CLA from a Volunteer's Point of View

The weekend of February 1-3 I was on the CLA faculty for the Dallas (really Grapevine) TX CLA at the Gaylord Texan, site of the SigEp Conclave this summer (July 31 - Aug 4). The weekend was a grand success and was capped off by a surprise that caught me completely off guard.

On arriving Friday after noon we went through the usual routine of check-in, find the room, then head out to see who else has shown up. As a volunteer who has been to a number of CLAs, Conclaves, etc., connecting with others whom I only see at these events is always a treat. Some of my most cherished friendships have grown from these periodic gatherings. Many of the usual faces were in residence along with a few new ones and some disappointments who did not show up this year.

The venue was spectacular and should make for a very successful Conclave later this year. Over the course of the weekend we got a chance to get a dry run of the facilities, staff responsiveness, and of course, the food. All were first rate, though I personally think the Saturday dinner choice could have been better (tough flank steak rolled in underdone bacon is my best guess). Lets hope the menu improves by August. There were plenty of configurable meeting rooms, and even when I threw a curve by showing up with a projector for my session the hotel staff didn't break a sweat and got it set up right away.

Friday night I was tasked with facilitating a reading of the proposed "Brother Mentor" Ritual that is expected to be voted on at Conclave. As this is a public post I will simply say it is obvious the Ritual Task Force has put a lot of thought into making it meaningful.

Facilitating the VP Communications session took the bulk of Saturday. This was my first time as an all day session presenter, but the able and experienced Kay Robinson from OK Alpha (OSU) helped me out - or maybe I helped her - as we shared the duty. For those who would like to see what the VP Comm session entails, here is a set of presentation slides I made from the facilitator's guide.

SigEp District 26 2013 Volunteer of the Year

Thanks to Renato Villacort for posting this.
And of course congratulations to the recipient, Brian Licauanan, and to all the "Volunteers of the Year".
Really, everyone who volunteers for SigEp is a valuable resource and we can all be proud of our contributions.

Sam Moschelli wins Greek alumnus award

Our own "SigEp Sam", DG of District 14 (Michigan) is honored for his involvement in suopporting a Greek organization at Lawrence Tech.

Moschelli wins Greek alumnus award « Lawrence Technological University

Moschelli wins Greek alumnus award

Friday, December 14th, 2012

Sam Moschelli, left, was presented the Greek Alumni Award by Student Engagement Coordinator Elizabeth Artz and Provost Maria Vaz during halftime of the first men’s basketball home game.

Sam Moschelli, left, was presented the Greek Alumni Award by Student Engagement Coordinator Elizabeth Artz and Provost Maria Vaz during halftime of the first men’s basketball home game.

Salvatore “Sam” Moschelli has won the inaugural Lawrence Technological University Greek Alumni Award for his ongoing support of a Greek organization on campus.

Moschelli joined Sigma Phi Epsilon in 1995 and served as president in 1998. He earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture in 2000 and a master’s degree in architecture in 2006.

Since 2010 he has been director of design and sustainability of Shelter2Home LLC based in Winchester, VA. In 2001 he became vice president of operations for Shelter2Home-Haiti S.A.

Moschelli has remained very active in the SigEps following his undergraduate days. He has served as governor of District 14 since 2004 and has been involved in many fraternity events and programs.

From 2005 to 2010 he was a co-lead in both Michigan and Ohio of EDGE, a SigEp 101 experience for new members of the fraternity that focuses on early development of leadership styles and personal development in college.

In 2010 he hosted a series of volunteer training sessions at LTU to help alumni of all Greek organizations on campus advise their undergraduate chapters more effectively. He also developed the Greek Village/Leadership series of six to eight training sessions on best practices for alumni board members of Greek organizations.

He has been very active in the Lawrence Tech Alumni Association and was a member of the Architecture Alumni Cabinet from 2009-12.

SigEp Conclave 2009 - Balanced Man Celebration

The Balanced Man Celebration was not exactly the highlight of my Conclave.

To start, as the buses were pulling up to take us to the Hard Rock auditorium there was an afternoon deluge. Of course they pulled up to the only pick-up area without a covered walkway. As brave souls were getting soaked, "Mom Nonnie" was berating a poor staffer in her best "you ruined your suit in the mud!!!" MOM VOICE. I almost felt sorry for the lad. Almost. As you might suspect, just when the staff had moved the buses to a covered area, the rain magically stopped.

