The Sigma Omicronicle Oklahoma State University of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity - Spring 2012 Edition O VER 300 G ATHER FOR P IG D INNER By: Ryan Bebee (1995) Our reunion weekend for the 50th Pig Dinner began for many on Friday, February 24. Nearly 40 brothers and spouses gathered at Karsten Creek for those whose Fiji experience began at the “Gingerbread” house. They brought old photos, scrapbooks and numerous stories. Many had not seen each other in some time and all who attended were genuinely happy to have the opportunity to reconnect. A great deal of thanks goes to Rob Roper (1967) for getting this idea going and for underwriting the cost of the dinner. It was awesome to witness 50 years of history, re-kindled friendships and genuine praise and support of Sigma Omicron. This is why it is often said that PGD is not for college days alone. While it may have begun in Stillwater for most of us, it never ends and continues living in our contacts throughout the years. The 50th Pig Dinner definitely displayed this. H IGHLIGHTS • The Conoco Phillips Alumni Center hosted approximately 225 graduates and 100 undergraduates at the 50th Anniversary Pig Dinner. • The Capital Campaign has officially launched with over $1.52 million pledged toward our $2.5 million goal. Renew your commitment to Sigma Omicron today by making a contribution using the enclosed form and envelope. • A special thanks to all who helped make the 50th Pig Dinner a grand success! Perge! Founders and Gingerbread House Residents. On Saturday evening, about 225 Sigma Omicron graduates joined approximately 100 undergraduates for what we believe is the largest number of SO brothers ever assembled. We had more graduates register than anticipated! Fortunately, our gracious undergraduates moved to the atrium to allow all graduates to sit in the ball room. Our undergraduate chapter is doing very well and these fine brothers were receptive and engaging to their “elder” brothers who had not attended a Pig Dinner nor journeyed back to Stillwater in some time. Most graduates remem- bered how to wear their badge and if they did not, were not bashful about asking a younger brother for some assistance. Charter member JD Boyer (1965) was the 2012 Patron of the Pig and charter member Max Hampton (1964) reserved the right to kiss Zeus on the snout while Nathan Hoggard (2015) took his respective place in history! Zach Overton (1996) continued his legacy of his memorized presenta(Continued on page 2) I NSIDE THIS ISSUE : C APITAL C AMPAIGN T OPS $1.52 M ILLION 4 U NDERGRADUATE U PDATE 5 G RADUATE SPOTLIGHT - M IKE C ROCKER 6 S CHOLARSHIP W INNERS 7 Join “Sigma Omicron Fijis” on Facebook! \r\nS IGMA O MICRONICLE P AGE 2 O VER 300 G ATHER FOR P IG D INNER CONTINUED ... were available in the lobby that created quite a buzz of excitement by all who attended. To date, our five year campaign has $1.52M in commitments towards our $2.5M goal to completely rebuild the chapter house at 1123 W. University! Sires and Sons certificates were presented to: • Sire Phil Bowersox (1970), son Will (Nu Omega 2010), 2001 Wilkinson Award runner-up and son Charles (Nu Omega 2014), current undergrad. Charter members receiving their Golden Owl awards. (Continued from page 1) tion of The Exile’s Toast which led to a standing ovation. One of the many highlights was recognizing nine charter members with their Golden Owl certificates and lapel pins: • Mark Birmingham (1965) - Round Rock, TX • JD Boyer (1964) - Pond Creek, OK • Vaughn Bryan (1965) - Redlands, CA • Sire Mark Fritze (1980) and son Steven (2015), current SO new initiate. Owls. Sigma Omicron was honored to host Lou Trost (1950) and Joe Ellis (1950). These two Nu Omega graduates were critical to the purchase of our current chapter house (the former Kappa house) where nearly 1,000 of us have lived or eaten at one time. • Sire Kelly Kobs (1985), son Brandon (2013), current SO undergrad and son Kory (2015), current SO new initiate. SOHA president Randall Whittaker (1970) revealed our capital campaign, “Honoring our Past, Ensuring our Future.” (Details in other area of this publication). A slide-show was viewed and donors recognized in print. Story boards • Friendship