November 2010 Delta Nu eReview

Wiles Bell dedicated at Homecoming

November 2010 Delta Nu e-Review

Greetings Fraters, and an early Happy Thanksgiving and winter Holiday season to you and your families. This is the second to the last eReview of 2010 and what a year it has been. On the heels of a successful Homecoming, we will be closing out the year with the active chapter winning five awards from TKE, over twenty new members soon to be initiated, and the Northwest football team pursuing an eighth trip to the D2 football National Championship. This month’s edition will highlight Homecoming, the end of Fall 2010 pledgeship, the Fall Classic IX tailgate, a profile on Ron Gayler, 317, and the awarding of the first Delta Nu Actives Scholarship!  Hope you enjoy this edition and that you have a Happy Holiday season!
 
HOMECOMING 2010 - Tad Trecker, 739; trekwith@yahoo.com;
Thanks to everyone that was able to attend Homecoming this year. I think most everyone that attended Homecoming would agree that it was a huge success. Here are the highlights.
We ushered in the weekend on Friday evening with an Open House reception at the TKE House. Approximately 40 people attended and enjoyed snacks, soft drinks coffee and a lot of lively conversation. Some great stories were told... but some us remember them a bit differently.
Following the Open House, most everyone walked or crawled to one or more of the local "watering holes" in downtown Maryville, where the festivities continued until after midnight.
Saturday morning, we kicked off the day with the TKE Tailgate party at the house. There was no shortage on barbequed burgers, brats and hotdogs with all the fixings. Also on the menu were chili, baked beans, salads, snacks and desserts. Around 11:30, the Wiles’ Bell Dedication Ceremony took place, dedicating a bell in the name of the late Frater Dick and Marcella Wiles. The Wiles Family was very touched and moved by the ceremony and the time and special detail put into the bell and ceremony. Several Wiles’ family members expressed that the ceremony and preparations were beyond their expectations. The ceremony concluded with a slide show of Dick and Marcella's life together. It was created by Frater Hal Martens of Chugiak, AK. Special thanks to Frater Hal for his time and effort. It was a lovely look into the lives of two special people close to our fraternity.
After the Bell Dedication, Board of Advisor Chairman and Vice-Chairman, Fraters Mark Witthar and Brad Shelton gave presentations on the state of the Delta Nu Alumni Association. The reports were very positive with membership enrollment close to 120 and a very positive financial position. Frater Kenneth Hamilton, Prytanis, gave a ‘State of the Chapter’ address and showed once again that Delta Nu is strong and getting stronger every day. To highlight the hard work and continuing effort of the active chapter, Frater Mike Russell, Associate Regional Director from TKE International Headquarters presented Delta Nu with five awards including Most Improved Chapter for year 2009 – 2010. Finally, Frater Jeff Borchardt, CEO and President of the Kansas City Board of Trade, gave a very passionate and inspiring key note address. The centerpiece of his message was a plea to actives to respect our fraternity traditions and be vigilant caretakers of the Chapter House, so it may be passed on to future generations of Delta Nu Tekes. 
Following the Tailgate Party, most everyone attended the football game and watched the Bearcats claw apart Ft. Hays State. A number of Alumni stayed at the House to watch Mizzou play Nebraska. Let's just say it didn't go quite the way the home crowd had hoped. Following the game, most everyone returned to the TKE House to continue the party.
The attendance goal was 150. The final official attendance count is 158. Here are some Homecoming factoids regarding attendance and other fun trivia:
·         59 TKE alumni (40 are Delta Nu Alumni Association members)
·         32 actives and 11 pledges
·         56 guests (friends/ family and Wiles family)
·         Lowest scroll number attending belonged to frater Rod Burrell #187 of Loveland, CO
·         Farthest distance traveled: frater Hal Martens #735, from Chugiak, AK - 3,408 land miles. Good thing he took the plane.
·         Food consumption: 120 hamburgers, 140 brats, 160 hot dogs, 30 pounds of pork tenderloin, 20 pounds of pasta salad, 2 gallons of chili, 2 gallons of baked beans, 20 pounds of cheese. We also had a few bottles of Pepto Bismol on stand-by.
And finally, the most notable thing about Homecoming this year. If you were there, you were part of the resurrection of an old tradition and took away 1,000 memories to cherish. If you didn't make it this year, put it on your calendar for next year. You won't want to miss the party when 200 of your brothers, family and friends show up to see you.
 
