2015 02 05 newsletter

Phi Sigma Kappa Newsletter Issue #2, February 2015

MU HEXATON

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Hudson who are expecting their first child (it’s a boy!) in June. Just in time too, this will make their son eligible for Spring Rush 2034! A growing family also needs a growing house. The Hudson’s delivered, purchasing their first home in Ashburn, VA. I’ve been assured their next purchase will be a 15 bedroom Castle on Light Side, Fairfax St.

Alumni News and Updates

Issue 2, February 2015

Table of Contents:

Letter from Alumni Committee President, Charlie Ashley

Page 1

Honoring Trish McGrath Page 3

Chapter News and Updates Page 3

Scholarship Endowment Fund Page 7

Virginia Beach Reunion Page 8

A letter from Charlie Ashley, Alumni Committee President

Time flies! This coming banquet will mark the end of my term. This was a great experience and I am looking forward to staying involved in the years to come. Now for some reflection. Where did I fail and where did we succeed?

Continued on page 4

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Congratulations to David ‘Sunshine’ Santala on his new career in the Coast Guard. David joined and completed basic training in September and is now stationed in Fort Myers Beach, FL on an 87 ft. patrol boat. He has since been involved in multiple search & rescue missions, migrant operations, and law enforcement. In addition to these

duties, David is also a qualified import watch stander, the cutter rescue swimmer, and a nozzleman in the event of fires. Congratulations to Evan Motley on his new career in the Navy. Evan joined and completed boot camp last June and completed training to be a Cryptologic Technician this January. He is now stationed on the USS Mesa Verde in Norfolk, VA. We’ve had two brothers join the Government and one leave. Charlie Ashley left the IRS for the private sector. He is now working for Emagine IT as a business process management (BPM) consultant, primarily doing software development for Federal clients.

Alumni News: Continued Mu Hexaton Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa

2015 Banquet Schedule March 27-29, 2015

Location: River Company Ticket price: $40 per person

RSVP by March 13, 2014 Ticket payments are due by March

20, 2015 Friday March 27, 2015 11am-3pm: Alumni are arriving between this time and Golf game 6pm-9pm: Welcome Back Dinner at BT’s 9pm-12am: Free time Saturday March 28, 2015 9-10am Alumni meetings with chapter 10am-1pm Alumni Board meetings 1-5pm Free time 5:15pm- Arrival time to River Company 5:30-8:30pm- Banquet Dinner 8:30pm-12am Social at Grove Sunday March 29, 2014 9am-11am: Breakfast with the chapter and alumni will be departing 1:30pm Chapter meeting is held Notes: This years banquet is a Semiformal event. We have rooms reserved at the LaQuinta Inn of Radford for a rate of $70 per night. Just call 540-633-6800 and use the code “PSK Banquet” How To Order tickets and Tshirts Please use the following LINK to order tickets and buy t-shirts: http://mhphisigbanquet.weebly.com

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The Brothers from the Mu Hexaton Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa, both active and alumni members, along with guests, came together this past homecoming to honor Patricia Ann McGrath Morgan, better known as “Trish.”

Trish was a Little Sister for Phi Sigma Kappa. During her time at Radford she met and fell in love with our Brother Jeff Morgan. They married after graduation and moved to Ohio where they raised four children.

There is not a single person who could possibly ever say anything negative about Trish. She was the epitome of charm, sweetness, and her bright, genuine, wonderfully infectious,

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always present, smile.

Several years ago, Trish was diagnosed with ALS. She departed this life in 2012 having fought the hard fight, dealing her illness with dignity and grace.

The plaque on the bench does not mention ALS, for Trish was far greater than just her illness. But it was the “ALS bucket challenges” this past summer that prompted us to want to acknowledge Trish in some tangible way here at Radford University.

Within hours after the first email was floated to possibly sponsor

Honoring Little Sister Patricia “Trish” McGrath

“Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there; I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that

blow, I am the diamond glints on

snow, I am the sun on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain.”

