August 6, 2012 by Joseph Ellenberg

Report on the 65th Grand Chapter

Mu Chapter is pleased to provide a report on the 65th Grand
Chapter of Sigma Nu Fraternity, held July 4 – 7 at the Fairmont Hotel in
Dallas, Texas. Nine active members and six
alumni were in attendance to witness a momentous occasion in the 139-year
history of Mu Chapter.

To begin the Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday, Brother Bobby
Woods (Mu 2300) led the Pledge of Allegiance and offered remarks on his Sigma
Nu experience. Brother Woods, an Army
Captain and Airborne Ranger, was gravely wounded when his platoon was ambushed
by insurgents in Afghanistan in 2010. He
encouraged the Grand Chapter to serve causes greater than themselves, an
opportunity afforded him by Sigma Nu and Mu Chapter during his undergraduate
career.

Later that evening, Mu Chapter was awarded its second
consecutive Rock Chapter Award, which is considered the highest honor bestowed
upon collegiate chapters by the Fraternity. To be eligible for the award, a chapter must achieve and maintain
excellence across a broad range of areas of chapter operations including
service and philanthropy, brother and alumni development, recruitment and
manpower, governance and accountability, and campus leadership. Mu Chapter was one of nine to receive the
award, out of over 180 collegiate chapters nationwide.

On Thursday, Brother John Hearn (Mu 2000) was unanimously
elected one of four Vice Regents and will serve a two-year term on the High
Council, or Board of Directors, of Sigma Nu. Moreover, Brother Hearn was named the “Alumnus of the Biennium,” an
award given to the alumnus “whose active participation in the affairs of the Fraternity
has been a noteworthy example, and whose personal traits, demonstrated
leadership, involvement, and overall achievement mark him as one who has contributed
to the excellence of Sigma Nu.”

In addition to serving as a longtime advisor to Mu Chapter,
Brother Hearn chaired Task Force Hopkins, a committee of the Fraternity’s best
operators responsible for creating the “Best Practices Library,” a collection
of hundreds of best practices from collegiate chapters across the country. He was joined in this endeavor by Brother Michael
Barry (Mu 2071), another longtime advisor to Mu Chapter. Brothers Hearn and Barry served as the Grand
Sentinels of Sigma Nu during the past biennium, and Brother Hearn also chaired
the Chapter Eternal Committee for the Grand Chapter.

During the Closing Ceremonies on Saturday, Brother Wells
Ellenberg (Mu 2400) was named Sigma Nu’s “Man of the Year.” The award is given to the collegiate member
who has demonstrated excellence in leadership. Brother Ellenberg follows in the footsteps of two previous
Man-of-the-Year Award recipients from Mu Chapter: Brothers Tom Johnson (Mu
1232) and Stuart Smith (Mu 1821).

In addition to serving as Commander of Mu Chapter, Brother
Ellenberg is one of four Collegiate Grand Councilmen on the High Council of
Sigma Nu. He recently completed a
one-year term as the sole voting student representative on the Board of
Directors of the University of Georgia Athletic Association, and was named the
Patrick H. Mell Leadership Scholar by Brother Luther Lockwood (Mu 1901), who
chairs the scholarship endowment.

Finally, Brother Robert Durham (Mu 1650) concluded his
two-year term as Regent, or National President, of Sigma Nu. Under his leadership, collegiate chapters
were reminded of and expected to uphold their “Obligation to Excellence.” In order to help them do so, Regent Durham
appointed Task Force Hopkins and announced the creation of the Fraternity’s
“Best Practices Library.” In addition to
his exceptional State of the Fraternity report, a record nine chapters received
Rock Chapter Awards this biennium, further testament to Regent Durham’s vision
and courage.

To recognize the outstanding work by Regent Durham
throughout his membership in Mu Chapter and Sigma Nu, the active chapter announced
the Robert E. Durham Medal of Excellence. The award will be given annually to the graduating senior “who, through
his vision and courage, consistently demonstrates a commitment to excellence,
and whose actions on behalf of Sigma Nu Fraternity and the University of
Georgia provide a worthy example for others to follow.” At Grand Chapter, Regent Durham was presented
with a framed medal, minted in the United States of America on the same press
as the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Mu Chapter would like to thank all those who contributed to
her success over the past biennium. As
we continue to recruit and develop a new generation of leaders with vision and
courage, we are ever mindful of those who have made and continue to make our
success possible. We hope that you will
join us in Nashville for the 66th Grand Chapter in 2014. Until then, please let us know if we can ever
be of assistance, and we look forward to seeing you on River Road again soon.

Mu Chapter brothers in attendance:

Mu 1650 Robert
Durham

Mu 2000 John
Hearn

Mu 2071 Michael
Barry

Mu 2300 Bobby
Woods

Mu 2372 Tom
Fisher

Mu 2388 Jared
Smith

Mu 2400 Wells
Ellenberg

Mu 2401 Tommy
McConnell

Mu 2427 Richard
Scott

Mu 2440 Joe
Gilman

Mu 2465 Paul
Chitwood