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December, 2002 In this month's issue:
Happy Holidays from House Corporation
The loss of Brother Ryan Donley earlier this year reminded us that we are not resistant to loss and far from impervious to the tragic circumstances that usually happen to 'the other guy'. While we as a chapter shared the loss with Daphne and Ryan's family in a way that seemed to feel natural to us, they were overwhelmed at the support and generosity brought forth by the chapter and individual friends and Brothers who knew Ryan personally and those of you who had never met him. I had a chance to attend the Alumni Spaghetti Dinner at the house this past fall and Daphne was present as she has been in previous semesters to help out with our obvious inability to cook a decent dinner and speak of her experiences as a past Sweetheart. This time however, was clearly different as she captured the attention of everyone in attendance as she described her time with Ryan and her experiences with the chapter following his passing. They were, by far, the most meaningful and heart-felt thoughts and reflections of our brotherhood and our bonds that I think I have ever heard spoken at the house. Other challenges, much less critical in the overall picture, faced us as well over the course of the year. With the aviation industry seeing a reduced work force, many of our brothers have found themselves facing challenging career decisions and some dealing with unemployment. Eta Iota's insurance premiums continue to increase at record paces with no relief expected in the immediate future. The overall economy has turned south, making fund raising considerably more difficult as everyone feels the pain of a recessed economy. With all of these challenges on our proverbial plate, some brothers have asked "How is House Corp doing?" My answer is that House Corp has never been better! We have proven in the past that challenges encourage us to focus on those issues that are most important and to pull together whatever loose ends need to be brought in to achieve our goals and overcome the obstacles. With dedicated brothers at the helm of the executive positions in House Corp and at the undergraduate level, I am confident that we are heading in the right direction and are prudently planning a course of action to deal with each of these challenges. On November 23rd, Brian Lojko, Julio Varela and myself met in Daytona with Mike Gehman joining us via conference call. Along with the undergraduates, we reviewed the purpose and responsibilities of House Corp, current insurance issues, alumni communications, a high-level review of future housing, and specific house projects that we would like to address. I was personally very impressed with the level of interest and participation shown by the actives over the weekend as they joined us to better understand our operation and to review possible solutions to the challenges we face. Many alumni brothers have also stepped forward with a renewed level of commitment to the chapter. We continue to add new members to the 1855 Club and receive renewal memberships as well, for which we are incredibly grateful. We also realize full well however that not everyone is in a position allowing him to take part financially…and they have come forward with alternative support. I have received several calls from our brothers with ideas and suggestions and the underlying statement that "I want to be more involved". This is the type of support that will be invaluable as we continue to grow. This level of cooperation and commitment leads me to sincerely believe that we are in a great position and heading in the right direction for 2003 and beyond. Stay tuned to our updates and our newsletters as we keep you posted on our progress. The years to come hold many opportunities for us as a chapter to look forward to. New Undergraduate Newsletter
Newest Initiates
Thank You Brother Ebbe
Guard Well,
December Birthdays
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