Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Oregon

Oregon Beta Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon P.O. Box 8840 Bend, OR 97708-8840 Address Service Requested ATTENTION: This newsletter is intended for alumni, undergraduates, and parents. If your son is still attending the University of Oregon, he will receive a copy at the Chapter House. If he has graduated, please send us his permanent address to update our records. Thank you. ΣΦΕ EARTBEA H T UNIVERSITY OF OREGON s SIGMA PHI EPSILON Oregon Beta Alumni news Robert B. Shaffer '53 remembers 849 East 112th street. "Spring Joy – trash cans full of water being dumped from third-story roof on members below (dumb upperclassmen). Also, the first Swamp Stomp." Robert lives in Novato, Calif. E-mail: rosiebruce07@gmail.com Jeff C. Day '81 works for the State Department and is serving in India. His previous posts have been in Europe and South America. He wrote a book, Palace of the End, about his tour of duty in Iraq. E-mail: jcday1101@yahoo.com Blake R. Sedgley '12 is an infantry platoon leader in Germany. He spends most of his free time snowboarding in the Alps and traveling Europe. E-mail: blake.sedgley@gmail.com develops pledge class unity. Although this may be true, the idea of pledge class unity can only take away from the brotherhood of the entire chapter. The BMP fosters unity among all brothers, not just among individual pledge classes. How does this journey of brotherhood differ from a pledge-type initiation? The BMP is based on a lifetime journey of brotherhood that continues even after graduation. There are five stages of brotherhood: the four challenges (Sigma, Phi, Epsilon, and Brother Mentor) and the last stage which can only be achieved after graduation as a full Balanced Man entering the world. Thus, the SigEp man continually has a goal to strive for, a new level of excellence to reach. In a pledge system, new members are put through a pledge program where they are taught all the knowledge necessary to be put through initiation. This leaves the member of a pledge system with nothing more to achieve and the development of the man sometimes comes to a halt. If there are no pledge activities, how does the chapter determine when a member is ready to go through the next rite of passage? Unlike the pledge system, there are no mandatory house cleanings, scavenger hunts, or hell weeks. The BMP has set goals for each rite of passage that must be achieved before continuing to the next challenge. These include milestones such as community service, GPA requirements, campus and chapter activities, progress in sound mind and sound body discipline, and even achieving the personal goals that each member sets with his mentor. Passage into the next challenge is determined solely by the achievement of these goals and not by the vote of the "active" chapter. Isn't the Balanced Man Program just a modified pledge system? A great question, but the answer: absolutely not! New members receive all the rights and privileges of any other member. Furthermore, new members do not have to wait to become involved in the operation of the fraternity. Every new man is quickly given some sort of responsibility and is free to move up the ranks of leadership. Pledge-type activities such as house cleaning, yard work, etc. fall on the entire chapter, not just the new members. Editor's Note: This Q&A was compiled by the Sigma Phi Epsilon Florida Alpha AVC and run in their winter 2014 newsletter. We thank them for allowing us to run it in our newsletter. Balanced Man Program Q&A (Continued from page 3) Still have questions about BMP? E-mail Pat Latimer '68 at latimerpat @comcast.net

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