Page 1 - Gamma Tauk - Fall 2014

Georgia Institute of Technology | Gamma Tau Fiji Graduates Association | Alumni Offce | P.O. Box 80828 | Atlanta, Georgia 30366 | www.GTFijiGrads.com | Fall 2014 Alumni Gamma Tau Fiji Spotlight Rod PARkeR ’67 Graduates Association Editor’s Note: For this edition of the Capital Campaign newsletter we’re shining the Spotlight on brother Rod Parker ’67. From the Update hometown of Clinton, MD, Rod came to Tech to pursue his degree in Civil Engineering before heading out to serve in Brothers, the Navy as a Pilot. While in school, Rod was the chapter’s Recording Secretary, and he was a member of the ROTC and the e have received track team. After a few tours in Vietnam, Wpledges of Rod came back to the states and bought $2,107,652 toward a ranch in Twisp, WA, before heading the construction of out to the east coast to join his family in Landon-Nelson Hall. the farming business.Today, Rod is the We have collected General Manager of his family business, about 70% of the total amount. We Parker Farms - one of the largest produce were able to commence construction three years early due to the generosity farmers on the east coast and contributor of Brother R. Kirk Landon ’50 who to the Northern Neck Food Bank. Rod and offered a bridge loan of $1,000,000 of his wife Beth, of almost 48 years, have two which we utilized $750,000. The loan is daughters, Britt and Adrienne, and one son, being repaid as we receive your pledge Rafe. They enjoy world travel, spending payments. We have repaid $355,365 time with their eight grandchildren, and during the past year. volunteering with their church. We estimate that we saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by starting the What did you enjoy most as a Gamma Tau active? Squadron is not unlike a fraternity. It’s a group of project while the construction industry men that were very focused on doing a particular was in a serious recession and costs The FIJI’s at Georgia Tech were not the campus job. It was intense to say the least and after fying champs that they are today…we were the up and were low. We were able to do this only a couple of hundred missions off an aircraft carrier through complete confdence that your comers. We were clever with a lot of enthusiasm you learn a great deal about yourself and your own pledges would be made good. Landon- and energy. In time the FIJI’s came into their abilities. Night carrier landings and a few life Nelson Hall has met and exceeded our own and have been a dominant force in the Greek and death scenarios tend to make one a bit more community on campus. It’s such a pleasure to see expectations as a wonderful new home refective. By the age of 25 I had been to many for Gamma Tau. the success that Gamma Tau enjoys today and to places and done a lot of things that my peers had We need to emphasize that even think that in some small way we older brothers not. It was an exciting time of life. By the time I though Landon-Nelson Hall is complete, help lay the foundation for that success. left the Navy, I had married my college sweetheart I guess the really great experience of those we have not fulflled our fnancial Beth Britt. Two lovely daughters and a son soon obligations and we need your pledge Gamma Tau days was the brotherhood itself. We followed. Now we have eight grandchildren – payments to continue on time. Most were growing up together and becoming men. We some of whom are about the age we were in those pledges are on schedule and actually over came to Tech as a bunch of high school kids and left Gamma Tau days. Sounds preposterous! Though as adults with real jobs and clear aspirations. We a third of the 340 pledges have already none of the children attended Ga Tech, they have been paid in full. We are counting on learned how to be responsible and how to function visited a number of times and have heard more collecting the remaining pledges over on our own independently from our parents. We than enough stories. the next several years according to your learned self discipline and how to function as a individual payment schedule. team. We absorbed ideas and lifestyles from each How did you transition as a civilian once home We are also accepting new or other. We had great fun and did some really goofy from active duty? increased pledges. If you have questions things…and we learned from that too. Looking Just before leaving the military life for farming a about our campaign status or payment back I am able to see much more clearly now that brief interlude occurred while Beth and I helped options, please do not hesitate to contact those experiences with those brothers to no small to start a Christian Community call the 2nd Mile me by phone or e-mail. degree made us who we are today. Ranch (from Matthew Chapter 6). As much as any After graduation, what was your naval experience we have had, our lives were formed by experience like? those two years. Though the organization still I pretty much went from the farm to Tech and from thrives, we returned to the east Coast from the Greg Robbins ’68 Gamma Tau into the Navy and back to the farm! North Cascade Mountains to help our family farm. Chairman Not to be trite in any way but a Navy Fighter Parker (Continued on Page 4)