PORIES HUMBLY ACCEPTS 83RD OXFORD CUP Addressing a crowd of nearly 700 Betas and friends at last night’s Recognition Ceremony, Walter Pories, Wesleyan ’52, accepted the Oxford Cup and remarked on the Fraternity’s role in helping him dress, behave and achieve. The renowned bariatric surgeon credits Beta, in part, for his success in the medical field, particularly his relationship with his pledge brother, Hal Buckingham ’52, who joined Pories in Norfolk for the occasion.
FRATERNITY LEADERS AND INDUSTRY EXPERT PANEL SETS STAGE FOR COMING DEBATE
DELEGATES DIG IN DURING BUSY LEGISLATIVE YEAR It was a mere 15 minutes after the Convention Kickoff when 171 chapter and alumni delegates hit the ground running in the legislation hall. As of midnight, at least one committee was still debating their recommendations to the body. Rightfully so, as today the men will consider several votes on the floor, including charters, Board nominees and more.
During Thursday night’s State of the Fraternity session, Board Vice President Ben Swartz, Connecticut ’05, posed a number of attendee-submitted questions to Beta and fraternal industry leaders on the pressing business ahead of the 179th General Convention. Legal counsel and Phi Delta Theta brother Jim Ewbank declared the current moment in Greek life the “Post-Piazza Period,” saying that if an organization hopes to survive another 15 years, it must be
willing to hold members and chapters accountable now. Asked about the Trustees’ process for soliciting feedback for the new strategic plan, General Secretary Wayne Kay, Virginia Tech ’73, detailed the Board’s multiyear “listening tour,” which he said reaped insight from more than 1,000 brothers. This advice, he suggested, swayed the Board to settle on an alternative substance-free housing policy than was originally intended to be announced last fall.
While a majority of the questions answered by the panel stemmed from the Board’s decision to implement substance-free housing, members also asked about rising insurance premiums, downward trends in recruitment, and whether or not the Fraternity would standardize bystander intervention or sexual misconduct training as part of new risk management education curriculum. If you missed the session, Swartz announced that recap handouts would be made available Friday morning.
EMCEES AND SPECIAL GUESTS | FRIDAY Mar yland Chapter Counselor and newly appointed Foundation Board Director Aaron Kozuki, Washington in St. Louis ’05, leads this afternoon’s Awards Luncheon.
Oxford Cup recipient and retired U.S. Senator Richard Lugar, Denison ’54, makes his annual pilgrimage to join Beta brothers and beloved guests at the 179th General Convention.
NIC Undergraduate Award of Distinction winner and former Chapter President Jack Schimpf, Missouri ’18, delivers the annual undergraduate keynote at today’s luncheon.