Illinois Fiji Record Turnout for 20th Annual Tom lump Memorial Fiji Open Chi Iota of Phi Gamma Delta | The University of Illinois | Champaign, Illinois 5\l ^ October 2005 The 20th annual Tom Jump Memorial Fiji Open was held Saturday, September 17, at Carriage Greens In Darien, III. Seventy-five brothers from the classes of 1966 through 1983, and 14 new colony members, roTiie Kenneth Means '40 Ken Means is 'Many Times Biessed' beautiful fall day. These 89 Chi When asked about his involvement with Phi Gamma Delta, Kenneth Means '40 immediately thinks of his friends. Because he was Initiated In 1937, we're talking about lifelong friends In the played golf and enjoyed a lota brothers set a new record truest sense of the word — relationships that have lasted more than 60 years, or, in some cases, for tournament attendance. In until death. addition. Brent Wadsworth "I sat down and made a list of my very closest friends, and most of them are from the fraternity," said Ken. His list Included men from his own class at the University of Illinois as well as some a few years older or younger. He mentioned Clifford Kuhn '36 (his roommate during freshman year), Steve Kratz '40, Jim Lothrop '43 (who passed away just this year), Dick Horning '43, Rivers Anderson '40, George Clark '42, Bob Booth '39, Zen Zimmerman '39, Ralph Duniop '39, Fred Vance '39, Gale Hedrick '40, Cosby Bernard '41, Dean '52 and Fred Ballantine '51 stopped by to meet the new colony members and renew acquaintances. Registration began at 11:00 a.m., followed by a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. Foursomes were arranged by class, and the colony members were mixed In so they could (Tieet some of the older FIjIs. After concluding the round. Woody Stamer '70 hosted the awards ceremony and party at his home next to the 1 7th tee. His grass and carpeting will never be the same. The two-man best ball contest was won by a threesome of colony members: Derek Rockwell '07, Chris Carbone '07 and Ryan Calls '08. The two closest-to-the- pin contests were won by the teams known as Bone '69 and Schneldly '81. The teams Goose '80 and Dribble '75 won for the longest drives. Bone also took the low gross award with a 75. Moss '73 won low net with a 59, and Pipe Cleaner '77 won the dubious high gross honor with a 122. Special recognition goes to Duffy Caynor '76, who presented the new colony members with a purple Illinois Ml flag to be displayed on ^mpus and brought to each subsequent Fiji Open. Also, Mark Day '73 (of Hooter '73) (Continued on Page 2) Swift '40, twins Waiter Benson '40 and Gordon Benson '40, Bill Carmlchaei '42, Norman Acton '39, Bud Larson '40, Howard Clement '38 and Dick Thomas '41. While many of these men are now deceased, they are remembered fondly. Ken has a story about each and every one of them! "The fraternity had a very, very positive Influence on my life," Ken said. "I looked up to the upperclassmen, like Howard Clement, and I developed warm friendships that have lasted my whole life." Ken has done a great job of keeping his fraternity friendships alive. He initiated a series of reunions after his classmate, the late Dean Swift, became president of Sears Roebuck Company. "There were about 60 or 70 of us who got together to celebrate Dean's success, then we just kept gathering every couple of years or so," he said. "I feel a great debt of gratitude to the fraternity," Ken said. "It brought great people together, and It helped me to create very high standards." Ken has repaid his "debt" by serving Chi iota for more than 60 years. After he returned from World War II, Ken was on the board of the Phi Gamma Delta Association of Illinois, and he remains a consistent donor. "Fraternity is an Important addition to one's life," he said. "It builds character, and It molds young men to help them really contribute to society and the business world. It's great to be a part of that at the beginning, and I want to be able to contribute to that." Among his fraternity brothers. Ken Is known as "Moe" for "Moe Means," because during his college days, "I was selling just about anything they wanted to buy." As a product of the Depression, Ken was always looking for a way to