Mu Deuteron Colony of Phi Gamma Delta FIJI IOWAN Spring 2010 MU DEUTERON RETURNS TO IOWA A Mu Deuteron Colony of Phi Gamma Delta has been established at the University of Iowa. A diverse group of 22 quality young men participated in pledging ceremonies at the Iowa Memorial Union on October 16, 2009. The recruitment, organization and training of both pledges and graduate brothers was accomplished by two outstanding Fraternity staff members: Josh Laufenberg (Illinois 2008) Director of Expansion and Field Secretary Wes Martin (Missouri State 2008). Both brothers were based in Iowa City for a six-week period last fall. “There is no doubt the positive connection with the great history of Mu Deuteron helped ensure the establishment of the colony,” Brother Laufenberg said. “The future of Mu Deuteron can and will be assured by the active and involved support of Mu Deuteron graduate brothers.” Our Fraternity is implementing a very aggressive expansion program. During 2009, PGD established or reestablished its presence on six campuses. With the colonization of Iowa, Phi Gamma Delta will be active again at all Big Ten universities. Since this expansion pro- gram’s inception, the Fraternity has maintained a 98.7% success rate, losing only one colony in 2004. The reactivation of Mu Deuteron is dependent upon several developments: Steady growth in membership, operational efficiency, campus involvement, community service and continuing graduate support. Typically, the time period from colonization to chartering is 12 to 18 months. While the rechartering of Mu Deuteron in the fall of 2010 is a possibility, re-chartering by spring 2011 is more likely. What’s News? • Twenty-two men were pledged into Mu Deuteron on October 16, 2009. • Graduate involvement is needed for a successful chapter. Will you join the Board of Chapter Advisors? • Make plans to attend Pig Dinner on April 17, 2010 in Iowa City. Send a copy of this Fiji Iowan to your Mu Deuteron brothers via e-mail. Share their e-mail with us at address@phigam.org. Inside this issue: Our twenty-two new founding fathers. Bringing Fiji Back to Iowa 2 Chapter House Update 3 Pledge Class Introductions 4 Graduate Leadership 6 Scholarship Program 7 \r\nFIJI IOWAN Page 2 BRINGING FIJI BACK TO IOWA Developing the Mu Deuteron Colony didn’t just happen. There was no Rush Week, chapter house to visit or active brothers to help. Director of Expansion Josh Laufenberg (Illinois 20808), and Field Secretary Wes Martin (Missouri State 2009) from the International Headquarters staff made it happen. They conducted a strategic, well planned sixweek program focusing on public relations, recruitment, team building and campus relations. The Fraternity’s recruitment program for colonies is recommendation-based. Recommendations from university faculty, administration, staff, campus leaders, sorority women and local graduates helped identify men who met Phi Gamma Delta’s standards. The following well planned program was implemented: Week 1: Campus orientation and public relations Weeks 2-3: Informational meeting and recruitment interviews Weeks 4-5: Recruitment interviews and membership selection Week 6: New member orientation, officer training and goal setting Presentations telling the Phi Gamma Delta story were made to all sororities on campus. A recruitment open house was held at the Gamma Phi Beta house. Twenty-two men were offered bids and all accepted. In addition, informational meetings with graduate brothers were held and four were recruited to fill the important roles of Purple Legionnaire and Pledge Trainer. Contact was also made with the University Alumni Office to update both the mail and internet addresses of Fiji graduate brothers. This is how two young brothers from International Headquarters brought Mu Deuteron back to the University of Iowa. Thanks Josh and Wes! MU DEUTERON FOUNDING HISTORY Our chapter was first founded in 1873. It closed the same year. Forty-six years later, Phi Gamma Delta “came back” to the University of Iowa. On October 25, 1919 a local fraternity (Phi Zeta Epsilon) comprised of 38 members was initiated into the Fraternity. Mu Deuteron became the 62nd chapter of our Fraternity. There were 16 college fraternities at the time. The Mu Deuteron chapter house at 303 Ellis Avenue was built in 1923-24. This was made possible by the “grand old man of