In Hoc Signo Vinces

Sigma Chi

About Us

On July 2, 1987, Sigma Chi Delta was born. Five active member were present: Lal Echterhoff, Tony Crow, Daniel Holden, Russ Britt, and Eric Poteet; two alumni members were present: Jay E. Minton Jr. and Roy Gum.

The Chapter elected officers and a ritual was drawn up by Brother Minton,  the Constitution/Bylaws Committee was formed to begin the construction of the Chapter’s Bylaws, plans for summer and fall rush were laid out, and the trek toward Sigma Chi had begun.

The summer and fall rushes were successful, and the Chapter pledged 13 men to the Alpha pledge class. In order to meet the deadline for submission of the Declaration of Intent, the Alpha Pledge Class was put through an accelerated pledgeship, completing all facets of our present  pledge program in 8 weeks. All but one were initiated on November 17, 1987.  

The Chapter submitted the first declaration of Intent in time for the January 11, 1988 Executive Committee meeting. However it was tabled until the April, 1988 meeting

Meanwhile, the new initiates took over as officers and chairmen. The Chapter moved into its first chapter house on 401 Normal Street and held its spring rush, pledging 17 men, eleven of whom were initiated in May as the Beta pledge class.

April, 1988: The Chapter submitted another Declaration of Intent to the Executive Committee, meeting at Grand Council in Orlando, Florida. However, due to full docket of active chapter disciplinary matters it was tabled until the August Executive Committee meeting held at Leadership Training Workshop in DeKalb, Illinois.

August 8, 1988, Sigma Chi accepted Sigma Chi Delta’s Declaration of Intent and made Sigma Chi Delta an official petitioning chapter of Sigma Chi. And on September 5, 1988 the Interfraternity Council of UNT granted Sigma Chi full membership and voting privileges.

The chapter held its first Chapter Retreat, August 16-18.  Fall 1988 rush brought over 250 men through the doors of 401 Normal; 27 bids were issued; 25 accepted. The Chapter’s Investigating Officer visited Sigma Chi Delta in October, 1988. In spite of the fact that Roy Gum, then House Manager, fined him $5 for parking in front of the Chapter’s dumpster which he paid, Brother Jernigan heartily recommended and “immediate installation” of the chapter and instructed the Chapter to submit their formal petition immediately.

Confused by the disparity between the Investigation Officer’s report and the timeline imposed on the chapter by the Director of Expansion, Jay spoke with the Executive Secretary of Sigma Chi, William T. Bringham, who said: “If the investigating Officer said send your petition, then send in your petition.  His report is what counts….”

May 1989, the Chapter held its first ritualistic installation of officers.  The Chapter took #1 in grades for the Spring semester, and Jim submitted the chapter’s Phase I application to newly appointed Manager of Expansion.  It was accepted without reservation on June 27, 1989.  The Chapter now had to complete Phase II.

Fall 1989 rush saw the largest number of men pass through the doors at 401 Normal and the largest number of men accept bids: 800 (approximately and 33, respectively. During the Fall semester, the Chapter once again fully completed the Peterson requirements and maintained its position of having the #1 grades on campus. On December 3, 1989, Martin Dana visited the Chapter, and Jim submitted the Phase II application. On December 27, 1989, again without reservation the application was accepted and the chapter was permitted to proceed with submission of its Formal Petition.

Preparation of the Petition took most of the Spring semester for Jim and Chris Gillett. Between classes and work, they spent most of the weeknights collecting, and typing all of the required material. On March 12, 1990, after many hundreds of hours of work, 12 copies of the 250+ page book were submitted to the Executive Committee of Sigma Chi.  During Grand Council in Cincinnati, on April 10, 1990 at 10 a.m., the Formal Petition of Sigma Chi Delta was accepted. 

The chapter now had to wait for and official vote of 75% of the active and alumni chapters of Sigma Chi and then for Installation.

Fall of 1990 held the first annual “Kids’ Month; Take Time for Kids” in October, the first annual Homecoming with the Denton Big Brothers and Sisters, the first annual Derby Days, and made the flag football playoffs for  the first time.

After a favorable vote by the active and alumni Chapters of Sigma Chi, Michael R. DeGeorgeo (Director of New Chapter Development), Christopher B. Ahearn (A.E.S), and Jeffrey T. Patterson (Director of Alumni Affairs), came to UNT to conduct Indoctrination Week for the Chapter during November 11-17, 1990.

On November 17, 1990, after Ceremonies of Initiation for 66 new Sigma Chis conducted by East Texas State University (now Texas A&M Commerece), University of Texas Arlington, Baylor and Southern Methodist University, and under the direction of Ritual Director Charles B. Brown, Grand Consul Robert E. Joseph formally installed the IOTA PHI Chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity of the University of North Texas.

The ceremonies culminated the Installation Banquet that evening, with over 500 guests, and attended by Grand Consul Joseph, Past Grand Consul Chuck Thatcher (Master of Ceremonies), Grand Historian Doug Carlson (host of a “Through the Ritual” program prior to the banquet), Grand Trustee Nathan White, Grand Praetor John Habeeb, International Sweetheart Jaqueline (Lehn) DuPont and past International Sweetheart Julie Roberts. Grand Consul’s Citations were given to Brothers Jay Minton, Jr. Wayne Tucker, and Larry Tubbs (only to name a few) for their hard work and dedication in establishing a Sigma Chi Chapter at UNT.

After thirty years of trying and just three years of intense, dedicated work, Sigma Chi had been brought to our campus. Each new generation of Iota Phi Sigs is handed a Chapter that either has been built by the sweat and tears of others of devoted men who came before or has been neglected by those who never truly learned the lesson of the White Cross.

Please take your obligation seriously, for our future lies in your hands and our legacy is in your keeping. In a letter read to the Chapter at Installation, Past Grand Consul George Jones warned:

                 Your Chapter letters together signify the word ‘IF’, as well they                  should.  For ‘IF’ you take your obligations seriously, ‘IF; you                  commit yourselves not only to maintaining but to increasing your                   success, ‘IF’ you continue to strive valiantly with one eye to your                  past and one to your future, then Iota Phi will continue to rank                  among the greatest of our beloved Fraternity.  But ‘IF’ you do                  not: ‘IF’ you focus, instead, on the meaningless, on what is                  popular but not what is right, on what is a “goodtime” and not                  also on what is necessary, then she will sink to the depths of the                  nameless and all you have worked for will be for naught, leaving                  you only dusty, empty memories….

To you we commit the care of our Chapter and our Brotherhood

 

 

 

 

 

To contact us:

Comments or Suggestions?

Email: mrclean82003@yahoo.com

 

 

Clayton Smith (Rush Chair)

Phone: 940-390-7201

E-mail:claytonsmith15@yahoo.com