Delta Upsilon - University of Missouri

The A Publication of Delta Upsilon at the University of Missouri • Fall 2020 Duck call W hen our last newsletter was released last spring, the University of Missouri had just suspended operations and requested all students to return home. The future was uncertain, and the financial implications were daunting. The battle against COVID-19 is still day to day, but so far we are weathering the storm. Much of the spring and summer was spent planning for what seemed to be endless possibilities. In August, we rolled out our COVID-19 plan. It aligns with the university's Show Me Renewal Plan that relies heavily on member expectations for personal hygiene, social distancing, wearing masks, and daily symptom reporting. As a result, things look very different these days. Move-in was staggered over several days to limit crowding, formal recruitment was 100% virtual, and several rooms were set aside to serve as quarantine space. Visitation is extremely limited, even for out-of-house members and parents. Additionally, our dining and cleaning protocols were revised and enhanced and chapter meetings are almost totally online. Along with the procedural changes, we also made investments in a number of critical items. A significant upgrade was made to the Wi-Fi for better online access. We also invested in hand sanitizing stations, Plexiglas shields in the dining area, and enhanced cleaning capabilities. Despite these challenges, we began the fall semester with 134 members, up 43 from last fall's total of 91. A combination of in-person and virtual recruitment events were held during the summer and netted 26 new associate members. We then added another 26 members during formal recruitment for a total of 52. It was a very different experience, but our recruitment team handled it well. We gained quality young men with GPA and ACT scores in excess of the university averages of 3.5 and 26, respectively. Importantly, only two freshmen will live in the chapter house this fall in comparison to 21 last year. That sets us up nicely for future years as we will not be reliant on freshmen to fill the house. Delta Upsilon International Fraternity held its annual leadership conference in a virtual format on September 20. The chapter received multiple awards, including recognition as a Sweepstakes Finalist as one of the top seven overall DU chapters in North America. For a complete list of awards, see page 2. This year will surely be one of ups and downs as all of society deals with this pandemic. Rest assured, we have a plan that we will follow every day. With your continued support, we will build a solid foundation for the future of Delta Upsilon at Mizzou. Fraternally, E. Bruce McKinney '74, President, Missouri Alumni of Delta Upsilon (816) 260-5735 / ebmckin@gmail.com Chapter Recognized as Sweepstakes Finalist Record-Setting Pledge Class Fuels Growth Despite COVID-19 Challenges A s football returns, let us reflect upon the joys that fall brings. Whether it is game days, Homecoming, or the fall foliage, this is an exciting season. As students, we look forward to the opportunity to catch up with Fraternity brothers and reflect upon our summer memories. While this semester will be much different than those of old, I wanted to let you know how the chapter is adapting to the new world we find ourselves in. Recruitment, social events, the associate member process, and most activities have been altered. Despite this, I am proud of the changes the chapter has implemented. Our recruitment team, with assistance from Delta Upsilon International, held numerous Zoom calls over the summer and successfully navigated a virtual formal recruitment. Formal recruitment, an emerging option for incoming freshmen, brought in over 400 participants. Our recruitment team was able to sign an impressive class of 52 new associate members. While this achievement is incredible, it has challenged our member educator, Quinn Lowery '22, to create an adaptive plan for their associate member program. We incorporated Zoom calls, created small teams within the new member class, and implemented other strategies to follow Mizzou's guidelines. We strive to create the best experience for our members because, as we all know, the Fraternity experience is unmatched. Each day is another day to build a stronger brotherhood. We look forward to creating memories in a new way this semester. (Continued on page 2) LOOKING AT THE POSITIVES Missouri Chapter WelCoMes 6 NeW iNitiates & 52 assoCiate MeMbers, Creates Chapter liNkediN aCCouNt

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