Chi Psi - University of Mississippi

pg. 3 Alpha Gamma t o this point, the brothers of Alpha Gamma could not be more proud of what we have been able to accomplish—and it's exciting to know that others are starting to take notice. Most recently, that would include the Order of Omega, one of the most prestigious national honor societies for Greeks in the country, dedicated to recognizing outstanding Greek leaders and promoting excellence in the Greek community. At the annual awards ceremony on April 9, the organization's Ole Miss chapter named Alpha Gamma of Chi Psi the recipient of its top rating of "Excellent" in seven of the eight categories in which Greek organizations were judged: • Scholarship • Campus Involvement • Community Service • Membership Development • New Member Education • Philanthropy • Risk Management This is an amazing accomplishment after less than one year of existence and a reflection of the consistent commitment of so many, including Brother Doug Buglewicz '96, chairman of our Alumni Advisory Board, who was named Chapter Advisor of the Year at the same ceremony. As I write this, it is so hard to believe that I signed my bid card just a year and a couple months ago. It is even harder to believe what we have been able to do, and we haven't been chartered for even a year yet. After just four short months of preparation and diligence, we still have not come down from cloud nine after receiving our Alpha status in July of 2013. We also realize that the old cliché "success breeds success" is so true, and it was relevant in our successful recruiting. In the past academic year we have been able to recruit more than 25 men! We have been planning everything on our own account with minimal outside help from the Central Office and our Advisory Board mentors. We have still utilized their guidance whenever it was offered but are proud to be able to run the show on our own. We also planned and ran our first initiation for the men we recruited, and we continue to show our leadership through other organizations across campus. Developing Plans, Setting Goals With the assistance of Brother Ed Coleman '88, we have developed our strategic plans for the next school year in the areas of recruitment, campus involvement and professional development, as well as a calendar of events. By the time you read this, we will have presented these to representatives of the Alumni Association of Alpha Gamma, the Alumni Advisory Board, and the Alpha Gamma Foundation for their review and advice and to ensure overall coordination. We also have other specific goals we would like to complete by the end of 2014—most of them administrative. Among these are three things we see as essential in order to promote a healthy and self-sustaining Alpha: • Set up a points system to keep brothers accountable. • Improve communication within the Alpha. • Nurture forward thinking and planning among our leadership. The Fundraising Campaign: We're All In! The announcement of the fundraising campaign for the Lodge has created tremendous excitement among the Brothers. We are elated that there will soon be concrete evidence of the hard work we have devoted to this fraternity thus far. Although we know that brotherhood and fraternity extends beyond four walls, we look forward to having a central location to foster the bonds of friendship for which Chi Psi is so widely known. Beyond the physical structure, this fundraising campaign has demonstrated something even more important—that the reach of Chi Psi can be truly global. We are grateful for the many communications we have received from our alumni brothers, letting us know they are supporting us in this endeavor. The campaign has shown us that our emphasis on lifelong bonds becomes more real through the years. For these reasons and more, we look to the future with great anticipation, because we know we will be able to quickly reach our full potential and perennially contend as one of the best fraternities on the University of Mississippi campus and among the Alphas of Chi Psi nationally. See you in Nashville at the Chi Psi National Convention on July 23-26! Yours in the Bonds, Ruben Ruiz '15 #1 Alpha gamma recognized by Prestigious order of omega society Chapter Earns "Excellent" Status in Seven of Eight Categories Jonathan Klimetz '16, Emily Wikle (Maid of Alpha Gamma), Ruben Ruiz '15, Ryan Hamill '17, and Jordan Richardson '16 cheer on Ole Miss at a football game. Michael Campbell '15, Ta' Boris Osborne '16, and Peyton Rish '16 are proud to be Chi Psis. Will Pipes '16, Charlie Walker '17, and Pontus Andersson '17 at Rebelthon.

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