On the Offense

The Fraternity’s most-honored player of the 2010 college football season was co-captain GREG McELROY who led Alabama to its 10-3 season, including a Capitol One Bowl win over Michigan State. Among his honors were ESPN Academic All-American of the Year, NCAA Top VII Award, National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete and finalist for the Campbell Trophy. He was also named to the North-American Interfraternity Conference All-Fraternity All-American first team. McElroy completed 222 of 313 passes for 2,987 yards and 10 touchdowns, with best games of 27 of 37 for 377 yards, five TDs versus Auburn and 27 of 34 for 315 yards, two scores against South Carolina. ANTHONY DESALVA of Gettysburg won All-Centennial Conference first team honors as a return specialist (33 kickoffs for a 26.0 average), ran 149 times for 626 yards, eight TDs and led the CC with 157.6 all-purpose yards per game. MATT WILLIAMS of Willamette rushed for 244 yards and averaged 20 yards per catch.

Co-captain SCOTTY McKNIGHT led Colorado with 50 receptions for 621 yards, seven TDs; was named to the NIC All-Fraternity All-American first team; and earned All-Big 12 honorable mention. He was the team’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player for the third straight year and was co-winner of the Career Achievement Award. McKnight became Colorado’s career leader with 215 catches and 22 TDs. GREG FINGER was Westminster’s third-leading receiver with 22 for 339 yards and on the All-UMAC third team. Tight end JOSEPH FAURIA of UCLA played every game and caught two touchdown passes. Leading 12-1 Stanford’s offensive line to an Orange Bowl win and number-five ranking was NIC All-Fraternity All-American first-team guard ANDREW PHILLIPS, who also gained All-Pac-10 mention. Other standouts included All-Centennial second team tackle JAMES MONREALE of Gettysburg; All-UMAC first-team tackle WILL LAMKIN, a Westminster co-captain; All-SCAC honorable mention guard WILL PATTERSON of Rhodes and three-year starting center JACK SHEEHAN of Westminster.

On the Defense

The top player was Cal-Berkeley co-captain/linebacker MIKE MOHAMED, an NIC All-Fraternity All-American first-teamer, All-Pac-10 first-team selection, winner of the Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete Award and a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete. He led the Bears with 95 tackles, forced two fumbles and was Lott Impact Player of the Week versus Colorado after a career-tying 14 tackles and 41-yard interception return for a TD. UCLA linebacker SEAN WESTGATE was second with 90 tackles and gained All- Pac-10 honorable mention. He led with 11 tackles for losses, was co-leader with four sacks and broke up seven passes. Our other first team linebackers included All-Northwest Conference first-teamer HARMON BRUNO, ranking third with 51 tackles, and AUSTIN MARCUM of Rhodes, who was fifth with 44 stops and won All-SCAC mention.

Leading the backfield is NIC Divisions II/III All-Fraternity All-American first-team pick ARLIN TAYLOR of Willamette, who also won All-NWC first team selection. He picked off four passes, ranked fourth with 43 tackles and ran a fumble recovery in for a TD. RYAN BEARD of Western Kentucky ranked second on the squad with 71 tackles, and Willamette’s JEFF KAHLER was a key player. All-SCAC second-teamer PETE BILAN of Rhodes led with three interceptions, ranked second with 80 stops and deflected nine passes. Leading the defensive line is All-NWC first team pick WALTER ROBINSON of Willamette, who had 59 tackles, including team highs of 13 for losses and five sacks. He was also on the NIC DII/III All-Fraternity first team and played in the NCAA DIII All-Star Game in Mexico. Joining him is teammate JUAN ALVARADO, who also on the All-NWC first team. LARRY DELVISCIO of Gettysburg was on the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll and was co-leader with 92 tackles, including 12.5 for losses.

You joined a fraternity to make lifelong friends and learn leadership skills. Then one day, one of your brothers sends you a text message saying, “Run for an office at SAE! You would be great!” Chapter elections come and go. You get elected to an office. You go through a transition with the current officer, and the three-ring binder chocked full of forms and paperwork is passed to you like a baton at a relay meet. You feel like you have all the tools to be a leader in the chapter. Then you get a phone call or meet some older guy at a chapter meeting who says he’s your adviser. Huh? No one said anything about having an adviser.

A few years later …

You joined a fraternity to make lifelong friends and learn leadership skills. Sound familiar? Graduation happens, you begin to build a career, maybe you get married—and then the phone rings. It’s the brother you haven’t heard from in years, or it’s an alumnus from a nearby campus who somehow got your name and phone number. He starts reminiscing about all the great times you must have had in college and the strength of brotherhood, and perhaps the memories start flooding back to happy, carefree days at the chapter house. And then he asks, “Would you consider becoming an adviser at the chapter?” Huh? No one said anything about becoming an adviser.

Here’s a little-known fact. This is typically the way the relationship starts between a collegiate member and a Sigma Alpha Epsilon adviser. It feels a little awkward: the boundaries for the relationship aren’t very well-established, but you’re both expected to work together. How is that possible?

