President's Update – January 2017

January 6, 2017 · Tom McSwiggan

President UpdatesHouse Renovations

Brothers,

Happy New Year! I hope this finds you and your families well.

I would like to share with you some of the accomplishments of the house corporation since April 2016 as well as our plans for 2017. Included in this draft are some thoughts on helping the undergraduate chapter set lofty goals and how we as the alumni can help them achieve these goals.

Lofty Goal – Going for the Gold

Three years ago we started to revamp the house and chapter as well as rebuild the rapport between the undergrads and alumni – we had quite the challenge. The condition of the house and chapter were sub-par to say the least. I promised the undergrads if they listened attentively and became part of the solution, they would become a Peterson chapter. To my word, working with the chapter and alumni, we have been able to achieve the blue Peterson two years in a row. This year, I would like to challenge them to go for the GOLD.

The GOLD PETERSON is not handed to chapters, it is earned by chapters – it is awarded to only a few chapters each year at BLTW. Some of the criteria to win the Gold Peterson are as follows: the chapters must have a high GPA as well as good chapter attendance, be in good standing with the University and General Fraternity, and must also raise money through philanthropic events such as "Derby Days." The typical Gold Peterson chapter raises $20K or more. The criteria are the same as for a Blue Peterson except the chapter must score a 97% on the application. This takes planning and execution through leadership.

The few chapters that win the GOLD PETERSON every year tend to have strong undergraduate leadership but just as important, they tend to have very strong support from their alumni. Raising $20K at a smaller University like ERAU can prove difficult without alumni support. Brothers might think this task impossible but at another chapter a mother raised $6K by herself!

Winning the GOLD will be a lot of work. The undergraduates would really have to be on their "A-Game." The reason I believe that the Gold is possible this year is because the newly elected undergraduate officers Nick Bailey, Kyle Martinez, Mike Conway and J.D. Denton not only have strong leadership qualities but are also good listeners and hard workers. The balance of the undergrads, including the new initiates, are very solid and quite capable of performing up to the task.

As we all know, Eta Iota has the best alumni, consistently having the highest percent of life loyal Sigma Chi's in the General Fraternity. With alumni help and guidance the GOLD PETERSON is achievable.

If we make the decision that we are indeed going to help the undergraduates achieve this goal, we must start quickly. The Peterson application is due in May and there is a lot of work to do in between. I believe we should start by forming a GOLD PETERSON committee made up of undergraduates and alumni mentors.

What Has Been Accomplished Since 45th, April 2016?

At the 45th Birthday this year we had outstanding attendance and a great time was had by all.

Through the generous donations of the alumni at the 45th and throughout the year, house corporation was able to plan and complete many of the following projects:

The New Study Room – Update

With no designated study area, it seemed difficult for brothers to find a comfortable area to sit and study at the house. To create a studying culture at Eta Iota, we needed a proper study room. The room was part of last year's renovation but completed the day before 45th birthday. To see the brothers use the room is truly gratifying. In April 2016 they texted a pic of themselves using the room to study for finals. There have been many late nights the lights have been on in the study room, with one or more brothers hard at work. During the summer, brothers invited friends to the house to study physics. They all passed their physics class – success.

We Purchased the Shack-Man Property

This is the property at the northwest rear corner of the Eta Iota property. The reasons for the purchase were many. The primary reason was to obtain control of the lot to prevent future development that would affect the usage of the Eta Iota house and property. Without owning and controlling 509 South Segrave Ave., I would not have felt confident investing large sums of money into the Eta Iota house.

Through researching the property, we found out there had been plans floated to build an apartment complex which would have abutted our property. Another plausible scenario was the possibility of the new club next door purchasing the lot to expand their parking. Eta Iota's purchase of the lot immediately checkmated the club. Either one of the scenarios could have adversely affected the usage of the fraternity house.

Before beginning negotiations on the property, we had a full survey performed on 520 South Ridgewood and 509 S. Segrave Ave., so we were aware of property boundaries.

House Corp VP Mike Wyble negotiated to buy the property for $20K down, $35K over a 3-year period. Attorney Tom Hart wrote the contract and the deal was done through a title company to protect the interest of Eta Iota House Corporation. We hold clean title to the property.

Many alumni have donated generously to the cause, adopting one monthly mortgage payment. The note on the lot is well over half paid already! We have 21 more payments of $1,080 to go. I would like to have the balance of the note paid as soon as possible. Do we have any other generous brothers who would like to adopt a monthly mortgage payment?

