View From The Bleachers

Brothers, Friends and Enemies: My name is Dave Calderon. I am the former District Governor (1999-2005) here in Southern California, and I believe that I am the first person (other than guest posts and comments) to "blog" under his real name. I am the current Chapter Counselor at Cal Upsilon, a small chapter in my neck of the woods that, like many chapters, has minimal resources and grand ambitions.

In addition to being a "former" DG and current Chapter Counselor, I am a current member of the Educational Foundation's Board of Governors (which means I give a small but steady amount) and I am a recipient of the fraternity's Distingiushed Alumnus award. I have been a Sig Ep for over 20 years and an active volunteer for approximately the last 13 (I took a break to complete law school and start my 70 hour weeks). I am a partner in a law firm in Orange where I handle all of the litigation and trial work. I have a wife, young daughter, and a really cool dog. I volunteer for other non-profits, and I have been the President of two other non-profit boards. In other words, I am a somewhat typical Sig Ep volunteer.

The purpose of my foray into the blogging world is not to bang and bash or single out individuals. I love Sig Ep and I think this blog is an important outlet for news and views. What I will try to do is to provide a view from the bleachers with reasoned commetary, discussion questions, and credit where credit is due (and sometimes overlooked). I look forward to comments and vow never to break the confidence of those who have confided in me. My aim is to help improve the overall fraternity experience for our undergraduates, alumni, volunteers and staff and I will do my best to keep my "aim" true (as you can see, I am also an Elvis Costello fan - I know, many of you young guys are wondering who the hell Elvis Costello is. I will try to dot future posts with more "contemporary" pop culture references).

As the DG here in Southern California, I was basically the "face" of Sig Ep to many in my neck of the woods. As a result, I was able to share in some succeses that I did not deserve credit for and many times I had to take the slings and arrows for things that were ultimately beyond my control. That is an inherent part of the job. But overall, my experience as a DG was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I learned so much about myself and others. And I have a duty to pass along some of the experiences gained from the hits and misses to all of you. And I look forward to it.

One final note: Many of you are familiar with the man and myth named Columbus Johnson. C-Bus is one of the most committed Sig Ep volunteers you will ever find and he has the biggest Sig Ep heart of any individual I know. That big heart took a big hit when his mother passed away in Sacramento, California this week. Please keep C-Bus and his family in your prayers and if you want to contact him and offer condolences you can do so at ciscojohnson@yahoo.com. I love you brother!

Till next time, take care.