Iowa,” brother Luther A. Brewer (Gettysburg 1989) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. \r\nPage 3 CHAPTER HOUSE UPDATE By: Bill Baker (1977) Each of you has passed through the front door of 303 Ellis many times. I have the good fortune to still do that on a regular basis. It is truly bittersweet to have the house still owned by Mu Deuteron but occupied by others. Following the exit of our chapter in the fall of 2006, it was quickly apparent we needed a tenant to occupy the house. The house corporation needs nearly $50,000 a year to cover the costs of our loan, insurance, taxes and maintenance. Fortunately, Mike Hatten (1972) found us a tenant in Alpha Epsilon Pi, a newly recognized fraternity on campus. They signed a three-year lease and have been given a one-year extension. They will occupy the house through the spring of 2011. Our chapter house will be available for the Phi Gamma Delta colony that fall. Through the years the graduate brothers of Mu Deuteron have continued to maintain the house. A complete renovation of the top two floors took place in 2004. To accomplish this, a loan was negotiated with the Iowa State Bank in Iowa City. The current balance is $318,612 with a monthly loan payment of $2,658. The loan has just been renewed. Financially the house corporation is in good shape. We have a cur- rent checking account balance of around $40,000 with rental income of $5,508 a month. While the physical part of the house is in great shape, the furnishings on the first floor are almost non-existent. AEPi has done a decent job of maintaining the house, but the wear and tear on the house is evident. This can be repaired with minor maintenance work. Making the house right for the future occupancy of our young Fijis can only be accomplished with a major investment by the graduate members of the house corporation. Adequate dining room and living room furniture must be ac- quired, the serving room must be repaired, floor tile in the basement repaired and the yard restored. We should also consider installing the fire sprinkler system in the basement for safety and to significantly reduce our annual insurance premium. The maintenance of our 85 year-old chapter house never ends. We must continue to invest to put the house in the shape that matches the pride we all have in 303 Ellis. AD ASTRA Mu Deuteron was notified of the death of the following brothers during the 2009 year: Robert W. Cameron (1935) Constantine L. Chipokas (1959) John E. Cruse (1948) George F. Dickinson (1945) Thomas R. Kruse (1940) We extend our deepest condolences to their families. \r\nFIJI IOWAN Page 4 THE 2009 PLEDGE CLASS OF MU DEUTERON This diverse group of 22 men have an average 3.2 GPA, ranking the colony #1 academically among fraternities at Iowa. Colony members are involved in campus activities such as student senate, rowing team, Army ROTC, the honors college and many more. Nine pledges are from Iowa, seven from Illinois and one from Connecticut, India, China and Hungary. Jeremy Johnson Pledge Class President Simsbury, Connecticut Junior “I joined Fiji to improve myself, meet great people and have a unique experience.” Michael Beck Indianola, Iowa Sophomore “Joined because of the great people and to make an impact at Iowa.” Brian Cao Pledge Class Treasurer West Liberty, Iowa Freshman “Joined to better myself as a person and student.” Joseph Berman Lombard, Illinois Freshman “Joined for the opportunities of friendship, service and leadership.” Andy Hanes Newburgh, Indiana Junior “Joined to get more involved on campus and be a part of something my entire life.” Mike Brown Oswego, Illinois Junior “I wanted to get more involved on campus and meet new people.” Eric Preston Buffalo Grove, Illinois Junior “To be part of an organization and get more involved.” Adam Brzeszkiewcz Tinley Park, Illinois Junior “Joined for an experience in friendship and community service.” Brandon Green Glenview, Illinois Junior “I want to be a part of something bigger than myself and make a difference at Iowa.” Eric Cagley Clinton, Iowa Junior “For a new experience and an excellent way to meet people and make friends.” Meet and greet your graduate brothers and these new founding fathers! 