THE KENTUCKY PHI GAM THE UPSILON KAPPA CHAPTER OF PHI GAMMA DELTA Fall 2016 Outgoing President Dear Brothers, As my time as president comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on what has been accomplished during the time I served the Chapter. When I first joined the chapter as a freshman in the fall of 2013, the number of members was roughly 50. However, this number appeared to be less due to the growing “inactivity” problem. Now as the fall semester of my senior year comes to an end, I find myself in a chapter of roughly 100 active members. The growth I witnessed is not only a sign of the hard work that the undergraduate member are putting into the chapter, but is also a testament to the foundation that others before us set in place to build upon. I am also a witness to the vast organizational changes occurring as the Chapter grows. In the past, we had a system of 20+ chairmen, which proved to be ineffective and outdated. Now, we have an effective committee system headed by eight chairmen. The chairmen include: brotherhood, scholarship, social, philanthropy, graduate relations, pledge education, risk management, and recruitment. I have no doubt that as the Chapter becomes adjusted to the new system, greater benefits will continue to be seen. Beyond the committee system, a new version of the chapter bylaws has been under construction. This new version is in the works to replace the old version by the end of the semester. My hope is that these Table of Contents: bylaws will prove to be better organized, easier to follow, and a greater Incoming President 2 foundation for future generations. Philanthropy 2 Service 3 The gavel will now be handed down to Danny Darby (2018), and his Brotherhood 3 newly elected cabinet. Danny’s participation and love for the chapter Graduate Spotlight 4 has only grown since his time as a pledge, and he will hit the ground Scholarship 5 running come the Spring semester. Where my cabinet and I failed to Athletics 6 recognize problems, they will succeed. Recruitment 6 Pig Dinner 2017 7 The time I have spent in college seems to have flown by, as my parents warned when I was younger, and graduation is waiting just around the corner. I look forward to rejoining my brothers as a common member once again for my final semesters. This chapter has given to me more than I ever could have imagined, and I will continue to be proud as a Phi Gam. Daniel Darby (2018) - Chapter President Cabinet Officers Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Blake Bostick (2017) P! Timothy Penick (2018) - Treasurer Austin Douglas (2019) - Recording Secretary Matthew Schettino (2018)- Corresponding Secretary Jim DiCola (2018) - Historian \r\nIncoming President Graduate Brothers, My name is Daniel Darby, and I am the president elect of the Upsilon Kappa Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta. I came to the University of Kentucky in the fall of 2014, and I am currently on track to graduate after the spring of 2018. I am a first-generation fraternity man, but my mother was in a local sorority at Muskingum College. I am currently serving in the Kentucky National Guard and spent last summer at Fort Benning, GA. Within the fraternity, I have served as the Pledge Educator for two consecutive semesters, winning re-election at the end of last spring. During my terms as Pledge Educator, the Chapter has seen a lot of changes to the way things are run. An increase in general life lesson teaching, as well as increased pledge advocacy and accountability has represented the positive changes to a program that is vital to the growth of the Chapter. As president, I look to further that growth. Some of my goals to represent that growth are to see more mixers with sororities on campus, continue to have 80% retention of our pledge classes, keep recruiting men with a desire to serve the Chapter and the community, and to change the culture surrounding our philanthropic efforts entirely by incentivizing service and general excellence by our brothers. The Chapter has never been stronger--top to bottom, brotherhood and social, to philanthropy and scholarship. This group of men love to have fun, but are ready to consecrate their lives to aiding each other and their community. I am truly blessed and honored for this opportunity to lead such a chapter. Philanthropy As my term as philanthropy chair is coming to an end, I can reflect back positively on what we have accomplished. This semester, we had our 3rd annual Bonnamu, where we raised over $10,000 with proceeds going to the USO. I’d like to thank those of you that came out and/or donated! Additionally, I am excited to announce we have paired with the sisters of Alpha Omicron Pi for “Christmas with the Kids”, which benefits the low income children of Lexington, headed by Michael Shunnarah (2017) and Danny Calixtro (2019). We also added a new event this December to feed the homeless at the Hope Center. Lastly, I am looking forward to see what Upsilon Kappa has to bring next semester in regards to philanthropy, as we host our