Happy New Year & 30th Update

Dear Brother:

On behalf of the Alpha Rho Alumni Chapter Board of Directors, I wish a Happy New Year to you and your Family.

As I have communicated to many of you, I am very excited about 2008. Alpha Rho will be celebrating the 30th Anniversary of our Re-Chartering this year in grand fashion. The renovations of our home on Spruce St will be completed and ready for us and our undergraduates to enjoy again. The Undergraduate Chapter will continue its unbelievably successful Re-Organization under the leadership and guidance of Chapter Advisor Eric Dyson. In short, we all have many reasons to be excited for 2008.

With all of this excitement as a backdrop; I am personally asking every Alpha Rho Alumnus to commit themselves to do two things in 2008:

1. Make it a point to join the Alumni Chapter as an active member this year.- I know we’ve harped on this for the past several years, but it’s crucial now. The funding we receive will help the chapter grow in many different aspects. Please go to our website and click on the link to join.

2. Commit to attend the 30th Anniversary Weekend in October.- 5 years ago we had an unbelievable celebration to commemorate our 25th anniversary. We held this event with a little over 100 AP alumni in attendance. This year, we are looking to double the number of alumni who attend. Currently, we have reserved the weekend of October 22, 2008 for the celebration. This date is subject to change due to the WVU football schedule. It will be confirmed no later than March 2008. Please do not commit to anything in October before we release this date.

Over the next few weeks and months, you will be receiving correspondence from many of us working on things for Alpha Rho. Patrick Folio and the 30th Anniversary committee members will be sending you frequent updates as the planning progresses. Chapter Advisor Eric Dyson and Housing Corporation President Mike Turner will be sending you updates on the house and Re-Organization efforts as well. You will also hear from the Alumni Chapter to inform you of our Annual Spring Alumni Weekend in Morgantown as well as other important Alumni items.

I hope you will choose to share in our excitement and will be a part of the celebration this year. If you have been away from the chapter for whatever reason, this is the perfect time to “re-connect”.

I look forward to seeing you in Morgantown this year!
In Brotherhood!

Tom Begley- AP 284
President
Alpha Rho Alumni Chapter

Alpha Rho in 2008

Not too many of you viewed the premier version of the AP Blog last week. That’s OK, it’s a new feature and one that will hopefully catch on. If you are reading this blog for the first time- thanks for visiting the AC’s site. We appreciate you and hope you save this site as one of your favorites.

If you haven’t been active in Alpha Rho, for whatever reason, since graduation; Welcome Back! We’re certainly glad you stopped by. Take a look at the events section of the website and look at what we have done over the past few semesters. Our last event was extremely successful and very well attended. There is a photo album that you can check out. We’re going to keep that updated as we have more events and as other Alumni send in pictures.

2008 is going to be a special year for Alpha Rho. I’m very excited to be a part of the Alumni Chapter as we head into next year. The undergraduate chapter is emerging for an internal re-organization and the Housing Corporation is working hard to complete renovations to our property on Spruce Street and we should be ready to re-occupy the house next Fall.

2008 also marks the 30th Anniversary of our Re-Chartering. We will celebrate this occasion by holding a weekend of events in Morgantown. All alumni will be hearing about the planning very soon. I have named Patrick Folio, AP 147 Chairman of the 30th Re-Chartering Weekend. If you missed the 25th celebration, it was the largest event in Alpha Rho’s history with over 100 Alumni and undergraduates in attendance. You really don’t want to miss what promises to be an even bigger and better event.

Check our site regularly as we will be adding a page dedicated to the 30th Anniversary. It will contain all the information you will need to know about the event next fall. If you have any suggestions, please let us know!

Tom Begley AP 284
APAC President

Fall 2007 Alumni Weekend

I guess this is the APAC’s entry into the 21st century! I am going to begin this Alpha Rho Blog. I hope we’re able to add a section that will allow some conversation back and forth- like a message board. Posting comments will allow us- the Board of Directors- to communicate better and in an open forum.

It’s almost impossible to tell you how gratifying this past weekend was for me. I’ve been doing AC stuff annually, since 1998. Outside of the 25th Re-chartering, this was the most well attended event we’ve had.

For me personally, there were so many guys in town this past weekend from when I was an undergraduate. I haven’t seen my big and little brothers (Jeff Kummer and Bob “Zeke” Zisky in the same place since my wedding 10 years ago! Both Scully brothers, both Ashforth brothers, Dave Goldberg, Norm (Mike Frola), Todd Greer, John Gallagher, Chet Long, Rob Wallace, Chris Vari, TJ Katz, Greg Matthews, Matt Nagy- Not to mention Mike Turner and Eric Dyson- What a cast of characters!

I always enjoy not being the oldest Alumni at any particular event. Does everyone realize we had 3 Re- Chartering brothers there? My good friend Bob Laughner, as well as Chuck Huber and Craig Winkelman were there. I also enjoy getting together with guys that went through after me. Wee Man (Rob Blumnenstetter), Brandon Williamson, Mark Forman, Adam Bailey and Tim Povenski - among others- were all having a good time.

Here is the biggest kick I get out of doing these types of events. I can pick right up with guys I haven’t seen or talked to in 10 years, like we were together yesterday. The conversations we have may be about slightly different things now, but for the most part, the ease in which we can slide right back into old times is very comforting for me.

The worst part about the time we all spend together is twofold. The weekend always goes too fast and I can never spend enough quality time with everyone. I would have loved to pick Norm’s brain about some things or sat down and chatted with Todd Greer about life in Georgia. I guess I should just be thankful that I did get to see everyone I did!

So many guys asked me this past weekend why I continue to do the things I do for Alpha Rho. That answer is also twofold: Both reasons are rather selfish – First - I get to play a small part in organizing events that give my best friends (my brothers) a reason to come to Morgantown. Second, I have 3 sons that I hope one day will attend WVU. I really want them to have the same opportunity to join PKP and Alpha Rho as I did. The fraternity has given me a lot of what I am thankful for in my life. If my sons can have some of the same opportunities I had to become better men, it will all be worth it.

I had a great time this past weekend. I’m hopeful that we’ll all have a chance to see each other in 2008. We’ll have a good Spring Alumni Weekend, and the 30th Re-Chartering will be killer!!!

Thanks guys! It was great to see all of you!

Tom Begley AP 284

APAC President