Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Summer 2019 Sig Fiji Newsletter is Now Available

Because our current undergraduate Sigma Chapter is suspended, the Sig Fiji Alumni Association produced the Summer 2019 Sig Fiji newsletter.

There are some really great articles in this 12-page edition:

- 2019 Homecoming Schedule
- 2019 Pig Dinner Wrap-up
- Diamond, Gold, and Silver Owl Awards
- Call-for-Volunteers Meeting on 10/26/19
- More...

Here's the link to view / download the PDF version:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zvy9aIyWPPevPmS29LjaZhJgP4YziAd6/view?usp=sharing

Skip Buckley '80

Perge!



Sunday, June 2, 2019

The Demolition of Sigma Chapter's House at 20 West Ferncliff Place

The Springfield mansion at 20 West Ferncliff Place was originally built in 1905, and was purchased by the Sig Fiji Alumni Association in 1954.  The Tenement was constructed and added in 1955, and the new home of Sigma Chapter was dedicated at the Pig Dinner in 1956.  At one point, over 50 Brothers lived at 20 West.

After 60-plus years of wear and tear, as well as decades of fond memories from hundreds of Sig Fijis who lived in the house at 20 West, the decision was made to demolish the structure in October 2018.  The chapter by then had purchased the old adjacent Chi Omega house next door at 2 West Ferncliff Place, and our Brothers moved over in August 2018 to their "new" house (although originally built in 1879.)

I have wanted to capture the "final" days of 20 West before the demolition began on October 8, 2018, and below are several photos.  The demo took several days to complete...


This is one of the final photos I took of 20 West before it was demolished.  This was taken on Sunday, October 7, 2018, soon after sunrise as the sun was rising from the east and profiling so well the beautiful mansion.
Here's just another view of 20 West, the morning before the demolition began.


Among the many cool features of the old house was the water drainage system from the front porch. Here, you can see the drainage spouts.
Before the demo began, we had a professional contractor remove the Black Diamond from the front porch.  We have it preserved in the new chapter house.  The Black Diamond was originally placed there by Devon Ratchford '95 (now deceased) when he was an undergraduate.  Because it was never stepped on by a Fiji, it held up perfectly for about 25 years!


This was taken just after dawn on October 8, 2018, before the demo began.


On the morning of October 8, 2018, it was pretty weird to see the demo equipment that had arrived to begin the work.


The equipment was poised to begin attacking the back door of the Tenement.


Before the work got underway, we were intrigued as to whether anything was behind the cornerstone of the Tenement, originally added on to the mansion in 1955.  We didn't know.


The demo contractors delicately dismantled the cornerstone to see if anything was encapsulated.


The cornerstone was removed.  It's been preserved intact.


Behind the cornerstone was a lead box.  We were surprised and excited, but had no clue as to what it contained. 


Anticipation...


Doc Prescott '77 and Doug Myser '77 pulled up their chairs to witness history unfolding.


Inside the lead box we found a Springfield News-Sun newspaper from 1955.


We also found an old Wittenberg yearbook and what appeared to be remnants of a Phi Gamma Delta flag.  If you look carefully at this photo, you will see the Greek letters still preserved after 60-plus years. And look above the Phi Greek letter, and you will see the Sigma Greek letter. Amazingly, all that remained of the flag were the Greek letters.  How poignant was that... 
The demolition then continued.  I took one last photo of the front steps...a place I personally loved and had sat there myriad times, thousands of hours, over 40 years.  Tough to see that go...


Then they attacked the front steps.  Sigh...


After only a few hours, the entire house was down!

The contractors saved us an entire pallet of bricks from the old mansion.  We have them stored in the new chapter house.  We will make them available to Sigma Graduate Brothers at a later date.


It only took them four days to eliminate 113 years of history, but here is a photo of the leveled property.


Here's another view of the now-vacant lot, with our "new" house at 2 West Ferncliff Place in the background.



I don't know how well this will work, but here is one of two videos sent to me by Undergraduate Brothers who filmed some of the final moments of the demolition.  Both sad and incredible to witness...



Here's another final video of the 20 West house crumbling...


So, a major and significant part of Sigma Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta's proud history at Wittenberg University is preserved in these photos and videos, since our founding in 1884.  What a run...

Skip Buckley '80

Perge!

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Sigma 2018 Pig Dinner: April 14th - FINAL Pig Dinner in Current Chapter House!


Our Sigma Chapter 2018 Pig Dinner and Golf Outing are scheduled for:

Saturday, April 14, 2018 

The day's agenda:

9:30 am Annual Meeting of the Sig Fiji Alumni Association Board of Trustees (All Graduate and Undergraduate Brothers are welcome to attend!)

12:00 pm Informal Buffet Luncheon (for non-golfers) – Chapter House – Free!


12:00 pm (Optional) Lunch for Golfers at Windy Knoll Golf Club – Cash Order from Menu


2:00 pm (Optional) Annual Golf Outing at Windy Knoll Golf Club – 9-Hole Timed Start!


