Beta Theta Pi - Westminster College

Dragon Speak Page 2 Alpha Delta Wins Sisson Award for Chapter Excellence T his August marked Beta Theta Pi's 174th General Convention, which was held at the Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 10 undergraduate Betas from the Alpha Delta Chapter were joined by hundreds of other Beta collegians and alumni from chapters all across the United States and Canada. This year's convention began with a welcoming banquet that honored a distinguished Beta, Ray Mabus, Mississippi '69. Ray is a former Governor of Mississippi, former U.S Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and is currently serving as the U.S Secretary of the Navy after being appointed by President Obama in 2009. He touched on his career as a public servant as well as how Beta has had a genuine impact on his life and the contact he still has with his fraternity brothers. The second day featured excursions that Beta undergraduates and alumni were able to partake in throughout that week. The Alpha Delta Chapter chose to go on a whitewater rafting excursion at the U.S National Whitewater Center, just outside of Charlotte. This center featured two challenging rafting courses, multiple high-ropes courses, rock climbing, and a zip line where we happened to run into Mitchell Sharp '02, a fellow Alpha Delta Beta who works at the center. We ended the day with an ice cream dessert reception featuring former U.S Senator Richard Lugar, Denison '54, followed by the Loving Cup Ceremony. Many time-honored General Convention traditions took place on the final day. The first was the model initiation, in which several soon-to-be Betas from Auburn University were initiated into the fraternity. Another was the Beta Marching Line, followed by the closing celebration banquet. It was at this closing banquet where the Alpha Delta Chapter learned it had received its ninth Sisson Award, given to outstanding chapters based on chapter excellence. (See Lou Beasley's letter about the general convention on page 6.) The 175th General Convention will be held next year in Oxford, Ohio, where Beta Theta Pi was founded, on August 7-10, 2014. It is expected to be the largest Beta convention ever. This is a once-ina-lifetime opportunity as a member of Beta Theta Pi, and one you certainly do not want to miss. In _kai_, Jack Ketcher '15 Corresponding Secretary

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