We Invite All Sigma Chi Brothers with a New Mexico Connection to Join Us Now
Strengthening Sigma Chi Brotherhood Across Generations
Our alumni chapter works to strengthen the bonds of all Sigma Chi's with a New Mexico connection. If you attended school in New Mexico, attended elsewhere but live in NM or are a brother living outside of the state who wants to stay connected to our local chapters, you are welcome. We have a long legacy of strong leadership and a large group of loyal alumni members. We meet monthly and plan fun and meaningful events throughout the year to benefit all Sigs.
Sigma Chi strives to promote friendship, justice, and learning as the exemplification of our brotherhood. This inspires a lifelong commitment which is the goal of the New Mexico Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter. If you are a Sig who is interested in community involvement, undergraduate involvement, philanthropic service, personal/ professional development or social interaction we invite you to join with us today! Reconnect by receiving the free NM Sig EXtra Newsletter!
Saturday, August 21 • 6pm ‘til dark:30
RSVP to Lee Morgan at (505) 980-2499 by August 15
Who’s Invited?
You, Your Guests, Your Kids, Our Actives & Pledges
- Brothers and guests $20
- Actives and possible pledges $10
Food and Drink?
There will be food from Mr. Powdrell’s plus beer, wine, iced tea, and lemonade to keep you cool.
At this Roundup…
- Recognition of several Brothers who have recently received International Fraternity awards.
- Remembering two of our most recent Brothers who entered the Chapter Eternal. Brother Bernie Butterfield and Brother Larry German. We will conduct a White Rose Ceremony since it could not be done at the funerals.
Brothers, it is my pleasure to announce that Zeta Phi Alumni Allan “Hap” Richardson has been selected as a 2020 Sigma Chi Significant Sig Award honoree. A Carlsbad, New Mexico native, Hap attended New Mexico State University graduating in 1973 with a degree in Civil Engineering. While attending NMSU, Hap became a member of Sigma Chi in the Zeta Phi Chapter. As an undergraduate, Hap was an honor student as well as Sigma Chi Provincial Balfour Award winner.
Hap’s service to Sigma Chi did not stop upon graduation. He became a regular attendee of the Alumni meetings in 1997 and ultimately became the Alumni Chapter President in 2002. This was an especially turbulent time period as the Beta Xi Chapter was losing its charter. It is widely believed that without Hap’s “steady hand and people skills”, Beta Xi’s road to re-charter would have been much more arduous. This, however, was not Hap’s only re-charter initiative. In the late 2000’s, Hap devoted considerable time, money and energy to the re-chartering of Zeta Phi at New Mexico State University. Zeta Phi continues to thrive today due in large part to Hap’s efforts.
Hap’s professional career took him into the family construction business where he is the President of the highly successful Richardson & Richardson Construction company. Although it is impossible to enumerate all of the construction contributions Richardson & Richardson has made, one of the most notable remains the renovation of the old Albuquerque High School into loft-style, modern day, city center living. As a highly respected businessman, Hap has served two terms as President of the Associated General Contractors New Mexico Chapter, first in 1987 and most recently in 2018. Hap and Richardson & Richardson have received numerous plaques of service, letters of commendation and expressions of gratitude with the most recent being the “Jack Miller Outstanding Award for Instruction in Contractor Marketing, Measuring Employee Effectiveness and Introduction to LEAN construction.”
Hap’s contributions to city and state are vast. From serving as Master of the local Masonic Lodge in Cuba NM, to participating in their local FFA and rodeo events, to contributing time and money to various public school educational needs, the list is expansive. Richardson & Richardson recently completed their 24th year of raising thousands of dollars all of which was donated to the New Mexico Boys and Girls Ranches. Their motto is “Rekindling Hope in Today’s Youth.”
Hap, on behalf of the Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter of New Mexico, and your Active and Alumni brothers, congratulations on receiving this well-deserved honor! You truly have brought Sigma Chi and all of us, favor and distinction.
—Special thanks to Larry German for providing historical content.
Everyone from the 2019 board has graciously agreed to stick around for another year. To that end, your Alumni Chapter board for 2020 is listed here. As you can see, we have two openings for at large board members.
We are also always looking for help in the writing of the newsletter. If you are interested in helping in any of these areas, please contact us at nmexalumni@gmail.com.
President — Will Campbell (UNM Beta Xi ’91)
Vice President—DuWayne Ordonez (UNM Beta Xi ‘80)
Treasurer Adam—Thompson (NMSU Zeta Phi ’08)
Secretary—Paul Garson (USD Theta Lambda ‘86)
Member—Wally Payne (ENMU Zeta Sigma ‘80)
Member—open
Member—open
NM SigEXtra Editor—Jake Atencio (UNM Beta Xi ‘85)
Brother Paul Garson
Unsung-hero.
Noun. (Plural unsung heroes) One who does great deeds but receives little or no recognition for them.
