assistant treasurer and social tence. Today as president of this organizachairman. Through his role as assistant tion, he deals with countless youth from treasurer, Rhea learned lifelong skills that San Diego shelters or probationary cases.
“Outdoor Outreach is a nonprofit organization which empowers at risk and underprivileged youth to make positive, lasting changes in their lives though challenges in outdoor activities such as rock climbing, snow boarding, mountain biking and surfing.” —Nick Rhea
What Rhea has found is that many of these kids have given up on themselves. Given a little interest in them, they “get psyched that someone cares for them.” Through his role as president of Outdoor Outreach, Rhea wants to expand this project to other cities throughout the United States, and asks that any interested alumni contact him. The program’s website www.outdooroutreach.org boasts that “experiences like climbing a cliff, surfing a wave or snowboarding down a mountain present exhilarating challenges that youth can successfully meet with preparation, training and a desire to succeed.” Through these experiences, Outdoor Outreach helps to improve teens’ ability to thrive, despite their family and community challenges. Whether it is through his position as president of Bombara Investments, or president of Outdoor Outreach, Nick has only one place to credit his success in life, Phi Kappa Theta. It was through his leadership skills he learned at Kansas Epsilon, friendships, and the concept of “give nothing expecting thereof,” he is where he is at today. He urges others to re-engage with the fraternity. “Keep organized, keep in touch with the contacts you make as a collegiate member, and give expecting nothing thereof,” Rhea said.
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50
Meaningful merger turns
in 2009
Two Points of View: Remembering the Merger By Heather Matthews Managing Editor
Almost 50 years ago, Phi Kappa and Theta Kappa Phi fraternities merged into one unified organization, celebrating Charter Day on April 29, 1959. In the spring issue of The Temple, we explored how the merger unfolded over time, from struggles to successes. In this issue, we will introduce the merger from the perspectives of both the national organization and local chapter. We interviewed two brothers who were each active in one of the organizations at the time of the merger. Bill Grogan (Massachusetts Lambda, ‘46) was the Vice President of Theta Kappa Phi’s national Board of Trustees in 1959. He currently serves as chapter advisor for Phi Kappa Theta Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass., and has been in the role for almost 50 years. Greg Liptak (Illinois Beta Delta, ‘64) was a sophomore in Phi Kappa fraternity at the University of Illinois when the merger occurred. Both Phi Kappa and Theta Kappa Phi chapters existed at U of I, where a rivalry had emerged between the organizations because they often competed to recruit the same Catholic men. WPI, where Grogan joined Theta Kappa Phi, was one of four chapters of his organization that remained active through World War II. After the war, there was “an enormous effort to rebuild the chapters,” he said. After several years of revitalization efforts, the fraternity seemed to be a healthy organization. Around this time, leaders of the two fraternities began to discuss a possible merger, to further grow the organization. “I had only heard of Phi Kappa on some of our large campuses where we both had chapters,” Grogan remembered. “The competition was intense between our fraternities because they both
“The competition was intense between our fraternities because they both only rushed Catholics at the time. This was a very intense rivalry in many cases.” — Bill Grogan
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only rushed Catholics at the time. This was a very intense rivalry in many cases.” The two national boards discussed the possibility of merging because the fraternities had so much in common. Conversations became serious in the 1950’s. “We began to talk about what it would take to actually do this,” Grogan said. “There were many heated conversation on the officer level about how exactly to do this, to merge.” Grogan describes the partnership as symbiotic. Theta Kappa Phi had young, enthusiastic leadership, while the leaders of Phi Kappa were mostly in their 60’s and 70’s. Phi Kappa had greater monetary resources, in part because its leaders were more experienced in their careers. “That was one place where the merger fit together beautifully,” he said. “One of the very compatible elements – in the senior leadership of both groups, we fit.” When delegates of both fraternities met at The Ohio State University in September 1958 to decide the fate of the merger, the vote was close. Grogan himself was “kind of cool on the idea.” “Between the two fraternities there were only several votes that kept this thing passing. It was no overwhelming landslide,” he said. “The senior leadership of each organization wanted it because they saw the importance of blending the experienced leadership with the young enthusiasm.” On the national level a struggle existed over who would take the leadership of the unified fraternity. On the board, they split up the roles. However, the key job in each fraternity was the executive secretary. For the new Phi Kappa Theta, the role was split; one man from Phi Kappa oversaw finances and the alumni and another from Theta Kappa Phi oversaw undergraduate operations. The biggest disputes existed over combining each fraternity’s symbols to create a new badge, coat of arms, colors and more. “One example of our heated conversations was about the colors. Phi Kappa had purple, true purple. And Theta Kappa Phi
“There were many heated conversations on the officer level about how exactly to do this, to merge.” — Bill Grogan
either of its parts.” The new national organization encouraged programs and social events to bring brothers of the two fraternities together. “When we finally began doing things together in the spring, it really went well and came together,” Liptak said. “We took out a full-page ad announcing the merger and had a big celebration dinner and consolidation banquet.” Several brothers from each fraternity developed a local consolidation plan to address issues the chapter was facing, Above: Phi Kappa merger Board Members: (Left) Joe Zimmerman of Seattle, (right) Pierre Lavedan of Harwich, Mass, and (center) Frank Chinery of Cincinnati. Below: University of Illinois Chapter after the merger, Spring 1959. The Chapter mascot, Boris, occupies a prominent position.