2010 PIG DINNER Saturday, April 17, 2010 - Iowa City \r\nPage 5 Nick Dawe Des Moines, Iowa Junior “To be a part of founding a fraternity that would defy the negative stereotype of fraternities.” Ryan Noser Iowa City, Iowa Junior Third generation Fiji “To be a part of something big, make an impact and lifelong friends.” Billy Ganske Sumner, Iowa Senior “Joined to bring a great fraternity back to campus.” Alex Pim Washington, Iowa Freshman “Joined because its what I wanted to do. Jordan Goforth Cedar Rapids, Iowa Senior “To have a valuable new experience before I graduate.” Vikram Ramesh Bangalore, India Freshman “Joined to meet new people and improve my social skills.” David Kimball Budapest, Hungary Freshman Grandfather is a Fiji “Joined to experience American college life.” Matthew Samson Newton, Iowa Junior “Wanted to be a part of a group where we have the same values and goals.” Ben Lee Mason City, Iowa Sophomore “To meet new people and establish lifelong friendships.” Chris Synnestvedt Arlington Heights, Illinois Junior “Excited to bring back the fraternity to Iowa along with the sense of brotherhood and being a founding father.” Michael Murph Iowa City, Iowa Junior “Joined because I was interested in a great opportunity.” Tong Wu Wuhan, China Sophomore “Joined to challenge myself, for brotherhood and leadership development.” RECRUITMENT RECOMMENDATIONS NEEDED! Know a quality young man currently at Iowa or will be attending in the fall? Send your recommendation to: Stephen Polyak, Purple Legionnaire 2013 Timber Lane Coralville, Iowa 52241 (319) 354-4564 - Stevepolyak@mac.com \r\nFIJI IOWAN Page 6 GRADUATE LEADERSHIP Bill Miller - Archon President (Indiana 1962, Purdue 1996) “The strategic importance of graduates is supported by specific chapter examples over the years. Among chapters that have been pulled from the brink of extinction, the common denominator is graduate involvement. Among chapters that have been consistently strong, the common denominator is graduate involvement.” STEVE POLYAK (Iowa 1991) - Purple Legionnaire Graduated from Iowa with a B.Sc. in Psychology. Pledged as a freshman and lived in the chapter house for three years. He was Philanthropy Chair and House Manager and an active member of the Fraternity. After graduation, Steve moved to Chicago working for leading technology companies while simultaneously earning a masters degree in computer science from DePaul University. After completing this degree in 1994 he was awarded a full scholarship to pursue a PhD degree in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. After working again in Chicago, in 2002 he moved his family of four to Coralville, Iowa, where he is employed as a software architect for the Pearson Company, a leader in consumer publishing. ADAM GLADFELTER (Evansville 2008) - Pledge Educator Graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He pledged the Fraternity as a junior and held the Scholarship Chair position. After graduation, Adam moved to Davenport, Iowa, working for an engineering consultant firm. He is now working for IEFM Consulting Engineering in Coal Valley, Illinios, and living in Moline. BARRET GOUGH (Kentucky 2005) - Academic Advisor / Pledge Educator Barret pledged Fiji in 2001. His undergraduate service in his chapter included President, Pledge Educator, Scholarship Chair and Pig Dinner Chairman. Adam graduated with a degree in English and spent the next two years working on his masters degree at the University of Alabama. In 2007, he moved to Iowa City to begin work on a PhD in American Studies at the University of Iowa. JOHN GRIER (Illinois 1986) - BCA President John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a Mental Health Certificate from the University of Illinois where he served Phi Gamma Delta as Chapter Historian. During his early years, he worked as a mental health counselor and inspector for the State of Illinois. The son of a fire fighter, he followed his father’s footsteps and began his fire fighting career in 1997, relocating to Iowa City to become a member of the city’s fire department. His career in Iowa City progressed and he was appointed to the position of Fire Marshal in 2007. Recognizing the importance of continuing education, John has earned his Executive Fire Officer certification from the National Fire Academy and his M.S. in Executive Fire Service Leadership. He and his wife live in Iowa City and are proud parents of four children. \r\nPage 7 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM