Beta Theta Pi - Oklahoma State University

Big Red Island NEWS 2 SUPERLATIVE PERFORMANCE Outstanding Achievements at Gamma Lambda 2015-16 RECAP Once again, Gamma Lambda has completed a successful 2015-16 school year. Our Men of Principle continued cultivating their intellect by finishing second in grades with a cumulative GPA of a 3.38 and 3.37 for the first and second semesters, respectively. Even with the highest number of active members and pledges at OSU with a total of 165 men in the first semester, we continued to outperform the IFC GPA of a 3.07 and the all- men's GPA of 2.81. Gamma Lambda participated in America's Greatest Homecoming by pairing with the women of Alpha Xi Delta. We got an opportunity to showcase our artistic talents by placing first overall in the sign competition. Our members enjoyed participating in Football Frenzy and placed third in the three-day flag football tournament. The Beta lawn was an especially popular stop on the Friday night walkaround this year as we were fortunate to have our own Corey Kent White '16, former contestant on The Voice, on our stage. MEMBERS RECOGNIZED ON CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY We study everyday but mix in other fun activities. We are proud to say that we again won the Greek all-sports trophy as many brothers before us have done. Our chapter continued to show excellence not only through academic and athletic endeavors, but also through campus involvement. In the fall term, we were very pleased to see two of our young brothers recognized at the TCU game in Boone Pickens Stadium for earning the title of top 10 freshmen. Also recognized were two of our seniors for being named two of 49 seniors of significance, with one of them further recognized as one of 15 outstanding seniors. Additionally, our chapter contributed in Stillwater by volunteering in a variety of ways. We served the community by pairing with the women of Chi Omega and participated alongside 1,600 other students in a day of community service called Into the Streets. The fall pledge class served our great college town by volunteering for a day at the Stillwater Humane Society. UNDERGRADUATE TALENTS LEND THEMSELVES TO VARSITY REVUE WIN Gamma Lambda displayed its vocal and choreography talents in the annual Varsity Revue competition. We paired with the women of Kappa Alpha Theta to perform "Daydreams," where we captured first place in addition to winning six other awards. GAMMA LAMBDA GROWS AS RECRUITMENT EFFORTS EXCEED EXPECTATIONS We had the privilege of initiating 29 members of the Alpha Gamma pledge class in the spring. Recruitment Chairmen Sam Endicott '18 and Braden Werner '18 recently completed recruiting 45 new pledges for our fall pledge class. We look forward to their pledge education as we teach them our culture in Men of Principle for living a principled life. (Continued on page 4) Gamma Lambda Receives Prestigious John Reily Knox Award O ur president's report included Gamma Lambda winning the highest chapter operations award given by our General Fraternity, the John Reily Knox Award. The Board of Trustees developed Standard Chapter Operating Expectations (SCOE) to clarify what is expected of every chapter as a base level of performance. The SCOE was also developed to enhance the assessment of where chapters stand, and meeting these standards may qualify a chapter as a candidate for a Sisson Award. Achieving even greater levels of performance can result in becoming a recipient of the highest award—the Knox Award. There are no applications for these awards. Eligibility is automatically calculated through the MyBeta website using measurable and quantifiable data. The criteria include chapter operations, academics, advisors, membership education, leadership development, service, alumni communications, and financial health. The criteria do not include winning sports, Homecoming parades, etc. Strong chapter leadership, governance, and achieving the high expectations lead to the positive results of the pursuits of the chapter. The expectations for a Knox Award are as follows: • Academics – Achieve a minimum chapter GPA at or above the campus all-men's average. • Advisors – Work with an advisory team consisting of, at minimum, a chapter counselor, recruitment advisor, pledge education advisor, risk management advisor, and financial advisor. • Membership Size – At or above the average chapter size for fraternities on campus or greater than 40 men if the campus does not report the average fraternity size. • Membership Education – Maintain a three-year initiation rate of 90% or higher. Create a pledge program that is certified annually using Beta's "Positive Pledge Education Assessment." • Leadership Development – Send 10 attendees to the 10 core leadership events annually to include one Chapter President Leadership Academy attendee, one convention delegate, and eight Keystone Leadership Conference attendees. • Chapter Standing and Operations – Retain a status of good as per the Code of Beta Theta Pi. • Financial Health – Compliant with the Chapter Accounting Standards and no current financial suspension for 90-day balance. In summary, when these high expectations are met under Men of Principle, they generally provide the foundation for achieving successes and recognition in most activities that the chapter choses to participate in as demonstrated by Gamma Lambda. Yours in _kai_, Alumni Committee

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