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2007-08 Chapter Strategic Plan
Consul
As we begin another year here at WVU, the Mu Mu chapter of Sigma Chi is running smooth and all is well. This past summer myself and two of the current brothers, Ian McCulloch the rush chair and Ryan Raskin our current Magister, attended BLTW. During our time there we picked up some things that some of the other chapters do different from us. We have already implemented some of the new great ideas that we picked up from the leadership workshop. As you may know we have had a very tumultuous couple of months with the difficulties we faced with Derby Days, the national debt problems, the social probation and a general lack of motivation and participation within the membership. Gentlemen, I am happy to report that as of Monday we are currently released from our social probation, we are set to have the national debt paid off by the end of the month and our average chapter participation is averaging around 95%. In the area of Derby Days, we are in the process of electing the Chairmen with in the next couple of weeks. We believe that this will give us more time to make all the proper arrangements to make sure Derby Days works with the new rules the sororities must follow. Also, we will be working to modify Derby Days to be fitting with the new rules and standpoints of the university and the city. I have been very impressed with the way the brothers have responded to the conditions we have faced over the past few months. We have all done a very good job to respect the sanctions placed upon us to ensure that we stay within the guidelines of the IFC and the University. I have also been in close contact with Sam Madea, the new IFC Advisor, and have developed more of a personal relationship with him. The house is in good order with the leadership of Pete Cheviot and Will Watkins. They have taken all steps to ensure the house has been kept clean and up to fire code. However, we are looking for extra money to fund a shack for the back to put the flammable materials in. We are also currently reevaluating the rent that we are charging in-house brothers. We have delegated a brother to find the costs of living in a private apartment with the same commodities we provide here in our house, i.e. utilities, food, parking, to see how we compare. Looking forward, I am very confident in the rising leadership within the chapter. With the increase in participation has also given the membership a more vested interest in the success of the chapter with almost all active brothers having worked to get their badges and I am looking forward to see what new leaders our chapter will produce. As always, I would like to hear any new ideas or concerns you all may have for the growth and success of out chapter. I thank you all for all the time and effort you have put into our chapter and I would like to see that the Sigma Chi stays alive and well at West Virginia University for many more years to come.
In hoc,
Ben Burgess
Philanthropy This year, our goal for philanthropy is to get more involved in the community. We have some activities already planned, such as bingo with the residents of the Sundale Nursing Home and bowling in the Mountainlair with the Boys and Girls Club. We have a couple more projects which we are currently working on, and those include: adopting a highway, sponsoring a youth sports team, and creating an event with the Red Cross. We are also participating in the sorority philanthropy events. We just participated in the Kappa Classic and finished second, which benefits RIF (Reading Is Fundamental), and soon we will be participating in the Anchor bowl, which benefits Service for Sight. We also had a number of brothers participate in a blood drive, and we are competing in penny wars with the University of Pittsburgh, with the proceeds going to the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center Comfort fund. Also, we are electing a new Derby Days chair in the near future so we can get started on revamping our Derby Days week to be able to comply more with the new Pan-Hellenic standards and university expectations.
Social This fall we have been on social probation until Oct 15 (this past Monday). We have not planned any parties at the house, and all of our future parties will be held with a 3rd party vendor to take the risk off of us. We have also instituted a sober brother to monitor the parties, and we have a sober driver. In Hoc, Chris Warash
House Manager We’ve had a lot of things to handle since our last House Corp meeting last year. One of our biggest focuses was mainly dealing with improving the things in the house that dealt with house and brother safety. One of the main issues we dealt with at the end of last year was re-graveling the parking lot. It was getting worn down from gradual wear and tear and was retaining water which caused a lot of problems in the winter and during the heavy rainfall that came second semester. We used the money contributed from the Spring 06’ and Fall 06’ pledge classes for their pledge class projects to re-gravel the parking lot. One issue that we have to deal with is the accumulation of trash and other junk that had collected during move out, the brothers living here during the summer, and moving in. This is an issue that is a problem every year, however we many of the brothers chipping in we managed to get the house trash back in perfect condition. Another issue that has been dealt with to a great extent has been to improve the safety of the house by handling the fire code violations that were brought to our attention last year. We have made strides in improving things such as ceiling tiles and smoke detectors to help our standing with the fire marshal, and, more importantly, improving the overall safety of the brothers in the house. Other things we have dealt with were things that were major inconveniences at the beginning of the school year as the brothers were moving in. The second deck bathroom had two major issues with the one of the urinals and one of the stalls being severely clogged. Another problem was with the drain in the pit retaining water