The good news is that obviously you have the bond of brotherhood, shared collegiate experiences and the special “glue” of brotherhood that has held fraternity men together for years. As a board chairperson and veteran adviser to both a sorority and fraternity, I’ve learned a few things over the years to help create healthy relationships between collegiate officers and alumni advisers. Too often I’ve seen these undergraduates and alumni thrown together with little direction or guidance. It’s kind of like dating: You meet, get to know each other and, it’s hoped, begin to support each other.

Frankly, I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the years too. But, here are a few ideas that are tried and true. Plus, they work.

If you’re an adviser:

Advisers give collegiate chapter members the support they need to accomplish their goals, reach their potential, live their values and see their vision fulfilled. Sure, it may sound idealistic. But advisers also help officers deal with nasty problems, think critically about big decisions and always, always keep the health of the chapter first. If you are new to the adviser role, there are a few expectations you need to understand.

1. Learn your collegiate officer’s job. Get the job description for the officer you are advising. Understand what is expected of him in this role. What forms does he need to complete? Are there big deadlines he has to meet? What normally gets in the way of his being able to do his job?
2. Communicate. You are the liaison between the chapter and the Fraternity. You need to be proactive with your collegiate officer. Ask about his class schedule. When is the best time to talk, or does he communicate better with text messages or e-mail? Set up a time, at least once a month, to talk face to face.
3. Be present. Attend advisory board meetings. Bring a quick report of what is going on with your officer to the meeting. If you can, show up at a chapter meeting or pop in for dinner with the chapter. Commit to participating.
4. Be respectful of the chapter and campus culture. If you are working with a chapter at a university or college that you did not attend, do a little research. Start reading the student newspaper, ask your officer what’s going on at the school and find out how the Greek-letter system is viewed.
5. Lead with integrity. You are a role model, so act like one. Be vigilant about values such as responsibility, trust, honesty, fairness and caring.
6. Know the boundaries. Be sure that you understand the Fraternity policies, chapter by-laws and local rules and regulations so you can help your officer be successful.
7. Avoid saying “When I was an SAE…” or “When I was an undergrad…” I have news for you. Times have changed. Flashbacks to your collegiate experience may not necessarily be relevant to what is going on today. Try not to use your fraternal experience as a model for today’s fraternal experience.

If you’re a collegiate officer:

1. Know your job. Take the time to understand what you are supposed to do in your office. You’ll need to know what is expected of you, what dates and deadlines are critical, etc.
2. Communicate with your adviser. I can’t count the number of times when a collegiate member had a problem and let it fester for days before contacting an adviser. Don’t wait. Find out the best way to reach your adviser (before work, after work, weekends). Does he prefer e-mail, text or phone? Be respectful of his time—and realize his communication preferences may differ greatly from yours. Many generations prefer faceto- face contact or phone calls versus text messages.
3. Return e-mails/text/voicemails. Sounds simple, right? Do it. Too often I’ve had to chase down officers or members to get an answer to a question. Set a goal to return a call within 24 hours. If you plan to have a professional career when you graduate, you should expect to become vigilant in your response time.
4. Think through a problem or challenge first. Then call your adviser. This rule works great in business, too. Have a problem? Come with a solution. Your adviser may not be up to speed on your by-laws or fraternity rules so always try to come with a solution to the problem. Chances are good that you can both find an answer.
5. Be honest. Be authentic. Most advisers work with collegiate chapters because they so enjoy watching young men learn how to lead and build skills that will take them from the classroom to the boardroom. If you have a great relationship with your adviser, just be yourself. Take the time to learn about your adviser, his family or his job—and you may find you may have more in common than you thought.

The most successful chapters understand the impact on a chapter from having strong relationships with collegiate officers and advisers. Just like other rewarding relationships in your life, if you put the time, energy and attention into it, both you and your chapter will see the benefits.

Kristin Wing is advisory board chairperson for Sigma Alpha Epsilon and was previously board chairperson for the Beta Kappa chapter of Delta Gamma at the University of Kansas. She can be contacted on Facebook or at kwing@kc.rr.com.

Ask yourself this question: How do universiti es and the general public view fraternities? I would guess that most of our readers would answer that both groups see us in a negative way. Allow me to be more accurate and say that a great number of chapters do act responsibly and are good citizens on their respective campuses and in their communities. But based upon my experience for nearly 20 years, I believe many members continue to abuse alcohol and violate our risk-management policies.

How can we change this behavior? We certainly have provided education to our chapters through Regional Director visits, resources available on our websites, our risk-management guide in Minerva’s Shield, webinars and Leadership Schools to name a few. However, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is one definition of insanity. Our educational efforts have not changed the negative behavior of many of our chapter members. Though I’m not advocating ceasing our educational efforts, I’m merely saying those efforts haven’t made enough of a difference to see a change in behavior. Some people might say that enforcing our Fraternity Laws will solve alcohol-abuse problems. But think of it this way. Would the same be true for law-enforcement agencies if they enforced the legal drinking age? Would problems be solved? The issue goes deeper. I believe the problem with alcohol abuse is societal and not something that law enforcement can cure. In the same way, the Fraternity is limited on the enforcement we can provide. We most certainly have updated Minerva’s Shield and added additional fines to encourage compliance with our risk-management policies. The Supreme Council maintains a zero-tolerance policy and has closed chapters and expelled entire memberships for behavior inconsistent with our creed and regulations. I honestly believe our new fine system may have a greater effect on our chapters than the application of discipline or expulsion of members.

