55th Founders Day

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.