This past year, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into one of the finest internship programs in the Washington DC area, The Washington Scholars Fellowship Program. Most of you have probably heard about the program in letters and conversations with Dan Backer and Brian McManus. Every word they say about the program is likely accurate.  I had never been to Washington DC before and have always wanted to visit, to think I would be calling it my home for a summer and having the privilege of working personally as an intern for Former Cabinet Secretary rear Admiral James J. Carey is an immense honor - made possible by Zeta Psi.  I have been able to meet many Zetes around the U.S. that share the common goal that I do, "To be a leader and make a difference".  In the past  month I have been here, I have attended the Capitol Hill Club with Congressman & Senators, gone to the annual DUB Ball with Ambassadors and Admirals, and was able to attend a Zeta Psi DC Elders Association Event at the home of Steve Hartwell on Mount Vernon - the founder and Chairman of Washington Mutual.  I was walking where George Washington did roughly 200 years ago. There is no telling what else I will be able to experience while I am here.

In the past two weeks, I applied to be in the first class of five for the Zeta Psi Northwestern Mutual Financial Internship - another tremendous honor made possible ONLY by Zeta Psi, the only fraternity northwestern Mutual has ever worked with.  This internship was named, "One of the Top 10 Internship in the U.S." and will be another amazing experience for me if I'm chosen. There are so many things that I am thankful for that I have received as a Brother of Zeta Psi. Not just the incredible internships and opportunities, but also the relationships I have made with my fellow brothers and it's all thanks to the support of our alumni. If it wasn't for the time, energy, support, and donations - and even the occasional visit on a Friday or Saturday night to Amherst - there is no way this chapter would still have life today. You have been there through the good times and the bad, and for that I thank you. In the upcoming year, we will need your support to help increase our chapter size and once again make Zeta Psi the "IT" organization at UMASS. I would like for current/future brothers to have the same benefits that I have had throughout my tenure, and more - and it's possible because of YOUR support.  I look forward to seeing all of you not only this year, but the years to come as an Alumni, and THANK YOU for helping to make all of this possible!

In Tau Kappa Phi, Matthew Davies (email me)

If we are going to insure the future of the chapter, we need to set goals for ourselves as an alumni and as an active chapter, and lay out the means to get there.   I for one look at the Composites from the late 80's and early 90's and am amazed at what I see - as many as 65 Brothers pictured, the kings of Campus, many of whom - YOU - I've gotten to know over the years.  That's what we should strive for, and what the plan we are about to engage will help us achieve in the coming years.  We'll lay out the details NEXT SATURDAY, JUNE 30, at the Alumni Meeting in Boston, but here are the core elements:

1.       Rebuild our alumni board.  We need a LARGE alumni board and engaged alumni on committees so that everyone only has a small, discrete task and no one is over-worked.  YOU CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE with an hour or two a month - please come out and help do so by serving on the Board or on an alumni committee.  We'll elect a full board and lay out the small tasks on Saturday.

2.       Accountability for the Actives.  The biggest mistake made this year was that NO ONE held the actives accountable - not to their positions, not to their dues, not to their rent, and not to their obligation as Zetes.  With no one holding them accountable, many of them got lazy, slacked off, did not pay their fair share, and allowed the Chapter to crumble.  MEN VALUE WHAT THEY INVEST IN, and holding Brothers accountable to the minimum standard of paying dues and participating in Chapter is critical.  We'll be formalizing that requirement for any Active that wants to be part of the life of the chapter going forward.  Those who don't want to pay and don't want to work may still be Brothers, but they won't be involved in the Chapter.

3.       Recruitment Planning.  The remaining core actives - those who are committed to building something great here and are ready to do their part - will engage in an aggressive recruitment plan.  IHQ will have staff on the ground helping them do so.  They will use several highly successful strategies that work everywhere else, and we'll lay out the specific tasks, timing, and tracking for this at the meeting.  We're going to be recruiting on the value of fraternity - from internship programs like Washington, Wall Street, and Northwestern mutual to scholarships, alumni mentoring, networking, and ABOVE ALL ELSE, the tight-knit bonds of Brotherhood that define our Chapter.

4.       Operations Planning.  With a small core group, we will work to lay out a comprehensive schedule and plan for the fall including meetings, activities, philanthropy, pledge-training, and everything else.  The Plan as it stands would have our chapter - in one semester - be the #1 Philanthropy chapter EVER at UMASS, grow to 20 men, and get the name of Zeta Psi on the lips of the entire Campus!

There's more to it, but that's the core of what needs to happen this Fall, and what we will lay out and organize next Saturday.  PLEASE COME OUT and help us go from the brink of death to the BEST CHAPTER ON CAMPUS this Fall!