Gamma Tau Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity, Drake University
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1356670
Gamma Tau Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity at Drake University ~ Spring 2021 W elcome to 2021! Hopefully, your fortunes are turning up and your families are safe and secure. The ΘX Building Corporation, the Helping Hand Foundation, and the undergraduates are doing well and making progress. By the fall, we hope Drake will be back to a normal schedule and that we will see a more traditional Drake Relays in 2022. For a lot of us, it is safe to say that this will be a rebuilding year, and I am confident that we will at least have a plan by the end of 2021. Here are the issues we are confronting. The mold problem is under control at the moment, but for a long-term fix our engineering firm has advised a solution that is well into six figures. We are hoping to find a cheaper solution, but we are also committed to maintaining a healthy environment for our brothers by whatever means necessary. We have a claim against Story Construction, the design-build contractor that built the chapter house, and we are hopeful that mediation will provide some financial relief from either the builder or their insurance company. The work will require us to treat the incoming air and make sure that we have positive air pressure. I am hopeful that the Drake Relays will happen as scheduled this year (April 21-24). However, I don't believe the stadium will be open to large groups of spectators, and social activities will likely be severely limited. At this time, we are not planning any in-person social activities at the house. However, we are planning two virtual events that I hope as many alumni as possible can attend. Please register in advance for the first one by emailing chris.swan@transearchusa.com. Annual General Meeting All brothers are welcome! When: Thursday, April 22, 2021 6:30 p.m. CST To register for this meeting, email me at chris.swan@transearchusa.com. I will send you the Zoom link. Better Days Are Ahead MAKING PROGRESS ON HOUSE UPDATES AND LEADERSHIP Virtual Alumni and Senior Brother Networking Event We would like for all our alumni to get to know our graduating seniors, so please attend. When: Sunday, April 25, 2021 Noon CST Email me at chris.swan@transearchusa. com and I will provide the Zoom link. The new Executive Council has been installed and we have a terrific group led by President Will Krane '22. One thing I can say for sure is that his mom must be amazing, because we know Andy couldn't have raised such a capable kid. House Director Chris Miller shares a shoutout to our new house manager, Alec Grundman '22 who has been rocking the role this semester. He has been coming up with new areas of responsibilities, divvying up duties more equitably, and responding to the challenges of snow by moving 28 cars in an hour so the plow can make a pass. A few brothers have tested positive for COVID-19 since the fall, but all have self-isolated and we have had no serious illness. The brothers continue to take social distancing seriously and act maturely. We also have an update concerning the much-publicized incident three years ago with freshman new member Marcus Shields. Theta Chi National, ΘX Building Corporation, and about a dozen brothers were named in a lawsuit filed by the Shields family. The lawsuit was resolved for an undisclosed amount of money and no further action is required. The corporation was defended by a law firm hired by the National Fraternity, and all the expenses were handled by our insurance companies. We have taken this incident seriously and are committed to doing a better job of building a culture of friendship, brotherhood, and above all, safety. I believe this is our Sacred Purpose. To that end, I spoke with our National field executive, Tony Elias, Akron '20, who had just spent three days at 1320 34th Street. He said, "Gamma Tau is the best fraternity that I have visited." We discussed the Marcus Shields incident, and he said that the brothers had learned a lot and that concern resonates with the members throughout the house. Brothers, I am 100% convinced that, as we used to say in the Navy, we are "locked on." Our fundraising team has been collecting from those last few brothers who lost track of their pledges and still have a balance. If you are one of them, please reach out to me today and let's get it cleaned up. More importantly, I hope everyone will make an annual pledge to ΘX Building Corporation. We have the best house on Greek Street, but we need your ongoing support. Love and Respect, Chris Swan '86 President, ΘX Building Corporation chris.swan@transearchusa.com Calvin Blume '22 Named Finalist for the 2021 Reginald E.F. Colley Memorial Trophy T he Reginald E.F. Colley Memorial Trophy is the highest honor the Fraternity can bestow upon a collegiate member. The Grand Chapter presents the award annually to one collegiate member who best demonstrates distinguished service to alma mater, Fraternity, and chapter. The selection committee will identify the 2021 Colley Award recipient and up to two runners-up in May. The award consists of an impressive plaque and carries with it a significant scholarship award from The Foundation Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity, Inc. Congratulations, Calvin!