Elsewhere in this Paragon, you can read about our recently completed alumni work weekend which took place July 8-9. While I remain very proud of these work weekends, the work we do to improve the chapter house, and the way that they help build the alumni brotherhood, I cannot deny that for the last 2 years it has largely the same group of brothers doing the work of planning and executing them.

To help broaden the circle of alumni brothers who are assisting in our work, we are seeking to identify what we are calling “era captains.” Era captains will be alumni brothers who are well connected to the brothers who lived in the house during their era, who can help spread the message of what we are doing and how we need their help.

Ideally, we would have an era captain for every 5 year increment in the history of the chapter. Era captains would attend our once a month board meeting, serve on any of our committees of which they have interest, and attend as many of our future work weekends as they can.
Are you interested in serving as an era captain, or do you know someone who you think would be a good fit? Please e-mail me at president@ohioalphabeta.org.

I believe (and I certainly hope!) that the are other alumni brothers who would be willing to assist in our work that simply don’t realize what our alumni association has accomplished over the last two years, and what more we could accomplish with their help. I hope you will consider serving as an era captain.

I also want to mention that, as part of our efforts to support the active chapter, we will once again be sponsoring one rush event for the fall and spring semesters. This helps the active chapter stretch their rush budget. There is also great value in having alumni brothers attend rush events to demonstrate that ours is truly a brotherhood for life. We are currently planning to host an event at Quaker Steak & Lube. We will send out the date and location of this event as soon as it has been set in the rush calendar; we hope to see you there! We also hope to see you at Initiation, which is tentatively scheduled for Friday, November 17. More details to follow.

I would like to end this letter with some gratitude. First, I would like to thank Christopher Hoge for his generous donation to the alumni board. Second, I would like to thank Robert Stalder for volunteering to represent our alumni association at the Phi Kappa Theta National Convention in August. I hope that we will have several more alumni attending the next convention in 2025.

Yours in the Bonds,

Nicholas DeCenzo
President, Ohio Alpha Beta Alumni Association

Phi Kappa Theta Crest We Need you! - Composite Repair and Repacement

Since at least 1952, our members have posed for composites. These photographs adorn the walls of 11016 Magnolia, providing a tangible reminder of the hundreds of brothers who have walked its hallways. During our April and July work weekends, we inventoried all of the composites that are in our house. After so many years in the house, some of our composites are a little worse for wear. There are several composites that require repairs before they can be restored to their rightful place on the wall.

Some we were able to repair ourselves, but the following years are currently too damaged to hang up:

1957
1966
1967
1968
1971
1975
1976
1977
1978
1997-1998
2004-2005
2010-2011
2014-2015

We have gotten estimates from a local frame shop, and between parts and labor each of these composites will cost about $400 to repair. Please help us make sure your class is back on the wall where they belong by donating on our website. You can donate to repair a specific year or years. Any overage once all of the composites are repaired will be applied to future home improvement projects. Our goal is to have these composites repaired and rehung so you can see them on the wall during our Homecoming event on Saturday, October 14.

There are also a few composites that need replacement, either because they are completely missing or because the prints are so badly damaged that they cannot be repaired. We have inquired with the two major composite providers, and none of our missing or damaged composites are in their archives. The only way we will be able to replace the following years if someone has a copy in their collection that we could digitize and blow up.

Do you happen to have a copy of any of the following composites?

1952 – badly damaged with many pictures missing
1953 - missing
1965 – we have a very faint copy that can barely be read
1969 – many photos are missing
1973 - missing

If you can provide a copy of any of these five composites, please reach out to Nathan Kossover at secretary@ohioalphabeta.org.

Phi Kappa Theta Crest Homecoming

Double-check your calendar! The Ohio Alpha Beta chapter will be hosting a Homecoming event on Saturday, October 14th, 2023 at 11016 Magnolia Drive. This event will include a meal, raffles, house tours, games, and more! Meet up with old friends, swap stories with new ones, and see what the active chapter is up to. Keep an eye out for a follow-up communication on how to register, because you do not want to miss out on the fun!

Please feel free to send any questions regarding the Homecoming event to Ken Nagano (nagano@ohioalphabeta.org).

