Sigma Chi - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

3 SIGMA CHI HELP DELTA PSI FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT Redirect Your RPI Donations to Sigma Chi B y now, I'm sure all of you have heard and read about the latest unilateral edicts from the Shirley Jackson administration regarding Greek life at RPI. The new rules they plan to impose will likely harm all chapters on campus. Indeed, it will probably kill several by delaying recruitment and placing large burdens on recruitment/pledging options and limiting spring recruitment's ability to fill the houses. (See news updates on this attack at: https:// sigmachi-rpi.org/news/) These damaging edicts came with virtually no affected-stakeholder input or consultation and little consideration of the harm that would be done, on top of the great damage this administra- tion has already done to the Institute's finances, graduate schools, and college rating scores, not to mention the Summer Arch program. For those unfamiliar, see: https://renewrensselaer. org/findings/ While others continue to "fight the good fight" to preserve our chapter and heritage, this letter was prompted by a Delta Psi alumnus who no longer wishes to donate to RPI and asked how he could support us instead. For those of you who wish to move your dollars and ammunition toward the Delta Psi Chapter, there is good news! You CAN make tax-deduct- ible donations without it going to RPI, simply by redirecting your funds. Several options exist: 1. Unrestricted donations to The Pinewoods Educational Foundation (PEF), a 501(c) (3) corporation that owns the house at 58 Pinewoods Avenue and has the added mission of providing scholarships, leadership training, and other career development for Delta Psi and the broader RPI community. 2. "Restricted" donations to PEF earmarked for specific purposes (Delta Psi undergraduate scholarships, paying down the mortgage, etc.). 3. Donations through the Sigma Chi Foundation, earmarked for Delta Psi undergraduate scholarships. Arch Love '42 left a hefty sum to the Sigma Chi Foundation for just that purpose, and PEF still administers the Arch Love Fund and awards scholarships from that fund each fall. 4. Donate directly to Phi Epsilon Phi, the house corporation who manages the property for the Foundation and maintains alumni relations responsibility. Note that donations to PEP are NOT tax deductible since it is not a 501(c)(3) public charity like PEF is. A while ago, an RPI development officer called to ask me to put RPI in my will. My answer to him was the same as I hope yours will be: "Until the administration changes or they radically change their policies toward Greek life, I will make all of my donations to my chapter so that they will have the resources to survive and fight this administration." I hope many of you will agree and do likewise! In Hoc Signo Vinces, Jim Manocchi '75 Pinewoods Educational Foundation President Pinewoods educational Foundation RePoRt P inewoods Educational Foundation (PEF) provided an update at the PEP House Corporation meeting held on August 24. PEF has closed out the initial capital campaign, which raised over $1.7 million to expand and improve your chapter house, making it the safest, most up-to-date, and most comfortable house on campus. PEF has the early 1855 pledges ($18.55 per month for five years) from the recent graduates, which are now coming due for initial payments until they get real jobs. To be solvent enough to be able to pay down our mortgage (PEF has a $1.5 million mortgage on this house), as well as to provide funding for expanded programs, PEF must continue to solicit donations from all the actives. Overall, PEF is still in very solid condition financially. Our first program of the 2018-19 academic year was the third running of the resume and interview skills workshop, once again led by Dennis Powers '63 on September 15. During the spring 2018 semester, PEF sponsored Matt Eversmann, Hampden-Sydney '87 (the Hero of Blackhawk Down and a Significant Sig) as a motivational speaker on "Values Driven Leadership" to an enthusiastic audience in the RPI EMPAC center. The event was a great suc- cess from the standpoint of leadership training and motivation, as evidenced by all of the RPI ROTC attendees clamoring for pictures with Matt. It was also an honor to help the entire Institute and faculty to better recognize the leadership development aspects of Greek life in general, and of Sigma Chi in particular. PEF stands out as unique since no other chap- ter at RPI does anything comparable to the programs that PEF develops and hosts for the campus at large. PEF was also able to get RPI to record the session and has several DVDs that the chapter can use for training and during recruitment to refresh the message. PEF hopes that, with the continuing financial support of the alumni and undergraduate brothers, they can continue to sponsor educational programs in addition to scholarship programs. Matt Eversmann, Hampden-Sydney '87 and PEF President Jim Manocchi '75 PEF President Jim Manocchi '75 and Matt Eversmann, Hampden-Sydney '87 (center) in the RPI EMPAC Center with alumni and undergraduates after Matt's "Values Driven Leadership" speech.

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