Sigma Chi - Montana State University

2 BOBCAT SIG B rothers, it is with great pleasure that I had the opportunity to serve as our chapter's consul for the 2014-2015 school year. I am proud of the undergraduate brothers this year and their numerous accomplishments. The past year has been one of rebuilding for the chapter. As many of you may be aware, one of our chapter members was accused of a sexual assault in fall 2013 while in the chapter house. This brought a massive amount of negative attention from the media and Bozeman community, leading to a difficult and trying experience for brothers. I am relieved to share that during a student conduct hearing in spring 2014, a panel of MSU administrators dropped all charges against our brother. Additionally, the Gallatin County attorney dropped all charges in fall 2014. Both groups dropped charges due to the accusations lacking substance and evidence. This is a challenging topic to address in this newsletter, but I feel it is important for us to be transparent about the incident and what the chapter has done since then. The criticism Beta Rho faced brought us closer together and encouraged us to strive to do better. Over the past year, we have become heavily involved with MSU's VOICE Center, a sexual assault prevention group. Multiple brothers have become VOICE Center advocates, we have cosponsored multiple events with the Center, and every brother now goes through yearly bystander intervention training. Additionally, we have doubled down on our efforts for public relations and philanthropy. This past fall, the chapter raised over $5,000 for the Huntsman Cancer Institute, something we have not even come close to in my four years as an undergraduate. Individual chapter members have spent hundreds of hours volunteering with community groups such as the VOICE Center, the Bozeman Senior Center, Eagle Mount, the Gallatin County Food Bank, local volunteer fire departments, and the Adopt-a-Highway program. Beta Rho ranked second of all fraternities on campus with a 3.0 chapter GPA during the spring semester. For our future members, we have raised the standard for membership, instituting a strict minimum 3.0 GPA requirement for incoming freshmen, which began in fall 2014. Additionally, we have developed a judicial matrix in order to create a standard system for character development in future chapter members. Active brothers also work tirelessly on improvements within the chapter house to make it more appealing to future members. We are excited about the recent projects to improve the women's bathroom, the basement, and individual rooms. I am proud of the brothers' resolve in pushing the chapter forward this year in spite of the incident that occurred in fall 2013. Never have I seen the entirety of the brotherhood dedicated to Sigma Chi's success as much as they are today. Brothers pour their time into the community and into our chapter house, always seeking to improve the quality of our home. I'd like to thank our alumni and advisors for their immense support in our endeavors. I am confident that as I graduate and move on to law school, I will be leaving the chapter in the hands of great alumni and undergraduate leaders who will drive Sigma Chi toward even greater success during the next academic year. In Hoc, Dillon Haskell '15 Beta Rho Consul dillon.haskell1@gmail.com Consul Colton Coffee '17 coltoncoffee@gmail.com (406) 855-6028 Pro Consul Chapman Hewett '17 chapman.hewett@gmail.com (612) 239-0715 Quaestor Shane Connors '17 sconnors006@gmail.com (570) 909-8771 Tribune Rio Moore '18 rio.moore19@gmail.com (720) 587-7895 Magister Kyle Workman '17 kyleworkman58@gmail.com (406) 777-3301 Recruitment Chairman Taylor O'Keeffe '16 taylorokeeffe@hotmail.com (509) 481-5974 BETA RHO CREATES A BETTER BROTHERHOOD Undergraduate Bonds Grow Despite Difficult Times Welcome, New Brothers Tom Brooks Woodbury, Minn. Chad Hertz Belgrade, Mont. Rio Moore Boulder, Colo. Alex Thorson Spokane, Wash. CHAPTER OFFICERS Beta Rho Is Looking for Future Sigs A lumni, we value your referrals. If you know any quality men who will be attending Montana State in the fall, please contact our recruitment chairman, Taylor O'Keeffe '16, at taylorokeeffe@hotmail.com or (509) 481-5974. We look forward to hearing your suggestions for potential new members!

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