Illicit Sex Club Next Door

As some of you might already know, in August 2016 a sex club opened next door to the house at 500 South Ridgewood. This is a concern to us because their clientele's background is completely unknown. The club advertises on the internet to attract potential customers from all over the world.

The business is not licensed and has no tax permit. If they are not licensed correctly, more than likely they are not insured either, especially if they are running an illicit operation.

Furthermore, the area is not zoned for a sex club. I know some of you are asking how they are getting away with running the club; the quick answer is they claim to be a private fraternity/club – no kidding.

I have been working with the city attorney to try to close the business. I have attended 4 hearings and testified twice. In my court testimony, I questioned how long it would be before one of their customers followed one of our sweethearts home from a party – the question hit home with every female in the courtroom.

The city has given a cease and desist order to the club and property owners. Although we have won each time, I do believe the club will challenge the ruling. The City of Daytona Beach has taken up the mantle of the court case against the club – the city is paying the legal costs.

Update: I received notice stating the City of Daytona Beach has filed in a higher court and has asked me to testify again.

New Leases and Other Legalities

Upon taking office, one thing I wanted to accomplish immediately was to update the leases to bring them into compliance with Florida law and the Sigma Chi Risk Management Foundation (RMF insurance). This took many long hours and the legal expertise of Sigma Chi brother and attorney Tom Hart (Emory '71, UF '76).

In observing the chapter operations, I realized the Quaestor position was overloaded but also had many items on their ledger that should have been the responsibility of House Corp. An undergraduate quaestor has enough to do with his own schoolwork and collecting dues; he doesn't need the added responsibility of paying utilities and collecting rent as well. The chapter house leases are now set up like an apartment house with a master lease to the chapter and individual leases for each brother renting a room. All are tenants of Eta Iota House Corporation, not the undergraduate chapter. This enables us to have more enforcement of non-payment and behavioral issues. The new system has worked well so far. HC has 100% rent collection for the fall semester.

Legal Opinion – Property Tax

Also as part of bringing the House Corporation up to date, we had Tom Hart give a written legal opinion on the property tax status of 520 South Ridgewood. This was to verify that the tax-exempt classification of the property was correct and to make sure nobody could come after us for money later. Getting this legal opinion was important before investing more money into the property. We now have legal opinion on file.

The Pool

This year, through the suggestion of many alumni, we had the chapter revert back to maintaining the pool themselves, as it had in the past. This would not have been possible without the consistent generous efforts of alumnus Jay Smullen. Jay came up from his home in Stuart, Florida and gave the undergraduates a lesson on pool maintenance.

The new maintenance regimen got off to a slow start but undergraduate brother J.D. Denton took the reins and things have been going well since. Having the undergrads maintain the pool themselves saves the chapter approximately $6-7K/yr.

To keep us legal, I obtained my Commercial Pool Operator's license (CPO) in Florida.

Jay and I went over the pool mechanicals and maintenance together. Jay donated a new high-tech pump, filter cartridges, a leaf skimmer and much more. Since firing the pool maintenance company and taking over ourselves, there have been significantly fewer breakdowns.

The pool skimmers will need some work in the future but it is not critical at this moment – it's working fine. Jay can guide us along as needed. Again, I can't thank Jay enough for his expertise and generosity.

Routine Maintenance, Summer 2016 (Partial List)

I performed much of the summer maintenance myself this year so we could divert the usual "summer budget" money to the purchase of the new property. Some of the maintenance items this summer were:

Other Ongoing Planning-Related Items

As you all know, this renovation is being done in phases. Some of the items that are in the planning stages are:

Ductless Split A/C

I met with the Mitsubishi HVAC engineers in Orlando to discuss changing the A/C units in the wings. We had a discussion regarding what style units, cost and issues related to installation, etc. This plan is ongoing.

Note: these units are much more efficient than the current units in the wings and the temperature can be set separately in each wing bedroom. Mr. Efficient – Seth Downs – wouldn't settle for anything less.

Bathrooms

We have to renovate the bathrooms. Mike Wyble and I have been discussing which way we want to approach this. We are planning to use solid surface shower bases and walls but there is still galvanized and cast iron plumbing under the slab that needs to be changed. Therefore, both operations need to be done at the same time.

Waterline

Once we start to do the bathrooms, we will need to change the main water line under the chapter room floor because of its age. I have had discussions with the city engineers about our waterline – the plan is ongoing.

