NJAC Newsletter 06 14 by Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity, Inc

Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity North Jersey Alumni Club - Newsletter Office of the North Jersey Alumni Club Newsletter 229 Maplewood Ave., Bogota, NJ 07603 (201) 342-7960

Summer 2014 Edition Meetings: The meeting schedule for the North Jersey Alumni Club for the Summer of 2014 is as follows: There will be no July business meeting. See Summer Social for Summer Picnic August 2nd (Saturday) Home of Frank and Sara Simon, 1 Darrell Ct., Edison, NJ (732) 248-0071 or (201) 446-3535 7:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m. social. September 13th (Saturday) Home of Andy and Ann Marie Cicala, 346 Reserve St., Boonton, N.J. (973) 334-4646 5:00 pm barbecue, 7:30 pm meeting. You can call Frank for directions to his house for the August meeting and Andy for the September meeting (though most of us know where he lives by now). Both of these are preceded by socials so you can bring the wife/family/girlfriend as well. Both locations also have pools if the weather is so disposed. We will try to get the Gamma Pi Alumni Association involved in the August meeting as well. The September meeting is a change from the original schedule as Jeff Terjesen moved out of state and Andy and Ann Marie graciously agreed to step in and help us out. The spring meetings varied all over the place. We got 18 guys at the Boys Night Out dinner meeting in Newark in March, about the same amount as a year ago and only lost 3-4 guys due to Lent. We may change the time frame of this next year. We only got six guys (plus Jason Jasinski of the Delta Xi AA who has not paid NJAC dues) at Seton Hall in April and we may scrap the meeting at an undergraduate chapter as attendance has been abysmal at these meetings over the past five years or so. We got 14 guys at the May meeting at Dave Schreck’s home which was our best attended meeting since last October. In discussions at spring meeting, which will still be ongoing in the next month or two, the format for our meeting schedule and social calendar was

June 7, 2014 analyzed in depth. The consensus appears to be to continue with monthly business meeting, if possible and to factor in a social gathering during the month as well. We will be in need of volunteers to host meetings as some of our mainstays (i.e., Jeff Terjesen, Ray Morro) have moved out of the area and others are already committed to various meetings or social events. If we cannot get hosts, we may have to back off the number of meetings in any event. As previously mentioned, we will probably not go to an undergraduate chapter as nobody shows up for those meeting. Spring Social: On March 7th, we held our Boys Night Out Dinner Meeting at the Dinosaur Grill in Newark with about 18 members attending. Some of whom (Bud Greco) we hadn’t seen in a while. We thank Glenn Small for organizing and coordinating this event On March 28th, we held our spring Brotherhood for Life Meeting at the Delta Omicron house in Newark. This turned out to be kind of an uplifting meeting, though at the start, we were disappointed in the alumni turn out. A total of 18 of the 23 active pledges in the District at the time showed up,, a good number. Besides myself and Ray Morro, we got participation from Brian Meserlian, who had done this before and also from Chris Mann, Joe Galesi and Matt Torti. Chris and Joe had not been to any NJAC functions in several years and Matt is not a public speaker, but all stepped up and said a few words about their fraternal experiences. They had it when we needed it. The usual pizza party was held afterward. A number of NJAC members attending the Alpha Phi Delta Centennial Gala in Washington, D.C. the weekend of April 4th-6th. It turned out to be a fantastic weekend with a cocktail party on Friday, Potomac River Brunch Cruise on Saturday and the Centennial Ball on Saturday evening. Over 400 brothers and wives attended. The entire weekend was a reunion of sorts in that people who haven’t

North Jersey Alumni Club Newsletter Summer 2014 Edition

On August 2nd, as previously mentioned, we will hold a barbecue and social at Frank Simon’s home in Edison prior to our scheduled business meeting.

been around the Fraternity in years showed up. It was great to renew old acquaintances and with 80 or so undergraduates present, make new ones. This event had been in the making for more than two years and a ton of thanks goes out to Tony Carfang for heading up the committee and Al Branchi and Tony Barbieri who were his lieutenants and did a lot of the heavy lifting. It certainly was an event to remember.

The Centennial Summer Convention will be held n August 13th-17th at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg East, 4751 Lindle Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111 (717) 939-7841. The cost is $155 per night per single room. There is a plethora of activities scheduled during the week, including a tour of the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield, a wine tasting tour, the Alumnus Emeritus luncheon for brothers with over 50 years in the Fraternity, a Military Breakfast honoring those brothers who have served in the armed services, an outing at Hershey Park, a capital tour of Harrisburg, the Awards Dinner on Friday night (a change in format this year) and the Centennial Grand Dinner on Saturday, complete with an orchestra and dancing after dinner. Saturday will also feature the annual alumni/undergrad softball game and a volleyball tournament in the afternoon. As of press time, the rooms were going fast, John Russo indicated 220 people have already booked rooms. He is looking for 400 in total attendance over the five days and possibly 500 at the Saturday night dinner. So, if you have not finalized vacation plans or just want to stop in for a weekend of fraternalism, especially this year in our Centennial year, contact John Russo, apdjr@aol.com, for information and also for a meal plan for the week or just for select days, There is will be an Executive Committee meeting headed by Chris Mancusi as his first official business as National President and a Foundation Meeting as well.

