Spring 2011 The Potpourri A Newsletter from the Xi Deuteron Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at Case Western Reserve University President’s Welcome Brothers, My name is Jim Petras, and I am the current president of the Xi Deuteron Chapter. Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter, which is the first that we have distributed since the chapter returned to Case Western Reserve’s campus in 2007! On February 2, the Xi Deuteron Chapter celebrated its 135th anniversary, and it is my pleasure to report to you that the state of the chapter remains strong! Last semester, our brothers’ GPA average was ranked first among 16 chapters on campus. We recently inducted seven pledges, bringing the chapter to 47 members strong. With these numbers, we intend to grow to the chapter’s largest size this fall since returning to Case Western Reserve. We are hosting our 4th annual philanthropy dodgeball tournament that benefits the American Red Cross. Additionally, we are striving to perform more than 650 community service hours and to have record graduate brother attendance at this spring’s Pig Dinner where Archon Secretary Mike Stewart (Penn State 1972) will be the keynote speaker. (See the enclosed Pig Dinner invitation.) Check out our website at fiji.case.edu to learn more about the chapter and get updates about upcoming events. Help us help you by updating your contact information at phigam.org. If you would like assistance with updating your information, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jdp53@case.edu. Finally, I would like to thank all of the graduates who have made contributions to Phi Gamma Delta over the past year. Not only do you help to keep Fiji affordable for the undergrads, but you also remind us that Phi Gamma Delta is not for college days alone! Jim Pergé! Each Saturday brothers and pledges tutor local elementary, middle, and high school students at the Church of the Covenant. VISIT US AT FIJI.CASE.EDU \r\nNOTES FROM THE ADVISORS Newly Constituted Board of Chapter Advisors (BCA) for Xi Deuteron Under the leadership of Brother Jules (Ken Kovach, 1967), Xi Deuteron has a fully functioning BCA. Graduate Brothers Kevin Carney (2009), Maksim Chernyavskiy (2010), Matt Patton (2009), and Chairut Vareechon (2010) are fully engaged in assisting the Chapter in setting its goals, developing an action plan to achieve goals, following-up to see the action plan is being accomplished, and monitoring the continuation of the action plan. The BCA works with the Purple Legionnaire in determining areas from the Standards of Excellence where the Chapter is deficient and helps brothers establish the goals and action plans to correct the deficiencies. One of the first actions of the BCA was to work with the cabinet and conduct a cabinet review for fall 2010. Each brother provided his response to six questions related to the roles of the members of the Cabinet. The President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Historian got feedback on their past performances. This provides a benchmark for the new cabinet members concerning areas that need improvement. The current Cabinet will get a mid-term peer assessment and an end-of-term assessment. These assessments now become part of the standard operating procedures for the Chapter. The BCA’s Work Plan for 2011 includes: (1) assist the Chapter in moving beyond the status quo and continue with “culture change” at Xi Deuteron, (2) assist in developing a strong graduate relations program, (3) assist in expanded communications including a timely newsletter, and (4) assist in enhancing the new image of Xi Deuteron on the CWRU campus and leverage this image to compete for awards and recognition from IHQ. The BCA meets monthly with the cabinet. We are always interested in expanding the BCA with additional graduate brothers! NOTE: Please contact Brother Jules by email: THEKOVACHCOMPANY@wowway.com House Corporation Brothers, As the landscape continues to evolve in University Circle, we witnessed this year the closing of our neighboring fraternity house, Zeta Beta Tau. Although the ZBT’s were already constructing a new house on Magnolia, their house on Bellflower was closed due to the lack of physical upkeep. The Xi Deuteron Building Association Company (House Corp) is committed to ensuring similar actions can never be taken against our Chapter. We remain committed to providing our undergraduate brothers with a safe, affordable and comfortable living space conducive to achieving academic excellence. Currently, the House Corp’s cash position is modestly sufficient and the only debt being carried is a mortgage obtained for physical improvements to reopen the house. Cash flow is positive, although only slightly above break-even. The Chapter’s commitment to increase house occupancy will greatly improve the cash flow and allow for principal