Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Oregon

ΣΦΕ EARTBEA H T UNIVERSITY OF OREGON s SIGMA PHI EPSILON Oregon Beta FALL 2014 Revisit and Reconnect with Your Oregon Beta Memories I recently returned from my 50th high school reunion. It was a wonderful weekend, with the chance to see a number of people that I had not had the occasion to visit with for a very long time. At the same time it evoked many memories of a community that had provided me with many opportunities during my high school years. Tillamook is a small community in numbers, but one that embraced their high school as the center, providing many opportunities to discover interests and develop talent for later in life. As I took this nostalgic mental trip into my past I realized those opportunities were further enhanced with my involvement with Sigma Phi Epsilon at the University of Oregon. In a community of 60-plus people, a culture existed that believed in the accomplishments of the whole. Whether it was on the intramural field or running for an ASUO office, you knew that you had the backing of your brothers. Further, you knew and even felt compelled to reach out to the U of O community to make it better as that was the SigEp way. Those experiences significantly shaped who we all are today. I make mention of all this in the hopes that we all can take the time to not only revisit those memories, but also evaluate how much the SigEp experience added to our lives and to take the time to reach out to our brothers and reconnect. It has been my experience that those meetings reinforce just how meaningful our active time was in Oregon Beta. Other brothers echo those feelings as they share their reconnection experiences. If you desire to reconnect, contact me and I will do what I can to find out the information you seek. I want to thank those brothers who have reached out and offered to be involved with the alumni group. Since those people have been from outside the Eugene area we have been evaluating how we can best utilize your services. We will be getting back to you this fall. We welcome anyone in the Eugene area who might be interested in becoming involved. We continue with the improvements to the Chapter House. This summer we were able to replace the kitchen floor and paint the dining room and all the hallways. We also continue to improve the heating system. We look forward to an interesting and productive year at Oregon Beta and hopefully a very successful football season. Go Ducks! Fraternally, Pat Latimer '68 AVC President (541) 688-0231 latimerpat@comcast.net Interested in connecting with brothers? Interested in volunteering with Oregon Beta (even from afar)? Contact Pat Latimer '68 at latimerpat@comcast.net. F or Tom Moreland '58, his time as an Oregon Beta was a significant "social laboratory." The experience not only enhanced his leadership skills, but also exposed him to the teamwork needed for a cohesive and meaningful group living experience. He took those lessons to heart and used them in his professional life as an architect and a member of the Oregon Beta advisory board. Tom served as the alumni treasurer and Chapter advisor for five years in the '60s. During that time, he completed his second degree, in architecture, and lived in the "yellow pad" next door. Throughout Tom's advisory experience, the Chapter House underwent several structural updates. "My family had a close social relationship with the active members," Tom said. "We teamed up on many constructive initiatives, ranging from building maintenance, remodeling, and managing the '60s issues to enhancing the safety of the Swamp Stomp slide by using scaffolding instead of scrap lumber." After this experience, he encourages other alumni to reconnect and serve Oregon Beta. "The Chapter cannot legally exist without alumni management, and it definitely benefits when alumni are kept informed of current activity and, thereby, remains supportive of the value the Chapter offers its active membership," Tom said. Once completing his advanced degree, Former Chapter advisor appreCiative oF sigep experienCe http://www.oregonsigep.com http://twitter.com/UofOSigep http://www.facebook.com/SigEpUO http://instagram.com/sigepuo l f 8 (Continued on page 2)

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