What else can we do to change negative behavior by our chapters and their members? The answer: refocus. We started an effort to refocus with this year’s inaugural DeVotie Ritual Institute, which places our fraternal values at the forefront of our membership activities. When you make the effort to refocus, you must also change the current focus. In the case of our chapters, alcohol had become the focus of social and fraternal values. Collegiate members may turn to alcohol and parties for recruitment efforts, which is the complete opposite goal of Noble Leslie DeVotie and our Founding Fathers. Professional studies and surveys show undergraduate students are abusing alcohol through binge drinking despite the best efforts of their parents and universities. I believe that many of our chapters think alcohol is the sine qua non of fraternities. If you take alcohol away, many of our members believe they will eventually have to close shop. If that’s true, what does that belief say about the young men we are recruiting? Yet I don’t believe all undergraduates feel the same way about alcohol. On average, only 10 percent of college men participate in fraternity recruitment these days, which means we are missing an opportunity with 90 percent of our market. Perhaps you think they’re deterred for financial reasons, but I believe they don’t consider fraternities because of the stigma regarding alcohol abuse and hazing. If you do a Google search for “Sigma Alpha Epsilon” or any number of fraternities, chances are you’ll find articles that are negative or that focus on hazing or alcohol abuse.

So how do we change chapter behavior and refocus on fraternal values? One major step is by removing alcohol from chapter houses across the Realm. That way, you take the chapter’s focus off alcohol and relegate it to a portion of social events. What’s left, then, is a chapter house with fewer broken windows and holes in the wall; cleaner, non-sticky and non-smelly floors; and an environment in which college-aged men want to live and relax. Men can study, young members will want to live in the house and residents can be proud to have their family and friends visit them at the house.

The New Orleans Alumni Association reached a milestone this summer with one of the most highly touted events, one that grew from a small field of local chapters into a nationwide event. This summer, the SAE World Series celebrated its 25th anniversary. More than two decades after it started, the tournament continues to allow brothers to venture to the Big Easy for camaraderie both on the field and in the town.

Over the past 25 years, the event enjoyed its high point and had 32 all-SAE teams in 1993 for an average of 20 teams per year. The event has twice been the centerpiece activity of the national convention both in 1993 and 2009. And the World Series is open to any active or alumni team on which every player must be a member.

In 2010, 20 teams competed for the coveted title of Eminent Supreme Champions on a hot summer New Orleans weekend. Province Theta Archon James Irwin threw out the ceremonial first pitch – resulting in a perfect strike – to begin play after all attendees sang “The Star Spangled Banner” in unison. Competition started on Friday night under the lights as the defending champion Southwest Texas Alums teams got warmed up with a 23-0 thrashing of the host-committee team, the Rejects. Across the softball complex, the Southern Mississippi Alums whipped the host committee’s other team, the Rejects II, by a score of 20-2. The umpire had all he could handle as tournament newcomers from the active chapter at Cal State-San Marcos defeated the powerhouse alumni team from Christian Brothers University 12-11 in a stunning upset. The Cal State-San Marcos chapter had been in New Orleans for more than a week doing post-Katrina home rebuilding and acclimating themselves to the Louisiana summer humidity. The always spirited chapter from Nicholls State University from down the road in Thibodeaux fielded three teams in the event, and its A team cruised to an 18-1 victory over the Southern Mississippi actives. James Irwin led the Nicholls Alums to an 18-10 win over the state rival Tulane chapter. Later that night, the Southern Mississippi Alums upset last year’s runner-up Troy University Alums 17-12 in a shootout. Steve Birk’s always tough South Florida Alums team beat the local Tulane Alums 17-7, and then the Nicholls State Alums 14-6 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Teams returned to the field on Saturday morning with consolation-round games going until noon, when the quarterfinals began. Defending champion Southwest Texas Alums took another step toward a repeat beating as they whomped the West Florida Alums 23-10 and then beat the South Florida Alums 17-8 in the semifinals. The strong Nicholls State A team woke up the Cal State-San Marcos squad 15-3 but then lost a nail-biter to the Southern Miss Alums 4-3 in the semis. In the consolation round, the San Marcos team eliminated last year’s runner-ups from Troy University 6-1 and proved that it was in the hunt. The Nicholls A team then knocked out San Marcos 13-9 in a game that had the lead change three times.

In the winner’s bracket, defending champion Southwest Texas Alums team captain Geoff Harris fired up his team in the finals to defeat the Southern Miss Alums 8-0, and a repeat championship looked very likely. The Southern Miss Alums then dropped to the consolation bracket and won and got another chance at the Southwest Texas Alums but would have to win twice because of the tournament’s double-elimination format. Harris and his Southwest Texas team would not be denied a repeat as they scored early and often en route to a 9-3 victory over the Southern Miss Alums to become the 25th Annual ΣAE World Series champions. The team voted to give the tournament MVP award to fellow chapter alumnus Jason Fannin, who could not make the trip at the last minute because of the untimely passing of his father.