during heavy rainfall. Also the air conditioning wasn’t working in half of the house for a good portion of the first couple weeks of school. After finally getting Suburban to come over here we finally got everything working properly. Another project we have begun to improve the overall appearance of the house is the painting of the chapter room. Before the school year began, a few brothers took initiative and began, and mostly finished, the repainting of the chapter room. Throughout the course of the year, we have failed to finish touching up the paint job due to the amount of time the school year, working, and other daily activities takes up, but the room will be finished before we leave the house for winter break, ideally before thanksgiving break. We have done a good job improving the overall condition of the house, but there is still work that must done to continue to improve the house to the condition that we believe the house deserves. With the help of the current brothers, pledges, and the house corporation we have many goals that we wish to accomplish during the rest of the year. Strides have been made in fire code improvements, but the work is not done. Our number one improvement is to get the house into perfect safety condition to ensure the future of our brothers and the house. Another thing we want to accomplish this year is to fix the lights at the entrance of the house to improve the appearance of the house for alumni, brothers, and other citizens of Morgantown and WVU. On the side of the house there have been some problems with the walkway from the side of the lot to the back of the house. It hasn’t currently been a major issue but I believe that it could cause problems come winter. We would also like to return the television in the house since it is still function, but isn’t working properly if it is still under warranty. There is also windows in the house that we believe need to be fixed to conserve electricity when winter rolls around and we begin to become more dependent on the heating system. Thank you for all the things you have helped with over the course of the last several years. With your assistance and the continued hard work and involvement of the active brothers, we hope to continue improving the house and through our work show the pride we have with the house and the Mu Mu Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. In Hoc Peter Cheviot
Cheviot Will Watkins
Kitchen Hello Brothers, Kitchen managers of Fall 2007 are proud to announce that after some hardships the kitchen is in good working condition. The two main problems that had to be addressed were a severe cockroach problem and a lack of plates, utensils, and cups. The cockroach problem is being taken care of monthly by Orkin, and more plates, utensils and cups were purchased. The contracted catering service is doing a great job, and few brothers are complaining about the food. We have the same cook we have been using the past couple of years and the brothers appear to like him and appreciate his cooking. The cook is preparing healthier food this year and is very open to suggestions on his menu. Over all, the entire kitchen is in fantastic working order and we will take the proper steps to ensure it remains that way. In Hoc. William Francik Scholarship
My job is to ensure that the fraternity’s high ideals regarding “students of fair ability” are upheld. A high fraternity GPA helps to combat the stereotype that studies are not important to us, the notion that “frat guys” in general just party through college and don’t take classes seriously. I have taken the responsibility of assisting the brothers and the pledges in their scholarly activities. I have updated our fraternity library to include notes, tests, textbooks, etc.,all pertaining to the most recent versions of classes held at the university. All pledges MUST turn in a copy of their schedules at the start of pledging and a copy of their midterms when they receive them to monitor their progress and status in each class. I periodically remind brothers that I am here for their benefit too and can assist them with by tutoring them (I am an engineering major, so I am well studied in mathematics and physical sciences),
or by finding them resources that might enrich their studying (added texts, people who have taken the class before, online material, etc.).
It is responsibility to give the pledges their Sigma Chi pledge tests. I give some tests verbally to hinder cheating, and I make sure all tests are taken and graded in a fair manner. I have spent much time going through the information about Sigma Chi (Shield and pledge manual) so that I am able to answer any questions they might have regarding this material. I take the pledges to the library three times a week for two-hour study sessions. Other than on days they have pledge tests, these study hours are strictly used for studying WVU class related material. This is to assist people through their pledging semester (most people say the pledge semester is the hardest school wise) by ensuring they get study time. Finally, my favorite job as scholarship, after considering each initiate’s final semester GPA, is to admonish the Stanley R. Cox award to the one initiate with the highest GPA, a constant reminder to everyone of the merits of being a good scholar. In hoc, Andrew Bledsoe
Rush
This fall marked a change in rush technique here at WVU. In order to rush prospective rushees were forced to pay a fee of fifteen dollars. Although in theory the plan was a good one because it gave the chapters a list of prospects with their contacts and addresses, in retrospect the idea fell through. Rush was very unorganized and most boys were unaware of events that were planned out by the fraternities.
With this aside Sigma Chi made out well, after two weeks of rush events including crab leg dinners and sorority participation wesuccessfully pinning eighteen pledges on pin night. This was one of
the biggest pledge classes on campus and it proves to be a group of very well-rounded gentlemen. With the knowledge gained from this rush, I am very energetic about Spring Rush and expect a very large turn out.
