Requesting information

[dever860]

I have been doing research on our founder, Russell Rader Fling, GT #1, and I need some help. Russell died in October 1978, he was an order of merit scholar. I was hoping to find something written about him in the 1977-78 edition of the cross and crescent, alas in the December 1978 edition there was no memorandum section. The December edition was quite small. I was hoping that someone might be able to look in the 1979 edition to see if there was an obituary written about him. If anyone knows of any other documentation on my chapter Founder, it would be of great help. Our 1979 edition is mysteriously missing from the collection.

Recently, inspired by the group that found Cole's grave, tracked down Flings grave a few miles outside of Columbus. I hope to go see it later this afternoon. I am thinking about starting a tradition where our associate members put flowers on his grave before every Initiation.

Thanks.
In ZAX,
John Dever
GT1111

[Tom Earp]

John, thanks for posting this!

I am glad as You and I chated ,it is to cool.

Never lose sight of History!

You have done well, a big atta boy for My Brother!

[dever860]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

John, thanks for posting this!

I am glad as You and I chated ,it is to cool.

Never lose sight of History!

You have done well, a big atta boy for My Brother!

Tom, any chance you have a 1979 C&C?

[john1082]

Originally Posted by dever860

Tom, any chance you have a 1979 C&C?

Remember when you were a kid and you had to have a hall pass, bathroom pass, etc?

I have a permanent "basement" pass at HQ. A couple of years ago I was there doing some research and stumbled across the ORIGINAL constitution written by Cole in 1909. Based upon that Biff gave me permanent basement privileges!!

If you're near Indy I would suggest paying them a visit. They have the stuff that you're looking for - somewhere! Seriously, it is your HQ and it is YOUR stuff, not their stuff. Ultimately it is OUR stuff. Go on a road trip. Tell 'em John G sent you!

[john1082]

Originally Posted by john1082

Remember when you were a kid and you had to have a hall pass, bathroom pass, etc?

I have a permanent "basement" pass at HQ. A couple of years ago I was there doing some research and stumbled across the ORIGINAL constitution written by Cole in 1909. Based upon that Biff gave me permanent basement privileges!!

If you're near Indy I would suggest paying them a visit. They have the stuff that you're looking for - somewhere! Seriously, it is your HQ and it is YOUR stuff, not their stuff. Ultimately it is OUR stuff. Go on a road trip. Tell 'em John G sent you!

Let's see, hmm, I found Cole's constitution in August '05, and Cole's resting place in '06. What do you suggest for '07?

[dever860]

Originally Posted by john1082

Let's see, hmm, I found Cole's constitution in August '05, and Cole's resting place in '06. What do you suggest for '07?

I hear the Holy grail is in high demand these days. I think theres an
Indiana Jones movie made about it. They might dedicated a whole C&C to you.

On my adventures to find old Flings resting place, I stumbled on my own mystery. I got there, and after spending 10 minutes looking through records and books, they about gave up. Thinking I had lost, and he was at a different Sunset Cemetery, they decided to look in the permanent storage file. As luck would hold there was a record for his internment into permanent storage, unfortunately some years ago his family had him and his wife removed and returned to the funeral home. Possibly to give him a proper burial with his wife in ground? With help from the very nice people at the cemetery, I contacted the funeral home gave them his and my information, and they will get back to me. I got a great chuckle when giving my Kappa report at chapter when I told them our founder has been lost.

Is this headquarters basement specially restricted? I assume I have to prove my membership, but do I have to be escorted and monitored and all that good stuff?

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by john1082

Let's see, hmm, I found Cole's constitution in August '05, and Cole's resting place in '06. What do you suggest for '07?

Ah, Brother John if nothing else, You are amazing and that is what I love about you!

So, maybe there will turn something up on GC as IHQ seems to wait for those on this Site to Dig, Dig, and Dig! I guess that is understandable!

John G and John D, I do not know about a basement, but if there is, I would love to go through it and find the many things that are there and not catagorized for History.

History should never be lost, that is what we are, History since 1909!

Today will be tomarrows History!

[john1082]

The basement is just that. Lots of olf fraternity records down there, stuff like minutes from GHZ meetings from the sixties (which is where I found the 1909 constitution) old C & C magazines - like I said, a typical basement.

The sad thing is that it really isn't organized very well.

