Thank you foreign Thank you Thank you Foreign Good evening Sigma Chi brothers and other friends who are joining us this evening and Welcome to our fourth season fourth season of Sig talks brought to you via a collaboration of the New York City and Washington DC alumni chapters I’m Jim Cooper vice president of the New York
City alumni chapter and chairperson for Sig talks and David ashinoff president of the D.C alumni chapter joins me tonight as my co-modernator in an interview with the 73rd Grand Council of Sigma Chi Bob Wilson this evening we’re going to learn a great deal about Bob’s educational professional and Sigma Chi background
And that will set the stage for Bob sharing with us some of his key ideas and priorities for Sigma Chi over the next two years now Bob was initiated and and graduated from Fort Hayes State University in Fort Hayes Kansas and some of his Sigma Chi roles uh and
Responsibilities have included well let me go over a few of them I can’t possibly touch on all of them while uh while he was earning his master’s degree in international economics at the University of Denver Bob was the chapter advisor he also then served as Grand Prater of the Rocky Mountain Province
For 10 years he’s chaired several committees at the Sigma Chi International level the Peterson Awards committee the new chapter development committee significant Sig Awards and ritual peers just to name some uh he also facilitated at summer workshops uh and was a facilitator at the inaugural Horizons Leadership Summit
In 2003 Bob was inducted into the order of Constantine he most recently served as our grand Pro Consul and then this past June at grand chapter he was elected 73rd Grand Council of Sigma Chi so welcome this evening Bob we are delighted to have you here to open up Sig talks for the
2023-24 season um David and I are going to start with some questions for you uh I’ll kick it off with a couple and then I’ll be turning it over to David So to start with Bob well what or who initially inspired you to become involved in the fraternity and
How has your commitment to signify evolved over the years oh what a who Jim uh you know and again some of that may depend on on where you consider uh the first initial involvement with the fraternity uh certainly the the brother who recruited me uh was the one that inspired me to
Move on and and get involved with my local chapter and and uh both pledging and initiating and and then stepping on through the the various roles that the undergraduate chapter uh my uh when I was a pledge the the brother who was Consul at the time uh highly
Inspirational to me uh then you you get to uh the international level and and I went to my first workshop and Keith crock uh passed Grant Council Keith crock and passed Iva winner I saw Keith on stage and said I can do that and uh and obviously not nearly as well as
Keith does but yeah he was certainly an inspiration and uh you know the brothers that uh were co-facilitators with me I think of of Dick Hester I think of Mike Greenberg I think of Doug Molloy uh Carl theoking uh Mark twiner uh just you know innumerable brothers that I looked up to in
Developing uh the workshop repertoire and the workshop Cadence of of going and helping to inspire our undergraduate Brothers there so uh you know various uh likewise Grand Traders uh all honored his name my grand Prater when I was a chapter advisor Ralph hegstead uh just innumerable Brothers Marshall Johnson uh who was my
Roommate at Workshop uh you know they’re a pretty long list I guess Jim is what I would say okay well it certainly sounds like you know it started with time in your own chapter as an undergraduate and the workshop exposure had a tremendous influence on you um foreign
As another question for you how do you think your educational background in political science economics and international um economics has influenced your leadership within the fraternity and your professional career oh certainly within the the professional career Jim uh with the with the Bachelors of econ and ambassadors of
Poli SCI guess Reed go to law school um if I can encourage anyone and David knows this do not go to law school um not not a fan I have promised myself uh many years ago not to be bored and not to be boring and law school was both to me
God loved the brothers and the people that do it but certainly not for me and economics on the other hand is just this amazing world of of anything and and just like opening a new universe uh to to my uh to my mind and the ability to
Sit down and and sketch out a graph of demand or or to put in a four quadrant uh money and banking graph to look at Capital versus labor versus uh price uh just really really neat stuff I think uh so taking that and being able to use that for commodity trading which is
Essentially my profession uh has been just handing glove been been really uh something that that has helped me develop with hedgersedge.com and our ability to look at demand for essentially the the beef market and and some meat markets and and focus on the agribusiness my background I’m sixth
Generation Coloradoan and and our family ranch is still in the family and and so we’ve been cattle people and and agricultural people uh for a long long time uh as far as what that did to my leadership in the fraternity I tend to look at things as an economist and uh