earn money for his education. When the house or university held a formal dance, he sold his brothers corsages that he shipped in from Chicago. He also offered jewelry — "I sold a couple of guys their engagement rings" —and "real silk hosiery," a line that included custom shirts, lingerie and stockings. "I was at the Gamma Phi Beta house to sell my stockings, which were always custom fit and required measurements," Ken recalled. "I was shocked when the very staid housemother lifted up her skirt and told me to go ahead and measure her thighs." It was in the second semester of Ken's freshman year that Walter Leek '34 Introduced him to Insurance sales, which became his life's business. He still works in insurance today, in some cases serving the third and fourth generations of family members of his commercial clients. Ken married a Gamma Phi Beta who was a year ahead of him at Illinois. He met her at one of the dances and decided she was the girl he was going to pursue, despite her initial reluctance. They've been married for 64 years and have four children, 12 grandchildren and seven great(Continued on Page 4) \r\nFiji Open Report Building aSolid Pledge Class (Continued from Page 1) supplied those at the outing with professionally embroidered Illinois Fiji golf shirts. The shirts were sold to the participants, and $1,000 was raised for the new colony. Mark Menarik '78 took pictures and e-mailed them to all participants. At the awards ceremony, organized by Jim Hickey '75 Dear Graduate Brothers, On behalf of the entire colony, I would like to thank all of you for your support. Manyof us attended the Tom jump Memorial Open this year and were met with great hospitality and great stories to go along with it. We are all looking forward to keeping in touch with many ofyou in the near future and enjoyed seeing you at our event here for the graduate brothers during homecoming weekend. To keep everyone updated on ourcurrent colony status, here is some information about those of us who started the colony at the end of last year: (of Dribble '75) and Mike Cow '75 (of Mahoney '75), colony president Mike Custavson '07 gave an update on the new colony's rush activities and CPA. The colony ranked among the highest of all University of Illinois fraternities in grades last semester. In addition, house corporation president Pat Keeiey '74 (of Keels '74) reported on the financials and the start of the search for a new chapter house. For 20 years this group of Chris Carbone '07 Kyle Hewerdine '08 Luiz Mendes Downers Grove, III. Urbana, 111. Finance St. Joseph, III. General Engineering Bowen Chow '08 Pat Mutter '07 Skokie, III. St. Charles, III. International Trade Accounting Derek Rockwell 07 Bolingbrook, Ill- Ryan Calls '08 Trevor Krumsee '08 Charlotte, N.C. Mt. Prospect, III. Aviation Aviation Aaron Ceise '06 Josh Laufenberg '08 Perrysburg, Ohio Psychology, MCB Wheaton, III. Illinois Fijis has been getting Mike Custavson '07 Orland Park, III. Justin Manuel '08 Pekin, 111. stories and rekindle the brother Civil Engineering Psychology was inspired by the StevensonHimes Golf Tournament run by Illinois Fijis Huck Hindsley '50 and Brent Wadsworth. The Stevenson-Himes event, featuring Chi lota Fijis primarily from the late 1940s and 1950s, continues today. Any brothers who would like to participate in future outings may contact Mike Cow at illini24@sbcglobai.net or Jim Hickey at jhickey@puimonetic. com. The 2006 event is currently being scheduled. • Urban Planning Quentin Spoonmore '07" Quincy, III. Mechanical Engineering Adam Teske '08 Buckly, III. Consumer Economics and MCB together to play golf, share hood and friendships started so many years ago. The group Computer Science Finance Matt Vycital '07 St. Charles, III. General Engineering For our next pledge class we currently have seven men who accepted their bids- four other bids have been extended but not accepted yet, and there are several more men we are interested in( extending bids to. We hope to have a strong pledge class of about 15 this fall semester. We host about two recruitment events per week, and we have had solid turnouts to just about every one of them. Many of you will be happy to hear that we