The Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta ~ Alpha Gamma Chapter Not For College Days Alone Volume 4, Issue 1 Phone: 810-232-9174 Website: www.ketteringfiji.com Graduate Relations: Pat Burnham Matt Jokerst James Cocke Inside this issue: The President’s Gavel 1 Newly Reorganized BSection 2 Board of Chapter Advisors - Spring Update 3 House Manager Report 4 2011 Annual Frank Norris Pig Dinner 5 Recruitment/Pledge Education 6 Athletics/Social 6 Graduate News 6 BCA Capital Campaign 7 Graduate BBQ - August 20, 2011 7 Graduate Questionnaire 8 Summer 2011 The President’s Gavel Brothers, Sadly, however, we must say goodbye to 2 of our graduating brothers. Dustin As another term ends, the brothers Hofer is now working at Dana Corporation of the Alpha Gamma Chapter are proud to in Toledo Ohio, while Will Giles is conannounce the revival of our B section half tinuing to work on his thesis at the Ford of the fraternity. Our 7 promising new B Motor Company in Dearborn MI. Both section brothers were initiated May 13th. brothers were extremely good students. With a positive outlook on the future, we Will had the second highest GPA in the are all ready to take the lead and bring Alhouse. They will be dearly missed, we wish pha Gamma to yet greater heights. them great success in their post-collegiate We are excited to be moving up in careers and hope to see them both very the ranks among the other fraternities on soon. campus. Our new scholarship plan is up and Even on off-recruitment terms we running smoothly. The members of the are constantly seeking men we would be Academic Committee have already brought willing to replace ourselves with. We were new and innovative ideas to furthering Ket- able to extend 3 bids to worthy scholars and tering Fiji’s academics. have already received one back. We are This year's Pig Dinner was a treconfident the others will accept after strong mendous success! We would like to thank deliberations on their part. all of the 144 attendees and we hope that This upcoming recruitment term you will join us for Pig Dinner 2012. With should prove to be fruitful with incoming plans already in the works, it will prove to freshmen for both sections. New recruiting be even more exciting than the last. ideas from everyone will increase our efOnce again our brothers have left forts. B-Section brothers will be busy as an impressive footprint around campus. Phi this will be their first few terms as Phi Gamma Delta can be seen leading anyGamma Delta brothers; we have great faith where from clubs like Firebirds, Card Club, in their abilities and look forward to hearing about their future success. Scuba club, Golf club, Cliffhangers, MudWe have pushed for greater unity boggers, and Trap and Skeet, to organizations such as Interfraternal Council, the between the two sections and the fruits of Kettering Student Government, Robot Soour labor are clearly showing. Interciety, SAE snowmobile, Student Alumi Sectional communication is at an all time Council, Academic Council, IEEE, GEO, high. We have brought together many aspects that until now have been separated. and three prestigious academic societies: Order of Omega, Alpha Pi Mu, Gamma We are confident that this closer union will make our paths more fruitful, and in the Sigma Alpha. years to come, bring glory to Phi Gamma Phi Gamma Delta impressively Delta. took home 2 championships in intramural basketball and water polo, and two 3rd place finishes in soccer and volleyball. We Fraternally, hope that this year we can hold fast to our Jon Palmer, B-Section President Matt Palm, A-Section President championship titles while climbing up the ranks in the other intramural sports. \r\nPAGE 2 NOT FOR COLLEGE DAYS ALONE VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 Newly Reorganized B–Section This past term has been very much a learning experience for the eight of us. Having received bids in the later part of the Fall 2010 term, we have successfully completed the pledge education process and were initiated into the Fraternity during the Spring 2011 term. It has been fun and sometimes stressful, learning the in’s and out’s of the Fraternity along with actually running the house and attempting to establish ourselves on the B-section campus. We have relied heavily on the assistance of the BCA and our Asection brothers to guide us in the right direction at times. However, the amount of support given has been tremendous. This has been a great example of the strong bonds of brotherhood within the Fraternity for us new members. Our primary focus has been recruitment as we strive to expand our small B-section group. We have been holding weekly recruitment events at the house in an attempt to attract new members. As this is an off-term for recruiting, we have been largely talking with students who have been on campus for a few years and have already decided that the Greek Life was not for them. However, we have high hopes that we can offer something different and fill a gap in the current Greek community on campus. As a result of our recruitment efforts, three bids were extended this term. As of now, one of those bids has been returned and we are hopeful that the other two will be returned soon also. Overall, this term has been a great learning experience for us all. We have learned how to run meetings effectively, how to plan recruitment events, how to become part of the Greek community on campus, and how to deal with the ever troublesome house boiler. As