You know I look for value-added I look for reciprocity I look for a reason for something in the fraternity whether it’s an action or or sometimes a person uh to to say okay you know why do I want to Interchange or why do I want to trade my
Time and my convictions with this uh with this individual or with this group or with this project and so I I tend to weigh out uh you know a balance and I think economics can can find a balance I think in you know the beautiful Economist words of in a perfect world
And uh and certainly that’s what Sigma Chi strives for although obviously we never quite achieve it um I I guess that kind of balance and that kind of uh if you do this to hear what happens over here uh approach to the fraternity leadership is certainly something that weighs on me
Sure well I was going to ask you what influenced you to enroll in University of Denver in terms of the master’s degree but I think you’ve already answered that question the roots are in Colorado and uh makes a lot of sense that you went back home and then served
As Grand Prater in the Rocky Mountain Province uh David let me turn it over to you to continue the questions with Bob thanks Jim you know uh Bob you mentioned you know Hector’s Edge which you know you’re a founding partner of can you talk a little bit about the challenges
And successes that you’ve encountered in the commodity trading and Agri business industry and how those experiences sort of shaped your leadership style uh successes in the commodity business David sometimes can be an oxymoron um you know the the old the old line is how do you make two million dollars in
The commodity business and that is start with five million dollars so uh it can be very challenging uh it’s uh it’s but as I said I don’t want to be bored or boring David it is never the same it is it is always challenging uh step in
Every day and go okay you know what what’s going to try and mess me up today or or what am I going to succeed at today and you never really know uh which is is you know think on your feet uh fly by the seat of your pants whatever
Whatever word you want to use uh put all your faculties together and and then roll the dice and and see what you you know the best deal that you can come up with and uh it’s uh it’s everyday exciting uh as far as developing the business with
Hedgersedge.com uh we looked at at not only our trading business and if you if you look at a trading business the the world thinks trading business is built around commission well at a at a corporate level uh the trading business is built around interest rates and and
Generating uh positive cash flow and and you know items that most people don’t associate with everyday trading uh and for the older brothers uh if you watch the movie Trading Places uh where uh where they talk about the orange juice Market uh I am actually Eddie Murphy uh
So that that’s the uh approach that that my trading style uh which can get me in a lot of trouble and can also uh also be a whole lot of fun I I can’t say I’ve made enough money to to buy that yacht and buy that Island like they did in the
Movie but uh hopefully uh hopefully someday I’ll uh I’ll cash in those tips as well so the hedgersedge.com we decided you know what not not everybody wants to be a Trader but they all need the information uh and in particular our cash clients uh clients that that you
Know may not rely on hedging that may rely on on Cross facilitation with with different member version different levels of the of the beef industry uh you know the the feedlot man who wants to talk to the to the white Table Restaurant about featuring only his beef
Uh that kind of information and that kind of relationship building uh is what hedger’s Edge duck Hunt’s all about and that’s been extremely rewarding we’ve been doing that for over 20 years and has likewise helped buffer and support uh the the trading business as well
Great and you know I think I find it funny that you know when when I meet a number of folks all across the country a lot of times they’ll think that that Sigma Kai officers are you know paid people by the by the fraternity and in fact they’re just volunteer leaders and
You know having different experiences in the professional world and then bringing that all into Sigma Chi once you do you know run the sort of leadership ladder and and have the ability and honor to become Grand console I think it really speaks well for our fraternity that they
That we have that sort of um level of experience from folks like you and and others who have held the position and uh really allows us to to do a lot more than what we might be able to do um without that sort of professional
Side but you know in addition to all of that stuff that you do in in the sort of professional environment you know you’ve also got your your Sigma Chi responsibilities and over the years you’ve had a lot of them uh and have served on a long lengthy list of Civic
Opportunity committees you know and I know Jim mentioned some of them whether that be Mission 365 or the new chapter development committee what sort of initiatives or projects that you worked on were particularly impactful or really meaningful to you uh absolutely David Mission 365 uh the fraternity the fraternity’s recruitment uh program