inaugural Islander 5K, which benefits DanceBlue! Stay tuned for updates and as always, mighty proud. Tim Penick (2018) P! 2016 FIJI/Phi Mu band after their intermission performance Thank you, Dan Darby (2018) P! Scotty Herman (2018) on Bass and Russell Penetcost (2020) on guitar 2 The Kentucky Phi Gam Fall 2016 \r\nService As brothers of the Upsilon Kappa Chapter, we hold each other to high standards when it comes to service and philanthropy. We take pride in the many service events we participate in annually and strive to be ranked number one at the University of Kentucky for total number of community service hours completed. Currently, we have participated in events such as Walk For Down Syndrome, Dance Blue 5K, Alpha Delta Pi’ Sorority’s The Main Event, and many other events where our donations help out foundations around the state and country. Next semester’s service will also be great with events like the Dance Blue Marathon, where we plan to have 20 men dancing for kids with Pediatric Cancer. As FIJI gentlemen, we are striving to be the best we can possibly, and along the way participating in as many service events that we can to help as many people as we can in need. First annual Christmas with the Kids held with AOPi Sorority Grant Willoughby (2018) P! Brotherhood Justin Woods (2019) Jack Finn (2019) Alex Edlin (2017) and Preston French (2018) helping serve at the Hope Center As brothers of the Upsilon Kappa Chapter, we pride ourselves on having the strongest brotherhood of any fraternity on the University of Kentucky campus. Brotherhood is the most essential element of our fraternity and is the core of all that we do. This semester, we have actively strengthened the brotherhood in our chapter through the effective use of the brotherhood budget. These allocated funds have allowed us to enjoy record attendance for the second annual paintball outing. With 87 brothers and pledges, the attendance was double of last fall! Just last weekend, we hosted a newly revamped Fiji Thanksgiving. As we enjoyed delicious, catered food we discussed many of the things that we are thankful for this past year. We’d love to have a few graduate brothers make it out to the event next year! In addition to these larger events, we have had tailgates at Keenland and weekend trips to the Red River Gorge. As the Fraternity motto goes “Not For College Days Alone”, graduate brothers are always welcome to attend brotherhood events with the active chapter. If you would like to learn more about our current brotherhood events, please contact brother Nate Smith at (502) 523-7971. We hope to see you all out for Pig Dinner in the spring! Enjoy the Holidays! Nate Smith (2018) P! The Kentucky Phi Gam Fall 2016 3 \r\nGraduate Spotlight My first sighting of the white columns of the old Fiji house at the University of Illinois occurred the day before formal rush weekend was to begin. The front door opened, and, as a young man left the house with a few textbooks under his arm, my friend said, “That’s Charlie Gore, President of the house as a sophomore. Sharp guy!” After a whirlwind tour of a dozen of the best houses on campus, by Sunday afternoon, I made my decision: I pledged Phi Gamma Delta! Over the next four years, I developed a treasure chest of great Fiji memories: bonding with my new brothers, initiation, playing intramural sports, even being doused with a bucket of water by a pledge named Jim Hickey (illinois 1975), who followed me as President of the Chapter and who later became Archon President. I had the good fortune to play a leadership role within the Chapter as Treasurer and, then, President, followed by a term on the Chi Iota House Corporation board after graduating school. Eventually, I served as a member of the Fiji Financial Advisory Board, and I joined the House Corporation of the University of Kentucky Chapter for a time before my election as an Archon required that I give up my seat. I’ve always felt that my experiences as a chapter officer prepared me for certain challenges later in life. Consequently, I have tried to stay involved with the Fraternity in different ways (with a long break in order to raise my daughter) because those experiences and my fond memories were, for certain, “Not For College Days Alone. “ “More Phi Gam, Less Self” was a quote the appeared in the Purple Pilgrim that I studied from during Pledge Education. There was even a plaque, with this phrase, mounted outside the Nebraska chapter house. It reminded us of our priorities each time we left the house for class or a campus activity. Little did I know that quote would become the roadmap for my professional career. I grew up in a “Phi Gam” family. My father and his brother, along with my grandfather and his brother, were all Fijis at Nebraska. After my initiation, I was able to see my brother and two cousins be initiated into Phi Gamma Delta. Heading into college, I knew I wanted to join a fraternity, and I knew I wanted to be a Fiji. My peers must have felt I had something to add as well, because I was fortunate to be elected to serve as Corresponding Secretary and Chapter President. During my fifth year, I was Pledge Educator and IFC Treasurer. 