Sigma Pi - Eastern Illinois University

SigmaPiBetaGamma.com 1 BETA-GAMMA GAB SIGMA PI FRATERNITY | EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY FALL 2018 H H H H H H H H H H I wish I could tell you our massive Chapter House restoration project has begun without complications. Not so much. In the last edition of the Gab, I commented that we were headed to the City of Charleston's Preservation Commission for consideration of our project. at session has turned into two additional meetings, one of which was with the residents living in the Preservation District. ere is great angst among the residents that our Chapter House will never return to a single-family dwelling. ey can't imagine why we want to stay put and better our property. e idea to connect the two properties went through two iterations before it was deemed not compliant. e third approach was to work off the back of the house to enclose the fire escape. Basically, a new roof line would be added to enclose the housemother's quarters and kitchen area. We also sug- gested moving the Chapter Room below grade. at was shot down too be- cause we would destroy the architectural integrity of the existing structure. So, with that, the final plans include the complete renovation of the interior. e interior walls will be stripped to the studs, adding a fire suppression system, new heating and cooling ducts, security system and, in some cas- es, reconfigured rooms. e Chapter Room (garage) will be converted to a Coach House with a first-floor meeting room, upstairs apartment and, off the back, an enclosed construction area for the float. We are expecting con- struction to begin before the men of Sigma Pi return from summer break. My sincere thanks and appreciation to all the alumni volunteers coming forth to assist on this project and other CIAA activities. Several distin- guished alumni have recently volunteered their time for our efforts. We'd like to publicly thank Brothers Eli Sidwell Jr. '55, D. Dean Crook '56, Roger Claar '65, and Mike McKenna '06 for stepping up when we needed some additional volunteers. Watch for your communique from this leader- ship in the coming months. ere are several other items in this edition of the Gab that should pique your interest. If you have questions about anything, please reach out to me. I want to make sure everything is properly communicated. We have a lot on our plate, and in the spirit of the Fraternity, we will accomplish more than we set out to do! Fraternally, Martin Morgan '82 CIAA President presidentforciaa@gmail.com Chapter House Renovation Project Moving Forward Chairmen in Place to Lead This Major Effort I just ended my fih academic year ad- vising the under- graduates of Beta-Gam- ma Chapter. ey are a tight-knit group of men who, at times, have some difficulty playing the roles of Greek system leader. We talk about campus involvement, but it is now picking and choosing what you can and cannot accomplish because of their membership. I can tell you from when I was in the Chapter with more than 110 members spread out across the campus playing a part in student govern- ment, university activities and Greek affairs, you just cannot do everything with 40-plus members. Also, everyone should remember not everyone fully participates. Of course, the guys are keen to report they won the 2017-18 overall intramural trophy. At the end of the school year, we undertook an exercise to unload some of the dead weight. Dead weight refers to those individuals with fi- nancial concerns and lack of academic achieve- ment. But to be honest, we also had several indi- viduals who did not properly represent the good name of Sigma Pi. Aer the vetting process, sev- eral members were released of their obligation, and others were given membership restrictions until they meet their financial obligation and/or educational requirements. Aer the 2018 gradu- ation, we will begin the fall academic year with less than 30 members in the Chapter. Please don't look at this as a negative. It is a positive stage of our life cycle. We were experiencing a downward spiral that has been nipped in the bud. e guys remaining in the Chapter are stars and will be great achievers. ey have a goal of 30 new members, who will have a positive experi- ence and will appreciate wearing the letters and understand the traditions of our great Chapter. Campus enrollment is up 20 percent over last year. at will give us much better numbers to work with. Beta-Gamma Chapter Adding by Subtraction Brothers Should Be Encouraged with Ability to Grow is Fall (Continued on page 4)

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