John Green Enters Chapter Eternal

John Green at the 63rd National Convention in Cleveland (2018)

By Charlie Ball, Miami ‘82

28 July 2020: Oxford, Ohio - John M. Green, Nebraska Wesleyan ’60, a member of the Phi Kappa Tau Hall of Fame, entered chapter eternal on July 26, 2020 from injuries sustained in a fall. During his sixty years of membership in Phi Kappa Tau, John Green became one its most outstanding leaders and held nearly every important volunteer and staff leadership role in the fraternity. “Our fraternity has truly lost one of our icons. He will be missed but long remembered” said National President Bill Brasch, Louisville ‘67

John in his office at Phi Tau (1990s)

Born February 10, 1942 in McCook, Nebraska, John was an outstanding student leader at Wauneta High School before entering Nebraska Wesleyan University in the fall of 1959, where he pledged the Upsilon Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau along with Tom Cunningham, Nebraska Wesleyan ‘60. They both would go on to significantly impact the Fraternity throughout the rest of their lives. 

After a stint in the Navy, which began a long and distinguished career in the U. S. Navy Reserve, it was Tom Cunningham who suggested that John get involved in the national fraternity. He famously attended the 1966 National Convention at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island on his honeymoon with his new bride, Joan, a graduate of Drake University where she had been president of her Delta Gamma chapter. By 1968, John was a Domain Director and in 1970, he was elected to the National Council. In 1979, John was elected Vice President to National President Tom Cunningham, the first and only time in our history where members of the same pledge class served together as President and Vice President. John was installed as president at the Diamond Jubilee Convention in 1981, completing fifteen years on the National Council in 1985. During his time on the council, the fraternity went from some of the most challenging times in our history to the completion of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation’s record-setting capital campaign, which had been conceived by John and a small group of fraternity leaders.

John at Boggy Creek, a SeriousFun Camp in FL

When the Fraternity Executive Director job came open in 1987, John became a candidate and when offered the job, decided to leave a long career in banking and the presidency of his family bank in Nebraska and move his family to Oxford, Ohio. He often said that the “job seeks the man” and when asked to take on a challenge he considered it. John took on Phi Tau’s top staff position with gusto and is particularly remembered for the innovative educational programs developed during that time including a national Leadership Academy, begun in 1988 and TEAM Discovery weekends. He was also instrumental in establishing the SeriousFun Childrens Network (a group of camps for seriously ill children) as Phi Kappa Tau’s national philanthropy. John showed real leadership not only in Phi Tau but among our peer Greek organizations as an outspoken opponent of hazing and substance abuse and was at the forefront of developing the risk management policies and insurance programs that have been critical to the Greek world.

John left the fraternity staff for the opportunity to work with one of his other life-long passions, golf, in 1998. He had become an investor in the start-up Indian Ridge golf course in Oxford and took on a new challenge of running the course. But when the opportunity came to return to the staff of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation as executive director in 2001, he accepted the challenge and threw himself all in, providing staff leadership to a second successful capital campaign for the Foundation. Retiring for good from the staff in 2007, he remained active on the Foundation board, serving several terms through 2018.

John at the John M. Green Classic in 2019. National Councilor Bob Ragsdale, Georgia ‘66, shared: “After Conclave, the golf outing was highlighted by Brother Green sinking a 40 eagle putt on the 9th hole. Chapter Eternal will welcome him and hand him a golf club.”

Left to right: John’s son, Matt Green, Bob Ragsdale, Georgia ‘66, Rob Reese, Kent State ‘87, John, and Tim Hudson, Truman State ‘97

For more than half a century, John Green served in a leadership role in Phi Kappa Tau. He made countless friends and mentored an incalculable number of young men along the way who all consider themselves better for having known John. “A dear friend and mentor, John shaped the lives of so many young men. Our Fraternity, and indeed our world, is better for the impact he made” said Foundation Chairman, Wes Fugate, Centre ‘99.

And for all of his passion for Phi Kappa Tau, John was far from one-dimensional. He was a devoted family man, leaving his wife Joan, his son Matt and daughter Lee Anne and their families to carry on his legacy. And along with his family and his fraternity, he loved his community. He was a former president of the Oxford Rotary Club and was its Rotarian of the Year and he headed the boards of Maple Knolls of Cincinnati and the Knolls of Oxford retirement community where John and Joan made their home in recent years and hosted several Phi Tau alumni events.