4 The Kentucky Phi Gam Fall 2016 That’s why I think that our current focus on Building Courageous Leaders is so important. This means that you don’t have to be a chapter officer or a chairman to lead; you can take the lead in other campus activities, or, when the time is right, you can lead by simply standing up and talking about the right thing to do. That skill will stay with you always, and, after college, you can help to build other leaders through the many worthwhile opportunities that exist within the Fiji graduate volunteer structure. These are the reasons why I’m always happy to say, “Mighty Proud to be a Fiji”: the lasting memories and the lessons learned. The best news is that I’m still good friends with Jim Hickey and Charlie Gore. Nic Loiacono Illinois (1974) Sometime during my freshman year, I remember meeting a stranger walking around our chapter house. He introduced himself as Alex Wylie (Nebraska 1978) and said he was the Field Secretary. I remembered reading about such position in the Purple Pilgrim, but was eager to learn more. I made it a point during every subsequent Field Secretary visit to spend some time talking to that brother and learning more about the position. As my graduation approached, it seemed like this would be a job prospect to explore. I was fortunate to serve as a Field Secretary for one year, \r\nGraduate Spotlight Continued during which I visited all of our colonies and chapters from Texas to California and even three in Canada. After a year as Field Secretary, I became the Director of Chapter Services and served in that role for 13 years. Throughout my tenure, I was involved in six colonizations, attended 27 charterings and hired and supervised 50 Field Secretaries. We also grew the Fraternity from 109 to 152 chapters. It was an exciting and personally rewarding time to work for the Fraternity, expanding the influence of Phi Gamma Delta to many new campuses and brothers. Changing careers allowed a whole new involvement in Phi Gamma Delta, this time on the volunteer side. I am happy to serve on the Upsilon Kappa House Corporation and as President of the Bluegrass / Lexington Graduate Chapter. In March 2016, I embarked on a new career in the for profit sector. Legacy Financial is a Lexington company that works with 1,500 fraternities and other non-profits throughout the United States assisting them with invoicing, collections, online payments, and member communications. J. B. Goll Nebraska (2001) As you can see, “More Phi Gam, Less Self” has truly become the roadmap of my life. I hope any brother reading this will consider sharing your time, talent, or treasure with the Fraternity in a manner that best suits you. Want to be featured in the Graduate Spotlight? Send us a blurb about you and your pledge brothers and we will make sure to include you in our next issue. Please email your stories to Preston French at pfrench1228@gmail.com Scholarship The Phi Gamma Delta scholarship department has been burning bright for so long. The Upsilon Kappa Chapter has been consistently second in grades since the spring of 2014. The Chapter earned a 3.34 GPA last semester, but this year Fiji is looking even better. At mid fall semester 2016, we are projected to have a 3.39 GPA. Once we finish finals strong, we will take home first place. The Upsilon Kappa Chapter is a growing fraternity, with lower classman slightly outnumbering the upper. As the classes are becoming harder, brothers are putting in the study hours and fighting through these tough courses together. Tutor sessions and study groups have been a way to help maintain our reputation of always having a great GPA. The scholarship package was introduced three years ago and this has greatly influenced our chapter. The brothers achieve these scholarships by earning the highest GPA and the most improved GPA within each pledge class. $6,500 was acquired in spring 2016. If these brothers can maintain their level of excellence as this semester comes to a close, we may see an even greater number of scholarships handed out. Nicholas Spicher (2018) P! The Kentucky Phi Gam Fall 2016 5 \r\nAthletics Last semester, FIJI finished second in athletics. Several brothers participating in events such as a 5v5 basketball league, kickball, indoor soccer and much more contributed to this. This semester, we have just finished up with six of our leagues, such as flag football, volleyball, 3v3 and 4v4 street soccer along with a kickball tournament, where the Chapter came out as champions of the event. There are several more events offered as this semester is winding down and we are planning to have high participation in these events and carry our success into the spring semester! Matthew Mamoth (2018) P! Recruitment This fall rush brought us in a great new pledge class of 29 fine, young men. As a growing chapter, we have developed a growing interest from more and more potential new members, so we decided to