Parents

Dear Beta Phi Parents,

We are very pleased that your son is affiliated with the Beta Phi Chapter of Sigma Chi and we hope that he is enjoying his University of Arizona experience. As you may be aware the Sigma Chi Fraternity was founded on June 28, 1855 and the Beta Phi Chapter first opened up its campus doors on April 23, 1921. We are communicating to you on behalf of the Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter in Tucson, which plays an active role in working with your son and the other Beta Phi undergraduates.

The purpose of this letter is to provide you with timely background information that you may find helpful in your role as a parent. Our intentions are to communicate by e-mail with you three times each school year and to be available to you if you would like to talk about a specific issue or a subject that you would like clarified.

In this communication we have chosen to address the following five subjects:

1. Membership Size: We currently have 99 undergraduates (actives and pledges) that are affiliated with the Beta Phi Chapter. This year there was a fall (30 pledges) and spring (11 pledges) rush. Each of the pledges is assigned an upper classman that will serve as his pledge father and be a helpful resource to him during his initial year on campus. At the end of his successful pledge period he goes through an initiation and becomes an active member of the Beta Phi Chapter;
   
   
2. Academic Performance: The Beta Phi Chapter is currently ranked No. 1 in fraternity Academic (3.03 GPA) performance on the campus. Our pledge classes this past year had three National Merit Scholars and one of the seniors recently was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honorary. Academic performance is a critical element that is carefully evaluated in selecting Beta Phi pledge candidates.
   
   
3. Chapter House Living: Forty actives reside in the Sigma Chi house. An on-site resident manager is responsible for the management of the facility. Regular meals are served to all fraternity members and chapter meetings are held weekly. The cost of renting at the house is comparable to dormitory rates and less expensive than apartment rentals.
   
   
4. Derby Day Event: Beta Phi recently completed its annual Derby Day event that functions as an action-packed fundraiser for worthwhile non-profit groups. This year over 700 sorority members participated in the event – involving individual skits, a massive T-shirt signing project and group competition as well as other activities. The event was so successful it will result in a $20,000 Beta Phi donation to the Diamond Children’s Medical Center in Tucson.
   
   
5. Chapter Advisory Roles: The Tucson Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter provides advisory resources to the Beta Phi undergraduates. Robin Winters (Current Chapter Advisor) Steve Schuyler (Alumni Chapter President) and Jim Campbell (Building Corporation President) all have on-going relationships with the undergraduates. We feel very strongly that these relationships are important support resources for your son.
   
   

In April we will be introducing a mentoring/career planning pilot program. It will involve 10 undergraduates (seniors and juniors) that will be paired with 10 Tucson Alumni Chapter members. The goal of the program will be to provide the undergraduates with resources that can be used in career planning and to make them more effective as they enter the job market. We are enthusiastic about this program and will communicate with you in the future regarding its success.

We are pleased to be a parental resource and look forward to meeting you at the annual parents weekend or during the Homecoming festivities that are scheduled for October 24-25.

Best regards,

Robin Winters Chapter Advisor

Steve Schuyler Alumni Chapter President

Jim Campbell Building Corporation President