Award: Logan Thomas (2013) - Oklahoma City The following brothers received awards and were recognized: • Mike Monroney Knowledge Award: Shane Rasch (2014) - Wichita, KS • Mike Crocker (1963) - Trinity, FL • Richard Garrison (1963) - Dallas, TX • Marty Glasser (1964) - San Diego, CA • Max Hampton (1964) - Newport Beach, CA • Danny McCarty (1964) - Aspen, CO • John Tway (1964) - Dallas, TX We hope to see the other six on February 23, 2013! We also were joined by three of four founders: Dale Anderson (1961), Kent Moore (1962) and Bill Gurley (1961). These three brothers were also presented with their Golden Will, Phil, Steve and Charles Bowersox. (Continued on page 3) \r\nP AGE 3 O VER 300 G ATHER FOR P IG D INNER CONTINUED ... (Continued from page 2) • Service Award: Brentley Lindsey (2013) - Oklahoma City • Kenny Marchetti Morality Award: Sam Hitchcock (2014) - Edmond • Excellence Award: Nick Staples (2014) - Oklahoma City • Best Out-of-House Brother: Corey Gable (2012) - Stillwater • Downright Purple Award: Brandon Kobs (2013) - Edmond • Bob Mathias Outstanding Athlete Award: Logan Thomas (2013) Oklahoma City Bringing in the Pig. • Model Pledge (Spring 2011): Blake Scarborough (2015) - Idabel • Model Pledge (Fall 2011): Ryan Tatum (2015) - Edmond • Geoff Grabow Model Brother Award: Beau Bromley (2013) - Broken Arrow • Prof Bob Hamm Outstanding Graduate Brother: Chris Neurohr (2003) -Tulsa Emcee Chase Arnold (2012) was able to read letters of congratulations to the chapter from Gov. Mary Fallin, Executive Director Bill Martin, Archon President Jim Hickey and Famous Fiji Jack Nicklaus. Pig Dinner concluded with a rousing rendition of “I Would Rather Be a Fiji.” Attendees were given a commemorative coaster with the recognition and theme- Honoring our Past, Ensuring our Future. The evening closed as “The Changing Times” (1970’s Fiji house band) played for this historic occasion. Please join us next year on the fourth Saturday in February (2/23/13) as tradition holds for our annual reunion of Friendship at the Norris Pig Dinner. Perge! Fall 1991 Pledges (Iota Class). Fall 1992 Pledges (Lambda Class). \r\nS IGMA O MICRONICLE P AGE 4 C APITAL C AMPAIGN T OPS $1.52 M ILLION Send in Your Pledge to Help Us Reach Our $2.5 Million Goal By: Randall Whittaker (1970) - House Corporation President As the chairman for the Building for the Next 50 Years campaign, it has been a tremendous opportunity for me to reconnect with so many of our graduate brothers. Little did I know when we began this journey I would have the opportunity to work with so many outstanding men dedicated to the future of our Fraternity. At this point in the campaign, we have raised more than $1.52 million. We are certainly inching closer to our $2.5 million goal but have a long way to go. We must get there to have the financial and long-range integrity for the chapter that we all desire. The time has come for every Sigma Omicron graduate to get involved in the Building for the Next 50 Years campaign. The project will, no doubt, accomplish exactly what it was envisioned to be: a catalyst that will provide Phi Gamma Delta with a quality living environment that supports, nurtures, and develops outstanding young men with the skills and confidence to face an everchanging world. We have started that process, but it is up to all of us to make sure the groundwork is laid for the future of the brothers who follow. Someone allowed us the opportunity to be Fijis, and now we need to provide that opportunity for those who come to Oklahoma State five, 10, and 50 years from now. As you contemplate joining the 80 Sigma Omicron brothers who have made commitments to this campaign, I urge you to think about the mission of our fraternity: “Phi Gamma Delta exists to promote lifelong friendships, to reaffirm high ethical standards and values, and to foster personal development in the pursuit of excellence. Phi Gamma Delta is committed to provide opportunities to each brother to develop responsibility, leadership, scholarship and social skills in order to become a fully contributing member of society.” Now is your chance to honor the commitment you made to Fiji and to your brothers past, present, and future. As members, we