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Paragon Jun 2026 |
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RSVP Today for Summer 2026 Work Weekend |
Upcoming Events July October |
| 85 for 85 By the Numbers |
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On May 31, we celebrated the 85th anniversary of our chapter chartering, and we concluded our year-long 85 for 85 Campaign. Our very audacious goal was to have 85 brothers join the Ernie Schmidt Club by committing to making an ongoing monthly donation to the Ohio Alpha Beta Alumni Association. Our campaign was a success. On the day we soft-launched the campaign in April 2025 by emailing all of our 75 for 75 donors, we had 12 Ernie Schmidt Club Members who were contributing a cumulative $8,000 a year. At the conclusion of our campaign on May 31, we had 30 Ernie Schmidt Club members who are collectively committed to contributing $17,500 a year. Another nine brothers made one-time donations totaling just shy of $2,000. Thank you brothers! To put that in perspective, that $17,500 in yearly commitments would by itself be the third most successfully fundraising year we have ever had – and now that is the donation floor for our 2026-2027 fiscal year. Our Ernie Schmidt Club members will enable us to continue to enhance the physical house and support the active chapter. |
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We would like to extend a special thank you to those Ernie Schmidt Club members who volunteered to explain why they joined Ernie Schmidt Club over the course of the 85 for 85 campaign. Thank you to Aaron Mann ‘20, Joe Reed ‘03, Dave Sutula ‘91, Brandon Palmer ‘00, Gary Jarkewicz ‘75, Joe Jirgal ‘88, Conrad Gosen ‘09, Nicholas DeCenzo ‘00 and Nathan Kossover ‘01. |
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| RSVP Today for Summer 2026 Work Weekend |
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One of Ohio Alpha Beta's favorite summer traditions is right around the corner. Alumni from across the country will once again gather at the chapter house on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 for a weekend of fellowship, stewardship, and hands-on improvements to our home away from home. Work Weekend has always been about more than maintenance projects. It's an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, meet brothers from different generations, share stories, and leave the house a little better than we found it. Whether you've attended every year or haven't been back in some time, we hope you'll consider joining us. Over the years, Work Weekend volunteers have completed countless improvements that have helped preserve the chapter house while enhancing the experience for active members and alumni alike. Every repaired room, completed project, and cleaned-up space is a reminder of what can be accomplished when brothers come together with a common purpose. Register Today To help us plan projects, supplies, and meals, please register if you plan to attend either day. Saturday Evening Cookout After a productive day of work, we'll gather on Saturday evening for our annual cookout. It's a chance to put the tools away, relax on the patio, enjoy a good meal, and catch up with brothers old and new. Family members and guests are welcome to attend. If you plan to bring additional guests, please register in advance so we can ensure we have enough food for everyone. See You at the House The continued success of Ohio Alpha Beta is built on the efforts of alumni who give their time, talents, and support to the chapter. Work Weekend is one of the most visible examples of that commitment, and every helping hand makes a difference. Can’t make the Summer Work Weekend? Save the date for our Fall Work Weekend on October 10 and 11. |
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| Founders’ Cup History |
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In our January 2024 issue, we noted that the Founders’ Cup is the highest honor a chapter of Phi Kappa Theta can win and that the Ohio Alpha Beta chapter was reputed to have taken home the trophy at least three times. Unfortunately, we only have one trophy and records are scant. However, it turns out that the campus newspaper, the Observer, has digitized an enormous percentage of both its back issues as well of those of its predecessor papers. Based on an admittedly casual search of the extant archives, it appears that the Ohio Alpha Beta chapter was awarded the Founders’ Cup in August 1988. The chapter then took home another Founders’ Cup three years later in August 1991. The chapter also received the President’s Cup as the best chapter on campus for the 1990-1991 school year. Most recently, the Observer archives also showed that we took home the Founders’ Cup in August 2000. There are also various runner-up placements and additional trophies noted in the archives. If you have some free time, we urge you to dig around in the archives and see what you can find about about Phi Kappa Theta or our predecessors Phi Kappa and Theta Psi Kappa. If you find something interesting, please hit reply and send a link so we can share our history with all our alumni. For example, here is an article about the merger of Phi Kappa and Theta Kappa Phi into Phi Kappa Theta. |
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| Want to Learn More about CWRU Greek Life? |
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In our March issue, we reported on the active chapter’s success at the 2026 Giortaste Greek Life Awards ceremony. For those of you who are interested in hearing more about what is going on at CWRU Greek Life, the CWRU Greek Life Alumni and Students group on Linked In may be worth a follow. Thank you to active president Antonio Maia ‘ 28 for the link. |
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| Chapter Eternal: Vincent Ferraro ‘70 |
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Vincent Ferraro ‘70 passed away on May 10, 2026. He was 78 and lived in Bay Village, Ohio. Brother Ferraro’s passing was reported to us by Michael Urbancic ‘70. His obituary can be found here. Brother Ferraro was a member of the Ernie Schmidt Club. The Ohio Alpha Beta Alumni Association extends its condolences to the family, friends and fraternity brothers of Brother Ferraro. May his memory be a blessing, and may they know peace. If you are aware of the passing of one of our brothers, please inform us by responding to this email. Thank you. |
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The Ohio Alpha Beta Alumni Association exists to connect the over 1000 alumni of the Phi Kappa Theta Ohio Alpha Beta chapter at Case Western Reserve University through events, newsletters, and other gatherings. Our subsidiary organization, the Ohio Alpha Beta Housing Corporation, exists to own, maintain, and improve the Ohio Alpha Beta Chapter House located at 11016 Magnolia Drive, Cleveland, OH, 44106. Please add @ohioalphabeta.org to your contact list to ensure delivery of the Paragon. 11016 Magnolia Dr
Cleveland, OH 44106 United States |