Active Chapter Report – Kenneth Hamilton, Prytanis, 1436, s255507@nwmissouri.edu and Ryan Jackson, Histor, 1547, rjackson@infosharkz.com
Pledgeship ended Saturday, November 20th. Twenty-four new members completed pledgeship. Fall Hegemon Tommy Hester says “Thank You” to all of the actives and alumni that helped out with pledgeship.
Homecoming: The chapter placed 3rd in Jalopy and 2nd in Paper Mache clowns.  We did not place in skit due to disqualifications in regards to props for skit.
Philanthropy: A concert was held on November 12, 2010 at the TKE House to benefit breast cancer research.  Several local artists will be performing at the concert including Frater Cole Deshler.
IFC: Congratulations for Prytanis Kenneth Hamilton on his election to IFC Vice President of Membership and Recruitment.
 
Board of Advisor’s President’s Report – Mark Witthar, 853, mwitthar@ford.com
Fellow Fraters.
I write to you this month with a specific topic – Pride. We are a very proud chapter with great alumni, great actives and a great tradition. The only tradition we really lack is taking pride in our house. Sure, we have a great house, but do we REALLY take pride in how it looks? Do we make sure that no one damages the place and when they do are they held responsible?
The active chapter has instituted a policy to hold people accountable for damaging the house. When someone damages something, they fix it. Period. We need the same policy for alumni.
Going forward, if an alumnus comes to the house and damages something they will pay to have it fixed AND pay a fine of $50. As alumni we need to show the active chapter that we are serious about taking care of the property. We lead by example. We are Tekes!
Well, that's my rant for this month. . . .
Lastly, I want to thank everyone that came back to Maryville for Homecoming; it was truly a special event. Special thanks to Frater Tad Trecker for all his hard work. Also, I want to recognize Steve Moss for getting the Wiles Bell erected for the dedication with the Wiles family. It was a very special moment with some very special people. Thanks for all the memories Frater Wiles. We miss you.
Yours in the Bond, Mark Witthar
 
House Report – Kevin Smith, 932, kevins@npgco.com
The news for November is fairly straightforward and simple, and best of all, positive – Rents are collected, mortgage is paid through August, and all other bills are current. Things are looking really good at the house!
 
Philanthropy and Scholarships
New Tau Kappa Epsilon Actives Scholarship Awarded! – Dave Teeter, 901, dteeter@mc-wildcats.org
Congratulations to Gunnerson Sumy
The Philanthropy Committee of the Tau Kappa Epsilon Delta Nu Chapter Alumni Association has awarded the inaugural Active Chapter Member Scholarship to Gunnerson Sumy, a political science major from St. Joseph, MO. He is active at Northwest as the TKE Vice President of Internal Affairs, IFC Delegate, involved in Student Senate, a Student Ambassador, and was named the Blue Key Freshman-of-the-Year last spring all while maintaining an excellent grade point average. This award is in the amount of $500 to be paid this Spring term and hope this is the first to be given out to active members. This scholarship is based upon involvement in the Fraternity and its activities, campus involvement, honors or awards received while at Northwest, and also academic achievement. We would also like to take this opportunity to promote the application process for the next round of scholarships that will be awarded for the 2011 – 2012 academic year. The application deadline is February 1st and the award will be made to the recipient both semesters as long as they meet the award criteria. Also, we would like to encourage all people to consider a contribution to this fund to make it self-sustainable in the future, by going to the Northwest Foundation site and the existing named scholarships section and select the TKE Actives Scholarship Fund when giving to the Foundation fund. The link at www.nwmissouri.edu is http://www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni/giving/onlinegiving.htm. You can also do this through the Delta Nu website by clicking on the “DONATE” button on the right side of the page.
 
Peter J. Greve Memorial Scholarship – Bruce Barlow, 533, bbarlow88@comcast.net
The application deadline for the 2011-2012 Peter J. Greve Memorial Scholarship is February 1, 2011. For more information, go to the Delta Nu website and click on the Scholarship tab.
 