Uh I was lucky enough to to be on the the ground floor with brother Greenberg when he kicked that off and uh Ansley Valentine and I were actually uh Alpha Testing it uh the the first time out on the road and just uh an amazing program that that brought so many results and
And brought so many uh levels of of social intelligence and emotional intelligence and and personality Styles and the ability to to go in and and say um you know there are ways to influence people ways to persuade people uh you know list off Pathos and Logos and Ethos
And and watch the undergraduates go uh what in the world would that be and then let them and help them to recognize that they do that every day is just and it was it was just amazing it allowed me to likewise get out and meet so many undergraduates on so many campuses uh
That it was it was really fun in the next step uh to go into that and and look at the new chapter development committee and and say okay let’s let’s not just talk about okay we’ve gone to sing with Kai chapter now we’re recruiting for them and improving them
We’re starting from scratch and uh and let’s go recruit the the men who want something different in their fraternal experience who wants something different in their University experience who want to know you know the bonds and the values or share those bonds and values that they already have inside them uh
That their campus just didn’t have a place for you and and that has been very exciting the expansion team and the growth director uh brother Des Robinson uh really guided me and and opened my eyes as to just what was out there and the ability to to go through uh you know
10 installations in in a couple of years and and Target 12 more in the next two years that that’s really really fun and really exciting David and I’d say it’s even you know fun and exciting to watch you facilitate a mission 365 program since uh I’ll just
Put in the plug and thank you for for for doing that for uh my home chapter William and Mary for a number of years um you know getting to see you um so enthusiastic about the importance of Recruitment and then being able to um convey that message in a way that our
Undergraduates understood and then we’re able to apply that you know it was great to be able to see the success that came from that um following one of your your mission 365 session so thank you for all the work that you did um in that program and from my home
Chapter well I appreciate that David it was fun too so don’t ever leave that part out and you know now that you are our grand console you know what have you found to be the most significant challenge transitioning from the grand Pro console to now being our top officer in the fraternity uh
Uh David the the uh if I can say that the light of self-control is one that really needs to uh develop itself in in uh brother Wilson here uh I tend to be flippant I tend to be sarcastic I tend to be impulsive I don’t know this sounds
Like fun and uh and uh sometimes that’s not the best approach uh and and the fact that you know I can say something off the cuff or or in complete just that all of a sudden is taken as oh this is now governing law level gospel uh has
Got me you know checking myself more more and more and and the ability to uh to lean on others and to and to say uh hey Wilson maybe you ought to tone this down just a little bit here or there uh and that that inner circle in the
Council of of true friends and true brothers that that number one first understand me and then number two say nah everybody’s at that level yet Bob so uh I think that has been the the biggest challenge um the the ability to build teams and to take uh very disparate personality days
And backgrounds and put them together on a team uh has been the most rewarding uh the the uh the other thing of course is that now as Grand Council you got to look out for the grand Pro console and God love you Tim Sanderson because you
Looked out for me uh and now uh now I’ve got to uh now I’ve got to do that for a grand Pro console you know you mentioned leaning on others and you know you mentioned the fact that you had uh you know Tim serving as Grand Council while you were Grand Pro and
It’s great that we have that ability for for folks when they’re moving up that ladder to develop that that sort of experience on the executive committee before they get to the top level you know with mentioning that that leaning on others you know and having that executive committee to work alongside
You and and work towards you know the benefit of the fraternity a lot of folks I don’t think really understand how our executive committee works together you know addresses priorities and it sort of makes decisions can you sort of pull back that curtain a bit and tell us a little bit
About that process uh you know it’s uh like like they say in the meat business David it’s definitely making sausage um the uh uh executive committee is uh is represented by the grand console the grand Pro Consul the green queester uh which are all selected uh at grand
Chapter by the entire body uh then there are two IBA reps International Balfour Award winners for the current year in the previous year there are two undergraduate reps who are selected only by the undergraduates uh there is a representative from the grand trustees only selected by the grand trustees two
Representatives from the grand prairies only selected by the Grand prators and then the alumnus at large uh who has only selected by the the caucusing alumni chapters that are represented and then rounded out with the most immediate past Grand Council um so the the makeup we all have