At the hall it seemed like everyone simply went through the motions. Oh sure, all the elements were there:

• The undergraduate Übermenschen who have resumes normal mortals only dream of - including "The Tragos Quest to Greece," who were practicing their presentation skills.
• The well drilled color guard.
• The Conclave Chorus with a rousing rendition of the National Anthem.
• The introduction of anyone who has ever done service for the fraternity
• The WWF-worthy entrance of the Grand President
• The..., um wait. WTF was that?

That's right, Steve Shanklin entered in smoke and fire, with booming music and a stirring voice over imitation of Michael Buffer. Sadly, in stead of a stirring call to action or a confidence building talk about all the accomplishments of the last two years, we got a tired list of "we must..." followed by platitudes and ideals and delivered in a droning monotone not heard since Ben Stein called for "Bueller, Bueller? Ferris..Bueller?". Don't get me wrong, I like Bro. Shanklin, but this was not his best work.

That bit of inspiration was followed by the presentation of the Buchanan Cups. Forty. Three. Cups. for those of you doing the math at home that means that something like one out of six (or possibly seven) chapters is "Excellent". I know we want to think every chapter is "excellent," but isn't this award starting to look like an "everyone gets a trophy" kiddy soccer league?

Lastly, two men were awarded the "Sigma Phi Epsilon Fellow" honor. The two Fellows undoubtedly worked hard to achieve their success and I can only congratulate them on their success.

Back at the hotel, I finally found guys from my home chapter - they had just arrived and were thus spared the embarrassment of not getting a trophy, er, cup. Schmoozing for the rest of the night. Now to bed.

Florida Sig Ep Wins Up & Comers Award

Medical Billing Software Director of Business Development Wins Prestigious South Florida Up and Comers Award
Miami-based medical billing company Avisena is pleased to announce the honoring of their Director of Business Development by the South Florida Business Journal for his exceptional achievement under the age of 40 within the professional services category.

Miami, FL (PRWEB) July 9, 2008 -- Juan Molina, the Director of Business Development at Miami-based healthcare revenue cycle management company Avisena, was recently honored as the winner in the Professional Services category for the South Florida Business Journal's Up and Comers Award. His company site can be viewed at www.avisena.com

The awards banquet was held June 26th, at the Signature Grand in Davie. The Up and Comers Award is designed to recognize young South Florida leaders, under the age of 40, who have accomplished exceptional achievement in their professions. Molina's work in developing clientele for Avisena's medical billing software has charted new levels of success for the revenue cycle management company.

"Juan Molina is not only a true professional, but a tremendous human being" said Richard Lopez del Rincon, Executive VP of Avisena. "He's a versatile individual that possesses impeccable sales skills, excellent client service qualities, a strong disciplined work ethic and remains optimistic at all times. These traits coupled with his humane nature, outgoing personality and ethical standards make him an asset to the Avisena family and our community. Undoubtedly, he is an individual that many should emulate."

Considered among his peers as one of the best healthcare sales and business development executives in South Florida, Molina leads the Sales team at Avisena. As a founding employee of Avisena, his involvement as resulted in double-digit growth since 2004 for the medical practice management organization, of which he has been personally responsible for over $8MM in sales. Molina has been honored by Avisena at multiple occasions, awarding him with tributes such as the Rainmaker Award - distinguishing an individual for their continuous excellence in bringing profits and success to Avisena through diligence and dedication.

Besides his professional accomplishments in the medical billing services arena, Molina is a devoted community leader. He is a board member for the Ambassadors of Mercy, a group of young professionals who focus on bringing new friends and donors to the hospital. They are involved in planning several social and fundraising activities throughout the year that provide opportunities to share common interests with other professionals, while raising funds for special projects at Mercy Hospital.

Molina also serves as a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Board of Trustees, Alumni Volunteer Committee and coach for the Sigma Phi Epsilon Nu chapter at Florida International University. Through Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, he continues to target a multitude of issues afflicting university students nationwide. He is a board member of Sigma Phi Epsilon's National Ritual and Values Task Force, and has been a facilitator at Carlson Leadership Academy in Richmond VA, where he has designed and conducted leadership seminars, goal-setting workshops, and recruitment clinics for groups up to 350 individuals.