reductions to the mortgage. Additionally, we resumed capitalizing of the Reserve Fund in 2010. Any contributions to assist in reducing the mortgage balance and debt servicing are always appreciated and help ensure that Phi Gamma Delta will remain a cornerstone of the Bellflower community. Fraternally, Bob Morgan (1995) Pergé! Purple Legionnaire Brothers, I hope this newsletter finds you well. Our house is getting stronger every semester. The brothers continue to find men to bring to our fold that exceed the lofty standards that Phi Gamma Delta represents. We have seven men pledged in the spring of 2011 and initiated nine new members from the fall 2010 Pledge Class. The active brothers had the number one GPA on campus. You read that correctly brothers: the highest GPA on campus! Overall, our Chapter finished third out of all fraternities with a 3.38 and bested the All-Men’s average. We expect success in fraternity intramurals as well as Greek Week, where our Rope Pull Team, lead by Coach Kevin Carney, is dedicated to nothing less than a first place finish. Things look very bright for the Xi Deuteron Chapter. Unfortunately, not all of the news that I have to report is happy. It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Martin Juredine, proprietor of the Barking Spider on February 1, 2011. The Spider was the site of so many Fiji gatherings that I would be remiss if I did not mention this loss. The Spider will be operated by Martin’s daughter in the future and continues to provide music and refreshment for members of the Case Western community. Sincerely, James Schmidt (CWRU 1997) Pergé! \r\nGRADUATE NEWS Grads Visit the House Thanks to our summer visitors who made the trip to Cleveland and the Xi Deuteron Chapter house to relive some past memories and catch up with fellow brothers. Pictured (L-R): Jack Vanek (1970), Jim Gavacs (1973), George Yanok (1972), Doug Montgomery (1972), Bob Smith (1972), Paul Cevasco (1972), Stan Jonas (1973), and Fred Ricart (1973). The undergraduate brothers welcome any and all Phi Gamma Delta graduates to stop by the house. We enjoy hearing the great stories from your undergraduate days. Our address is 11317 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH 44106. Call to Graduate Brothers The Chapter could not operate as well as it does without the strong support of graduate brothers. We thank those who are listed below. If you’re also interested in giving back to the Chapter by volunteering your time, please contact Jim Petras (jdp53@case.edu), Bob Niebaum (robert.niebaum@case.edu), or Ken Kovach (thekovachcompany@wowway.com). House Corporation Pat Carney (1980), President Bob Niebaum (1969), Treasurer and COO John Saganich (1979), Secretary Bob Barclay (1959), Architect Ken Kovach (1967) Mike Magness (1970) Bob Morgan (1995) James Schmidt (1997) Max Chernyavski (2010) Jim Petras (2012) Michael Johnson (2013) From Brother Joe Mellott (CWRU 1990) I currently live in Stow, Ohio and am currently employeed by Garland Industries as Director of Business Development. I am married to Lisa and am the father of Mitch (14) and Cate (12). I encourage all brothers to come to the FIJI Summer Picnic/Golf Outing/Excessive Bar Time every summer! (joemellott@garlandind.com) From Brother John Davis (CWRU 1962) Age 75. Currently retired. Undergraduate nickname was “Suds.” Finally graduated in ‘62. One of my daughters is a graduate of Case Western Reserve’s dental school. (dtn5149@gmail.com) Board of Chapter Advisors Ken Kovach (1967), Chairman Kevin Carney (2009) Matt Patton (2009) Max Chernyavski (2010) Chairut Vareechon (2010) Section Chief Bob Niebaum (1969) Purple Legionnaire James Schmidt (1997) Above: Brother Bob Niebaum (1969) was recently recognized at FIJI Academy, the fraternity’s annual leadership conference, for his service on the Section Chief Executive Committee. As of February, Brother Niebaum has served as Section Chief for 33 years. \r\nXi Deuteron Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta 11317 Bellflower Rd Cleveland, OH 44106-3925 PROUD TO BE A FIJI SAVE THE DATE! 4th ANNUAL FIJI DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT 3/26/11 Xi Deuteron Pig Dinner 4/30/11 Join the Xi Deuteron Chapter as we raise money for the American Red Cross! The Xi Deuteron Chapter is hosting its annual Pig Dinner at Judson Manor, the same location where the 1936 Ekklesia was held! Archon Secretary Mike Stewart (Penn State 1972) will be the keynote speaker. RSVP to Akil Murthi at axm334@case.edu Eta Graduate Chapter Lunches The graduate chapter holds lunches on the second Tuesday of each month at The Harp on Cleveland’s westside. For more information, contact Brother Roger Peckinpaugh (Ohio Wesleyan 1967) at RTP8500@aol.com. If you have questions or would like to submit graduate news, please contact Xi Deuteron’s President Jim Petras at jdp53@case.edu