What an exciting time for Mu Chapter, Number IV.  We recently initiated 46 new men in the Fall Class and hosted the largest fraternity party on campus, Jam For Cam.  The party was attended by over 10,000 revelers who paid $10 each yielding over $100,000 for charity.  Last year’s Jam For Cam was the largest single fundraiser for any Sigma Nu chapter in the country and we have surpassed the previous record.  All completed while having a great time and enhancing our reputation on campus.

Over the last decade the Chapter has soared to new heights in leadership, scholarship and philanthropy.  We have earned five consecutive Rock Chapter Awards at Grand Chapter, marking ten+ consecutive years of sustained excellence. In 2012, we won the Chapter of Distinction Award from the North American Interfraternity Conference, the highest chapter level honor bestowed by the organization among 5,500 member chapters in all fraternities nationwide.  We are the only Chapter at UGA to ever receive this prestigious award and were the first Sigma Nu chapter to win (congrats Ole Miss 2019).

This initial momentum was created when we moved into the “new” French Chateau on River Road in 2009.  In the decade since the move, the interior of the house has not kept pace with the standard of excellence set by the rest of the Chapter.  The leadership of the Mu Chapter House Corporation is creating a Sustainability Fund to address this issue and create an ongoing solution to continually improve the House.  The goal of the Sustainability Fund is to provide an ongoing source of funds to maintain the interior of the house to the high standard our Chapter deserves to maintain our leadership position on campus.

The House Corporation Master Plan

The leadership of the House Corporation has created a Master Plan to upgrade our facilities with the following priorities that will be completed in phases:

Phase I of our Master Plan is a full renovation of The Pit.  The renovation will include new auditorium style seating permanently affixed to the floor in a stadium configuration.  The seating will be comfortable and durable to endure the daily activities of the Chapter with the goal to look like the Club Level seats at Mercedes Benz Stadium.  We will remove the sofas and existing risers, eliminating an ongoing maintenance and cleanliness issue.  In addition to the projection television we will add additional wall monitors to watch multiple sporting events at once or gaming activities during the day.  The additional entertainment options will take pressure off the living room and increase activity in the Pit during the day.  The room will also provide seating for meetings with brothers and weekly candidate education meetings.

Phase II will be a renovation of the living room on the main level of the house.  The House Corporation will work with the White Rose Society Mothers Club to redecorate the room for its intended use as a room to welcome and entertain members and their guests.  New leather sofas and club chairs will replace the existing furniture to create a home away from home feel for the French Chateau.  After the renovation to The Pit, the television and pool table will be moved back downstairs to create a more formal feel.

Phase III will be a renovation of the Alumni Room.  The Alumni Room was envisioned as a room where small groups of brothers, guests and alumni could gather that would be kept clean, without the normal wear and tear of other parts of the house.  Over the last decade the Chapter as accumulated a treasure trove of fraternity artifacts like composites, chapter awards (yes we keep winning more stuff!), pictures of noteworthy events and alumni, and other mementos.  The Alumni Room has evolved into the storage room for our overflowing collection instead of filling the needs of the current members.  As a result, the room is rarely used for its intended purpose.

Phase IV will be renovation of the dining room.  The dining room tables have held up remarkably well over the last decade, but the seating has not tolerated the wear and tear the same way.  The Chapter has a supply of folding chairs that are used in the dining room and for chapter meetings.  The House Corp would like to purchase more durable chairs like the one used courtside by the UGA basketball team on the bench.  These chairs are portable but sturdier (350 lb weight capacity) than the current chairs.  We will purchase additional chairs to replace the current ones as funds are available.

Sustainability Fund Goal – The House Corporation’s goal is to raise $50,000 to complete the first three phases of the Master Plan.  The good news is we are halfway home based on a Matching Gift opportunity.

Matching Gifts

Alumni brothers Tom Greene, John Hearn, and Luther Lockwood have agreed to provide up to $25,000 of matching gifts based on the following conditions:

• The money must be raised and collected by the end of January 2020 to receive a match.
• The House Corporation will collect all funds and pay for improvements based on the Master Plan
• The Chapter will allocate $50 per man from current dues payable to the House Corporation for the next five years to replenish the Sustainability Fund for future projects.  The Chapter had a budget for improvements for many years but often the funds are used for social purposes without an identified immediate need.  This is not an increase in dues but will ensure a proper allocation of the current budget.
• On a longer-term basis, the goal will be to create a self-sustaining fund to maintain the interior of the House.  Funds will continue to be solicited on an ongoing basis to build a corpus of capital within the House Corporation to address any larger items in the future.

A Special Note to Parents

In similar successful campaigns conducted by Sigma Nu Chapters nationally, the parents of current students have made significant contributions to refurbish chapter houses.  After all, their sons will be the primary beneficiaries of the updated amenities.  The alumni leadership of the Chapter are doing their part and will solicit donations to maximize the generous match.  If your son has had a good experience at Sigma Nu as part of his college experience, we hope you will consider contributing to the Mu Chapter House Corporation.

DONATIONS CAN BE MADE VIA CHECK –

To: SIGMA NU FRATERNITY HOME ASSOCIATION

Address: 3514 TELFAIR WAY, BROOKHAVEN, GA 30319

OR VIA PAYPAL to:  ugasigmanuhousecorp@gmail.com

Fraternally,

Joel Stern (M 2297)