Gamma Alpha Wins Annual Ice Competition

The winning ice sculpture

Gamma Alpha chapter at Michigan Technological University has once again won the school’s annual ice sculpture competition.

Photo via mtu.edu

This is their third time winning in the past four years, but the chapter has been sweeping the competition for decades. This year’s theme was “Discover What Shines from Prehistoric Times” and the Phi Tau’s statue was called “Dongson Fishing Village.”

These elaborate sculptures, on display for an entire month, are part of an annual winter festival tradition on Michigan Tech’s campus. Second place in the overall division went to Tau Kappa Epsilon for “Stone Age” and third to Alpha Gamma Delta for “Wooly Mammoth Surrounded by Saber Tooth Tigers.”

We look forward to seeing your work next year, Go Far!

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Photo submitted by Ryan Heetderks, Michigan Tech ’16.

A Trip to Flying Horse Farms

Leaders Regional Conference is held at beautiful Flying Horse Farms, a SeriousFun camp north of Columbus, Ohio. Flying Horse Farms was opened in 2010 and is home to 22 buildings, including the picturesque “Big Red Barn,” cabins, archery ranges, and two lakes, all housed on 200 wooded acres.  

Regional Conferences are a one-day leadership development and officer training program offered across our nine geographic regions. Each Regional Conference offers three distinctive tracks with their own goals and objectives; Recruitment, Leadership, & Prevention. These tracks are designed so brothers can approach problems in their chapter with candor and develop real-world solutions to return with a plan for improvement and growth. Regional Conferences target officers for Recruitment and Prevention, but are made special because all are invited to attend Leadership track to work on their skills and network with other brothers.  

 For Leaders, chapters from Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan are expected to attend. In total this ended up including 44 brothers, representing 9 chapters.  

Some of the Recruitment participants

A few participants in Prevention

 After the introductory session, participants break into their tracks and start by playing ice-breaker games within their small groups, before diving into the material. The Recruitment track was the largest. They worked on skills like selling Phi Tau as a lifelong experience and best-practice tactics for recruitment on campus. They discussed what strategies work best for their chapter and what challenges the groups face.  

At the Leadership track, participants worked on assessing chapter brothers’ strengths and weaknesses and how to use those strengths to benefit the chapter. They practiced delegation by playing “To Delegate or Not to Delegate” and discussed time management and effective communication. The Prevention track focused on mental health, the fastest growing area of university life, and the best way to provide support for chapter brothers. They held discussions on what it means to be a “Fraternal Gentlemen” in 2020 and how to create a proactive environment for good mental health and its expression, as well as positive ways to place expectations and boundaries.  

Simultaneous to Leaders was the West Coast regional conference at University of Southern California in Los Angeles, with 58 attendees reporting from 9 chapters in California and Arizona. Remaining Regional Conferences this year are Bluegrass (Kentucky, Tennessee) and Southeast (North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida) on February 15th, as well as Heartland (Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Wisconsin) and New England (New York, Massachusetts) to close the program on February 22nd. 

Bradley Alumnus Named President of GLMA

Scott Nass, Bradley ’93, has been elected President of GLMA, Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality.

Nass, MD, MPA, FAAFP, AAHIVS, was welcomed among the new Board Officers at the 37th GLMA Annual Conference in New Orleans last fall. Nass is the first family practice physician in nearly two decades to serve as GLMA President. He’s based in Palm Springs, where he also serves as Program Director for the Eisenhower Health Family Medicine Residency Program. Nass has been a recipient of the Senior Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity by the Atlantic Institute and Member of the Month by the California Academy of Family Physicians, as well as a Front-Line Scholar with TEDMED and a Southern California Super Doctor Rising Star.

GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality, previously known as the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association, is the largest and oldest association of LGBTQ healthcare professionals in the world. It was founded in 1981 with the mission of ensuring equality in healthcare for LGBT individuals and healthcare professionals. 

Congratulations, Dr. Nass, on this huge accomplishment!

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National Organ Donor Day

Ferri as USC

February 14th, the day of love, is also recognized as National Organ Donor Day. National Organ Donor Day draws attention to five different types of donation – organs, tissue, marrow, platelets, and blood. Approximately every two seconds, there is someone in the United States who needs blood. This translates to 41,000 daily donations.

