The BOT is coordinating some major projects during Summer 2009 designed to enable the current facilities to last “in good form” until the upcoming major renovation is complete.   These projects address long term maintenance and quality of life issues that affect the ability of the undergrads to recruit new members now and the perception the alumni have of the level of care shown for the property.  This will be the last major round of work on the property until the upcoming major renovation.

We are starting to convert our kitchen from a service facility to a teaching facility.  Tasks include a major scrub-down, new non-skid floor, refinished walls, and new and refurbished equipment to make it possible to make make more and buy less pre-made.

The kitchen is temporarily unavailable for cooking

In the dormitory, showers, sinks and cabinets that had simply worn out and would no longer respond to cleaning are being replaced.  We are using tiles left over from the 1996 project to replace worn out flooring.

Outside, we are repairing and replacing exterior trim and gutters that need it.  When this work is complete, we will have a professional firm power wash the exterior to remove deep-seated dirt and other contaminants.

When you come by the house this fall, you will notice more changes than even we anticipated–and we haven’t even said anything about the interior painting yet.

Well, if no one's drinking hot chocolate, we have a problem. What kind of problem? Cracked engine block. S**t. Now what? We could weld it...

How many times have scenarios like this played out over the decades?

Photo provided by Travis Stout.

Prytanis Gary Gallagher and Rush Chairman Brendan Patterson and This Year's TAP Scholarship Winners

This spring, for the first time, TKE Beta-Pi implemented the Triangle Achievement Program. The TAP, a 1986 invention of the TKE Beta-Sigma at the University of Southern California, had been proposed by the alumni many years ago as a good way to meet some sharp freshmen.

Applicants were screened and finalists invited to Atlanta for a day in May of interviews and information. While the incoming freshmen met with teams of Tekes, BOT members David Adcock and Michael Smith talked with parents and other applicants about factors that lead to success in college and about the value added by the Greek system.

After the interviews, participants walked to the Chapter House for a cookout and the announcement of awards.

This year’s awards, totaling $3,000, were sponsored by the BOT/Alumni Association.

Frater Bob Barr visits the Chapter House

In June, Frater Bob Barr dined at the Chapter House with a group of TKE volunteers from Region 2 who were in Atlanta for a planning conference.  No politics were discussed but, during and after dinner he shared his experiences as an undergraduate at USC and the role TKE has played in his life.   After, Chapter Adviser Dave Adcock gave him and several volunteers a tour of the (pre-current-rehab)  House.

The TKE Beta-Pi Alumni Association has been rechartered in time for a representative to vote at the 2009 Conclave in New Orleans.

Given our level of activity in the last few years, this is really an official recognition of a fait accompli.

However, it is important since there are some matters of importance to alumni to be considered in New Orleans, especially a motion to grant each alumni association two votes in the Grand Chapter as undergraduate organizations now have.  It appears that this measure is opposed by some in TKE so the debate and vote should be interesting.

Fraters, it’s been a while but we are finally relaunching the old “betapitke.org” website.  Originally this was the only site for the Chapter but we’ve since created separate sites for the undergrad chapter and for the “greater beta-pi”.

Both sites are now hosted by the same service, which is why the old URL redirects to this directory under “gatechtke”.

I encourage you to subscribe to the RSS feeds from the site and then employ a feedreader such as “google reader” to keep up with posts without having to remember to visit the site.   This is how I keep up with new information on a dozen websites that I’d rather not have to visit every day.  The feed for this site is:  http://gatechtke.org/alumni/?feed=rss2.

More coming soon because lots is going on at the beta-pi.

YITB,

Mike Smith, BSICS ‘85

BOT Chairman