are fielding an intramural football team this fall, and hope to start ourselves off with a solid athletic reputation on campus, as we are already fourth in academics. We appreciate the support we have been receiving and value keeping our graduate brothers up to date on events here in Champaign. So if anyone reading this did not receive my colony update e-mail over the summer, please send a message to me at vycitai@uiuc.edu with your name and e-mail address. I will then be able to keep you updated with more information regarding the status of the colony as well as future events we will plan. Fraternally, Matt Vycital '07 Corresponding Secretary • Why Should You Support the Annual Fund? Your support for our graduate chapter's charader building opportunities on campus; ♦ The spirit afvalunteerism that drives event invitations and other forms annual fund proves your commitment to the future of the Chi lota Chapter. our graduate board and other volunteers is brothers. Yourannuai gift is an investment in the fraternity's potentiai to make a positive impact in the lives of young men as the fraternity did for you, me and so many of our graduates. crucial to the strength of our organization; ♦ The value offriendships forged at Phi Gamma Delta grows as time passes • Filling out and returning the enclosed Your annual contribution affirms your belief that: ♦ Phi Gamma Delta can once again provide the best leadership deveiapmeitl and of communication with our graduate You can make a donation now by: form. and should be celebrated with reunions, • Calling our toll-free donation hotline annual gatherings and other events that bring graduates back to the place they can always call home. at 800-975-6699. Contributions to the annual fund make possible The iiiinois Fiji newsletter, Your annual support is crucial to the success of our graduate relations program. • October 2005 \r\nPhi Gamma Delta House Corporation • Illinois 288-6 FN Help us keep in touch with you by updating your information below. Be sure to complete any empty fields. > Preferred E-Mail Preferred Mailing Address Secondary E-mail Pref. Address Type HOME 317 S 14th Street ID Number 327406 Pref. Address Line 1 Name/Grad.Year Jerome C. Groniger Pref. Address Line 2 Mattoon IL 61938-4002 Nickname City, State, Zip Occupation/Title Country Employer Secondary Mailing Address Home Phone (217)234-4138 Sec. Address Type Work Phone (800) 558-9892 Sec. Address Line 1 Fax Phone Sec. Address Line 2 Cell Phone City, State, Zip Birth Date Country WUKUT&l'i Whats New with You? ^f^rite memories ... membersyou would like to see... whatyou dofor aliving, etc.? (Feelfree to continue on the otherside.) 2005-06Annual Fund i am pleased to make a contribution of • Si.000 • SSOO • $250 GSIOO • $50 • Other amount $ Account No. Payment Method: Amounts Exp.Date QVISA • MasterCard • Check, pavabie to Phi Gamma Delta Association of Illinois Signature • Credit Card, complete information at right • Call our credit card hotline at 800-975-6699 toll free!* *Your credit card donation will appear on your statement as a transaction with Affinity Connection, Inc., in State College, Pa., which is our graduate relations service. 327406 288-6 FN Phi Gamma Delta House Corporation 288 e University of Illinois Graduate Relations Office P.O. Box 3244 Oak Brook, IL 60522-3244 Thank youlr \r\n\r\nate Ibert Triebel '37 •"j(3611 Hickory Ln., Rockford, 1161107-1347) I continue working during the tax filing period, hopefully keeping which one can do in Virginia year-round. Our two children are grown and busy with careers in New York and New jersey. clients' taxes to a minimum per the stupid, stupid laws! I am bowling year-round, my golfing is questionable and my socializing is at a minimum. I am hoping to be useful rather than useless. Richard F. Thomas '41 (39 Wellington Ct., Sugar Land, TX 77478-3657; rfthom@chilitech.com) I lost my Alpha Chi wife after 63 William Z. Black '62 (512 Bryn Mawr Ln. