Category: National News

Greek Life Museum Opens!

Greek Life 5This past weekend, the Chi Phi Fraternity officially opening the Greek Life Museum at the national headquarters in Suwanee, Georgia. The project was years and thousands of man-hours in the making. The Greek Life Museum Committee headed by Brother Senour Reed, the current Grand Epsilon, announced the opening with a string of speeches that thanked all how worked hard and donated money to see the museum become a reality.

The museum is not only a way to display theGreek Life 2 heritage of the Chi Phi Fraternity, but of all Greek Life. Each of the display cases that line the walls present a different era of fraternity and sorority history. One display holds a plethora of books written by fraternity men and sorority women including Brother Walter Cronkite, Dr. Seuss and Condoleezza Rice. Another bookcase houses every copy of the Chakette Magazine that the National Archives holds. These books go back to 1899.

Greek Life 4The last case holds the greatest treasures of Chi Phi, ornate badges from the Northern Order, Secret Order and Southern Order of Chi Phi. Some contain detailed etchings in simple gold, while others have rubies and pearls attached. All however, look very similar to the current rendition of the Chi Phi badge. Included in this display is a badge that was actually discovered on a Civil War battlefield in Tennessee.

The night also saw speeches from Brother Chris Shuler, Greek Life 3Chairman of the Chi Phi Educational Trust and from Grand Alpha, Brother Jim Soderquist. Brother Soderquist will abdicate his position come June when our own, Brother Ron Frank will once again take up the position of Grand Alpha.

Brother David Ebner attended to represent the DZAA, and the DZ Chapter sent Brothers Corey Irby and Billy De Guzman. Brother Ebner noted that not a single guest went unimpressed by the display and that the Committee and National Staff did the Fraternity proud that night.

Chi Phi Presents: University of Tampa

UT 5Led by Chi Phi National Office staff members Bre Berris (Director of growth and Alumni Services) and Michael Azarian (Executive Director), the fraternity made an expansion pitch to the student body at the University of Tampa on Wednesday, March 18th. Also in attendance were the Delta Zeta Chapter Alpha and Beta, Corey Irby and Nathan Drass respectively, The DZAA President, David Ebner and the DZAA Technology Chairman, Clinton Millsap. Two distinguished alumni were also present as incoming Grand Alpha Ron Frank and Alpha Delta Chapter Alumnus and longtime Delta Zeta supporter, Andy Shultz Sr., were able to join.

The presentation delved straight into why Chi Phi would be a great fit at the University of Tampa. Bre Berris showed recent Chi Phi stats that would make it hard for any campus to say no to bring the fraternity to the school. Here are few of the statistics from the last five years:

  • Chapter sizes have increased from 30 to 42.
  • 15 Chapters have been started and re-founded.
  • Only 1 of the 15 have been closed in that time. This represents one of the lowest ratios in the industry.
  • The Initiation rate raised to 90%, again one of the highest for a fraternity in the country. This is a sign that hazing and poor recruitment methods are dropping.
  • Overall growth in membership is 61%.

UT 3Michael Azarian spoke to the fraternity’s Risk Management efforts and announced that Chi Phi has the lowest possible insurance premium in our purchasing group. In fact, Brother Ebner noted that the insurance premium is the same now as it was when he was a new member back in 2007. What other insurance premium do you have that hasn’t increased in 8 years? He also noted that although Chi Phi hasn’t needed it, we have an $11 million liability policy and a $1 million cash reserve if the time ever comes. His reasoning for why we have so much insurance, “It’s really cheap. Why not protect our members and our future to our best abilities, especially when we can for such little money?”

In the end, UT 4Brothers Frank, Shultz, Ebner and Millsap pledged the support of the Tampa Alumni to help advise and nurture a Chi Phi group at the University of Tampa, which went a long way with the students present. The group then talked more over dinner at Acropolis in Ybor. The night ended with a feeling of success, regardless of which fraternity the University of Tampa decides to invite to expand, Chi Phi poised itself to eventually start another Chapter in Tampa.

March Mania is Back!

March brings the Chi Phi Educational Trust’s March Mania challenge. Alumni and Active Brothers alike fight for their Chapter to be number one in Chi Phi through the donations they make. Any donation made to the Chi Phi Educational Trust before March 31st will count toward your Chapter’s March Mania ranking. You can visit the Chi Phi Educational Trust page at www.facebook.com/chiphitrust for updates on your Chapter’s ranking. To donate, simply go to https://securedonations.omegafi.com/apps/securedonationsdesktop/chiphi/chiphi_display.php4

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Let’s help make the Delta Zeta Chapter number one in the rankings by donating today!