Beta Theta Pi - University of Wisconsin

3 ALPHA PI CHAPTER Eight brothers' Utah ski trip in April 2023. From left: Tom Lathrop '84, Gary Frings '85, Tim Kroenke '84, Jim Cornelius '85, Dave Francis '85, Tim Semmann '85, AJ Smart '84, and Bill Zink '86. Six brothers at Jim Cornelius' lake house in Lac Du Flambeau in August 2023. From left: Bob Klockow '85, Jim Cornelius '75, Tim Kroenke '84, Tim Semmann '85, Gary Frings '85, and Tom Lathrop '84. Making New Memories ' 8 0 S A L U M N I R E K I N D L E B R O T H E R H O O D Want to share your own alumni gatherings with The Alpha Pilot ? Send photos and gatherings to chammond@penningtonco.com with "BTP Wisconsin Update" in the subject line! B y 2019, Tom Lathrop '84 and most of his era brothers were in their late 50s, with their kids either done or nearly finished with college. That May, Tom met up with a fellow Beta and newly empty-nester Jim Cornelius '84 who was in Phoenix for his youngest child's college graduation. Over drinks, they chatted about other brothers in the same stage of life, and organizing a get-together. That summer Tom reached out to about 20 mid-80's era brothers to go skiing in Park City, Utah in 2020. Four brothers attended the trip in March 2020 (flying back home just a few days before pandemic travel restrictions). That became the group's first of now 5 annual ski trips, with up to 12 alumni gathering in places including Lake Tahoe; Vail; and other parts of Utah. In 2024 they added a non-skiing activity by doing the bobsled run at the Utah Olympic Park. For 2025, it's Steamboat Springs, with a possible day of snowmobiling. "A little bit of nostalgia with old friends is a great way to lift your mood," Tom said. "Gathering around a physical activity like skiing enabled us to create new experiences so we didn't get stuck in a rut, telling the same stories of 40 years past. A true friendship has to grow. If its suck in the past it's like living in the rearview mirror. The windshield is bigger for a reason." While riding the lifts, or having a drink in the hot tub, the brothers shared stories of careers, fatherhood, travel, caring for aging parents, heart attacks, and the like. "Conversations ultimately leaned toward our hopes for the future as we entered this new stage of life—for ourselves and our kids." We are sharing the wisdom we've gained over the years. Last summer, six of the brothers gathered in northern Wisconsin at a brother's lake house and expanded the circle by including wives/ girlfriends. It was the first time several significant others had met any of the Betas from their partners' stories—a new dimension Tom appreciates:. "It adds a whole new dimension the relationship we have with each other." "Much of our 'nostalgia' now comes from recounting the gatherings of the past few years'—not just our days in the house," Tom added. "We're even encouraging one another to stay healthy so we can continue to get together for many years to come." Want to share your own alumni gatherings with The Alpha Pilot? Send photos and gatherings to updatemyrecord@penningtonco.com with "BTP Wisconsin Alumni Update" in the subject line!

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