Receiving the NIC Silver Medal at Conclave (2019), pictured with Jud Horras, NIC President & CEO

He was recognized for his contributions to Phi Tau with the Palm Award and as an inaugural member of the Hall of Fame, among many others. The John M. Green Golf Classic to raise funds for SeriousFun Children’s Network was begun in his honor in 2013. He was recognized for his contributions to the interfraternal community with the North American Interfraternity Conference Silver Medal in 2019, the first Phi Tau to receive this award.  “Beyond all of his many accomplishments, John stood at the ready to be a sounding board of immense wisdom, measured and fair in delivering necessary criticism, and always made the effort to be uplifting.” says Phi Kappa Tau CEO, Tim Hudson, Truman State ‘97.  “His steady guiding voice and friendship will be deeply missed.”

John practicing with the Phi Tau Warblers (2018)

While John leaves a legacy of family, business, military, and community achievement, he will be remembered for his boundless energy, his good humor, his unwavering belief in the basic goodness of people and for living by his often-repeated creed: “Do the right thing, because it’s the right thing to do.”

 John’s obituary can be read here. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to one of his preferred organizations - Hospice of Cincinnati, the McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital of Oxford, or the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation. Gifts can be made to the John M. Green Memorial Scholarship Fund here.

Ray Bichimer, Ohio State ‘53, John, Jack Anson, Colgate ‘47, and John Meyerhoff, Colgate ‘61, as John presented the Clinton D. Boyd Award for Interfraternal Excellence (renamed the William D. Jenkins Interfraternity Excellence Award) to Anson

Our Most Outstanding Chapter, Delta Tau!

 The winner of the 2020 Roland Maxwell Trophy for an Outstanding Chapter is Delta Tau at Cal Poly-Pomona!

Last Tuesday, four members of the chapter presented to a panel of judges for the award – Konstantinos Lembesis, Cal Poly-Pomona ’18 (President 2019), Antoine Boado, Cal Poly-Pomona ‘18 (Vice President 2019), Joshua Hernandez, Cal Poly-Pomona ‘18 (Vice President of Alumni Relations 2019), and Steve Issakhanian, Cal Poly-Pomona ‘19 (Secretary 2019, President 2020)

“Here at the Delta Tau chapter, we build men into leaders who make a positive impact to those around them,” they said.

 Delta Tau begins building a strong chapter with recruitment. “We look for outstanding individuals and nothing less,” they said in their Maxwell presentation. By only recruiting men who demonstrate a strong desire to become men of exemplary character, the chapter is built entirely of men committed to the values of Phi Kappa Tau.

 Delta Tau prides itself on a lifelong commitment to Brotherhood. Within the chapter, they build friendships made to last through big events like trips to the mountains or beach, as well as events closer to campus like brotherhood events and little gestures, like making sure to celebrate everyone’s birthday. They host all-chapter retreats as well, which provide a rare opportunity for brothers to come together free of distraction and create a stronger bond.

 This lifelong commitment to brotherhood goes hand in hand with a strong alumni outreach program. Alumni are invited to many events throughout the year, especially the annual Founders Day celebration. When the chapter celebrated its 62nd anniversary this past year, over 150 alumni and their families were in attendance, many of whom gave donations to the scholarship fund.

 The undergraduate brothers foster personal relationships with alumni by texting or calling them individually and they maintain an active social media presence to keep all members informed. The biannual newsletter, The Kellogg Spirit, covers everything from chapter events, to trips, to weddings, to promotions.

 At Cal Poly-Pomona, Delta Tau is the most diverse fraternity on campus both in ethnic backgrounds and fields of study. Every brother’s unique identity provides an opportunity for the brothers to learn and grow, and the variety of majors provides a chance for the chapter to help each other out with schoolwork. “What makes our Fraternity experience great beyond the Borradaile Challenge is our amazing sense of brotherhood, our respected chapter house, and our diversity,” they said. Unusual for a Fraternity house, the Delta Tau chapter house is completely paid off, which allows rent to be affordable and for the housing corporation to work on repairs and improvements every year.

The chapter places an emphasis on identifying personal strengths and focusing on individual growth and improvement. They encourage brothers to pursue their goals and challenge them to achieve bigger and better things. Part of this is encouraging brothers to take on leadership roles with the Executive Board and across campus. The chapter represents 15 different clubs and organizations at Cal Poly-Pomona. One of the most prominent areas of which is IFC, where Delta Tau holds six of the 14 leadership positions. By graduation of this year, 15% of brothers had professional internships and 80% had jobs secured. “Ethical leaderships begins in our board and stems out to our campus involvement and careers,” they said.

