From the Desk of the President

Winter/Spring 2021

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Brothers: As we continue to try to live our lives as normally as possible under pandemic conditions, the members of the Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh continue to hope and pray for health & safety of all of our brothers, their families, and surrounding support network.

As you will see in this newsletter, COVID-19 has directly affected our board of directors; I am sure that many of you have loved ones and close friends similarly affected. Let us hope that there is some light at the end of the tunnel, and that the continuing colossal efforts of the medical community, as well as the day-to-day efforts each of us contribute as a society, bring an end to this pandemic in the near future.

The board of directors of the Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh continues to meet on a monthly basis - unfortunately via Zoom instead of face to face, but it is better than nothing, and it has allowed us to continue our efforts towards maintaining a strong Beta Theta chapter. Online meetings have some benefits as well - anyone can attend, even if they are far away from Pittsburgh. If you have interest in participating in one of these meetings, or even just listening in & catching up, please let 2021 Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh - me know & we can forward a link to you. We are ALL the Sigma Chi Board of Directors (term expiry year) Club of Pittsburgh, not just the board members. President - Robert Boucher (2021) Vice-President - Bill Chrisner (2021) As we enter 2021, we are now only a year & a half away from being able Secretary - Terry Byrne (2023) to re-introduce Sigma Chi to the University of Pittsburgh, via Treasurer - Jonathan Dane (2022) recolonization. Brother David Jungling is heading up our recolonization Brad Borghetti (2023) efforts, both through Sigma Chi International Fraternity and the Michael DeMarco (2022) George Marinelli (2022) University. We are now entering the time when real steps and progress Greg Musi (2023) can begin, so please keep your eyes & ears open for more frequent Zach Patton (2021) updates & Reid Segar (2021, one year term) Ernie Simon (2021, one year term)

information. If you have interest in helping this recolonization effort, please feel free to connect with David, or let me know and I can connect you.

We will continue to coordinate Beta Theta alumni gatherings, as best (and safely) as possible and allowable, in the upcoming year. Some events in the normal winter cold & flu season will unfortunately have to be postponed - like this years Winter Homecoming / basketball game watch party (normally in January / February). But hopefully as we come out of the worst of the pandemic, we can still have some of our traditional events - and maybe even some new ones.

Watch for information in upcoming newsletters on our

The Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh - P.O. Box 23484 Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Homecoming 2021 events (when we know more this summer), and the information on our Philadelphia gathering efforts within this publication.

In every newsletter, we provide a means for our brothers to send us some information on their life, where they have been, where they are heading, etc.; unfortunately, we don't get a lot of responses. This time, don't just read the newsletter and discard it - THIS TIME, I CHALLENGE EACH OF YOU READING THIS TO SEND US AN UPDATE OF YOUR LIFE !!! I guarantee, somewhere out there, one of your brothers is wondering what became of you - and how to get ahold of you. Take a couple of minutes and send us your update - the good, the bad, and even the ugly - send an e-mail, a text, or an old-fashioned envelope. I hope to see something from each of you in the upcoming weeks.

As part of our New Year’s Resolutions, let's all continue to do our part to achieve a number of very important goals - control (and hopefully eradication) of COVID-19, recolonization of Beta Theta at Pitt, and strengthening the bonds of brotherhood with all Beta Theta Sigs.

We all know that 2020 was a disaster, but now we have an opportunity to make 2021 a great comeback year. I wish you all a very Happy New Year.

Be healthy and well - In Hoc,

Robert W. (Bob) Boucher Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh - President

REMEMBERING MARTIN ST. JOHN The Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh is saddened to share the recent passing of former President Marty St. John. Brother St. John served diligently and passionately for over 25 years as Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh president.

His service and dedication to the preservation and growth of the Beta Theta chapter will be celebrated and remembered for many years to come. Marty had touched so many over his years of service to Beta Theta.

Few have been as generous with their time, talent and treasure as Marty was to the undergraduate and alumni chapter. Marty relished his role as a mentor and friend to countless Sigs, young and not so young.

Those who were closest to him are left with the memories of how he impacted their lives and the Beta Theta Chapter of Sigma Chi. His passion for Beta Theta was apparent in his words and actions.

For the full obituary: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/triblive-tribune-review/obituary.aspx?n=martin-s-st- john&pid=197367977&fhid=9776

His memory will remain in the collective consciousness of all who knew and loved him. He will be forever remembered as a staunch member of the Beta Theta Chapter of Sigma Chi and as a loyal friend and Brother.

All honor to his name.

The Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh - P.O. Box 23484 Pittsburgh, PA 15222

2020 HOMECOMING GOLF OUTING A SUCCESS Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a modified Beta Theta homecoming weekend was held on October 23- 24, 2020.

A golf outing was attended by approx. 50 Beta Theta alums at Chartiers Country Club on Friday October 23, prior to the annual meeting of the full membership of the Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh.

The weather was picture perfect, and a great (and safe) time was had by all who attended.

Then, on Saturday October 24, a tailgate/game watch party was held at The Foundry Table & Tap on Pittsburgh's North Shore. Approx. 40 alumni and sweethearts attended, watching Pitt's match-up against Notre Dame.

We are in the planning stages of 2021 as we look forward to continuing and growing this tradition next year and renewing our bonds of brotherhood & spirit of youth.

A TRIBUTE TO MARTIN ST. JOHN As many of you know, we recently lost a very important part of the Beta Theta chapter. Martin St. John, who had been president of the board of directors of the Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh for 25+ years up to 2018, entered the Chapter Eternal on December 4, 2020, from complications of COVID-19. We have all lost a dear friend, and a truly remarkable brother.

Marty is the reason that I joined the board of directors in the early 1990's. Marty is also the reason that I re-joined the board in 2015, as my son entered his teenage years and time was more available. And, of course, Marty is the reason that I am now president of the board of directors - in all honesty, I didn't have a choice. Marty "convinced" me that I was president material, the figurative "offer you can't refuse". And I cannot thank him enough for doing all of it, for seeing what he saw in me even when I did not see it myself, and helping me to become the best version of me that I could be.

For me, Marty was always just a little larger than life, a true example of what kind of brother I wanted to be. Fun. Engaging. Committed. Passionate. Did I mention fun? That was Marty. If he was involved with a specific task, he was 110% committed to that task. And if he was having fun, he was 110% committed to that as well. Marty carried himself with strength - strength of body, strength of mind, and more than anything strength of character. I think that is what I find so hard about losing Marty, he seemed so strong that nothing would ever stop him. A bull couldn't stop Marty, how could a virus? I was convinced that Marty would live forever. Sadly, life has proven me wrong.

Due to the pandemic, there was no public funeral for

The Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh - P.O. Box 23484 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Marty. However, the Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh plans to hold a White Rose Ceremony for Marty at an appropriate time, when we can safely gather together, and in very large numbers, to honor this bull of a man. We will update the brotherhood of the events once we can schedule them (maybe summer 2021, maybe homecoming 2021), and we hope that everyone who is able to attend will come.

For those of us who were lucky enough to know Marty, it is easy to say that we will never forget him - it would be impossible to try. I know, for the rest of my life, there will never be a time that we gather as a brotherhood that I will not think of Marty, and wish he was there with us. He played a very important part in my life up to now, and I don't plan on letting that stop just because he is no longer with us. My heartfelt sympathies go out to all who knew & loved Marty, and are feeling the same bittersweet pain I am.

All honor to his name.

RWB

PHILIDELPHA GATHERING ON HOLD As previously communicated, the Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh has planning to coordinate a Beta Theta alumni event in the Philadelphia area as soon as we are able to safely do so.

We were hopeful that summer of 2021 would provide for a low-risk opportunity for such an event. However, we are still on hold with no solidified plans.

We will continue to update you on location & timing of an event as soon as it is possible.

Please let us know if you would have interest in participating in such an event - please reach out to George Marinelli - [email protected], John Demming - [email protected]) or Bob Boucher- [email protected] with your thoughts.

THE PASSING OF SIGNIFICANT SIG DAVID GREEN David C. Green, 87, passed away peacefully in his sleep Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. He had been in declining health after contracting a rare blood infection last fall. A son of the Steel Valley and a passionate Pittsburgher, Dave's professional and personal pursuits had a profound impact on the community he loved.

With his career peaking as Pittsburgh's economy was downsizing, Dave used his communication and leadership skills to support the health and vitality of its civic and cultural institutions. While others fled, he doubled down, planting seeds that have blossomed into a revitalized city. Dave was born May 3, 1933, in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Hays, on the Monongahela River, to David William Green and the former Elizabeth Schreiber Green. He graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in 1950, then attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he majored in political science and graduated in 1954. He served as news editor of the Pitt News, was an active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and participated in Air Force ROTC.

