The 66th Grand Chapter of Sigma Nu, our biennial legislative conclave, was held July 16-20 in Nashville, Tennessee, the home of our first Grand Chapter in 1884 at the famous Maxwell House hotel. Your Beta Theta chapter contributed to the success of this Grand Chapter in many ways.

In the opening ceremonies Wednesday night at the Country Music Hall of Fame, the state of the Fraternity and Foundation was delivered and can be seen here as a slide show.

Miller Gorrie, Beta Theta 968 and Commander when we moved from Mell Street to our present location, was
inducted into the Sigma Nu Hall of Fame. The Sigma Nu Hall of Fame honors those alumni who have brought honor to our Fraternity, our nation, and their profession. Other Hall of Fame members include Paul "Bear" Bryant, big band leader Glenn Miller, legendary Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd, Mississippi Senator Trent Lott, astronaut Vance Brand, athletes Archie Manning and Eli Manning and current United States Senator Tom Coburn. The Grand Chapter was held in Nashville's brand new Omni Hotel, built by Brasfield and Gorrie and opened less than a year ago. It was a grand venue for Grand Chapter, which was attended by more than 600 collegians from 146 chapters, alumni, and guests.

Commander James Bradley of Beta Theta, a mechanical engineering major, was a member of the Appeals and Grievances committee, chaired by Neil Gilpin, House Corporation President at the prestigious Oklahoma State chapter. Commander Bradley said:

The 66th Grand Chapter was a great learning experience for me. I was fortunate enough to bring my biological and Sigma Nu brother, Andrew, open his eyes to the national fraternity, and introduce him to brothers from all over the country. When I participated in College of Chapters in January in Virginia, I learned more about leadership and what it takes to run a chapter of Sigma Nu and felt better prepared for the challenges ahead of me. I made some great friends then and at Grand Chapter last week with other Commanders from across the country, and was able to learn some best practices from them to bring home to Beta Theta.

Some people never realize what all national headquarters does for each chapter, and how well organized our fraternity is run and that each chapter has a voice with the collegians having the largest voice of anyone in Sigma Nu. That is not the case for most fraternities.

The Appeals and Grievances committee was an excellent learning experience for me as I have never been a part of a committee similar to that in the past. We had several meetings on two different appeals, and I know serving as a member of that committee has better prepared me for committees that I will serve on in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 66th Grand Chapter as it was a great experience for both my brother and me and everyone who participated. I strongly recommend attendance at the 67th Grand Chapter in San Diego for both collegians and alumni. It is a great learning experience as well as a fun way to meet other Sigma Nu brothers from across the country. I look forward to bringing back to Beta Theta what I have gained and getting to share this with many of you in person at the house on game days. Come see us!

Joe Francis of the Epsilon Epsilon chapter at Oklahoma State was installed as the 64th Regent, and delivered an inspiring and visionary address at his installation.

In committee work, Grand Treasurer Lee Perrett chaired Finance, past Regent Durham chaired Nominations, and Grand Chaplain Gaston chaired Ritual. These three committees contributed in a substantial way to the work of Grand Chapter.

Alum Rob Browne and his family presented three new portraits of our Sigma Nu Founders at Grand Chapter.  Rob is the great-great grandson of national Founder Greenfield Quarles. Rob previously donated Quarles' VMI sword to the Fraternity. Rob's father is a retired architect and recently painted a portrait of Quarles. It was so attractive that the national staff asked Mr. Browne to make portraits of Hopkins and Riley as well. All three were unveiled and presented at Grand Chapter.

Rob's mother, Shirley Polk Browne, great-grand daughter of Quarles, and her husband, the artist, as well as Rob's son Wilson, spoke to the Grand Chapter assembly in a presentation led by Grand Historian Bob McCulley. Here's what Rob had to say:

Grand Chapter is the Super Bowl of Sigma Nu Fraternity. The entire event serves as proof of why we have the best Fraternity in the nation. In an age of ever diminishing morals and standards, it's refreshing to be in the company of so many fellow Knights from across the country who still believe that Love, Honor, and Truth continue to matter. Thanks to countless alumni and their leadership as well as our top-quality professional staff, our future is brighter than ever.

As Rob said from his first-hand observation, Grand Chapter is a well-managed and well-led event of the highest professional quality. Sigma Nu has the finest professional staff of any collegiate fraternity, led by Executive Director Brad Beacham, a native of Birmingham and graduate of our chapter at Texas Christian University. You can be proud of our national organization and the future of Sigma Nu!

During the proceedings, the Grand Chapter was privileged to hear from Don Humphreys of the Oklahoma State chapter and retired CFO of Exxon Mobil. They also heard from Ken Kendrick and Derrick Hall, majority General Partner and COO of the Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively.

Texas Christian University Chancellor and Mount Union initiate Victor Boschini delivered another inspiring address at the Honors Luncheon keynote. These men all brought messages of how the Fraternity shaped their lives and careers, and continues to guide them in a true north direction.

For more resources, visit the Sigma Nu website and subscribe to Sigma Nu's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Many inspiring speeches from Grand Chapter and College of Chapters can also be seen on the Foundation's YouTube Channel, so be sure to check it out!