Delta Tau Delta - University of Oklahoma

DELTA TAU DELTA Page 2 It's Not Rocket Science—Just Brain Surgery! Retired Neurological Surgeon Stephen Cagle '71 Sees Delta Alpha as a Foundation in His Fulfilling Life D r. Stephen "Steve" Cagle '71 joined Delta Alpha Chapter as a double legacy with two older brothers, Gene Cagle '68 and Edward "Fielding" Cagle Jr. '69, paving the way for him. "I had friends in other fraterni- ties, but always saw the Delts as the best in academics and sports. As a member of Delta Alpha, I was inspired to get involved in my chapter and on campus." Sports played a huge role in Steve's undergraduate expe- rience. "My brother, Gene, played football for OU and I loved playing intramural sports and attending OU sport- ing events with my chapter brothers." The responsibility and leadership Steve gained as pledge class president and intramural chairman led to his election as chapter president in 1971. "I was always interested in service and very organized, but felt honored to be chosen to lead the fraternity." Steve's success continued into a 30-year career in Oklahoma City as a neurological surgeon. "I joined a large medical group where I could both operate and teach those in their medical residency. It was so ful- filling to be able to save lives performing pediatric surgery, acoustic neuromas removals, cervical spine/lumbar spine surgery, and I even participated in a lobotomy." During his medical career, Steve participated in several month-long medi- cal mission trips to Central Africa. "The trips were stressful and the condi- tions in so many areas were not good, but it was beneficial knowing I could help people." Steve said his last mission was a little over two years ago. Even in retirement, Steve serves as chairman of the board of the Oklahoma City County Health Department. He works actively with the Tulsa Health Department and the Oklahoma State Health Department to improve health and wellness throughout the state. He is also is part of the Mitchell in the Morning radio show on News Talk KOKC- AM 1520. You can listen to Steve's health news from 6 to 7 a.m. on Thursdays or listen to podcasts online anytime at kokcradio.com/mitchell-in-the-morning-podcast. Delta Alpha gave Steve a place to learn, grow, and develop as a man. He says, "The fraternity was truly a safe house; brothers always had my back and changed my life for the better. The quality of friendships has been unmatched." Steve keeps in touch with many of his brothers. "Keeping in touch with my college friends has added so much to my life." Steve and his wife, Ruthanna, live just outside of Oklahoma City, where he spends his free time raising cattle, hunting, and playing basketball. "Fam- ily has always been the number one priority—my wife and two sons are very special to me. I had a tremendous career in medicine and even basket- ball; I've lived a very fulfilling and rewarding life." Steve can be reached via e-mail at scaglemd@yahoo.com. T here may not be a more difficult organiza- tion to manage than a fraternity. A chapter is essentially a small business with 100 or so em- ployees, none of whom are paid, who are under 23 years of age, and have less than four years of work experience in industry. Priorities and moti- vation vary drastically throughout the organiza- tion, and your C-suite turns over each year. The chapter relies on the previous executive committee to pass the baton smoothly to those newly elected on things from managing receiv- ables, accounts payable, revenue, expenses, risk management, food, maintenance, social events, university relations, community service, philan- thropy, alumni networks, academics, campus ac- tivities, recruitment, and more. Understandably, the officers who are on their way out are typically gazing down that glis- tening road to manhood that lay before them, rather than over their shoulders to the brothers stepping into their vacated shoes. It usually takes the new officers nearly half their term to really find their stride on leading and man- aging the chapter and its members. They gov- ern better the second semester, then their term ends and the cycle continues. Any business leader would assume this cycle is very unstable, if not unsustainable. The chapter advisors are intended to provide a foundation to ensure that everything is properly managed and that new leaders are adequately trained. Ideally, advisors turn over much less frequently than chapter officers, so processes are executed prop- erly and risks—like house occupancy, insurance, and safety —are properly managed. Chapter advisors can be hard to find and retain as the role can be a challenging and long-term vol- unteer position. When I reach out to someone to add to the team, they are often hesitant, as I was at first. In conversations with alumni, I noticed that it would be much easier to recruit them for a smaller time commitment, where they are in charge of very small, individual projects where the chapter needs help rather than being the fi- nancial advisor, for example, who oversees all of the treasurer's duties and then some. In response to these dilemmas, Delta Alpha has formed a Chapter Advisory Board (CAB). The CAB consists of alumni who want to give back to the chapter by ensuring that it is run better each year and has four main areas of focus: fi- nance and parent relations, risk management, recruitment and pledgeship, and upperclassman development. Chapter advisors are the eyes and ears and assign specific projects to the CAB Chapter Advisory Board Guides Delta Alpha (Continued on page 4)

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