If you have not yet heard the news, ADG lost one of the most active and vibrant Alphadelts it has ever known; Brother Anthony P. "Bro" Smulders passed away this past Sunday of heart failure. He was 66. I'll post the official press release on the homepage shortly (http://www.alphadeltagamma.org/).
I don't know what else to say about this man, our brother... the man we all called 'Bro.' It's kind of funny to me, really, when I think about that. He was more like a father to many of us than just another brother. But, that's the thing, he was never just another brother. He was something much more than that. He was a true brother, a friend, a confidant, an exemplar of the ideals of Alpha Delta Gamma... and a really funny guy!
Many stories are being passed around already, and I think everyone who ever met Bro has at least one of those stories. He was the first national officer I ever met, actually, and to add meaning to his visit, it was also during my candidate retreat in '96. It wasn't our final night, just a time to break away from the doldrums of freshman year in order to more deeply connect with our brothers and with what ADG stood for. It meant a lot to us, our candidate class that is, and having Bro there speaking to us was an unforgettable experience.
If you met Bro, though, I needn't say anything else, because you already know him and what he meant to each of us. If you never had the chance to meet him, no doubt the past few days' worth of correspondence have given you some idea of what we lost on Sunday. Oh, but how much we gained for having him in our midst, though.
Raise a Heineken in his honor, my brothers. I think he would like that. I know we shall never forget him. Keep the stories alive, pass them down, and let us all try to live up to the example he gave us.
Be strong, my brothers, for each other and for yourselves. We mourn as one, we celebrate as one. Ad Dei Gloriam.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunny Florida, a Distant Memory
It was quite weird to step off the plane wearing shorts and sandals, coming from 80+ degree weather, sunny, breezy, blue skies, and hitting that wall of cold, frigid, damp air in Baltimore. What's more, it's barely over 50 today, rainy profusely and quite humid. Oh, how I miss Florida... words I never thought I would hear myself say.
I do miss Psi chapter, though, most of all. I hate leaving chapter visits. It's like a mini-homecoming for me every time, everywhere I go. Coming home (though I have friends and family that care about me here, too) is always hard to do. It was made no easier this past weekend thanks to the hosting of Psi at Barry University in lovely Miami Shores.
This concludes my flights for the semester and for the year! All that is left is Alpha Delta and York Colony (again) and that is slated for next weekend. That's a driving trip, though, which suits me to a T. No more waiting in crowded airports for cancelled flights; no more sitting next to people with intestinal disorders; no more airport food; no more losing sleep on cramped airplane seats, sticking to the leather, and trying to remove outer garments due to the heat level of the flight.
And yet, no more chapter visits and seeing old and new faces; no more midnight walks up and down Canal Street; no more trips to Giordano's for amazing deep-dish delights; no more dissing the St. Louisans for their love of provel (while secretly enjoying it myself); no more jaunts through the star-studded streets of Hollywood; no more cavorting through the North Georgia Hills; no more barbecue joints; no more art museums; no more World War museums; no more culinary expeditions at all hours...
...at least... not until next semester. ;-)
See you all in Milwaukee!
Ad Dei Gloriam.
I do miss Psi chapter, though, most of all. I hate leaving chapter visits. It's like a mini-homecoming for me every time, everywhere I go. Coming home (though I have friends and family that care about me here, too) is always hard to do. It was made no easier this past weekend thanks to the hosting of Psi at Barry University in lovely Miami Shores.
This concludes my flights for the semester and for the year! All that is left is Alpha Delta and York Colony (again) and that is slated for next weekend. That's a driving trip, though, which suits me to a T. No more waiting in crowded airports for cancelled flights; no more sitting next to people with intestinal disorders; no more airport food; no more losing sleep on cramped airplane seats, sticking to the leather, and trying to remove outer garments due to the heat level of the flight.
And yet, no more chapter visits and seeing old and new faces; no more midnight walks up and down Canal Street; no more trips to Giordano's for amazing deep-dish delights; no more dissing the St. Louisans for their love of provel (while secretly enjoying it myself); no more jaunts through the star-studded streets of Hollywood; no more cavorting through the North Georgia Hills; no more barbecue joints; no more art museums; no more World War museums; no more culinary expeditions at all hours...
...at least... not until next semester. ;-)
See you all in Milwaukee!
Ad Dei Gloriam.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Another Day, Another Day Closer...
This semester has seemingly flown by, surprisingly. Granted, there have been numerous challenges along the way, but to see that it is April already... it's a little strange. I wonder, how has the time been spent?
