Psi continues to thrive and the chapter continues to grow. Our collegiate membership now totals 60+ young men from all over North Carolina and the USA. The fall 2012 recruitment class included 17 young men, and many of them have already taken leadership positions and active roles within the chapter. They have rededicated themselves to making sure we stay in contact with you and keep you abreast of what is happening at Psi Chapter at UNC.

Over the past two years, spearheaded by the efforts of Bob James '65 (Psi 932), we have grown our fall tailgate series to include each home game during football season. Bob has worked diligently to build an active email distribution list of over 250+ Psi alumni. This effort has produced some fantastic fellowship opportunities for Psi alumni to reconnect at the chapter house and to meet our collegiate brethren and build new relationships. This coming fall, we will celebrate the 125th Anniversary of Psi Chapter of Sigma Nu. Details are still evolving, but we hope to have everything put together by early spring so you can mark your calendar to attend the festivities.

 

We continue to make much needed improvements to the chapter house each and every year. Our most recent efforts have included the following:

• Sanding and refurbishing the floors in the Henry Clark Chapter Room.
• Stone based hardscape patio in the front of house.
• Complete landscaping of the grounds.
• Sanding and refurbishing the floors in the Coxhead Wing.
• Complete kitchen remodel.
• Installation of the Walk Way of Honor.
• Remodel of basement space into TV room and computer lounge (currently under construction).

Again, by the efforts of Bob James, the Walk Way of Honor began to take shape in spring 2012. You can still purchase a brick to honor yourself or another brother, or to memorialize our brothers who are deceased. The walk was installed this past summer, and adding bricks is easy. If you would like to purchase a brick, send $150 to me at 404 Greenfern Court, Burlington, NC 27215 with the information you want inscribed on the brick. You are limited to three lines of 13 characters each including spaces, hyphens, etc. The proceeds of the brick campaign go to reduce our capital projects cost or to reduce debt on the house.

The Psi Home Association's financial status is solid. Though our income is based on the dues from the collegiate chapter, we have been operating at a break-even status or slightly in the black since our return to campus in 2006. Our dues, housing fees and food cost are not the cheapest of the Greek houses, but we are generally in the average range for most. We are still a great bargain when it comes to campus housing or off-campus apartment living. Our total secured debt is just under $200,000. Interest rates continue to help us in being able to handle the debt. Our long range goal and desire would be to amortize the debt completely and to begin to build an escrow for capital projects and to add to the endowment for the Henry T. Clark Scholarship Fund.

Some years ago, there was a concerted effort by House Corporation presidents of the IFC fraternities to organize and meet regularly to provide guidance and a collective resource to the IFC fraternities at UNC. Our efforts paid many dividends, especially in the early years, in the area of housing safety, fire prevention, sprinkler installation, governance, recruitment and other issues affecting all houses. These efforts culminated in a comprehensive review of the Greek system, and recommendations were made to the UNC administration in many areas. I'm sorry to report that since those recommendations were made and a reorganization of the entire area of student affairs within the administration was complete, none of the recommendations were adopted. Our relationship with the University deteriorated to a situation of the Greek community being dictated to in regards to what we would do and would not do. Though we have a good director in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Community Involvement, my hopes of a cooperative effort by all IFC houses, sororities and Greek councils to make a profound cultural change in these organizations no longer exist. Because of this situation, it is imperative that Psi alumni provide a constant and diligent mentoring role to the active chapter. Those chapters that have involved alumni at all levels are the ones who sustain their memberships and thrive in a very volatile campus community. I am personally thankful to have Bob James, Josh Weeks '74, Mark Cramer '76, Nick Varunok, David Crispin and Michael Crook as members of the Alumni Advisory Board. These men dedicate their time to making sure Psi Chapter continues within the tenets of Love, Honor and Truth.