Phi Kappa Theta Crest July Work Weekend Recap

Our second work weekend of 2023 was held on July 7, 8 and 9. Alumni from five states and the District of Columbia joined with actives to complete an assortment of projects to improve the safety, utility and aesthetics of 11016 Magnolia. Out of town attendees included:

Matt Dellibovi – Annandale, New Jersey
Josh Ghiloni – Mansfield, OH
Patrick Glynn – Phoenix, AZ
Nick DeCenzo – Washington, D.C.
Joe Reed – Philadelphia, PA
Tony Rossi – Baltimore, MD
Local alumni in attendance included John Dutton, Nathan Kossover and Davey Rowan.

The weekend started with dinner on Friday night at Mama Santa’s restaurant in Little Italy. Mama Santa’s opened in 1961 and has long been a beloved place for Case students to grab a cheap pizza. While a pizza and a cheap bottle of wine now runs somewhat more than the $10 it cost in 1999, we are pleased to report that the atmosphere is unchanged.

On Saturday, the work began. Many projects were completed over the weekend, including:

A new hot water heater for the apartment over the garage was installed.
Much of the second floor hallway was cleaned, prepped and repainted. This included sanding down drywall that was installed during our work weekend this past April.
Additional dry wall work and painting took place in the FOB bedroom on the second floor.
The Red Room (aka, the formal living room on the first floor) was completely emptied of furniture and the carpet was thoroughly cleaned.
Several animal holes under the front patio were filled with gravel and then sealed up with concrete.
A few water damaged areas on the roof over the front patio were sealed up and repainted.
Weeds throughout the property were pulled, chopped down or dosed with herbicide.
Further repairs were made to the porch off of the Greenhouse bedroom on the second floor.
Assorted minor electrical work was completed, including some new outlets and light fixtures.

Excellent weather facilitated our work both inside and outside. On Saturday night, alumni, actives and guests enjoyed fried chicken together on the porch. In addition to the work, many stories were told and a good time was had by all.

We intend to have one more work weekend in 2023. Please plan to join us on Saturday, November 4 and Sunday, November 5 as we continue to maintain 11016 Magnolia so it will last another 100 years!

_{Actives, Alumni and Guests pause for lunch during a busy a Saturday . Photo by Max Alexy.}

_{It is the rarest of sights – a completely empty Red Room with a thoroughly cleaned carpet!}

_{We started painting here and covered the entire second floor hallway.}

_{One newly installed hot water heater for the apartment over the garage.}

Phi Kappa Theta Crest Meet the Board - Aaron Mann

There are currently eight members of the board of the Ohio Alpha Beta Alumni Association. In this issue, we introduce our youngest member, Aaron Mann ‘20. Aaron joined the board as the Coaching Committee Chair on October 25, 2022.

Aaron began his alumni career without a regular ritual because he graduated under lockdown in 2020. To assist the chapter with unprecedented challenges, Aaron and a few other new Phi Kap alumni maintained close ties to active fraternity leadership. The informal group advised on recruiting virtually, drafting an action plan to stand against rape culture, and setting policies for gender inclusivity. Based on the success of this effort, Aaron proposed to the Alumni Board a modified reboot of the Local Board of Coaches. Aaron now chairs the Coaching Committee which trains alumni to advise undergraduate leaders. As chair, Aaron recruits coaches, proposes coaching pairs, and coordinates the program with the Board's broader goals. Aaron is also serving as the coach for the active President's coach.

Aaron applies his degree in Civil Engineering to design process mechanical systems for drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities at Jacobs. He moved to Washington, DC, married his wife Ting in Rock Creek Park, and adopted an old cat named Fennel. While Aaron still works for Jacobs part-time, he and Ting recently moved to North Carolina where Aaron will start graduate school this fall. Aaron will focus on researching the design of landscape-based water treatment processes during the thesis Master's program at North Carolina State University. Treatment systems such as constructed wetlands and saturated buffers merge his interests in hydraulic design, environmental biochemistry, and land stewardship.

Rapid change has been constant during Aaron's three years as an alumni. Through global pandemics and global warming, he is striving to be a constant source of support for his fraternity. To keep a cool head, Aaron stays connected to brothers through a book club, Dungeons and Dragons campaign, and the Alumni Board. Phi Kappa Theta endures as an essential community for Aaron.

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.

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11016 Magnolia Dr
Cleveland, OH 44106
United States