Delta Tau takes their ethical leadership seriously. In the past year, four brothers were full-time staffers at The Painted Turtle, the local SeriousFun camp, in addition to the chapter’s volunteers every summer. Their “Red and Gold Week” event raised over $6,000 for SeriousFun camps, a five-day event with activities to raise money like a car wash, flag football, and table mural paintings.

They also helped five Cal Poly-Pomona Sororities raise over $5,000 for their own philanthropic partnerships, including the Alzheimer’s Association, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Girl Scouts of America.

“The learning never stops in our chapter, as we adapt and overcome any failures we experience,” Delta Tau concluded in their Maxwell presentation. Congratulations to this Most Outstanding chapter on their first Maxwell win! Go Far!

And the Winner Is...

Thank you to all of our brothers who attended the first ever virtual Brotherhood Banquet last night! While we would have normally gathered together at Convention this year, we enjoyed celebrating fellowship, brotherhood, and Fraternity separate, but together! 

Watch the full banquet here:   

We are extremely proud of all the hard work of our award winners and their demonstrated commitment to the ideals and values of Phi Kappa Tau. The following chapters or individuals received awards based on leadership, scholarship, or philanthropy:

The Sonny Strange Recruitment Award –Alpha Lambda, Auburn University

The Outstanding Associate Class Award – Chi chapter, North Carolina State University

Best Associate Member – Jacob Waltermeyer, South Carolina ‘19

Ross E. Roeder Outstanding Board of Governors Award – Beta Chi, University of Southern Illinois

The Jareo Award for Outstanding Chapter-Produced Newsletter – Upsilon at Nebraska Wesleyan University

The Massock Award for most Outstanding Chapter-Hosted Event – Chi at North Carolina State University

Clinton D. Boyd VPAR Award – Will Schiltz, Nebraska Wesleyan ’17

George V. Voinovich Community Service Award – Zeta Epsilon, University of Lynchburg

Paul Newman Award – Beta Beta, University of Louisville

The Fletemeyer Award for an Outstanding Colony – Delta Kappa, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Outstanding Colony Advisor Award – Jeff Rogers, Southern California ’77, advisor to Omega at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Greg Hollen Award for an Outstanding Colony President – Seth Novosel, Southern California ’18

Angelo Award for Most Improved Chapter – Alpha Lambda, Auburn University

Douglass Award for an Outstanding Chapter President - Max Zitek, Nebraska Wesleyan ’16!

Stennis Award for an Outstanding Domain Director – Paul Artis, Illinois Springfield ‘15

Dr. Edgar Ewing Brandon Award for an Outstanding Chapter Advisor - Ralph Cupelli, Truman State ’94

The Jack L. Anson Award for an Undergraduate with Outstanding Fraternal Values – Jacob Severyn, Ohio State ’17!

Outstanding Greek Advisor – Lindsey Denver at Saginaw Valley State

The Moosnick Award for Chapter Scholarship – Alpha Delta, Case Western Reserve

The William H. Shideler Award for Most Outstanding Graduating Senior – Bill Kolpak, Alabama ‘16

Founders Four Chapters - Delta, Centre College, Gamma, Ohio State University, Upsilon, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and Delta Tau, Cal Poly-Pomona

Roland Maxwell Outstanding Chapter Trophy – Delta Tau, Cal Poly–Pomona

The following chapters have received an Academic Excellence Scroll by either achieving a 3.0 cumulative GPA or having a cumulative GPA higher than their all men’s campus average:

• Gamma – Ohio State University

• Delta – Centre College

• Epsilon – Mount Union

• Zeta – Illinois

• Theta – Transylvania

• Lambda – Purdue

• Nu – Berkeley

• Xi – Franklin & Marshall

• Omicron – Penn State

• Upsilon – Nebraska Wesleyan

• Psi – Colorado

• Alpha Delta – Case Western

• Alpha Kappa – Washington State

• Alpha Pi – Washington

• Alpha Sigma – Colorado State

• Alpha Tau – Cornell

• Alpha Upsilon – Colgate

• Alpha Phi – Akron

• Alpha Chi – Mississippi State

• Beta Kappa – Oklahoma State

• Beta Mu – Kent State

• Beta Xi – Georgia

• Beta Omicron – Maryland

• Beta Phi – Westminster

• Gamma Alpha – Michigan Tech

• Gamma Mu – Bradley

• Gamma Xi – East Central

• Delta Beta – Evansville

• Delta Gamma – Ole Miss

• Delta Kappa – Tennessee

• Delta Lambda – Muskingum

• Delta Rho – Eastern Kentucky

• Delta Chi – Rochester

• Epsilon Kappa – Rutgers

• Epsilon Chi – Virginia Tech

• Zeta Alpha – Belmont

• Zeta Epsilon – Lynchburg

• Zeta Zeta – Illinois-Springfield

• Zeta Eta – Alabama

• Zeta Kappa – Kenyon

• Zeta Xi – South Carolina

• Zeta Omicron – Arizona State

• Zeta Pi – Boston

The Norman W. Brown Philanthropy Award is presented to all chapters whose donations through the year exceed $2,000. The following chapters been awarded the Norman W. Brown Philanthropy Award:

• Beta – Ohio University

• Gamma – Ohio State

• Delta – Centre

• Epsilon – Mount Union 

• Zeta – Illinois

• Kappa – Kentucky

• Upsilon – Nebraska Wesleyan

• Alpha Eta – Florida

• Alpha Lambda – Auburn

• Alpha Tau – Cornell

• Alpha Upsilon – Colgate

• Alpha Chi – Mississippi State

• Beta Alpha – Texas

• Beta Beta – Louisville

• Beta Epsilon – Southern Mississippi

• Beta Lambda – Indiana

• Beta Mu – Kent State

• Beta Xi – Georgia

• Beta Omicron – Maryland

• Gamma Tau – Old Dominion

• Delta Kappa – Tennessee

• Delta Tau – Cal Poly Pomona

• Epsilon Epsilon – William Paterson

• Epsilon Kappa – Rutgers

• Epsilon Sigma – Chapman

• Zeta Epsilon – Lynchburg

• Zeta Kappa – Kenyon

• Zeta Lambda – Middle Tennessee

• Zeta Xi – South Carolina

• Zeta Omicron – Arizona State

• Zeta Rho – Columbus State

The follow chapters received The Recruitment Pacesetter Award, which recognizes chapters that have done an excellent job with recruitment and retention, no matter their campus size:

• Gamma – Ohio State

• Epsilon – Mount Union

• Chi – North Carolina State

• Alpha Lambda – Auburn

• Alpha Upsilon – Colgate

• Beta Xi – Georgia

• Beta Omega – Cal State-Chico

• Epsilon Sigma – Chapman

Congratulations to our many award winners!

Meet Your 2020 Shideler Winner: Bill Kolpak, Alabama ‘16

A native of Chicago, Bill Kolpak, Alabama ’16, joined Phi Tau shortly after arriving in Tuscaloosa. He became active in the chapter immediately.

Bill and his mom, Parents Week 2016

After seeing an opportunity for improved scholarship programming, he ran for Scholarship Chair. He was elected and implemented an aggressive study hours program to encourage members to plan academic development time into their days, while simultaneously developing a recognition program that encouraged all members who went above and beyond in their academic achievement.

Spring of his freshman year, the chapter’s treasurer resigned. Bill was elected and promptly inherited $20,000 in debt to the chapter’s leasing agency, the University of Alabama, and the Executive Offices. “Through rigorous work, planning and budgeting, I navigated the Fraternity’s financial situation to pay off these debts while still operating successfully and recruiting new members,” Kolpak said. This was a huge time commitment and took hours of meetings and phone calls with advisors, the Executive Council, and staff members of the university and Phi Tau. As a freshman, Bill had difficult conversations with the chapter about where they were spending their money and how they were going to budget going forward. “By the time I had served in the role for a year we had achieved a stable financial situation,” he said.

Bill at 2019 Presidents Academy

Following a full term as treasurer, Bill decided to run for president in an effort to improve the fraternity in more ways than financial stability. He won and during his time prioritized developing a strong relationship between the chapter, the university, and the Executive Offices. He invited guest speakers to the chapter house and attended as many National Programs as he could.