we have struggled with all these things, it has become apparent that there is no better time to join this Fraternity. The huge success of the recent 2011 Pig Dinner has showed us new members that we have the support of many graduate brothers. There is much work left to be done for B-section FIJI, but with planning and persistence we hope to accomplish these things. Fraternally, Jon Palmer Austin Christy Tom Peters James Cocke Tyler Green Aaron Pavlak Justin Hoag Adam Miller B-Section Brothers \r\nVOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 NOT FOR COLLEGE DAYS ALONE PAGE 3 Board of Chapter Advisors - Spring Update Hello Brothers, Many new and exciting events have occurred since our last newsletter. Over the past year, our advisory board has grown from an initial three to what is now 12 Brothers. I am proud to say that our one year goal and objectives are on track for completion. Our primary focus this past year has been the reorganization of B-Section (now at 8 brothers with additional bids handed out this term!), the Campaign Fund (over $100,000 pledged), housing repairs/ improvements (sewer line repaired), financial management of the chapter (budgets in place with donations being managed) and of course supporting the highly successful Pig Dinner this past May (over 140 in attendance, please see the website for pictures). With year one coming to a close, we are now shifting our focus on growing our chapter and taking on additional responsiblities. Growing the membership, making major repairs on the house, strengthening the Adivsory Board (Graduate base) and focusing on undergraduate excellence are our main objectives. This next phase in our Advisory Board requires not only financial support, but additional brothers who are interested in making a difference and leaving a legacy for those yet to come. If you are interested in being a part of the Advisory Board either full or part time, please contact either Jameson Fee or myself on how you can support the house. In closing, I wish to thank all of those that have given their time and money in supporting the house this past year. Know that your support is making a difference in perpetuating our chapter and the brotherhood we all so dearly cherish. "Not for college days alone..." Fraternally yours (and proud to be a Fiji!), Ed Kiell, BCA President Perge! BCA CONTACTS: Name Bradford Grems Chris Mikola Ed Kiell Jameson Fee Mark Jacobsen Rex Luzader Ron Leonard Vince Ferro Joe Horak Dan McConnon Steve Purvis Nick Woodall Position Graduate Relations Financial Board President PL\Chapter Operations Graduate Relations Financial Board Secretary Financial Board Recruitment House Manager Email bgrems@ludwigseeley.com cmikola@yahoo.com hugh_edward@yahoo.com jameson.fee@gmail.com mark@markjacobsen.net rluzader@hotmail.com Ron_lionheart@hotmail.com vnferro@gmail.com Josephhorak@gmail.com mcco9259@gmail.com sdpurvis@yahoo.com lb_squeaks@hotmail.com Phone 248-750-1700 248-980-3116 248-345-9046 248-520-9126 517-803-2254 732-996-6544 248-219-1070 248-807-1408 586-808-0520 616-856-0927 810-423-4223 \r\nPAGE 4 NOT FOR COLLEGE DAYS ALONE VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 House Manager Report The past 6 months have been busy at 1702 Flushing Rd. Back in January, we had yet another very productive work weekend. Being the entryway for over 30 brothers really takes its toll, so we repainted the foyer walls and ceiling to brighten the area and make it more presentable. We replaced the door locks on the main entry doors to the house to help make the house safer. The kitchen was given a nice thorough sanitization, which needs to be done periodically to keep it nice. After the A section, class of 2013’s pledge project of replacing the carpet in the upstairs hallway, something was missing. So we repainted the black, bottom border on the walls and added molding to it to cover the carpet edges. Last fall, some brothers had taken everything out of the storage unit to organize it so the basement was a mess. So the basement and storage unit were cleaned, brothers’ items were put back, and abandoned things were donated to the Flint Salvation Army. Since the house can get a bit drafty, we put shrinkwrap on the doors and windows in common areas to improve efficiency. The upstairs bathroom was also given an intense cleaning. The downstairs hallway was freshly repainted and an additional shelf was added in the crib room to accommodate the house’s growing collection of textbooks to lend to brothers. (To see pictures of this event, go to www.ketteringfiji.com/ brothers/work-weekend/winter-2011/ ) In addition to the work weekend, the A section, class of 2014 finished their pledge project. After many delays, due in part to the backed up sewage system, they were able to finish a major renovation of the downstairs bathroom, including tearing up the old tile floor and replacing it, replacing the entire countertop/sinks unit, replacing a broken urinal, repainting the bathroom, and moving the cleaning supplies from an ugly shelf behind a toilet to a new storage space under the sinks. (To see pictures of this event, go to www.ketteringfiji.com/brothers/ pledge-projects/downstairs-bathroom/ ) Being winter, one of the most important things to take care of was the boiler. At the start of the year, one of the pipes didn’t work so no one lived downstairs because there was no heat. That pipe got fixed and the House Managers did a great job of bleeding the radiator pipes once a