Russel Fisher Nominated to the 2009 Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team

St. Francis University senior Russel Fisher, a member of the Red Flash football team, has been nominated for 2009 Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team, as announced by Allstate Insurance and the American Football Coaches Association. Fisher is a collegiate member of the Pennsylvania Tau Chapter of St. Francis University. Read More

Phi Kap Alumni Participate in Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle

Four Washington Beta Delta Alumnus (Jon Aslin ’04, David Huang ’04, Jon Kong ’06 and Paul Lee ’04) ran the Inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle – Marathon and 1/2 Marathon event on June 27, 2009 and were joined by one Washington Alpha Delta Alum (Nate Bond ‘02).  The runners were blessed with gorgeous weather and the support provided by brothers and family who cheered and encouraged them on at various points of the course as they passed by.

It took months of preparation, with no brother having run a half or full marathon prior to registering for the event (although one subsequently registered and ran other events).  Most brothers followed a training plan sent around by a Ben Grady (Beta Delta ’07), who had previously used the training plan.  To keep each other motivated and accountable some of the brothers created running logs to track their weekly mileage and also communicated their progress through Facebook and email.

The night before the race the Beta Delta group met for dinner at Maggiano’s and were joined by other brothers who offered encouragement in preparation for the big race.  Maggiano’s was chosen as the dinner venue, since the restaurant has an all you can eat, salad, appetizer and pasta option, this provided the runners with an opportunity to “carbo-load” and have enough stored energy to complete the race the next day.

Some of the runners were running with injuries yet everyone that started the race finished the race!  The brothers from Washington Beta Delta knew that there was more to finishing this race than personal achievement, as they had raised money from friends, family and brothers to support the Children’s Miracle Network, Phi Kappa Theta’s National Philanthropy.

“This was a great opportunity for myself as an alumni to show my ongoing support for a great cause and to continue to build on the brotherhood that was built during my years at college.  I flew up from Los Angeles to participate and would do it again in a heart beat.”
-Paul Lee (Beta Delta ’04)

“I enjoyed the run and filled with mixed emotions when I finished; happy that I had accomplished something less than 1% of the world has done and sad that it was over. I was inspired by all the people running for a variety of different reasons and causes.”
-David Huang (Beta Delta ’04)

“My training and preparation for the half marathon was limited by reoccurring ankle and back injuries, but it was the commitment and the support of my brothers that helped power me to the finish! I have earned a new level of respect for competitive runners, and it’s an honor to be a part of an Inaugural race that I am convinced will be a cornerstone of the Seattle running community for years to come. Proud to be a Phi Kap!”
-Jon Aslin (Beta Delta ’04)

photo: Jon Kong ‘06, Paul Lee ‘04 and David Huang ‘04 after having completed the marathon.

Phi Kappa Theta Mourns the Passing of Brother Ed McMahon

by Kevin J. Lampe
National Vice President
(Western Illinois, ‘83)

In a former life, I was a stand-up comedian. This was still the time when comics longed for an appearance on Carson. (it was always referred to as “Carson” as in “did you hear Mark’’s got a Carson coming up”)

Well, I never got my “Carson”, but if I did I had it all planned out. After a killer set, Carson would wave me over to the couch and I would shake his hand. Next, I would give the Phi Kappa Theta grip to Brother Ed McMahon (Catholic University, ‘68) and say to Johnny, “ya know, Ed and I are fraternity brothers.”

In reality, this never happened.

But this past week was a sad one as our Brother Ed has passed to the chapter eternal. Ed and my relationship was limited to the television screen. He was a master at his job. His job was to make others look good. Much like our motto, Give, expecting nothing thereof.

Each night his duty was to make Carson look good. From the booming introduction to leading the laughter to serving as the target for many of Carson’s quips, Brother Ed understood what it took to do his job well. Being “second banana” is not an easy job, it requires timing, patience and selflessness. All lessons that we should learn from him.

Over the years, I have heard many stories of Phi Kaps who came in touch with him. He had a true affection for our fraternity. We lost a great brother.

Read further information about Brother Ed

Share Brotherhood @ Phi Kaps

We want to hear YOUR brotherhood story. Phi Kap connects us all. From the newest member to the National President, our ideals and brotherhood link us together. We all are linked – brother-to-brother through our lasting relationships. Tell us how Phi Kap brotherhood is alive in your chapter of in your life as an alumnus. Tell us how you stay connected to your brothers through time and distance. Send your brotherhood story to: sharebrotherhood@phikaps.org

Phi Kappa Theta Hires Assistant Director of Member Development

Phi Kappa Theta Executive Vice President Robert Riggs announced today that Gretchen Stahl will serve as the organization’s new Assistant Director of Member Development.

In this role, Gretchen will serve as the primary professional charged with the development and implementation Phi Kappa Theta’s expansion and recruitment efforts, as well as the assessment and strategic planning for existing collegiate chapters. She will assume the responsibilities of this position on June 29, 2009.

Gretchen is a member of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity and holds a Master’s of Science in Counseling and Student Personnel from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Prior to joining Phi Kappa Theta’s professional staff, Gretchen served as Career Exploration Coordinator for Minnesota State University. During this time, Gretchen worked with first year students, participated in outreach and enrollment activities, and created resources and programs to assist students with career success. Prior to her role at Minnesota State University, Gretchen served as the Assistant Director of Student Involvement at Centenary College of Louisiana.