He is an annual participant of the Inlet Challenge for Kids in Distress, as well as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and a volunteer webmaster for a local fifth grade classroom website.
Molina received is education at Florida International University. He is also accredited as a Microsoft Certified Professional by the FlU Microsoft Certified Technical Education Center.
Avisena is a revenue cycle management company that helps medical practices improve collections through the use of its Internet-based practice management software expertise. By streamlining front and back office processes, Avisena helps medical practices Collect More, Spend Less and Live Better. For more information, please visit www.avisena.com.

Ohio Alpha Sweeps Greek and College Awards

Ohio Alpha - Sigma Phi Epsilon Wins Prestigious Awards
ADA, OH

The Ohio Alpha Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Ohio Northern University received 9 of the 13 awards at the Greek Awards Banquet held April 20th.

The 9 awards received were: Most Outstanding Alumni Program, Most Outstanding Risk Management Award, Most Outstanding Recruitment and Retention Award, Greek Athlete of the Year, Most Outstanding Public Relations Award, Most Outstanding New Member Education Award, Most Outstanding Scholarship Program, Most Outstanding Philanthropy and Community Service Award, and Staff Member of the Year.

Additionally, the Ohio Alpha Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon was honored as one of the top three organizations among all student organizations for the Alice-Kay Hilderbrand Student Organization of the Year Awards, becoming the first social fraternity ever to receive this honor. The Chapter received a monetary award of $250.

CSU Sig Eps Win Top Honor

CSU awards outstanding Greeks
Cece Wildeman

The Presidential Greek Vision award, among others, was presented to members of Greek Life Sunday night at the Greek Night Out Awards.

Lambda Theta Nu Sorority Inc. and Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity won the award for the 2008-2009 school year.

The Greek Night Out Awards serve as a way to recognize fraternities and sororities for living up to chapter values, said Mike Rager, president of the Inter-Fraternity Council.

The Presidential Greek Vision award was the highlighted award of the evening. The award is a $5,000 grant from President Larry Penley to one fraternity and one sorority to host a program that will benefit the community.

"We think that (sororities and fraternities) can be great members of our community and this award is the way administration shows our support," said Blanche Hughes, vice president of Student Affairs.

Hughes said this is the second year the award has been given, and the past philanthropies were very successful.

Lambda Theta Nu will use the $5,000 to put on a youth leadership conference for high school girls. The conference will focus on educating girls about college life and helping them apply for colleges and financial aid.

"I am so excited," said Marisa Lucero, president of the sorority. "This has been a goal of ours for a while, but with something like this, we know we can do it." The sorority has held the conference for middle school girls in the past, and Lucero stressed the importance of reaching out to high school girls since they are closer to entering college.

Sigma Phi Epsilon's program will give free CPR training to the Fort Collins community.Brian Walker, the vice president of programming for the fraternity has been planning a program in which they will attempt to teach CPR to 5,000 people in the Fort Collins community.

"If one person knows CPR, there's countless lives that could be saved," he said.

In order to win the Presidential Greek Vision Award, each fraternity and sorority had to meet a seal of approval in areas such as risk management and scholarship, among others. They are then eligible to apply for the award and present their proposed program to President Penley.This year, 23 chapters met the seal of approval and applied for the award.

Chapters won other awards in areas such as chapter conduct, neighborhood civility and risk management. Individual awards were also given as well as highlight awards.Nancy GiGiorgio, a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority said the Greek Night Out Awards serve as motivation to work hard throughout the year."We worked really hard and used the awards to set our goals and really come together as a chapter," she said.

Senior Reporter Cece Wildeman can be reached at news@collegian.com.

Toledo Sig Eps Win Big at Songfest 2008

Ohio Iota Sig Eps Win Songfest Two Years in a Row

Here is the link to the UT SigEp Songfest champions this year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBndbT0FkdU&feature=related

Austin Peay Sig Ep Wins Omega Scholarship

APSU student Marc Bady receives scholarship from Order of Omega

Tina M. Massey

Marc Bady, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity at Austin Peay State University, received a scholarship from Order of Omega, a national honor society that recognizes students who have attained a high standard of leadership in inter-Greek activities.Bady, Clarksville, serves as the president of the Iota Chi chapter of Order of Omega, as well as chief justice of APSU’s Student Government Association.“It's such a privilege to be nominated by my chapter for this award and then to receive recognition from the National Order of Omega headquarters. The credit goes to Austin Peay State University for continuing to give me opportunities to thrive in both Greek life and academia,” Bady said.Bady will be recognized publicly for his achievements during Student Life and Leadership’s spring scholarship reception on Monday, April 14.

