Page 3 - Cla Delta Spotlight - Summeer 2013

PRESIDENT continued from page 1 Securing Our Legacy With a phenomenally successful chapter of over 100 members now occupying the Row’s best house, our focus turns to our years ago Phi Delt’s presence at USC became visible once again with a strong securing its future. The article to the right Fgroup of young chapter members and the opening of our renovated home. This was (Securing Our Legacy) explains why a new possible through the hard work of the new members and alumni volunteers and donors. fund raising campaign is necessary to insure The amount of support that everyone poured out to strengthen the chapter was over- that the house is never again in the position whelming. Now we must band together again to secure our legacy for many generations it was before it was closed in 2001, when to come. it had become badly rundown since its last Each year since we re-opened the doors, the chapter house has been flled to capac- remodel, 26 years earlier, but there was no ity. It has proven to be the preferred living option for our members. Until now, cash money to remodel it. fow from the fve-year pledges made to the original construction campaign has flled When I talk to fellow Phi Delts, two the gap between money collected from rent and money needed for maintenance and pay- themes come up repeatedly. First, I often ing our loans. Those pledge payments are now coming to an end. Even with scheduled hear the phrase “best years of my life,” rent increases to fully refect the student housing market at USC, we will not have the referring to our student days in the house. money required to meet all our fnancial responsibilities. And longer term, we need to Second, I’m struck by how often alums stop sending loan payments to the bank so we can begin building a fund to cover the cost credit their experience as Phi Delts for their of a renovation that high-volume residences like our chapter house need every 20 years success in life at least as much as they credit or so. the classes they took in college. These are With this mind, we are undertaking a new capital campaign. This campaign is fo- good considerations to remember as each of cused on paying down the debt owed on the house, which currently stands at just under us decides on the most generous pledge he $2 million, to ensure the place so many of us have called home will be there for USC Phi can make to the new campaign. Delts in the future. To do so, we need to raise $1 million. All funds raised will be applied As a USC Phi Delt, you are a member exclusively to debt reduction. of an elite fraternity at an elite university. As the campaign continues we will work to keep you informed on the progress. The university achieves its success with the You can also visit our website at www.mygreekgift.org/caldelta to fnd all campaign re- help of a $4 billion endowment. The Phi lated documents and make a pledge. For questions, contact our Account Manager, Emily Delt House achieves it despite a nearly $2 Wood at ewood@thelaurusgroup.net. million debt load. Here is our chance to put our house on a stable fnancial footing and ensure that we have a chapter house to return to for the rest of our lives. If you have any questions about the new campaign or any other house matter, I’m happy to talk at brucebuettell@yahoo.com or 714-686-7186. Yours in the Bond, Bruce Buettell ’82 President – USC Phi Delt House Corporation The Man Who Saved the Chapter House By Bruce Buettell ’82 I believe it was in 2001, after the chapter had to warm himself and ended up burning the house virtually to the been kicked off campus and closed down due ground. Thanks to the insurance that existed solely because of to behavior problems, that Bob visited our Bob, the House Corporation received a payout of $700,000 that boarded-up chapter house. Completely on served as the foundation for the Capital Campaign that rebuilt the his own initiative, Brother Bob Haggstrom House. You can see that without Brother Haggstrom, it’s virtually ’72 checked and found that there was no fre certain that we would have lost the House. insurance on the House. Acting on his own Bob also contributed hugely to Phi Delta Theta’s return to again, Bob took out a fre insurance policy on USC by offering his palatial home and grounds in Malibu as the the House and paid the premiums at his own site of rush functions when the chapter was getting started again expense. Months later a homeless man broke during the recolonization process. We sincerely appreciate Bob, into the house on a cold night, built a fre in the main entry hall and everything he has done for us.