Alumni Association – Brad Shelton, 651,brad.shelton@nwtke.com
 As we enter the last month of the year, I want to say “Thank You” to the 126 Fraters that have joined the Delta Nu Alumni Association over the last 12 months.
The payment of their $50 dues has enabled us to generate and mail two Delta Nu Reviews this year to more than 1,300 alumni, to pay for a letter to all 1,300 alumni explaining the various scholarship and capital improvements investment opportunities, to pay for a major improvement on the Delta Nu web site as well as the costs associated with keeping the website active and updated. Additionally, these monies have paid for broadcast notifications of the golf outing, homecoming and other social events attended by all Delta Nu Alumni. In short, this is the operational cash that keeps the Delta Nu Alumni Association alive and growing to further support the alumni!!!
If you have not yet joined, let me urge you to consider it at this time. The business of keeping us all connected is not expensive but it is not free either.
The database currently consists of 1,614 actives and alumni with 734 with email address, 1,332 valid mailing addresses, 80 deceased and 192 lost Fraters.
For more information on these lists check out the web site at www.nwtke.com
Please click this LINK and join the Delta Nu Alumni Association today. If you join before November 31, I will send your membership card and membership packet, contact info for the members of your pledge class, a list of Delta Nu Fraters that live within 20 miles of your home and your "Thank you" membership gift. Please act now and help support your alumni association. http://www.nwtke.com/content/join-delta-nu-alumni-association
Y.I.T.B., Brad Shelton, 651, Membership Committee Director, VP Board of Advisors
1805 Arabian Ave, Naperville, IL 60565, Office: (630) 416-9924, Cell: (630) 240-2758 Email: brad.shelton@nwtke.com
 
Alumni Profile of Ron Gayler, 317 – written by Mark Rinker
Frater Ron Gayler currently resides in Youngsville, LA. He was born and raised in Rock Port, Mo. and graduated from Rock Port High School. In the fall of 1962 he began his freshman year at NWMSU.
 In the summer of 1963, Ron was recruited by TKE active Gilbert Moorman for a summer job selling bibles door to door in Texas along with Tekes Jim Hawkins and Ron Zimmerman. The following Fall, he pledged TKE (his pledge father was Al Hague) and lived in the House at 222 W. Cooper in the spring of 1964. Ron continued to sell  bibles in Kentucky and North Carolina the following two summers.  During his junior and senior years Ron worked in a meat packing plant during the summers and holidays.
 After graduation in 1968 (B.A. History) Ron entered Army Infantry Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning, GA. Following completion of OCS, Ron entered Army flight school and in 1970 started flying helicopters as an infantry captain in Vietnam for the First Cavalry Division.  After his Army discharge, Ron spent a year as a crop duster near Rock Port and in 1973 went to work for PHI in Louisiana. He flew helicopters in support of the offshore oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Somalia. After twenty five years of work Ron retired from PHI in 1998 as a regional manager with well over 10,000 flight hours.
 Ron has a son, Randy, by his first wife Sally. He and wife Barbara, a speech pathologist, have been married for 34 years and have two daughters: Erin, who lives in Austin, TX, and Jessica, who lives in Youngsville. Both daughters are LSU graduates so Ron is an ardent supporter of both the NWMSU Bearcats and the LSU Tigers.  
 Since retiring, Ron does marketing and recruiting for an international company and plays a lot of golf. Frater Gayler cites a common thread that has run through his TKE experience, military service and civilian life: A brotherhood that was shaped in the TKE house. This bond has proved to be a cornerstone for success.
 
Social Committee – Ron Beaver, 858 rb64089@gmail.com
On Saturday, November 13, 2010, over 50 TKE alumni and actives participated in three hours of pre-game festivities prior to the Northwest Bearcats MIAA securing a victory over the Pittsburg State Gorillas at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The weather was perfect and the food/drink even more perfect. The NWMSU/Pitt State rivalry has been renewed for another game now scheduled for early October in 2011. 
If you haven't already done so, please join the Facebook group TKE Delta Nu for continued news and information on past and upcoming events. Also feel free to upload pictures from your active chapter days at TKE or any alumni event. Don't worry about the wife or girlfriend snooping around--this is a private, "boys only" group that only allows past and present TKE Delta Nu men to enter.
Should you have any ideas for future events please contact me or one of the TKE Delta Nu Alumni Social Directors. Their contact information is listed below:
·         Jason Washam (Kansas City) – 816-898-4415
·         Dan Barnett (Omaha) – 402-598-3264
·         Jerrad Popp (Des Moines) – 515-360-8111
YITB, Ron Beaver "858", TKE DN Board of Advisors Social Chairman, 816-304-5354 (cell)
 
