Photo credits:Â Kate Steinbach
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- Julius Young
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- Winston Myers, Tanner Garth
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- Ben Atkins
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- Actives
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- Erik Harpst
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- Steve & Mollie’s eldest, Daniel
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- The Annual Group Photo
A call to all the brothers of Iota to pony up for the remodel of our old House
From Brother Joe Abel:
This is a call to all the brothers of Iota to pony up for the remodel of our old House.
We are going to redo the Head, Kitchen, replace the Main Doors south and North, repair all the other exterior doors, replace some of the room doors upstairs, do some electrical work etc. We will have to rent a rolloff dumpster for the tear out on May 21st and have it there for the remainder of the job. We are going to have to bubble wrap the composites and store them in a climate controlled storage until we are done. Plus we will have to have a painting weekend sometime this summer to put the finishing touches on the house. We have a good contractor for the job and Norwood and I will supervise the activity, so we should not have any thing get past us.
We estimate the cost to be $ 75,000.00. This should cover the whole job. Believe it or not there is actually some stuff that has held up since the work in 2007. I have thrown is $2500 to get us started, so everybody who can afford to give something please do so.
Alan Haworth is the EC member responsible for fundraising for the House Corporation.
AEKDB
Joe Abel
Editor’s note: Use the Donate button on Iotachapter.org to make a credit card donation, or mail a donation via check to Alan Haworth, 9135 Drumcliffe Ln., Dallas, TX 75231
Stage 1 of House Renovation: Demolition Weekend, May 21st
Iota Alumni News interviewed Brother Erik Harpst by email:
What’s the tear down all about?
“We will completely remodel the kitchen and upstairs bathroom among other things. We need all the hands that we can possibly get. All composites and historical items will be removed from the house and put in climate controlled storage. This will be the first of many work weekends until August. We have a contractor to handle the big stuff.”
When will it begin?
“We will begin tear out on Saturday May 21.”
Why are we doing it?
“Our old house is a half of a century old. It needs to be in the shape worthy of a chapter that is one of the oldest in the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and ready for a couple hundred brothers and their friends to attend a historical celebration.”
Who’s in charge?
“Joe Abel is the Committee Chair of remodeling and will supervise the effort.”
Where should we stay?
“Suggested hotels in Georgetown are Country Inn and Suites and Comfort Suites.”
Reminder: Alumni Weekend, April 15-17
UPDATE 4/15: Weekend Schedule
Friday Night: House is open for alumni & guests. No formal activities.
Saturday:
10:00 AM: Welcome – enjoy coffee & donuts at the House
11:00 AM: Alumni / Active Meeting, planning for Iota’s 125th, house improvements, state of the chapter, report from the alumni association
Noon: Lunch – please plan on making a contribution for lunch, suggested at $15.
2:00 PM: Softball (see link below)
8:00 PM: House open for alumni and guests.
The Alumni Weekend XXXVIII (38 for those who don’t read Roman) is this weekend. April 15-17, 2011. We will start the ball rolling for the 125 Year Anniversary (November 4-6) and have tons of fun. Saturday as usual is the big day, great for the family, with with BBQ, softball, and sunshine.
See you at the House!
See who’s coming on the Facebook event page for Alumni Weekend.
Softball Field: Southwest Williamson County Regional Park (Address:Â 3005 County Road 175, Leander, TX, 78641)
Announcing the 125 Year Anniversay Celebration of Iota Chapter
We have the privilege and honor to officially announce the 125th Anniversary Celebration for the Iota Chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. The celebration will take place during the weekend of November 4-6, 2011 on the campus of Southwestern University in conjunction with the SU Homecoming festivities.
We have a full schedule of events planned, from casual to black-tie formal, from social to uniquely fraternal. Here’s a preview:
- Friday, November 4: Registration and Poker Tournament Fundraiser
- Saturday, November 5: SU BBQ lunch, Reception and Tower Tree Dedication, Awards & Memorabilia Receptions, Iota 125th Banquet, House Party
- Sunday, November 6: Model Initiation, Farewell Lunch, Time Capsule, Group Photo
As Fall approaches, look for emails from us with more details, additional activities, and calls for action. For now, we encourage you to do the following:
- SAVE THE DATE: Mark it on your calendar and tell your wife/significant other. An event like this only happens every 125 years.
