• Phil Boden
• Peter Smith

We still haven’t covered our costs, though. Visit etaomega.org/donate to chip in.

Eta Omega has over 700 initiates since we were first became a chapter back in 1982. But having all those initiates is meaningless unless each and every alumnus participates in the betterment of the fraternity as a whole. That is why I am asking each and every one of you who reads this email to go online and make a minimum pledge of $10 to the Foundation Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity. 

As many of you may already know we are in the planning stages of a major renovation of the house.  The funding for this huge effort will be made possible through a loan from Theta Chi.  Without their assistance a loan of this size would be next to impossible to obtain.

We are only as strong as our weakest link…

Sound familiar? This begins with you. As part of this renovation there is a strategic plan within Eta Omega to increase alumni participation and elevate our presence within the national fraternity. With a minimum $10 donation you will receive a subscription to the Rattle and your name will  be placed among your Eta Omega brothers who donated in the fall edition of the Rattle when they list the donors by chapter. The focus is not on amount but on participation.  Our goal this year is to get 5% of our alumni to donate to Theta Chi. That is only 35 brothers. I know we will exceed that goal. Action is the key to the success of Eta Omega. The participation of each brother who reads this is key to us achieving this participation goal.

Learn how to donate at http://www.etaomega.org/donate

Also See: IHQ Fundraising Letter 2009 (PDF)

[Ed Stone - Fundraising Committee Chairman]

• Shane Pickett (S’87)
• Poul Willerup (F’89)
• Tyler Ticen (F’97)
• Brian Alt (F’98)

Update (7/25): A couple more guys stepped up recently…

• David Scotto (S’87)
• Ed Stone (F’89)

Way to go guys – thank you. Every dollar is going to pay off the re-roofing project that was just completed. But we still have a long way to go.

Time for everyone else to chip in. When we receive checks, we’ll give credit on this site, too.

Here’s the e-mail newsletter, by the way (minus all the fancy photos)…

Eta Omega Chapter Update
July 2008: Keeping the Momentum

Brothers, 

In 2007 we collected over $30,000 from alumni and celebrated our 25th anniversary. A dozen house projects including a complete remodel of the back cottage were completed. Meanwhile the active chapter had the highest rush numbers among all fraternities at Chico. Despite all the success we are not resting until the job is done. Theta Chi deserves a house worthy of its history and reputation at Chico State.

Big Goals More Achievable Than Ever
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The alumni corporation has embarked on the process of conducting a feasibility study to determine the cost of a total house remodel. The goal of this remodel is to gut the house and start from scratch. This would involve redesigning the interior to create an environment specifically tailored to the needs of our undergraduate brothers. Currently, actives view living in the house as a sacrifice. Our beloved house is significantly below par with regard to standard living conditions around the campus. Our objective is to make the Theta Chi house competitive housing where “living in the house” is coveted by the actives as well as profitable for the chapter. At the completion of this plan we should have increased capacity as well the ability to charge more competitive rates for rent while providing a living situation unlike any other on campus. However this endeavor will cost over $300,000. In order to do this we need your support.

Incredible Alumni Support
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since 1982 Eta Omega has initiated over 700 members. Let me say that again, 700 members. We have the highest number of initiates of any Theta Chi chapter since 1982 and more than any chapter established back to 1972. This is unprecedented. That level of success inspires many to volunteer their time and resources towards our continued success. Like Jeremy Reither, who spent hundreds of hours in 2007 planning and executing last year’s alumni fundraiser and 25th anniversary celebration. Like Erick Sondeno and Jim Hull who worked countless hours managing the remodel of the back cottage. There are many others who could be listed as donating their time to keeping Eta Omega’s doors open. None of these individuals could have done this without those who made financial contributions.