After the softball tournament, everyone ventured to New Orleans’ historic French Quarter for a post-tournament reception in keeping with its strong tradition.

To see all the photos of the 2010 tournament, as well as information and scores from the World Series’ history, visit www.saeworldseries.com.

To see hundreds of other photos from the 74th Leadership School,
visit the Fraternity’s collection on Flickr.

To a brother who hasn’t attended Leadership School, attempting to describe the experience often falls short — like one generation explaining the 1963 Kennedy assassination, or even the events of 9/11, to future generations. The camaraderie, the brotherhood, the sheer experience of being on a cruise ship with nearly 600 men with whom you share a sacred bond. These are the things that make Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s experience different from things only read in a book or heard in a classroom.

It’s obvious that those who attend the John O. Moseley Leadership School are there to learn — from their assigned faculty member, from each other, from themselves. The curriculum provides a structure for this type of offbeat learning, and flexibility is a virtue in such a situation. “No matter what happens, the undergrads make it the best experience of their life,” Eminent Supreme Archon Marty Wiglesworth says. “They feed off each other, and they learn from each other. And we shepherd them along.”

The “we” Wiglesworth referred to is a large group. It includes the faculty, the staff, the leaders, the ambassadors — and, more generally, the Fraternity at large. The mechanics are simple: Undergraduates attend the school while other undergraduates and select alumni spend time teaching, helping and molding those active members. In reality, though, the process is rarely simple. How does the Fraternity ensure it’s giving the attendees the right programming? How can you prioritize the idea of “learning” over the idea of “leadership,” or vice versa? How do you keep track of nearly 600 college-aged men in the midst of 1,600 other people on a cruise ship?

Those questions don’t have easy answers. To find out about the issue, however, we spoke to five brothers, each representing a different group: Ignacio Belmonte, a colony member who is just learning about the role Sigma Alpha Epsilon could play in his chapter’s life. Steve Knapp, who was attending for the third time as an undergraduate before he continues his leadership training in the Army. Patrick Fredricks, who was selected as an ambassador, an active member of promise who assisted the faculty and staff with their roles. Joe Laux, a three-time faculty member who enjoys giving back to the Fraternity and telling stories for the newer members to emulate. And ESA Marty Wiglesworth, a man who has seen years of Leadership Schools come and go, who has been with the Fraternity for decades and who now leads it as its national president.

Each man had a unique story to tell, but all those stories were woven from the same threads. They shared the camaraderie of getting on a boat in the Port of San Diego for a four-day cruise, and for many of them, it’s about the connections. “The best part is meeting other brothers from other parts of the country,” Knapp says. “We may have different issues in our chapters, but they’re all the same on some level.”

To see hundreds of other photos from the 153rd Anniversary Convention,
visit the Fraternity’s collection on Flickr.

In the summer, New Orleans is a city where anything can happen. The steamy bayou textmperatures give way to muggy evenings, where a carriage ride can show visitors the ghosts that haunt the historic French Quarter and where parades of jazz bands through the streets give hint of a tradition that, despite being created nearly 300 years ago, is still very much alive. It was no accident that a convention that would continue to shape Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s history and heritage was held there — in the depths of that summer heat.

In the short time between July 30 and August 1, 2009, more than 400 brothers met in the Big Easy for the 153rd Anniversary Convention of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, ready to perpetuate the business of Fraternity and to elect the men who would lead them for the next two years — either as the Supreme Council or on the board of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation or the SAE Financial & Housing Corporation. The event kicked off in style, with convention co-chairmen Province Theta Archon James Irwin (Nicholls State ’05) and director of the SAE World Series Geary Mason (Louisiana State ’84) leading a parade of men from the New Orleans Area Alumni Association through the luncheon hall. The eight brothers were dressed as Mardi Gras revelers, hiding their faces with veils and masks in true Carnivale style. “Having the convention return to New Orleans was an incredible honor,” Irwin said. “It allowed those of us in the area to share our Southern hospitality and rich culture.”

But while the festive mood continued, delegates knew it was time to get down to business, and that first order of business is always the election of the Fraternity’s leadership for the upcoming biennium. While many of the elections were uncontested there was some good and vigorous debate about the men best qualified and prepared to serve the organization with their time and expertise. In the manner of most previous conventions, debates could be heated at times. Tough questions were asked: Who has the best plan for alumni networking? How would each candidate’s proposals affect undergraduate dues? But in the end, fraternal camaraderie won the day as five men, along with honorary Eminent Supreme Archon Robert A. Dickinson, were slated to join the ranks of the Supreme Council. The Foundation and F&H boards, too, presented their slates of candidates to reaffirm their leadership for the next biennium.