week, keeping the house warmer than it ever has been in recent memory. The lawnmowers have all been recently repaired and some current B section brothers are working on a new sign for the house. To prepare for the coming summer term and recruitment, we also restored our beach volleyball court and painted the net posts. Unfortunately, our roof continues to leak in a few areas. The BCA has been gathering numerous quotes for repairs to the house, including the roof, some possible structural issues, and plumbing. Hopefully, their quotes and donations can lead to continuing improvement to the house to keep it sound for many brothers to come! Fraternally, Kyle Leppek Caleb Harrison Joel Laber House Managers Dave Butler Andy Mazzola \r\nVOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 NOT FOR COLLEGE DAYS ALONE PAGE 5 2011 Annual Frank Norris Pig Dinner On May 14, 2011, the Alpha Gamma Chapter hosted what was possibly our most successful Frank Norris Pig Dinner with 144 brothers and guests in attendance. The day started with 32 golfers who teamed up in a four man scramble mixing undergraduate and graduate brothers. This is where the brothers were able to share stories about their personal life and their experiences at GMI / Kettering. Prizes were awarded to the person with the longest drive, Ron Leonard; closest to the pin, Howard Parsons; and low net score, Raj Nair, Howard Parsons, Daniel McConnon, and Aaron TenHuisen. After golfing, the festivities of the night began where a fine pig was consumed along with other assortment of food. Raj Nair, the Keynote speaker, spoke about his times at GMI which alluded to his decision making of how to react in certain situations. He told many stories making people laugh and reminisce about the good times we all had in the house. Following Nair was the opening of the time capsule, where everyone in attendance was able to see the unveiling by seven Alpha Gamma Upsilon graduates. Precious and special items were identified and remembered of the beginning of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house at 1702 Flushing Road. Once all of the structured events came to an end that night, brothers gathered together and caught up with our pledge brothers. If the banquet hall would have allowed us to stay past midnight, I am certain there would be people still talking until the next morning. Several times throughout the night, brothers could be overheard saying, “Great job! This was the best Pig Dinner I’ve ever seen.” It was a true team effort! If it were not for the support of graduate brothers, A -section brothers and B-section brothers, it would not have been so successful. From the long weekly phone calls to the random emails throughout the day, everyone played a vital part in making this event a big hit. Thank you Phi Gamma Delta! Check out the website (www.ketteringfiji.com/grad-relations/pig_dinner/2011annual-frank-norris-pig-dinner/2011-pig-dinner-recap/) where there are over 250 pictures from the event. You can also check out the video made about the chapter history (www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyLLnOX-N6U) that coincided with the release of a book written by Keith Councell about the history of our chapter. Chapter History Book As mentioned at Pig Dinner, Brother Keith Councell (Class of 2003) has released his book about our chapter’s history. To help raise funds for the house, we are selling these books for $35 each. To get your copy, send the money to the FIJI house, and we will send you a book. So if you are interested in learning more about the Delta Chapter of Alpha Gamma Upsilon and the Alpha Gamma Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta, or if you want to relive old memories, buy a book and support your undergraduate brothers! \r\nPAGE 6 NOT FOR COLLEGE DAYS ALONE VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 A-Section Recruitment/Pledge Education A section has had a pretty good term in terms of Pledge Education and Recruitment. We taught the history of Phi Gamma Delta, the Alpha Gamma Chapter, and the history of our house as the Delta Chapter of Alpha Gamma Upsilon to a new class of brothers. At the end of the winter term, we initiated the Xi Class. We welcome Andy Mazzola, Dave Butler, Nick Zele, Mark Symons, and Kevin Waggoner as newly initiated brothers of Phi Gamma Delta! Congratulations! We also have had great success on recruitment for a non-recruitment term. We will have 3, maybe 4, pledges for the Summer term, which is relatively unheard of in recent memory. Athletics/Social As usual, Phi Gamma Delta has held a strong presence in the Kettering University intramural sporting crowd. We dominated in basketball and won the A Tourney Championship. Fiji also placed second in all other tournaments including waterpolo, volleyball , indoor soccer, and dodge-ball. Needless to say, Fiji has been a prominent force in Kettering’s athletic programs. With the coming summer term, we are looking to reclaim our softball and football championships. At FIJI Academy this past winter, we strengthened our ties with one of Phi Gamma Delta’s newest chapter, the chapter at Michigan State University. We have been in touch with them since their rechartering a year ago. It's nice to have a chapter nearby that we get along with so well. As of lately we have been creating stronger ties with the surrounding sororities outside of Kettering. U of M Flint is home to several sororities and it has been a pleasure to get to