Sigma Chi - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

2 The DelTa Psi sig Your name will go here! T welve years ago, Jim Manocchi '75 brought his freshman daughter, Amy, to RPI; and he saw the opportunity to resume involvement with Delta Psi again. The chapter was having difficulties and brothers from Jim's era were also beginning to re- connect with the chapter. "We were at points in our lives when we had more available and discretionary time and income that we could invest in the chapter to help ensure its continued success," says Jim. "A lot of the early connections were around summer work parties and off-campus alumni gatherings in Maine and Florida, where many of us realized how much we enjoyed each other." In 2009, Jim's son, Alex '12, enrolled at RPI and pledged Delta Psi, so Jim's reasons to reconnect with the chapter continued to grow. "I had lot of reasons and opportunity to be at RPI and the chapter house, and so agreeing to lead the Options Development Committee to figure out what to do with the aging house, and then the fundraising campaign, was natural," shares Jim. "When Alex pledged and was initiated, it turned into a family affair. Little did I realize what I was getting in to!" One of the most difficult times of the entire house renovation process was the day Jim met with the PEP board in Troy at the Heffner Alumni House to decide what to do about investing more in the chapter house. "We asked ourselves, do we try to raise the larger amount of money and get a big mortgage and build the house we really want, knowing that it was a stretch? Do we go more modest and save $1 mil- lion? Or do we drop the whole idea as too risky given all of the Institute and social pressure," shares Jim. "It was tough, but we gathered our courage and decided to go for what we really wanted the house to be and never looked back." Jim reflects on his last five years with the construction and fundraising committees and says it took more time than he realized—but it was rewarding work because he had so much fun reconnecting with his brothers and spending time with his son while feeling like he was giving back to the chapter. To alumni who have consid- ered volunteering but haven't yet, Jim says there are always reasons to delay but those often become reasons to never get involved. "I'm sorry that I was away for so long. We all have great memories and experiences that shaped our lives and we want to pass them on to others. Do it while you can; you will get so much more than you put in! "I would like to think that with all of the strong alumni involvement, the Educa- tional Foundation, and a newly renovated house, the chapter is well positioned to remain a leader on campus. I hope that the actives seize this opportunity and make the most of it for themselves and that they follow the example of all the alumni that made this possible and make it even better for those who come after them," says Jim. "I like a challenge, and this was a big one, but it turned into a great opportunity to connect and give back!" says Jim. "Having said that, I do believe that this will be the last fraternity house that I try to build. My big brother, Bob Jones '73, had a leading role in the construction of the 1971 addition, I worked on this one, but I will leave it to Alex to lead the next one!" CoNtINuINg SCCEllENCE w ith the completion of construction and the payment of all of our renovation bills, the capital campaign, Building Our Bridge to SC cellence, is now complete with the critical exception of the need to collect the remainder of the amounts pledged over time. This is critical to us because we took out a bridge loan through the Sigma Chi Foundation to cover fu- ture pledge payments while allowing construction to begin. So please be diligent in keeping to your payment schedules since our loan repayment depends on you! The renovation of the chapter house was the largest and most visible part of our program and the mission of the Pinewoods Educational Foundation (PEF). That mission is to support and provide educational opportunities to young men at RPI. This includes funding attendance at Sigma Chi program such as Leadership Training Workshop and providing scholarships and developing and hosting our own educational and career- oriented programs for our brothers. So the other very important part of our fundraising is an ele- ment that will continue indefinitely and that is raising contri- butions for the educational purposes of the PEF. All donations to the PEF are fully eligible for tax deductions since the PEF is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We continue to ask all undergraduate initiates to make pledges to the PEF to help pay down the large mortgage and to support ongoing educational activities of the PEF (note that these are all payable over a five-year period after members graduate and get settled into full-time employment). We would also like to ask our alumni brothers to keep the PEF in mind for contribu- tions to support its activities and to consider naming the PEF in your will. What a wonderful legacy to be able to leave! Fraternally, Campaign Chairmen Paul Cosgrave '72 Jim Manocchi '75 (904) 449-0996 (603) 674-4162 cosgravep@aol.com jmanocchi@deloitte.com House Renovations Allow Jim Manocchi '75 to Reconnect with Delta Psi

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