TKE House Capital Improvements – Steve Moss, 927, semoss@mchsi.com
Homecoming 2010 offered a great sense of pride for our fraternity and the TKE House Capital Improvements committee of alumni.
At homecoming, several of the house improvement projects that the committee has been overseeing were unveiled.
First, Phase One of the secure kitchen project and the new TKE Board Room and were unveiled. The project to upgrade and divide this space is a great addition to our chapter house. Several alumni meetings were held there and the crew overseeing the food preparation for the weekend had a nice secure space to prepare the meals for the best homecoming hosted in many years. Undergraduate House Manager, Frater Brian Ascheman reports that the new Board Room has also allowed chapter members and the pledges to have a nice quiet area to study at the house and it is being used regularly by the chapter.
Secondly, the Wiles Family TKE Bell was dedicated at this year’s homecoming in the presence of the surviving Wiles family and many TKE alumni and friends of the fraternity.   A toast and formal ceremony were held celebrating Frater Wiles and his family’s dedication to the fraternity for so many years. The bell is known as TKE symbol nationwide. The Wiles bell, acquired from their estate and residence near the old TKE house on Cooper Street was mounted on a specially made steel stand and is mounted on a concrete base. It is a great addition to the TKE house and patio area and a reminder of his dedication to Delta Nu. It will be rung during chapter rallies, memorial services or to celebrate chapter accomplishments.
Also a temporary fix to the railing over the chapter room has been completed. Thanks to Alumni Frater Doug Keever for overseeing this project.
These projects were made possible by alumni donations made to the TKE House Capital Improvements Fund. Contributions to this fund specifically used for upgrades and improvements to the house are recognized on the Richard W. Wiles Teke for Life Alumni Donor Wall at the TKE house.
Brick recognition levels on the donor wall are for an individual’s cumulative contributions on record since the TKE House Fire in 1996. Additionally, Fraters passing to the TKE Chapter Eternal are honored on the memorial portion of the wall when a $500 is contributed in the memory of the passed Frater.
Fraters are recognized with a personal brick at the following levels:
$10,000+, $5,000+, $1,000 and $500        Memorial Bricks: $500
 
The newest names added or upgraded on the wall to a new donor level include:
$1,000+ Bricks
Joe Kempf, DN #637
Scott Keilbey, DN # 666
Jeff Taylor, DN #784
Jeff Borchardt, Xi Eta #146
 
$500+ Bricks
Kevin Kemmerer, DN #648
Tom Drustrup, DN #943
 
Memorial Bricks: $500+
Jay Schug, DN #321
Richard W. Wiles, DN #365
Rick Larson, DN # 642
 
Several new Fraters established their own individual funds to build toward a brick on the wall in the future. Many others added to their already established funds, working toward a brick on the wall or a new level. Many thanks go out to the Fraters mentioned above and to those new donors who make projects like this at the house possible.
 
To use a tactic that Mr. Wiles always mentioned at alumni meetings at homecoming:
“All the Fraters should at least give $50 or $100 each year to the TKE house that offered them so much during their college years. ”Now boys, it’s time to get out your checkbooks!”
 
Contributions to the TKE House Capital Improvements Fund can be mailed to:
TKE House Capital Improvements Committee
C/O Frater Chris Holder-BOA Treasurer
12480 South Greenwood
Olathe, KS  66062
Donation checks to the TKE House Capital Improvements Fund should be made out to: TKE Board of Advisors. On the memo line, please put: TKE Capital Improvements Fund
 
 
DID YOU KNOW? – Dennis Cox, 659, dennisc@northwestmissouri.com
Did You Know…there are 13 active chapters of Tau Kappa Epsilon in the state of Missouri, and that’s more than in Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas combined. Missouri University of Science and Technology’s (formerly University of Missouri-Rolla) Beta Eta Chapter, is the oldest, chartered in 1947, just ahead of Beta Theta Chapter at the University of Missouri-Columbia (also a 1947 charter). Delta Nu Chapter of Northwest Missouri State University (that’s us!) is the largest in terms of active members. Delta Nu tied with Epsilon Omicron Chapter of the University of Houston for fourth most candidates (27) already recruited during the 2010-2011 school year, according to www.tke.org.
The oldest active TKE chapter remains Alpha Chapter of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois. The youngest TKE chapter is at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College (that’s a mouthful), chartered in 2010.
 
Search for Composites
The Board of Advisors and Alumni Association are undertaking an aggressive effort to locate and collect all composite pictures. If you have an 11x14 or wall-size composite, we need you to contact as soon as possible either Brad or Mike at bshelton@datasourcetech.com or mwreiff@charter.net. We have located a number of composites and the companies that produced them, but there are a number we are still missing. Here are the years: 1954 – 1974, 1975 - 1984, and 1985 – 1987.
 
The next, and last, eReview of 2010 will be in your inbox around December 20th!