Delta Tau Delta - University of Oklahoma

DELTA ALPHA CELEBRATES 97 YEARS OF BROTHERHOOD AT OU Shelter at 1320 College Street reaCheS 50-Year MileStone! Delta Alpha Chapter I Delta Tau Delta Fraternity I University of Oklahoma I Spring 2019 Sooner Delt The C an you believe our Delta Alpha Shelter first opened its doors 50 years ago? I am sure the pledge class of 1969 certainly remembers it well! Hundreds of Delts have lived and learned in our Shelter, and they all formed friendships that will last a lifetime. I am very pleased to report that these traditions are still alive and well at 1320 College Street! Undergraduate Successes Last fall's large pledge class produced a strong group of new initiates, and these quality young men are doing lots of great things at OU. They organized another very successful fundraising campaign for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, raising thousands of dollars for this very worthy cause and receiving several awards from National Fraternity. The undergraduates are working hard to maintain an excellent aca- demic ranking and are involved in numerous campus activities. They have a great group of leaders and are headed toward a full house next fall. The chapter is also on a solid financial foot- ing. We are excited about the next 50 years! Alumni and Brotherhood Events Continuing what has become another Delt tra- dition, the House Corporation sponsored some great events during the spring semester. We host- ed another Founders' Day banquet (Happy 97th, Delta Alpha!) that was attended by the under- graduates and several Delt alumni. It is always great to see the alumni sharing their memories with the younger Delts. The House Corporation also organized a Delt Alumni Golf Tournament in April at the Golf Club of Oklahoma in Ed- mond, Oklahoma. As usual, we had some pretty ugly golf but lots of great stories! Please join us next year for these annual events—you will en- joy the brotherhood! House Corporation and ASC Update The House Corporation is expanding its board of directors to get more alumni involved in sup- porting the chapter. We are very pleased to an- nounce that Chris Burleson '71 has joined our board. Chris has been a dedicated supporter of Delta Alpha for many years, serving as chap- ter advisor and as a past president of the House Corporation Board. All the members are looking forward to adding Chris's experience and talent to our board. As we discussed in previous newsletters, the House Corporation and other alumni leaders cre- ated an Alumni Supervisory Committee (ASC) in 2017 to provide more direct alumni supervi- sion of the chapter. The ASC, headed by Matt Akins '13, assumed responsibility for virtually all of the chapter's operations. Matt, Jim Greg- ory '69, Tyler Crowe '14, and all the members of the ASC have done a fantastic job! Alumni Advisors Needed Although the chapter is being led this year by an outstanding group of bright and talented of- ficers, they still need the ongoing assistance of alumni advisors. There truly is no substitute for the guidance of an experienced alumni mentor, and we believe that the best way to provide this is through the formation of a team of alumni advisors. We are forming a new Alumni Advi- sory Committee for the next academic year. This group of volunteers will work as a team under the direction of the chapter advisor. The mem- bers will serve for limited terms, spreading the workload among the committee while building a closer relationship with the undergraduate of- ficers. This organizational model has been used successfully in many award-winning chapters across the country. We need more volunteers immediately. Please contact me by email as soon as possible and we will put you on the team. Mentoring these great young men is an extremely rewarding way to give back to the fraternity. Seeking Recruitment Recommendations Summer recruitment will be beginning soon, and we all know that recruiting well-rounded young men with strong academic backgrounds is of vi- tal importance to the chapter. The undergraduate recruitment team will emphasize the recruitment of Delt legacies, so please help us by sending me emails with the names and contact information of any legacy you know. Looking Forward Brothers, the undergraduates and many dedicat- ed alumni are working hard to make sure Delta Alpha continues a strong presence on the OU campus. However, it is time we face the fact that our 50-year-old Shelter is no longer competitive with our fellow fraternities on campus. All one needs to do is look down the road or around the corner to see the impressive work done at Beta, Alpha Tau, FIJI, Kappa Sig, Phi Delt, SigEp, and Lambda Chi. Each of these fraternities has done major renovations or new builds within the last decade. Plans are in motion to position our- selves for a prosperous future, and we will keep you informed as they develop. Now, more than ever, More Delt, Less Self! Fraternally, Mike Johnston '88 House Corporation President mjohnston@gobaker.com

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