Theta Chi - Drake University

Gamma Tau Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity at Drake University ~ Spring 2022 2 022 is upon us, and we have some good things to discuss. First, we have settled our lawsuit with the builders of our fraternity house. We should now be able to fix the HVAC system and avoid any possible mold. Our engineering firm, Shive-Hattery, is currently soliciting bids for the major equipment components and identifying contractors to do the work. We hope the work can be completed over the summer so the house is functioning perfectly by the fall. The past two years have been very challenging for ΘX Building Corporation, Helping Hand Foundation, and Drake University. Still, I know we are all hopeful that life will soon resemble times before the pandemic and that social activities can be enjoyed again. Our brothers have done very well in recruiting terrific young men and taking their proper leadership place on Drake's campus. Drake Relays should be back to normal this year, and I hope many of you will make the trip to Des Moines on the last weekend of April. We will plan some festivities for brothers who make the trip as long as there is not another severe COVID variant. Finally, I want to mention that our new Chapter Advisory Board (CAB), led by Tom Olive '85, is up and running with a terrific group of former leaders from past decades. This team of brothers is meeting monthly with each Gamma Tau Chapter Executive Council member to help coach them through the challenges of running a fraternity. We hope to achieve our vision of being the best fraternity possible. This focused coaching approach can help us improve year after year to deliver the level of learning that we all expect from Theta Chi at Drake. Several younger brothers that have been serving on the ΘX Building Corporation elected to join the CAB; therefore, we are in the process of adding several young alumni members to the ΘX Building Board. We are always interested in finding brothers who are enthusiastic about serving—if that's you, please let me know! We understand that every brother can't devote time to our cause. If that is your situation, please consider generously making an annual donation to help us sustain the organization. Here is our OmegaFi link for making recurring payments: https://tinyurl.com/ ThetaChiDrakeAnnualCampaign. All brothers who participate in ΘX Building Corporation, Chapter Advisory Board, and Helping Hand Foundation are volunteers. Their dedication and hard work make all the difference to our organization's strength, vitality, and relevance for the programs we help provide for our young men. Thank you for your support in the past, now, and in the future! Fraternally, Chris Swan '86 President, ΘX Building Corporation chris.swan@transearchusa.com NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO RECOMMIT TO GAMMA TAU Volunteers Needed for ΘX Building Corporation and New Chapter Advisory Board W ith the support and encouragement of ΘX Building Corporation, a group of alumni brothers have joined the past and current undergraduate Executive Council (EC) to reform the Gamma Tau Chapter Advisory Board (CAB). The role of the CAB is to work with the undergraduate EC and assist in the formation of their leadership style to effectively guide the chapter. The CAB will fulfill its duties through three specific actions: • Members will partner to complete monthly one-on-one meetings, likely through video calls. This will provide an active CAB listener and accountability buddy to the EC members as they pursue their chapter leadership goals each term. • EC and CAB will strive to hold at least one combined meeting each semester to work with the undergraduates on their objectives as an EC team, build the esprit de corps of the undergraduate brothers, and improve effectiveness of the chapter. • The CAB will work with each new president to convene an EC transition workshop, supporting a collaborative hand off from one leadership team to the next. Over time, the CAB will coach undergraduate brothers in developing sound "playbooks" for each EC role, allowing effective leadership from the start of their term. The initial alumni serving on the new CAB (with EC buddy roles) are Matt Levine '06 (health and safety), Sam Passer '92 (marshal), Jeff Remis '06 (recruitment), Paul Scranton '91 (treasurer), Adam Sickley '16 (secretary), Mike Thornton '14 (vice president), and Tom Olive '85 (president). New Chapter Advisory Board Formed Strengthening the Bond Between Alumni and Undergraduate Brothers Our brotherhood event at Lake Red Rock! Back left to front right: Lucas Taylor '24, Nick Shaffer '22, Adam Albright '22, Evan Del Carmen '22, Alex Reznicek '22, Patrick Lucas '24, Michael Santoro '23, Nate Park '23, Liam Nugent '25, Logan Stevens '25, Connor Wrigley '23, Landon Norkus '23, McCade Gowdy '23, and Joey Frattalone '25. (Continued on page 2)

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