Sigma Alpha Epsilon - University of Montana

THE BETA BEAT PAGE 2 Dick Ford '64 Awarded for Remarkable Leadership in Chapter and UM Community D ick Ford '64, a tireless volunteer to the Montana Beta Chapter, was bestowed with the prestigious Alumni Fidelity award for his long-term dedication to and support of the chapter at the Flathead Lake reunion in August. Dick values the importance of brotherhood and maintaining lifelong connections as an alumnus. "Back in 2003, our SAE chapter was on death's doorstep. A few of us wanted to try once more to raise the chapter up out of the ashes to see if we could save the future of Montana Beta. Several people said we should meet this guy from the '60s. That guy turned out to be Dick, and after many hours of work, fundraising, and planning, the chapter, like a phoenix, has risen and flourished once again. With a full house at 1120 Gerald and over 50 active members, Montana Beta is healthy and thriving!" says John Greener '79. Jim Willits '64 has also experienced the impact of Dick's involvement with Montana Beta and the UM community. "Dick is truly a one-of-a-kind person. From graduation to today, he has demonstrated tremendous leadership, guidance, and support for Montana Beta and has been a significant driving force in creating and maintaining a thriving alumni base. Our chapter wouldn't be where it is today without his lifelong commitment to providing a better future for the men of Montana Beta. Dick exemplifies honesty, loyalty, and exceeding expectations with everything he does. He is a shining example of a true leader for the chapter and the UM community, and I could not be more proud to call him my brother." In addition to supporting the chapter, Dick has been instrumental in working with the University of Montana Greek task force. The efforts of this group of Greek alumni have T he fall semester started strong at Montana Beta with a 3.02 GPA and a full house. During our brotherhood retreat at the Sevnac bunkhouse earlier this fall, we established goals and organized plans for the semester, which drove us to a successful recruitment. We managed to recruit and initiate 22 new members to our order, bringing our chapter total to 51 brothers with 22 live-in members. Undergraduates Welcomed Alumni during Homecoming In preparation for Homecoming, we repainted our coat of arms outside of the house as well as the lions and railings with the help of the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We were excited to have the opportunity to see and meet returning alumni during Homecoming. The chapter greatly appreciates the interaction, support, and brotherhood shown by our alumni and we are eager to start gearing up for Homecoming next fall. Chapter Raised Nearly $2,000 for Philanthropy We are involved in a few different philanthropic projects in the Missoula community, including the Flagship after school program, the Clark Fork Coalition river clean crew, volunteering at the Roxy Theater, and the Shred Fest event at Caras Park. Last spring, we hosted an excellent Paddy Murphy philanthropy week where we raised close to $2,000 for the medical bills of a local stroke victim and student. We plan on organizing a philanthropic fundraiser next semester and are brainstorming the logistics of several ideas. We look forward to welcoming more alumni to the chapter house throughout the year and encourage all brothers to maintain a connection to our order. In the Bonds, Nathan Hovsepian '16 Eminent Archon nathan.hovsepian@umontana.edu DEDICATED TO THE FUTURE OF MONTANA BETA Undergraduates Strive for Excellence Montana Beta Initiates 22, Demonstrates Outstanding Philanthropic Efforts Spencer Lawston '16 and Dick Ford '64 Jim Mountain '81 helps make pancakes for Montana Beta's Homecoming event. Kurt Ingold, Pennsylvania Zeta '67 and Jonathan Scheidigger'16 assisted the Greek system at the University of Montana, which has more than tripled in size in the past 10 years to more than 500 members. Both Greek men and women support GPAs well in excess of the respective campus averages. Dick expanded his leadership in the UM Greek community and has served as a director of the UM Foundation for several years. Dick has an insatiable passion for his alma mater to which we all benefit greatly. A big thank you to Dick and Phi Alpha!

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