This can be said for many Sigma Chis who are alumni volunteers. There are many thousands across our great Fraternity. From Will Campbell to Lee Morgan to the Executive Committee.
We are lucky to have one right here who deserves praise and thanks beyond measure.
This gentleman has maintained and nurtured our Alumni Chapter for decades, allowing us to experience our alumni phase of brotherhood and enhance our commitment to our order. Debbie Morris (former and longtime Director of Student Affairs) once told me that ‘you guys are more active and involved than all of the other fraternity alumni combined at UNM’. She stated one time that no other group could draw 250 at a celebration such as our Centennial Weekend Celebration. This one brother kept it all together during the bad and good times.
When we lost the Beta Xi chapter charter the Alumni Chapter still functioned and flourished with luncheons and special events such as Founder’s Day and the Summer Roundup Parties. We had speakers and newsletters… 100s of newsletters with 1000s of hours of time devoted to that process.
When I needed help with the rechartering I could rely on this man for behind the scenes help. In fact, he tells me regularly “I’ll be your errand boy. Tell me what you need”.
This brother truly defines what it means to be a brother in service in Sigma Chi. Therefore, we recognize today with a Grand Consul Citation signed by Grand Consul Steven Schuyler and Executive Director Michael Church …Brother Larry German.
Brothers,
The October luncheon had a very nice turnout of 22 Alumni and Active brothers, including our guest speakers Ryan Lindquist and Chris Brooks. Ryan and Chris gave an extremely informative talk about the state of student activities at UNM with a lot of the discussion focusing on the Greek System. The atmosphere on campus today is vastly different than what I remember as an undergrad.
Back in the day, I knew there were requirements to be met with campus IFC, student activity rules to follow, and, of course, our obligations to Sigma Chi HQ. Today, however, the pressures and standards placed on the Active Chapter, are, to say the least, immense. The Greek System in general is subject to the ever watchful eye of local and national media, the UNM Student Activities Board and the University at large. Due to current state of affairs both on and off campus, local and nationwide, there is very little room for error. Even a minor miscue can cost a Fraternity or Sorority their charter at UNM.
It isn’t all doom and gloom, however. The increased scrutiny has galvanized the current Active Chapter and has really pushed them to further the main purposes of Sigma Chi – Friendship, Justice, and Learning. While I say this in reference to the Beta Xi Active Chapter, merely because I am in more frequent contact with them, I am sure this statement holds true for the Zeta Phi chapter as well.
As announced last month, the floor is currently open for anyone who would like to step up or volunteer someone to serve on the New Mexico Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter Board. All positions from president to at large members are up for re-election and need to be filled. Lastly, please join us for our final monthly luncheon of 2019 which will held at noon on Tuesday, November 12 at the Cooperage. This will be the final Alumni event of 2019 as we will not be having a December luncheon.
In Hoc, Will
Zeta Phi Update
Zeta Phi completed a highly successful rush and pledge period with the initiation of 12 new Brothers on October 19th. We have been very busy this semester and recently completed 400 community service hours for the New Mexico State University and the Las Cruces Community. Zeta Phi will also be hosting its annual SigGlow to raise money for the Huntsman Cancer Institute on November 6th. If you would like further information on this event or would like to donate to this worthy cause, please contact me.
~ Mario Martinez, Zeta Phi Consul
(I will be happy to put you in touch with Mario. Just contact me at NMEXAlumni@Gmail.com and I will privately provide his contact information. Will )
Beta Xi update
The Beta Xi Chapter initiated 19 new Brothers on October 19th, including one legacy. There was strong Alumni support as 12 -15 Alumni also attended the initiation ceremony. Thank you Alumni! Elections for the spring semester will be taking place in November.
~Aiden Griffin, Alumni Relations
Zeta Phi Update — Zeta Phi concluded a successful rush week with 13 quality young men pledging Sigma Chi. Pledgeship is underway and the Zeta Phi initiation will be held on October 18-19. The ceremony will be held at the Aztec Lodge in Las Cruces. For more information contact the Alumni Chapter at NMEXAlumni@gmail.com.
Beta Xi Update —Beta Xi concluded a rush week that saw 200 men participate. Of those 200, only 85 actually pledged a fraternity. Beta Xi secured the largest number with 21 pledges in the Fall 2019 class. Initiation will be held at the Beta Xi house on October 18th and 19th. If you would like further information, please contact the Alumni Chapter at NMEXAlumni@gmail.com.
Mario Martinez
New Mexico State University – Zeta Phi
Mario Martinez, born and raised in Chimayo, New Mexico, is the new Zeta Phi Consul. Mario has an impressive resume from his time at Espanola Valley High School. While a high school student, Mario was a leader on campus serving as Student Body President, State President for the New Mexico Association of Student Councils, Captain of the Varsity Tennis team, as well as being a member of the National Honors Society.