At that point, the most contentious part of the 153rd Anniversary Convention was over. But now delegates had to deal with the long, tedious and very necessary part of business — that of picking through the 66 law proposals that faced the books. And, just like in previous conventions, those proposals ran the gamut from mere housekeeping amendments to existing law, all the way to changing the structure of the Supreme Council by adding an undergraduate member — a proposal that required two full pages in the Phi Alpha, the official convention booklet, ten legal subsections and an appendix to fully explain. While that initiative did not pass the vote on the convention floor, some notable changes to Fraternity law did take place, including changes to the duties of Province Archons and the Council of Province Archons, as well as measures calling for the expulsion of members who knowingly reveal Fraternity secrets — a necessity in a world of digital information that can effectively mask the original source.

And in what must surely be a record in Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s history, the New Orleans convention marked the second consecutive lawmaking meeting that finished its business early. Former Eminent Supreme Archon M. Todd Buchanan, filling his last official duty in his leadership role, kept the sometimes unruly floor on task. He did have some help, though, in breaking up the monotony of voting and parliamentary procedure. Four Distinguished Service Awards were given at convention — three during business sessions and one at the final banquet — each celebrating the life of an important brother and volunteer, featuring a “This is Your Life”-style video presentation created by the Fraternity Service Center.

To see hundreds of other photos from the 24th annual SAE World Series,
visit the Fraternity’s collection of convention and World Series pictures on Flickr.

Despite months of preparation, sometimes Mother Nature forces a change in plans at the last minute. This year’s SAE World Series, the 24th time the event has been held, was slated to take place in conjunction with the 153rd Anniversary Convention — as both events would be in New Orleans in late July. The convention, which started on the evening of July 30, featured a kickoff ceremony to get the attendees ready for the Fraternity’s annual softball tournament. But heavy rains took their toll on the playing fields, forcing the tournament’s host committee to switch to a different venue — the sports complex’s adjacent soccer fields.

Ron Rigamer and Geary Mason, the tournament’s directors, had to make the last-minute preparations. Players from more than 20 teams from around the country pitched in to move the soccer goals and to set up bases and infield lines on the wet-grass fields. With such a difficult start, play did not finish that evening until well after 11 p.m., but the late hour gave the convention attendees something to cheer about after sitting in meetings and sessions all day.

A group of middle-aged alumni who compete in the tournament year after year entered their team, the Rejects II — named for their previous incarnation, the Rejects — which is the only team to compete in each of the 24 years. While the Rejects II would lose two games that first evening, 6–2 to the Cal State-Northridge Alums and 10–0 to South Florida, other newcomers would fare better. The active members of the Birmingham- Southern chapter showed the Tulane Old Alums who was in better shape, trouncing the older members 26–2 before defeating the Louisiana Tech Alums 9–2 — placing Birmingham in the winners’ bracket. But it was the defending champion, the Nicholls State A team, who would post the most impressive scores. The men thrashed South Florida 22–6 before hitting even harder against in-state rival LSU, winning 30–1. The Nicholls State B team turned in opposite results, however. In a game where active members faced their own alumni, the B team lost 27–12 and then continued that negative streak, dropping the game to the Southern Mississippi Alums 20–3. Their less-than- impressive showing earned the members the tournament’s Last Place Award for the fourth year in a row.

All-American Offensive Team

Leading our offense is quarterback MIKE HARTLINE, who started for the 7-6 Kentucky Liberty Bowl squad. He completed 172 passes in 311 attempts for 1,666 yards and nine touchdowns. His best games were 28 of 47 for 254 yards against Middle Tennessee State; 20 of 42 for 241 yards versus Alabama; 17 of 32 for 239 yards, three TDs against Arkansas; and 19 of 31 for 204 yards versus East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl. Running back LUKE LIPPINCOTT of Nevada-Reno was a pre-season All-American candidate after being a thousand yard rusher in 2007 and started early in the season before torn knee ligaments ended his season early. The school petitioned the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility and Luke will return to the team as a graduate student this fall.

Running back DEON HORNE led Willamette to an 11-1 season and the NCAA Division III playoffs. He was named to the North-American Interfraternity Conference All-Fraternity All-American first team for Divisions II-III, the All-Northwest Conference first team and the D3football. com All-West Region second team after rushing for 988 yards (7.2 per carry) and scoring 12 touchdowns. He had 132 yards on 19 carries versus Whitworth and scored three TDs against Linfield. SCOTTY McKNIGHT was Colorado’s top receiver again and was on the NIC All-Fraternity All-American first team for Division I FBS/FBC schools. He caught 46 passes for 519 yards and five scores. Receiver DREW SHEPHERD of Willamette gained All-NWC honorable mention and tight end DAVID RODRIGUEZ of Gettyburg received All- Centennial Conference honorable mention after catching nine passes for 193 yards and two TDs.

Leading the offensive line is All-Pacific-10 first team tackle BEN MUTH of Stanford, who was also an NIC All-Fraternity All-American first selection. Teammate ANDREW PHILLIPS started at guard for the Cardinal and joins him on our first team. Tackle JAKE FORSHEY of Willamette was chosen for the Division II-III NIC All-Fraternity All-American first team, the Division III All-American second team, the All-NWC first team and the All-West Region first team. STEPHEN EDWARDS started every game in the Bucknell offensive line and was named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. Cocaptain SAM WALTHALL of Gettysburg started every contest and was named to the All-Centennial Conference second team.