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30327-351 7; william.black@me.gatech.edu) I retired from Georgia Tech in 2000, and I'm now active with my own consulting business. The part-time aspect of my business goes beautifully with my desire to play golf. I play several times a week in Atlanta to stay at home until I am well over 65, so there are still a few more years yet of jetting around the world. Kids, grandchildren, 40 years of marriage and fond memories of chapter frivolities (including pledge trainer Keith Asher '62 always racking us out at 3:00 a.m.) makes one James B. Hickey Jr. '75 (17400 Medina Rd., Ste. 100, Minneapolis, MN 55447-1341; jhickey@pulmonetic.com) In the next newsletter I'd like to write an article asking brothers to donate items from Chi lota history to the new chapter. Some helped clean out the house before it closed, but no ask, where has all the time one is exactly sure who has gone since our days at 401 ? However, the many Phi Gam what. With today's technology, it's easy to copy pictures, videos, etc., and a good request may help motivate new and older guys. contacts I've had in business over the decades were proof the black diamond was not for college days alone. W. Jeff Poiancich '80 and at our St. Simon Island years of marriage. I am glad home. I'm still married to Lin to see the colony starting. Black (Theta) who has also I wish I was closer so I could retired. We have two children, IL 60187-4728; donlin@xnet. Kora and Chris, but no com) I turned 60 on April 21, grandchildren. You can contact me at my e-mail address. 2003, and was forced to retire (1636 Clyde Dr., Naperville, IL 60565-2304; jpolancich@truassure.com) My family and I have been living in Naperville, III., since from United Airlines as a B747- 1990. Lisa and I have been participate. ^William L. Poust '49 Donald F. Motz Jr. '65 (526 S. Gables Blvd., Wheaton, 400 captain. The FAA mandates married for 24 years now. I Boulder, CO 80308-3620) I Robert M. Lancaster '63 this for all old people (age 60). I can't believe I found someone contracted colon cancer in am now practicing law fulltime in my second career; United who will put up with me, 2003 and have received much (6235 Greenbrier Dr., Huntington Beach, CA 92648- encouragement and support 5545; ms.mancini@aoLcom) I being in bankruptcy and going from brothers from the class am still a member at Oakmont of 1949-50. Country Club in Pitt, Pa. For any of you golf nuts, after pensions caused this. Our (only) son Paul graduated from (4405 Comanche Dr., #3, John M. Pettit '58 (121 3 Hercules St., Radford, VA 24141-3515) I retired in 2000 and am doing part-time private practice. We spend half a year in Virginia and the other half in Maine. My wife Betty (Alpha DePaul in june 2004 and is in day in and day out. We have three great kids, joe (19) is my oldest and currently following in his parents' footsteps at the University of Illinois. Due to the give me a call! his first year of law school at DePaul. Linda (Alpha Gam at demise of good ol' Chi lota, joe James A. Bauer '64 (191 E. Deerpath Rd., Ste. 300, Illinois) is busy with her piano was forced to the "dark side" and real estate development. All of us are healthy (knock on and is now an active member Lake Forest, IL 60045; jim. bauer@arrisi.com) It's great to see the recolonization of wood) and like seeing Chi lota back in business. unfortunate (but temporary) of — dare I say it — Alpha Tau Omega fraternity in Urbana. (I know — boo, hiss!) My daughter Samantha (16) is a sophomore at Naperville Central High School and doing great with a 4.0 average. My youngest, jack (12), is in sixth grade and participates in position as a speech-language pathologist in 1998. I hear Chi lota and to hopefully look forward to getting back to campus for the Pig Dinner again! After retiring in 1993 from Daniel "Dan" Damon from an almost-30-year career '58 fairly regularly, which is in the Bell system, I went brother, David R. Leonetti, was a president of the Phi Gamma great! I have many memories over to the "dark side" with Delta house on the University just about everything including of the four years on John Street ind my fellow Fijis. I'm still a leading provider of VoIP and high-speed broadband data equipment for the CATV of Chicago campus. I am a football, basketball and beneficiary of a trust fund. baseball. particularly barbershop quartets industry, jill (Alpha Gamma Delta) says I am not