are all bound together by a strong brotherhood. By sending in your pledge today, you are showing the undergraduate brothers that the bonds of our brotherhood do not end when you graduate from Oklahoma State—they last a lifetime. Please join me in this effort by making your commitment today! Perge! \r\nP AGE 5 U NDERGRADUATE U PDATE March and additionally won best vocals & best choreography with the theme of “Fast Food.” Spring Sing with the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma and the theme of “America” proved its humor and entertainment, but didn’t pull through with the same outcome. Sigma Omicron finished up another great year with the spring 2012 semester coming to a close. Our fraternity finished among the top houses in every category and is looking to perform the small tasks well to maintain our status as a well-rounded fraternity. Our fall 2011 class began with 32 men; the 30 who remained completed the pledging process and 100% made the grade requirement! They joined our ranks in January. We currently have seven members of the spring pledge class who are working hard to become members. We finished fifth in grades in spring 2012 with a 3.1923, which is chapter members and pledges combined. Fiji, along with the women of Pi Beta Phi, placed first in Varsity Revue in Just before Pig Dinner, the undergrads and the housing corporation teamed up to lay new sod at the house that has been growing thicker all semester. Sigma Omicron’s 50th Pig Dinner was the largest gathering of Sigma Omicron brothers that there has ever been with over 300 brothers in attendance including nine of the original charter members and three of the four chapter founders! Our show directors have decided to pair with the women of Kappa Alpha Theta for Freshman Follies next fall and our homecoming directors have also paired with Theta for homecoming in the fall. Please plan a homecoming visit to Sigma Omicron October 20 vs. Iowa State. The International PGD awards applications and individual applications were Come join the Tulsa Graduate Chapter for lunch! submitted in April. The chapter nominated Kim Cunningham for the Coulter Cup (Graduate Brother of the Year), Eric Knam for the Durrance Cup (Purple Legionnaire of the Year), and Shane Gibson for the Wilkinson Cup (Graduating Senior of the Year). The chapter spent many hours compiling the awards packet and the results will be given at the 164th Ekklesia at the beginning of August in New Orleans. Our recruitment chairs have already begun the recruitment process for the summer with one recruitment apartment in Tulsa and another in Oklahoma City. The recruitment team has a float trip and a lake trip planned for the summer and is eager to get to know the future brothers of our house. If you need to submit a rush recommendation or notify us of a legacy, please email Jay List (1997) at jayalanlist@gmail.com. All in all, Sigma Omicron is still shining bright as we excel and finish strong in everything our fraternity does. We couldn’t be more proud to be Phi Gams at Oklahoma State! The Tulsa Oklahoma Graduate Chapter meets once a month for lunch, enjoying some brotherly conversation and a great time. In May, sixteen brothers gathered at the Full Moon Cafe. Pictured are: John Ha (1994), Steve Pittman (1975), Eric Knam (1992), Rob Lindsly (1967), Jeremy Wier (2001), Brian Smith (1996), Tom Harris Jr. (Nu Omega 1956), Bob Persson (1966), Michael Bass (LSU 1982), Jim Thomas (1966), Doug Martin (Nu Omega 1956), Rollie Heatly (1975) and Randall Whittaker (1970). Contact Eric Knam at eric.d.knam@gmail.com if you live in the area and wish to join them. \r\nS IGMA O MICRONICLE P AGE 6 S IGMA O MICRON ’ S F IRST G RADUATE - M ICHAEL C ROCKER (1963) Why did you choose Oklahoma State? My brother graduated from OSU (Oklahoma A & M at that time) and most of my visits to college campuses were to OSU. I don’t believe I seriously considered any other school and with several high school friends also attending OSU, it seemed like a comfortable choice. Why did you pledge Phi Gamma Delta? The FIJI Delta Colony was established at OSU during my sophomore year. Early in my junior year, I was invited to the gingerbread house by a friend, Dick Cornish (1964). I soon realized how strong FIJI was as a national fraternity, plus the governor at the time, J. Howard Edmondson and one of the US Senators, Mike Monroney, were both Fiji’s from the University of Oklahoma. The Colony had established a good base and several men who I wanted to associate with and become fraternity brothers. Pledging the Delta Colony and later becoming a FIJI Fraternity brother was one of the best decisions I ever made. What is your favorite memory as an undergraduate? I was the intramural sports director my senior year. We surprised many, including ourselves, by making the playoffs in football. After winning the first playoff game, then came the reality check when the Sigma Nu’s absolutely destroyed us on the field, but that didn’t take away from what we had accomplished. Fielding a wrestling team was also memorable. I’ll never forget having to tell my big brother Max Hampton (1964) that his heavy weight first round opponent was a Houston Oiler defensive tackle returning to school for the spring semester. Max made a wise decision, enough said. What is your favorite memory as a graduate so far? Two occasions stand out among many. The first oc- curred at Texas Tech in 1989 when my youngest son Scott became my fraternity brother. Putting the black diamond badge on him at his initiation was an unforgettable moment. The second occasion occurred this past February at the 50th Pig Dinner and reunion. I’ve often thought if a reunion of the charter members could be arranged that I would not want to miss it. I am deeply appreciative of those who arranged the weekend and those who attended and especially the charter members. What kind of influence has the fraternity had on your life? Being part of a “start up” Fraternity chapter taught me and the other charter members how to compete with the more established fraternities. I’m sure that gave me a sense of confidence that the other charter members have as evidenced by their respective business and professional successes. Tell us about your family. I married Kay Meyer on June 26, 1965. Kay was from Bartlesville, a Pi Phi at the University of Oklahoma, where she graduated in 1964. Our older son Steve was born in 1966 and was a history major at the University of Oklahoma. He lives in Tampa with his wife Barbara, three children, and is manager of a shutter importer and distributor. Our younger son Scott was born in 1969. He started at Texas Tech where he became a Fiji and graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in communications. Scott also lives in Tampa with this wife Theresa, two children, and works in the family business. Did you live in the chapter house? If so, who were your roommates? I moved into the gingerbread house during a summer school session before my senior year. In the first semester, I lived in the west annex, which resembled a small army barrack. Rooming with a dozen or more men enabled each of us to get to know each other rather well. During the second semester, I roomed with Dan McCarty (1964) in the popular upstairs bedroom terrace. The ter- race was well known for its view down the second floor hallway of the girl’s dormitory, Stout Hall. The bedroom was well equipped, including a telescope and got lots of company. Tell us about your career. After graduation in 1963, and a brief stint in the Army, I started working in Lawton as a salesman with Colgate Palmolive. Competing with the larger fraternities was good training for competing with Procter & Gamble. Various promotions in the sales department led to transfers to Oklahoma City, Houston, Jackson, MS, New Orleans, San Francisco, Syracuse, Cherry Hill, NJ, and back to Houston. Facing another re-location in 1980, I left Colgate and joined a real estate marketing company in Houston. It wasn’t a good business experience, but an education in what to avoid in starting my own company. In 1990, we moved to the Tampa, FL, area and shortly thereafter started a water treatment company focusing on the residential customer. Mr. Water is the name of the company as I am often called by many of the customers. Mr. Water is a typical family business with Kay as the office manager and Scott as the partner and heir apparent Mr. Water. What