- CONTACT YOUR PLEDGE BROTHERS: It’s great to catch up with other bros and to see how the house looks, but nothing beats sharing warrior tales with the guys who helped get you through it.
- RESERVE A ROOM: Reserve your room now and encourage other bros to do the same. Take over a wing of a hotel and plan to have housekeeping earn their pay when you pull away on Sunday.
- CONTACT US: One thing that will really help us to know who knows about this is if we hear from you. Let us know you got this email, that you know the date, and let us know the best way to reach you.
- UPDATE YOUR INFO: Make sure you don’t miss any important information by updating your contact info: https://iotachapter.org/alumni/
- ATTEND THE ALUMNI WEEKEND KICKOFF: The Alumni Weekend XXXVIII (38 for those who don’t read Roman) is April 15-17, 2011. We will start the ball (barrel?) rolling with BBQ, softball, and social refreshments.
If you have questions or need assistance in making plans, or if you would like to assist, please contact Erik Harpst or Scott Hanson. We look forward to hearing from you soon and to seeing you in November (if not before).
AEKDB,
Erik Harpst & Scott Hanson
Erik: loeran(at)aol(dot)com
Scott: j_scott_hanson(at)yahoo(dot)com
P.S. As a reminder, we strongly encourage you to make hotel reservations now. If you haven’t been back in a while, SU Homecoming draws a large crowd, so rooms are already going fast. Here are some hotel picks we’ve had good experiences with in recent years:
* Comfort Suites – Ask for the SU Homecoming Discount – 512.863.7544
* Country Inn & Suites – Less expensive (and nice) than Comfort – 512.868.8555
* Holiday Inn Express – New property, not as conveniently located – 512.591.7890
* This site claims to have 10 other G’Town Options: www.tripadvisor.com
Alumni Weekend is April 15-17th
Now save the save date.
We hope to see you at the House!
AEKDB
Homecoming 2010, Annual Alumni Meeting
The annual meeting of the Iota Alumni Association will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at the Kappa Sigma House. We encourage all active and alumni brothers to attend.
Here’s the Full Weekend Schedule: [Invitation for Iota Friends & Brothers] [SU Official Schedule]
Saturday, November 6th:
- 10 a.m.: Coffee & Donuts
- 11 a.m.: Homecoming Parade
- 11:30 -1:00: Lunch on the Mall (tix from SU)
- 3:00 p.m.: Active/Alumni Chapter Meeting
- 4:00 p.m.: Open House, The Sig House is 50 years old this year!
- 7:00 p.m.: Dinner at the House
- 10:00 p.m.: Homecoming Party for Alumni
Sunday, November 7th:
- 10:00 a.m.: Coffee & Donuts, before you head from home
Also, the actives have published a Fall Newsletter on the status active chapter: [Fall 2010 Iota Chapter Newsletter]
The Wake for Bruce
Join friends and fraternity brothers for a final festive good-bye to our dear friend Bruce W. Barrick.
This event will be:
Saturday October 23,2010
4:00 PM – we run out of stories
ARTZ RIB HOUSE
2330 South Lamar
(close to Hwy. 71)
(512) 442-8283
Information: Erik Harpst
(281) 433-3198
Update 10/17:
We are trying to get a head count . Please email, text, or call ASAP. Forward this to anyone who might be interested. Erik’s cell:281-433-3198
Joe Dowdy Frazer
We received word over the weekend from Brother Roger Davidson about the passing of Brother Frazer.
From Brother Davidson: “He was in school at the same time I was. He was on the football team, a good Kappa Sigma….attended homecoming in 2008.”
Our condolences go out to all of the family and friends of Brother Frazer on behalf of his Iota Brothers.
We’ll update this post with any links we can find on Brother Frazer and his obituary.