Bill also focused on structural long-term success by establishing a standards board, developing a more permanent alumni relations job, and creating a new annual charity that fostered the relationship between chapter brothers and their families during parents weekend. “As Treasurer, I was focused on rectifying problems of the past to ensure survival in the future,” he said, “As President, I worked to establish a structure and relationships so we could grow and achieve new levels of success in the future.”

Bill was active on campus outside of Phi Tau as well. As a member of the Honors College, he served in an organization called Alabama Action for four years. Alabama Action introduces freshman to the Tuscaloosa community through week-long service projects at local schools. Their work includes painting walls, cleaning up gyms, and developing new learning spaces. His senior year he served as Program Director and coordinated 20 different projects across two schools. Bill also served the Alabama International Relations Club in an administrative role for their Model UN conference, where he helped coordinate a massive conference for high school students. A former Model UN participant himself, it was sentimental to give back to a program he enjoyed so much. Additionally, he served on the Alabama Student Government Association as an Associate Justice his senior year, where he helped the university develop and teach the student code of conduct to all students by attending meetings with administrators and teaching classes on conduct code to freshmen. He was also on a judicial panel for students who violated conduct.

Bill graduated this spring, completing his Bachelors of Science in Accounting with a focus in Accounting with a 3.4 GPA and just began a new job in Atlanta.  

In Bill’s essay, he made sure to thank his chapter brothers for their support. “I have worked with so many outstanding Phi Tau men in my chapter who have pushed me to lead, challenged my ideas and supported me in what I have done,” he said. Congratulations to Bill on this huge accomplishment. Go Far!

 Read a transcript of his speech here:

Good evening. Four years ago, I moved from a southwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, to Tuscaloosa Alabama, to begin my college journey. It was late August, fraternity recruitment was coming to an end on campus, and I had no intention of making Greek life a part of my collegiate experience. In English 102, a classmate of mine told me about a recruitment event happening for a fraternity that night. I decided to check it out. It was there that I excitedly accepted my bid and began the amazing experience of brotherhood that the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity has to offer. 

The Zeta Eta Chapter at the University of Alabama was young and full of potential. Chartered in 2014, myself joining in Fall of 2016, it was still struggling to grow on a campus of 100+ member fraternities. While those in charge had taken crucial steps in establishing the chapter at Alabama, it was up to those who were a part of the newer associate member classes to implement the changes that would allow it to grow and find long term success on campus. Over the course of the next four years, myself, along with many of my brothers, would go on to lead the chapter to new heights, while also addressing serious challenges. After half a term as scholarship chairman, I took over as Treasurer for a year and a half to navigate the chapter out of nearly $20,000 in debt to nationals and our leasing agency. Following my time as Treasurer, I served as Chapter President where I, along with my Executive Council, implemented a new standards board, improved our service hours through mandatory chapter events, introduced a guest lecture series to our chapter meetings, created a new room in our chapter house for brotherhood and ritual events, continued a new philanthropy event that brought alumni and new members families together to renew old ties and welcome new associates, and continued the strong budgeting I established as treasurer with two consecutive chapters of meeting all obligations while running a near surplus.  

 When reflecting on my journey I must begin by thanking those who helped me along the way. First off, thank you to those who were with me from the beginning serving on exec with me from my freshmen year. Alex Roberts, Matthew Shumate, Conner Lind and Jackson Reese, were freshmen with me in 2016-2017, and through our united vision we were able to work together through our various exec positions to implement changes from the beginning that were the essential groundwork to get our chapter to where it is today. Additionally, I would like to thank those who served on my cabinet as president and were essential in continuing that work and providing important consul in decision making. This includes Santiago Diaz, Alex East, Brett McCracken and Jay Johnson. All of them played essential roles and still do serve the chapter in its advancement today. Lastly, I would like to thank those outside our chapter who helped out including my two success managers, Jacob Breese and Alex Haller, our chapter advisor James Mixson, the member services coordinator Cecilie McGhehy, and all of the staff of the Office for Fraternity and Sorority Life at the University of Alabama.   

