Alumni Association of the 
   Michigan Alpha Chapter
   Phi Delta Theta
 
   Sword & Shield
   E-newsletter
 
Volume VI, No. II
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Late Fall 2013
Thanksgiving Edition
Being Thankful for Michigan Alpha

Remembering Your Fraternity and Brothers

Dear Brother,

On Thanksgiving next week, many of us will reflect and take stock of those things that make our lives meaningful and enjoyable. Our family members, church, career, country, community and friends are often on the list for which we give thanks.

This year, we encourage you to add Michigan Alpha and your old Phi Delta Theta brothers to your thoughts.

Fraternity was There for You in the Beginning

As you consider the important relationships, experiences and influences that have helped to make you what you are today, think about what the fraternity meant to you during your days on the U of M's campus long before your hard earned achievements.

Michigan Alpha provided you with a great group of friends, athletic competition, leadership development, social engagement with sororities and a historic mansion in which to live. 

While U of M gave you an outstanding academic foundation, PDT offered you countless lessons about dealing with people, teamwork and striving for a common goal that cannot be found not found in a classroom.

Of course, Michigan Alpha men also appreciated the PDT's robust social life that enabled blowing off a little steam accumulated in U of M's academic pressure cooker, but the core principle of the fraternity was far more meaningful than attending great parties. PDT established a true brotherhood intended to last a lifetime while making us better men. The fraternity's open motto summarized this goal well -- "One man is no man."

It is always gratifying to hear the stories of brothers who continued their close friendships after college and demonstrate why we say "PDT is a fraternity for life." 

These relationships endure and take on countless new forms such as being roommates in that first apartment in a new city after graduation, standing up in a wedding party, facilitating a business connection, coaching a sports team with a brother's child on it, attending a getaway weekend with the guys, listening about a brother's challenges in life while offering support, etc...

Reconnecting with the Active Chapter and Alumni Association

Unfortunately, not all of us have been able to stay in touch. After college, the increasing demands of life and search for new horizons make it difficult for many of us to stay in contact with the fraternity in Ann Arbor or even the brothers from our era. As time went on, thoughts about the fraternity became more distant and perhaps the meaning of the experience began to fade away.

No matter how long it has been, it is never too late to reconnect with Michigan Alpha and your brothers. 

This fall the Alumni Association, in conjunction with the Michigan Alpha active chapter, hosted two highly successful events -- the Harmon BBQ on September 7 and Homecoming 2013 on October 5 -- that were collectively attended by more than 80 alums from graduating classes spanning the 1950s to last year.

Numerous alums told us that they had not visited the chapter house in decades, but were pleased that they made the effort to reconnect. These alums were unanimous in telling us that they liked what they saw when they visited.

Catch Up with Your Old Brothers in the Bond

If nothing else is feasible at this time, we encourage you to reconnect with your old Michigan Alpha brothers by e-mail or phone. If it's been years since you last said hello, make the effort to get in touch and catch up.  You will not regret it.

If you need help getting in contact with your old friends, please contact the Alumni Association.  Our list of members and affiliates in good standing may be a helpful reference. For example, alums from the 1950s and 1980s have had mini reunions at the chapter house in recent years. We can help to facilitate reunions in conjunction with alumni events at the chapter house. 

The Alumni Association's Facebook Page (115 members) and Linked-in Group (113 members) provide additional resources that make it easy to reconnect.  The Alumni Association expects to make greater use of social media in coming years to enhance communications between the active chapter members and alums.

Active Chapter's Long Climb Back to the Top

It's been a challenging and tedious journey to rebuild Michigan Alpha after the fraternity hit bottom in 1998 with a four year closure imposed by the PDT General Headquarters. The 2012-2013 school year marked the 10 year anniversary of Michigan Alpha obtaining the "colony" status that was a key step to enable the charter to be fully restored in December of 2004.

During the last decade, Michigan Alpha grew from a small group of men with merely a vision of restoring our tradition of excellence to an active chapter membership of more than 70 men who once again put PDT back on top.

A total of 27 brothers are currently living in the chapter house which provides the Alumni Association with cash flow sufficient to pay operational expenses and even help to make much needed improvement to 1437 Washtenaw. Active chapter rental revenue combined with Annual Fund donations from alums has enabled the Alumni Association to maintain the 110 year old chapter house in its best shape in decades.

Perhaps no single achievement symbolizes this comeback better than the active chapter winning the 2012-2013 Fraternity League Intramural All-sports Championship. While the active chapter had several top 10 finishes in the years after refounding, the previous first place finish occurred during the 1984-1985 school year.

Academics are also a high priority of the active chapter as their collective Winter Term 2013 grade point average (GPA) verified by the Interfraternity Council stood at 3.22 which was slightly higher than the all-men GPA and all-fraternity GPA.

Outlook for Continued Success Looks Positive

A well-rounded future for the active chapter is very promising given that they recruited a 26 member pledge class during the fall 2013 rush which includes many bright men who played varsity sports in high school. This is one of the largest fall pledge classes ever for Michigan Alpha (more than 100 men rushed PDT).

We are especially pleased to report that the fall pledge class continues the trend of attracting PDT legacies.  This fact speaks volumes about active chapter's restoration.

We Need Your Help to Keep the Momentum Going Strong

If you are thankful for the role Michigan Alpha played in your life and want to afford a new generation of young men with the benefits of this rewarding experience, now is the time to give back. There are many ways to help, but one of the easiest and fastest ways to show your support is to contribute to the Alumni Association's 2013-2014 Annual Fund.

We are pleased that many alums have generously responded to our solicitation mailed out in September. If your name is already on the 2013-2014 Annual Fund Honor Roll, the Alumni Association expresses our sincere thanks.

Aside from financial support, we urge you to send the Alumni Association an update about your life that can be shared with all the brothers in the next issue of the Sword & Shield newsletter. We also ask that you consider attending an alumni-active chapter event hosted by the Alumni Association during the next year.

Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Michigan Alpha in 2014

We are in the early stages of planning an event during the fall of 2014 that will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of Michigan Alpha. We would very much welcome your suggestions about how to make the sesquicentennial event most appealing and meaningful for alums.

We also want to publish an all-time membership directory for Michigan Alpha in conjunction with the sesquicentennial celebration. This book will include a section on the history of the fraternity. If you have pictures or memories that you could share for inclusion in the book, please contact us by e-mail at [email protected].

Yours in the Bond,

Michigan Alpha Heritage Project: Photo Flashback

30 Years Ago:  Michigan Alpha Membership 1983


40 Years Ago:  Michigan Alpha Membership 1973


60 Years Ago:  Michigan Alpha New Initiates 1953
 
Have any classic pictures of the fraternity such as shots of Mud Bowl or Homecoming that you can share for the Alumni Association's Heritage Project Mud Bowl archive?  
 
Know the score or outcome of a Mud Bowl missing from our records of the  64 PDT-SAE rivalry matches played from 1934 to 1997?
 
If so, please send pictures or information to the Alumni Association by e-mail at [email protected] or mail at Greg Karmazin, 38310 Saddle Lane, Clinton Township, Michigan 48036.

The Alumni Association may use your pictures and memories for Michigan Alpha's 150th anniversary book (all-time membership directory) that will be published in 2014, so please help us prepare to celebrate this historic milestone.

PDT Michigan Alpha Web Links
  
Michigan Alpha Alumni Association Facebook Page

Michigan Alpha Alumni Association Linked-in Page

Phi Delta Theta Michigan Alpha Active Chapter Web Site