know them and have them visit the house and partake in various social events. Sigma Sigma Sigma recently came out to the house and, like our B Section, they too have been reorganized. It was nice to be able to share our stories of the process and effort and have that in common. It has also been very important that we continue to expand our networking outside of Kettering alone and continue to congregate with the other colleges in our area. Graduate News Brother John Spring (Class of 1953) will be inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in September for his very impressive 20-year career as a fastpitch softball pitcher. To read more, see http://www.mlive.com/sports/flint/index.ssf/2011/05/ketterings_john_spring_not_the.html Please visit our website at www.ketteringfiji.com; we try to keep it updated as best as possible. We also have a email group for graduate brothers. If you are not receiving these or would like to be a part of the group, please contact me at mtjokerst@yahoo.com. If you are ever in the Flint area, please come visit us, share your own stories with our undergrad brothers, and see the house and the improvements we have been making. Once again, I request you to stay in touch and remember that Phi Gamma Delta and Alpha Gamma are “Not For College Days Alone.” \r\nVOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 NOT FOR COLLEGE DAYS ALONE PAGE 7 BCA Capital Campaign We are currently in the midst of a multi-year campaign to help raise funds to grow the membership, repair items that need it, and build a reserve against future needs. To date we have had donations from over 80 brothers, with a total of over $107,000 raised. If you are interested in donating, please see the website (www.ketteringfiji.com) or contact a member of the BCA. To date, we have used the funds for: B-section recolonization — ~$5,000 First major project: the replacement of the main sewage pipes — total cost was ~$11,000. Second major project: the structural issue of the leaning house — Estimated total cost of $10,000+, cost as of 6/8/11 ~$5,000 Third major project: replacing the badly leaking roof — Estimate of ~$20,000 to be completed after Structural issue is completed. Graduate BBQ - August 20, 2011 Each year the Alpha Gamma Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta holds a Summer Graduate BBQ sometime during the summer term (usually near the end of August). In the past, the agenda has always been: a morning golf outing, lunch back at the house, a grad vs undergrad volleyball game (winner gets the Stanley Pot), and then some sort of auction or raffle prizes would be given out. With the recent loss of a brother of ours, Randy Hamkins, and the start of a yearly scholarship at Kettering in honor of his name, the brothers of Phi Gamma Delta have decided to change the morning golf outing to the first year for the Randy Hamkins Memorial Golf Tournament. Starting in 2011, we will start the Graduate BBQ day with a golf tournament where a portion of the proceeds will go towards funding this memorial scholarship in Randy’s name. After the tournament, we will continue with the rest of Graduate BBQ similar to years past with lunch at the house and a grad vs undergrad volleyball game (best of 3). There will also be raffle tickets available for purchase (golfing gets you 2 free tickets) at the house which will enter you into a prize give away that will take place later in the afternoon. Also this year, we will be putting a new time capsule and corner stone in the house. So make sure you come by to include your piece of history for brothers to see 25 years in the future! \r\nVOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 NOT FOR COLLEGE DAYS ALONE PAGE 8 ATTENTION GRADU ATES! ATTENTION GRADUATES! This chapter newsletter is published twice a year by the undergraduates at no cost to the graduates. If you wish to relay information, have any interesting stories of your college days, suggestions, comments, or wish to donate any photographs for publication, please contact the chapter. We would appreciate your getting in touch with us by completing this graduate questionnaire and mailing your responses to the chapter. We look forward to hearing from you. GRADUATE QUESTIONNAIRE Name______________________________________________________ Class Year___________________ Nickname______________________________ Offices held at Fiji________________________________ Wife’s Name____________________________ Children_________________________________________ Company ___________________________________ Home Phone_________________________________ Email Address_______________________________ Cell Phone__________________________________ News to share, Announcements____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Would you like any of the above information in the next newsletter? Yes ___ Yes, I’ll be attending this year’s Graduate BBQ on August 20, 2011. No ___ No, but maybe next year. Comments, Suggestions______________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ *There is a new PayPal link on our website, www.ketteringfiji.com, if you would like to make any donations toward the house. We appreciate any financial support and hope you enjoy this newsletter and remember that Phi Gamma Delta is “not for college days alone.” Please provide any feedback, comments, suggestions or any additional information you would like to see in the next edition of the newsletter by emailing: Matt Palm: palm.matthew@gmail.com