Charitable Gift Annuity

If you are sixty-two years or older and wish to make a gift of $25,000 or more to the Alpha Chi Rho Educational Foundation, a Charitable Gift Annuity may be right for you. You and your loved ones can receive a fixed income for life through a Charitable Gift Annuity.

Benefits include:

• An immediate income tax deduction for a portion of your gift
• Annuity payments that are guaranteed for life and backed by the assets of the Educational Foundation (AXPEF)
• Annuity payments that may provide ordinary, capital gain, and/or tax free income. This will depend on the assets used to fund the gift annuity.

• Knowing that your gift will have an impact on a college students success, as well benefitting you and your family.

For more information, please contact Shane McGoey, Director of Development at smcgoey@alphachirho.org or phone 732-988-0588. We will be happy to provide you with specific illustrations and answer any questions you may have.

NOTE: The Alpha Chi Rho Educational Foundation may not be able to issue Charitable Gift Annuities in all states. We encourage you to consult with your attorney, accountant, or other tax professional to ensure that your questions are answered appropriately.

The Alpha Chi Rho Educational Foundation, Inc.

109 Oxford Way.

Neptune, NJ 07753

The Alpha Chi Rho Leadership Scholarship Institute occurred this past July at Rider University. During the two day event Chapters attended seminars and were recognized for individual excellence. Additionally, the Educational Foundation awarded scholarships to some very worthy Brothers.

Fraternity Awards

The first award given out at LSI was the Community Service Award. This award recognizes the Chapter which does the most for their community. The Lambda Chi Phi at Drexel University won the award this year due to averaging 12 community service events per term, which is an even larger accomplishment considering that Drexel is on a 4-term per year schedule (that means 2-3 events per week!). The Office of Student Life at Drexel University reported that the Chapter recorded 2,022 hours of community service, and has raised over $8,000 for various organizations. The Chapter’s most popular event is their annual Polar Bear Dive, which raised over $2500 for the American Cancer Society.

The W. Henson Watchorn Award, which is given to the Most Improved Chapter with a House was awarded to the Delta Sigma Phi Chapter at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Over the past year, WPI has "stepped up their game" by increasing membership, improving their treasury, and surpassed expectations for improvement of their alumni relations. Their biggest improvement is in the area of philanthropy, where they raised over $7,000 for the Relay for Life.

The Curly Walden Award is given to the best Chapter in the Fraternity each year. This year saw strong competition between several Chapters. However, the Epsilon Phi Chapter at Temple University edged out the others. Over the last few years since Temple has been re-chartered, the men have been trying very hard to be the best group on their campus and within Alpha Chi Rho. They have the best grades on campus, perform countless hours of community service, and hold many leadership positions on campus. While there are a few other Chapters that stand out as having these qualities, none could quite compete with Temple this year.

The Chapter with the Most Effective Executive Leadership is awarded every year with the Stanley G. Bedford Award. Brothers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute won the award this year. The Delta Phi men belong to one of the largest Chapters in the Fraternity and manage three houses on the campus.

This year’s winner of the Thomas F. Flanagan Award for the Chapter Demonstrating the True Image of the Fraternity is the Pi Chi Phi Chapter at Elon University in North Carolina. These men continue to do their best to shine despite the difficulties they face year after year which include lack of recognition from their school. This makes it very difficult for them to rush or participate in campus activities, but they do their best to do so.

The Dennis Grim Award is given in recognition of genuine commitment and excellence in performance of the Ritual. While the Chi Chi Phi men at Ferris State haven’t had their Charter for long, they practice their ritual religiously. Every other week they perform the ritual. They realize that our ritual is one of the only things that separate us from other Greek organizations, and they know it in and out.

The final award that was given out was the Robert B. Stewart Award: Most Improved Chapter without a House. The Phi Gamma Chi Chapter at The College of New Jersey won this year by working on many projects including running their annual "The Price is Right" show with Zeta Tau Alpha, which involved creating a custom Plinko board, soliciting donations from community vendors, and even making a showcase wheel! The men have made great strides in their officer transition program, and building the quantity of quality Brother within their own Chapter.

Scholarship Recipients

The Educational Foundation recently awarded their annual scholarships to Brothers at LSI. The following are this year’s scholarship recipients.

Adam Marsh, from Trapp, Pennsylvania, was awarded the James McFadden Scholarship. The James McFadden Scholarship is given annually to a member of Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity who is pursuing an undergraduate education. McFadden graduated from the Columbia College and owned a successful railroad freight routing business. Adam is presently completing undergraduate course work at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His major areas of study are Business and Engineering.