- Mary Elizabeth Frye

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Officer Transitions Brother Dylan Matz, a senior majoring in Criminal Justice, minoring in Psychology, has taken over the role of Inductor for the Spring 2015 semester. Some of his plans include to integrate the associates into standing committees, having them plan and organize their own fundraising & philanthropy events, and of course an intense focus on academics. Intramurals After winning the Intramural cup last year Mu Hexaton got right back into it, putting teams together for Basketball, Football, and Kickball, walking away with a first place trophy for Kickball!

Chapter News and Updates

Brosgiving 2014

Continued on page 5

Continued on page 6

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Newsletter Committee Initially I promised three publications a year, but due to the effort and time this takes I’ve committed to two. Our first publication was authored and edited with the help of Kerith Rae, E.J. Poell, and Jim Chandler. This publication marks our second, and first of 2015. Look forward to our next publication this coming June! Alumni Weekend & Banquet Committee Alumni weekend this year went great! Alumni and undergraduates had a great time hanging out and telling old stories. The chapter and alumni also participated in the Alumni Village set up by RU, and came together to dedicate the memorial bench for Trish McGrath Morgan (story on page 3.) Alumni weekend for Spring 2015 is scheduled for Friday 2/27 through Sunday 3/1. Schedule and event information appear on page 5. Banquet this year is scheduled for the weekend of March 28th and will be held at the River Company

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in Radford, VA. Schedule and event information appear on page 2. Planning and coordinating these events took place over the weeks and months beforehand. I also can’t thank Kyle Winfield enough for all the help he’s provided. Professionalism Workshop Committee This year marked the second presenting a resume building workshop to the undergraduate chapter and associates. In addition to this a presentation on managing your professional profile on LinkedIn was provided, thanks to Logan Morris. Lastly a big thank you to Erik Lensch and his wife Hendree Jones for providing feedback and contributing to the Resume Building presentation.

Continued…

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Reception from the undergraduate chapter was great! Plans are in place to revise and present again for Homecoming in Fall of 2015. Portal Development and Maintenance Committee Although promised, I did not deliver. I had good intentions but did not have the time or resources to pursue this initiative and for that I apologize. Alumni Association Elections With Spring Banquet comes elections for the Alumni Executive Board. Positions available are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sentinel. You do not have to be present to run! If you are unable to attend please forward what you like to be said on your behalf. If you are interested in running for a position, or would like to nominate someone please contact Charlie Ashley e: [email protected] p: 703-501-7377. Thank you all again for giving me this opportunity. I wish the next Executive Board all the best. Damn Proud! Charlie Ashley

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a paver for Trish on the alumni walk, the donations far exceeded just a paver. Indeed, we collected even more than just for this bench. The additional contributions will be donated to the ALS Foundation in her memory.

So, comes now Phi Sigma Kappa to this space by the fountain, where Trish undoubtedly passed hundreds of times. This bench is our small way of honoring one of the nicest; most unforgettable Little Sisters our fraternity has ever known.

Trish, who is likely looking down upon us from far away skies, will no doubt be smiling, as she always did, and as she always will in our hearts.

To Brother Morgan and his children and extended families, we continue to share your grief and the paths you must now travel without her.

It is with our deepest respect that we recognize this amazingly charming woman from our fraternal history with this memorial. This bench now becomes hallowed ground for our Fraternity. And may it be so forever.

Letter from the President (Continued)

Honoring “Trish” (Continued)

Alumni Weekend

Dates: Friday 2/27 - Sunday 3/1 Place: Radford University Friday February 27th • Social at Gingerbread

house 7 p.m. Saturday February 28th • Polar Plunge

o Check In for Plungers: 10 – 11 a.m.

o Plunge at 11:30 a.m.

• Tailgate at Gingerbread: 1 – 4 p.m.

• RU Men’s Basketball vs. Gardner- Webb: 4 p.m.

• Social at Grove House: 9:30 p.m.

Sunday March 1st • Breakfast at River City

Grill: 10 a.m. • Chapter at 1p.m.

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Chapter Initiation Mu Hexaton has its first Little bro! The chapter was asked to initiate the Beta Octaton Chapter at UNC Charlotte and accepted. The initiation team practiced the ritual weekly and then daily leading up to the event. That preparation paid off! With the entire ritual memorized Beta Octaton’s initiation went as close to perfect as could be.

