SWGP Announcements

[PhiPsiRuss]

July 2, 2004

Dear Brothers,

I wanted to take this opportunity to send this email on the eve of the 72nd Grand Arch Council in San Diego to bring you up to date on some final items of business and to thank all of you for your hard work and volunteer service to our beloved Fraternity.

It has been a very busy period in these last few weeks and the excitement is building as our anticipated registration for the 72nd San Diego Grand Arch Council is nearing an incredible 600 undergraduate, alumni and members of the Phi Psi Family Community......On the same note....I heard yesterday from our Director of Alumni Associations Tryon Hubbard that we will have over 100 Phi Psi Brothers as members of nationwide Phi Psi Alumni Associations attending our inaugural Grand Arch Council Alumni Association-Hyparchos Director Breakfast on Saturday morning July 10 . We are also very pleased that our Ladies and Guest Program has a record group of participants......

In the past month your Executive Council and Professional Headquarters Staff have been busy at work .....To give you a quick summary .....The Executive Council has approved by Ad Interim Motion in the creation of a new Phi Psi Award named the ''Dr Gordon S. Letterman 'Men's Health Awareness Award '' named in honor of Brother Gordon S. Letterman, Missouri Alpha '38, our Surgeon General Emeritus and the grandson of Founder William Henry Letterman . The new award will be presented annually to chapters promoting health awareness among its membership starting at the 2005 WWLS.

The Executive Council is also currently reviewing an Ethics Policy for consideration and for an application in its internal Executive Council Bylaws and Official Guide. Plans are also being made for the first chartering of a new Chapter at a Grand Arch Council with the Installation of New York Kappa-SUNY Oneanta in which twenty-four outstanding colony members will be traveling from all points in the country to be present for the great event.

On the housekeeping front.....I wish to especially thank the Brothers of Oklahoma Alpha and its tremendous chapter advisory leadership led by the Chapter Advisory members Carlos Elwell and Richard Bower who in the past twelve months raised $37,000 to erase the past aged chapter receivable debt amassed over a few years to have a zero balance and have its full voting rights for the Grand Arch Council.....Carlos and Richard deserve the Phi Psi Congressional Medal of Honor and represent the many unsung heroes of this great fraternity who work hard behind the scenes to support our local groups.

In addition and for your information, Phi Kappa Psi had conducted a Strategic Assessment Exchange among our related Phi Psi organ entities earlier this yearin March which has already helped to prioritize many of our existing and the newly established programs of the 2002-2004 Biennium in the immediate and long term future. One of our discussion items related to the value of increase communication among our entire Phi Psi Leadership Team that includes our Professional Staffs, General Fraternity Permanent Fund and Endowment Fund Educational Foundation.

I have requested as President of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity that we utilize a discussion exchange to share various strategies amongst our related boards and in our prescribed roles to help keep Phi Kappa Psi moving forward. This is presently done as prescribed in our Constitution in which our Council Vice President and Treasurer act as liaisons with our Endowment Fund and Permanent Fund entities and in other additional formats.As an example in the last Biennium, our Executive Board met with our Educational Foundation Board of Trustees at the Chicago home of Trustee Don Fites and we had a productive exchange. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with Foundation Chairman Wayne Wilson in Detroit last year and with Permanent FundTrustees John Donnell, Fred Clay and Tom Rogers in Chicago in our annual meetings with the Harris Bank Trust.

Our next leadership exchange session scheduled this fall will include representatives of all of our entities in which to share planning information. I wish to thank Foundation Trustee Bruce McMahan who has offered and will be providing his beautiful home in Fisher Island Florida for this exchange forum as we look forward to a very productive session.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank each of you who serve as our Elected and Appointed Officers, Trustees, Staff Members, Hyparchos Directors, Alumni Association Presidents, Chapter Advisors, Faculty Advisors, and as members of the Loyal Order of The S.C for the human contribution that each of you make to help Phi Kappa Psi grow and succeed.

We have much to be proud in Phi Kappa Psi and I have no doubt that our fraternity's best days lie ahead....

I am looking forward to seeing many of you in San Diego next week as we work together now and in the future and live up to the Phi Psi motto....''We Live and We Flourish"

May God Bless the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity and each and every one of you.

Happy Fourth of July!

Fraternally,
John V. Ciccarelli...
58th President of Phi Kappa Psi