allowed Chi Omega at the University of Cincinnati) retired from a •flictively singing in vocal groups, and chorus, and playing golf, The Illinois Fiji Mark P. Leonetti '67 (142 S. Main St., #1-E, Middletown, CT 06457) My I married june Blaker, (Continued on Page 4) 3 \r\nf 288-6 FN rah Graduate 4 n Alumni Profile ipaates (Continued from Page 3) Michael G. Gallagher '86 Thomas C. Fox '83 (Continued from Page 1) grandchildren. "We've been many times blessed," he said. (1336 Hawthorne Ln., (3233 Oak Knoll Rd., Glenview, IL 60025-3145; Carpentersville, IL 60110-3206; Michigan as well as on some more exotic trips on which he has tfoxgro@comcast.net) mgallagher@acmicorp.com) taken his extended family. These include a trip to the Cayman Currently 1am a foreign- My wife Marilyn and I have Islands, a sailing vacation on a 95-foot schooner in the West exchange independent been living in Carpentersville, futures trader on the Chicago III., for the past 12 years. We Mercantile Exchange floor. My favorite memories include visiting campus now and having the feeling of the place have three great kids: Rachel have great memories of Illinois and love seeing Chi lota get I called home for four years. reestablished. I miss the friends It's a shame that when I visit I made, the parties, the strobe campus, I cannot "hang" light andThe fog machines. at the house. Timothy L. Filbert '84 Being social chairman was my most memorable experience at school. I hope to see some of (311 3rd St., Radford, VA you guys again soon. (8), Leah (5) and Thomas (3). I 24141; tfilbert@vt.edu) My family and I recently moved Thomas N. Gronau '87 to Radford, Va., as I joined (7450 Windsor Park Dr., Virginia Tech University, Maineville, OH 45039-9194; tgronau@cinci.rr.com) Good working in student leadership development. My wife Robin and I have two rapidly growing daughters: janelle (13) and Madeline (8). I've seen very few of my Chi lota brothers (Daniel Conrath '84 being the notable exception) over the years but send them warm regards. Indies and a skiing adventure in Park City, Utah. It's easy to see why Ken lists his hobbies as travel, reading, photography and grandfathering. Ken takes his commitments seriously. In addition to his family and Fiji, he is committed to his service club and to scouting, with which he's been active since he was 12 years old. He's involved with the Des Plaines Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Baden-Powell Society, named for Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide scouting movement. The King of Sweden is the honorary president of this organization, which is devoted to encouraging scouting around the world, particularly in developing nations. The organization is limited to 1,000 members in 127 countries. Ken said, "I'm not used to rubbing shoulders with royalty, but we do when we attend these meetings." The last meeting was in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of England; also in attendance were the rulers of Sweden, Greece, Zimbabwe and Liechtenstein. A former member of the board of directors of the Union League Club of Chicago, Ken has also served on the board of the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs. He is currently the honorary chairman of the endowment campaign and a life luck with the reorganization efforts. • trustee of the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation. In addition. Ken is very involved with his church, the First Congregational Church of Western Springs UCC. His current home, in LaGrange Park, III., is in a retirement community / of the United Church of Christ. At 87, Ken says that what he wants most Is to continue to be a good husband, father and grandfather, and to enjoy his friends the best way he can. • f f -.J} " 'r r f V # / ft t *•J' • ' ^'S-G01! 200t7-8S6l.9 1\ NOOllWM SOOt XS SZl-e y^9INOd0 0 3l/\IOd3r 9OtrZ20 Nd 9-88J ISMdU ddCJtO puv uddo jffd ]vtdom9jr\[ dtunfmoj^ J ON ilLUjad Bd'a63||03 3}BJS aivd aBejsodSn IIViAl SSVlDlSBId jvnuuy ( He makes family a priority and enjoys gatherings in 9ci:i mocjp pp pp3^ pdisanbdy aDiAJds ssajppv t't7ZE-ZZS091l'>|ooja>|eo PPZ£xog Qd suopeiea ajenpejo SiOUIIlUB ^ uol)eJodlJO^ asnoH e^fdci eujuie^ jiid .