Sigma Alpha Epsilon - University of Montana

THE BETA BEAT PAGE 2 Why did you join Sigma Alpha Epsilon and what made you stay a part of the brotherhood? I was a Missoula kid and, in a funny way, I was isolated. I wanted to go through college as a cohort of other students, and have a home away from home. I was proud to be a member of SAE. What degree did you earn from the University of Montana and what is your current position? I earned a B.A. in political science from UM. I'm currently retired but spent 40 years with the Federal Government, working mostly out of Washington, D.C. The highlight of my career was working as emergency operations director for the U.S. State Department Refugee Bureau. Were there any Montana Beta alumni who had a positive impact on your college experience? I can't recall any alumni in particular, but there were certainly leaders within the upperclassman ranks. Ed Whitelaw '63, Charlie Hood '61, and John Ulvila '62, for example, served as role models and made me aware that college was preparation for life. What is your overall impression of the active chapter? The actives seem to be very responsible. They were helpful to me when I toured the chapter house during Homecoming and seem to keep the place looking good. How do you think Sigma Alpha Epsilon helped you become who you are today? SAE provided me with a base to get through college. My successes since graduation could be attributed to Montana Beta as SAE was certainly a foundation for me. Don and his wife, Louise, live in Washington, D.C. They have three children: Mark, Marybeth, and Yuzana Khin, their adopted refugee daughter. "They're all married and involved with the State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overseas." In his spare time, Don enjoys reading, hiking, fishing, and watching movies. You can contact him at donkrumm@yahoo.com. Montana Beta Celebrates Another Successful Homecoming H omecoming 2014 was a busy time at 1120 Gerald. The undergraduates were busy getting the house in shape for all the expected visitors, as well as building the Homecoming parade float with Kappa Sigma and Alpha Phi. A meet-and-greet was on Thursday evening at the house for alumni and actives. It was well attended and we think this may become an annual event. Friday morning, 10 SAEs teed off at Canyon River Golf Course in an outing organized by Roy Stanley '66 and Gary Gullard '65. We hope to make this an annual event as well. Saturday morning, despite a little rain, our annual pancake breakfast and parade-watching from our lawn drew a nice mix of SAE alumni and friends. This event just gets better and better. Put it on your calendar for next year; you won't be disappointed. Our thanks go out to the undergraduates for their help in setting up breakfast and to our chefs, Jim Mountain '81, Bob Haynum '65, John Greener '79, Max Boese, Willamette University '62, and Kurt Ingold '13, for all their hard work making this such an outstanding event. And thanks to the Griz for a nice win. MONTANA BETA GIVES BACK Philanthropy Continues to Be a Top Priority for SAE T he men of Montana Beta have been active both raising money for charities and working in the community. Philanthropic involvement, like all aspects of the chapter, has improved drastically over the last few years. Last spring, the brothers of Montana Beta were very involved in Relay for Life. Out of the entire university, SAE had the second-highest fundraising total. We were able to raise more than $1,800 for the event. The fall 2014 semester marks the third year SAE has worked with the Flagship after-school program at C.S. Porter Middle School. The brothers lead activities for small groups of the 11 to 14-year-olds, including helping with homework, playing flag football, cooking, learning robotics, and triathlon training. Though at times challenging, Flagship is well liked within the chapter and the organization is happy to have us. On October 4, 26 brothers showed up at 8:30 a.m. to work for the Missoula Park Service on National Public Lands Day. For four hours, brothers pulled weeds, mulched, planted trees, and picked up trash. Thankfully it was a beautiful day, and the Park Service was impressed with the work we completed. SAE plans to continue our relationship with the Park Service to do large outdoor projects three to four times a year. Finally, during 2014 the brothers held two separate social events to raise money for St. Jude Children's Hospital. At the end of the year we donated nearly $1,000 to the organization. We look forward to continuing our philanthropic success in the spring and giving back to our community as much as possible. Fraternally, Wilson Reiser '15 Philanthropy Chairman Catching Up with a Dedicated Montana Beta Alumnus A Q&A with DonAlD Krumm '64

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