55th Founders Day
Peter Hasik (right) received the Best Brother award from the active chapter. Making the presentation were High Alpha Nathan Tripod (left) and High Rho Carter Lee.
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Ockert awarded first Alumni Service Award
By Harry Truman Moore
Iota Theta 244
One of the highlights of Iota Theta Zeta’s 55th Founders Day celebration was the presentation of a new award to the person for whom it is named.
Roy A. Ockert Jr. was announced as the first recipient of the “Roy Ockert Alumni Service Award” by house corporation Vice President Barry Forrest. Brother Forrest said, “This award will be awarded annually to the alumnus who offers exceptional service to the alumni brothers and the Lambda Chi Alpha house corporation.”
“Exceptional service” is an understatement of Roy’s service to the house corporation over the last more than 10 years. Roy returned to Jonesboro in 2001 to become the editor of The Jonesboro Sun. That’s not all that Iota Theta 203 did.
He immediately “re-connected” with Lambda Chi Alpha and by 2003 had been elected to the then existing house corporation board and was also elected board secretary that same year. In 2004 he took over the most difficult job on the board, that of treasurer, and he serves us to this day in that office.
When Roy took over as treasurer, the house corporation had a first mortgage of $305,884, and a second mortgage of $44,500. He and fellow board member Jim Allbright devised a rental payment plan from the active chapter that was fair to both parties, and made certain that the chapter kept its obligations to the board current.
Ten years later, the first mortgage is down to $201,936, and even with the thousands of dollars that have been spent on repairs to the house, there is a small, “High Five for Lambda Chi” loan of $40,130, which is being repaid from outstanding pledges from several
brothers.
Roy was honored at Homecoming 2013 as a “Distinguished Alumnus” of Arkansas State University for his achievements in his profession, community service and his service to ASU, including his service to Lambda Chi Alpha.
Roy has never been bashful about asking for funds for the house corporation, and since I know he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to do so if he were writing this article, let me remind you that you can do something to give back to your fraternity, and make Roy’s job easier in the future, by paying your annual dues to the house corporation, paying on your pledge to the High Five campaign, making a contribution to the High Five campaign or making a donation to be applied directly to the pay down of the first mortgage.
Roy’s address is 2815 Spring Valley Drive, Jonesboro, AR 72404. Send him a note thanking him for his hard work, congratulating him for his award, and put in a check. That will make him really happy.
Roy Ockert (left) receives the service award from house corporation president Jim Stearns.
Founders Day celebrated;
Hasik elected High Alpha
Peter Hasik, Iota Theta No. 1366, was elected High Alpha (president) of Iota Theta Zeta in chapter elections on Founders Day weekend.
Hasik, a junior wildlife management and ecology major from Corpus Christi, Texas, was initiated in the fall of 2011. He previously has served as High Rho (alumni secretary) and High Phi (ritualist). After graduation, he hopes to work in conservation in Oregon, Washington or Colorado.
Other new officers elected are:
• High Beta (first vice president) — Carter Lee, Iota Theta 1396, a junior pre-professional biology major from Sherwood;
• High Theta (second vice president) — Ammar Ahmad, Iota Theta 1409, a junior from Pine Bluff with a double major in biology and chemistry:
•High Gamma (secretary) — Kolton Crawford, Iota Theta 1413, a freshman clinical laboratory science major from Searcy;
• High Delta (recruitment chairman) — Micah Prock, Iota Theta 1435, a freshman broadcast journalism major from Russellville;
• High Iota (risk manager) — Gunnar Fultz, Iota Theta 1416, a sophomore psychology major from Paragould;
• High Sigma (scholarship chairman) — Bradley Toler, Iota Theta 1438, a freshman mechanical engineering major from Bryant;
• High Kappa (fraternity educator) — Dylan Bateman, Iota Theta 1355, a junior history major from Paragould;
• High Phi — Dane Leake, Iota Theta 1394, a junior physical education major from Memphis;
• High Rho — Earl Morris, Iota Theta 1431, a junior from Jacksonville with a double major in biology and chemistry;
• High Epsilon (social chairman) — Jacob Tucker, Iota Theta 1402, a junior from Paragould majoring in biology and chemistry; and
• High Tau (treasurer) — Jessie Wolf, Iota Theta 1407, a junior marketing major from Bryant.
Rian Snell, Iota Theta 1190, continues as High Pi (adviser) to the chapter.
The 55th annual Founders Day banquet, held in the Reng Center’s Centennial Hall, featured a speech by Lon Simmons, Iota Theta No. 186. Brother Simmons has been an educator, construction company owner, developer, consultant and real estate agent. Currently he owns Lon Simmons Realty LLC in St. Louis.
Brother H.T. Moore, Iota Theta No. 244, also read a message from Iota Theta No. 1A, George Spasyk, longtime executive vice president of the Lambda Chi Alpha national organization.
High Alpha Nathan Tripod and High Rho Carter Lee recognized and gave plaques to this year’s officer core. The following special awards were also given:
• Charles Long Pin Award — Zachary Tate, Iota Theta 1343;
• Best Brother Award — Peter Hasik;
• Pearl Girl Court — India Perkins, Elliot Scarborough, Jade Collins, Brittany Braswell, Megan Paladino, Karla Ann Norton and Madison Adams; and
• Cross and Crescent girls — Lindsay Mauldin and Cassie Smith.
Earlier in the day, the house corporation, LXA at ASU Inc., held its annual meeting and re-elected six board members to new 2-year terms. They are: Roy Ockert (Iota Theta 203), Wayne Wiggins (537), Delane Hogan (633), Jeff Simmons (703), Jeff Clayton (610) and Steve Whitmire (738).
Ockert, as corporation treasurer, presented a financial report for 2013. It showed $92,908 in revenue and $108,401 in expenses. However, the spending included $26,593 for maintenance planned under the High Five for Lambda Chi Capital Campaign. In addition, the chapter didn’t make its December payment of $6,000 to the corporation because of the transition from Liberty Bank to Centennial Bank.
Cash on hand in the corporation’s three bank accounts was $15,377 as of Jan. 1.
Ockert also reported that the High Five campaign, now beginning its fourth year had raised $216,059 in pledges and-or contributions and that the total amount collected as on April 5 totaled $135,209. Contributions and pledges came from 131 brothers — from zeta numbers 1 and 1A to 1368.
However, as of April 24, Ockert said he considered $24,170 in pledges to be in default — with either the first payment not made or a pledge payment more than one year overdue.
In addition, since April 15, 2009, various alumni have made special contributions to be applied directly to reduce the first-lien mortgage on the house. The total contributed was $7,075.
That, along with prompt, regular payments from the active chapter over the past several years, allowed the corporation to reduce the primary mortgage to $207,246. The short-term High Five loan, which is being repaid as pledges are fulfilled, was down to $43,605.
Fifteen 2-man teams competed in the annual Members-Alumni Golf Scramble at Sage Meadows Country Club.
First place went to actives Brad Wofford and Dylan Bateman, who turned in the low score of 70. The low alumni score of 71 was a tie between the team of Jeff Clayton and Clayton Harbers and the team of Rian Snell and Chris West. Clayton-Harbers won a scorecard playoff to take second place.
In fourth place was the team of Elbert Frazier and Roy Ockert with 72.