Sigma Chi - Oklahoma State University

The Sig Scroll p. 2 W hen it comes to Sigma Chi's mission of developing values- based leaders committed to the betterment of character, campus, and community, it's hard not to think about everything Joe Porter '64 has done for Gamma Delta and Sigma Chi. His service to has shaped countless lives, and he considers it a small favor in return for how Sigma Chi shaped his own life. "The main things I drew from being in college were a sense of belonging to a common cause, personal accountability, and the need to give back for what I felt that I'd been given in school," Joe said. n Sense of Belonging It has been second nature over the years for Joe to make the hour drive from Luther to Stillwater for various Gamma Delta active chapter and alumni events, House Corporation meetings, and help the active members with projects around the chapter house. The pandemic has obviously challenged Joe and many other alumni to find alternative ways to stay connected to Gamma Delta and with each other, but he is quick to point out that it's as easy as making a phone call or sending a text or email to keep the sense of belonging alive within our brotherhood. "When you reach out to brothers from your class and other alumni, you always reminisce and think, I wonder whatever happened to so and so …. Well, reach out and find out whatever happened," Joe said. "Make an effort to extend and reestablish your connections with your other brothers. I think we've all felt a sense of isolation in our social activities. It's more important than ever to try to maintain those connections." n Personal Accountability When Joe looks backs on his undergraduate experience, the lifelong friendships that he forged are just one big component of what has made Sigma Chi so special to him. As a Gamma Delta collegian, Joe served as his pledge class's treasurer, active chapter Tribune, ritual team member, Quaestor, and helped Derby Days return to the OSU Greek community. Joe's brothers have enjoyed seeing how he's utilized skills he's learned some 60 years ago to help generations of Gamma Deltas develop personal accountability. Cliff Lyle '79 says, "As brothers in Sigma Chi, we are charged with certain obligations. Supporting, encouraging, assisting, and just 'being there' all are ways we offer strong arms. I have known Joe since my undergraduate days and have observed this behavior more times than I can list. The word that best describes his behavior is 'consistent.' He is consistent in his desire to assist, lift up, encourage and support his brothers in Sigma Chi and in doing so, he advances the interests of our fraternity and its individual members." n Giving Back Joe's financial support to Gamma Delta is evident throughout the house, from the security system that he funded at a cost of over $30,000 – "because the house and our brothers needed the protection," to the amenities made possible by his capital campaign contributions. His most significant contribution of time, talent, and treasury is the establishment of the Gamma Delta Endowed Scholarship Fund at the OSU Foundation. His initial contribution of $50,000 led to over $400,000 in gifts from fellow alumni, all of which qualify for 1.5 match by the T. Boone Securing Sigma Chi's Special Sense of Belonging Dan Hill '63, Joe Porter '64, C.F. McGee '65, and Chuck Yadon '64. Dan and Chuck have known each other since seventh grade. Joe and C.F. have also known each other since seventh grade. All four of them went to the same junior high school in seventh grade but didn't know each other aside from Dan and Chuck. After joining Sigma Chi in 1959 and 1960, all four brothers are still in contact with each other through text, email, FaceTime, etc., some 60-plus years later. Joe Porter '64 Shares Why It's Important to Stay Connected to Gamma Delta Pickens estate. Establishing an alumni Scholarship Advisor position and a process for applications and scholarship awards ensures that the earnings from the fund will reach the most worthy undergraduate brothers. Joe has also been the catalyst to reconnect alumni with the chapter by reactivating the Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter of Stillwater. Alumni Chapter. One of the more rewarding aspects of Joe's Sigma Chi experience is serving as Gamma Delta's historian. "It's been very interesting to develop a thumbnail sketch of the chapter's history and to message that to the undergraduates, so they have an appreciation of where and how the chapter started and the significant individuals who are a part of the chapter's history," Joe said. "Documenting that so it is not lost is very important." There's no doubt that Joe has been a significant contributor to Gamma Delta's great history. Joe was very much deserving of his induction into the Order of Constantine in 2016, an honor that has been bestowed to fewer than 1,000 brothers out of 750,000-plus Sigma Chi alumni. Ken Klein '65 says, "When I think of our ritual and consider the importance of Constantine the Great to our rich tradition, I believe he intends us to hold up men like Joe. As a fellow member of the Order of Constantine, I appreciate how impactful Joe's work has been on the lives of so many young men, over so many years." Joe has gone above and beyond to secure Gamma Delta's special sense of belonging within our Sigma Chi brotherhood. It's our responsibility to follow Joe's lead by staying connected to Gamma Delta and with each other. You can connect with Joe at portengr@hotmail.com.

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