are your major interests now? Full retirement still does not inter(Continued on page 7) \r\nP AGE 7 CONGRATS SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS The 2012 Sigma Omicron Scholarship recipients were formally recognized at the recent Pig Dinner. After a $50,000 donation from SOHA and a $100,000 future match by OSU, the Annual SOHA Scholarship Fund was created. The fund was setup to disburse $500 each to five outstanding members of Sigma Omicron for a total disbursement of $2,500/year. This year, three of these awards were to go to an outstanding member from the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes and the other two were to be given to members, regardless of age, which have made the upmost sacrifices for Sigma Omicron while exhibiting Friendship, Knowledge, Service, Morality, & Excellence. President - Randall Whittaker 1970 rwhittaker@pixius.net Treasurer - Chris Neurohr 2003 cneurohr@scissortailenergy.com Secretary - Michael Martin 2005 michaelpaulmartin@yahoo.com Directors & Members Pictured are the winners of the awards for the 2011-12 academic year (l to r) : Chris Stockton (2015), Logan Thomas (2013), Beau Bromley (2013), D. Campbell Liles (2014) and Jordan Mayes (2013). Congratulations to our 2nd Annual SOHA Scholarship recipients! GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT CONTINUED ... (Continued from page 6) est me and isn’t in the immediate future. I have tried to cut back on the work hours and play more golf, but I keep finding excuses to go to work. I see many customers younger than me who are bored by retirement and are looking for something meaningful to do. Continuing to work has enabled us to enjoy vacation trips and cruises that we couldn’t otherwise afford. After three weeks in Europe last year, we knew we had to go back and we plan on another long European vacation next year. What is your favorite Pig Dinner memory? The first chapter Pig Dinner in 1963 was very memorable, learning the Ritual as well as eating pork directly from the pig. At the following year’s Pig Dinner, I had the privilege of being the Master of Ceremonies and spending time with the guest Sigma Omicron Housing Association, Inc. speaker, Governor J. Howard Edmondson. What are you famous for outside of Phi Gamma Delta? I’m not really famous for anything. I am proud of the distinction of being the first graduate of the chapter. That feeling of pride has been enhanced by the growth of the chapter at the accomplishments of the 1,000 plus graduate brothers. During my Colgate career, I was awarded the “Top Pros” distinction, which was the highest recognition of career achievement in the sales and marketing department. In the Tampa Bay area, several thousand customers depend on the Mr. Water Company to provide them good water. Their continued support and the calls from new customers who want our services is a rewarding and satisfying experience. Contact Mike at crockermrwater@aol.com or 727.372.1654. Kim Cunningham 1975 Jim Quigley 1979 Steve Pittman 1975 Mike Hill 1968 Chris Day 1980 Aaron Wilson 2008 Purple Legionnaire Eric Knam 1993 eric.d.knam@gmail.com Sigma Omicron Board of Chapter Advisors Treasurer Advisor Gentry Parker 1996 gparker24@cox.net Historian Advisor Race Clark 2010 race.clark@ou.edu CS/RS Advisor Matt Morgan 2009 mmorgan@osugiving.com Risk Management Advisor Michael Bass LSU 1982 michael.bass@verizonbusiness.com Recruitment Advisor Jay List 1997 jayalanlist@gmail.com \r\nPhi Gamma Delta Fraternity 1201 Red Mile Road Lexington, KY 40504 Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Lexington, KY Permit # 540 REMEMBER WHEN? Sigma Omicron Installation - November 10, 1962 Bottom Row: Fred Mostrom (1964), Mike Crocker (1963), Dan McCarty (1964), James Daniel (1964), John Tway (1964), Mark Birmingham (1965), J.D. Boyer (1964) Top Row: Bill Gurley (1961), Rex Stith (1964), Vaughn Bryan (1965), Jerry Robinson (1965), Jim Swagerty (1965), Max Hampton (1964), Vernon Thornton (1964), Robert Williams (1964), Martin Glasser (1964), Bill Thomas (1964) Not Pictured: Bennie Cravatt (1965) and Tom Garrison (1963) Design, printing and mailing services provided by the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.