Sigma Chi - Montana State University

BOBCAT SIG 2 I n 2004, Beta Rho Chapter was in rapid decline, having only 19 members, including 14 live-ins. Fortunately, two alumni had the passion, initiative, and time to attempt to turn the situation around. Paul Boylan '64 and Rick Dissly '66 joined the House Building Corporation at that time. Paul, a Bozeman resident, became president of the HBC, and Rick served as treasurer. Paul agreed to periodically attend executive and chapter meetings of the active chapter, focusing on returning and maintaining the house to a livable condition. Rick, who lived in California, had just retired as a certified public accountant and chief financial officer for several startup companies in Silicon Valley. He agreed to focus on management, communication, financial, and discipline problems of the active chapter as well as alumni fundraising to accomplish the turnaround. To start, Rick and Paul guaranteed a loan to upgrade the heating system at the house. Next, it was necessary to do an intervention over the next couple of years for certain members who were evicted from the house and asked to leave the chapter for failure to enforce a new set of house rules that were established by the HBC. From that point, the chapter recovery plans began. Paul encouraged the remaining active chapter members to only initiate quality members in the future and not worry about the total number. Rick made sure that neither the active chapter nor the HBC ran out of money during this period. Leading all fundraising efforts over these years, Rick chaired the 90th and 100th Beta Rho anniversary celebrations. Rick also implemented the accounting and budgeting systems and management and communications tools to restore the discipline necessary to properly run the active chapter and make continuous improvements year over year. The house renovation project, which Rick chaired starting in 2015, now has the funds available to renovate the chapter house built in 1963. Presented below is an excerpt from a recommendation letter by Mike Langohr '69 to the Order of Constantine selection committee, which takes a comprehensive look at Rick's impact on Beta Rho Chapter's turnaround since 2004. T oday, sixteen years after Rick first engaged in 2004, Beta Rho is a thriving, multiple back-to-back-to-back Peterson Award-winning chapter with 85 solid members. From my perspective as an insider involved in the turnaround sausage making, Beta Rho would not exist today if it were not for the timely intervention and skilled persistence of Brother Rick Dissly. He was brilliantly effective as the mastermind and backbone behind this miraculous turn-around story. He didn't always get it right and the frustrations were many, but time and again Rick proved to be personally unflappable, resilient, purpose-driven, in it for the long haul, and equipped with the right skill sets for this particular type of challenge. He never ceased to amaze me! Over the ten-year turn-around period from 2007-17, he alone controlled the philosophy, the strategy, the timing, and the struggle required for attainment of the goal—a Sigma Chi chapter whose alumni could be proud. One that is attractive to potential members, equipped to modern expectations, funded for sustainability, and positioned for success well into the future. Traveling back and forth from California on his own nickel for time on site, Rick accomplished what many members wrote off as a hopeless cause. He was observably involved in a labor of love and personal duty. Over time, I grew to admire Rick's uncommon grit, irrepressible positive outlook, circumspect understanding of human dynamics, and sophisticated business acumen. I could easily write a 10-page masters-level business case analysis describing Rick's approach to "righting the ship." Rick is now a personal role model. I cannot think of a more deserving candidate for this cherished award. Fraternally, Mike Langohr '69 President Bobby Beers '24 bobbeers2020@gmail.com Vice President Tom Caron '24 Treasurer Jackson Thorn '24 New Member Educator Trevor Carl '25 Recruitment Chair Jason Kwasny '25 j.kwasny27@gmail.com Annotator Will Hyatt '25 Risk Manager Michael Shannon '24 House Manager Nolan Copper '24 Kitchen Manager Austin Wheeler '24 Philanthropy Chairman Jack Evanko '25 Public Relations Chairman Tyler Lara '24 Scholarship Chairman Forrest Christian '25 Tribune and Chapter Editor Sean Royal '24 Sentinel Owen Mercer '24 CHAPTER OFFICERS Rick Dissly '66 Joins Paul Boylan '64 as Order of Constantine Award Recipient A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FROM MIKE LANGOHR '69

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