Personally, I think we've made some great strides this semester, but what about locally? How many chapters believe that they are in a better position now than in the fall? Has the spring really been that renewing thus far? One cannot judge by numbers alone, obviously; so, how has your chapter fared?
What's that? You're an alumnus and you have no idea how your chapter is doing? What about Laetare Sunday? Did you participate in that holiday? Did your chapter even remember to hold a service, or send out an invite?
Communication.
That's the bottom line. Some of you have heard me say this time and time again, and I apologize for repeating myself, but I cannot stress this facet enough. Where would we be without contact with our chapters, between the actives and the alumni, between nationals and everyone else? What can we be doing better?
Well, with convention coming up in August, one thing I plan on doing is talking to everyone more. One thing that you can do is to ensure you are on the national member listserv (members@alphadeltagamma.org). If you are unsure if you are subscribed or not (you would have received several messages by now in 2009), send an e-mail to either myself, to the list itself, or to our webmaster, John Koehler, at webmaster@alphadeltagamma.org. And remember to congratulate him on the birth of his first child!
Milwaukee is going to be a blast. Wayne and the Council are working out the details, but we plan on an overall shift away from day-long meetings and repetitive seminars. Instead, we plan on more time for activities, both for actives and alumni (separate and combined), as well as more time for individual chapters to meet with the Council on a one-on-one basis. I suppose that's more of a group-on-group basis, but you get the idea. Additionally, there are several artifacts, tools, and swag that will make this conclave one for the books. Sorry, it's a surprise, but believe me when I say, you WON'T be disappointed!
The main website (http://www.alphadeltagamma.org) has been updated significantly of late, too. Included in the revisions, you can now go to the store section, click on the "Pay Convention Fee" link, and actually pay your registration fee online! Better hurry, though, the price goes from $125 to $150 as of June 1! Also, the convention website (http://www.adgconvention.com) has also been updated recently. Not only can you link back to the main store site for said fee payment, but a tentative schedule has been posted (http://www.adgconvention.com/2009-convention-schedule). We're prepping, everyone! Make sure you're there for what promises to be an historic gathering of epic proportions! (Okay, sounds a little cliché, I'll admit, but it's not just a line!)
Drop a line when you can. See you in Milwaukee!
Ad Dei Gloriam
Personally, I think we've made some great strides this semester, but what about locally? How many chapters believe that they are in a better position now than in the fall? Has the spring really been that renewing thus far? One cannot judge by numbers alone, obviously; so, how has your chapter fared?
What's that? You're an alumnus and you have no idea how your chapter is doing? What about Laetare Sunday? Did you participate in that holiday? Did your chapter even remember to hold a service, or send out an invite?
Communication.
That's the bottom line. Some of you have heard me say this time and time again, and I apologize for repeating myself, but I cannot stress this facet enough. Where would we be without contact with our chapters, between the actives and the alumni, between nationals and everyone else? What can we be doing better?
Well, with convention coming up in August, one thing I plan on doing is talking to everyone more. One thing that you can do is to ensure you are on the national member listserv (members@alphadeltagamma.org). If you are unsure if you are subscribed or not (you would have received several messages by now in 2009), send an e-mail to either myself, to the list itself, or to our webmaster, John Koehler, at webmaster@alphadeltagamma.org. And remember to congratulate him on the birth of his first child!
Milwaukee is going to be a blast. Wayne and the Council are working out the details, but we plan on an overall shift away from day-long meetings and repetitive seminars. Instead, we plan on more time for activities, both for actives and alumni (separate and combined), as well as more time for individual chapters to meet with the Council on a one-on-one basis. I suppose that's more of a group-on-group basis, but you get the idea. Additionally, there are several artifacts, tools, and swag that will make this conclave one for the books. Sorry, it's a surprise, but believe me when I say, you WON'T be disappointed!
The main website (http://www.alphadeltagamma.org) has been updated significantly of late, too. Included in the revisions, you can now go to the store section, click on the "Pay Convention Fee" link, and actually pay your registration fee online! Better hurry, though, the price goes from $125 to $150 as of June 1! Also, the convention website (http://www.adgconvention.com) has also been updated recently. Not only can you link back to the main store site for said fee payment, but a tentative schedule has been posted (http://www.adgconvention.com/2009-convention-schedule). We're prepping, everyone! Make sure you're there for what promises to be an historic gathering of epic proportions! (Okay, sounds a little cliché, I'll admit, but it's not just a line!)
Drop a line when you can. See you in Milwaukee!
Ad Dei Gloriam
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