On April 10, 2021, the California Omega Chapter of Phi Delta Theta was installed at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. California Omega became the twenty-fourth chapter installed in California, initiating 33 members and affiliating one member from the Fraternity’s Washington Alpha Chapter at the University of Washington.
On April 8, 2021, the men of the California Omega Emerging Chapter were initiated into the Fraternity during a virtual ceremony.
The weekend’s initiation and installation ceremonies were executed by the Fraternity’s General Council Reporter David Almacy, Province President Mike Ogg, Leadership Consultant Corbin Lovelady, and California Omega Advisory Board Chairman Wes Gibbens.
Members of the chapter have faced great adversity through the pandemic. For California Omega Founding President Robbie Nunes, seeing the installation of the chapter was a special moment for he and his fellow brothers.
“When I think of Phi Delta Theta at Santa Clara University, I think of tenacity. Through thick and thin, our chapter has hurdled obstacle after obstacle in the quest to do what ought to be done,” said Nunes.
Not only was the day special for members of California Omega, but also for many of the Fraternity’s great Bay Area volunteers, like Province President Mike Ogg, who has helped advise these men and other volunteers as the chapter was being developed.
Ogg stated, “I couldn’t be more proud of the men from California Omega. Their determination and grit to start a Phi Delta Theta chapter at Santa Clara University has been nothing short of remarkable. COVID changed everything in a very short period of time and created an environment where even the most seasoned leaders struggled to survive. However, the chapter leadership was able to keep brothers engaged and relied on the three Cardinal Principles of friendship, sound learning, and rectitude to guide them to installation. I have no doubt that California Omega will be a shining star of Phi Delta Theta in California for many years to come.”
Chapter Advisory Board Chairman Wes Gibbens sees a bright future for the California Omega Chapter of Phi Delta Theta.
“These men have shown strength and resilience in the face of the pandemic. They have not only kept their members engaged through this experience, but they have grown their membership in a completely virtual environment. I couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments that they have worked towards in their short time as an emerging chapter.”
As the chapter begins its journey at Santa Clara University, General Council Reporter David Almacy hopes that members of the group will continue to drive forward with success.
“I want to frame this advice as the three “C’s” of fraternity success: Complacency, guard against it. What is next for California Omega? Well, that is up to you. Character, the faces may change year-over-year as members graduate and new members are recruited. The one thing that shouldn’t change is the quality of the men that are in the chapter. Never cut corners. Continuity, during transition is important to ensure that proper resources and transitions occur for incoming officers. Transitions allow new officers to continue to perform at a high level and hopefully exceed expectations to take the chapter to new levels,” said Almacy.
Congratulations to the brothers of California Omega at Santa Clara University!
Members of California Omicron at their induction as an emerging chapter
