Beta Theta Pi - Oklahoma State University

Think Back. Think Big. Think Beta. 11 A M E R I C A' S G R E AT E S T H O M E C O M I N G BETA THETA PI & PI BETA PHI DO WE NEED NEW SIGNAGE ON THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE? N umerous discussions have taken place on whether we need signage on the front of the Beta house. The vast majority of Greek houses and univer- sity buildings have some form of identi- fication on them. The old Big Red Island has not had any Greek letters in the past, just the crest over the front door. Brothers seem to have different opinions on what we should do. We would like to hear from you by January 31, 2020 if you have an opin- ion on this topic. We would likely use the Greek letters BΘΠ, and the Beta Theta Pi Building Corporation would make a final placement decision once we arrive at some consensus on this topic as to adding Greek letters or not. Please respond with your comments by email, text, or phone to Jim Hammack '66 at: dr_jim_hammack@yahoo.com or (405) 760-7792. If responding by text, please identify your- self in the text. F or the last five years, we have solicited do- nations to build our new Big Red Island, and now we have completed the house. Ear- ly on, some of us wondered whether we could actually do this project. By now, many of you have toured the building and visited the various living areas of our new facility. As most of us walk away, we often are struck with a feeling of awe about this brotherhood accomplishment. As many of you know, we started four years ago with a budget of around $7 million, and we are coming to the end at about the same cost. Also, you know we will now be servicing debt (the principle and interest expense) with cash flow from the house bills. Would that be our pref- erence? Of course not! We would rather keep house bills low, have more scholarship money available, and build reserves for a rainy day. Why did we give? We know this was a brother- hood and friends effort. We continue to look back fondly on our active house experiences and then acknowledge the large number of lifetime friend- ships we have cultivated with warm hearts along the way. And now, we look at the General Fra- ternity's principles in recent years – leadership initiatives, performance expectations, changes in house culture, and fraternity behavior practices. Today, and in yesteryear, we can see what the four years at the Beta house helped bridge for us. The Beta experience in "Stilly" helped us mature after leaving our parents' homes and before we left school for our professional careers. The majority of us can say we have lived or are living a balanced, principled, and productive life in our world. We can see that in ourselves, sons, grandsons, nephews, fathers, and our brothers' families as well. So is the Beta house at Oklahoma State just an- other fraternity house in the United States? No! We've proved that and our young chapter broth- ers continue to keep the bar high for us in all the endeavors we pursue and in the metrics we see. In conclusion, we would ask each of you to re- flect on whether you can continue to help us re- duce the debt that we have – whether you are already a donor or have been waiting to see the outcome. Your gifts will be appreciated by our brothers. Has Gamma Lambda "distinguished itself from all others?" I think we can see that, candidly and in reality, we have. Please reflect on your Beta experience and continue to "pass it forward" if you can. Your Editors and Brothers in __kai__, Greg Colpitts '88 Larry Maguire '65 PASSING IT FORWARD

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