The Bayou Fiji The Beta Rho Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at Louisiana State Univ. - Spring 2013 Edition JOIN US AT THE 2013 PIG DINNER It is the proud honor of the men of the Beta Rho Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta to announce the 2013 Norris Pig Dinner. The undergraduate chapter would like to extend our warmest invitation to our graduates to attend the traditional Phi Gam feast at the Lod Cook Hotel here on our campus on April 28, 2013. As the tradition goes, the Pig Dinner stems back to brother Frank Norris (1894) of the Delta Xi Chapter at UC Berkley. At the 1893 university class day exercises, the dispensator was Brother Ralph L. Hathorn (1893). He used his pulpit to mock two rival fra- ternities for monopolizing campus activities, particularly the "glee club". Hawthorn's stunt BETA RHO PIG DINNER consisted in bringing APRIL 28, 2013 on the platform a barrel labeled "U. of occasion and on May 18 at 6 C. Glee Club," tied with a cord P.M., twenty Fijis made the symbolic of the strangle-hold Delta realm resound with "All established by these two rival Hail the Pig!" Hathorn, as massocieties. Out of this barrel ter of ceremonies, then called tumbled a squealing pig-- a commentary on the rival frater- upon every member present to renew his bond of allegiance, nities’ singing ability. fidelity, and alliance, and to Some say the pig escaped and seal his vow on the bended was pursued by Fijis with murknee by the solemn ordeal of derous intent. At any rate, that kissing the pig's snout. After night the suckling pig was inthe banquet, at the break of carcerated at the Berkley Fiji dawn, Frank Norris was inhouse. Norris wrote an elabospired to propose that they rate mock ceremony for the UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFO If you have not already done so, please update your contact info by visiting www.phigam.org/ addressupdate. (Continued on page 3) A NOTE FROM THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT By: Ray Pryphun (2013) - Chapter President Brothers, It is my honor and privilege to introduce myself as the newest President of the Beta Rho chapter of Phi Gamma Delta here at Louisiana State University. I’m a third year finance major with aspirations of business or law school after the completion of my undergraduate degree. I come from a small suburb on the outskirts of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. I bring the experience of leadership and unwavering commitment to my position. I look forward to leading Beta Rho to its full potential this year with the help of the very promising and dedicated cabinet our chapter has elected. I am confident that through our com- bined efforts, we will continue to raise this chapter to unseen heights each and every semester. We have a formidable task ahead of us this semester, and the attitude of the chapter has never been better. Our members are committed to the tasks set before them with the ultimate goal of making Beta Rho one of the best chapters in the country. We have put in place committee heads who are ambitious, creative, and hard working. All of them share in the vision of the kind of chapter Beta Rho can be. We are aiming to reemphasize community service in the hopes to give back to the community we live in. We will be putting together an exciting brotherhood schedule that aims to bring together the chapter even more so than it (Continued on page 2) \r\nT HE B AYOU F IJI P AGE 2 NOT FOR COLLEGE DAYS ALONE! By: Patrick Malone (2014) - Graduate Relations Chairman Throughout my pledgeship here at Beta Rho, I was constantly reminded of the FIJI motto, “Not for college days alone.” I never quite grasped the magnitude of the fraternal bonds that I was about to make. As with most college freshmen, I was under the false assumption that I was merely joining a social club and that the only real benefit was that I would join a new group of friends. Of course, it turned out to be much more. After talking to a few local graduates, I’ve learned that Phi Gamma Delta is everywhere. Wherever you go, you probably can’t throw a baseball far enough where another Fiji wouldn’t be around to catch it. The professional, social, and spiritual connections that can be made through the bonds of this fraternity are limitless. Since I took the job as head of Graduate Relations, my main objective has always been to find ways to get you, the graduates, back to Beta Rho. From my conversations with some of the graduates, the biggest concern is that most don’t know what we’re all about and what our values are. While we have been strong in our comeback at LSU, the one thing we have lacking is a large graduate presence surrounding the fraternity. I believe we have been making strides recently in that regard, and we plan on turning it up with a couple big graduate events this semester. Our main event will be the Norris Pig Dinner Weekend, which will be held at the Lod Cook Hotel LSU's campus Saturday, April 28. Needless to say, we are all very excited to host this experience. The dinner will be part of a graduate weekend at Beta Rho that we hope you can attend. You are welcome to attend any or all parts of the weekend. Save this date as well and continue to check any emails from us to receive more information. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at any time and I will be sure to get back to you as soon as I can. Also, if you plan to make a visit to the house, please email me so I can be sure that you are properly received. We would be more than happy to show you around the house and give you a meal from our chef. Likewise, if you would like to attend a meeting or share stories and experiences with the chapter at a dinner, we would love to have you. A NOTE FROM THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT continued... (Continued from page 1) already is, and to reaffirm what it really means to be a brother in Phi Gamma Delta. We will be building off the recent successes of our newly established philanthropies in support of Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital here in Baton Rouge as well as with the United Service Organizations, our national FIJI philanthropy. Through hard work and dedication, I know we will live up to the Phi Gamma Delta name passed down to us. I invite any and all