The generosity and planning of departed Mu Deuteron brothers had enabled our chapter to establish a unique scholarship program throughout the years. Mu Deuteron funds are held and managed by the Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation in Lexington, KY. Our funds are part of the Foundation’s permanent account and their board sets the investment strategy. Mu Deuteron has two main funds at the Foundation. The Iowa Fund has an endowment of $229,525 and the A. Anthes Smith Scholarship Fund with an endowment of $124, 865. The total value of $354,340 is the second largest scholarship fund of any chapter in the Fraternity. The Mu Deuteron Scholarship Committee is chaired by Matt Amend (Iowa 1987). The committee determines the scholarship awards from applications and selects the recipients based upon specific scholarship criteria. Once the fall semester grades have been posted, the current undergraduate cabinet will gather the authentic scholastic data and submit it to the Mu Deuteron Scholarship Committee for evaluation and selection. Awards will be presented at the chapter’s annual Pig Dinner. The following scholarships are to be presented each year: • The Fred Teverbaugh (Iowa 1933) Scholarship - Awarded to a senior undergraduate who demonstrates leadership in chapter and campus activities, strong personal character and academic excellence. The recipient is selected by vote of the undergraduate chapter members. The amount is $5,000. • The Ralph K. Amend (Iowa 1952) Scholarship - Awarded to the most outstanding pledge in the fall pledge class. This newly initiated brother is selected by vote of the undergraduate chapter based on academic excellence and overall achievement as a pledge in the chapter. The amount is $1,000. • The John J. Maher (Iowa 1942) Scholarship - Awarded to the brother who achieves the most outstanding cumulative GPA amongst undergraduate brothers. The GPA must be cumulative including the fall term and the brother must be a full-time student. The amount is $1,000. • The Chan F. Coulter (Iowa 1925) Scholarship - Awarded to the brothers with the most improved single semester grade point average from spring to fall semester. The brother must be a full-time student. The amount is $1,000. INVITATION TO ALL FIJI GRADUATES Graduate involvement is vital to the success of our new colony as well the re-activated Mu Deuteron Chapter in the future. Your involvement can make a difference. Become a member of the Board of Chapter Advisors. Visit a regular meeting of the colony pledge class. Share your knowledge of Phi Gamma Delta with the pledges. You can volunteer by calling Purple Legionnaire Steve Polyak at (319) 354-4564 or by email at Stevepolyak@mac.com. \r\nNonprofit Org Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity 1201 Red Mile Road Lexington, KY 40504 US Postage Paid Lexington, KY Permit # 540 Phi Gamma Delta Returns to Iowa Now...Back to 303 ELLIS AVENUE! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please complete, enclose check and mail-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF MU DEUTERON! Your financial support is needed to ready the chapter house for occupancy by our new Fiji brothers. While the renovation of 303 Ellis greatly improved the house, because of the cost of this project we were unable to update first floor furnishings. For functional and acceptable use, adequate furniture must be purchased. Your monetary support is greatly needed. COUNT ME IN! HERE’S MY INVESTMENT. Name________________________________________________ Graduation Class/Year___________________ Address_________________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip_____________________________________________________________________________ Phone (H)______________________________________(W)_______________________________________ E-mail__________________________________________________________________________________ I am pleased to make a contribution of : ___ $1,000 ___ $500 ___ $250 ___ $100 ___ Other _________________ Please make checks payable to Mu Deuteron House Corporation. Mail investments to: Mu Deuteron House Corporation Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity 505 Fifth Avenue, Ste. 835 Des Moines, IA 50309 Design, printing and mailing services provided by the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.