Page 1 - Kai from Pi - Fall 2015

KAI FROM PI
Pi Chapter of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity ★ Indiana University ★ Alumni Relations Office ★ P.O. Box 5782 ★ Bloomington, IN 47407 ★ Fall 2015

From The House Indiana Beta Chapters
Corporation Reconvene Annual Conclave

Pi Chapter members Hoosier members of Beta Theta Pi reconvened are realizing better leaders, better members.
on November 19, 2015, for an evening of Former Indiana Pi Chapter President Dylan
returned to campus rested brotherhood, storytelling, dining, and education
when 130 active and alumni members of Indiana, Rochon ’17 received the Lugar Leadership
and invigorated to resume Wabash, DePauw, and our Purdue colony gathered Award for his efforts to increase Pi members’
at Union Station in downtown Indianapolis. contributions to social initiatives and to the
studies and brotherhood Sons of the Dragon Club, Beta Foundation’s
Members from Columbus, Bloomington, annual giving program exclusively for pledging
work. Summer quarter Crawfordsville, Louisville, Chicago, and or initiated undergraduates. Indianapolis’s
Lafayette conducted an inter-chapter meeting 48th Mayor, Greg Ballard, also a Greek alum,
was the most active in our with updates on our general fraternity, delivered an inspiring, heartfelt address calling
featuring a keynote address by Indianapolis for optimism in life, broadening one’s scope of
nine years, with multiple Mayor Greg Ballard. reading resources, and engaging the competition
for talent and capital within life and business.
caretaking initiatives to the Former Purdue Chapter President Davey
Neal ’10 continued a multi-year passion of Mayor Ballard retired from the Marine Corps
house property. leadership by aligning resources to provide with a lieutenant colonel officer’s commission.
Most troubling was an a warm brotherhood experience. Jonathan A graduate of the Marine Corps Command and
Brant, Miami ’75 delivered an administration Staff College, he attained a master’s degree from
HVAC failure in the north wing, which generated summary, discussing a developing “golden the Marine Corps University and has received
a mold remediation project. Several aspects of era” of Greek, values-driven growth on college multiple awards. He also authored “The Ballard
this included cooler pipe insulation repair, added campuses. Chapter census growth, improved Rules: Small Unit Leadership.”
dehumidification air exchange capacity, lintel GPA among chapters, and investing in our
reconstruction to accommodate our common- members’ leadership skills via training events Diverse issues in municipal politics—
space area, and water storage tank replacement. (continued on page 4)
Now complete, our chapter can enjoy common (L-R) Will Gorgol ’18, Joey Chamness ’19, Aaron
space for chapter meetings, initiations, and social Hackett ’19, and Nick McCormick ’06. (L-R) Charles McCormick ’72, President Dylan
functions. Rochon ’17, Treasurer Andrew Gjertsen ’17, and
Ben Richter ’17.
A parent club outreach was initiated in July
with an introductory letter identifying and
detailing several of these property improvements.
Although a bit rough around the edges, our
hope is that integrating our parent group into
communications will be a welcome presence for
extended Beta interests.

The Beta Upper Network, a networking/
relationship coaching initiative, is proceeding
into its third year. Student members are assigned
an alumnus with whom to grow a relationship.
The common bond of fraternity living, though a
generation apart, can enhance students’awareness
in the Broad Beta domain and rekindle alumni
interest. Millennials are proud multitaskers, but
growing a relationship with coaching oversight is
not a classroom taught skill. This is yet another
benefit to engagement in the living laboratory of
campus Greek life.

Please make a point of visiting the Castle on
North Jordan whenever in Bloomington. Our
brotherhood connections extend throughout our
lifetimes, yet are nurtured rather infrequently. I
invite you to spend some time volunteering with
our advisors and our house corporation, or dialing
in for an executive teleconference via WebEx.
Gifts to Pi chapter are always welcome through
our Marching Along Educational Foundation,
P.O. Box 5782, Bloomington, IN 47407.

Yours_in_kai,

Dr. Charles McCormick III ’72

President, Marching Along Educational

Foundation