On Wednesday August 4th, Brothers from across the North American Continent congregated for the 163rd convention of Theta Delta Chi. The Chi Deuteron Charge of George
Washington University in Washington, D.C. served as the perfect setting for what would be one of the best attended conventions in recent history. For many, this was their first time in the Nation’s Capital. The majority of attendees stayed at The Madison, a Loews Hotel located only 2 blocks northeast of the White House. Being in the middle of the city, allowed for many activities and visiting of the many famous monuments and museums that DC has to offer.
After registration, Wednesday night kicked off with a trip to the Blackfinn American Saloon. With a long day of travel now in the past, Theta Delts, young and old, were given the opportunity to relax and meet many new life-long friends. Thursday, the Convention convened again with the first business session. Reports from the previous fiscal year were given by members of the Grand Lodge, Central Fraternity Office, Founder’s Corporation, and Educational Foundation. The most important part of the meeting was the presentation of new legislation, the most significant that has been presented in the past decade. It proposed several solutions for issues that have come up in recent years.
Three main amendments to the Constitution were proposed. The first amendment provided that voting by charges should be done by secured e-mail instead of registered mail. This was proposed for three reasons: to cut cost, to increase response time, and to increase the amount of responses. The second amendment dealt with enlarging the Grand Lodge from five members to seven members, the two additional being graduate members, and creating longer terms for graduate members from 2 to 3 years. This was proposed for greater continuity and knowledge on the Grand Lodge. The last amendment empowered the Grand Lodge to remove a member more swiftly if he is not performing his duties or is causing great harm to Theta Delta Chi.
Later that night, the Omega Service was held at All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church. The site was chosen because it was founded by a Theta Delt. There was much history in the church, including a stained glass window dedicated to Theta Delta Chi. Honoring our brothers that have entered the Omega Charge at such a place that is rich in history was a very moving experience.
Such a solemn experience would not, however, put a damper on the rest of the night, and neither would the torrential rain that had fallen continuously all day. The signature event of DC was still to come. As we were boarding for the boat cruise on the Potomac, Minerva seemed to shine on us as the weather cleared and the waters calmed.
On Friday, the amendments proposed on Thursday were a topic of hot debate. It took many hours, but the legislation passed the convention floor with the exception of creating longer terms for graduate members. This business session also saw the election of the new three Grand Lodge members and two new Annual Directors of the Educational Foundation. Long-time Director of Expansion Eric Kelley, Sigma Triton Penn State) ’04, was elected, unopposed, Graduate Treasurer. Matt Cortland, Lambda Triton (Rutgers) ’11, and Matt Amico, Kappa (Tufts) ’12, will be joining Eric on the Grand Lodge as Undergraduate Treasurer and Undergraduate Secretary, respectively. The two elected one-year positions for the Board of Directors of the Educational Foundation were Jacob Dababneh, Lambda Deuteron (Toronto) ’03, and Paul Liggieri, Theta Triton (Binghamton) ’09. This is an extremely exciting time for Theta Delta Chi since there were many qualified candidates that ran for the undergraduate and Educational Foundation positions. The future looks very bright.
After the many hours of the Friday business session, people needed to unwind. The Froggy Bottom, a local Chi Deuteron (George Washington) hang-out, seemed like the perfect location. The Alumni and Brothers from Chi Deuteron were gracious hosts. Many good times were had there. On Saturday morning, everyone woke up bright and early to attend the morning Minerva sessions held by the Educational Foundation. Round tables were led by members of the Central Fraternity Office and Grand Lodge covering a large range of topics from Philanthropy to Recruitment to Risk Management. It was a beneficial experience that allowed undergraduates and alumni to share ideas and give differing perspectives.
Later that afternoon, the second Minerva session allowed for exploring DC and all it has to offer. One of the best things about DC is that just about everything is free. Groups were lead to the different museums and monuments that surround the Capitol Building such as: The Air and Space Museum, The Museum of Natural History, The Museum of American History, The National Gallery of Art, and the Holocaust Museum. It was amazing to see America in all of her glory.
With an action packed week coming to a close, there was still much anticipation for the Grand Banquet. There were 140 seats available and we packed the place with 139 people attending the 163rd Convention’s Grand Banquet. It was quite a sight!