Looking back and comparing where our chapter was to where our chapter is now, the biggest thing that contributed to change was our openness to it. If there was advice I had for my brothers, it would be to use outside resources. People in life have a tendency to be insular. This isn’t just a trait of fraternities or Greek life, we see it in the institutions that govern our universities, our cities, our states and our country. People tend to get comfortable with the way things are, and don’t want to hear outside opinions on how to make improvements. And while things may seem good staying the same, if you’re not seeking continuous improvement, then chances are, you’re headed towards a path of regression. As a freshman, I thought my chapter's weaknesses were its financial position and weak membership numbers. But what I quickly learned was that our weakness was our reluctance to ask for help. It was through being open to advice that we learned new recruiting tactics and developed a stronger budgeting method to address those two problems. By building relationships with those who guided us through these challenges, we were able to not only address them, but strategically plan how to strengthen other areas of our chapter going forward. This outward thinking wasn’t just advice coming from those who offered it, but also those in similar positions. Reaching out to other Phi Tau Presidents, as well as Chapter Presidents at Alabama, helped me get guidance on how to address a variety of issues that I faced during my term. Most importantly, finding ways to pass on those relationships to those who follow allows them to continue to benefit the chapter as whole. So, to sum it up – welcome new ideas, build new relationships, and always have an open mind.  

 Thank you to those on the National Council and the Phi Kappa Tau Awards Committee for this distinguished honor. Congratulations to all my brothers in class of 2020. Thank you, and Roll Tide.  

Auburn Alumnus named Chairman Alabama Bankers Association

Jimmy Stubbs, Auburn ‘82, has become Chairman on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Bankers Association. Stubbs is a Founding Director and the CEO of River Bank & Trust in Prattville, AL.

“Jimmy is a big believer in all things community is and is well-prepared to serve as ABA chairman,” ABA President and CEO Scott Latham said in the press release. “He is a broad thinker, a visionary, and the ideal choice to lead the association through these unprecedented times. We look forward to his leadership and our work together in the coming year.”

Stubbs, who is active in the area, is also a Board Member of the Montgomery Area Committee of 100, the Montgomery Area committee for the Arts, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, and the YMCA of Montgomery Endowment Foundation. He is a member of Leadership Alabama, the Tocqueville Society of the River Region United Way, and the Wetumpka Lions Club.

After graduating Auburn, Stubbs received an executive MBA from Troy University. He also completed the Alabama Banking School at the University of South Alabama, the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University, and the Professional Masters of Banking at the Executive Banking Institute in Austin, TX.

River Bank & Trust was founded in 2006 as a community-focused financial institution that supports local decision making and re-circulates money back into the communities it serves. Today, River Bank & Trust is one of the largest state-chartered banks in Alabama. Go Far!

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Clemson Alumnus Appointed President of MassMutual Advisors Association

Adam Goetz, Clemson ’95, has been appointed President of the MassMutual Advisors Association for a one-year term from 2020-2021.

Goetz is a partner at Burstin & Goetz in Pittsburgh, a chartered life underwriter (CLU), and retirement income certified professional (RICP). He serves as a registered investment advisor (RIA). Goetz has served on MassMutual’s Advisors Association for over a decade, most recently as vice president/treasurer and secretary.

“Now, more than ever, people are looking to MassMutual and their affiliated advisers to provide financial security for their families, protect their businesses and optimize market opportunities,” Goetz said. “It’s an honor to lead an organization that coordinates the efforts of financial professionals who are on the front lines with the company’s clients.” As President, Goetz will advocate for opportunities and issues related to client experience, adviser development, technology, product offerings, and wealth and financial planning strategies.

 Additionally, Goetz serves as board member and past president of the Financial Industries Network and board member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of Risk Management Association. He is a member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. After graduating Clemson, Goetz worked on Phi Kappa Tau’s staff first as a Leadership Consultant and then Director of Chapter Services.  

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Meet Your Founders Four

The following four chapters scored the highest among our Borradaile Challenge metrics, qualifying them to compete for the 2020 Roland Maxwell Trophy for an Outstanding Chapter. Meet your 2020 Founders Four chapters:

Delta Chapter

School: Centre College

City: Danville, KY

Chartered: 1914

GPA: 3.23

Chapter Size: 37

Total Service Hours: 914.75

“We believe that one of the most important parts of developing impressive chapter members is instilling in them an effort to make contributions in a number of meaningful ways, both in and out of the chapter,” Delta wrote on their Maxwell application.

Delta chapter aims to set its members up for success. This past year, they have had brothers go on to attend graduate school at Harvard, MIT, and Duke, they have received Fulbright Scholarships to teach abroad, and many other brothers were employed upon graduation. They hold their brothers to a high standard of involvement; 12 members are NCAA athletes across five different sports, they are involved in the Centre Pride Alliance, student government, Centre Singers, and Centre’s IFC. They are deeply rooted in Centre’s Greek community. In the 2019-2020 academic year, Delta chapter brothers took home awards for Greek Man of the Year, Greek Athlete of the Year, Greek President of the Year, Greek Leader of the Year, and Chapter of Excellence. “We hold our brothers to a high standard academically, in the hopes that they will achieve their potential and thus be truly distinct.”

