The Cougar Fiji xQwviory Published by the Pi Mu Chapter ofthe Fraternity ofPhi Gamma Delta at Washington State University PULLMAN,WASHINGTON FALL 2005 PI MU HOSTS'05 SECTION CONVENTION On the weekend of April 1, 2005, the Pi Mu Chapter played host to all other Fiji chapters from the region for State, Idaho, Montana and British Co Greek Life at Washington State University. Bill Martin then met with attending graduate brothers to speak about their role as fraternity volun teers. We hosted a lunch at the chap ter house followed by a ritual lumbia traveled to Pullman for this refresher and discussion led by Bill the 2005 Section Convention. Under graduates from Washington, Oregon event. Graduate volunteers from Martin. Later in the afternoon, we Washington, Idaho and our very own Washington State Chapter also at tended this meeting in order to meet with the guest speaker, executive di rector of The Fraternity of Phi Gamma covered the always challenging topic of fraternity recruitment in a discus Delta, William A. "Bill" Martin III (Mississippi State '75). On Friday evening, we held a bar Martin '94, Von Baer '04, Brett Noyes '03, Gary Schell '70, Erik Fay '99, Scott Springer '90, Rob Wolf'90 and Nick Seeley (Akron '01). Rob Wolf sion led by Brad Whiting(Washington '80). Later, delegates attended the annual Pullman Rotary Club spaghetti feed, making a donation to benefit the causes supported by this local service group. becue for the arriving delegates at our The 2005 Section Convention was chapter house. Later, we treated ev eryone to bowling and refreshments a great success, and we thank all at Zeppos. On Saturday morning, the business session opened with a pre to help, especially those representing our chapter. Pi Mu volunteers in at sentation by Anita Cory, director of tendance were Ron Rawson '52, Bill brothers who volunteered their time Dollars for Scholars Program Bill Martin (Mississippi State '75) advises young brothers at the 2005 Section Convention. Needs Your Assistance ^The Cougar FijV On July 15,2005, The House Corp. Board sent out a mailer to 523 Cougar Fiji graduates, describing the new "Dollars for Scholars" program. As stated in the cover letter, this is an aggressive plan to improve the scholastic standing of the chapter and to attract young men who have more than a bottle of beer in their sights. We have received favorable comments from not only parents ofour young brothers, but also from parents of current rushees. By the graduates' fast response and the size oftheir contributions, it is obvious that they agree with us. However, we need vour help! Even though 523 sounds like a large number. International Headquarters tells us there are at least 100 Cougar Fiji brothers for whom we do not have current valid addresses. The mailing list we received from International is different than the one used to mail out The Cougar Fiji, so if you or any of your brothers did not receive the announcement in July about the Dollars for Scholars program, please contact Ron Rawson via fax at(425) 822-7890 or Celebrates a New Year! Welcome to the first issue of our new program year publishing The Cougar Fiji. The members of Pi Mu Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at Washington State University are proud to bring you this publication. The brothers of Pi Mu Chapter are committed to providing our graduates with a newsletter twice a year, cover ing the latest in chapter and graduate news. The publication is intended to e-mail at rorvrawson(@aol.com. highlight chapter accomplishments We on the House Corp. Board would like to hear from all of you who have comments about our plan to improve the chapter. Also, do not forget Football Friday, 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m., before each home game at the chapter house. I and provide updates about your gradu guarantee you will like what you see. Ron Rawson ate brothers. Continue sending us your personal news and photos—your correspon(Continued on page 2) \r\nPage 2 THE COUGAR FIH Fall 2005 A Freshman's Perspective on Fiji I am a very social person and meeting new people is something I take greatjoy visited many fraternities on the WSU campus, but Phi Gamma Delta was in. W^en I decided to attend Washington where I felt most welcome. State University, I knew I would have many opportunities to make new friend ships that would last a lifetime. I Just had no idea how my first year of college College was a new experience for me and having a solid base of good friends made the experience a whole lot easier. would unfold. I had heard from numerous fnends and family members thatjoining a fraternity was the way to go at WSU. I have many aunts, uncles and cousins who were involved in the Greek system at other schools who gave me positive feed back about their experiences, so I de cided I would give it a shot. Being the social person I am,joining the fraternity was the best choice 1 could have made. Every day, 1 met someone new through a friend in the house and my social network just continued to grow. Establishing friendships with such a di verse group of new people was perhaps my favorite part ofbeing in the fraternity. Accordingly, I found that 1 started just in college to have fun; I was pre paring for the rest of my life. I have nothing but great memories from living in the house this year, and 1 know that the memories will just keep on coming. 