Delta Kappa Epsilon - University of Alabama

Sighs of Psi 5 ALUMNI NEWS A Bond Between the Living And the deAd: Proof thAt Size doeS not MAtter By John Nielsen '83 I t's not the size of the Chapter that matters; it's the effort. Psi Chapter founders enjoyed a life expectancy of 37 years. That expectation would have given Edmund Burke's idea added meaning: "History is a contract between the dead, the living, and the yet unborn." If our founders wanted to make history, they had to start young. Psi Chapter hosted the DKE National Convention in Tuscaloosa in July. Those days at the Mansion coincided with my reading of Louis J. DuPre's memoirs of his adventures as a Confederate soldier. Dupre was a founder of the Psi Chapter in 1847. His words relayed that tenuous line between living and dying in the 1800s. Men in that day, especially soldiers, knew strong bonds of friendship were important for survival and success. The first evening of the Convention brought dinner with the delegates from DKE Chapters throughout the Americas. Afterward, active delegates could go out on the town. Some hung around the Mansion for a while to relax and soak in the history and scope of Psi Chapter. I visited with delegates from Sigma Xi Chapter, St. Joseph's College, Long Island, and New York. With about two dozen members, their chapter is just a few years old. They're growing. Chris, Steven, and Andrew explained to me that their "house" is a few member-occupied apartments. Their "party room" is wherever they decide to throw a party, which they do with growing frequency. These men described their ability to build a brotherhood and tight bonds with creativity, hard work, and communication. These guys are quick on their feet, balancing fun and study. They've developed the ability to plan and execute chapter social and community events by virtue of their personal bonds, and without big budgets or some edifice. In fact, Alpha Xi Chapter delivered three active members to the DKE convention, 1,000 miles from their home. Fully, 13 percent of the total chapter came to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The conversation with the Alpha Xi men moved from practical to personal. To a man they described their friendships and what it meant to have the support of brothers when meeting tough personal challenges. My mind returned to Louis J. Dupre and the original Psi founders. A few men from rural places formed a brotherhood which would span three centuries. They had no house, no chapter history, no alumni, no budget, and a University of Alabama without women. They had an idea and a template for DKE. The Psi men created, simply, a bond of "Gentlemen, Scholars, and Jolly Good Fellows." Like Alpha Xi, the original DKEs relied on each other, creativity, and commitment to a bigger ideal. One must believe that Dupre and the other Psi founders would find the work of Alpha Xi familiar and say, "Well done, Brothers!" That night, at the DKE house, there was a realization that Psi Chapter's long history, chapter size, trappings, and pre-eminence are blessings accompanied by an obligation to produce more "Gentlemen, Scholars, and Jolly Good Fellows." Bonds are built only with work and personal contribution. Membership, without bonds, is meaningless. DKEs have a contract with history, which can only be broken by complacency and fulfilled by commitment. Alumni Update "The Hon" Francis Coleman Inge '50 entered Mystic Circle on January 27, 2015, as a resident of Mobile, Ala. He served as a missionary to the Athabascan Indians on the Yukon River in the Missionary District of Alaska from 1956-59 and was an ordained priest at St. James' Episcopal Church in Tanana, Alaska. Coleman also served as vicar of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Irvington, started St. Francis Mission in Dauphin Island, and founded Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, a mission church of St. Luke's. He enjoyed his family, friends, sailing, classical music, reading, traveling, and playing with his dogs. Coleman is survived by his wife, Jean; son, Coleman Jr.; daughter, Mildred; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. S.O. Irvine '65 reports that all is well and he lives in Daphne, Ala., with his wife, Anne. He has an e-mail group for a few DKE classes around '65. If you are interested in joining, e-mail Starke at starkeirvine@gmail.com John Mostellar '66 shares that his grandson, Mac Mostellar, pledged Psi Chapter this fall. John and his wife, Joy, live in Mobile, Ala. E-mail: jtmostellar@gulfcoastmarine.com David Wood '89 married Alexandra Terry on June 14, 2014. They live in Mobile, Ala., and welcomed triplets in October. E-mail: wood2005@comcast.net Joseph Dennis '05 is saddened to see that Randy Clark '61 passed away. "At the final (special) Undertaker's Ball in 2006, celebrating the death of the old Mansion on the Hill, I noticed a jolly man who was having the time of his life. I took a picture with him and, during an entertaining conversation with him, someone walked up and advised me that Mr. Clark's first departure from this mortal coil was at the inaugural Undertaker's Ball. I was thrilled we got the picture because I was the final deceased at the Old DKE House in 2005—he was the first and I was the last at that legendary Mansion." E-mail: josephsdennis@gmail.com Have you visited our website? It is a development geared entirely toward you. The website, uadke.org, features alumni news, photos, and regular Chapter updates. You can also use the site to update your contact information. We enjoy seeing the online presence of Psi Chapter grow and hope you will take time to visit our website. VISIT US ONLINE uadke.org

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