All-American Defensive Team

A group of four stellar linebackers leads our defensive platoon. NIC All-Fraternity All-American first teamer MICHAEL MOHAMED of the 9-4 UC-Berkeley Emerald Bowl squad tied for second in tackles with 87, won All-Pacific-10 honorable mention and was named to the Pac-10 All-Academic first team. Mohamed was Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week against UCLA after making nine solo tackles and returning a 19-yard interception for a touchdown. NIC Division II-III All-Fraternity All- American first teamer MASON MOSBY of Rhodes was named Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-South Region second teamer. He led the squad with 118 tackles, broke up 10 passes, forced three fumbles and picked off two passes. TERRENCE HARTIGAN led Gettysburg with 81 stops and CHRIS BALLANTYNE, who ranked fifth with 54 tackles, started every game for Washington & Lee.

End TODD RINALDO won Bucknell’s George Rieu Award as the team’s outstanding defensive lineman. He was in on 38 tackles (including three sacks) and had a 40-yard interception. Tackle ANTHONY PASTORE of Gettysburg was a semi-finalist for the National Football Foundation’s Draddy Scholar-Athlete Award and was Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week against McDaniel after posting seven tackles, two sacks and an interception. Lineman LESTER JONES of Westminster was on the All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference second team after making 45 stops, including team highs of 14.5 for losses and four sacks. He was SLIAC Defensive Player of the Week versus Blackburn after making nine tackles, including five for losses and two sacks.

Leading the backfield is NIC DII-III All-Fraternity All-American first team pick TOM OLIVER of Rhodes, who was also an All-SCAC first team selection. He had 43 tackles, broke up seven passes, deflected nine balls and returned 21 punts for an 11.9 average. Safety ARLIN TAYLOR of Willamette was on the NIC DII-III All-Fraternity All-American first team, the All-NWC first team and ranked third on the team with 63 stops. He also broke up seven passes, forced three fumbles, recovered three and picked off two passes. Teammate RYAN BETTENCOURT also won All-NWC first team honors for Willamette after posting 46 tackles, a team-high 10 breakups and two interceptions. Cornerback JOHN DICKERSON of Gettysburg was in on 44 stops, led with seven pass breakups and made two interceptions, including a 43 yard touchdown return versus Hampden-Sydney.

All-American Specialists

WILLIAM HARVEY of the 12-1 Texas Fiesta Bowl champion squad handled the deep-snapping duties for the second straight year and was named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team. Gettysburg kicker JOSH HUSON was second in scoring with 53 points on five field goals and 38 extra points. He was named to the D3football. com National Team of the Week after booting a 47-yard field goal and five extra points against McDaniel. A four-year regular, he ended his career with 204 points, the second-highest kick scoring total in school and Centennial Conference history. Serving as the extra point and field goal holder for Virginia was SCOTT DEKE, who also saw action at quarterback. The main kickoff man for Gettysburg was MIKE BARRETT, who averaged 56.5 yards on 33 kickoffs.

Head Coaches

PETE CARROLL (Pacific ’73) led his 12-1 Southern California squad to a 38-24 win over Penn State in the Rose Bowl and the Trojans finished second in two final polls. MACK BROWN (Florida State ’74) took his Texas Longhorns to a 12-1 record, including a 24-21 victory over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl and wound up as the nation’s number three team. In March, he received the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. DENNIS ERICKSON (Montana State ’70) completed his second year at Arizona State and 20th as a major college head coach. His career record is now 163-74-1. CHRIS AULT (Nevada-Reno ’68) led his alma mater to a 7-6 record and a berth in the Humanitarian Bowl.

GREG ROBINSON (Pacific ’73) was released after his fourth season as Syracuse head coach but was hired as defensive coordinator at Michigan in late January. Head coaches at NCAA FCS schools were BOB BIGGS (UC-Davis ’75) in his 16th year at his alma mater and TIM LANDIS (Randolph-Macon ’86) in his sixth season at Bucknell. In his 15th year at Mars Hill, TIM CLIFTON (Mercer ’76) led his club to a 7-4 record. Shepherd’s MONTE CATER (Millikin ’71) led his team to a 5-5 record. KEVIN KEISEL (Gettysburg ’81) led his Guilford team once again in his fourth season at the helm.

The East Coast

Dartmouth defensive tackle MAX COPELLO was in on 16 tackles and recovered a fumble. Defensive end SIM SIMMS was a member of the Pennsylvania squad. The Gettysburg chapter had a number of other SAE standouts. Offensive guard LOU MASTRINI won All-Centennial Conference second team honors. The chapter also claimed tight end A. J. PERROTTI (10 catches for 211 yards); guard ALEX BONDER (10 starts); running back ANTHONY DeSALVA and wide receiver PAT MURRAY on offense. Playing defense for Gettysburg were linebacker TIM WIDDOES (third with 71 tackles), back NICK DUERR (37 tackles), linebacker TAYLOR BYRNE (14 stops) and backs JUSTIN BLASS and BRYAN DiSABATO.