Alumni Dues for 2010
Brothers,
In an effort to cut costs for the Alumni Association of Iota, we are sending your invoice for the 2010 Alumni dues electronically. In the past three years since I took over fundraising for the chapter, I have gotten the actual mailing with stamps down to 100 brothers from 500.
If you have not already received an email or other notification, please print the attachment below.
Please open the attached document, print a copy, and put a check in the mail. Or, use the Donate link to the right. Dues are $100 per alumni. As I have said in the past, if everyone pays their fair share, then we don’t need to ask for extra.
That being said, as we’re starting the final push for the 125th anniversary, any extra will go toward that celebration.
If you are a recent grad or still in graduate school and need a payment schedule, please reach out to me via email. Our recurring payment system is down until further notice.
[PDF] IotaChapter_Alumni_Dues_2010
My address:
Alan Haworth
9135 Drumcliffe Ln
Dallas TX 75231
Alan Haworth Named to Elite List of Dallas Area Wealth Managers
Texas Monthly contacted a business services provider for their annual survey of financial advisors, who asked over 100,000 high net worth consumers and financial services professionals to evaluate wealth managers in the Dallas area. The final list was vetted down to a small group.
Alan Haworth was selected in the Investments section of the 2010 Five Star Wealth Managers. The link below provides the re-print of the Texas Monthly article, highlighting the 2010 Five Star Wealth Managers for Dallas, Texas. This is on the newsstands now.
Congratulations Alan!
On the Passing of our Brother Bruce W. Barrick
UPDDTE III, 7/20 – below
UPDATE II, 7/16 – below
UPDATE I, 7/15 – below
The Iota Alumni Association is saddened to report on the death of Bruce Barrick.
Available accounts report that he was found in his home in Austin today and appears to have died of natural causes.
We will keep this post updated as information on services becomes available.
____________
I encourage everyone from our community of friends and brothers to add comments to this post. Share your memories as we all prepare to say a final goodbye to our Brother Bruce.
UPDATE III
Here is the updated information on Bruce Barrick’s funeral:
AUSTIN
Visitation: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 5:00-7:00 pm
Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home
2620 South Congress Ave.
Austin, Texas 78704
512-442-1446
Funeral: Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 10:00 am
University United Methodist Church
2409 Guadalupe Street
Austin, Texas 78705
HOUSTON
Visitation: Friday July 23, 2010 4:00-6:00 pm
George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home
1010 Bering Drive
Houston, Texas 77057
713-789-3005
Funeral: Saturday, July 24, 2010 10:00 am
Glenwood Cemetery (Grave site service only)
2525 Washington Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77007
713-864-7886
UPDATE II – via Erik Harpst
Bruce’s service will now be at University Methodist Church, Brother Chuck Merrill’s church. In case you are unaware, Brother Merrill was a longtime pastor at this church and a huge supporter of Iota and all it stands for. Chuck passed away a few years ago, and after his death, Bruce began an SU scholarship fund in Chuck’s name.
Austin: Thursday July 22nd 10:00 am University Methodist Church on Guadalupe
Houston: Saturday July 24th 10:00 am George H. Lewis and Sons Funeral Home
The only possible change with the Houston date would be a time change from 10:00
to 9:00 am.We should have final updates by Monday.
I will be sending important info and updates to the official Iota web site at iotachapter.org . Check it out, there are great photos of Bruce and posts from brothers. Feel free to leave your own thoughts or memories of Bruce.
AEKDB
Erik Harpst
UPDATE I
Brothers and friends,
There are two Barrick services TENTATIVELY planned. Bruce will attend both of them.
Austin: Thursday, July 22, 2010. 10:00 am, University Christian Church, at UT (see UPDATED II above)
Houston: Saturday, July 24, 2010. 10:00 am, George H. Lewis & Sons funeral home
Bruce requested a wake. Bruce’s 60th birthday bash was at a beer hall in Austin. Maybe a similar bash would be appropriate. When it gets cooler. Like September. Seriously.
We are looking for pictures of Bruce for photo boards to be displayed at the funerals. If you have some, please email them to this address ASAP.
Bruce deserves to honored in the same way that he insisted his deceased brothers were honored. He will get that, and more.