Exterior Fencing by the Pool

We have an area prepared for a new privacy fence to replace the current chain link fence by the pool. The new fence will be set back approximately 8.5' towards the Raintree Motel, placing it directly on our actual property line, thus enlarging our pool deck area. This will be done at some point after the roof, depending on our finances.

Utility Companies and Tree Work

I have contacted Florida Power and Light (FPL) to remove an abandoned power pole back near Segrave Ave. This will be done gratis. We have a work order on it; we just have to wait our turn.

I have also contacted AT&T to try to have them remove any trees or limbs laying against their lines on our side of Segrave. These trees need to be cut or heavily trimmed before we consider fencing off the back lot.

Unplanned: Hurricane Matthew Preparation and Cleanup

Hurricane Preparation

As Hurricane Matthew developed, the preparation went into high gear. When they started forecasting possible category 4-5 winds, I removed most of the composites from the house along with the charter.

Chuck Bonini came to give me a hand removing the hanging badge over the front portico.

The undergrads and I filled sandbags to prevent water from flooding the pump room and laundry room. We also placed bags in front of all the doors to add weight so they would not blow open as easily.

Hurricane Cleanup

The preparation did us well. The house itself had minor damage – mostly shingles blown from the roof.

The backyard and rear lot did not fare as well and had many downed trees and limbs. There were no arborists available after the storm, so I did the cutting while the brothers and pledges dragged branches and stacked the wood. The storm actually did well by us because it downed some limbs and trees that I was concerned about.

We ended up with approximately 2+ cords of wood.

Preparations Before the New Roof

Before the new roof is installed the following list of items needs to be completed – most have been completed except for removing old pipes from the attic.

Tree Cutting Over Wings

Before the new roof is installed, I thought it best to do a heavy cutting of the large oak trees hanging over the north and south wings to mitigate any potential danger of trees falling on them. Brian Barker of Barkerscape did a masterful job of cutting the most threatening trees and branches while still leaving an attractive canopy. Thank God this work was done a month before the hurricane, otherwise we could have had a real problem on our hands.

Electrical Service

Another step before the new roof installation on the house was to remove the low-hanging overhead electrical service and roof mast to bury it. The old wire and meter panel were not up to code and the sheathing on the wiring and roof boot were worn out. Although I have many brothers to thank for their time and donations, I must thank Vince Parrinello, who paid for this project in full.

Note: the new service wire was installed in August. When the hurricane hit, we had power back on by 11pm the night of the storm – one of the only buildings on Ridgewood that did have power. The trees that came down during the storm would have torn our old wires and roof mast off – it would have been untold how long our power would have been out.

Extermination and Fumigation

Over the past year I had noticed more and more termite wings in the house so I called our termite company – Elite Termite – who claimed there was no problem. As the number of wings continued to grow, I called in 3 more companies for their opinions. All three agreed the house had dry wood termites and needed to be fumigated. After bidding the job out, the company I felt most comfortable with was Imperial Exterminators. They seemed most knowledgeable and were also the lowest bid at approximately $3,600 (the highest was Terminix at almost $9,000).

Because dry wood termites are a known issue in Old Daytona, I have asked Imperial Termite to come back after the new roof sheathing is installed to spray Timbor or a similar product on all rafters, joists and sheathing to mitigate any future infestation. One treatment of Timbor should last at least 20 years or more.

We have had the monthly extermination contract rebid and consolidated all the extermination to Imperial Exterminators, saving us money and hopefully we get the proper job.

Note: the fumigation only kills any current vermin in the house but does not protect the house from future infestation, therefore the need for Timbor afterward as a prophylactic.

The fumigation was just completed 1/1/17.

Cut Old Pipes From Wing Attics (Not Complete)

The old abandoned galvanized pipes in the attic need to be cut and removed. The easiest method is to cut a small hole in each wing roof (before the new roof) to remove the pipes.

Check Badge Hanging Chain (Not Complete)

The badge in front is hung by a chain. The chain has been holding the badge up for years. Before we put a new layer of TPO roofing on the front portico, I am going to have Mark McNeeley check the condition of the chain. If it needs to be replaced, it needs to be done from the top down through a hole in the roof, before the new flat roof is installed.

New Roof and Windows – Imminent

Roof

We put off installing the new roof on the house because of the list of prerequisite projects that needed to be finished as listed above, especially the fumigation. This worked to our benefit because the hurricane blew off some old shingles instead of what could have been the new roof. I asked the roofing company to update the contract information to reflect accurate dates, etc. I will be signing the contracts imminently but we might not have the work done until the spring semester ends, to be considerate of the undergraduates.

