Ron Sages From: Sent: To: Subject: president@oufiji.com on behalf of Alpha Omega Graduate Association [president@oufiji.com] Wednesday, March 26, 2014 8:43 PM rsages@chapinasset.com 2014 Pig Dinner Highlights Alpha Omega Graduate Association Pig Dinner 2014 Newsletter March 26, 2014 The FIJIs Are Back at OU!! FIJI House 20 South College Street Athens, Ohio Undergraduate Colony Brothers will be returning to 20 South College Street this coming Fall Semester! Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, which has rented our house for the past five years, has rented, with an option to purchase, the former Phi Mu House on North College Street from a local real estate developer and will be moving to that location later this semester. This unexpected development is extremely positive as the Ohio U Greek System will be strengthened by the presence of another fraternity on College Street, giving our Delta Colony an immediate "identity" leading into fall recruitment later this year. 1 \r\nOn or about May 1st, AOGA, Inc. will begin the process of extensive cleaning and preparing the house for occupancy by Alpha Omega Delta Colony Members later this summer. Over the summer months, several weekends will be scheduled to bring Dads, Graduate Brothers and Colony Brothers together to work on the house, to paint rooms, obtain and organize supplies, and ensure that everything is functional for the coming academic year. Stay tuned for announcements on when we will be seeking assistance from interested Graduate Brothers in Athens. In this issue: Pig Dinner 2014 Review Pig Dinner Photos Scholastic Achievements Alpha Omega Delta Colony News Pig Dinner 2014 Review Alpha Omega Celebrates 48th Anniversary Norris Pig Dinner in Grand Style Pig Dinner Weekend 2014 is now history, but it won't be forgotten anytime soon! The weekend was chock full of excitement as Graduate Brothers returned to campus to meet the new Alpha Omega Delta Colony Brothers and Pledges. On Thursday evening, past AOGA Presidents Dave Slater '67 and Ron Sages '73 met with Colony Members to walk through the financial and operational aspects of the house at 20 South College Street at Grover Center. Pizza and beverages were provided to all in attendance. On Friday afternoon, Colony Members and Graduate Brothers toured the 20 South College Street facility, currently being occupied by the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. Painting the Wall - 2014 This was the first opportunity that the Colony Members had to see firsthand the entire floor plan and interior of the house. There were quite a few smiles and positive comments as the house tour progressed from the interior to the back yard featuring the parking lot and the basketball court. The Phi Psis have been good stewards of the physical plant over the past five year period, and with the exception of normal wear and tear, the house appears to be in great shape. On Friday evening, many Colony Members, Graduate Big Brothers, and other AOGA Grads went to Bob Wren Stadium to watch the Ohio U Bobcats host Central Michigan in baseball. Although the Bobcats did not emerge victorious, all in attendance had a great time watching baseball and becoming better acquainted. The AOGA Annual Membership Meeting was held at Grover Center at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Detailed reports were given on the condition of the house, finances, 2 \r\nscholarship, plans for the fall semester, recruitment, the upcoming Ekklesia this summer (July 24 - 27) in Indianapolis, IN, several By-Law Amendments and Resolutions, and the election of Officers and Trustees. Financial highlights include:    The mortgage on the house was fully repaid last July, 2013. AOGA, Inc. is completely debt free. Sums advanced from the Capital Reserve Fund for operating shortfalls and capital repairs during the past five years have been fully repaid. The Capital Reserve Fund is at the same dollar level as it was when the chapter's charter was revoked in June, 2009. Phi Psi Fraternity is current through March, 2014 on all rent payments due AOGA, Inc. As you will recall, Officers and Trustees are on staggered, rotating terms of two years each. This year, Jason Phillips '95, Chad Miller '01 and Charlie Weckman '93 were up for re-election and all three were re-elected unanimously. Cole Platt '09, who has served as an AOGA Trustee for the past five years, joined the Board of Colony Advisers (BCA) for Pledge Education this past fall and was obligated to relinquish his position on the AOGA Board. In his place, Jim Schraepfer '09 ran for Cole's unexpired