In Hoc,
Ian McCulloch
Consul
As we begin another year here at WVU, the Mu Mu chapter of Sigma Chi is running smooth and all is well. This past summer myself and two of the current brothers, Ian McCulloch the rush chair and Ryan Raskin our current Magister, attended BLTW. During our time there we picked up some things that some of the other chapters do different from us. We have already implemented some of the new great ideas that we picked up from the leadership workshop. As you may know we have had a very tumultuous couple of months with the difficulties we faced with Derby Days, the national debt problems, the social probation and a general lack of motivation and participation within the membership. Gentlemen, I am happy to report that as of Monday we are currently released from our social probation, we are set to have the national debt paid off by the end of the month and our average chapter participation is averaging around 95%. In the area of Derby Days, we are in the process of electing the Chairmen with in the next couple of weeks. We believe that this will give us more time to make all the proper arrangements to make sure Derby Days works with the new rules the sororities must follow. Also, we will be working to modify Derby Days to be fitting with the new rules and standpoints of the university and the city. I have been very impressed with the way the brothers have responded to the conditions we have faced over the past few months. We have all done a very good job to respect the sanctions placed upon us to ensure that we stay within the guidelines of the IFC and the University. I have also been in close contact with Sam Madea, the new IFC Advisor, and have developed more of a personal relationship with him. The house is in good order with the leadership of Pete Cheviot and Will Watkins. They have taken all steps to ensure the house has been kept clean and up to fire code. However, we are looking for extra money to fund a shack for the back to put the flammable materials in. We are also currently reevaluating the rent that we are charging in-house brothers. We have delegated a brother to find the costs of living in a private apartment with the same commodities we provide here in our house, i.e. utilities, food, parking, to see how we compare. Looking forward, I am very confident in the rising leadership within the chapter. With the increase in participation has also given the membership a more vested interest in the success of the chapter with almost all active brothers having worked to get their badges and I am looking forward to see what new leaders our chapter will produce. As always, I would like to hear any new ideas or concerns you all may have for the growth and success of out chapter. I thank you all for all the time and effort you have put into our chapter and I would like to see that the Sigma Chi stays alive and well at West Virginia University for many more years to come.
In hoc,
Ben Burgess
Philanthropy This year, our goal for philanthropy is to get more involved in the community. We have some activities already planned, such as bingo with the residents of the Sundale Nursing Home and bowling in the Mountainlair with the Boys and Girls Club. We have a couple more projects which we are currently working on, and those include: adopting a highway, sponsoring a youth sports team, and creating an event with the Red Cross. We are also participating in the sorority philanthropy events. We just participated in the Kappa Classic and finished second, which benefits RIF (Reading Is Fundamental), and soon we will be participating in the Anchor bowl, which benefits Service for Sight. We also had a number of brothers participate in a blood drive, and we are competing in penny wars with the University of Pittsburgh, with the proceeds going to the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center Comfort fund. Also, we are electing a new Derby Days chair in the near future so we can get started on revamping our Derby Days week to be able to comply more with the new Pan-Hellenic standards and university expectations.
Social This fall we have been on social probation until Oct 15 (this past Monday). We have not planned any parties at the house, and all of our future parties will be held with a 3rd party vendor to take the risk off of us. We have also instituted a sober brother to monitor the parties, and we have a sober driver. In Hoc, Chris Warash
House Manager We’ve had a lot of things to handle since our last House Corp meeting last year. One of our biggest focuses was mainly dealing with improving the things in the house that dealt with house and brother safety. One of the main issues we dealt with at the end of last year was re-graveling the parking lot. It was getting worn down from gradual wear and tear and was retaining water which caused a lot of problems in the winter and during the heavy rainfall that came second semester. We used the money contributed from the Spring 06’ and Fall 06’ pledge classes for their pledge class projects to re-gravel the parking lot. One issue that we have to deal with is the accumulation of trash and other junk that had collected during move out, the brothers living here during the summer, and moving in. This is an issue that is a problem every year, however we many of the brothers chipping in we managed to get the house trash back in perfect condition. Another issue that has been dealt with to a great extent has been to improve the safety of the house by handling the fire code violations that were brought to our attention last year. We have made strides in improving things such as ceiling tiles and smoke detectors to help our standing with the fire marshal, and, more importantly, improving the overall safety of the brothers in the house. Other things we have dealt with were things that were major inconveniences at the beginning of the school year as the brothers were moving in. The second deck bathroom had two major issues with the one of the urinals and one of the stalls being severely clogged. Another problem was with the drain in the pit retaining water during heavy rainfall. Also the air conditioning