FALL 2022
THE
AUBURN PHI
Official Newsletter of the Alabama Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta at Auburn University
HOUSE CORPORATION UPDATE
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any thanks to outgoing President Zane Springer 2441 and the executive committee for a great year! We trust incoming President Will Banks 2482 and the new executives will continue making Alabama Beta the best it can be. The house is in great shape, and the chapter is making good use of the basketball court that was recently installed on the resurfaced lower parking lot. The HC held its annual meeting on October 28; our financials are in good shape and cash flow has been improved by use of our $50K Line of Credit from the Palmer Foundation. We intend to limit use of the LOC and we
will continue to budget for repairs and improvements from rental revenue and alumni donations. Our priorities for 2023 include the addition of plantation shutters to the windows on the front façade and replacement of interior recessed can lights with LED fixtures. The original shutters were lost to termites years ago and many of the existing can lights are in poor shape. Priorities beyond these include the addition of a second hutch in the alumni room to house a proper library, a trophy case, better interior furnishings, and some targeted art installations. Our next significant improvement will be to remove the old bocce court (located downhill from the rear patio)
and replace it with a putting green and two separate seating areas with in-ground steel picnic tables covered with sailcloth sunshades. The job is out for bid. To finance this, we will approach the parents club about donations that our three alumni clubs will match. As soon as the project is funded, we will commence construction. The HC remains ambitious in support of our great chapter; please continue to donate to your alumni club of choice or join a club today! Yours in the Bond, Malcolm Marsh 1519 House Corporation President
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
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hroughout the past year, spirits have been higher than ever at Alabama Beta. The chapter has seen growth as it has never seen before. From freshmen to seniors, every brother has taken pride in being an Auburn Phi and worked together to strengthen this great brotherhood. On that note, our chapter’s improvements have not gone unnoticed. This past August, at the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute in Oxford, Ohio, the chapter was awarded the General Headquarters Award and recognized for its excellence in recruitment and new member retention. While every chapter member has worked hard for growth at Auburn, none of it would be possible without the unwavering support from the chapter advisory board, house corporation, and parents club members. Our Chapter
Adviser Dwight Bassett 1644 has been an exceptional resource for the executive committee and the Alabama Beta Chapter. This past fall, Brother Ryan Patel 2478 worked diligently to recruit thirty-eight Phikeias. In addition, Brother Tyler Noles 2439 rose to the occasion during the Phikeia education process this fall. While the education process was primarily focused on Phi Delta Theta itself, our Phikeias also learned what it means to be respectable college men as they made the difficult transition to life on their own at Auburn. Our new members knew what it means to step out of the Auburn community and serve people whose life is not as easy as ours. In November, they continued our work with a family affected by ALS in Dothan, Alabama. During their day of
service, they worked hard on various projects to make this family’s life a little bit better than they found it. We cannot wait to initiate them as brothers on January 15, 2023. While we have fostered lots of internal growth, our brothers have also made great strides in increasing their involvement on campus. We have brothers involved not only as student recruiters and workers but also in organizations such as Freshman Forum, IFC Cabinet, SGA Cabinet, Omicron Delta Kappa, Cardinal Key, and many more. Brother Jake Darling 2436 is nearing the end of this term as Continued on page 4