A plethora or a variation of shareholders and stakeholders and constituencies uh that that we feel like we need to represent but the biggest constituency of all of courses are undergraduate brothers and and everything that I believe everything that the EC does uh has that in mind in you know providing them the best
Experience that we can uh in the fraternity providing them the best opportunities that you can for individual growth for chapter growth uh for you know development into into a man and a man of character that does change the world and you know our mission statement you know specifically speaks
To that that you know we use friendship Justice and learning to empower those brothers and Inspire those Brothers to go out there and make a difference and make a positive difference so I I I think that you know the the executive committee as far as my motivation uh
Definitely is relying upon upon those tenants and those principles and those of course our values uh as far as you know pulling back the curtain uh I I feel like my role is that if I can understand the members of this team and uh and help them to realize uh the
Potential that they have in in any crisis or any problem or any program or any project that they’re all really vital to my solution and if I can understand how they view a win or view success then I’m going to be a whole lot better in motivating them to
That success so a lot of it is much like working with our undergraduates I think uh pulling back and and trying to look at things from their perspective from their goals from from what they need for their constituencies and then you know it’s not uh it’s certainly not a
Dictatorship and it’s not compromised it’s uh it’s a meaning of the minds in a collaboration to again make sure that the the highest benefit possible is uh is given to our undergraduate Brothers you know we’ve mentioned your work through you know the committee process in Sigma Chi on the executive committee you’ve served
As a facilitator for a number of years at you know workshops at our officer training academy for chapter Retreats Etc you know what sort of approaches or strategies have you found to be most effective in helping you know that that young fraternity leader develop their skills and abilities
Oh I I I think the the best thing that any facilitator can do uh is walk in with an open heart and an open mind David and and you know as my uh my dad used to say you got two ears and one mouth use them accordingly uh and uh and
I think we’ve got to listen to our undergraduate Brothers uh I you know uh developing a rapport and and that is is just essential to earning their trust and if if you can uh if one can really develop trust in in a short amount of time uh that goes back to having common
Values and a common foundation and a common belief and a common experience in the fraternity so uh you know they want to know the undergraduate Brothers want to know that that you’ve had those experiences and that that you have grown from them and that you’ve learned from
Them and and you know has that developed a success uh you know you you can’t protect them from from Road bones or speed bumps or or issues or you know backlash but but you can give them the tools uh so that they can develop that and move forward I I think the the
Really great thing about Sigma Chi is is the fact that there’s no judgment in there and there’s no uh lame game that’s really played uh with our chapters it’s a it’s a situation of okay this is a situation that that has developed uh what can we do to help you what tools
Can we provide what inspiration what uh you know how do we go back to the value-based decisions and and get you back on the right path and and they really I think appreciate that kind of approach uh the uh you know there I I don’t know that there’s necessarily any
Real uh I wouldn’t call it trick but the the the main thing is just being there as their brother not necessarily as you know some officers some Grand officers some chapter advisor but but stepping into that discussion group and and that small group and developing that trust by
Just being the brother that that you were initiated to be and that you’ve grown to become and how this is sort of you know in tandem with that sort of question but when you walk into a room you’re typically announced as you know Grand Council Bob Wilson or you’re that that
Title goes along with any sort of introduction that you get now in sick Makai how when you walk into those rooms and you’re meeting with those undergraduates how how can you make it more about that being brother to brother as you were mentioning instead of you know Grand console to undergraduate brother
Uh I I think that biggest step just again comes from opening your heart uh the best when I was elected uh a a young alumnus brother uh from from Georgetown said uh you need to uh do three things Bob uh you need to be humble uh you need
To remember your own mortality and you need to keep your sense of humor and I think if I can do those three things in any conversation uh you know they don’t have to they don’t have to worry about the Cooper badge or or the you know
