Author: inzax01

Good Morning brothers. Cale Johnson posted this to the alumni facebook page a couple of days ago. I thought I would post it here for those who don’t do facebook.

WHAT DO ALUMNI DUES PAY FOR?​​

We got a really good question from an alumni brother a couple of weeks ago. It was such a good question that we thought it was worth sharing.

The question was “Since we’re taking in so much more in alumni dues than we used to, what are they being used for?”

The short answer is that we have short term “annual” expenses and long-term goals.

The annual expenses are things like

• Homecoming (food, soft drinks, ice, paper products, golf reception)

• Alumni Awards (annual scholarship, workhorse award)

• Chapter support

-Chapter support was $4000 in 2023 (improved rush events, new tailgating tent). It will be about the same in 2024 although this year we helped them with General Assembly costs.

-The chapter gets no money from the alumni for social events or things like that.

The long term “vision” we have is for the alumni to buy a piece of property near school where we will eventually build a building that can be used as an “event space”. This could begin as simply as a “shelter” with a fireplace and picnic tables. Eventually, we see it as a single family “home” possibly with a large enclosed space underneath it. The home would be rented as an Airbnb during most of the year (ideally, it would generate enough revenue this way to make it self-supporting). Individual alumni could use it as a place to stay when they visit the area. We would plan to reserve it for the alumni group during events like homecoming. The enclosed space under the home would only be used during these times. The idea is to have a “place of our own” while avoiding the headaches & liabilities many of us remember from the past. As stated, this is a long-term goal and subject to change.

If you have thoughts or ideas relative to any of this, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

The alumni board always welcomes input. We encourage all alumni to get involved in whatever way works best for them.

Also, if you haven’t, please pay your alumni dues. We are getting close to homecoming where we will spend the largest majority of our annual expenses and want to make sure we are in a good position.

Hello Brothers,

The 2024 Lambda Chi General Assembly happened last week in Phoenix. Carson Reeves (BZ High Alpha) and Max Buchannan (BZ High Theta) were there.

Ten chapters from around the country earned awards that were presented at the conference.

The BZ boys from WCU won the “Innovative Chapter” award. The award states:

“This award honors a group that goes beyond the General Fraternity requirements through programming, events, etc., exhibiting innovation and challenge of conventional wisdom.”

Pictures of the award and Carson & Max are below.

This honor was earned through hard work on the part of the BZZ chapter.

Carson and Max being able to be there is a direct result of the generous financial support of our BZ alumni. If you haven’t paid 2024 dues yet, please consider it. As you can see, it’s a worthy cause.

Hello Gentlemen!

While all alumni who pay their dues are heroes to the active brothers who benefit most from them, we have to have special recognition for brother Scott Dill -BZ366 who stepped up yesterday with what I believe is the largest dues payment the chapter has ever received. Scott took us from being 49% ahead of last year to being 66% ahead of last year.

Adding in dues payments today from Larry Ford – BZ 48 and Bill Trull – BZ 40, we’re now 69% ahead of last year. That’s $9710 in dues received so far in 2023.

We have the possibility of going over $10K in dues for the first time in the history of the chapter. I believe someone will put us over that goal before homecoming.

Will it be you?

Dues can be paid in three ways:

1. Venmo link is below
2. You can use our website http://www.bzalumni.com
3. You can mail your payment to:

Lambda Chi BZ Alumni

3402 Windswept Dr.

Summerfield, NC 27358

Thank You!

Good Morning brothers!

The next brother who pays their 2023 dues will put us at the milestone of being 50% ahead of last year in dues collections.

Will it be you?

Hello Gentlemen,

Below is an important email from El Presidente of the Alumni Board – Cale Johnson. Please check it out. Your responses will help us make sure this year’s homecoming is one that won’t soon be forgotten.

Good morning Brothers!

We are less than 5 weeks away from the greatest homecoming extravaganza in the history of WCU! With that in mind please read this thoroughly as we are in the final stages of planning around food, budget, swag, etc!