I had a specific research topic in mind when I went down there - I was looking for supporting documentation and notes regarding the various amendments made to the constitution and stat code, specifically why and when and who engineered their merger into a single document. I never did find what I was looking for.

The basement at HQ isn't conducive to research and I doubt that they want guys wandering in to paw through the stuff. A specific research request worked for me and it was a topic of interest and relevance to the standing committee on the constitution, and hence, of relevance to the GHZ. A request to look through boxes to find stuff for X-Y-Z-Zeta would likely not be well received.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by john1082

The basement is just that. Lots of olf fraternity records down there, stuff like minutes from GHZ meetings from the sixties (which is where I found the 1909 constitution) old C & C magazines - like I said, a typical basement.

The sad thing is that it really isn't organized very well.

I had a specific research topic in mind when I went down there - I was looking for supporting documentation and notes regarding the various amendments made to the constitution and stat code, specifically why and when and who engineered their merger into a single document. I never did find what I was looking for.

The basement at HQ isn't conducive to research and I doubt that they want guys wandering in to paw through the stuff. A specific research request worked for me and it was a topic of interest and relevance to the standing committee on the constitution, and hence, of relevance to the GHZ. A request to look through boxes to find stuff for X-Y-Z-Zeta would likely not be well received.

John, while I am sure you are totally correct, there is a need for it along with papers and Pins and Badges that need to be catagorized.

There have been many items donated and are placed in "The Basement".

Granted there is a lack of space on the main floor, it is still one of the most important parts of what We as LXA and Brothers is all about.

I know if memory serves me right, that some of the GC Brothers are of the same interest as you.

It also did not seem that well received about fing the Site of Warren Colle, but now it is History that has been found and documentated. That is the most important part is it not?

I am sure that there would be a few who would have and experience of a life time to be turned loose there!

Just do waht you do so well!!!!!

[EM1843]

We really need the services of a professional archivist.

[dever860]

Originally Posted by EM1843

We really need the services of a professional archivist.

Hell given the chance I would take a week off work to go sort that stuff. Granted I'm sure its more like a several month task, but I love digging through old stuff.

[boz130]

It's not unheard of...I visited SAE's HQ on Tuesday & saw records of every chapter they've ever had stored in "scrapbooks" (for lack of a better word) in their library. As I viewed the books, I noticed there were about 12 empty slots @ the bottom of the shelves.

When I asked my HQ contact if expansion meant he had to move all the records (for example, if the newest chapter were "Illinois Xi", would all the books coming after it, like "Indiana Alpha", etc. have to be moved one slot), he replied with glee, "Oh, no, that's done by our archivist". I'll bet the guy doesn't relish having a huge expansion push...

[john1082]

Originally Posted by dever860

Hell given the chance I would take a week off work to go sort that stuff. Granted I'm sure its more like a several month task, but I love digging through old stuff.

That's the problem: Too many people have gone "digging through old stuff" without a plan!

In an ideal scenario we would have a retired alumnus, who lived in Indianapolis, that was a retired CSI investigator, and plenty of storage and working room . . .

In the meantime, we have to make do with what we've got. If there was a specific research requirement then I suppose that arrangements could be made but HQ is not in the business of hosting scavenger hunts.

[dever860]

Originally Posted by john1082

That's the problem: Too many people have gone "digging through old stuff" without a plan!

In an ideal scenario we would have a retired alumnus, who lived in Indianapolis, that was a retired CSI investigator, and plenty of storage and working room . . .

In the meantime, we have to make do with what we've got. If there was a specific research requirement then I suppose that arrangements could be made but HQ is not in the business of hosting scavenger hunts.

I love scavenger hunts. .

I guess my problem as a youngin is not knowing all that is lost. I would have no knowledge that cole's constitution was missing, or that coles grave site was lost, unless I had prior knowledge or I was looking for it myself. So I guess a better question as John put it earlier, what do we need to find.

I however am still in search of a 1979 C&C if anyone has ready access to one.

[john1082]

Actually, nobody knew that the 1909 constitution was missing because nobody ever remembered seeing it! Nobody knew that there was such a document. BTW, it is hand written in a black lab notebook with what looks like crayon on the cover!

We DID know that Cole was dead and would likely remain so, so it was more of a hunt that the first discovery.