His high school graduation culminated as he graduated Valedictorian of Espanola Valley High. When he made the transition to college at New Mexico State, Mario decided that he wanted to make the most of his collegiate career and rushed the Zeta Phi Chapter of Sigma Chi. Mario states that “He was drawn to Sigma Chi because the brothers in the Chapter strived to make great men and great leaders.”
After his initiation in the Fall of 2017, Mario served as Historian, Magister, Ritual Peer and now Consul. Along with these positions Mario has had the opportunity to attend the Huntsman Horizons Leadership Summit, and Workshop both in 2018 and 2019.
Mario is double majoring in Digital Filmmaking at the Creative Media Institute as well as Philosophy at NMSU. He is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2021. Mario’s hobbies include photography, golfing with some of the brothers of the Zeta Phi chapter, and making short films with his classmates at NMSU.
Mario notes that he ran to be the Consul for the Zeta Phi chapter because he wanted to give back to the Fraternity that invested so much time into his development as a leader and as a man. He is looking forward to leading the Zeta Phi chapter to new heights and see where the quest for the white cross takes him.
Tenzin Dorjee
University of New Mexico – Beta Xi
Tenzin Dorjee, from Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the new Beta Xi Consul. Tenzin attended Santa Fe Preparatory High School where he was a three sport athlete participating in Cross Country, Track and Field, and Basketball. Tenzin also was an active member of United Nations during his high school years.
While he no longer plays organized sports, he still manages to exercise both physically and mentally by reading, studying, and working out. As an active Sigma Chi, Tenzin has held positions on Brotherhood, Recruitment, and J-Board. When asked why he chose Sigma Chi, Tenzin responded “I rushed Sigma Chi because of the genuine bond the brothers displayed for each other. There was, and still is, a reverence for the Ritual and the overall history of Sigma Chi.”
Tenzin is very excited about the 2019–2020 school year and believes that he, along with the rest of the Executive Board, will be able to raise the Beta Xi chapter to new heights. Some of Tenzin’s goals for the semester include:
- Holding brothers more accountable for their duties as offices and students.
- Better separate the brotherhood aspect of Sigma Chi from the business aspect by ensuring criticism is constructive and helpful, not personal or degrading.
- Break the negative stigma associated with admitting that help is needed by encouraging Brothers to seek assistance both emotionally and academically when necessary.
- Re-ignite the bond between the Alumni Chapter and the Active Chapter.
While rush has just started, is hoping to obtain a pledge class of 35-40 candidates. This optimism is based on the number of young men who have already expressed their (sole) interest in Sigma Chi due to what its Active and Alumni members have done, and continue to do, both locally and nationally. It is a very exciting time for the Beta Xi chapter of Sigma Chi.
The 2018-2019 school year was an outstanding year for the Zeta Phi Chapter. We welcomed in 30 new brothers into our order with a record breaking Spring Pledge Class of 12 pledges. We were able to practice our ritual every week at chapter meetings as well as having the opportunity of having 3 initiations for our chapter. One being an initiation for a pledge who was called to action for the Texas National Guard. In addition to this, our chapter had the privilege of having 12 chapter brothers actively participate in the Installation of the Epsilon Nu Chapter at Texas Tech University.
Our chapter focused on servant leadership this year recording 700+ hours of community service as well as raising $6,000 for The Huntsman Cancer Institute. Our hard work paid off at Greek Awards winning Best Scholarship Program, Best Public Relations, Most Involved on Campus, Best Risk Management, Most Community Service Hours, 2nd Place in Greek Week, and received our Sixth Presidents Cup which is given to the best overall chapter on campus.
Our chapter moved into our new off campus Sigma Chi house this summer, which was purchased by the Zeta Phi Leadership Foundation. Renovations should be done by September 2019 and ready for Fall Rush Week. We used this momentum as inspiration at Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop in order to plan for this upcoming year. The ten Brothers that attended KTLW came home with the chapters 5th Dwight J. Peterson Blue Award.
We are looking forward to continuing the Zeta Phi tradition of excellence and upholding the gold standard on our campus.
The 2019 Krach Transformational Leadership Workshop was a giant success. Close to 1900 undergraduate Brothers from North America attended the 3 day event. It was the largest gathering held in the Greek World for Leadership development. Bowling Green University in Ohio was the host.
The workshop is funded mostly by the Sigma Chi Foundation and by a grant from Keith Krach. Over 200 Alumnus turned out to facilitate. New Mexico was well represented with seven alum facilitators. The newest program “Values Based Decision Making” was presented and well received. It is a think model on how to best arrive at a values based decision for all chapter functions and issues.
The Undergraduate Brothers who made the time to attend came back energized and ready to lead the Chapter. There are many great opportunities this semester for success. Alumni are encouraged to go by the house to see all the new improvements and get to know some of the Brothers.
Let’s make their experience better than the (already fantastic) one we had. Our chapter has had some amazing alumni success stories.
—Lee Morgan, Beta Xi Chapter Advisor
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