| Many remarkable things are happening in Mt. Pleasant these days. Our newly renovated chapter house is once again home to our undergraduate Beta brothers. Several alumni brothers and "Friends of Beta" are serving diligently as members of an advising team that works closely with the undergraduates. Our Chapter has been returned to “good standing” with the General Fraternity and Central Michigan University. In addition to working hard to retain and make significant improvements to the chapter house, the directors of the Housing Corporation have continued to host annual events such as the golf outing, pig roast and homecoming while maintaining their dedication to facilitating strong chapter communications. In concert with these endeavors, it has been my pleasure to help Epsilon Gamma by working alongside Tom Olver, Ken Breen, Tom Bussineau and Trevor Wisniewski in coordinating our inaugural Capital Fundraising Initiative (CFI.) The GoalOur goal is to have pledges of up to a minimum of $150,000 by November 2010. Half of the amount raised ($75,000) will be used to help fund and complete renovations to the Chapter house. The entire first floor was renovated in the summer of 2005, and several more projects are included in the Continuous Improvement Plan we established in 2001, including permanent furnishings in all of the bedrooms. The remaining $75,000 will be used to fund more than a dozen named scholarships for academic achievement and more than a dozen sponsorships each year for outstanding leadership development programming such as The John & Nellie Wooden Institute for Men of Principle, The Peter F. Greiner Leadership College, The Donald W. English Beta Wilderness Challenge and the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute. Our ProgressIn 2004, brothers Tom Olver `98 and Ken Breen `90 wanted to “feel the water” and decided to call on a few brothers to gauge the response to the CFI. Through only a handful of personal phone calls, they found 16 brothers who eagerly committed to the CFI, pledging a combined $62,500 to Epsilon Gamma over the next five years! When we called on these brothers, a common phrase we heard was, “What can I do to help?” Each brother was excited to be an active contributor toward the future success of our Chapter. Over the past few years, another 25 brothers and Friends of Beta have stepped forward. To date, we have received pledges of $98,700 and collected more than $58,000 of that total. As of May, 2010, more than $10,00 has been awarded in scholarships and sponsorships to deserving undergraduates. We believe you will agree that the plan we have in place is deserving of your strong consideration and support. We are offering you the opportunity to have events, academic scholarships, leadership sponsorships and even rooms in the Chapter house named in your honor for pledging a certain gift. How You Can HelpWe need your support! If you would like to join the ranks of those who have become active contributors towards the future success of Epsilon Gamma, please review the various opportunities in the CFI brochure. Once you have selected the item you wish to sponsor, complete the Letter of Intent (LOI) specifying the amount you would like to contribute — and when you would like to make your payments. Once you identify the designation of your gift on the back side of the LOI, fax or mail the document to me. It’s that simple! I will send reminders when your payments are due, along with payable to and mailing instructions. Because this is a gift from the heart, with no strings attached, and because we recognize that our alumni brothers are at different places in life with varying financial demands, we will not make a suggestion as to what an appropriate gift might be. However, our goal will only be reached when brothers, like you, stretch themselves to provide a significant and meaningful contribution. The enclosed brochure offers a range of sponsorships from $1,000 ($200 per year) to $5,000 ($1,000 per year.) If you would like to support this Campaign with an amount greater than $5,000, or to sponsor something that is not listed, please let me know right away and I will work with you to help make your goal a reality. If you would like to support this Campaign with a one-time gift or annual level of giving that is less than $1,000 ($200 per year), please do not underestimate the importance of your gift. Your gift, combined with those of other brothers will be added together and divided equally to support experiential learning, academic scholarships and house renovations. All brothers participating in this effort will be recognized on a plaque in the foyer of the chapter house. In ClosingAs Epsilon Gamma returns to prominence at Central Michigan University, we are embarking on this inaugural Capital Fundraising Initiative to help ensure that our Chapter will be on firm financial footing from this point forward. This Campaign will provide for the future of Epsilon Gamma and its home . . . neither of which would be as strong today without your contributions as an undergraduate, and your gifts of encouragement, time and leadership as an alumnus. Thank you for all you have done and all that you continue to do for Epsilon Gamma and Beta Theta Pi. Thank you, too, for your thoughtful consideration of this special request. Yours in ____kai____, Scott Nadeau President, Epsilon Gamma Housing Corporation (734) 426-2302 scott.nadeau@epsilongamma.org |