Alumni Board
April 1, 2012 Meeting Minutes
Location: 810 Sports Zone, Kansas City
Attending: Adam Andreoli, BK 1445; Carson Andreoli, BK 1493; Mike Finnegan, BK 1342; Steve Goble, BK 1008; Wes Marfield, BK 1497; Alex Medina, BK 1435; Tyler Morrison, BK 1500; Mike Motycka, BK 1405; Mikey Needleman, BK 1503; Jason Owen, BK 1429; Brent Parker, BK 1482; Henry Specht, BK 1567; Justin Thomas, BK 1369 and Monica Strathman, House Mother
Henry Specht opened the meeting by thanking everyone for coming and said that the meeting is intended to be informal with the primary focus of reconnecting with one another and the chapter. Beginning with Henry, each member introduced himself by stating his name, pin number, the time period at Sigma Nu and a brief summary of current activities.
Mike Finnegan asked the group to split into smaller groups to answer and discuss two questions: 1) what experiences during your time at Sigma Nu were positive towards your personal development? and 2) during your time at Sigma what do you wish was changed or different? The group reconvened and one member from each group provided a brief synopsis of the conversation. Two themes emerged: the leadership opportunities available at Sigma Nu are a critical component to the development of the active members and in general, there has consistently been a disconnect between the alumni and active members and those around the table would like to see that change. To that end, a sign-in sheet was passed around that requested contact information as well as positions held while at Sigma Nu so Mike can make a connection between alumni who previously held a specific position with the active member currently holding the position.
Monica reported that Mom's Weekend on March 31 was very successful. Each mother brought an item for the live auction which raised almost $8,000 for the Parents' Club. Last year, the Parents' Club purchased new furniture for the living room, snacks for final's week, subsidized the cost of the chartered bus the chapter hired to transport 30 active members to Tulsa, Oklahoma to attend the funeral of Jim Treece, father to active members Bobby Treece, BK 1609 and Adam Treece, BK 1633 and funded scholarships to all the active members earning a 4.0 GPA for the Spring and Fall 2011 semesters.
A draft copy of the Spring, 2012 Beta Kaptions newsletter was distributed. It was suggested that with today's technology, the chapter should consider an electronic version which sparked a conversation about incomplete contact information for alumni. Monica reported at present, we have the email addresses for approximately 300 alumni which represents about one-third of the total alumni list provided by the KSU Alumni Association. Furthermore, electronic versions are less costly and have less of an impact on the environment. Those present agreed to contact other alum from their respective time periods to assist in gathering contact information including email addresses.
Henry reported that the chapter recently established the Sigma Nu Excellence Fund with the KSU Foundation and announced that Kay Ballard made a $20,000 contribution to the fund in honor of her father, Gerald "Jerry" Patrick, BK 533, who passed away in October, 2011. At $25,000 the fund can be endowed so it can draw interest revenue but the chapter's goal is to raise an additional $20,000 to match Kay's contribution.
Henry reminded the group that in May, 2013, the Beta Kappa chapter will be celebrating its centennial anniversary. The chapter would like to host a grand celebration to commemorate the occasion and the take advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with alumni.
Mike Motycka agreed to host the next meeting in the Fall.
Meeting adjourned.
January 21, 2012 Meeting Minutes
Location: Manhattan, KS
Attending: Alex Beemer, BK 1613; Bart Eck, BK 1556; Dominic Francia, BK 1574; Ned Godsey, BK 1597; Tyler Maddox, BK 1615; Mike Finnegan, BK 1342; Chris Meyers, BK 1589; Tommy Pledge, BK 1611; Ben Post, 1576; Henry Specht, BK 1567 and Monica Strathman, House Mother
Chapter Adviser, Mike Finnegan, opened the meeting with the announcement of a $20,000 contribution to the Sigma Nu Excellence Fund from the family of Gerald "Jerry" Patrick, BK 533, who passed away in October, 2011. Brother Patrick was an active member in late 1940's. His daughter, Kay Ballard, saw in the Fall 2011 newsletter that the chapter had recently established the fund with the KSU Foundation and decided to make the donation in memory of her father.
The group developed the criteria and application for the recruitment scholarship which will provide two $500 scholarships to incoming freshman for the Fall 2012 semester at Kansas State University.
A brainstorming session resulted in a list of discussion items for future meetings:
- Upperclassmen involvement
- Enhancement recruitment efforts
- Better communication with Housing Corporation
- Culture shift
- Alumni involvement
- Officer accountability
- Officer transitions (retention of knowledge)
The House Mother, Monica Strathman, requested a review of her position description to determine whether it fits the current needs of the chapter and feedback regarding her performance. After some discussion, it was decided that the role of the House Mother should be tailored to maximize the University knowledge and experience Monica has gained from her 22-year employment at Kansas State. Therefore, in addition to the traditional role of hostess and homemaker, Monica will continue to assist with alumni communications and utilizing University resources such as the KSU Foundation and the Alumni Association, to make connections with University programs such as HandsOn Kansas State for community service opportunities, and to work with the Parents' Club to provide support to the men of Sigma Nu.
Mike Finnegan proposed that the Alumni Board, open to all Beta Kappa alumni, meet four times per year--two in the Spring and two in the Fall. The group agreed. Furthermore, Mike suggested that at least one meeting per year be held in the Kansas City area given the significant number of alumni located there. Henry Specht agreed to host the next meeting scheduled for April 1, 2012 at 810 Sports Zone in Kansas City.
Meeting adjourned.