John was recently selected this National Sigma Chi Award as we are very proud to have him represent our chapter for the past decade.  He will be receiving this award at Grand Chapter this summer and is well deserving of the award as indicated by several outstanding letters that were written on his behalf.  As I understand it, This award is only given to one recipient each year - Congratulations John - Here are a few notes from the boys around Texas:

List all alumni chapter leadership positions held to include dates and terms of office:

MAY 2001 - MAY 2004    President, San Antonio Alumni Chapter

MAY 2004 - MAY 2006    Secretary/Treasurer, San Antonio Alumni Chapter

MAY 2006 - OCT 2007      Secretary, SAAC

JAN 2009 - Present, Alumni-at-Large, SAAC

FEB 2007 - Present, Alumni Ambassador, Central Texas Province

JUN 2003, voting delegate to Grand Chapter, Orlando Florida

JUN 2005, voting delegate to 150th anniversary and Grand Chapter, Cincinnati Ohio

JUN 2007, voting delegate to Grand Chapter, San Jose California

Member of Austin Alumni Chapter and Houston Alumni Chapter

SAAC Representative to Regional Alumni Training workshops in Los Angeles, Nashville, and San Antonio

Received Grand Consul Citation from Grand Consul Lee Beauchamp

What have been this brother’s major contributions to the success of the alumni chapter:

All of the above mentioned

Restarted the San Antonio Alumni Chapter in May 2001

Joint Rush Parties with Austin Alumni Chapter in 2001 and 2002

Began tradition of ritual meetings, first one was at Mission Espada on south side of town.  Ritual meetings/dinners included Paesano's, and then at the Barn Door, last one at the Grand Hyatt Riverwalk.  Promoted the ritual meetings over the years as a special San Antonio function, and have had Grand Consuls and Grand Pro Consuls attend, as well as several brothers from the Order of Constantine and also the Sigma Chi Foundation.  This has given us some major visibility within the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Instructions for planning a ritual meeting/dinner were included in the basic materials for all alumni ambassadors.

Started tradition of Sweetheart Dinners, first one was at Tony Roma's, and then at the Club at Sonterra, we've changed the venue but kept the idea.

Helped push family outings, to include Spurs night out and also Picnic with Missions Baseball.

Contributed articles and pictures to the Magazine of Sigma Chi in support of SAAC.

Always let the Austin Alumni Chapter know what's happening here when we go to their luncheon meetings, Crawfish boils, and alumni banquets.

Always made it a point to meet special Sigma Chi members when in town, and helped in the Ritual meeting opening with the Grand Praetors and Grand Trustees this past January when they met here in San Antonio, and had some of our chapter officers come to the dinner at Rio Rio Cantina that evening.

How has the alumni chapter and its members benefited from the nominee’s service::

He has helped to gather and maintain a small but solid core of brothers that are always willing to support the ideals of Sigma Chi.  He has made sure that the upper levels of the fraternity are aware of the goings on in San Antonio, and especially hope that with Wayne Tucker, who was one of the original members of this chapter back in 2001 when we needed 10 life loyals to advance beyond alumni association to alumni chapter with a vote, will keep us in mind.  He has helped to keep our chapter thriving and its genuine approach to brotherhood influenced Wayne a little to ask the Grand Praetors and Grand Trustees and the LTB people to meet in San Antonio last January. 

One contribution we are proud of is the focus of the alumni chapter to family.  He has always pushed for events that include the spouse/sweetheart and the rest of the family.

We believe his push for Ritual meetings is central to our success as a small, but solid, chapter.  I cannot express how great I have felt when some of the older alumni have come to the ritual meetings and have required a quick refresher course...some have not been to a ritual meeting since leaving college, perhaps forty or more years ago.  And the feeling of getting them back to what first brought them into Sigma Chi is just a great, great feeling.

He has attended the initiations at Alpha Nu as an alumni but also has been a representative of the SAAC every year since 2001 until they were suspended.  He has and will continue to attend initiations at Alpha Nu and Theta Tau every year and hope they are never suspended again.

He helped with the nomination of Judge Edward F. Butler for his award as a Significant Sig.

He started a program of recognizing brothers when they reached their 50th year as a Sigma Chi.

In the event that John does win this award, I felt it necessary for him to give a brief but powerful summary about his life as a Sigma Chi and a small note about his son who is faced with Autism and would very much like to see him initiated as we all would like for him – If there was ever a brother that deserved this award, this is your guy.  And if by chance you can keep a dry eye after reading this, then I believe we all get a better understanding of the essence of Sigma Chi. 

My final thought is that we are where the rubber meets the road, we are the lowest tier in service to the fraternity as alumni chapters, and we still must have the long view of the fraternity to keep in mind.  What we do here enhances the authority and office of the Central Texas Grand Praetor, John Klier, and our Grand Trustee Bill Bowlin.  Through our successes here they have more assets, more authority, and more office to work with the undergrad chapters.  In turn their efforts enhance and advance the authority and office of the International Fraternity, the Executive Committee, and the Grand Officers.  The work we do here at ground level reminds every true Sigma Chi brother that we are first and foremost a fraternity of principles, and we translate those principles into leadership in support of the undergrad/active chapters.  I hope that in my own unintelligible and illiterate way I have communicated that sense of my mission, my reason for being a Sigma Chi and being involved in this alumni chapter.  I'm not here to joke around, but to promote, preserve, and defend the principles of Sigma Chi.  Going to Wild Game Dinners, Sweetheart Dinners, Christmas parties, executive meetings, Grand Chapters, training events, that all is fun of course, but I do it to show my support to our other brothers as well, as I honor them for their selfless service.  It's tough after work, after wife, after child, to find time to "play Sigma Chi," but I love every brother that finds that time.

Unfortunately there are no active chapters in the San Antonio area.  However, my youngest son John Henry has been attending all of the events that the SAAC has presented, and he has been an active participant as a helper and observer, and just by being a visible adult, at our various activities, such as our basketball clinic at Boysville.  He's now attending University of Texas-San Antonio to get a bachelor's degree in computer science; he'll make more money than I ever looked at, even handicapped by autism.  What a kid.  I believe he easily meets the requirements for initiation as a non-student at an active chapter, something I wish to pursue in the future.