Brian Yates, from Long Valley, New Jersey, was awarded the F. Prescott Hammond Scholarship. The F. Prescott Hammond Scholarship is given annually to a member of Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity who is pursuing graduate or post-undergraduate education. Hammond practiced law in New York City. He left his entire residuary estate to the Foundation upon his death. Brian is presently completing graduate work in Environmental Sciences at West Texas A&M University. He is a graduate of Rowan University and is presently on a team in Louisiana to assist with the BP Oil spill cleanup.

James Fischer, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was awarded the Paul K. Addams Scholarship. The Paul K. Addams Scholarship is given annually to a member of Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity who is pursuing an undergraduate education. Addams graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and served the Fraternity as President and Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of the Foundation before his demise in 1992. James is presently completing undergraduate course work at LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His major area of study is English/Sociology. Upon completing his undergraduate degree, he plans to attend law school.

Nicholas Simmons, from Lehighton, Pennsylvania, was awarded the Donald F. Jones Scholarship for Exemplary Leadership and Commitment. The Donald F. Jones Scholarship is given annually to a member of Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity who is pursuing graduate or post-undergraduate education. Jones graduated from Purdue University and received his MBA from Rutgers University. He was employed by Johnson & Johnson where he served in various leadership capacities. Nicholas is presently completing graduate work at The Pennsylvania State University. He is a graduate of Drexel University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Architectural Engineering.

Paul Flanigan, from Turnersville, New Jersey, was awarded the Wilbur M. "Curly" Walden Scholarship. The Wilbur M. "Curly" Walden Scholarship is given annually to a member of Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity who is pursuing graduate or post-undergraduate education. Walden served the Fraternity for 48 years as the National Secretary and Foundation Manager. He left his entire estate to the Foundation upon his death in 1972. Paul is presently completing his doctor of philosophy in Chemistry at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of LaSalle University and is presently a teaching assistant at Temple University.

Richard Barca, from Sewell, New Jersey, was awarded the Stanley G. Bedford Scholarship. The Stanley G. Bedford Scholarship is given annually to a member of Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity who is pursuing graduate or post-undergraduate education. Bedford served as a Judge of the New Jersey Superior Court from 1971 until he retired in 1986. Richard is presently completing his third year of law school at the Rutgers School of Law in Camden, New Jersey. He is a graduate of LaSalle University and is presently the Executive Editor of the Rutgers Journal of Law & Public Policy.

Ryan Stensaker, from Williamstown, New Jersey, was awarded the Donald F. Jones Scholarship. The Donald F. Jones Scholarship is given annually to a member of Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity who is pursuing an undergraduate education. Jones graduated from Purdue University and received his MBA from Rutgers University. He was employed by Johnson & Johnson and served in various leadership capacities until his demise in 2004. Ryan is presently completing undergraduate course work at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His major area of study is Economics. Upon completing his undergraduate degree, he plans to attend graduate school for his MBA.

Congratulations to all for their achievements!

When you meet Rick Brodeur (Delta Sigma Phi, 1969), your first impression is that of a college professor; distinguished and scholarly. Then you come to find that Rick’s classroom is not your typical run of the mill environment. Rick spends most of his time under the hood in a garage, and this would not be your typical garage either. Rick has a passion for old English sports cars — MG’s, Triumph’s, Lotus, Austin Healey’s – those types of sports cars. So any day of the week, you’ll find Rick at the Ragtops and Roadsters shop in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, directing the staff as they restore classic old English sports cars.

"This started out as my hobby and now has become my full-time job," Rick offers. Rick is responsible for the operations end of the business – shop management, insurance repairs, customer communication, and human resource. Because of his industry experience, he’s the information technology officer, responsible for a small network of PC’s that are used for the management and control of the jobs in the shop. But he enjoys getting his hands dirty working on the cars, which sit just across his desk in the shop.

"After my service in the Army, I started out as a Project Engineer for an aerospace company working on the Army’s Vulcan Air Defense System, which became outdated in 1984/1985. Soon thereafter, I was out of a job and I happened to bump into the owner of a car restoration company. He invited me to come work for him; he needed help running the shop and computerizing the office," Rick comments.