2009 National Convention August 6th - 9th Columbus, Ohio
Previous Page: Bill Grogan in 1958.
had red. The color we selected was called cardinal purple, which was the religious name for it, but it looked like red,” Grogan said. “So each side was happy because the name was purple and the color was red. Today, those things seemed silly, but at the time, they were very important.” The final merger resulted in 52 chapters on college campuses and more than 16,000 members and alumni. Four of these chapters were on campuses where both organizations had chapters. At the local level, men who had once held rivalry between their organizations were now brothers, which had the potential to cause tension. At the University of Illinois, the Phi Kappa and Theta Kappa Phi houses were just four blocks from each other and the two chapters were extremely competitive in recruitment and intramurals. “More than anything else, we were kind of puzzled of why the merger would occur. We didn’t have the broad national view of what was going on in terms of both fraternities. We were focused on the two competing chapters at Illinois,” said Liptak, who was a Phi Kappa member at the time. “Once it had occurred, we wanted to see if we could make the new combined fraternity stronger than
50 phi kappa theta
1959-2009
including housing, leadership and social planning. One chapter owned a house and one had leased one. They ended up leasing a home much closer to the owned housed. They divided up the leadership roles with one fraternity getting the presidents role and the other vice president. To strengthen brotherhood, they held weekly dinners together, as well as a combined winter formal. “During that period of time, the rivalry that the two groups had was overcome. We worked together; it worked quite well,” said Liptak. “Quite frankly it was good preparation for my business career. I have been involved in numerous mergers, and that experience of different groups of people together was quite helpful. I’ve learned that you have to communicate and listen and evaluate the problems and come together to find an equitable solution.” Today, this unified fraternity has 49 collegiate chapters, and 45 alumni groups, and just like in 1959, the leadership of the organization has a new vision for progress. However this time, rather than focusing on growth, these men hope to develop the individual members of Phi Kappa Theta, and in turn the organization.
“Quite frankly it was good preparation for my business career. I’ve learned that you have to communicate and listen and evaluate the problems and come together to find an equitable solution.” — Greg Liptak
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Five Generations
of Phi Kaps
By Heather Matthews Managing Editor With five generations existing within the Phi Kappa Theta brotherhood, the experience of our oldest member (born in 1908, graduated in 1931) will be very different from our youngest brother (born in 1991 and expected to graduate in 2012). Generational experiences and influences shape our world view, which can influence how alumni and collegiate brothers work together. Take a closer look at what is unique about brothers from each generation.
GI Generation (83 and older)
Who are they: Assertive, energetic do-ers, team players and community-minded. Influential events: Great Depression and WWI. They: Bought a television, used air conditioning, chewed bubble gum and did crossword puzzles for the first time.
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Silent Generation (63 to 82)
Who are they: Practical, loyal, conventional, pessimistic and desiring faith. Influential events: First Man on Moon, WWII, segregation ruled illegal. They: Microwaved frozen food, got a slinky as a birthday present, wore a T-shirt ate at McDonalds for the first time.
Baby Boomers (44 to 62)
Who are they: Optimistic, experimental, individualistic, free-spirited, social causeoriented and distrusting of government. Influential events: JFK assassination, civil rights movement, Vietnam War, Cold War. They: Loved rock & roll, watched man land on the moon on TV and owned a GI Joe action figure.
Relatives: Your son’s Temple magazine is sent to his home address while he’s in college and we hope you enjoy reading it. If he is no longer in college and not living at home, please forward his permanent address to : Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity 9640 North Augusta Dr., Suite 420 Carmel, IN 46032
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Millennials (9 to 27)
Who are they: Hopeful, nurtured, focused, team players, service-oriented and aware of global issues. Influential events: Y2K and 9-11-2001. They: Have been using computers since they learned to read, grew up on video games, have helicopter parents, and communicate with text messaging.
Sources: “Generational Synergy” presentation, Aug. 23, 2008, Ginny Carroll, in GiNuity; “Meet America’s 5 Living Generations,” 2006, The Generational Imperative.
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Who are they: Street-smart, entrepreneurial, individualistic, skeptical and feel misunderstood by elders. Influential events: Fall of Berlin Wall, Challenger explosion and economic recession. They: Played Pac-Man, used a Word processor to do homework, lived in dualincome families, and have listened to music on records, eight-track tapes, cassettes, CDs, and an iPod.
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Gen X (28 to 43)
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