The Southeast

Playing for the 12-2 Alabama Sugar Bowl team were second team quarterback GREG McELROY, offensive guard TYLER LOVE and kicker ANDREW FRIEDMAN, who had five kickoffs for a 58.2 average. Quarterback JONATHAN DeLAUREAL was a member of the 10-3 Georgia Citrus Bowl winners. Seeing action for Virginia was fullback CURT ORSHOSKI. Wide receiver CHRIS HAYES was on the 7-6 Miami Emerald Bowl squad. Running back TRAVIS BOYD (12 games) had a 51 yard TD run versus UT-Chattanooga and wide receiver BLAKE BEELER played five games for 9-3 Wofford’s FCS playoff team. Teammate CHRIS TOMMIE, our All- American punter last year, was out with a knee injury.

The Rhodes defense featured several other standout players. Back CHIP HILLEY had 46 tackles and gained All-SCAC honorable mention, as did end MARK MATTIOLI, who made 32 tackles. Linebacker MICHAEL SULLIVAN was in on 37 stops while back PETE BILLAS had a 51 yard TD interception return and 27 tackles. Other Rhodes players were quarterback MATT UNGASHICK (28 completions for 262 yards) and back AUSTIN MARCUM (14 stops). The Washington & Lee squad included defensive lineman BEAU CRAPARO (seven games) and kicker ANDREW WILBOURNE while linebacker CHARLES THADDEUS was on the University of the South roster.

The Southwest

Defensive back EVAN BETTIS played in four games for Arkansas and quarterback JOHN NIMMO was a member of the 12-2 Oklahoma squad that played in the BCS national championship game. Linebacker HAYDEN BOWERS was a member of the 11-1 TCU squad which won the Poinsettia Bowl.

The Midwest

Eight other SAEs played for Westminster in 2008. Offensive tackle WILL LAMPKIN started nine games and was on the All-SLIAC second team. Lineman DAVID SCHATZ had six starts on offense and running back GREG FINGER was in eight games. Back BROC SILVERS made 41 tackles, broke up six passes and forced two fumbles. Back RON GRELLE had six starts and broke up four passes. Also playing for Westminster were linebacker SAM KRUSE, back STEVE WALDRON and back ETHAN GRIESEMER. Defensive tackle TODD PALMER of the 5-5 Washington- St. Louis team started every game and earned All- University Athletic Association honorable mention. Other players included offensive lineman ALEX CHIVAS of 8-2 DePauw, defensive back NICK SAVOV of Simpson and defensive lineman STEVE AYRE of Adrian.

The West Coast

Seeing action for the 12-1 Southern California Rose Bowl champs were wide receivers SCOTT STEPHENS and SEAN CALCAGNIE. SPENCER VIGOREN was also a member of the Trojans squad. Linebacker MATT RUSSI played in 12 games for the UC-Berkeley Emerald Bowl team. Offensive tackle MIKE TEPPER, a 2007 starter, missed the season with an injury. Other teammates were tight end GARY GRAFFORT and kicker NICK DEMOPOULUS. Running back ANTHONY SMITH and punter CODY BOUSEMA were members of the Wyoming squad. Wide receiver TRAVIS FOSTER was on the La Verne squad.

The Willamette squad featured 14 additional SAE players, besides the five men named to our All- American team. All-NWC honorable mention guard ROBERT GARCIA, running back MARCUS WOO (183 rushing yards, three TDs), tight end WILL POHL and running back SEAN DONAHUE were key offensive contributors. Seeing action on defense were linebacker WALTER ROBINSON (29 tackles), linebacker TREVOR LEAF, back ARTIE ARTENCIO, end MAXX KAPLAN, tackle RICKY NAJARRO, tackle CHRIS REIL and lineman ANDY ZWENG.

SAEs in the NFL

Six SAEs were on the active list during the 2008 season. Kicker MATT PRATER (Central Florida ’06) had a big season for the Denver Broncos, scoring 114 points on 25 field goals (long of 56) and 39 extra points. He kicked off 83 times for a 65.1 average. Linebacker ADAM SEWARD (Nevada-Las Vegas ’05) only played four games for the Carolina Panthers due to an injury and is now with the Indianapolis Colts. Rookie tight end CRAIG STEVENS (UC-Berkeley ’08) played in all 16 games for the Tennessee Titans and center KYLE COOK (Michigan State ’07) got into five contests with the Cincinnati Bengals. Detroit Lions quarterback DREW STANTON (Michigan State ’07) played in three games. Offensive guard BRIAN DE LA PUENTE (UC-Berkeley ’08) was on the Kansas City Chiefs active roster but never appeared in a regular-season contest.

Modernizing the Fraternity: The Conventions that Brought Us to Business

The system was broken. Eminent Supreme Archon Don Almy (Cornell 1897) knew it now more than ever. Membership had soared in the past few years and more and more local fraternities were petitioning to become chapters of SAE, producing more work than could be handled. The Supreme Council was overwhelmed. Council members were finding it increasingly difficult to find enough time to dedicate to their regular occupations, family needs and their office in the Fraternity. Almy also knew that it would be nearly impossible to find good men to join the Supreme Council. No one with the executive ability and leadership skills necessary was going to want to take a volunteer position like that. The Fraternity had become a victim of its own success.