wasn’t working in half of the house for a good portion of the first couple weeks of school. After finally getting Suburban to come over here we finally got everything working properly. Another project we have begun to improve the overall appearance of the house is the painting of the chapter room. Before the school year began, a few brothers took initiative and began, and mostly finished, the repainting of the chapter room. Throughout the course of the year, we have failed to finish touching up the paint job due to the amount of time the school year, working, and other daily activities takes up, but the room will be finished before we leave the house for winter break, ideally before thanksgiving break. We have done a good job improving the overall condition of the house, but there is still work that must done to continue to improve the house to the condition that we believe the house deserves. With the help of the current brothers, pledges, and the house corporation we have many goals that we wish to accomplish during the rest of the year. Strides have been made in fire code improvements, but the work is not done. Our number one improvement is to get the house into perfect safety condition to ensure the future of our brothers and the house. Another thing we want to accomplish this year is to fix the lights at the entrance of the house to improve the appearance of the house for alumni, brothers, and other citizens of Morgantown and WVU. On the side of the house there have been some problems with the walkway from the side of the lot to the back of the house. It hasn’t currently been a major issue but I believe that it could cause problems come winter. We would also like to return the television in the house since it is still function, but isn’t working properly if it is still under warranty. There is also windows in the house that we believe need to be fixed to conserve electricity when winter rolls around and we begin to become more dependent on the heating system. Thank you for all the things you have helped with over the course of the last several years. With your assistance and the continued hard work and involvement of the active brothers, we hope to continue improving the house and through our work show the pride we have with the house and the Mu Mu Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. In Hoc Peter Cheviot
Cheviot Will Watkins
Kitchen Hello Brothers, Kitchen managers of Fall 2007 are proud to announce that after some hardships the kitchen is in good working condition. The two main problems that had to be addressed were a severe cockroach problem and a lack of plates, utensils, and cups. The cockroach problem is being taken care of monthly by Orkin, and more plates, utensils and cups were purchased. The contracted catering service is doing a great job, and few brothers are complaining about the food. We have the same cook we have been using the past couple of years and the brothers appear to like him and appreciate his cooking. The cook is preparing healthier food this year and is very open to suggestions on his menu. Over all, the entire kitchen is in fantastic working order and we will take the proper steps to ensure it remains that way. In Hoc. William Francik Scholarship
My job is to ensure that the fraternity’s high ideals regarding “students of fair ability” are upheld. A high fraternity GPA helps to combat the stereotype that studies are not important to us, the notion that “frat guys” in general just party through college and don’t take classes seriously. I have taken the responsibility of assisting the brothers and the pledges in their scholarly activities. I have updated our fraternity library to include notes, tests, textbooks, etc.,all pertaining to the most recent versions of classes held at the university. All pledges MUST turn in a copy of their schedules at the start of pledging and a copy of their midterms when they receive them to monitor their progress and status in each class. I periodically remind brothers that I am here for their benefit too and can assist them with by tutoring them (I am an engineering major, so I am well studied in mathematics and physical sciences),
or by finding them resources that might enrich their studying (added texts, people who have taken the class before, online material, etc.).
It is responsibility to give the pledges their Sigma Chi pledge tests. I give some tests verbally to hinder cheating, and I make sure all tests are taken and graded in a fair manner. I have spent much time going through the information about Sigma Chi (Shield and pledge manual) so that I am able to answer any questions they might have regarding this material. I take the pledges to the library three times a week for two-hour study sessions. Other than on days they have pledge tests, these study hours are strictly used for studying WVU class related material. This is to assist people through their pledging semester (most people say the pledge semester is the hardest school wise) by ensuring they get study time. Finally, my favorite job as scholarship, after considering each initiate’s final semester GPA, is to admonish the Stanley R. Cox award to the one initiate with the highest GPA, a constant reminder to everyone of the merits of being a good scholar. In hoc, Andrew Bledsoe
Rush
This fall marked a change in rush technique here at WVU. In order to rush prospective rushees were forced to pay a fee of fifteen dollars. Although in theory the plan was a good one because it gave the chapters a list of prospects with their contacts and addresses, in retrospect the idea fell through. Rush was very unorganized and most boys were unaware of events that were planned out by the fraternities.
With this aside Sigma Chi made out well, after two weeks of rush events including crab leg dinners and sorority participation wesuccessfully pinning eighteen pledges on pin night. This was one of
the biggest pledge classes on campus and it proves to be a group of very well-rounded gentlemen. With the knowledge gained from this rush, I am very energetic about Spring Rush and expect a very large turn out.
In Hoc,
Ian McCulloch