The shingle chosen decisively by the alumni at the 45th birthday was the Carriage House shingle by CertainTeed and the color is Victorian Blue. This shingle will look outstanding on the house.

Windows

Depending on finances and the flow of donations at tax time, I would like to move right into replacing the windows with low-e hurricane-rated windows. The existing windows are old aluminum clear glass units. Although hurricane windows are more expensive than standard low-e units, there are a few reasons to install them. First, the low-e stops the heat gain in the house due to the blazing Florida sun. Second, of course, is to mitigate hurricane damage. The 3rd reason is to prevent would-be burglars from breaking windows, and the last is to prevent brothers from going through the windows from the inside, causing severe lacerations.

The anticipated cost of the installed low-e hurricane windows will be approximately $27-32K.

Other Miscellaneous

Digitize Composites from the '70s and '80s

Starting early this semester I am going to ask an alumnus and undergrad to team up to find a reputable company to digitize the early composites. We need to preserve those haircuts, facial hair and clothing styles for future generations to laugh at. When we come up with an estimate of cost, I will let you all know.

Update: alumnus Jian West has volunteered to locate a reputable company to digitize the composites.

Need to Purchase Copier/Scanner

Now that the study room is up and functioning, I would like to purchase a good copier/scanner. The scanner will be used to scan the thousands of photos stored in trunks to preserve the history of the chapter. After we are done scanning photos the undergrads can use it for their schoolwork.

I think the alumni should purchase a scanner right away so the undergrads can start scanning.

Update: First House Mom Karen "KB" & Ray Belcher are working on the copier/scanner purchase.

Need for High-Tech "I" Items

Although I cannot go into detail in this report, there is new high-tech equipment related to "I" that I would like Eta Iota to have. The cost of the items will be about $1,200-1,500. If the alumni don't want to pay for the items in full, maybe we can split the cost with the chapter. If Eta Iota chapter is going to go for the GOLD, we will need to purchase the equipment in late February or the beginning of March to make sure it arrives in time for "I."

If any brother has a question on this item, please contact me directly and I will explain it in detail.

Need Commercial Ceiling Routers

I had mentioned earlier that we are in the middle of upgrading the internet/Wi-Fi in the house. This will include Cat 6 wiring and commercial ceiling routers. The Cat 6 is strung but isn't functional yet. We need at least 2 commercial/industrial ceiling routers.

Portico Hanging Badge

Since we removed the badge during hurricane preparations, we made a plywood template so we can build a new cross in the near future.

46th Birthday Party

We will be announcing the time and date of the 46th birthday within the next few weeks. You can expect a formal announcement from HC Secretary Nick Weiss soon.

How Can Alumni Help?

There are many ways for an alumnus to help. As I always say, you can give your money, your time, or both.

One of the most important things that alumni can do to help is to please update your contact information with House Corporation. In case you forgot, it's as simple as going to etaiota.org, then to the Member Directory tab at the top, and then entering the founder's name or the dog's last name.

If you have not spoken with a particular brother(s) in a while, you can also search for his information by finding "member contact" in the lower right quadrant of the homepage. If you do call a brother, please remind them to update their information as well.

If you know a brother's information is out of date, please let us know.

Conclusion

To conclude, the Eta Iota House Corporation had an outstanding year. We got a lot of work done, some of it planned, some of it definitely not. We bought a property, fought a sex club, weathered a hurricane, smoked out some vermin and got some work done on the house as well. This was only possible because of the dedication and generosity of the alumni brothers – thank you.

In 2017 we will be keeping our phased house renovation on track while helping the undergraduate chapter strive for the Gold.

As tax season is upon us, if you find yourself with too much money and feel you would like to give a tax-deductible donation please contact fundraiser John Wrightington, John.Wrightington@gmail.com.

If you would like to help in another way please contact Tom McSwiggan, tgmcswiggan@gmail.com, or Mike Wyble, mtwybleex@gmail.com.

If you would like to volunteer with the undergraduate chapter call Chapter Advisor Chuck Bonini, slackercb@hotmail.com, or one of the undergraduate officers.

IHSV, Tom McSwiggan Eta Iota House Corp President tgmcswiggan@gmail.com 203-788-1669

Mental note for all alumni: if there is a hurricane forecast in the future, always remember to contact the undergraduates to remind them to take the charter. We need to formulate a plan for the charter and other important items for future storms.

Original document: Eta-Iota-2016-year-end-summary

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