There are an estimated 114,000 on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ, and one of them is Phi Tau’s Gerard Ferri, Southern California ’76. Ferri has been involved with the broadcasting world for over 30 years. He is the founder of Safe and Secure TV channel, an internet broadcast channel, and the owner of Peak Performance Properties (P3), a company that specializes in intellectual training to improve focus.

Ferri has been on the waiting list for several years and is now in late-stage kidney failure. According to the American Transplant Foundation, 20 people die on average every day waiting for organs. About 6,000 living donations occur each year and one-in-four donors are not biologically related to the recipient.

Phi Tau places one of its core beliefs around being a good and loyal citizen. Consider today singing up to be an organ donor or give blood. Your small contribution will go far in the lives of many. 

To find out more about Gerard Ferri’s quest and to see if you can be of assistance, email him here.

Chris Elser Nominated to Muhlenberg Athletics Hall of Fame

Chris Elser, Muhlenberg ’87, has been nominated to the Muhlenberg College Athletics Hall of Fame.

Elser 1989

Elser, a three-year starting quarterback on the football team, compiled a 21-9 record for the school to a share of the 1986 CC championship. At the time of his graduation he held records for completions (383), yards (4,549), and passing touchdowns (42) in a career as well as yards (1899) and passing touchdowns (19) in a season. Elser was a co-captain of the 1988 team and earned All-CC honors in two of his three years as a starter, including first-team laurels as a senior.

The induction ceremony will take place in April.  

Go Far!

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Phi Tau Seeking National Council Nominations

From Wm. Tim Hudson, Chief Executive Officer:

 PHI KAPPA TAU NOMINATING COMMITTEE SEEKS APPLICANTS

The Phi Kappa Tau Constitution mandates that, every two years, the Fraternity assemble in National Convention to elect brothers to the National Council. The National Council serves as Phi Kappa Tau’s legislative body when Convention is not in session.

The Nominating Committee anticipates that Phi Kappa Tau will elect a national vice president and two national councilors at the 64th National Convention, in Fort Worth, TX from July 15-18, 2020.

The national vice president will hold office for two years and, at the 65th National Convention (2022), will succeed to the office of national president for a two-year term, following a vote of confidence by the National Council. The national councilors will hold office for six years.

Any alumni member in good standing may be nominated for election. The nominating committee will receive and review nominations/applications until the deadline of April 15, 2020.

Alumni interested in serving on the National Council can find information about the candidacy process and online application here. Members wishing to submit names for consideration should be emailed to nomination@phikappatau.org for follow up.

ABOUT

Founded in 1906 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Phi Kappa Tau is a national fraternity that develops men of character into men of distinction. Phi Kappa Tau includes 86 chapters and 9 colonies with more than 4,500 undergraduates in the United States, and has served more than 100,000 initiates throughout the past 113 years.

The mission of Phi Kappa Tau is to champion a lifelong commitment to brotherhood, learning, ethical leadership and exemplary character.

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Phi Tau Welcomes 100,000th Member

Travis Gerbert, Texas State ‘20, become our 100,000th member over the weekend

Phi Kappa Tau is pleased to welcome our 100,000th brother to the Fraternity. Initiated over the weekend at Texas State University-San Marcos, Gamma Psi chapter, Travis Gerbert is officially our 100,000th member.

Travis (left in the gray t-shirt) and his Gamma Psi chapter brothers

William Lee Hidy, Miami ’53, and his father, Frank Hidy, Miami ‘25

Travis is a sophomore at Texas State majoring in Marketing, and shares that he was drawn to Phi Tau by the brotherly environment from the chapter, along with its determination to represent a good fraternity. “The idea that 100,000 men came before me in this process is mind blowing and the pride that I feel is beyond measurable,” he said. “Coming from a smaller chapter in Texas, it’s pretty special to carry this distinction. In my future with Phi Tau I’m looking forward to holding other positions within my chapter and experiencing its growth.”

This moment has been highly anticipated. Phi Tau began tracking major initiation markers at the French Lick, Indiana, National Convention in 1953 when William Lee Hidy, Miami ’53, became the 20,000th member. William Lee Hidy was a legacy and his father, Frank Hidy, Miami 25, was initiated some thirty-years earlier at badge number 2,774, demonstrating exponential growth in 3 decades.

The next major initiation came six years later when Toward Wells, Penn State ’59, became the 25,000th initiation (See excerpt from the spring 1959 Laurel below).

By the time Robert Cowan, Kentucky ’79, initiated, our membership had doubled in size to 50,000 men. On November 11th, 1996, Michael Revis, Washington State ’96, became the most recent major initiation at 75,000.