When details are confirmed it will be passed on.
AEKDB
Erik Harpst
Bruce introduces the late Rev. Chuck Merrill
Bruce and Norwood
Bernard Schleien, Living More for Less
Thankfully Bernard had many more interesting things to say than I had prepared 
questions to ask… I’ll get better as we go I promise!
A few follow-up questions I missed: 1) Why isn’t Peru Bernard’s favorite soccer team? 2) What kind of art does he like to collect? 3) Just how did he break his arm anyway?
For answers to these questions, you’ll have to ask Bernard himself.
Please enjoy our second Iota Alumni Profile.
Bernard Schleien (Pledge – Spring 94)
After graduating with a major in history, he founded Latin America For Less in 2001 and has ever since devoted his professional life to building memories of Peru and Latin America for all. He has learned that there is much more to life than the ever so constant work day, and is one of seven founding members of Peru Futbol – a Peruvian NGO that aims to bring thousands of Peruvian children out of poverty, while instilling values through the teachings of soccer. Bernard has a love for Peru (especially Cuzco), like so many, and finds it extremely gratifying at the end of each day that he is able to sell something that he truly believes in. He has lived in Cuzco for 6 months, and goes there at least 4 times a year. Other interesting factoids about Bernard: Seinfeld fanatic, Cienciano del Cuzco soccer club team rooter, independent rock music, biking, creative writing, cooking and eating out, micro-brewed beer (beer builds better brothers).
Raheem M. Sarcar, Emerging IT Leader
This evening, I had the pleasure of interviewing my long time friend and pledge brother Raheem Sarcar via Skype.
Inspired by the initiative and social media entrepreneurship of Raheem, this post kicks off what I hope will become an enduring and valued series of “Professional Profiles†of Iota Chapter alumni.
In this recording, you’ll get the story of Raheem’s name change straight from the source. It’s a really cool story – something this PB was really glad to learn. You’ll also learn about Raheem’s work in IT and his new social media project, IT Leaders Today (http://itleaderstoday.com/).
This audio recording a.k.a. “podcast†runs about 16 minutes. It’s basically unedited. Today’s storms in North Texas caused a lost connection you’ll notice about five minutes into the interview. Enjoy and please post your comments, feedback, and ideas for future alumni profiles.
Raheem Sarcar (pledge class – Spring 95) is a systems administrator at a non-profit in New York City. In his spare time, he runs a website about leadership and management in information technology called IT Leaders Today (http://itleaderstoday.com). His interests include technology, entrepreneurship and travel. He can be reached at raheemm1@yahoo.com.
Notes from Alumni Weekend
Softball Score:
Actives – 14, Alumni – 16
Alumni Advisor-elect:
Timothy Stapleton
Graduating Seniors:
Enjoyed an ice-water bath
Awarded “A History of Kappa Sigma†(The Pharr History)
New Capital Challenge for House Repairs:
$1,000 match challenge from Brother Dan Middlebrooks – contact Alan Haworth to lend your support.
photo courtesy Heather Hanson
Alumni Weekend 2010 Schedule
UPDATE: 4/9 5:34pm Central See link below for directions to softball field.
When you arrive at the house, please register at the registration table where we will take your name, contact information, and $10 weekend contribution.
Friday April 9th
– Registration table opens on front porch @ 8:00 pm
– Friday evening there will be a casual gathering at the house. Come on by!
Saturday April 10th
– Registration table opens on front porch @ 9:00 am
– Active/Alumni chapter meeting @ 11:00 am
– Lunch @ noon
– Softball from 3:00-6:00 pm * (field: Leader-Cedar Park Youth League Park)
– Return to the house for Saturday evening fun
* Maps will be provided on Saturday to the field.
See who’s coming from Facebook.
Starting a family, AA Crenshaw looks to pass the torch
In an email to Iota alumni this week, Brother Marshal Crenshaw announced the very happy and welcome news that he and his wonderful wife Molly are expecting their first child later this year. After six years of service in the capacity of Alumni Advisor for Iota Chapter, Marshal also announced his intention to step down once a suitable replacement can be found.