1 have met friends who have turned my life around, and I can talk to all ofthem about anything. Friend ship is the main thing that 1 have gained sincejoining the fraternity, and 1 realize now how important it is to keep these friendships alive forever. I am pleased to say that after living in the fraternity for only one semester,there is nowhere else in the world that I would rather be. The reaction I got from most people to develop mature relationships with Erik Rettig when I told them I was a freshman in a older members in the house, and over \ fraternity was usually a sarcastic,"Oh, I'll bet you are having fun!" It is a common misconception that freshmen just do all the grunt work and are time, I started to become much more treated like pesky little brothers by the upperclassmen. I found this to be far from the truth. From the first time I stepped into the fraternity, I was treated with the utmost respect. I had mature. I quickly learned that my mother was not there to pick up after me anymore and it was my responsi bility to help keep the house clean. Furthermore, my study habits improved while living in the fraternity because of the positive influence of older mem bers. I started to realize that 1 was not Check Out Our Website! Stay up-to-date at our brand-new Pi Mu Chapter website: www.cougarfiji.org Spring 2006 Pig Dinner Mark your calendars! The 56th Norris Pig Dinner will be held Saturday, March 4, 2006. Come see how the house has improved and meet the brothers who continue to make a difference at Washington State University. We would enjoy getting to know you and sharing the experiences that made our chapter what it is today. ifV ' Reservation and lodging information will be sent to you in the mail later in the year. Pi Mu Purple Legionaire Gary E. Schell '70 receives the Durrance Award for most Outstanding Purple Legionaire at the 156th Ekklesia. 'THE COUGAR FIJI' CELEBRATES A NEW YEAR (Continued from page 1) dence keeps everyone informed and involved. Our newsletter program depends entirely on support from graduates like you! Your contributions help us con tinue to deliver news of the chapter and your fellow broth ers. Please send a contribution today in the enclosed envelope. By contributing, you are helping ensure The Generations of Pi Mu graduates enjoy one another's Cougar Fiji remains a Pi Mu Chapter tradition. Thank you company at the 55th annual Norris Pig Dinner. for your support! \r\nPage 3 THE COUGAR FIH Fall 2005 fVSU President Meets the Greeks Editor's note: This article by Matthew -j-,. .1 L Fletcher about WSU Rawlins said."The day I stop having fun with thisjob is the day I leave thisjob." After his initial statement, Rawlins . . . L V President V. Lane fcverg^reen Rawlms first ap peared in the Fri day, Januaiy 28, 2005, issue of The Daily Evergreen. In hopes to clarify and dispel any misconceptions Greeks might have and to solidify relationships in a "new cam paign" for the future, President V. Lane opened the floor for questions from the Greek community. "We were extremely pleased with the dialogue that took place between President Rawlins and members ofthe Greek community," said Melissa In hopes of improving future rela tions, Rawlins asked Greeks to gener ate three specific objectives their administration could help with. It is the administration's intention to be working on three projects before the semester's end. Rawlins called this a "new cam Pietila, Executive Panhellenic vice president of public relations, "This paign," in which the most important issues of WSU community members are brought into light while Greeks re Rawlins met with the Greek community this past Wednesday in the CUE. "I did not come here to give a speech," Rawlins said. "I came here evening has really helped the WSU ceive a stronger voice. to learn." classroom, and asking questions, were administration and the Greek Commu nity to understand each other better." Among those of the crowded CUE Whether these issues will include the The meeting was organized by the members from a number of fraterni Office of the President in collabora tion with the Interfraternal and ties and sororities, as well as IFC coun planned changes for Adams Mall,or new walkways and connections to downtown Pullman,remains to be decided. The dialogue presented itself as the start of a new relationship be cil members. tween the President and the Greek Panhellenic councils and was pro posed as a result of ongoing rumors about Rawlins' negative views of the community and his hesitation to sup port their organizations. From the Greeks came questions about issues ranging from possible In his opening remarks, Rawlins WSU Foundation financial aid, declin ing membership,a rumor ofCUB reno vations and the recent Adams Mall events. wanted to make it clear to the Greek In what seemed to be a recurrent community he does indeed understand theme for the night were questions of them and he views Greeks as a "piv what Rawlins had planned for the fu otal part of WSU," one which would hurt the university if it were lost. ture of the Greek community and how "There has never been anything in what I have tried to promote that has "We need to stop playing defense— stop trying to fix every little thing that is wrong everywhere," he said. "This needs to be a start of something new." indicated students should not have fun because having fun is a part of life," it could become "the best in America." Pi Mus Garner Internships (Continued on page 4) Don't Forget Football Fridays The undergraduates will be hold ing a barbecue for our graduate brothers from 5-7:30 