Anything of the kind it’s just it’s just brother Wilson and and you know when they come in or I walk into a Chapter Room I was just at uh Southern Utah University and we had a ritual meeting and you know the the undergraduates were all
Told or coached or all did come over and introduce themselves and you know they started using things like Mr and sir and it’s just like nope it’s got to either be brother or Wilson uh take your pick and uh you know trying to put them at ease that that you know it’s
It’s crazy they say well you deserve to be your uncomfortable no you don’t it wasn’t anything you did there wasn’t anything you earned it was the it was the trust that the grand chapter and the brothers of our fraternity said you know what we we believe in your style and we
Believe in your leadership vision and so we’re the you’re the guy that we want to uh to take the home for a minute so uh it’s not like there’s some high and mighty pre-ordained it’s in your blood from God kind of thing and it’s simply
The ability to uh to to be that brother that that they need when they need it and you know you mentioned the the Cooper badge and I gotta ask uh what was it like what was that feeling getting pinned with the Cooper badge uh it is really
Crazy really really crazy when uh when pastor and connellson Grand Council Sanderson you know takes it off his chest and and puts it puts it online uh uh no words no words David just it’s uh it’s a a lifetime or uh or at least a a you
Know 18 to however old I am to uh you know years of of committing to uh values and and understanding and and trying to do the best job that that Sigma Kai can do and uh to to have uh that kind of history and that kind of connection that
Close to your heart is uh it’s really overwhelming and be able to lean on that Foundation that that all of the your predecessors have left to you certainly gotta to be a good feeling as well too uh it’s amazing what the what the password and consoles put together as a
Group and you know they uh I I believe it to this day it’s not like any one of them followed the same path or or any one of them has said well that guy is exactly what I’m going to do I’m going to just follow in his footsteps every
One of them that I’ve ever met and ever been involved with have blazed their own trail and set their own Cadence and done it their way and and admirably so so very very much in awe of them and and to think of them as your support group uh is again very overwhelming
Well I’ve got one more question for you but before I turn it over back to Jim and you know I want to preface this first by one saying thank you for for your work on behalf of Sigma Chi uh you know being simply a volunteer leader is
Is time consuming in the fraternity But Rising up to the level for what you now have has got to uh be non-stop work and you know you’ve got your own personal and professional responsibilities in addition to your fraternal ones how are you able to sort of balance those responsibilities and commitments um
That that that is quite the question David um I I used to uh when I was an undergraduate uh I I had this sphere of four or five balls in the air and and I would always drop one you know I had my my personal relationship with with my
Wife there at College I had the chapter I had Student Government I had my academics and and I was doing this all the time and and it always seemed like one of them fell to the ground and I had to pick it back up and and I I guess I
Kind of view it the same way here uh you know I’ve got my my volunteer work with my Parish I’ve got my family life I’ve got the the constraints and and wonders of business and and uh then the the grand console and and Sigma Chi uh part
Of it that’s pulling at you and and trying to keep all those those items up in the air and and not letting any one of them drop uh is challenging uh and I got to tell you I’m I’m still not perfect at it uh something uh something
Always seems to be oh I gotta get back over here and and pick that up uh the the time management that I learned from Chuck Thatcher uh all under to his name uh has been amazing uh and uh and likewise the the support I get um at the office uh from from my
Principal and from my chief compliance officer and and obviously from my family and and then from the fraternity from uh you know our executive director brother church and and all of the the grand officers and the EC members and the alumni chapter presidents and and the undergraduates and and everybody that
Says you know what we really do want this to be successful uh how can I help you do that uh really it’s I’ve got to rely on that there there is just uh I I’ve learned that it’s at support group and that support mechanism and the
Ability to say I’m not the smartest guy in the room I’m not the guy with all the ability and I’m certainly not the genie with the wand uh I’m gonna have to I’m gonna have to let to let some other people uh show me what what needs to be
Done and how to do it and uh it’s it’s that kind of support I think that that really allows me to to keep everything uh in Focus I um you know I I I’ve said I don’t want to be bored I don’t want to be boring I
Also tend to have a big faith in the distance and and the fact that whatever Horizon I can see uh I believe is going to be better and so being able to get to that point and take people with me or have people drag me there whichever way it might be
