Founder's Day

[SOTKE242]

Fraters,
Happy Founder's Day to all Teke's on this great day.

[Erik P Conard]

not many of us left who met any TKE founders.
I met two; Clarence Mayer, who wrote "The Closing
Ode" was most impressive.
I well up, sorta, when I think of old Tex, Tues, even at
times Jim Logan, certainly Dick Hall, gosh, there have been
a lot of good ones...now in the Chapter Eternal.
TKE is, indeed, the Fraternity for Life!

[The1calledTKE]

Happy Founders day, a little late!

[HimAreMe]

I got to wondering a few days ago about James Love. All Tekes know the story that since he arrived late at the organizational meeting on January 10, 1899, he became the first pledge.

In 1909 he became the first Grand Crysophylos. After that point there is no mention of Love in the fraternity history on tke.org.

Does anyone know more about Love's role in the development of the fraternity?

[Erik P Conard]

Upon reaching middle age, or even before, Jimmie Love had no
further connection with the fraternity. Near the end of his life,
he made a brief appearance at the behest of his daughter and
of the TKE Grand Council.
Tex Flint said that Love took no interest whatsoever in TKE.
All attempts to involve him were fruitless...said Tues....
I posed this same question to Tex and Tues at the Bedford Spgs.
TKE Conclave in August, 1957, as a new field rep for TKE

[Erik P Conard]

Leland Frederick "Pete" Leland told me that Jimmie Love did
come to the 50th anniversary conclave...and that they sat at
the same table. He was withdrawn but congenial.

[HimAreMe]

Thanks for that information Erik. You always seem to have the answers that are not in the books.

You said your first year as a fielder was 1957. How long were you on the staff? I believe you were still there in 1963.

[Erik P Conard]

I was hired by Dick Hall and Jim Logan in May 1957 and reported
in Aug '57 in time to go to the Bedford Springs Conclave. On the
way several of us fielders stopped in Indy and helped Gamma Psi
chapter at Butler get going again....it worked well.
Melchert had gotten us Manitoba and TKE was now international.
We were eight on the road. I spent the 57-58 year as a fielder
and went to summer school in '58, returned to field staff in Sept
of '58, spent that year on road, and was hired then as TKE's first
Resident Field Supervisor to attend Emporia State U and restore
Gamma Phi chapter to prominence. It worked. I graduated in '60
and also served as Province Hegemon for Kansas.
I had secured several affiliates during that time, a record never
challenged 'cept by Buckwheat, but took him five years to do it.
Fall '60, I was Spanish teacher at Manhattan, KS high school and
served on the Province Staff and the Alpha Lambda (KSU) Board.
Summer '63, married, entered grad school at U of IL, was Chapter
Adviser of Gamma Chapter. Jim Kane & I ran Leadership Schools,
and were IL Province Hegemons '63-'65 for Illinois.
Was silent adviser, communicator, contributor to Wilson B Heller &
the College Survey Bureau from '61-73 also.
Fall '65, took Foreign Language Education position at Pittsburg State U in KS, and became Chapter Adviser for Delta Mu there,
we went from 28 members to 81 in five semesters.
I have served on numerous committees at the national level
under Eugene Charles Beach, James Russel Salsbury, Ralph
Chester Williams, James Clifford Logan, Harrold Pierce Flint,
et al., all a matter of record.
Conducted largest leadership school ever in TKE in Springfield, MO, but hosted by Delta Mu, 28 chapters, 3 colonies, 1 local &
2 Grand Councillors present (Aspinwall & Quallich) Feb 1966
Entered U of OK, full time, fall '68 and was TKE Province Hegemon,
helped run leadership schools at Edmond (E-S chapter) 'til Jan 70
Completed PhD, accepted Dean and AD, Neosho Co. Comm. Coll.
Chanute, KS joining TKE Joe Smith as he was Dean of Students.
We sent several students to TKE via transfer methods...
Was Province Supervisor, KS, 71-74, helped in the creation and installation of Washburn, Baker & Rockhurst chapters. Ran US
Survey on Junior Colleges for Don Kaser & Bruce Melchert at the
TKE Hdqtrs, had negative results, TKE chartered two anyway.
Buckwheat entered TKE staff during this time, as Resident Field
Supervisor, Alpha Lambda, Kansas State; worked--see 'em today?
Left education business, '76, to CO; revived Denver Alumni chapter, served on Board at Delta Delta, UNC Greeley, helped in
getting the Pelican Boys from Louisiana to come run two Rush
Clinics, helped Buckwheat with the Las Vegas & Reno & Grand
Junction chapters colonizations and installations.
Carried on correspondences with Heller, Hall, Logan, Flint 'til
their deaths. Went to five conclaves, where Jim Kane and I ruled
as the TKE trivia poobahs--mostly at the bar.
Pete Leland & Tex Flint nominated me at the Detroit Conclave,
fall '59, as the Permanent Historian, Knights of Apollo. Passed.
Wrote history part of the CFC exam, was among first CFC's.
Serving on board of CU colony, Gamma Iota, now. It's doing well.
Guess that's about all. You still awake? TKE is the Fraternity for
Life, and I guess I have had a few years at it, much disappointment but fully support present staff.
The two years on the road were the greatest training I ever got,
the most fun I ever had, and TKE became #1 during this time.
Yours in the bond, Erik P Conard (Gamma Phi, Emporia, 133)

[hoosier]

"I was hired by Dick Hall and Jim Logan in May 1957 and reported
in Aug '57 in time to go to the Bedford Springs Conclave. On the
way several of us fielders stopped in Indy and helped Gamma Psi
chapter at Butler get going again....it worked well.
Melchert had gotten us Manitoba and TKE was now international.
We were eight on the road."

