Sigma Chi - Montana State University

BOBCAT SIG 2 O n the renovation front, we have collected the bulk of alumni pledges; all should be in by the end of this year. e Building Committee has begun work with a Helena architect, Scott Cromwell, to start down the detailed planning road. Scott led the architecture team that recently did the major renovation at the AGR chapter house, and he also did the architectural concepts for our fundraising brochure. His team visited Beta Rho in December to do laser measurements for every portion of the house, which has enabled them to get down to work and come up with some detailed options for the dorm side of the house. It seems Bozeman is a hotbed of construction right now as the "virtual workforce" leaves the big cities and flocks to great lifestyle locations in the country. We had hoped to renovate the dorm side this summer, but with COVID-19 slowing down everything on the planning side and the shortage of supplies and contractors in Bozeman, we now plan to delay the start of construction by a year. Two major issues we are grappling with are ADA requirements and the amount of space that can be considered "educational." As far as scheduling goes, the project will be divided into two stages. e plan is to do the dorm side of the house as stage one, likely during the summer of 2022. e rest is to be completed the following summer. If you would like to learn more about any of these issues, drop me a line. In Hoc, Norman C. Achen '65 norm@normanachen.com "My experience with Sigma Chi was and is invaluable. When attending law school, my classmates were under constant stress and pressure," Dillon said. "Law school stress was nothing compared to being Consul. A Consul must balance interests of the chapter, university, community, and international fraternity. Oen the different groups have competing interests, and the job can feel like walking a tightrope. Nevertheless, the experiences I had as an undergraduate prepared me well for life aer college." Dillon loved living in a chapter house where there was always something going on. From heading up to the mountains, camping trips, and bonfires at Hyalite Canyon to sororities pranks, skiing at Bridger Bowl, and working on Homecoming floats, Dillon never had a dull moment when he was spending time with his brothers during college. e special friendships Dillon formed through Beta Rho made it an easy decision for him to remain involved with the fraternity as an alumnus. "I love volunteering as a facilitator for Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop and working with chapters to develop their strategic plans," Dillon said. "I've spent the last three years facilitating and hope I can continue volunteering throughout my life. I also recently took a road trip along the west coast and saw several alumni that I graduated with along the way." Along with achieving immediate success aer graduating from MSU, it's been rewarding for Dillon to see many of his brothers thrive early on in their respective careers. "One interesting thing is that there has been a member of Beta Rho in five of the last six law school classes at the University of Montana (and notably no Beta Deltas)," Dillon said. "Calder Thingvold '14, who was one of my pledge brothers, and Eli Inabnit '12, who was Consul my sophomore year, each obtained federal clerkships in Billings and Missoula, respectively. Both remain close friends of mine." e high Sigma Chi standard that was set at Beta Rho when Dillon was a freshman has only been raised in recent years. He's excited to see what's in store for the active chapter's collegians and future members and is thankful to be a better man because of Beta Rho. "Beta Rho continues to be an environment where guys can grow and prosper, but even more importantly where they can have similar hilarious and fun experiences to the ones I had," Dillon said. "I hope to see that trend continue indefinitely." You can connect with Dillon at dillon.haskell1@ gmail.com. A BETTER MAN BECAUSE OF BETA RHO (Continued from page 1) House Construction Timeline CHAPTER ETERNAL Ed Keil '53 entered Chapter Eternal on May 31, 2020. He participated in football and wrestling at MSU, and in 1953 he le college to run the family farm. Ed and his wife, Barbara, raised three children on the farm, instilling a good work ethic and love of sports and animals. He was Deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of Conrad, 50-year Mason, president of the Young Democrats of Montana, and a member and leader of many agriculture organizations. He later married Karen Fisher, who survives him along with his children, grandchildren, and many more family members. Ed loved people and was known for his kindness and respect to all who crossed his path. David E. Street, M.D. '57 entered Chapter Eternal on March 18, 2019. He was a retired surgeon and a resident of Steamboat Springs, Colo. omas Corwin Albrecht '60 entered Chapter Eternal on February 27, 2020, in the loving presence of family members at 85. His active life included building bridges throughout Montana, flying his own airplane, waterskiing aer a long day's work, riding motorcycles, and hunting elk in the Castle Mountains. Cor deeply cherished elma, his wife of 62 years, and their two daughters and four grandchildren. He spent his career building in Montana and Wyoming with COP Construction and later his own company, Construction Industries. If you've enjoyed the roads in Yellowstone Park, swam at Rose Park Pool, boated on Yellowtail Reservoir or crossed a bridge to your favorite fishing stream, you have benefited from his work. Jon Carlson '62 entered Chapter Eternal on June 20, 2020, from complications of Parkinson's. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Mary; son, Ross; and twin sister, Jean. Jon worked his entire career in the oil industry. Along with being a dedicated member of Sigma Chi, he was involved with Rotary and was an internationally respected member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Jon loved to fish, hike, ski, play tennis, and play the piano. (Continued on page 4) ALUMNI UPDATE

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