Is really I think what keeps me a little bit motivated and keeps me moving in in you know in search of that of that distance and that Horizon well from from our Viewpoint and I know it’s only been a few months into to your tenure but uh you’re doing a pretty darn
Good job so far well I appreciate that David thank you brother absolutely Jim okay thanks David there’s some terrific uh exchanges there with Bob and uh before I move on for the final two questions for Bob I’ve got three comments uh one would be this if if
Anyone in the audience uh tonight has a question they’d like to pose to Bob please take a look over on the right side of your screen and you can pose that question under the comment section that that appears on your screen uh secondly uh you know uh listening to
What you were talking about uh having the Cooper badge uh pinned on you I’m sure it brought you back in many ways to to that same feeling you had when when your initial Sigma Chi badge was pinned on you at your initiation uh all of us
Can remember that as one of the the best moments in our lives and uh what a great chance to relive it for you Bob uh third comment would be this you know back to that question that David posed about transitioning from Grand Pro console to uh Grand console uh now you
Know I’ve only known you for about a year and a half Bob but I’ve but I’ve come to love the authentic Bob Wilson and uh I know I know that many others feel the same way so I know you know what you’re talking about in terms of
How you have to adapt yourself as Grand Council but please don’t temper yourself too much because we all love the authentic Bob and that’s the Bob that was elected Grand Council by the way well I I appreciate that Jim and as I alluded to David uh there there is a a
Light of uh self-control it just tends to go down a little bit so uh that that’s when uh that’s when when Wilson comes out I had made reference to uh Doug Molloy uh he was uh a leader for one of my workshop faculty and uh I was
Trying to put myself in a facilitator box and be you know the the Prototype facilitator and doesn’t always said don’t you dare that’s not why we want you to facilitate and that’s not who you are and quite frankly uh when he opened that lid Wilson’s never been back in the
Box since so yeah I appreciate that Jim being yourself is is the best thing uh so we’ve got two more questions for you before we open it up uh to any questions from the audience uh over the years you’ve provided mentorship and officer specific training for undergraduates at
Both a chapter and at the summer workshop level uh and I know firsthand uh about your presence at the Croc transformational leadership workshops uh where I’ve been the facilitator for the last two years and seen you there in both years and the way that you engage with the undergraduates while you’re
There so I would pose this question to you uh you know how is your first hand exposure uh and involvement with the undergraduates shaped your viewpoint on you know what their characteristics are how are they a little different uh than than the other generations of Sigma
Kai’s uh and and what do you see as the common threads between them and even us Boomers uh the the common threads are certainly the values Jim our undergraduate Brothers exempt by those uh you know they they meet the Jordan standard they exemplify the Georgian
Standard and and you can look at uh an undergraduate and and know that that his experiences uh while they’re going to be different based on Generations uh are going to be this are going to be based in the same support group and and in the same method of chapter you know it was
Always my opinion the chapter was chapter meetings were sanctuary and the fact that you could go there and and just absolutely be able to say and and talk about and and have that that un undeniable and unconditional support from from the brothers in the room uh to know that that our undergraduate
Brothers have that opportunity and have that ability and quite frankly may not have it anywhere else uh the fact that that they can engage in uh discussions with you know men who are Generations older than them uh and men who are who are Generations older than them can
Likewise uh engage in discussions with them uh the you know the spirit of Youth argument or discussion or tenet uh has often been thrown my way and and I look at that and and you know say yeah I guess but but really the the idea that it’s an undergraduate or an alumnus
They’re all brothers and we’re all brothers and and what difference does it make if I’ve walked across a a commencement stage and picked up a sheepskin uh you know it doesn’t change uh my feeling for the fraternity or my bonds of Brotherhood that that we have
Said are lifelong uh and I got to tell you the undergraduates Blow Me Away uh if if I had to uh compete against them uh for you know any of the things that I did as an undergraduate uh there is in any way uh there they’re much brighter
Uh they’re much quicker uh they’re they’re very dedicated uh they they just amaze me uh and when you talk about hope for the future when whenever I do get the opportunity to make a presentation I have the immigrants stand up and point out to anybody else in the room that
They are the hope for my future and as as far as I see in Makai that’s a very bright future but it’s great to hear that Viewpoint and again you anticipate anticipated my question about what makes them special or unique and I think you’ve enumerated a number of characteristics there about