When was Melchert first involved/employed?

[Erik P Conard]

After fielding a year as Prytanis at Beta Theta (Mizzou), he then headed for KC and planned to go to law school. He took a job
with Teke, then headquartered in KC...thanks to Alex Barket,
and was on the road about a semester. Hall called him in to be
his assistant in the office. I think Bruce began the fall of '56,
and he left for a brief hitch in the army. Returning to TKE and to
Law School, he married Barb...soon thereafter Dick Hall was to
leave TKE, to work for Stew Howe Alumni service. Melchert was
offered the position of Executive Secretary. He decided then
to quit law school. The corporate tax advantages of Indiana were so strong that HQ moved to join the other GLOs there. So
Bruce went along to Indy. The Logan era of intrigue was over.
Had two daughters, now grown. Barb died, he remarried, spent
a few more years at Exec Sec, became Grand Prytanis, bought a
sailboat...and retired--but emerges from his boat from time to time to great some of us old codgers...

[SOTKE242]

Erik,

What are the odds of getting more old schoolers on this message board, or a broad TKE message board in general? I think it would be a great resource for some of the newer initiates as well as the quasi-seasoned brothers such as myself.

Plus, it would be great to hear multiple stories of the past, such as the splendid ones you provide (thanks by the way).

[Erik P Conard]

Without opening a can of worms, I will say this: I will try to help
anyone about TKE or Greek history. I was indeed fortunate in
that I became quite close to several old timers. Grade my paper!
While lunching a few years back with Bruce Melchert in Boulder, I
asked him "Bruce, what ever happened to the old men in TKE"
He replied " WE are now the old men in TKE."
There were not a lot of men initiated in TKE before 1950. Frank
Moulton, KoA, here in Denver, was initiated in '50. He is 72. I'll
be 69 on 28 April. Wally Ginn, here in Denver, founder of KoA is nearing 80, was a fielder in '52, installed the 100th chapter but
was out of the country in the 60s thru the 80s.In 1950 TKE had about 85 active chapters, and only a few thousand alumni. TKE was a sleepy middle-sized outfit until the dynamic but sometimes ascerbic and controversial James Clifford Logan took
the helm and introduced REAL expansion to the greek world.
We had few alums and the average Teke back then, from year
one to 1950 was in his late 20s....so, not many old timers.
As TKE grew we had a field staff, then KoA to help buttress the
non-existent alums. But still, few old timers.
By the time I was 50 TKE had moved to Indy, and a sleeping GC
plus questionable leadership had isolated alumni by the hundreds
By the time I was 60 virtually all the former field men and alumni
had become so disenchanted with TKE that it takes an act of God
to get the remaining ones to do anything. They have been ignored and isolated so long it is unlikely there are a dozen who
have stories, tales, etc over the age of 65.
I am sorry to say this. Some of us harped and griped and yelled
for YEARS about all this...while we were losing a dozen chapters
a year. We are finally, now, turning the corner.
If there is an old alum around, greet him, talk to him, bring him
back in the fold. There are now thousands of them, but few with
the spark we'd like and it is hard to re-capture.
BUT, hand me the mike, I'll do the best I can. I can remember even things that did not happen. LOL Mark Fite has had a tough
time with the history, the archives are virtually non-existent as
Jim Kane (now gone, too) told me. No further comment on this.
I have said enough. There are many fences to be mended in TKE
and I seriously doubt they will ever be. Many of the former GC
members who slept those years are still in denial. It is not a good memory to me, either. YITB, Erik Paul Conard, Gamma Phi,
133, pledged by Jim Logan, hired by Hall. I loved 'em both...

[Erik P Conard]

I will be around the TKE site more as I have a penchant for pissing off the angry women on the "Greek General Forums,"
and am cooling it. I fit best here and with the old stories and
reminiscences. I do not seem to be embraced by the younger
women in the eastern smaller sororities. They are mostly of the
liberal bent and would likely have been called hoggers in my day.
But at any rate, TKE is where I belong, and in my poker playing
days I had a coupla sayings, applicable to the Greek Site,
"Blind men oughten to go to movin' picture shows."
'Never wise up a sucker"
That is how I feel about those outside the TKE site, Tom Earp of
Lambda Chi an exception. He is a joy but misunderstood, too.
Perhaps we are out of step and do not know it. Possible, but
anyway, fire away with questions, I will try to field them with the
time I have left. Am still active in TKE in Colorado, by the way.

[hoosier]

Is that story I heard about you making an expansion pitch at some school, learning that the SPE guy was arriving on a bus to make their pitch, meeting the SPE's bus, and telling him you had heard from the SPE office that he should proceed IMMEDIATELY to somewhere else?

[Erik P Conard]

This has been somewhat twisted...it was at U of SD,
Dec 1958 and did involve Sig Ep, but had nothing to do
with a phone call. I did colonize, the Sig Ep, a gentleman
named Caleb S. Atwood, Michigan, and I met...he decided
to go on to ND U and get them on there. Long story, a bit
funny, and a win-win situation. Told with a considerable
amount of alcohol, has been really screwed up over the
years but did involve TKE vs Sig Ep at SDSU. It would take
considerable time to repeat, but was one of the fun times I
had on the road. South Dakota Alpha colony evolved from
this visit, quite by accident, and it was quite cold....just one
of several tales I've told about being a knight on the road.