p.m.the Friday before every home football game: October 7 October 14 November 4 November 11 Your new brothers would really enjoy getting to know you and sharing some of your fraternity ex periences. Congratulations to all brothers with professional internships in 2005. Brandon Neth Mgmt. Operations & Marketing Int'l Graphics Vancouver, WA Gilbert Corsey Broadcasting ABC/KTXS News Jason Carter Broadcasting ABC/KXLY Sports Justin Johnson Advertising & Digital Media Kyle Hintz Sports Mgint. & Marketing Lyle Bremmeyer Criminal Justice Nathan Weed Construction Mgmt Ryan Shelton Civil Engineering Abilene,TX Spokane, WA WONGDOODY Seattle, WA WSU Athletics Pullman, WA WSU/Pullman Police Pullman, WA Ebenal General Bellingham, WA Justin Johnson and Kristi-Lynn The City ofMukilteo, WA Fukuhara at the 2004 Winter Formal \r\nPage 4 Fall 2005 THE COUGAR FIJI Pi Mu Member Visits Founders Grave It was near the end of my sopho more year at Washington State Uni versity when my parents informed me they would be leaving our home in Spokane, WA. My mother had ac cepted a promotion and would be ex pected to move to California. Little did I know at the time that a piece of Phi Gamma Delta history existed just across the river from where they now I made the journey to Sierra View Memorial Park in Marysville, CA, His headstone is rather small and simple, but its powerful message reads call home. Before going to visit my parents in Yuba City, CA, last winter, Rob Wolf '90, Pi Mu graduate and section chief for the fraternity, brought to my atten tion that John Templeton McCarty, founder ofour beloved fraternity, made his final resting place no more than 15 minutes from my new home. After spending a few days relaxing and adjusting to my new surroundings. where the very man I have read about in books lay. While I did not find his burial site adequate for the man who laid the groundwork for the amazing organization we all belong to, I found it to be a nice gesture for the interna tional fraternity to pay for and to main tain his grave and its surroundings. as follows: THIS MEMORIAL WAS CREATED TO HIS MEMORY BY THE COLLEGE FRATERNITY OF PHI GAMMA DELTA OF WHICH HE WAS A FOUNDER John Templeton McCarty's grave in Marysville, CA AND THE INFLUENCE OF WHICH MAGNIFIED BEYOND HIS FONDEST HOPES LIVES TO ENOBLE HIS MEMORY. Pi Mu Chapter Graduates Write In Gordon C."Mick" McLean '66 tells harlanm@,sakumabros.com." brothers, "At a crisis moment in my Between them, Harlan and his wife, career, I found myself as the new CEO of a hospital (Mount Carmel Hospital) that was $700,000 in debt. The bank had orders to drop 'high risk' accounts. I took a charter plane to Seattle to meet 'the chief banker' Shirley, a secretary, have two daugh ters, Katie, 24, and Kelsey, 13. Touch who would decide whether I would have a chance to implement my plan. My anxiety dropped considerably when he saw my Fiji ring, smiled and showed me his. We hit it off and my plan worked! The hospital debt paid off in three years! I know that moment of connection gave me the credibility and edge I needed to sell my plan." Brothers can renew their bond with Mick at 842 E. Valley Westside Rd., Colville, WA 99114. base with "Hurricane" at 520 15th St. N.E., East Wenatchee, WA 98802. William B. Jacobson '88 writes, "Since graduation, Fve worked in the corporate worldfor eight years. I de cided to make a career change and am now an actor in LA. I do various TV shows, commercials andfilm." William is a member of Masons and enjoys rugby and music. He and his wife, Venus (California Polytechnic KA©), a teacher, have two children, Jacqueline, 5, and Liam, 4. Catch up with "Wild Bill" at 11201 GaviotaAve., Granada Hills, CA 91344. Harlan R. Mayer II'70 tells brothers, Mark J. Smith '75 is the director of "Ifinally decided to find out how the other half of the state lives. I just took a job as controller for Sakuma Brothers Farms in Burlington. We grow the best berries in the North west, but I already miss the sunshine of central Washington. Contact me at (360) 661-7921 or via e-mail at operations and security at Microsoft Corp. He enjoys kayaking and camp Before leaving his burial site, I was able to photograph his head stone and even managed to attain a rubbing of the text written above. The rubbing, as well as the photo graph and legend are to be framed and hung in the formal living room of the Pi Mu chapter house, courtesy of one of the founding fathers of our own chapter, Ron Rawson. Justin Johnson RAWLINS MEETS GREEKS (Continued from page 3) community and should benefit both parties as well as the rest of the university. It is the intent of the Panhellenic and Interfraternity councils to aid the Office of the President and ASWSU in con ducting smaller,follow-up meetings and continue strengthening Greek relations. "It is my hope to take this new cam paign and the main issues of today's WSU and work together, in conjunction, to make things better," Rawlins said. ing. Mark and his wife, Karen, a WSU alumna, have three grown children: Bothell, WA 98011 or via e-mail at I'lw CdUgar Fiji is published by the brothers of the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta at Washington State University for members and friends. Graduate news items, photographs and change of address notices should be sent to Pi Mu of Pin Gamma Delta, c/o Newsletter Program Headquarters, P.O. Box 45621, mjsmithO 1 @yahoo.com. Seattle, WA 98145-0621. Chris, Jason and Amber. Reconnect with Mark at 8420 N.E. 143rd St., '