Theta Xi - Bradley University

Summer 2021 Campaign Update Newsletter

Alpha Sigma Chapter of Theta Xi at Bradley University

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THE TAXI NEWS ALPHA SIGMA CHAPTER OF THETA XI • BRADLEY UNIVERSITY SUMMER 2021 T hese are exciting times for Alpha Sigma. We just opened our loan with the foundation, meaning we now pay ourselves interest—not Bradley or a bank. The renovations to the chapter room and women's restroom are complete, and the dining room chairs and tables are in. The first draw on our loan covers these renovations and pays off our remaining mortgage with Bradley. Next summer, we plan to renovate the kitchen and prepare it for a chef meal plan. Our committed pledges are up to $459,520 which is very close to our $500,000 target; help us finish our goal! Being a 501(c)(3) charity allows us to accept a wider variety of donations: tax-free QCD contributions from IRAs, appreciated securities, and donor- advised funds, for instance. Also, company- matched donations have been a big success. In just the last year, we've taken in about $30,000 from matching benefits, and about a dozen of our donors get matched every year. The alumni association is in good financial health. On our first draw, we took $13,000 less than our expenses to date, effectively pre-paying our mortgage. Over the life of our loan, this will save us over $5,000 in interest expense and reduce the annual payments of the mortgage by about $1,100—making the "after" budget on the undergraduates easier to manage. If we have excess reserves in each of the next four years, we plan to do more. We don't often talk about the power of what we're building in the long term. When the mortgage amortizes, the active brothers' annual payments will be under $20,000; however, the 5% payout from the scholarship will be $25,000 and, if the Blue Iris is still active, our annual scholarships will be roughly $43,000. Therefore, we're able to both borrow $250,000 to spend on renovations and reduce the students' financial burden by $5,000-$23,000 per year (and growing every year thereafter). I can't understate my excitement of being so close to our goal or for future in-person events as more of us get vaccinated. Speaking of, I'd like to once again thank all the brothers who helped make the active Pride in Theta Xi How Alpha Sigma Shaped Rich Bowman '61 M y Bradley experience, Theta Xi included, shaped my life in many positive ways. Only about half of my high school class went to college; this alone gave me a competitive advantage toward a successful career. Having gone through Air Force ROTC at Bradley, I was commissioned as a second lieutenant and served five years— including three in the Vietnam War. Upon separation, I spent a full career in healthcare with Baxter Healthcare in Deerfield, Illinois. I filled several sales and marketing management positions, including new product development for the renal dialysis division. I retired in 2002 and am now active in a men's book club, Bible studies, my church (Knights of Columbus), and with visiting grandchildren, golf, the VFW and American Legion, and land management—specifically my house and surrounding gardens. I am ably assisted, I must say, by my wife of 60 years: Mary Kay, an alumna of St. Mary's of Notre Dame. My Theta Xi experience helped shape me as a confident person open to many possibilities. I wasn't very involved as a high school student, but that changed drastically when I joined the fraternity. The brothers insisted that you be active not only in Alpha Sigma, but also in campus activities. I did things I never thought I could do and held leadership roles I'd never dreamt of: freshman dance chairman, Greek Week, All Campus Carnival, and recruitment chairman to name a few. These activities gave me confidence in my ability to face challenges that once felt beyond my reach. That confidence also required overcoming my innate shyness and, in that, I was not alone. We would have exchanges with sororities IT'S TIME TO FINISH STRONG How You Can Help Meet our CaMpaign goal where we were expected to talk and dance with the girls. I vividly remember our social chairman, Russ Carll '59, getting so exasperated at some of the young initiates who remained on the sidelines talking to one another. He would pull the young initiate over to any girl who didn't have a partner and say, "John would like to dance with you." This approach worked quite well and broke down barriers quickly. I had a lot of pride in Theta Xi as a top fraternity on campus: we had won the all sports trophy several years in a row; we had members who played on the winning Bradley Braves basketball team; and we had leaders on campus, such as the Student Senate president, president (Continued on back) Above: Chapter room before. Below: Chapter room after. (Continued on back)

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