Sigma Chi - University of Florida

GAMMA THETA TIMES Fall 2020 Sigma Chi Fraternity at the University of Florida A s undergraduate members we build strong friendships with our brothers. en aer graduating, we quickly find many new interests, careers, families, and civic activities that occupy our time and attention. e day-to-day activities of life take over and, before you know it, we begin to wonder about our brothers and their lives. With this in mind, our new alumni relations program is designed to reconnect our alumni brothers while cultivating awareness and involvement in the Gamma eta Chapter. Twice a year we will be mailing a newsletter focused on communication with alumni. Each issue will contain alumni news, spotlights on brothers from various decades, information on upcoming events, and reports on chapter successes and activities. Earlier this fall, a biographical update form was mailed and a digital version was emailed out to our alumni membership. is form asked alumni to verify the contact information we have on file, share personal or professional news, provide any military service information, and share contact information for lost brothers. ank you to those who have already returned this form with your updates. If you haven't filled yours out yet, please take the time to look over your information and provide any necessary updates. ese biographical updates play a vital role in maintaining our records and enhancing our ability to facilitate meaningful relationships within our alumni community. ey also allow us to collect information for the alumni news section of the newsletter. By bolstering our alumni relations programming, we hope to strengthen the fraternal bond that ties us all together. I welcome your feedback on the newsletter and encourage you to get more involved. Our goal is to keep alumni informed about current projects and future plans, and to give all our Gamma eta brothers an opportunity to reconnect with our good and great Fraternity. No matter how many years have passed, we're all members of Sigma Chi for life. Alumni support is essential in maintaining our brotherhood, and we welcome support and volunteers at every level. By joining the board, submitting a new member recommendation, or simply sending article ideas for the newsletter, you can play an important part in our chapter's future. In Hoc, Gamma eta House Corporation Gamma Theta Launches New Alumni Relations Program Reconnect with YouR Sigma chi BRotheRS W hen John Briggs '67 arrived in Gainesville from Ocala to attend the University of Florida, he already had a good idea of where his home base would be. At that time, Sigma Chi had more members from his hometown than any other UF fraternity. John gained an instant family of 100-plus brothers at Gamma eta, where he was thankful to hone his leadership skills to better his character, campus, and community. He also enrolled as a member of the class of 1966, but decided to redshirt one year to stick around for the senior year of classmate Steve Spurrier. John's Big Brother, Nick Boone '64 (younger brother to popular singer Pat Boone), was one of many men who helped prepare him to lead a successful life aer graduating from UF. Along with giving back to Sigma Chi so others could have the same opportunities he had, it was important to John to serve his country. He toiled through four years of Army ROTC and then proudly served in the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. His Army and Sigma Chi roots have even intertwined over the years. "When I was planning the annual reunion for my helicopter company from Vietnam, I contacted a fairly famous pilot, Hugh Mills Jr., Eta Iota '74. He flew the same type scout helicopter I flew at the same time and had written a very interesting book about his time in country called Low Level Hell," John said. "When I contacted him about being our keynote speaker, I found out he was also a Sigma Chi from Embry-Riddle University. He pledged there when the Army allowed him to finish his college education following the war." (Continued on page 2) DEDICATED TO SIGMA CHI AND HIS COUNTRY John Briggs '67 Cherishes His Gamma eta Experience and Military Service

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