Eta Omega Has Something Others Don’t 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Chico Greek culture has undergone numerous changes and challenges since many of us left campus. There have been a number of chapters who have come and gone. Chapters that have either died out or had their charters revoked include TKE, Delta Sigma Phi, Beta Theta Pi, Lambda Chi Alpha, ZBT, Pi Beta Phi, and Pi Kappa Phi. There are some new houses on campus including Sigma Pi, Alpha Delta Phi, Alpha Phi, Sigma Chi, and Kappa Sigma (in process of colonizing). The reason I point this out is that some of the closed chapters were once strong and now they no longer exist. Those that folded all had one thing in common; they each lacked alumni involvement.

Those of us involved with the fraternity in our postgraduate years have learned that many if not all of the strong chapters nationwide have continued success due not to their location on campus or their Greek Cup standings but from the strength of their alumni. Alumni play a pivotal role in guiding, mentoring, supporting, and assisting the undergraduates in the management of many aspects of the house corporation.

What Kind of Alumni Are You? 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Continued success is having a model for others to follow. What kind of alumni would you have liked while an undergraduate?  You have the opportunity to be that person and be a part of something truly great.  A donation today is the way to start.
 
Funds raised this summer will put us one step closer to a house fitting the Eta Omega chapter, specifically, a new roof and rain gutters. The work is already underway, in anticipation of donations to help pay for it.
 
I am asking each and every one of you who receive this letter to be a part of Eta Omega history and contribute today. Every man counts and no donation is too small.  ”We are only as strong as our weakest link” could not be truer as alumni today than when you pledged. Please send the most generous gift you can, as soon as possible…and forward this newsletter to your pledge brothers!

How You Can Help: 

Make a pledge online at www.etaomega.org/donate/
                -OR-
Mail a check, payable to ‘Theta Chi Alumni’ to:

                Theta Chi Alumni
                c/o: Jeremy Reither
                2269 Chestnut Street, #907
                San Francisco, CA  94123

Fraternally,
Ed Stone (F’89) – Alumni Fundraising Chairman

Quick Links…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EtaOmega.org (the official Alumni website)
Donate Online
January 2008 Newsletter
Join the Alumni OX List (165 members strong)

Fundraising Board Members
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ed Stone  (F’89) – Alumni Fundraising Chairman
Mark Geenen (F’80) 
Brian D. (F’82)
Tyler T. (F’97)
Jeremy Reither (F’95) – Alumni Treasurer

According to Brother Brian Flournoy (of RSG Roofing Supply – who donated all the supplies for the project), it’s coming along well. There was a good bit of rotted “soffit and molding” that needed to be replaced…and they’re taking care of that as we speak. According to Flournoy, “…as for the top of the roof and the project, looks good and almost done. It will look great once all of the rotted soffit is replaced.”

A few pics for you – courtesy of Flournoy. Click to see bigger images:

Earlier this year we mentioned that Brian Flournoy would be donating all the materials for the project; he’s stepping up big time. There is no way we could pull this project off this summer without him.

The Alumni Corporation paid for about 1/3 of the project up front, and the roofing contractor is financing the rest of the work. We’re on a payment plan to pay them off over time. We wrote a big check this week to kick off the project, but we haven’t been getting the donations we need to cover it – we still need your help.

The project kicks off this Friday, and will take about a week or two to finish (depending on how many “surprises” there are under the roof). But the bottom line is that at the end of the Summer we’ll have a leak free roof, and an attic fit for residence.

Update: See some pics from the project in progress

Mark Geenen donated the first flight (for chapter president Adam Shea), using his United miles. Scott Harris just took care of the second flight (for chapter VP, CJ Scott), using a Southwest credit.

Yeah, they’ll be on different flights, but at least they’ll get to Indy and back for free.

We’re still looking to the rest of the alumni to help chapter Vice President, CJ Scott, get on the same flight. The two undergrads – Adam and CJ – have volunteered to attend the conference this year. In the past alumni have done what they could to share the cost of the trip.

If you can offer United miles or can book the flight directly, please contact us.