term of one more year and was elected as his successor. Officers and Trustees of AOGA, Inc. for the coming year are: President - John Ziza '78 Treasurer - Jason Phillips '95 Secretary - John Clark '79 Trustee - Tim Davis '90 Trustee - Chad Miller '01 Trustee - Jim Schraepfer '09 Trustee - Charlie Weckman '93. The Board of Colony Advisers (BCA), a completely separate entity, provides guidance to the Delta Colony in all areas of Colony operations. Members of the BCA and their areas of specialization are: Chair - Chris Ferguson '89 Purple Legionnaire - Erik Hildebrand (BGSU '05) Faculty Advisor - Jesse Neader, OU Student Organizations Coordinator Pledge Education - Cole Platt '09 Pledge Education - Eric Doland '09 Pledge Education - Ryan Edmiston (OSU '08) Recruitment - Tiger Thiel '85 Recruitment - Mike Mehta (OSU '12) Member Development - Matt Howells '09 Finances - Matt Phillips (Missouri State '13) Graduate Relations - Bob Strasburg (OWU '58). Following the conclusion of the AOGA Board Meeting, Graduate Brothers and Delta Colony Members convened uptown for lunch and socializing. The Pig Dinner Banquet began at the Ohio University Inn at 6 p.m. with over fifty attendees! Chris Ferguson '89 served ably as this year's Symposiarch, while Chris Moehring '74 recited "An Exile's Toast" in remembrance and honor of those Alpha Omega Graduate Brothers unable to make it to Athens for this Pig Dinner. This year's Keynote Speaker was former Archon Treasurer Ron Sages '73, who talked about 3 \r\nleadership values and the significance of continuity in the management of the Delta Colony. To view a pictorial of this year's Pig Dinner festivities, please click this photo link. Many thanks to Chris Ferguson '89 for his diligence and efforts in capturing Pig Dinner 2014 in photographs! At the conclusion of the dinner, all in attendance gathered 'round the room for a chorus of "Then Brothers Ere Again We Part." Many thanks to the following Alpha Omega Graduate Brothers who generously sponsored Pig Dinner meals for members of the Alpha Omega Delta Colony: Tim Adams '88 Chris Jones '88 Tim Davis '90 Chad Miller '01 Tim Guesman '81 Brian McGarry '97 John Petrone '67 Jason Phillips '95 Pete Puttmann '81 Jeff Reed '71 Michael Ricks '06 Ron Sages '73 Bob Zicht '79 John Ziza '78 All Colony Members' meals were sponsored this year. Thanks again to all! Plans for the: 49th Anniversary Norris Pig Dinner (2015) are already underway, and the date has been set for the weekend of April 17 - 19, 2015. Please mark your calendars now and let as many Graduate Brothers as possible know of this event. Many thanks to Graduate Pig Dinner Chair Tim Davis '90 for an extraordinary fraternal 48th Anniversary Pig Dinner Celebration! Looking forward to seeing you all next year! Perge! Scholastic Achievements White Star Scholarships Awarded As you are aware, the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta adopted a strategic Growth Initiative in 2006 to increase the number of undergraduate chapters from 126 at that time to 170 active undergraduate chapters by the Fraternity's 170th birthday in 2018 ("170 by 170"). As part of this initiative, the International Fraternity provides up to $1,000 in White Star Scholarships, which are available to any undergraduate male on campus who participates in the initial recruitment effort for the new Delta Colony. 4 \r\nOver last summer, the AOGA Board voted to augment this pool of recruitment scholarships by donating an additional $5,000 for use by the Phi Gamma Delta Expansion Team led by Director of Expansion Josh Moore (Illinois '10) and Field Secretary Adam Wagner (OSU '13). During the Delta Colony Recruitment process the month of October, many prospective Colony members were interviewed by Josh and Adam, leading to the initial formation of the Delta Colony in early November. A total of six undergraduate men were awarded White Star Scholarships, five of whom became Alpha Omega Delta Colony Founding Fathers. They include current Colony President Dylan Lewis '15 ($2,000), Corresponding Secretary Pete Folz '17 ($1,000), Treasurer Chris Gagianas '16 ($500), Historian Brad Schreiber '15 ($500), and Intramurals Chair Manny Dance '17 ($500). The remaining scholarship was awarded to an individual who remains keenly interested in Phi Gamma Delta and is on the Colony's radar for the Fall Semester 2014 Pledge Class Recruitment. At the AOGA Annual Membership Meeting over this past weekend, an additional $5,000 was set aside for the awarding of White Star Scholarships this coming Fall Semester during recruitment. Going forward, the