At Pitt, he also met Nancy Cook, another reporter on the paper, whom he married April 2, 1955. Dave and Nancy began their married life in Sherman, Texas, where Dave fulfilled his ROTC obligation at the Perrin Air Force base. After his service, they returned to their beloved Pittsburgh and settled in Mt. Lebanon, where they would raise their family. Dave joined the corporate communications staff of Joy Manufacturing, decamping for PPG Industries in 1963 as assistant advertising manager of the chemical division. He was promoted to advertising manager in 1968, then managed corporate advertising and design services. His final communications position at PPG was leading public and investor relations. Dave was a major force in the Pittsburgh advertising and communications community during his time at PPG, serving as president of the Pittsburgh Advertising Club in 1976-77, and president of the International Business and Professional Advertising Association (now Business Marketing Association) in 1977-78. He was awarded the BMA Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 just prior to his retirement.

Dave enjoyed a memorable career detour in 1972, taking a brief leave of absence from PPG when his Sigma Chi brother and lifelong friend Bud Shuster asked him to manage communications for his initial congressional campaign. Dave jumped at the opportunity to combine his political science training with his communication skills to support his old friend.

The Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh - P.O. Box 23484 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 With Dave's help, Shuster won the hard-fought primary against a popular state representative, and went on to represent Pennsylvania's 9th District for 28 years. In another providential detour combining Dave's communication skills with his Pittsburgh pride, he served as assistant to the chairman and executive director of the PPG Industries Foundation in the mid-1980s. Dave relished this philanthropic leadership role, recognizing the opportunity to leverage PPG's position as one of Pittsburgh's leading corporate citizens to promote coordinated action to rejuvenate the region. Even after his retirement, Dave retained board leadership roles in civic institutions such as the Senator John Heinz History Center and the Mon Valley Initiative, which was instrumental in providing economic revitalization to the region after the devastation caused by the closure of the mills.

Dave was recognized as a "Significant Sig" in 2005, an honor reserved for those few "whose exemplary achievements in their fields of endeavor have brought great honor and prestige to the name of Sigma Chi." Dave's leadership extended to volunteer service as well. He credited the Boy Scouts with introducing him to a broader world than the small community where he grew up, and paid it forward by leading Mt. Lebanon's Troop 28 from 1974 through 1986. In recognition of his outsized impact, a leadership award in his honor was created upon his retirement from the troop. He continued to serve scouting at a regional level, having joined the board of the Pittsburgh Council in 1983, and after a restructuring became a member of the Laurel Highland Council's Leadership Board. He recently served as the chair of the Endowment Committee and a member of the Governance Committee. He was particularly proud of the legacy he helped create in developing Camp Independence at Heritage Scout Reservation. Dave was a person of deep faith.

He found his spiritual home at the Bower Hill Community Church, which he and Nancy joined in 1964 after being inspired by the social justice activism of the Rev. William Barker. Dave was an integral member of the church community, serving as an elder for many years and chairing a multitude of committees. He was actively involved in the Presbyterian Church at the regional level as well, ultimately serving as moderator of Pittsburgh Presbytery in 2007, the highest office available to a layperson. Dave lived each day to the fullest, and was committed to the excellence and continued success of the organizations that enriched his life. He was an avid sailor, winning many racing cups from the Moraine Sailing Club and serving in various leadership capacities. He downshifted to golf in his later years, recently serving as president of the Mt. Lebanon Senior Golf Association. He was also an avid consumer of the arts, especially music and theater, and maintained season subscriptions to the Pittsburgh Symphony and Pittsburgh Opera. He loved to travel and he and Nancy enjoyed many international tours and cruises after retirement, but never wanted to live anywhere other than Pittsburgh.

In addition to his beloved wife of 65 years, Dave is survived by his brother, Frank Green, and sister-in-law, Jan Green; daughter, Cathy Solomon, and son, Tom Green; son-in-law, Bob Solomon, and daughter-in-law, Lori Green; and grandchildren, Amy Solomon, Julie Solomon, Mark Green and Eric Green, all of whom can attest to Dave's readiness to share his encyclopedic knowledge of political history, go for a ride on the incline or teach them how to tie just the right knot. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to University of Pittsburgh Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences; Bower Hill Community Church; or the Laurel Highlands Council, Boy Scouts of America (attention Jerome Gaughan, Chief Development Officer, 1275 Bedford Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15219). A memorial service will be held at a later date.

WINTER HOMECOMING 2021 PUT ON HOLD

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and conditions in Western PA this winter, we have elected to postpone our normal Winter Homecoming activities (basketball game watch, TopGolf, etc.) for 2021.

We will look to renew this in early 2022.

Stay tuned!

The Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh - P.O. Box 23484 Pittsburgh, PA 15222

DICK GROAT’S 5TH ANNUAL PITT CELEBRITY GOLF OUTING SET FOR MAY 15TH

After a one-year hiatus, The 5th Annual Pitt Celebrity Golf Tournament - benefitting Pitt student-athletes in honor of Beta Lambda- Sigma Chi and Pittsburgh legend Dick Groat, is back on May 15th at Champion Lakes Golf Course with all proceeds going directly to the Pitt Immediate Impact Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund.