To put these numbers in perspective, between 1996 to 2020, Phi Tau has initiated more members than we did our first 47 years of existence. More than half of our members have been initiated since 1979 - just 41 years of our soon-to-be 114 years of history. This reminds us that in many ways, we are still a young organization, and the best is yet to come.

Go Far!

Cornell Alumnus Named to Inc.'s "Most Important Entrepreneurs of the Decade"

Osborne (right) with Red Antler co-founders Simon Endres and Emily Heyward

JB Osborne, Cornell ’01, has been named to Inc.’s list of “Most Important Entrepreneurs of the Past Decade.”

Osborne is the CEO of Red Antler, a Brooklyn-based marketing firm he co-founded with Emily Heyward and Simon Endres in 2007. Osborne graduated Cornell Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in business and spent several years in the marketing industry before starting Red Antler. Today, he works with clients on branding, user experience, and business strategy.

Just below Elon Musk, the Inc. article describes Osborne’s accomplishments and company as follows:

The agency is arguably the nation's most sought-after and respected brand-builder, crafting clients' identities virtually from scratch: logos, packaging, industrial design, advertising, digital experiences, and even naming. Venture capitalists point their portfolio companies in Red Antler's direction; and many of the decade's starriest direct-to-consumer brands were born in its Brooklyn offices.

Red Antler certainly has an impressive portfolio, including mattress company Casper, lifestyle company Brandless, and the eco-friendly footwear line Allbirds. According to Inc.:

Heyward, Osborne, and Endres were behind Casper's positioning as a lifestyle brand for the well-rested, which helped drive that startup's early success. The team also gave Brandless its signature generics-reimagined labeling system. And Allbirds owes virtually its entire brand identity to Red Antler, including its name, its comfort-meets-curiosity messaging, and its now iconic shoebox-cum-mailer packages.

Red Antler is a versatile company, and among many options on their website, services include research, strategy, brand identity, creative production, and advertising. Via their website, the company communicates its own minimalist-powerhouse identity and purpose statement:

We're helping to build and reimagine businesses and to launch them into the loving (and very discerning) arms of consumers everywhere. We set off in 2007 with a mission to build brands that shift categories and add value to people's lives. It's quite magical.

As of 2018, Osborne is also on the Board of Directors for Bed Bath & Beyond. 

Go Far!

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Presidents Academy & Volunteer Development Institute 2020

A group photo of Presidents Academy participants and facilitators

Held at the site of our upcoming National Convention in July, the Hilton Fort Worth is a historic landmark situated in the city’s downtown. The site of President John F. Kennedy’s final night, it’s also where JFK gave his last public speech in the hotel’s Crystal Ballroom the morning of November 22nd. Today, there is a sculpture of the President just outside the front doors, along with the inscription, “There are no faint hearts in Fort Worth.”  

Formal installation of presidents

With an obligation to others in mind and the proximity to historic leadership, a delegation of 70 Phi Tau chapter presidents made their way to the historic Hilton to attend the first educational program of the year – Presidents Academy. For three days, our President-elects engaged with facilitators in small and large groups to discuss ways they can change their chapters for the better and how to create meaningful campus collaborations. They created action plans to improve their Borradaile Challenge metrics, improve recruitment efforts and SeriousFun involvement, and engaged in difficult conversations regarding risk management. By the end of the program, participants were formally installed as chapter presidents by National Vice President Dale Holland, Kent State ‘87.  

Alex Thompkins, Columbus State ‘17 (left)

“I enjoyed Presidents Academy because it got me motivated for this semester, and I think I can bring back something very valuable to my guys. I’m ready to get this started,” said Alex Thompkins, Columbus State ’17, President of our newest chapter, Zeta Rho at Columbus State University. Jordan Tran, Middle Tennessee ’18, commented on the applicability of some of the first-hand skills participants practice, “I learned how to lead the guys in the right direction and lots of useful information like learning how to use ChapterSpot and networking with other organizations on campus.”  

