Eighty-five initiated brothers came together June 27-29 to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Kansas Epsilon Chapter at Emporia State University. Highlights included having General Council Treasurer Jeff Davis as a special guest. Two University Distinguished Alumni Phis were in attendance. Famous Phi Marc Johnson, President of the University of Nevada – Reno, served as master of ceremonies for the Saturday evening dinner program. The Phi Delta Theta Distinguished Alumni Award for 2013 was re-presented before chapter alumni with a recorded acceptance speech. Sanaka Samarasinha, United Nations Resident Coordinator to the Republic of Belarus, was unable to attend due to civil turmoil in neighboring Ukraine.
Ten of the initial 39 chapter brothers attended the event. All were founders or members of Beta Sigma Tau, the local fraternity that became a colony of Phi Delta Theta at the Ashville, North Carolina General Convention in 1968. Two founders of Beta Sigma Tau who never initiated were in attendance.
The weekend included a gathering reception, a luncheon with “state of” reports, a memorial ceremony honoring Founder Tad Patterson, a ritual meeting and the concluding dinner program and dance. Progress on the drive to build the existing endowed scholarship fund to a $145K goal was announced at $131K.
Connecting two ends of history creates a circle, an arc of brotherhood. Bond 539 met Bond 001. Charter brothers, leaders in the beginning, engaged with today’s undergraduate officers. The 45th anniversary was more than a reunion. It was an organizational retreat in brotherhood enrichment.