Brother Lawrence “Guido” Gurrera founded the event along with Bill Hillgrove and Groat’s Family and has successfully chaired the event.

The 2019 event raised over $10,000.

The Outing will be held Saturday, May 15, 2021, starting at 10:00AM, at Champion Lakes Golf Resort in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Teams will consist of four registered golfers, plus one Pitt Celebrity who will join you for the round of golf. In addition to golf participants will receive breakfast snacks, hotdog at the turn, 5th Annual Dick Groat Pitt Celebrity Outing an outdoor (and socially distant) reception with Where: Champion Lakes Golf Course – 4743 Rt. 711 food and drink following the round. There will be Bolivar, PA 15923 prizes and a silent auction. When: Saturday, May 15, 2021; 10:00 a.m. Shotgun Start Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Golf Only: • Team : $600 (Team of four plus one Celebrity) We will have fun but we will also be safe. A COVID Sponsor a Hole protocol will be communicated to all participants • Silver Sponsor: $150 (Tee sign and program in advance that is based on the current guidelines recognition - golf not included) and Orders in effect at that time. Sponsorship + Golf: • Title Sponsor Investment: $5,000 – Please Registration and/or contributions can be made by contact for more information. check or made online at • Platinum Sponsor: $1,000 (Major Sponsor https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pitt-celebrity-golf- Shout-out, banner recognition, premium tournament-2021-tickets-144794541371 program recognition, Team Entry of four plus one Pitt Celebrity) We strongly encourage you to register and pay • Gold Sponsor: $700 (Tee Sign, Program early through this site so that you guarantee your recognition, Team of four plus a Pitt Celebrity) participation.

Checks can be made payable to Champion Lakes Golf Resort and sent to our address at 4743 Route 711 North, Bolivar, PA, 15923.

The Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh - P.O. Box 23484 Pittsburgh, PA 15222

BROTHERS, WE NEED YOUR STORIES AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Have any news you’d like to share? Know an alum who you want to be featured?

Please send an email to [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected] and we’ll include it in the next newsletter. can provide information, quickly and efficiently, to all Beta Theta Sigs.

Brothers, we are searching for contact information on the following brothers. If you have this information or know the brother, please send their name, address, phone numbers (office, home, cell), and email address. We are developing an up-to-date database.

Please fill in the below and send to us by mail, or please contact Communications / Database Manager Greg Musi, [email protected] or by phone at 412-780-5960.

Name: ______Address: ______

Phone: ______

Email: ______

The Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh - P.O. Box 23484 Pittsburgh, PA 15222

2020-2021 DUES PAYING MEMBERS Below is a list of the Brothers who have paid their alumni dues so far this year. Please note that we follow an academic fiscal year to coincide with the undergraduates. As a result, our fiscal year runs from September 1 – August 31. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Jonathan Dane by sending an email to [email protected].

J. KENT JARREL LEVEL ($500 or more) Michael DeMarco Ernie Simon Robert Boucher

CATHEDRAL LEVEL ($200) David C. Hammers Marty St. John Greg Rodgers Wesley Pickard Denis Glunt Frank Ruscetti Michael Bryson J. Roger Glunt Greg Musi Chris Owens Harry Kunselman

GOLD LEVEL ($100) Terry Byrne Joe Blazer Scott Harshman Jonathan Dane Brad Borghetti Lawrence Gurrera David Jungling Bill Chrisner

BLUE LEVEL ($50) Carlos Reisen Jr., George Marinelli, Ronald Bellohusen

PLEASE PAY YOUR ALUMNI DUES Now more than ever we ask you to support the Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh financially as we take the initial steps to bring back our undergraduate chapter.

You may pay your dues by sending a check to the PO Box address below, or by visiting our website and using the links on the right to pay online via PayPal.

PittSig.org

Brothers, as always thank you for your continued generosity. Your donations keep the Beta Theta chapter financially secure.

PLEASE SELECT YOUR DUES LEVEL Detach this insert and mail it with your dues payments to: J. Kent Jarrell level: $500.00 and Up Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh

P.O. Box 23484 Cathedral level: $200.00 Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Gold level: $100.00 Please make all checks payable to “Sigma Chi Blue level: $50.00 (or “other amount”) Club of Pittsburgh”

The Sigma Chi Club of Pittsburgh - P.O. Box 23484 Pittsburgh, PA 15222