On behalf of the Iota Alumni Association and six years of recent Iota actives, we’d like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Marshal.
Beginning now and through Alumni Weekend (April 9-11), we will be taking nominations and actively seeking out candidates for consideration.
If you’re interested in this role, please join us next weekend or contact any alumni/active brother or leader who submit your name as a nominee. Marshal will play an important role in selecting and training his replacement.
Alumni Weekend 2010 Set for April 9th & 10th
Alumni Weekend for the Spring of 2010 will take place over the second weekend in April, from Friday April 9 through Saturday April 10.
Program details will follow, but you can probably count on the following:
- Friday Night Poker Tournament
- Coffee & Doughnuts
- A General Active & Alumni Meeting
- Lunch on the Lawn
- Babies, Toddlers, and Kids
- Softball (field TBD)
- Your PB’s kids one year older since you saw them last year
- Dinner at your favorite spot around town
- Instrumental music and singing on the porch
- Lots of fun and fellowship
- A live band that you can dance to
- A surprise visit from someone you’ve not seen in years
You can count on a lot more too…
Mark your calendars. Make the case to your wife now. It may help to ask her to come. The kids too.
See you in April!
Feb. 6th is Iota Career Day, Area Alumni Invited to Attend
Post by J. Scott Hanson, Ph.D.
Brothers,
During the 2009 Alumni Weekend, the Alumni Association formed a committee tasked with assisting actives in preparing for life after college. In support of this effort, the Iota Chapter AA will be holding a Career Day event on February 6th. Several alumni have collaborated to plan this day of presentations and discussions addressing professional topics (see attached agenda) for the benefit of the undergraduate chapter and recent graduates.
We encourage brothers who can spare the time to join us for any or all parts of the day. Alumni attendees can assist by participating in discussions and sharing their own experiences throughout the day. We specifically encourage alumni in the Austin area to make time for the evening networking event at Fish City in Georgetown, which will be a great chance for these guys to practice networking strategies discussed during the day.
This is the first event of this kind for the chapter and for Southwestern. In fact, the Career Services Center will participate in the event and has graciously provided the venue and the food and beverages for the day. If this proves successful, the CSC is considering a similar event on a larger scale for the entire university in the fall.
When we typically gather with the active chapter, we spend much of our time talking about our life in college. This is an opportunity for us to speak to them about our lives after college and, hopefully, to help them get off to a great start.
Please mark your calendar and RSVP to Scott Hanson (j_scott_hanson@yahoo.com) by Wednesday February 3rd. We look forward to seeing you there.
AEKDB,
Scott
Actives Support Peace Conference, Continue Rob Atkinson’s Legacy
Guest post by Brother Martin Fergus:
Dear Kappa Sigma Friends & Brothers,
I am proud to announce that the 2010 National Student Peace Alliance Conference will be held at Southwestern University on February 26-28. This conference will focus on evidence-based programs that are effectively reducing and preventing violence both at an international and domestic level. The conference will bring together 500 pro-active, pro-peace and solution-oriented young people from across the country to unite around a common, and practical, goal — peace.
Such a prestigious honor for our University could not have occurred without the hard work of the recently deceased Rob Atkinson, the national legislative director for SPA, and the hard work of many other active Iota members involved in Student Peace Alliance at SU. This Conference will most certainly make an impact in Texas as well as on Kappa Sigma nationally.
As we want to make this conference as effective and impactful as possible, Kappa Sigma actives are launching a fundraising campaign to support the conference with the goal of raising $1000 by the date of the conference. We are one month away.
Please consider making a contribution to help provide the proper resources and financial support students need to make this conference exceed the University’s expectations and make a difference in Student’s lives.
You can donate at: http://www.studentpeacealliance.org/give/give or mail a check payable to “Student Peace Alliance†at The Peace Alliance, PO Box 27601, Washington, District of Columbia 20038. If you are interested in sponsoring the conference or would like more information please call 325-518-5889.
Sincerely,
Martin Fergus A.E.K.D.B.
President Student Peace Alliance Southwestern Chapter
325-518-5889
http://www.studentpeacealliance.org/conference