Delta holds global citizenship and awareness in high regard as well. Over the past year members have travelled to Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, El Salvador, and Finland in the pursuit of scholarship. Their commitment to understanding, also drives them towards philanthropy and a successful lemonade stand event that raised money for SeriousFun Children’s Network.

“We firmly believe that care and compassion are the most important ingredients in developing men of character into Men of Distinction,” they said, “And we hope to continue a legacy of success and brotherhood for generations to come.”

Gamma Chapter

School: Ohio State University 

City: Columbus, OH 

Chartered: 1912

GPA: 3.13

Chapter Size: 69

Total Service Hours: 2,506.5

After winning the Maxwell at Conclave in 2019, Gamma chapter was in a great spot. They were leaders on campus, they had broken records in philanthropy and service, and academics were at an all-time high. But when they returned to campus and asked, “What’s next?” instead of feeling motivated, they were burnt out. “Raising expectations made Phi Tau feel more like a job than a brotherhood. We had erroneously focused on our image rather than trying to develop bonds. We lost sight of why we were in the Fraternity in the first place because we were so focused on winning awards and gathering titles.”

During their Building Men of Character retreat, they changed their focus from winning the Maxwell to building what they believed their Fraternity should be. They focused primarily on their relationships. Now, rather than being total business, chapter meetings incorporate mission-based discussions. They shifted the emphasis of their annual hyper-successful pumpkin sale away from the branding of the chapter and onto how it brought fulfillment to the chapter brothers. This ended up fueling sales, as brothers and non-members ended up at the pumpkin sale because it felt less like a fundraiser and more like a home to hang out.

They put an increasing focus on mental health by encouraging brothers who were acting out of character to seek counseling with campus mental health services. They opened communication between the Executive Board and the rest of the chapter so decisions being made were discussed and polled throughout the group. This has led to a more open and respectful relationship between the Executive Board and membership, where feedback leads to meaningful change.

“We have the mechanisms and the systems in place that took us to the Maxwell-level before. Now is the time to take an introspective look at the culture of our chapter and how we can make this an environment that does not just value recognition, but how we treat each other as brothers and as men,” Gamma said.

Upsilon Chapter

School: Nebraska-Wesleyan University  

City: Lincoln, NE

Chartered: 1923

GPA: 3.55

Chapter Size: 42

Total Service Hours: 2,485

Upsilon focuses on long-term goals of the chapter by starting at the beginning – with associate members. “All of our associates possess qualities and values that reflects those of the mission, vision, Creed, and Ritual of Phi Kappa Tau. These men – who live each moment of their lives in consideration with strong values – are the men we want to join our sacred brotherhood.” The eight-week new member education program allows associates, especially those who are joining their first semester on campus, to adjust to a new community surrounded by a group of men who want to see them succeed.

Upsilon uses the metrics of the Borradaile Challenge as a measurement to drive passion for academic success and philanthropy. The intense focus on academics provides chapter brothers with study spaces, tutoring, and the equipment to succeed, like recycled textbooks and computers. Their 3.55 GPA is the highest in chapter history. They also offer resume workshops for brothers to help them meet their professional goals upon graduation.

Upsilon believes community involvement is a crucial aspect of being a Man of Distinction and offers the flexibility for members to pursue other interests, including campus organizations, individual philanthropic endeavors, and military service. This past academic year, close to 90% of members were involved in other campus groups. They focus on personal improvement by inviting guests to speak on issues that may be uncomfortable, including male empathy, mental health, and sexual assault.

“College ought to be a time of tremendous growth and personal development. Phi Kappa Tau at Nebraska Wesleyan takes this to heart and goes the extra mile to develop our men of character into Men of Distinction,” Upsilon said. “To be a member of Phi Kappa Tau is to challenge one’s ideas, develop exceptional capabilities, and make positive commitments to themselves and those around them.”

Delta Tau Chapter

School: California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

City: Pomona, CA

Chartered: 1984

GPA: 2.67

Chapter Size: 54

Total Service Hours: 1,002

“Here at the Delta Tau chapter, we build men into leaders who make a positive impact to those around them,” Delta Tau said.

