Delta Upsilon - University of Missouri

The A Publication of Delta Upsilon at the University of Missouri • Spring 2021 Duck call T he capital campaign launched in 2013 to construct a state-of-the-art chapter house at 711 Tiger Avenue came to a successful close on December 31, 2020. As of today, we have collected roughly $2.83 million of the $3.055 million that was committed. That equates to 93%. The next step in finalizing the campaign and transitioning to a new phase will be to prepare the permanent donor plaque and naming rights. We will then set a date for a donor recognition event at the chapter house. We hope to do that sometime next academic year assuming the COVID-19 environment is conducive to something of that nature. We will be sure to let you know of additional details as soon as they are available so you can get that on your calendar. While the campaign has officially closed, we will still accept contributions up until the date we order the plaque and naming rights. We will keep you advised of the order date and certainly welcome and encourage you to make any final campaign donations by that date. Once the donor recognition event is finalized, we will transition to a new annual fund approach. We have done this in the past, but it hasn't been communicated and organized in a manner necessary to ensure its maximum effectiveness. As you know, annual fund campaigns are critical to the sustained success of organizations like ours. While donations for "bricks and mortar" are always needed, we hope to broaden annual fund contributions to accommodate for chapter programming, leadership, and academic needs. Our plan for the new annual fund is to ensure that most any donation made in the future qualifies as a tax- deductible gift. As we celebrate this milestone and look to the future, we want to thank each of you for your generosity and support. I also want you to know that we will work diligently to ensure that the fraternity experience for Missouri DUs remains relevant and adds value over the years. In future communications, I hope to share the results of some new research studies that suggest fraternity men outperform non- fraternity men in areas such as critical thinking, speaking, and writing, while also experiencing lower levels of depression and anxiety. That is in sharp contrast to the negative narratives often portrayed. There are certainly things to improve upon, but it is important to know that your financial support isn't only appreciated but warranted. Fraternally, E. Bruce McKinney '74 President, Missouri Alumni of Delta Upsilon (816) 260-5735 ebmckin@gmail.com HOUSING CAMPAIGN COMES TO A CLOSE More Than 93% of Pledges Paid to Date F ollowing a strong fall recruitment, we were thrilled to initiate 48 new members in early December. This was one of the largest (if not the largest) new member classes in Missouri Chapter's history. We built on this momentum by bringing in 13 associate members this spring who are already making a positive impact within the chapter and on campus. Scholastic Success Our commitment to academic excellence has been paying off, as we finished the fall semester with a 3.3 GPA. This placed us well above the university and fraternity averages and in the top five for Mizzou fraternities. The associate members did even better with a 3.4 average. We had nine members achieve a 4.0. Missouri Chapter Makes Big Strides Undergraduate Brothers Excel in Academics and Leadership Chapter Advisor Chuck Hatley '80 with Randal J. Farmer Award winners Dylan Stover '23, John Gregory '23, Matt Austell '23, and Jackson Winkler '23. Dylan, John, Matt, and Jackson earned 4.0 GPAs during their first semester of college and earned $500 scholarships. (Continued on page 2)

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