Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Florida

Page 2 SigEp Gator Heart • Ensure that our Alumni and Volunteer Corporation (AVC) operates in line with Florida statutes • Review and update the AVC bylaws • Establish scholarship accounts • Review and consolidate our alumni directory • Hold regional town hall educational meetings • Publish newsletters • Establish liaison with the UF administration to ensure we are meeting their criteria for coming back to campus • Explore opportunities to partner on professional and career mentoring and development • Submit our recolonization proposal The guidelines required over 50 specific tasks to be performed. The first important step was establishing a recolonization committee. Brothers Ridgway and Shewbrooks agreed to serve as chairmen of the committee. Others who attended the May meeting agreed to serve on the committee. The group has worked tirelessly for the past eight months to meet all the required criteria. Brother Ridgway served as the important liaison leader with the University. Brothers Shewbrooks and Matt Sloan performed the same liaison with the alumni and volunteers. Shewbrooks served as the point man in preparing the required written proposal for submission to Headquarters. From June through November, the committee had monthly checkpoints with Headquarters on the progress we were making on the project plan. With input from many members of the committee, Shewbrooks finished the lengthy proposal and submitted it to Headquarters before the December 1st deadline. The results: the effort was highly successful as the National Board of Directors met on December 6 and approved the proposal and our requested restart date of January 2016. Why would these brothers work so long and hard on behalf of Florida Alpha? Shewbrooks says, without hesitation, "It was a no-brainer. We all had suffered through the pain and agony of losing our Chapter. But we also knew, in our heart of hearts, that we had to do all we could do to restore Florida Alpha to its rightful place on the UF campus. Those who came before us gave us a special place to grow and learn while we were in school. For me it was 'pay it forward time' and we knew what we had to do." Ridgway, a former president of the Chapter put it this way: "Our motto Holy Friendship Forever has always meant something to me. The brothers with whom I became friends, the memories of late night to early morning talks with guys about everything from Gator football to a big test… and yes, the parties… all that came back to mind. We just can't let all that be lost – forever." "SigEp introduced me to some of the most influential people in life: brothers who shaped much of whom I am today and who I continue to become," Ridgway continued. "Some of my most cherished memories from college are shared with SigEp brothers. Restoring the Brotherhood (Continued from page 1) FL ALPHA RECOLONIZATION SUPPORT TIMELINE (Continued on page 4)

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