6:30 pm Pig Dinner Reception (NO ALCOHOL IN HOUSE): Chapter House


7:30 pm 134th Anniversary Norris Pig Dinner: Chapter House (Coat & Tie)
Speakers: Various Sigma Graduate Brothers from Each Decade Since the Current House at 20 West Ferncliff was Opened in 1956!
Symposiarch (MC): Craig Olson (Sigma ’74)


All Day: Open House at the Chapter – Stop by the House for a Tour from Undergraduates!


THIS WILL BE THE FINAL PIG DINNER TO BE HELD IN THE CURRENT CHAPTER HOUSE! As all Sigma Graduate Brothers should know by now, we plan to demolish the building at 20 West Ferncliff Place by the Fall of 2018, to make way for a new Sigma Chapter House if we can successfully raise the $3.5 million needed!  We're currently at about $2.5 million, so we're getting close! 

You can register for our 2018 Pig Dinner by downloading the registration form at this link: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T4theSJ1Q1-Vr3XHUjpZjs1JJzp3NS2c/view 

Hope to see you there! 

Skip Buckley '80 

Perge!

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Happy 133rd Anniversary to Sigma Chapter!

 

The 125th anniversary photo from 2009.

 
This is a replica of the original charter.
Today marks the 133rd anniversary of the founding of Sigma Chapter at Wittenberg University! The original charter from Phi Gamma Delta was commissioned on October 25, 1884!

The story behind our founding 133 years ago is fascinating, and is captured in writing by one of Sigma's legends, George Hopper '32. George wrote the history in 1933, just ahead of the 50th anniversary celebration planned in 1934. Here's an excerpt from George's opening paragraph:


"They say that Friday is an unlucky day and that all ventures which begin on a Friday are foredoomed to failure. If these old whimsies be true, then a certain group of forthright youths was foolish in its choice of a day on which to launch an undertaking. For it was on a Friday evening in the spring of 1883 that Sigma of Phi Gamma Delta was conceived. That word, "conceived", is used advisedly and in its strict physiological sense, for, as all Sigma men know, it wasn't until the fall of 1884 that Sigma was born..."

Here's a link to the complete, fascinating article on Sigma's first 50 years, written by George and first published by the chapter in 1933:
https://www.phigam.org/wittenbergsigma

What an amazing beginning, and what an incredible legacy Sigma Chapter has forged over 133 years. Godspeed, Sigma Chapter - may you endure and succeed for another 100 years!

Fraternally,

Skip Buckley '80

Perge!

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Help Support Sigma Chapter's Annual Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, November 16, 2017!


Sigma Brothers:

Nearly all of you who graduated in the last couple of decades will remember when YOU were in the chapter and organized your Brothers to hold the annual Thanksgiving Dinner at 20 West Ferncliff. It's become a huge annual fundraising event, with over 400 children, college students, and adults each year being served in the Back Lounge. The photo below is from 2012's Thanksgiving Dinner, showing Sig Fijis serving dinner outside the kitchen in the Back Lounge.



This year's Thanksgiving Dinner will be held at the chapter house on Thursday, November 16, 2017. If you are in the area and can attend, I know the Brothers would GREATLY appreciate it! However, if you are like me and cannot attend in person, then please consider donating to this important philanthropy.




Everything is detailed on Sigma Chapter's GoFundMe page, including an impressive write-up of how the net proceeds will benefit Springfield Promise Neighborhood, at this link: https://www.gofundme.com/phi-gamma-delta-thanksgiving-dinner

Good luck to our Sigma Undergraduate Brothers!

Skip Buckley '80

Perge!

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Spring/Summer 2016 Sig Fiji Newsletter Now Available!

 

The latest issue of the Sig Fiji newsletter is now available! As long as you have kept your mailing address up to-date-with our International HQ office in Lexington (phigam@phigam.org), then you should be receiving your hard copy in the mail over the next week or so.

But since YOU are reading here, you can view and download the Spring/Summer 2016 issue right NOW at this link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwImNLvWpcx_Nk1HdWZiRmpoZGc/view?usp=sharing

In this issue...
- Chapter updates on various activities, including scholarship and recruitment
- 2016 Pig Dinner Wrap-up
- Meet the 2016 Spring Semester pledge class
- The "Sig Fiji Extra" section with ALL of the architect drawings of the proposed new chapter house
- Update on Sigma Chapter Capital Campaign plans

A HUGE thank-you goes to Craig Olson (Sigma '74) whose company, Olfield Graphics in Youngstown, Ohio, donates the design, printing, and mailing of the SF newsletter. Thanks, Craig!

Fraternally,

Skip Buckley '80


Perge!



Saturday, October 1, 2016

Sigma Chapter Capital Campaign - Architect Drawings

Our Sigma Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta is at the very early stages of a capital campaign to raise approximately $4 Million to raze the existing structures and build a brand new chapter house.  More details will soon be announced, but here are the early architect's drawings of the external and interior layout.  It's exciting to envision!








More details to come!

Skip Buckley '80

Perge!