Fall 2017 Newsletter
CHAPTER ETERNAL
A Memorial Service for Bob Svob is scheduled for Saturday, September 23rd at 10:00 am at St. Mark's Presbyterian Church at 3809 E. 3rd. St., near Speedway and Alvernon.
Jack McDuff will conduct the Sigma Chi White Rose Ceremony and we would really appreciate having as many Beta Phi alumni in attendance as possible. We are also expecting a strong turnout from our undergrad brothers and pledges.
All Honor to His Name
Bob Svob, one of the most important figures in University of Arizona and a member of the Beta Phi Hall of Honor, died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. He was 98.
He was the youngest of nine children of a Jerome miner, who died of lung disease in at the age of 56. His high school football coach was Waldo Dicus, Beta Phi ‘30, who helped him get a football scholarship at the UA, where he was mentored by coach J.F. “Pop” McKale in 1937. He played fullback and halfback for the Wildcats. He pledged Sigma Chi and major in physical education. He also earned a master’s degree in administration.
In 1942 he became director of intramural sports. Brother Svob served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and when he was discharged he resumed his positon as director of intramural sports. He also was coach of the freshmen team in 1947 and ‘48. He became assistant athletic director from 1959 until 1966, when he was selected as dean of men. In 1972 he became dean of students, a position he held until he retired. From the 1950s until early 1960s he was commissioner of Interscholastic High School Athletics in Southern Arizona.
He was a charter member and vice president of Big Brothers of Tucson, board chairman of the Arizona Boys Ranch, chairman of the YMCA Triangle Y Ranch Camp, chairman of the YMCA Metro board, chairman of the YMCA Youth Foundation, board member of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona and a deacon of St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church.
Brother Svob was inducted into the Beta Phi Hall of Fame in 2002, the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UA Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. He was an honorary Bobcat, and an honorary life member of the YMCA. He was inducted in 2014 to the YMCA Hall of Fame.
Each year the outstanding sorority and fraternity are honored with the Bob Svob Award. A scholarship n his name is given yearly by the Alumni Association.
Arizona Daily Star Tribute Article
All Honor to His Name
BETA PHI EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
September 6, 2017
Dear Undergraduate Sig:
On behalf of the Beta Phi Educational Foundation (the “Foundation”), we want to thank you for your involvement in Sigma Chi Fraternity. The “Foundation” is made up of initiated members who are very proud of their affiliation with our fraternity and want to maintain a life-long relationship with the organization.
One of our missions is to raise scholarship funds for initiated undergraduate brothers. As a result from unwavering alumni support, we have enough funds so we can offer four merit-based scholarships valued at $1,250 for the 2017-18 academic year based on the following criteria: academic excellence, leadership, and service. Contingent on your good financial standing, you are eligible to apply for this scholarship. The scholarships are in honor of men who uphold Sigma Chi standards and continue to give back with their time, talent and treasure.
Please return this application, and include the following information:
- A resume that highlights your scholastic achievements, extracurricular activities, honors, work experience, community service, and any other information you deem as important.
- A 500-word essay about how you exemplify The Jordan Standard as an undergraduate Sig on a daily basis. The essay should be about you, your field of study, your leadership roles, activities, and goals. You need not restrict yourself to educational interests and are encouraged to be personal and write about things that are important to you.
Your completed application must arrive by Friday, September 29th. No late or incomplete applications will be considered. Award winner will be notified by mid-November.
If you have any questions, please contact Nick Pierson at pierson.nick@gmail.com or 520-237-4627.
Please submit the completed application to:
Nick Pierson
pierson.nick@gmail.com
Good luck and Bear Down!
In hoc,
Nick Pierson
Scholarship Committee
Beta Phi Educational Foundation
BETA PHI NEWS
Beta Phi brothers gather to celebrate the chapter’s 26th Peterson award. On far left is International Grand Pro Consul Steve Schuyler. Chapter Consul Riley Campbell holds the Peterson plaque and to his right is Trustee Joe Beers.
Beta Phi Again Earns Peterson Award
The UA’s Beta Phi Chapter has been award its 26th J. Dwight Peterson Significant Chapter Award, the highest honor that the Fraternity bestows upon an undergraduate chapter.
Named for 38th Grand Consul J. Dwight Peterson, Indiana 1919, the award recognizes excellent, but not impossible, performance by chapters in all major areas of operation and programming. For many years, the Peterson plaque has been a symbol of dedication, idealism and achievement. The award was established in 1978.
“We couldn’t be more proud to announce that we have received the Peterson award once again,” Consul Riley Campbell said. “We had a very productive Balfour Leadership Training Workshop and we are very excited to return so we can keep this momentum going and continue to improve even more.”
There is no minimum or maximum number of chapters that may win the award in any given year. Award criteria are assigned on an objective scale, and encompass the entire gamut of chapter activities, from financial stability and recruitment to chapter and member reputation to Ritual and Initiation performance. Because chapter operations vary among campuses and chapters, each chapter measures itself against these absolute Sigma Chi standards, rather than against other chapters.