Instead of decreased membership, as fraternity officers had expected, the Great War had actually increased the number of initiations and not a single chapter had closed. There had been 3,038 initiations since the last convention in 1916, nearly two and a half times as many initiations as were recorded between 1914 and 1916, the last reporting period. Now, on the eve of the 1919 national convention, the Fraternity was also about to report its largest-ever active membership with 83 chapters and 1,830 active collegiate members. For the duration of the war, the War Department had imposed restrictions on college fraternities that included potential closure, if it were determined necessary. Military training stations were being set up in colleges across the country and some of the fraternity’s chapters had to give up their houses for military use.

In addition to the war, the worldwide Spanish influenza epidemic was taking its toll on the fraternity. Initially, in the spring of 1918 the flu hadn’t been that severe. But that fall and winter it reemerged with unexpected severity. At the end of the outbreak, more than a half-million Americans would die from the disease and 28 percent of the population would be infected. Some universities tried to stop the spread of the Spanish flu by quarantining the campus and not delivering or sending mail. Almy and other national Fraternity officers grew frustrated that they could not get the information that they needed from some chapters. The epidemic had become so severe that the local health inspector refused to issue a permit for the December 1918 national convention to meet, as scheduled, in St. Louis. At the last minute the convention was postponed and later rescheduled for June 1919.

To make the situation even more complicated, Eminent Supreme Recorder Billy Levere (Northwestern 1898) was off serving his country and homesick American GIs in a mud-soaked YMCA cantina in France. No one had realized just how much work Levere did for the Fraternity until he went away. He had worked out a complex system that kept the central office running and made Evanston, Illinois, the heart of the Fraternity. At great personal sacrifice, former ESA Marvin Holderness (Vanderbilt 1902) had assumed Levere’s responsibilities and done a yeoman’s job as acting ESR while Levere was away. Miss Mullen, the office clerk, had been working so much overtime that Almy feared her nerves would snap. No one was conducting chapter visits. Almy advertised in the Phi Alpha for someone to temporarily fill this role, but no qualified candidates appeared. Even when Levere returned from France, there was too much work now for one man to handle, even if that man was as capable as Billy Levere.

The system had to change. The Fraternity had long passed from a volunteer-run organization to a large national fraternity with chapters across the country. It had become a business like any other. This was the 20th century, the modern era, and Almy intended to implement modern business practices and office efficiency. It would take two national conventions and countless hours to implement the centralization plan. It would be nothing short of revolutionary.

THE FIRST CHANGE: 1885

Changing the governing structure of the Fraternity was not a new practice. It had been done once before in 1885 when the Fraternity moved from the Grand Chapter system to the Supreme Council system. The Grand Chapter was a collegiate chapter that was elected at each national convention to serve as the head of the Fraternity and conduct all necessary executive tasks. But as the Fraternity grew, the work of the Grand Chapter increased. When Eminent Grand Archon James A. Glass (University of the South 1880) called the national convention to order in the Tennessee State Capitol on October 20, 1885, administration of the Fraternity was about to pass from collegiate members to alumni. Glass stated the problem: “To do the work of the Grand Chapter, as the fraternity now stands, would require the entire time and undivided attention of the officers … We, therefore, believe that even could a chapter be found ready and willing to undertake this work, it would be wrong to allow her to assume so great a responsibility.” Glass was right. It was unfair to ask a handful of college students to run a 35-chapter national fraternity. All but a few national fraternities, Alpha Tau Omega, Phi Delta Kappa, Psi Upsilon and Delta Kappa Epsilon among them, had already dispensed with the Grand Chapter system. Since at least 1883, rumblings about SAE doing the same had been heard.

By the end of the convention, a new governance structure was in place. On November 15, 1885 the Grand Chapter would hand control of the fraternity over to the Supreme Council. The six-member board, which required all members to live in the same city, would be led by the Eminent Supreme Archon. The ESA was the official head of the fraternity, treasurer, and national secretary. The remaining five Council members did not have any defined roles. The Realm would be divided into provinces, with a Grand Chapter to head each province. Adjustment to this system would be made by national conventions over the next three decades. The Supreme Council would soon include the positions of Eminent Supreme Deputy Archon and Eminent Supreme Treasurer. The 1909 convention would change the title of the Past Eminent Supreme Archon to Honorary Eminent Supreme Archon. The position of Eminent Supreme Recorder was officially created at the 1912 national convention. And, the provinces would no longer be governed by Grand Chapters but by Province Archons.

Aaron Rice, who lost a leg in Iraq. Wes Ely, a doctor and Ironman athlete. John Bulcock, the first True Gentleman of the Year. Jack Hotaling, a former Eminent Supreme Recorder. And Ken Jernigan, chairman of the National Amateur Golf Tournament. They’re five men from five different chapters, on different paths, explaining what they’ve learned — in their own words. As Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” and these are the examined ones.

Looking Back, Thinking Forward. Five stories of life, wisdom, experience and Fraternity — in their own words.