Colony will determine the recipients, timing of disbursement and amount(s) of each award among those students participating in the formal recruitment effort. Alpha Omega Delta Colony Earns Highest GPA for Fall Semester 2013! OU Assistant Director of Greek Life, Kristen Kardas, has announced that the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, Alpha Omega Delta Colony, achieved the highest overall grade point average of 2.96 among Ohio U IFC member organizations for the Fall Semester 2013! Way to go Colony Brothers! Alpha Omega to Award $5,000 in Restricted Tuition Scholarships for 2014! During the past several years of solid market performance, the AOGA Restricted Tuition Scholarship Fund, which is managed by the Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation, appreciated to a balance of $124,444. The Restricted Tuition Scholarship Program is designed to award one or more $1,000 scholarships to a full time member of the Alpha Omega Delta Colony each year. Up to 5% of the fund's balance may be awarded annually based on earnings from the prior 12 month period; the fund principal is restricted in perpetuity. For the 2013-14 academic year, the AOGA Restricted Tuition Scholarship Committee will be able to award five $1,000 tuition scholarships to eligible Delta Colony applicants. Scholarship applications and supporting documentation must be submitted by the May 31st deadline in order to be considered for one of five tuition scholarship awards. Alpha Omega's Semester Scholarship Program Fall Semester Awards With the recolonization of Alpha Omega complete, AOGA will once again be awarding a $500 scholarship each semester to the Active Brother earning the Highest Semester GPA. Though there were no "Active" Members last semester, a $500 scholarship will nevertheless be awarded to the Member with the Highest GPA during the 2013 Fall Semester. The first recipient of the Fall Semester 2013 Scholarship Award will be Dylan Lewis '15 who earned a 3.776 semester gpa Fall Semester. CONGRATULATIONS, DYLAN! 5 \r\nAlpha Omega Delta Colony News Bobcat Fiji Happenings Delta Colony President Dylan Lewis '15 reported on the achievements of the Colony since its formation in early November, 2013. Alpha Omega Delta Colony President Dylan Lewis '15 During Fall Semester 2013, the Colony achieved a 2.96 overall accum, which was the highest among IFC Fraternities on campus! In addition, the Colony is planning its first philanthropy project, FIJI Race for a Reason, to benefit the USO, which entails participating in four events encompassing a Mud Run, Triathalon, 5K Run and 3K Walk. The Colony is still looking for sponsors and you can support their effort by making a donation by clicking on the following link: http://www.imathlete.com/donate/FIJIsysUSOisthewaytogo. Please consider making a donation to help the Delta Colony achieve success in their first philanthropic project. Over the weekend of June 6 - 7, Delta Colony Members will participate in the Phi Gam Recruitment Workshop at International Headquarters in Lexington, KY. This workshop is held annually featuring the recruiting techniques espoused by Phired Up Productions, which has presented at FIJI Academy and Ekklesia Conferences many times in the past. From July 24 - 27, Alpha Omega Delta Colony Members will join several Graduate Brothers in attending the 166th Ekklesia in Indianapolis, IN. This will be our first opportunity to present our accomplishments to the Committee on Expansion and demonstrate our capabilities to all of Phi Gamma Delta. Colony Officers who will serve until the end of Fall Semester 2014 are: President - Dylan Lewis '15 Treasurer - Chris Gagianas '16 Recording Secretary - Ryan Lysaght '17 Corresponding Secretary - Pete Folz '17 Historian - Brad Schreiber '15. Please drop any of us a line with graduate news or questions you may have. Perge! Stay Tuned For More Information Later this Spring and Summer! Alpha Omega is definitely back and the excitement is growing daily! Stay tuned and check your email regularly for the latest updates. In addition, we will be working on a new website to serve the needs of undergraduate and graduate Alpha Omega Brothers. 6 \r\nDon't forget to mark your calendars: Pig Dinner 2015 will be held April 17 - 19, 2015. Looking forward to seeing you then! Perge! John Ziza Alpha Omega Graduate Association 513.519.1505 Forward this email This email was sent to rsages@chapinasset.com by president@oufiji.com | Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Alpha Omega Graduate Association | Post Office Box 2248 | Athens | OH | 45701 7