“We are very excited to have someone with Gretchen’s professional background join Phi Kappa Theta’s staff,” says Anita Kerlin, Director of Member Development. “Her experience both working on a campus and with career development will be beneficial in helping us provide training and resources to our membership which will allow us to support our members as they live Phi Kappa Theta’s Mission.”

Phi Kappa Theta actively develops men to effectively lead and passionately serve their society, fraternity and God. Phi Kappa Theta recently celebrated the 120th anniversary of its founding and the 50th anniversary of the merger of two fraternities – Theta Kappa Phi and Phi Kappa. This united fraternity has 1,500 collegiate members and more than 30,000 living alumni.

For more information, contact Robert Riggs, Executive Vice President, Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity, at 317-872-9934 or rriggs@phikaps.org.

California Phi Delta Re-Chartering Weekend

In early 2009 a Petition to Charter was created by the colony at University of San Diego and in February it was sent to the voting delegates. On March 6, 2009 their petition to charter was approved. The colony leadership worked hard to plan their re-chartering weekend which would take place just a month and a half later.

On Saturday, May 2nd a re-chartering banquet was held. The colony leadership worked incredibly hard to make this event meaningful while representing the personality of the colony and its members. At 6pm colony members and their dates, representatives from other Greek organizations on campus, alumni, university administration, and staff members all gathered in the Garden of the Sea on USD’s campus. The gardens had a stunning view of San Diego and were accented with flowers, sculptures, and a reflecting pool. Guests enjoy conversation, scenery, and beverages until dinner at 7pm.

Father Mullen, the colony’s main advisor, served as the emcee for the evening and the invocation was done by Father Peter McGuine. As dinner was completed, the program for the evening began. Jonathan D’Angelo, the first member recruited and Founding Father, spoke about how Phi Kap impacted his experience at USD. Amanda Womack, Greek Advisor, spoke highly about the colony and how the men have positively impacted the campus. Andy Kowal spoke about his experience beginning the colony, as did Rob Riggs. Rob also presented the colony with Ritual books, a President’s pin, and a gavel with their chapter name engraved on it. Jack Kelly, Alumni Board of Director’s President spoke about how excited the alumni are to have the group re-chartered and their plans for continued support. He also took a moment on behalf of the colony and alumni to acknowledge Father Mullen for his passion and support with the colony and its members. Then, representing the National Fraternity Board of Trustees, Father Mullen presented the colony with the charter.

After officially being named a chapter of Phi Kappa Theta, the men took an opportunity to recognize some people for their efforts. Andy Kowal, Rob Riggs, and Anita Kerlin were all thanked and acknowledged for their assistance and support throughout the colony and re-chartering process. They also awarded members for excellence in academics, involvement, and commitment to the chapter. Overall, the evening was elegant, entertaining, and reflective of the strength of this newly re-chartered chapter of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity. Congratulations on a beautiful weekend and years of hard work and dedication bringing Phi Kappa Theta back to University of San Diego.

• Read more at the Phi Kaps Staff Blog

Easter Egg Hunt Benefits Manhattan Children Despite Weather

Phi Kappa Theta fraternity along with Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and Delta Delta Delta sorority hosted the fifth annual Easter Egg Hunt philanthropy Sunday, April 5th. The event aims to benefit the children of Manhattan and took place at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house… Read More

• Discover more about the Children’s Miracle Network and its partnership with Phi Kappa Theta.

Regional Leadership Institutes

Three Regional Leadership Institutes were held by Phi Kappa Theta in January and February. These events offered attendees the opportunity to gain valuable experiences through individual development workshops facilitated by Phi Kappa Theta brothers, staff members and experts in the fraternal world.

“Through establishing the Regional Leadership Institutes, Phi Kappa Theta has been able to successfully deliver our Mission to even more of our members,” said Rob Riggs, Executive Vice President. “The RLIs allow the Fraternity to bring educational development to our members, making it easier for them to have access to Fraternity leaders and some of the best programs Phi Kappa Theta has to offer.”

The Northeast RLI focused on the Phi Kappa Theta Mission, specifically “developing men to be effective leaders” so that they will “passionately serve society, fraternity and God.” The Great Lakes and Midwest events focused heavily on operational training.

At the Northeast event, alumni brothers presented valuable lessons to participants on the following topics: leadership and accountability, living and socializing in accordance with Phi Kap ideals, developing and improving financial skills, finding a deeper understanding and appreciation of Fraternity ideals and Ritual, recruitment, chapter financial management, and the new Accreditation Program.

At the Great Lakes and Midwest events, programs presented by alumni, staff members and experts included: life lessons learned through Phi Kap, fundraising, alumni development, recruitment and the Accreditation Program.

Overall feedback from the events has been positive. Attendees enjoyed the opportunity to interact with Fraternity leaders and fellow collegiate brothers. More than 150 members from 20 chapters attended the three events that were coordinated by staff and volunteers.

Next year, the national Fraternity hopes to expand the RLI program, offering six events across the country for reaching each collegiate chapter and more than 350 brothers.

Brother Awarded High Honor

Syed Ali (Massachusetts Lambda, ‘09) was recently rewarded the Patrick W. Halloran Award from Worcester Polytechnic University. He received this Order of Omega scholarship for his leadership and service to his Order of Omega chapter, Greek community and Campus Life. The scholarships greatly helped Syed pay for books and other school supplies for the semester.

2009 Biennial Convention Registration Now Open

Visit this events webpage to Register