San Diego State SigEps tops in GPA

The SigEp chapter at San Diego State had the top GPA on Campus this year.

Academically, the chapters with the highest grade point averages were Sigma Phi Epsilon, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Pi Sigma and Kappa Alpha Psi.

Psychology junior D.J. Sheehan of Sigma Phi Epsilon said it was a great accomplishment for their house and showed what it house stands for.

"We adhere to the codes of conduct of our house and every year we raise the standard for ourselves and everyone else on campus," Sheehan said.

Individuals in the Greek community were honored for their cumulative GPA. Jonathan Tucker of Sigma Phi Epsilon, Lauren Stevenson of Gamma Phi Beta, Deneice Chideme of Sigma Lambda Gamma and LaKeisha Nacoste of Zeta Phi Beta held the highest grades this semester.

GREEK BEAT: Greeks awarded at Unity Night - City

IU Sig Ep Wins Top Fraternity Award for 2nd Year

Indiana Sig Eps Win Chapter Standards of Excellence Award

Last night at the Indiana University Greek Awards Ceremony, SigEp was able defend its honor as the chapter of the year by winning the "Chapter Standards of Excellence Award" for the 2nd year in a row.

To be even considered for the top chapter at IU, our fraternity had to receive a top excellence rating for each of the five categories.

SigEp received the top Excellence rating in:
a. Values Education and Commitment
b. Academic Support and Scholarship
c. Leadership Development
d. Brotherhood and Sisterhood
e. Citizenship

By receiving top honors in these five categories, our chapter was able to be recognized with the Chapter Standards of Excellence Award. It isthe "highest fraternity honor at Indiana University". - Dean RichardMcKaig

We should all be proud of the work that we have done. We should all be proud we have decided to live a life with high standards and values. We should all be proud we strive to become Balanced Men. We should all beproud that we are SigEps.

Damn Proud,
JPW
Jacob P. Wick
President,
Sigma Phi EpsilonIndiana University
jpwick@indiana.edu(216)233-8494

UNK Sigma Phi Epsilon Chapter Earns Top National Award for Third Time

Publicity - better late than never.

This is a good recap of the chapter's accomplishments. The article not only points out the Bucannan Cup, but goes on the note various community service projects and other related honors and awards.

This is the third year the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity has received one of the highest ranking national awards for their chapter.

The UNK Chapter has been awarded the Buchanan Cup, which is given to those Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternities that rank in the top 10 percent in the nation. Sigma Phi Epsilon is the largest college fraternity nationally with more than 14,000 undergraduate members at 260 chapters across the United States. Of the seven fraternities on the UNK campus, the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter is one of the largest.

If your chapter has someone who is good at putting this type of PR together you have a valuable asset. If not you should look into finding or training someone.

UNK SIGMA PHI EPSILON CHAPTERS EARNS TOP NATIONAL AWARD FOR THIRD TIME

Congrats to Cal Alpha

We received this note from Alex Randolph tonight...

Brothers,

I want to congratulate my brothers at Cal Alpha for winning big at the 2007 UC Berkeley First Annual Greek Awards .

The Chapter won the following:

• Fraternity New Member Development: Sigma Phi Epsilon
• Fraternity Community Service Award: Sigma Phi Epsilon
• Chapter of Excellence: Sigma Phi Epsilon
• Chapter of the Year: Sigma Phi Epsilon

Our chapter the most awards of any chapter and even was voted CHAPTER OF THE YEAR!

The brothers at UC Berkeley continue striving to make SigEp the best fraternity on campus. All those four awards show the value of the Balance Man Program and the quality guys it develops not only at Berkeley but around the country as well. Congratulations to Chapter President Nevin Trehan and all the Cal Alpha brothers for achieving this amazing milestone.

HFF,

Alex Randolph
Cal Alpha '06

UCA fraternity wins national Outstanding Chapter Award - UCA Today

Here is an excellent example of how a well written press release can get "good ink" for your chapter.

UCA fraternity wins national Outstanding Chapter Award

The Arkansas Zeta Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity at the University of Central Arkansas was awarded the highest individual chapter honor during its 52nd biannual Conclave in Atlanta, Georgia. The Buchanan Outstanding Chapter Award recognizes chapters that excel in all areas of chapter operations, including academics, recruitment, finances and member development.