implement a new system this semester. Brother Tim Penick (2018) and I were elected co-recruitment chairs, which allowed us to better manage all of the brothers and recruits, as well as allocate the growing tasks of the position. This year, more potential new members came out to our open house nights than ever before. While we welcomed the added interest in our chapter, we continued to recruit based on our five values to ensure that every man we gave a bid to would represent what it means to be a part of Phi Gamma Delta. While using the co-chair system lightened the load, planning and executing a successful rush week was no easy task. It took the help and dedication of every brother we have to pull it off. On behalf of Tim and I, we would like to thank the entire Upsilon Kappa Chapter for their effort, IHQ for their support, and the women of Kappa Alpha Theta for allowing us to rush out of their house. Thanks to you all, we were able to have a tremendous rush week and bring in one of our best pledge classes yet! I look forward to seeing what these young men will bring to the chapter and watching them become Fiji gentleman. Jim DiCola (2018) Pergé! Graduate Relations Event Updates This past semester the undergraduate chapter has made great strides to create further involvement and excitement between the grads and us. Please come to our new monthly Happy Hour Night’s on the 4th Thursday of each month! Our next event is January 26, 2017! To add to the new events, next semester we plan to have our 1st semi-annual Habitat for Humanity Build in March! We really encourage all graduate Brothers to come to events, as an undergraduate Chapter we are trying to foster a better relationship with you all, Upsilon Kappa’s legacy. We value your opinions, stories and advice, however we must work together to build this bond! Stay tuned for more updates and we hope to hear from you all throughout the semester! Your support means more than you know! 6 The Kentucky Phi Gam Fall 2016 \r\n2017 Pig Dinner The 2017 Norris Pig Dinner will be held Saturday, April 8! Please join the brothers of Upsilon Kappa for our annual Norris Pig Dinner. The Dinner will be held on April 8 at Malone’s Banquet Hall in Lexington, Kentucky! The address is 3347 Tate’s Creek Road, Lexington KY. Additional information, including ticketing, formal invitations and Pig Dinner weekend activities will be sent out soon. Feel free to direct any questions or concerns to either me, or the Chapter President, Danny Darby. Ford Matthews (2019) fordmatthews@outlook.com (614) 949-5798 We Need Your Help! Please check the website for more information on how to donate to the undergrads and the House Corporation. We are a continuously improving our Chapter which greatly benefits from your participation and financial benefit! To become an active participant in the new house campaign, you can make a one-time donation at https://legfi.com/fundraisers/159. Or, you can make a pledge to donate at: http://www.ukfijihousecorporation.org/. Big Thanks! Thank you to the following brothers who made donations this year to our House Corporation Fundraising: Rex Bailey (1961) Matt Barbiea (2011) Tom Bloch (1972) Drew Brown (2005) James Chapman (2011) Justin Cole (2004) David Holloway (2001) Robert Jones (1962) Michael Jones (1965) Charles Leffler (1972) Joe Paul (1985) Ron Wagoner (1962) Dennis Willaman (1966) Your contributions are making a difference for the future members of the YK Fiji Chapter! The Kentucky Phi Gam Fall 2016 7 \r\nNonprofit Org US Postage Paid Lexington, KY Permit # 540 Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity Upsilon Kappa at University of Kentucky 1201 Red Mile Road Lexington, KY 40544 Important Contact Information: Website Update James Chapman – Purple Legionnaire 270-348-2350 jtchap2@gmail.com Make sure to check out our newly revamped website for updates on our social media accounts, Pig Dinner, graduate relations events, and much much more! You can also find all the contact information to the chapter if you have any questions the website did not answer! Our website url is http://www.ukphigam.com/home. Ben Martin – BCA President 859-537-0409 bamart91@gmail.com Harry Dadds – House Corporation President 859‐231‐3955 Harry.Dadds@skofirm.com J.B. Goll - Graduate Chapter President 859-433-6444 jbgoll@gmail.com Daniel Darby - Chapter President 614-216-9200 drda227@uky.edu Timothy Penick - Treasurer 908-420-8827 tim.penick14@gmail.com Austin Douglas - Recording Secretary 502-827-3721 aqdougey12@hotmail.com Matthew Schettino - Corresponding Secretary 914-420-6636 matthew.schettino@uky.edu Jim DiCola - Historian 847-331-5827 jmdi229@g.uky.edu 8 The Kentucky Phi Gam Fall 2016 The Kentucky Phi Gam is a biannual publication of the undergraduate members for the graduate Brothers, parents, and friends of the Upsilon Kappa Chapter of the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta. All correspondence regarding this publication should be directed to the Graduate Relations Chairman, Preston French (2018), at pfrench1228@gmail.com