Them so one final question for you kind of one that that you know really sums everything up in terms of what we can look forward to uh over the next couple of years uh how do you envision the future of Sigma Chi under your leadership and as part of the broader interfraternal landscape
Jim Sigma Chi is never going to take a second seat when it comes to leadership uh it’s it’s always going to be in the Forefront we are always going to uh you know look at at what the community and what the world needs now and uh and then
Do our level best to to to serve that up to them in the in the best possible light uh I don’t see uh I have had the opportunity to to discuss with with other uh fraternal leaders and I I don’t want to be cocky or arrogant or anything
Of the kind but but we are definitely in the leadership role Sigma Chi Fraternity will will lead those programs and Lead those developments and and process those answers and and you know set us forward uh I I really uh Brothers Anderson used the motto the world needs more Sigma Chi
And and that is something that I absolutely believe in I think the the world is hungry uh for value-based organizations I I think the world is uh you know uh never never discount what uh truly committed men to to high ideals can achieve because they will change the
World and I believe that’s exactly the the journey and the pathway that Sigma Chi is on is to is to change the world and to to you know not necessarily trumpet ourselves as doing it but uh just getting it done and making it better uh and you know under whether I’m the the
Grand Council or whether I’m pushing uh you know a a program for engagement or a program for growth or or uh you know trying to uh develop further education for our undergraduate Brothers um you know that it doesn’t matter if it’s me uh it’s Sigma Chi and it’s the
Leadership that that Sigma Kai has been able to develop through all of us uh that is going to take that to the next level and to the next step and and really uh change the world and it’s going to do it uh in the next two years the next four
Years the next 10 years and I have a four and a half year old grandson so in the next uh 16 years as far as far as I’m concerned well that’s great Bob um uh listening to what you’ve had to say tonight it’s it’s it’s it’s patently obvious that you’re you’re extremely
Well qualified well prepared and highly motivated uh for the role that you’ve undertaken and we look forward to the next two years and the leadership that you’re going to provide before we close it out tonight uh with Bob uh would ask if there are any audience questions uh and ask our
Producer to put them on the screen if we have any from Evan Faye and I’ll read this one aloud hey Bob thanks for the time tonight to talk Sigma Kai my question is what advice might you give young alumni maybe even undergrads who have interest in serving in a larger role within the
Fraternity what advice would you give to hypothetically climb the ladder and one day possibly become Grand Council themselves little ah brother Evan uh you know I I guess uh the it’s it’s been uh it’s been a hell of a ride uh and and I I would
Say enjoy it uh I would say uh you know the the need or the desire to get more involved uh can always start at the local level yeah you can uh feed your name up through a chapter advisor or through a grand Prater or you know if
You’ve if you’ve been to an alumnus event and the alumni chapter President says oh yeah I I know this guy or I know that guy and and uh gets cycled into that uh the the best uh the best thing that that happened to me was exactly
That that uh you know I I was able to have my name sent up and and say hey this guy uh you know is actually pretty good with the undergraduates or or this guy as an undergraduate this brother as an undergraduate in his undergraduate years devel up some real Rapport uh with
University officials or with uh with other chapter members or with an interfraternity Council and and really kind of trade on on your undergraduate years uh and say yeah I I loved with Kai and I lived through Makai and and I’m not done yet and uh the fraternity leadership will find you
Well well that was a really good question from Brother Faye uh do we have any other questions Bob what was your favorite memory as an undergraduate and as an Alum relative to the fraternity oh here we go um I’m gonna pass on at least a couple of the couple of those War Stories
Um yeah the uh memory is an undergraduate I remember going to my first Workshop uh five of us from Fort Hayes State piling into uh a uh a custom Chevy van and and driving cross-country to the workshop meeting and uh and just the you know driving 20
Hours 24 hours whatever it was that just non-stop uh that that was absolutely uh uh memorable uh and and that sticks out in my undergraduate years uh you know there were there were other days when uh when we decided we would we would cut class and on a Friday in April and and
Run out to uh Surprise Lake Wilson in uh in good old Central Kansas uh and talked to you know a sorority chapter into going with us and and just you know very memorable kind of uh uh social interactions I I guess are are really the highlights there
