From the Grand Sage

A Message from the Grand Sage

Brothers, As this biennium moves along, I am reminded of what binds us together. After traveling to 109 of our chapters, colonies, and interest groups, I experienced firsthand the warm, welcoming handshakes that we offer when meeting a fellow brother. Through volunteering for the last 20 years, I observed the lifetime opportunity for social growth that the Fraternity provides to alumni and undergraduates. And as a supporter of the Educational Foundation, I get to witness the remarkable financial impact that giving back has on the young men who bring the Fraternity to life everyday across North America. These are some of the elements that bound Sigma Pi Fraternity men together in a fellowship of kindred minds for the last 125 years. Together, we celebrated alumni who became successful professional athletes, academics, politicians, scientists, businessmen, entrepreneurs, and media superstars. We also recognized those alumni who spent time working to advance the Fraternity as members of the Executive Office or through volunteer service as Chapter Advisors, Province Archons, and members of the Grand Council. In my own Sigma Pi experience, I was inspired to serve the Fraternity by the commitment of my Province Archon Paul Gorman (Seton Hall ’93). Beginning now and for the duration of 2022, we are going to celebrate more than a century of the amazing success story that is Sigma Pi Fraternity. What a small group of military cadets founded in the American Midwest has grown to over 115,000 brothers living all over the world and forming the basis for fraternal excellence on college campuses and in local communities.

The story of Sigma Pi Fraternity is the story of generations of men coming from different backgrounds to put their own mark on the definition of our brotherhood. In the early 1900s, men like Founders’ Award winner William Kiplinger (Ohio State 1909) focused their efforts on expansion and growth. In the mid-1940s, men like Past Grand Sage Jonathan Hillegass (Franklin & Marshall 1918) and Past Grand Second Counselor Colonel Walter Lemmond, Jr. (Emory 1924) worked to keep the Fraternity operating during World War II. And today, our undergraduate leaders can hold their heads high as they join the pantheon of Sigma Pi men who stabilized and improved the Fraternity through difficult times as we have witnessed through their resilience during the pandemic. To our alumni brothers reading this message, I invite you to join us in celebrating our brotherhood. Join us in making sure that our Fraternity remains an important part of undergraduate life. Join us in making sure that the Sigma Pi of tomorrow offers the same opportunities that you received from the Fraternity during your undergraduate years. When a fellowship of over 115,000 kindred minds comes together, how can the future not be bright? This year, let’s unite in brotherhood to celebrate our first 125 years. And when that celebration wraps up, let us all come together to recognize that it’s morning again in Sigma Pi, and that it is time to build the next 125 years of our Fraternity. Together! Fraternally,

GRAND SAGE

Joe Palazzolo (Monmouth '00)

grandsage@sigmapi.org

GS Joe Palazzolo (Monmouth '00) Grand Sage #47 of Sigma Pi Fraternity