We have the first annual Lambda Chi Alpha memorial golf outing scheduled for Friday, 10/27 at Smoky Mountain Country Club in Whittier, NC. The cost is approximately $50 and will be a fun captain’s choice golf event to honor those brothers we’ve lost along the way. If anyone would like to “sponsor” a hole with a “In Loving Memory of” sign, please let me know. We already have our first in memory of brother Kevin Williams sponsored by Adam & Kristine Newsom!

I have received confirmation that the following individuals are signed up for golf:

Mike Gillespie

Alan Howard

Gary Deese

Chip Fisher

Pat Watson

Matt Harnad

Gibbs Jones

Philip Preston

Cale Johnson

Matthew Patrick Reilly

Brandon Lail

Travis Stutts

Roddy Duckett

Kevin Westmoreland

Brandon McClure

Greg Lance

Shane Bishop

Matthew Boehlke

Troy Baker

Steve Knight

Adam Newsom

Reid Johnson

Carson Reeves

Cameron Martin

Ryan Whitley

Reilly Whitt

Ryan Piercy

Jack Dube

Ryan Thomas

Logan Balis

Max Buchanan

Gabe Rentz

Spencer Gilbert

Jacob Shea

Layne Coward

Player to be named later

Player to be named later

If I have left anyone off of the list, please let me know as soon as possible by commenting below or texting me at (919)607-9622.

We are also having a cocktail reception for brothers and their dates immediately following golf at Smoky Mountain Country Club with heavy hors d’oeuvres provided by the alumni association and a cash bar. Designated drivers will be provided for this event.

Please let me know if you plan to attend the cocktail reception and if you will have a date so we can get the final menu planned by 10/7.

Last but not least, is tailgating! Please let me know if you/date will be coming to tailgating at the alumni tent at Camp Lab parking area between 11:00 and 2:00. We are working on a menu and hope to be able to provide a wonderful atmosphere to spend time with our brothers. Designated drivers will be available for this event as well.

This is sure to be an incredible weekend that won’t soon be forgotten. Please confirm which events you will be attending and if you will have a date so we can ensure we have enough food. I would like final counts by 10/7, but earlier if at all possible.

Yours in ZAX,

Cale

BZ564

Good Morning Boys!

You can now pay dues using Venmo. Our info is LCA BZ Alumni (bzalumni). You can also simply use your phone to scan the QR code below. Doesn’t get much easier than that! Let me know if you have any issues or if there are any questions.

In ZAX,

Pat Watson BZ410

909-992-9806

How about sharing your best golf pix as we prepare for the Homecoming Golf Outing.

This is BZ 345 Jeff Gordon, BZ 285 Tim Queen, BZ 377 Mohammad Jugdish (Steve Goulas) and BZ 399 Gibbs Jones. (Honorable mention to the guy in the middle who is the bassist in Tim’s band.)

Good morning Brothers!

It’s the time of year to think about how awesome it would be to reunite with brothers you may not have seen in a decade or two. Why not do it October 27-28 in Cullowhee? It’s WCU Homecoming. Catamount Football is looking strong this year!

We have a golf outing scheduled for 1:OOpm on Friday 10/27 followed by a cocktail reception at Smoky Mountain Country Club. Bring your own team or sign up as an individual. The cost is @ $50. If you would like to play, please call or text Reid Johnson at (919) 749-7656.

On 10/28 we will have tailgating shenanigans at the Camp Lab parking lot with food, drinks, and fellowship. We will be doing frequent Facebook and Blog posts until Homecoming to remind everyone. Please help spread the word. A more detailed schedule will be posted as we get closer.

Who’s planning to attend?

Hi All,

Yesterday, we had our second zoom call about planning for Homecoming.

On the call were: Cale Johnson – Alumni Board President, Jacob Shea – Chapter President, Ryan Piercy – Chapter Vice President, Reid Johnson – Alumni Chairman, Patrick Creech – Rush Chairman, Ryan Thomas – “SWAG Chairman” and myself.

I took notes so I thought I would share them.