Jordan Tran, Middle Tennessee ‘18 (left)

Presidents Academy is a crucial step in the transition of chapter presidencies. It helps the new President find their own unique leadership style, identify problems in their chapter and map out ways to improve them, and facilitate connections between students by introducing them to brothers from around the country. Without a doubt, one of the most valuable opportunities of the program is the chance to meet other chapter presidents. Last year, Dallas Taylor, Southern Mississippi ’16, testified to this. “A lot of people don’t get the chance to go outside of their chapter and see things other chapters have, so when you go to these National Programs you get to meet people from other chapters that have dealt with similar issues but handled them differently. Because of that, you can learn what works best from them and take it back to your own chapter,” he said. This year, brothers gathered again from all nine Phi Tau domains to meet, discuss their chapters strengths and shortcomings, and bond over the unique challenges and opportunities of being a chapter president.  

Simultaneous to Presidents Academy, Volunteer Development Institute (VDI) is held in conjunction with Presidents Academy each year. VDI is our only educational program curated entirely to the needs of alumni. It’s is designed for those directly involved in chapter advising; it helps them discover new and innovative ways to communicate with today’s college students, keeps them up-to-date on Phi Tau policies and procedures, and ensures they are prepared and confident to meet the needs of the chapter in whatever capacity may arise. 

By the end of the program, the objectives of VDI, among other items, include:  

VDI participant and facilitator group photo

• The ability to demonstrate comprehension of the role and responsibilities of volunteers within the structure of the Fraternity  

• The ability to identify three core responsibilities of a Phi Kappa Tau volunteer  

• The ability to model effective methods of advising collegiate men  

• The ability to facilitate an educational program 

• Demonstrated knowledge of Risk Management Policy  

Facilitator Stephen Rupprecht, Oswego State '91

 This year, 17 alumni representing 12 chapters took time out of their busy lives to travel to Texas to ensure they’re prepared to be the best advisors they can to the next generation of Phi Taus. We are very grateful to have alumni who so focused on building the Fraternity’s future.  

Thank you to our National Education Advisor and facilitators as well as our participants. These programs cannot run without the help of engaged volunteers and we are lucky to have so many willing to dedicate a weekend to Phi Tau!  

We trust that our newest Chapter Presidents return to their schools prepared to tackle all the challenges that come with the role. We expect you’ll make us proud.  

Our educational programs continue this month and into February with Regional Conferences, beginning January 25 with the Pacific Northwest region. Find dates and locations here.  

Want to share your story with us? Submit news here.  

These presidents met last summer at Leadership Academy and paused for a group photo last weekend

A breakout group poses for a photo

Bethany Alumnus Debuts Film

Last September, Bethany College alumnus Cody Knotts’s, Bethany ’87, film Kecksburg debuted at the State Theater in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

Cody Knotts and wife Emily Lapisardi, alongside leads Szonja Oroszlan and Scott Cooper

This film, produced, written, and directed by Knotts, revolves around the Kecksburg UFO incident – a scandal in 1965 where residents of Kecksburg, 30 miles south of Pittsburg, spotted a burning fireball in the sky. Reported by NASA as debris of a Soviet Satellite, the Kecksburg incident has remained a popular conspiracy of alien invasion government cover-up.

Thomas Kurt Fuchel, Cincinnati ’71, as Pennsylvania Governor Edward Martin

This film was very much a show of Phi Tau brotherhood. It stared Thomas Kurt Fuchel, Cincinnati ’71, as Pennsylvania Governor Edward Martin and George Manahan, Bethany ’80, worked as Associate Producer. The final credits included a tribute to the late Todd Jones, Bethany ’81, and a thank-you to Phi Kappa Tau and the Phi chapter.

Among those in attendance of the sold-out premier were Ken Ohrman, Bethany ’84, JP Silk, Bethany ’84, Scott Wilcox, Bethany ’87, Edward Arose, Bethany ’94 and family, and Barry Gaetano, Bethany ’81. “The film was made possible because of the brothers of Phi Kappa Tau,” said Knotts. See below for photos.

Kecksburg poster

This film also stared actress Szonja Oroszlan (The Martin), Scott Cooper, (Maze Runner), Maria Olsen (Percy Jackson), and Richard John Walters (My Bloody Valentine 3D) as President Lyndon B. Johnson. Knotts’ wife, Emily Lapisardi, plays Lady Bird Johnson. Knotts also makes a cameo in the film.

Kecksburg will have a general release in March, then a limited theatrical and DVD/Blue Ray release. You can find more information on the film’s IMDb page or the Kecksburg website.

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A still from the film

Phi alumni left to right: Ken Ohrman, Bethany ’84, JP Silk, Bethany ’84, Cody Knotts, Bethany ‘87, Scott Wilcox, Bethany ’87,

Edward Arose, Bethany ‘94, and family