The shop employs a staff of 10 that include 3 mechanics, a metal worker, a parts coordinator, a marketing coordinator, Rick, the owner, and other personnel who assist in repairing and restoring these vintage cars. "Every car is different, and so too is each customer," comments Rick. "We can’t just give quotes over the phone on what such and such will cost. We really need to see each car to ensure that the job is done correctly and that there are no oversights. We also spend a great deal of time talking with the customer so that we can explain things to them and ensure they are pleased and understand the complexities of repairing or restoring these cars."

While much of the work is mechanical in nature, there is an artistic element to the work of car restoration. "We take a great deal of care in feeding these cars and getting to know the quirks of each car," Rick explains. "We spend a lot of time making sure that the car is restored to its owner’s requirements. And sometimes that requires spending a whole afternoon trying to figure out if a soft top fits exactly on a specific car."

There are about 10 automotive restoration shops in the greater Philadelphia area which do the type of work that Ragtops & Roadsters does. "Most of the cars we work on come from Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and out to the Boston area," offers Rick. "Half of our clientele are new and the other half are repeat customers. Today we get most of our business from people surfing the internet, marketing at car shows, and word of mouth."

After leaving WPI, Rick served in the military; first in active duty for 8 years with the Army as an electronic technician, and then with the Navy Reserve for 18 years retiring as a Chief Petty Officer. While he was unable to finish his degree at WPI, he did complete his bachelor degree at Lafayette College after his Army service.

His wife Suzanne is a retired librarian, and Rick and Suzanne have two grown boys — Eric who lives in California and works in the computer and film editing industries and Tim who lives in New Jersey and works in financial services in New York City. Tim is also a legacy having been initiated at Penn State University.

Rick has another hobby that may surprise you. "I enjoy World War II aviation, particularly the heavy bombers like the B-17," Rick says. My kids’ birthday gift to me a few years ago was a flight experience ride in a B-17. That was a lot of fun!" Rick and Suzanne recently visited The Yankee Air Museum to see a gathering of heavy bombers at an air show at the Willow Run Airport, near Ypsilanti, Michigan. It was an awesome experience. When they are not busy travelling they reside in Quakertown, Pennsylvania.

For more information on Ragtops & Roadsters, you can visit their website at www.ragtops.com.

Well, another summer has passed and the cooler nights suggest fall is just around the corner. School is in session and over 1,000 undergraduate Brothers are back at their chapters for another semester. The Fraternity is busy adding new colonies at Robert Morris University, Shippensburg University, and Queens College to name a few. Other expansion efforts at this time include the University of Cincinnati, Kent State University, Eastern Michigan University, and Oakland University.

Greek Life is gaining interest again among college students as viable organizations that offer many leadership skills and abilities to its members. However, we must continue to change to meet the ever-changing demands of students so that Greek Life remains viable on college campuses throughout the nation.

We call on our Graduate Brothers to support our efforts through their time, talent and treasury so that the Alpha Chi Rho experience continues for the next generation of college students. Your help and support is greatly needed so that our chapters continue to remain strong. Investing in our Brotherhood is more important now than ever before.

All the Best!

The web site team is hard at work coming up with new enhancements and features to roll out in a new version of the web site later this year. In the meantime we have created a Web Site Enhancement Form at the following link:

http://axp.formbin.com/forms/Enhancement

Please feel free to report issues like; spelling or grammar errors, date changes, general information updates, etc.

Thanks in Advance,

AXP Web Site Team

You can also link to www.alphachirho.org for upcoming events.

(Phi Kappa, 1963)

What would the world be like if cartoon characters could speak and interact with humans? That was the question Gary Wolf asked himself one Saturday morning about 30 years ago while watching Saturday morning television. "I was watching these mindless cartoons and then the Trix commercial got my attention. I marveled at how the Trix Rabbit was talking to kids; encouraging them to buy the Trix cereal. I got to wondering what if cartoon characters could talk with humans,"comments Gary.

Gary’s interest in science fiction and things not yet considered by others began in grade school in his home town of Earlville, Illinois. "In second grade, I was given a picture to color by a teacher. The picture included a farmhouse, a barn, and a cow. So I began coloring them–I colored the farmhouse yellow, the barn red, and the cow blue. Because my mother had always told me that when people were all alone, they were blue. Here was this cow, all alone out there in the field, so I colored it blue. The teacher did not approve of my blue cow. She spoke with my mother about my actions. My parents supported what I had done and gave me permission to keep coloring cows blue. They also encouraged me to read. I read mostly comic books and then science fiction books."