Delta Tau chapter places an emphasis on identifying personal strengths and focusing on individual growth and improvement. They encourage brothers to pursue their goals and challenge them to achieve bigger and better things, especially by becoming leaders on campus. They prioritize passing on knowledge to future classes of men by requiring older members to work closely with associate classes on new member education. They build brotherhood by hosting monthly events and form bonds with associate members early on by hanging out with them one-on-one. They recruit for success by hosting six events during the fall, like a field day on campus and a BBQ, that engage alumni and appeal to brothers who will fit into the chapter well.

Unusual for a Fraternity house, the Delta Tau chapter house is completely paid off, which allows rent to be affordable and for the Housing Corporation to work on repairs and improvements. They go above their service requirement in their dedication to SeriousFun children’s camps. Delta Tau raises at least $5,000 annually for The Painted Turtle Camp, the local SeriousFun camp, and they have brothers attend the camp every year as summer counselors or one-day volunteers. The chapter is rich with diversity and draws members from all backgrounds: the city, rural areas, military, and foreign exchange students. “What makes our Fraternity experience great beyond the Borradaile Challenge is our amazing sense of brotherhood, our respected chapter house, and our diversity,” they said.

Congratulations to these four chapters on your commitment to living the vision, mission, and creed of Phi Kappa Tau. The Founders Four will present virtually to our panel of judges on July 21st. The winner of the Roland Maxwell Trophy for an Outstanding Chapter will be announced on July 23rd, 2020 at 8:30 PM EST on Facebook Live.

RSVP Here to Watch!

Kappa House Progression

Progress is being made on the Kappa house at University of Kentucky, which is expected to finish this fall.

This new house can hold 55 members and includes a study area, a library, and a patio.

The Kappa chapter at University of Kentucky was chartered in 1920 after being founded as Theta Rho Fraternity in 1917. After renting several houses, the Phi Kappa Tau House Association of Lexington, KY, was incorporated in 1948 to purchase a house. Kappa went on to build the largest chapter house on the UK campus.

In the mid-1990s, the house was demolished while the chapter was temporarily closed. Kappa re-chartered in 1996 and a new house was purchased. In preparation for the chapter’s centennial, Kappa rallied to build the group a new home.

This project has been a huge undertaking. If you are interested in making a gift to help Kappa’s housing project, contact the Director of Philanthropy Charlie Ball here.

“Don’t Talk About It, Be About It”

CJ Donald, Centre ’12, an LLP of Haynes and Boone, graduate of Vanderbilt Law, and member on the Board of Directors for Dallas Young Lawyers, has written an article about the ongoing fight to end systemic racism for The American Lawyer.

In “Don’t Talk About It, Be About It,” published in June, Donald writes, “If we waste this moment, we will certainly be here again, talking past each other, waiting for future generations to cure the ills of our society.”

Read his article on the steps we can take in the fight against racism here: https://bit.ly/38fndqM

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

Phi Tau Foundation Partners with Classy.org

The Phi Kappa Tau Foundation is pleased to announce our new partnership with the platform Classy.org!

Classy is a donation processing website designed specifically for non-profits. The Foundation selected it based on its simplicity, user-friendly interface, and clear transparency into where your dollars go. With Classy, you can give to the Brotherhood Fund, our annual campaign that supports the Fraternity’s greatest needs, directly to your chapter, or to one of our other four giving designations for scholarships, education, and philanthropy.

To make a donation, please follow these steps:

1. Visit phikappatau.org/give, where you will see our newly redesigned donation page.

2. Select your giving designation. If you would like to make a gift to your chapter, you will be asked to select it off an alphabetical list.

Our new giving home page

Select your chapter from this list

3. Once you are redirected to a Classy page, select “Donate Monthly” or “Donate Once” and your amount.

4. Add your payment information and click “Give Now.”

5. Your donation will be processed and you will receive a receipt to your inbox moments later.

Phi Kappa Tau has survived periods of economic uncertainty before, and with a return to campus still uncertain for many, we need your help now more than ever. Your gift provides leadership programming, educational resources, and ensures our continued operation. With your help, we can continue to achieve the vision of Phi Kappa Tau.

If you have any questions about the new platform, please contact our Philanthropy Coordinator Darryl Thompson, Old Dominion ‘14.