SigEp has consistently ranked first in academics and membership among all UCA fraternities. Most recently, the chapter's cumulative grade point average was 3.25, which exceeds by 0.4 points the University’s interfraternity council average of 2.85. With over 100 members, the chapter maintains active campus and community involvement, serving in active roles with student government, with the University’s new student orientation program, and in philanthropic efforts to raise money for the Fraternity’s national charity, YouthAIDS.

Founded in 1901 in Richmond, Virginia, Sigma Phi Epsilon is the largest collegiate fraternity with more than 14,000 undergraduate members at 260 chapters nationwide. With its commitment of "building balanced leaders for the world's communities," the national fraternity devotes nearly $1 million annually to support its educational and developmental programming.

Note how the specific reason for the notice is first, followed by more general information about the chapter, and finally the standard "boilerplate" - one paragraph of the history and distinctive characteristics of the national fraternity.

UCA fraternity wins national Outstanding Chapter Award - UCA Today

Conclave: New Grand President's Remarks

Conclave: Alumni Awards Dinner
Originally uploaded by SigEp One.

Steve Shanklin, our new Grand President, was kind enough to provide a copy of his acceptance/inaugural speech from the Saturday night Awards Dinner.

On the Shoulders of Giants - Conclave 2007

The Official Story

We posted names of Conclave honorees earlier, but here are links to the releases from HQ:

• Order of the Golden Heart
• Sigma Phi Epsilon Citation
• New Grand President

Awards Banquet Update

Update from the Awards Banquet:

• Steve Shanklin has been elected as the new Grand President of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Three alumni were awarded the Order of the Golden Heart:

• Archie Yeatts(*)
• Steve Taylor
• Shawn McKenna

* The nominating committee admitted they "broke the rules" by awarding the OGH to a sitting national officer, but they felt it was warrented.

Old, Grumpy, Has-beens

The "Face time with the OGH" session was well attended in every sense. There was practically standing room only in the room and 9 recipients of the Order of the Golden Heart formed an ad-hoc panel to talk about how and why they have given so much time and energy to the Fraternity. The crowd was all ears as each OGH told how he came to be committed to "working in the vineyards" of individual chapters.

The audience was then invited to ask questions. Chuck Eberly responded to one question about behavior by saying that heavy drinking is often a response to "the hegemonic expectation of manhood" (I hope I got that right!). In other words they do it because it is expected of them. "You aren't a man if you can't hold your liquor" would be one way that is expressed.

The questions and answers were provocative, thoughtful, and spin-free. These guys have no reason to prevaricate. They have already done it all. It was a wonderful way to prepare for lunch.

CSU President Honors Greeks

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY’S PHI DELTA THETA, PI BETA PHI CHAPTERS RECEIVE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL GREEK VISION AWARDS

FORT COLLINS - Colorado State University's Phi Delta Theta fraternity chapter and Pi Beta Phi sorority chapter were each honored with the first ever Presidential Greek Vision Awards during the annual Greek Night Out awards ceremony on campus recently.

The awards, created this year by Colorado State President Larry Edward Penley, aim to elevate the image and standing of the Colorado State Greek community and promote leadership and involvement on campus. "I am proud of the commitment and sense of purpose exhibited by all the chapters that submitted proposals for the Greek Vision Award," Penley said. "It speaks to the character and the spirit of community embodied in our Greek system at CSU.

"Creation of the award was inspired by a meeting Penley hosted last fall with campus fraternity leaders. At that meeting, they discussed the university's expectations of its Greek community, as well as the challenges faced by Greek leaders on campus. "These organizations have a long history of positive involvement on our campus, and yet they're not eligible for the same types of student-fee funding available to other student organizations," Penley said. "These awards recognize the great capacity of these organizations to have an important, positive impact on our university. They also provide some resources to support outstanding Greek projects that will benefit our entire campus.

"The winning fraternity and sorority submitted the strongest proposals for projects intended to enhance Colorado State's Greek system and its overall contributions to the university and community. Each of the winners will receive a traveling trophy and a $5,000 grant to implement their projects on campus during the next academic year.

Phi Delta Theta will support programming and training to enhance sexual assault awareness at Colorado State, especially among members of the Greek system. Pi Beta Phi will host a community networking event open to all Colorado State students that will bring them together with successful Colorado State alumni. The Office of the President selected the winners from a pool of proposals that were submitted by Colorado State fraternities and sororities.