At the recent meeting of the Executive Committee of the Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America, your elected leadership was presented with information on all our chapters. It was unwelcome news that some Canadian chapters had fallen on tough times this year.  To address this urgent need, Executive Director Dave Hunter presented a plan to revitalize our position as the first fraternity in Canada, and the best.  He announced the addition to the Fraternity's staff of Brandon Gurley, Tau Theta '07, to work exclusively with Canadian chapters through the spring semester.  That has proven to be a successful undertaking so far.

This charge is not only consistent with the log-range goals of Zeta Psi to ensure that we are the premiere fraternity in Canada, but that every Canadian chapter is as strong as it can be leading up to Zeta Psi's 161^st Annual Convention in Montreal in August.

The effort to improve Zeta Psi on our seven Canadian campuses is paying off, as one of those in danger of closing-the Alpha Theta Chapter at Waterloo-is currently undergoing revitalization thanks to the "special unit" recruitment program that arrived on the Waterloo campus the last few weeks and has already shown evidence of success with the recruitment of a dozen or more pledges at this outstanding Technology campus.  Thanks to the efforts of Brandon, Zeta Psi Foundation of Canada President Rob McMullen, and Leadership Consultant Anthony Abbate, we expect to return to considerable strength at Waterloo this semester.  Likewise, we expect similar success at other campuses in Canada, as we have mapped out a plan for re-development of those Canadian chapters in need.

Since the last Canadian Quarterly, our vision to expand "Across the Pond"-at Oxford University in England-has become a reality.  The Executive Committee has approved the chartering of the Iota Omicron Chapter in May, with a chartering banquet to take place in London on May 3^rd.  Since Canada has a special relationship with the UK, we anticipate a considerable presence of Canadian brothers in attendance at this historic event, which will complete the Big Three of fraternity expansion: the first truly national fraternity in 1870, the first international fraternity in 1879, and soon-to-be the first intercontinental fraternity this year.  I invite any of my brothers in Canada who are able to make the trip in May to join us for this important milestone in our proud history.