Alpha Delta Phi - University of Michigan

PENINSULAR CHAPTER OF ALPHA DELTA PHI FRATERNITY • SPRING 2023 The Peninsular FROM COMFORTABLE TO STRONG Peninsular Alumni Association's Inspirational Rise to the Top A s we relaunch the newsletter and our alumni engagement platform, we find ourselves (for the first time in decades) in a comfortable position, both financially and operationally. RECENT SUCCESS The house has been rebuilt and the active membership is strong. We have the beginnings of a "rainy day" fund that allows us to plan ahead on matters related to managing the physical house as well as the alumni association. And, most importantly, we have moved past the need for "hero" management of the alumni association. We now have a fully functioning board, including a number of standing committees. THE WAY FORWARD We can all celebrate these recent victories; however, we are not ready to rest on that success. We want to maintain our momentum and progress from "comfortable" to "strong." To that end, the next few newsletters and mailings will dig into the overall plans for the house and membership. In this issue, the focus is on the alumni association itself. THANKING OUR FIREFIGHTERS My involvement with the Peninsular Alumni Association has been an interesting journey. I pledged the house as a freshman in 1986. The house was in bad shape, and the alumni association was in equally dire straits. I refer to this period as the era of hero management, meaning the alumni association was being propped up by a few courageous and hardworking individuals. In the late '80s and '90s, these were Bill Holmes '80, Bob Barnes '85, and Art Nicolas '85. The PAA was led through the '90s, '00s, and '10s by Jeff Lauinger '89, Dan Carlson, Jason Sparks '02, and, most recently, Sam DeBruin '12 and John Sirrine '68. Before the house was finally condemned, these heroes begged, borrowed, and stole to keep the house afloat. Many others lent a hand here and there, but the heavy lifting was carried out by these brothers who were passionate and committed to keeping the house alive. The work Art, Jason, Sam, John, Sean O'Leary '91, and Tom Fitzsimmons '90 put in to raise the money and build the house was inspirational. Still more impressive is the fact they have since recruited folks to join the board and participate in committees. FINDING OUR FEET In the past, alumni board participation was a thankless job—we did not have the funds to support our volunteers. These gentlemen worked tirelessly, constantly putting out fires. Today, due to the support of alumni, we have the financial means to engage third-party vendors to support us with communication, fundraising, and operational and financial management. Board participation has moved away from firefighting and is now focused on planning for the future. WE NEED YOU! We hope you all enjoy the news coming from the house; it's been quite an exciting journey. We look forward to your feedback on the stories and updates. We continue to encourage and appreciate your support of our annual giving programs and events like homecoming and the golf outing. If you're able to do so, please consider the donation of your time, either through serving on the board or with a committee; we've built a safety net, but it isn't large and it could be stronger. We would love you to join us on our journey from comfortable to strong! Xaipe, John Hartline '90 john.hartline@tmsw.com Teaching and PracTicing PhilanThroPy Peninsular Foundation Funds ADPhi's Future T he Peninsular Foundation of Alpha Delta Phi, established in 2016, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to promote educational and philanthropic endeavors among the active and alumni members of Alpha Delta Phi at the University of Michigan. A key aspect of the Foundation is to raise funds that support existing and establish new scholarships for active members of the chapter. Our Foundation officers work closely with the Financial Development Office to ensure that the old Alpha Delta Phi Pensoc Achievement Fund, as well as two additional scholarships, are awarded as intended. The Pensoc Fund was set up by the Upton family more than 60 years ago with about $60,000 and is now worth about $600,000. It distributed more than $20,000 in scholarships last year. These funds encourage and reward academic excellence among our undergraduate members. For the past three years, we've been pleased to award a scholarship in the name of John P. Hartwig '67. John was co-chairman of the capital campaign committee. He died unexpectedly only months after the reopening of the house. Many of his friends chose to memorialize him through the Hartwig Literary Prize and raised over $50,000 to fund the award. This fund continues to accept donations. To win the prize, active members compose an essay on a topic provided by the Foundation. This year, a record number of brothers submitted essays on the topic of student debt. After much deliberation, the Foundation recommended that Jonah Mathisson '25 receive the award of nearly $2,000. The first Thomas Fiedler '68 Alpha Delta Phi Scholarship will be awarded this spring. It is a need-based grant for an ADPhi collegian enrolled in the Ross School of Business and will likely be in the range of $4,000. Tom says, "I was able to complete my UM and Alpha Delt experience due to my job and financial aid, and I am in a position now to repay that debt. Thanks to the Foundation for helping make this possible." UM manages all scholarship monies. Anyone interested in contributing to an existing scholarship, creating a new scholarship, or becoming a member of our board can contact me at asnicholasjr@gmail.com or (630) 346-5495. This fall, the Foundation will again sponsor educational events on campus for actives. Stay tuned for more information! Xaipe, Art Nicholas '85 Peninsular Foundation President asnicholasjr@gmail.com | (630) 346-5495 This year's scholarship winner, Krtim Shah '26

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