On April 13th, the NJAC attended its annual Devils Hockey game at the Prudential Center in Newark. All 20 tickets were sold and we even realized a token profit from that. A total of 16 of the 20 met for lunch at the Iberian Peninsula restaurant prior to the game, which was a 3:00 pm. start. Though the Devils missed the NHL playoffs this year, the won that game 3-2 and it may have been Martin Brodeur’s last game as Devils goalie. We thank Kirk Shatto for organizing and coordinating the event. On April 26th, we had our annual Poker Night at Kirk Shatto’s house. A total of six poker players showed up and it would have been more, had not some regulars been at District Governor Paul Zammit’s wedding the same night. Garry Kosteck was the big winner and Mike Young the big loser on the night. We again thank Kirk and Anne for their hospitality. On May 17th, Alex Fafara held a graduation party in honor of his completing his education at Rutgers and Jeff Breen, Lenny Cilli, Mike Young, Ray Morro, Rick Riccardo and Brian Meserlain of the NJAC attended. As did his father who was posing as the ATM machine. Several others were also invited but had to decline due to other commitments. A good time was had by all.

Nothing firm as yet, but we may go to another NJ Jackals game in Montclair in late August or to a Mets game around the same time frame. One of the recent alumni from Delta Xi (Seton Hall) works for the Mets and may be able to get tickets for a group. Jeff Breen (908) 448-7875 will be monitoring this and we will decide by the August meeting.

Summer Social: On July 19th, we will be holding our annual Summer Picnic at Evan Sottosanti’ s home at 29 Dogwood Road, Middletown, NJ 07748. It will start at 1:00 p.m. and will run until 8:30 p.m.. We had a successful meeting and social there last September and there is a pool and plenty of room. Call Evan at (917) 743-7437 for directions or information. Please also note that this is a change from the original schedule which had this on July 12th, but had to be moved due to a conflict.

On September 13th, as previously mentioned, we will hold a barbecue and social at Any Cicala’s home in Boonton prior to our scheduled business meeting. District and National News: For the most part, the North Jersey District fared well this semester, with one notable exception. A total of 42 new brothers were inducted with six 2

North Jersey Alumni Club Newsletter Summer 2014 Edition

currently pending. We initiated 69 for the academic year and it could be as high as 75. Gamma Pi (Ramapo) boosted their total to 25 active brothers and will return with 19 after graduations, the most stable they’ve been in years. Delta Beta (Rutgers New Brunswick) will return with 30 after inducting six this spring and 11 for the year. This is after graduating 11 including the last members of the Alpha class. Delta Xi (Seton Hall) only inducted one pledge after starting with four and will return with 9. The low number is still a reason for concern due to problems with the administration and still operating off campus. Same way with Delta Omicron (Rutgers Newark) who inducted one but will be losing 5-6 to a combination of graduates and withdrawals from school. They will return with 8-9 active brothers with that house to support. Epsilon Delta (Montclair) did not pledge anybody this spring as they were lying low due to the administration’s issues with the entire IFC. They expect to be recognized in the fall (barring further complications) and will return with 20 brothers never the less. The problem chapter was Gamma Nu (William Paterson) who had been largely absent from the District/National scene and had been having problems with their administration for several semesters. Their crowning screw up was to induct their spring pledge class themselves, without initiation fees or a National Office present an offense that can be punishable but immediate revocation of charter. Chris Mancusi has been meeting with them and intends to formally induct the six pledges who are currently in limbo and to put them on a strict probationary path for the fall. If they violate any of that, they can be brought up for expulsion next February. Paul Zammit was reelected District Governor, and this will be his last term. Al Fafara and Lenny Cilli were elected Assistant Governors, but we will be looking for a younger alumnus to take the reins next year.

largest since the early ‘90s. However, as National Secretary Fr. Lentini and I discussed recently, we are approaching the limit of what our volunteer organization can support and if we exceed that, we will only contract naturally without the supervision we need and have come to expect. Notes and Quotes: Congratulations to Kristina and Paul Zammit (Gamma Sigma, ’03) on their marriage on April 26th. Best wishes to Patti Cilli, wife of Lenny Cilli (Beta Xi-’73) who is recovering from lung surgery earlier this spring. She is recovering slowly but steadily. Sincere sympathies go out to Brenda and Glenn Small (Beta Xi-’76) on the death of Brenda’s mother on May 11th. Best wishes to NJAC President Ray Morro (Beta Xi-’85) who will be moving from his lifelong home in Wayne. He will be temporarily residing in Sussex County before deciding on a permanent location. Best wishes to Steve Schrank, (Beta Xi-’86), who will be moving to Lexington, SC. His house will be put up for sale once school is out and after it sells, his wife Diane and their three children will be joining him. One surprise for me at the Gala was the appearance of my old roommate, Hank Zupko (Beta Xi-’69) who I last saw at a Boys Night Out dinner 15 years ago. Hank pledged the semester after me and we roomed at the Burnet St. house spring ’71. Congratulations to all the graduating seniors from all chapters in Alpha Phi Delta. Hopefully, they all join alumni clubs. Letters to the Editor:

