Random Thoughts on the Pittsburgh CLA

A sea change has taken place in Sigma Phi Epsilon based on the undregraduate representation at the Pittsburgh Carlson Leadership Academy. NO--it is nothing the fraternity has done unless we are recruiting and training better members. This academy brought together chapter leaders from Pennsylvania, western New York, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, northern Kentucky, West Virginia......and ...North Dakota?? Now, with the exception of North Dakota ( more on that later), this is not exactly the area of the country known for diligence or sartorial splendor. YET--- nearly every chapter signed in before the opening session....and they came and stayed. Only two "incidents" were noted. A chapter from somewhere in West Virginia arrived in the hotel and promptly went to the bar. A young SigEp "gentlemana" from a chapter not identified to this writer, enterd a breakout session with, apparantly, a great deal of phlegm in his bronchial tubes-which he coughed up and spit out on the floor in front of a full room of attendees and the facilitator, Alison Bartel Keller, the Greek advisor at the University of Richmond! He made no excuses and apologized much later under pressure from others.

Breakfast found nary a seat to spare. The sessions were all well attended with standing room only in some cases. To top it off, most members actually knew what "business casual" meant and dressed accordingly. The topper was the lack of toppers!. Only two baseball caps were seen all weekend! Either headquarters and chapters are doing something right in recruitment and training or we better find out what is in the water and bottle it.

This academy was a very special one. In attendance were Teddy and "Bud" Robeson. Teddy is the widow of our beloved late Grand President Jim Robeson. Bud, a member of the National Leadership Committee, was Jim Robeson's brother. An emotional moment was had when our late Grand President was remembered and the two chapters he was associated with, Miami University ( Ohio) and the University of Cincinnati named their Residential Learning Center and Balanced Man Scholarship, respectively, after him.

Also in attendance were Ken Maddox, who was executive director of SPE during its greatest years, Mike Wolbert, on headquarters staff during those years and various other fraternity officials, including Foundation Executive Director Doug Scheibe. Unfortunately, the planners of this event made no effort to inform those in attendance that the three previously named individuals and other distinguished alumni who taught educational sessions ( Judge Mitch Crane, Gene Shurg, to name two) were teaching specific sessions, let alone what was special about them. How sad that the majority of undergraduates were attending their first Carlson or any national affair, lacking the information on who was who and what was significant about their contributions. For Ken Maddox, who led our fraternity headquarters for nearly a decade, to be just "another old guy" was a waste of the opportunity to pass along to this new generation the knowledge and talent of perhaps our greatest executive director ( agree with his methods or not, during his tenure you knew where he stood and he knew what needed to be done). By the way, Brother Maddox was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award ( The Jefferson Cup) at the dinner banquet.

The sessions were run by a diverse and enthusiastic faculty that was sadly restricted to the same tired, mundane and outdated scripts that have been used with little modification for too many years. Some wisely threw them away and spoke from the brain and through the heart.
Even the meal emcees tried their best with what was written, but stumbled all too often over words inarticulately strung together by, perhaps, business majors who never understood the power of creative writing.

The undergrads were well behaved and seemed genuinely involved all week-end. They even abided by the "no alcohol" rule, though, rumor has it, some alumni felt above rules and were seen imbibing in the hotel bar after evening events.

Of course, there was some grumbling from some chapters who had to drive 4 or 5 hours to get to Pittsburgh. On the other had, four officers from North Dakota Alpha ( University of North Dakota), unable to attend closer academies, drove 17 hours to get to Pittsburgh and arrived on time, energectic, and without complaint. The chapter president was announced as one of those chosen for this Summer's Tragos Quest to Greece. Is it any wonder this chapter has been recognized by those really in the know as one of the best chapters in our great fraternity? In its almost 11 years, ND Alpha has been awarded 5 Buchanan Cups ( all five it was eligible for), and not because it knew how to write an application, had wealthy and powerful alumni or was on a campus headquarters felt gave us prestige!

All in all, the Pittsburgh Carlson Leadership Academy in Pittsburgh was the best CLA this writer has attended in his many years of doing so.

Tags: CLA, SigEp, fraternity