It was in the summer of Gary’s senior year in high school that the idea for Who Framed Roger Rabbit began to take shape. "I was working on a state road crew in Illinois. It was considered a great summer job for high school students because you were working outside and getting a tan. I finally got a date with this girl I was interested in. We agreed to take the train to Chicago, catch a movie on the big screen, and then have dinner at a nice restaurant. So when we got on the train, she went to get our seats and I went to get snacks for us. But the train steward would not let me in the car that my date went to. My skin color was so darkly tanned from my road crew work) that he thought I was Mexican. He put me in the back of the train with the Mexican rail workers, what they called gandy dancers. I road all the way to Chicago in a train car full of people that didn’t even speak my language. But I had a good time anyway. They shared their food with me. We played cards, listened to music. They taught me some Spanish. I realized that these people were no better, no worse than the folks in my hometown. That was the seed that eventually developed into the concept of ‘Toon Town’, a place inhabited by characters who were no better, no worse than humans, only slightly different.”

Before Gary created the book that became the movie, he attended the University of Illinois. After graduation, Gary entered the US Air Force as an officer. Gary met his wife during this time. "Bonnie was an airline stewardess. She was the only woman I had ever met who actually got my jokes and she found me funny. After I left the Air Force, I went back to grad school at Illinois. From there, we moved to San Francisco where I worked in advertising for awhile and began writing science fiction books.”

Some of his books include the A Generation Removed, The Resurrectionist, and Killerbowl. The Resurrectionist is currently being made into a movie by 20th Century Fox. Killerbowl is being made into an interactive on-line video game. Who Censored Roger Rabbit? the novel which formed the basis for the movie, was his fourth novel. "I showed it to my editor at Doubleday who loved the concept, but said they could not sell it. It wasn’t strictly science fiction, wasn’t a regular mystery novel, wasn’t a children’s book, wasn’t straight fiction. If it was not for Gary Salt (another Alpha Chi Rho brother), the book may not have been published. Gary was an agent in Hollywood. After seeing an article about him in the Garnet & White I contacted him and asked him to help me,"comments Gary. "He agreed. He sent it to 110 different publishers. Finally the editor of St. Martin’s Press agreed to take a risk and publish it,"Gary offers. The book became a best seller. "Roy Disney called me saying he was interested in making it into a movie. After a few starts and stops the movie was produced by Steven Spielberg. The movie was a huge success." It was the highest grossing movie of 1988 and won four Academy Awards. Disney is currently considering a sequel.

Gary’s latest book is entitled Space Vulture and is based on the old science fiction novel Space Hawk. "I wrote it with my boyhood best friend,"says Gary. That boyhood friend is the Archbishop of the Newark, New Jersey Catholic Diocese, the Most Reverend John Myers. The book is an old-fashioned science fiction thriller. It is already being discussed as a possible movie. Gary is presently doing research on his next book that will focus on a carnival in outer space. "I’ve always been fascinated with carnival freak shows and wanted to write a science fiction book that incorporated a circus theme,"Gary comments. As research, he is currently taking courses in circus stunts. He can now do headstands, cartwheels, and handstands. He can walk on his hands, lay on a bed of nails, and eat fire. "They offer sword swallowing,"he says, "but I’m on a low-metal diet!”

As we conclude the interview, Gary offers thoughts on his experience in Alpha Chi Rho. "I rushed all of the fraternities and found that Alpha Chi Rho was small and friendly; it wasn’t cliquish at all. I pledged my second semester at the University of Illinois and was president of the chapter my senior year. I have a lot of fond memories of those days,"Gary reminisces.

Gary and his wife, Bonnie live in the Boston, Massachusetts area.

Welcome to this issue of The Foundation Focus! We hope you and your loved ones are enjoying the summer months.

The summer is quickly passing and we are busy at the National Office planning for the upcoming year including LSI, Regional Alumni Events, Chapter Expansion, and a joint meeting in September of the Fraternity’s National Council and the Foundation’s Board of Trustees to discuss issues of mutual interest including planning sessions. Stay tuned for more information on the topics listed above and other activities. We will continue to keep you informed as things progress.

This edition of The Foundation Focus includes a spotlight article on Gary Wolf (Phi Kappa, 1963), famed author and creator of numerous science fiction books. You may recall that the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is based on one of Gary’s books. It was a pleasure to meet with Gary to develop this article and learn about his other "works in progress".

Please take a moment to read and enjoy this edition, and enjoy what remains of the lazy days of summer.

All the Best!