Nationally, outside of one or two chapter problems, the Fraternity again did well this year with total initiations, participation in the National Council Meeting, and the Gala. Chris Mancusi inherits a Fraternity in good shape save a few problems. Outgoing President Nick Franki unexpectedly resigned last month, six weeks short of completing his third term for unknown personal reasons. There will probably be a couple of charterings in August, Mu at Cornell and Theta Beta at NYU and we will be approaching the 40 mark for active chapters,

None last quarter, though there were a couple of Emails that referenced the Editorial to my mother along with sympathies that were appreciated. Editorial-Where Did It All Go To? Come on Alex, wake up. This is a campus tour of Rutgers, you can’t be sleeping on the bus. I know you won’t start 12th grade until the fall, but you have to start thinking about college. What’s that? You got accepted by both Rutgers and Ramapo. O.K. If you want to go to Rutgers they won’t give 3

North Jersey Alumni Club Newsletter Summer 2014 Edition

you any money and your loan will be bigger at the end. O.K., if that’s what you want. Wow, September 2009 already. Livingston Campus dorm. Who’s that you’re rooming with? Ethan. Joining the Board Game Club? Only at a 50,000 student university would they have one. IFC meeting for new fraternity interest groups? O.K. That’s nice. You’re the president and I’m the alumnus adviser and you don’t even have a group yet. O.K. Chris will be down. Eight guys counting you? O.K. We’ll do Kareem’s baptism separately. Delta Omicron house, March 26, 2010. Rob DeVito presiding. Tiny one of the moderators. Yeah, I got as many congratulations as you. Summer pledge class? 260 Someset St.? What a shithole. Reminds me of 15 Burnet St. 40 years ago. A bust? You got hand cuffed along with everybody else, even those guys who did nothing? Make sure you make it to Erie, it’s your first time as a brother. I don’t care if you have to sit in a car for eight hours smelling everybody’s farts. Wow, getting this furniture out of this place was harder than getting it in. Well, even if the new place is over a bar, you might have a better chance to study. Changing majors, huh? Why does this apartment always smell like weed? Yeah, getting to LaSalle won’t be that hard. Since you guys are getting chartered, make sure as many guys get there as possible. Academic probation again? Well your father wasn’t exactly a scholar either. More than four years? Christ. Yeah going from president to secretary is a step down but it’s an important position. It’s also a big shit job, take it from me. Moving across the hall? Well, at least you’ll have your own room. Finally got a little brother who stuck, huh? Better start spending more

time on your campus than Justine’s. Five full years? O.K. that’s it. You make it or you figure it out yourself. And only because I promised you that when you started. Moving down the block back to High St.? No fraternity brothers involved? O.K. at this point anything that might improve the academics and get you out. Walk for Diabetes? Yeah good idea. I’ll get the NJAC involved. Nice late October day. You raised $1300? Not bad, pretty good actually considering you exceeded your goal. Tenth and hopefully last semester. Sorry, you’ll have to come home for your grandmother’s wake and funeral. She was hoping to stick around and see you graduate. Yeah, you inherited Grammie’s car. Yeah, I’ll pick up the insurance on it, at least until you get a job. Absolutely, I’ll pay for your cap and gown. Are you sure you’re going to make it? Graduation party? O.K. Last great act of defiance. Yeah, Debbie, I can see him down on the field, with the other 12,000 people getting their degrees. Yeah, he sees us. Don’t start crying. He’ll never know the feeling of pride I got right now. It’s more than just a momentous occasion, it’s a Life Event. Even though it was five years, it seemed like the blink of an eye. Check book notwithstanding. Sure, we’ll go to the Harvest Moon for something to eat. Be on your way to Pittsburgh soon. Where did is all go to? It was just a little while ago we were dropping him off at school-at St. Francis for kindergarten. Note: Alex Fafara graduated Rutgers on May 18, 2014. Those brothers who have also had sons come through the ranks of Alpha Phi Delta as undergrads know how I feel. This article was written by his father in his head while coming home up the Turnpike the afternoon after Commencement.

Letters to the Editor can be sent to NJAC Newsletter c/o Al Fafara 229 Maplewood Ave., Bogota, NJ 07603. Distributors: Rick & Dianne Riccardo of Hillsborough, NJ

Technical Editor: Glenn Small of Edison, NJ

This Newsletter is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December.

NJAC Calendar – Summer 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue 1

Wed 2

Thu 3

Fri 4

Sat 5

July

Independence Day

19 Picnic at Evan Sotosanti’s 1:00 pm

Eid-al-Fitr

Social at Frank Simon’s 5:00 pm Meeting 7:30 pm

Tisha B'Av

August

Annual Summer Convention - Harrisburg, PA

Convention ends

Labor Day

September

Social at Andy Cicala’s 5:00 pm Meeting 7:30 pm

Patriot Day

Fall Begins

Rosh Hashana