Sigma Phi Epsilon - Kansas State University

the H O O P ofS T E E L Sigma Phi Epsilon • Kansas Beta Chapter K ansas S tate U niversity • F all 2013 CHAPTER CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD Alumni Advisory Council Dissolved and Charter Restored M y re-engagement with Kansas Beta began about three and a half years ago when my son, Carter '14, joined the fraternity as a freshman. Like many other alumni whose sons (and grandsons) had joined, I was excited for him to experience all the brotherhood, enjoyment, and lifelong friendships we've come to treasure. And other than going up for Dad's Weekends, that's where I thought it would stay for me. However, as the Chapter experienced some turbulence, I felt an obligation to get more involved and ended up becoming a part of the Alumni Advisory Council (AAC) led by Rex Garrelts '69 then, more recently, president of the Alumni Volunteer Corporation (AVC). The AAC, which was established at the request of SigEp national headquarters to manage this turbulence, began a two-year journey of having to make some difficult decisions, while at the same time reconstructing the fabric of Kansas Beta in conjunction with those men in the Chapter committed to improvement. I'm very pleased to report that the efforts of all involved have produced tremendous results in a short period. Another focus area was to improve the daily cleanliness of the house itself, and Housemom Mrs. Jean Reiter has commented that this has been perhaps the best year since she's been there with regard to the appearance of the Chapter House. As alumni, it is rewarding to know the house we feel so deeply about is being well cared for by the men. Lastly, due to the improvements, we notified SigEp national headquarters about the progress and requested that the AAC be dissolved. We were recently contacted by the national headquarters; their Board of Directors agreed and voted that the AAC had been successful and should be dissolved. Additionally, the charter was restored to the undergraduate Chapter. While there is a sense of pride in the progress we've made, we know there is still much work to be done to evolve to the elite Chapter we are capable of becoming. The AVC is committed to helping the men in the Chapter realize their full potential. Perhaps the most important element of the past couple of years has been the deepening interaction and relationship between the AVC and the men in the Chapter. The AVC members are here to serve as mentors and provide guidance in numerous areas, especially the Chapter officers. Among our most important contributions is to help prepare these men for life after college. We want to help equip these men with the knowledge and insight that will help them stand apart from others as they enter a challenging job market. The aspects of fraternity life allow one to gain some of this through holding office, preparing budgets, facility maintenance, event planning, and even crisis management, and the AVC can provide additional help in the leadership area. In the months and years to come, we seek to improve things that will be visible to you regardless of where you reside. The Hoop only comes out twice a year and we want to vastly improve the Chapter website and keep it current so you'll have the ability to keep up with recent happenings and upcoming events. Additionally, we will work in unison with the Mom's Club to provide information of interest to parents and parents of prospective members via their newsletter and through the website. We will also use the website as a competitive advantage in recruiting, as well as utilizing other social media since that is where those 17-22-year-olds live. In closing, I would like to thank those many people who I've learned quietly go about helping Kansas Beta in any number of ways: Duane Stoskopf '55 for helping refinance our debt, Dirk Daveline '87 for keeping our day-to-day financial issues in order, Pat Pesci '91, who has been a constant steady presence at the house, and Mrs. Jean Reiter, who cares immensely for those living in the house. A special thanks goes to Rex Garrelts for his 10 years of leadership and continuing involvement when needed. As the new AVC president those are big shoes to fill, but I'm excited to build on this momentum we've started. Please feel free to drop me a line with any suggestions or questions; I welcome your input. Fraternally, Dan McEntee '86 Kansas Beta AVC President danm@kc.rr.com 16th Annual Rob Regier Memorial Golf Tournament Supports Cancer Research T he 16th Annual Rob Regier Memorial Golf Tournament took place on Friday, October 11, at the Manhattan Country Club in Manhattan, Kansas. Rob Regier '88 was a member of the 1984 Kansas Beta pledge class and was a K-State graduate in pre-dentistry, who died of cancer at age 26. What began in Kansas City in 1998 as a small get together of fraternity brothers to remember Rob and contribute a modest donation to cancer research has blossomed into an annual golf event and fundraiser benefitting the Johnson Cancer Research Center at Kansas State University. Over the years, this tournament has (Continued on page 2) CONTENTS IT TAKES A VILLAGE • 2 CHAPTER SHOWS STRENGTH • 3 ALUMNUS SPOTLIGHT • 5 ALUMNI UPDATE • 5

• Cover