HOMECOMING COCKTAIL PARTY

1. On the last call, we were hopeful that we’d be able to have the Friday night cocktail party at the same golf course (Smoky Mountain) as the golf event is currently planned for.  Smoky Mountain has told us they’re not open to hosting a fraternity event.  Cale has taken on the job of trying to find a place to have the event.  Ideas put forth were:
   1. Try again with Smoky Mountain
   2. Try other golf courses in the area
   3. Try to find a local hotel with an open conference / banquet room – looking as far away as Cherokee
   4. We may be able to access a private piece of land near the Tuckaseegee river.  If so, an idea was put forth to put a large “event tent” on it.
   5. For anyone who is concerned about making their venue available to a fraternity, we proposed offering them a substantial (but fully refundable) security deposit.

HOMECOMING TENT FOR THE ACTIVES

2. The actives asked if the alumni would consider paying for a new tent for them to use for rush events, homecoming etc.  Their current tent is 10×10.  This used to be the “standard” size used by most fraternities, but that has migrated to 10×20.  The Pikes, Sig Eps and most others have 10×20 making ours conspicuously small. Prices will be as follows:
   1. 10×15 – $1000
   2. 10×20 – $1300

DUES INCENTIVES AT HOMECOMING

3. We discussed the idea of giving out some kind of swag as an incentive for people who are at homecoming & have not paid their dues yet to do so.  Ideas were: coozies, shot glasses, beer mugs etc.
4. Reid Johnson will get prices on a variety of items for us to consider

RUSH

5. Rush will take place between August 31^st and September 6^th.  This is unusual because it runs from a Thursday through the following Wednesday with bids going out on Friday the 8^th; making what is normally a 6 day “rush week” effectively 9 days long.  The weekend in the middle of rush week is Labor Day so many freshmen rushees will be going home that weekend.  All of this boils down to a more challenging than normal environment in which to get and keep the attention of rushees.
   1. The actives are looking for ideas for events to hold over the Labor Day weekend for rushees who don’t go home.  Because rush week will be so much longer than normal, the event(s) need to be economical.
   2. A river tubing event was proposed
   3. A “day at lake Glenville” event was proposed
      1. Ryan Piercy is going to check with the school to make sure there are no prohibitions on this kind of event.
      2. He is also going to check with Blake Greene to make sure LCA nationals doesn’t have any prohibitions on this kind of event.
   4. Relative to this, we discussed the alumni making a commitment to sponsor one rush event each semester (approximately $1300/semester)

CHAPTER ADVISOR

6. We discussed the urgent need to find a chapter advisor. 
7. Logan Fender was suggested. 
8. He graduated in December of 2022. 
9. Everyone seems to think he would be a good fit. 
10. He lives in Charlotte and is a project manager for a construction company.
11. Ryan Piercy is living with Logan this summer.  He will discuss this with Logan.
12. Cale is checking with the outgoing advisor; Joe SK to get his thoughts.

BUDGET

This afternoon as I prepared to write this, I started doing the math on all of the proposed spending for the year.  A summary is below:

BZZ Alumni 2023 budget forecast
Homecoming	$1,700.00	Same as we spent in 2022 – food, drinks, awards, alumni scholarship, etc *includes $350 we paid for DJ & food for cocktail party at LCA house
Homecoming “Swag”	$500.00	*SWAG estimate
Rush Events	$2,600.00	$1300 per semester
Undergrad Tent	$1,300.00	*firm estimate
Homecoming Cocktail Party Location	???
TOTAL	$6,100.00	*total amount taken in during 2022 was $5760.  I think we’re on track to do about the same this year

I point this out because I think we need to decide as a group about how we handle our budget.  If we have no plans of saving toward being able to afford some of the things we’ve talked about like owning our own “event space” at some time in the future, then setting our spending equal to our income (or dipping into our “savings” as/when appropriate) is no problem.  If we do want to “save for the future”, then I think we should set a goal for how much we want to save every year & both budget and fund-raise accordingly.

In ZAX,

Pat

BZ410