Pi Class Initiation At the end of this past semester Mu Hexaton initiated three new members of the Pi Class, bringing our chapter roster up to 28 going into the Spring. The newest Initiates are: Jacob Holland, Nicholas Horn, and Tony Torres. The icing on the cake was the Pi class GPA. At 2.75 the they beat the RU All Men’s Average which stands at 2.7. We look forward to their continued success over the coming years!

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PI Class Members

Name: Jacob Mitchell Holland Hometown: Glasgow, VA Major: Recreation, Parks and Tourism Minor: Management Name: Nicholas Horn Hometown: Warrenton, VA Major: Finance Name: Tony Torres Hometown: Culpeper, VA Major: Biology & Pre-Health

News and Updates (Continued)


Scholarship Endowment Fund

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funds, tend to earn more than 4% a year in capital gains. A general benchmark for pension funds is 6.5% gain per year. And the S&P 500 average return per year, including dividends, is 9.8%. Using a 6.5% annual gain, after expenses, as a conservative benchmark would project our fund to grow by 2.5% a year. To give some perspective, Mu Hexaton is fast approaching its 40th year. If started tomorrow here’s how our fund would mature over the next 40 years:

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A small group of Mu Hexaton alumni is researching and planning a fundraising campaign for an endowed undergraduate scholarship. If you have any background in sales, marketing, or business development please contact Charlie Ashley e: [email protected] p: 703-501-7377. An endowed scholarship is a gift that keeps on giving. Once established the principle donation is meant to live on in perpetuity through investments managed by a brokerage. Distributions are made from the dividends and gains of those investments. Radford’s policy is to disburse 4% of a fund as long as the amount disbursed does not take from the original donation. An endowed scholarship at RU requires a minimum gift of $25,000 raised over a maximum of 5 years to become real. A gift of this size allows for $1000 scholarship each year, every year, as long as Radford University is in existence. (Cue Billy Mays) But wait there’s more! Even conservatively allocated funds, such as endowments and pension

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2013 (S&P 500 +32.4%). Big picture, investments average out. Big picture, investments pay out. I know $25,000 seems like a lot and it is, but there are 5 years, from when we decide to start the fund, to raise the capital. This gives us a lot of time. Also the 28 undergraduate brothers currently pay $380 per semester just in dues. Imagine the potential we have as a league of over 400 Mu Hexaton Alumni. This gives us a lot of resources.

Again, if you are interested, would like more information, or would like to help and have a background in sales, marketing, or business development please contact Charlie Ashley e: [email protected] p: 703-501-7377.

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This table also assumes no additional donations. Any continued contributions would boost the principal and future scholarships. Now there will be some bad years in the market like in 2008 (S&P 500 -37%), but there will also be great years like 2009(S&P 500 +26.5%) and

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Mu Hexaton Virginia Beach Reunion

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The reunion was a huge success because of the efforts of Shawn Fischer. Shawn sent tons of emails, made reservations, managed all the financials, and I’m sure handled much more behind the scenes. Mu Hexaton owes Shawn a big thank you for all his efforts! The torch has been passed to brother Mike Kopp to plan the next get together, tentatively set to be in Northern VA, tbd.

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This past September saw a fantastic reunion in Virginia Beach for Mu Hexaton. Around 60 brothers, including undergraduates, 7 little sisters and sweethearts, and 35 spouses and guests were in attendance. The weekend started with a happy hour and bar crawl along with one or a few… shots of Bourbon. But Saturday was the main event with a formal dinner and an outstanding performance from The Boneshakers.

Have any updates you’d like to share, such as an engagement, birth in the family, retirement, or start a new job? Let us know! Send any updates to [email protected] to be included in the next newsletter.

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Thank you to all of those who made this Newsletter possible:

Charlie Ashley - Writer & Editor Kerith Rae - Designer & Editor Wayne Slusher - Honoring Patricia “Trish” Ann McGrath Morgan

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Shawn Fischer - Mu Hexaton Virginia Beach Reunion E.J. Poell - Chapter News Bryan Behan - Chapter News Kyle Winfield - Chapter News Dylan Matz - Chapter News

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2015 02 05 newsletter