Um I likewise as a as a as an alumnus uh really all the the various guys that I’ve been able to meet uh through my mission 365 trips uh through through working as a grand crater with the the various councils and undergraduates uh there there are really just so many uh
Grand chapter activities and and uh the the one really that does stick in my mind though is the opportunity to do uh installations with the University of Tennessee 176 new brothers pinned uh and then follow up eight days later with uh gamma Iota and LSU and you know pin another
140 or you know and and the ability to to look in in those young initiates eyes 300 of them in in eight days and and just see that that really hope for the future that I talked about earlier is uh something I will will always remember and and I’m sure the undergraduates are
Really thrilled uh to see you at their initiation that would really make a very special uh on top of what uh they’re already experiencing um uh you know and and just to touch on another point that you made about involvement in the fraternity you know
David and I uh are both active in our respective alumni chapters David’s the president of his I’m vice president and uh if you join an alumni chapter there are just endless ways that you can find that you can contribute to the fraternity uh in little ways or big ways
You know whatever you want to do but but those alumni chapters are really the a great Avenue uh for getting involved I agree Jim and and if if you don’t mind a little plug here uh sure Sigma Kai came came up with uh multiple years ago 88
Ways to be involved and uh we went to an engagement specialist and engagement a professional who works with the alumni groups from various universities and various Greek groups and he took a look at that he went 88 ways what the hell and and then read through him and he
Said this is amazing he said most most places will tell you there’s six or eight or or maybe you get into the teens but Sigma Chi has 88 viable ways and here they are and kudos to Sigma Chi so is there some way we can access that list of 88 would you know
Theoretically it’s supposed to be on the website but so all right we’ll see if that’s possible I do know that you’re uh alumnus rep at large brother Andrew crosson definitely has a copy of it there’s the website streaming across the bottom of the page uh producer do we
Have any more questions or are we done for tonight ah what are your plans with Sigma Chi after you complete your term as Grand Council but we’re already looking at when you’re out of office quick quick get rid of him get rid of him um to some degree that will depend on
The worthy Grand Pro console and uh and how brother Tempe or theoretically brother Timmy uh the the next Grand Council decides uh you know I can provide value and uh and certainly will be uh more than willing to to support the next Grand Council just as uh just
As I’ve received such tremendous support from the past green councils um you know what does that look like uh no idea uh you know I’m still a ritual peer for for one of the undergraduate chapters and I I anticipate continuing to do that and and really just uh being
Available for uh for whatever service I can provide to the fraternity that has given me so much so don’t don’t think it’s done yet plus all right well one thing I think we already know is you’ve you’ve been contributing all of your adult life and uh it certainly would be no surprise that
It’ll continue uh after your after you serve as Grant Council well okay um was there anything was there anything else for Bob tonight nope we’re done Bob uh can’t thank you enough for giving us your evening uh we’ve learned a lot more about you and and and some pretty good ideas about
What you’re going to be doing so thank you so very much for appearing on uh the opening round of our fourth season of sick talks you’re very welcome and thank you Brothers uh go forth and and Conquer as they say I would just like to talk a little bit
About uh upcoming uh events on Sig talks we are still working on the October Sig talk we have some some great potential uh speakers lined up for October but we just need a final confirmation so please look on all the places where you see information about Sig talks for what
Will be upcoming in October in November we have pinned it down already November 16th we will have two speakers both of whom uh occupy very senior positions in the National Park Service one of them the director of the National Park Service former director former director and another the executive head of uh the
National parks foundation so uh for we know that there’s a great interest in National Parks among our membership uh Market on your calendar now November 16th because that will certainly be an interesting and intriguing sick talk um Jim Jim as long as as long as we’re plugging the end of June 2025 you’ve
Already talked about getting rid of me grand chapter in Denver Colorado Gaylord of the Rockies so go ahead and pencil that idea in as well that’ll be 25. okay that’s that’s a couple years out or a year and a half out but couldn’t be a better location I’m sure
Yep looking forward to it so hope everybody can can consider that all right thank you for joining us tonight audience and we look forward to seeing you again in October Bob good night uh and uh everybody have a great rest of the week
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