graduates to reach out to the undergraduate chapter anyway possible. We are still in the process of finding our identity as a chapter and I believe some of you can help us restore many of the chapter’s old traditions. We have had visits from a number of graduates this semester, both familiar and new, and the undergraduate chapter has eagerly welcomed them as brothers should. We have appreciated the increased support from the graduate chapter and will The Cabinet and committee heads. be striving to expand on our relations even more. The success of a chapter does not rest on the shoulders of a few individuals. It relies on the cooperation of every brother linked to this chapter. Beta Rho has a long way to go, and through the combined efforts of both the undergrad and graduate chapters, the end result is that much closer. I am proud to have this unique opportunity to lead the proud chapter of Beta Rho and I anxiously look forward to what lies ahead. \r\nP AGE 3 JOIN US FOR THE 2013 PIG DINNER held at Denison, Wabash, and Indiana. Within a few years, almost every chapter had adopted the event. (Continued from page 1) perpetuate the memory of the occasion with a perennial graduate chapter pig dinner and rally. CONTINUED ... brothers, relive fond memories and toast to our most beloved fraternity. From this small dinner when Delta Xi had less than 50 members on its roster, has An Exile's Toast was read at the Novem- come the Norris Dinner of all Fijidom to symbolize the spiritual ideal of good felber 28, 1900 dinner. Frank Norris sent lowship in the fraternity so perfectly exemhis poem from far away New Jersey in response to the graduate chapter's invi- plified in Norris. tation, which was signed "The CommitAnd in keeping with the tradition of Phi tee." Gamma Delta, we honor Brother Norris with the pig dinner roast. We would love to Frank Norris died in 1902. He was a see all our graduate brother in attendance, nationally-known author having pubespecially the ones that we may have lost lished several highly-regarded novels contact with throughout the years. and short stories. Fittingly, the annual Pig Dinner festivity was dedicated to So we ask that you may join us for such a him and began to spread across the Frajoyous occasion as to reunite with lost ternity. In early 1903, Pig Dinners were Brother Frank Norris. TREASURER UPDATE By: Mike Moore (2015) - Chapter Treasurer I’m very excited and blessed to be able to introduce myself as the next Treasurer of Beta Rho. I’m currently in my second year of studying finance here at Louisiana State University. Originally from the greater-Boston area, my family moved just outside of Houston, Tex., during my early high school years. as Treasurer of Beta Rho for the upcoming spring and fall semesters. With the help of my brothers, I look forward to placing this chapter in the ideal position to accomplish its goals of Friendship, Knowledge, Service, Morality, and, most importantly, Excellence. There are many goals I plan to accomplish during my time here as Treasurer. The most important goal to me is changing the The enduring principles that my faith, burden-like stigma that sometimes surfamily, friends, and fraternity have rounds meeting financial obligations. I’m instilled in me allow me to accept this aiming to accomplish this task by showing position with the utmost confidence. the true value of participating in FIJI. In When joining FIJI in the fall of 2011, I addition to many other goals, the chapter quickly saw how much potential this seeks to be, at the very least, contenders in freshly rejuvenated, and prestigious, every chapter award granted by IHQ. We chapter had. I was drawn to this place are specifically aiming to bring home the knowing that I could make a signifiCondon Cup for the most improved chapcant difference and ultimately leave it ter. The implementation of many old tradiin a better condition than when I artions, such as the Norris Pig Dinner and rived. Yearning to get involved early, I this very newsletter, will help us in making began developing my planning and this vision a reality. As we continue to becollaboration skills by becoming a come an even more predominate chapter, member of the social committee during we look to increase our impact on Greek my second semester here. I had the Life and LSU's campus as a whole. If any honor of being nominated and elected graduates are interested in helping our chapter by joining the 1848 club, contact Patrick Malone at pmalon4@tigers.lsu.edu. The final area we hope to improve on is to continue fulfilling the saying, "Not For College Days Alone.” Seeing our graduate relations grow over the recent semesters has been a welcomed sight and we look forward to the continued interaction through upcoming graduate events. Please do not hesitate to stop by for dinner with the chapter when you're in town or just stop by to relive some old memories from 21 E. Fraternity Ln. Our door is always open. Let me close by thanking both the graduates and Undergraduate Chapter for their continued commitment to this Beta Rho Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta. Everyone’s past efforts are becoming even more evident in the increased success of the chapter, and we look forward to the many successes still to come. These next few semesters are looking very bright for Beta Rho, and we are excited to carry on and expand the FIJI legacy established by those who came before us. \r\nPhi Gamma Delta Fraternity 1201 Red Mile Road Lexington, KY 40504 Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Lexington, KY Permit # 540 FIJI FLASHBACK - WHAT YEAR WAS THIS? LSU’s Beta Rho Phi Gams won the fraternity football championship in competition with over 20 fraternities. Appearing in the picture are kneeling left to right: Ken Bass (1979), Field Long (1981), Bryan Lastrapes (1981), Mike Bass (1982), Russel Moran (1982), Eddie Guidry (1979), Kenny Van Ameringe (1982), Shannon Slay (1981). Standing from left to right: Chris Pettit (1978), Danny Worstell (1981), Steve Sessions (1980), J. R. Shaw (1981), Johnny Fort (1979), Bill Dippel (1980), Bill Lastrapes (1980), Joey Bonin (1980) Frank Deus (1982), Jay Luke (1980) and Coach Ken Robinson (1973). Design, printing and mailing services provided by the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.