The candle-lit ceremony was performed by the Grand Master of the Nu-Psi Chapter, Mason DeLuca and assisted by the Grand Procurator, Spencer Kleeh who had driven up from the University of Cincinnati. Brothers Wesley C. Bren IC ’85, Assistant District Grand Master-Volunteer Development in Southern Ohio District and Jay Cavender IC ’80, a member of the KSTUAA Chapter Advisory Council assisted in the ceremony in compliance with Miami rules permitting no more than 10 people in the room at one time.
In a symbolic gesture, the room’s adornments included the Big Brother paddles of founding members Alan Higgins IC ’67 (from John Oster IC ‘67 ) Don Martin IC ’67, Gary Moyer IC ‘67 and Tom Wenning IC ’67 and the recently recovered 40th Anniversary Reunion paddle with the signatures of some 50 Alumni.
While plans for the ceremony and the kickoff-orientation meeting had been in the works for weeks the request to proceed was made to the SEC on Friday morning April 23 after the last remaining men paid their dues reaching the minimum number Kappa Sigma mandates for Colony status. The motion by Worthy Grand Scribe Burt Tremby, quickly seconded by Worthy Grand Treasurer, Martin Peterson was circulated via email and collected the remaining “ayes” for a unanimous vote.
Executive Director of Kappa Sigma, Mic Wilson wrote, “Welcome back Theta-Upsilon! Brother Brown, proceed with the installation of the colony and the Kick-Off. Outstanding!!!! AEKDB Mic”
Brother Wilson had been personally involved in the recolonization process dating back over 4 years ago when he participated in the 50th reunion as a special guest. Brother Wilson who was honored at the banquet had met with alumni earlier in the day to discuss Kappa Sigma’s support for a return to Miami University (the Charter for Theta-Upsilon had been pulled 2 years earlier) and address questions about such a process.
Brother Wilson and Brother Bren the day before the banquet and several times since met with Miami University officials to discuss the requirements for returning including the unique requirement of having a headquarters staff person live in Oxford during the period. Kappa Sigma does not staff for such a requirement but fortunately Bren and Wilson were able to persuade 2012 Hall of Fame Inductee, Brother Jim Squance who has lived in Oxford for 30 years since graduating from Kent State University to join the staff as a “HQ & Miami University Liaison.” Brother Squance, recovering from a recent surgery was unable to attend the ceremony and we wish him a speedy recovery period!
The colonization effort has been years in the making, truthfully begun weeks after the Charter surrendered the provisional charter under Trusteeship in 2016 as KSTUAA Board took actions to recruit support and help from Alumni to assist the Theta Upsilon Housing Company in holding on to the Chapter properties.
Brothers Rick Sippola IC’ 85, John Henry IC ’85, Chris Elder ’85 and David Ciochetty IC ’78 assisted with the legal help of Brother David Buckley IC ’87 formed AEKDB, LLC to provide emergency bridge financing while a conventual loan and property plan could be executed for the stone House. Brothers Bren and Chris Ferritto IC ’90, the Housing Company President with the legal help of Mark Rowland IC ’83 and input of the Housing Company Board negotiated a unique multi-year lease with Crossroads Church which provided a modest least, facility improvements and most important a tenant for the ShoeBox in a unique partnership. Brother Jim Lewis IC ‘74, KSTUAA Board Treasurer became treasurer for the Housing Company too providing invaluable organizational assistance and leadership during the transitions.
The first spark for an interest group came in Spring of 2019 when Brother Bren visited Pledge Class Brother Rick Sippola IC ’85 whose son, Quinn had just declared he would be attending Miami in the fall. The purpose was to discuss a secret order whose colors were fading at a certain university.
Quinn expressed sincere interest in restarting Kappa Sigma at Miami. Work to form an interest group began in the fall. KSTUAA formed the CAC (Chapter Advisory Council) a group of Miami alumni to work with the interest group, colony and chapter to ensure the group started with anti-hazing values and in alignment with the values of Star & Crescent.
Bren worked with the Southern-Ohio District Grand Master, Matthew Charnas to appoint a team of volunteers to assist the group early on. A team was formed including Founding Fathers of the nearby Nu-Psi Chapter at the University of Cincinnati which was restarted in 2017 and whom Bren knew personally because of his work as their Alumnus Advisor.
In deference to Miami’s rules around deferred Freshmen rush, the effort only began in earnest days after Miami’s Rush in February 2020. But the work on campus was quickly abated as Miami sent all of its students home in March due to COVID pandemic. Undeterred, Bren and the Kappa Sigma volunteers resumed activities with Quinn, his roommate Fernando, a student from Spain and a few others that Quinn had recruited. The group took on the name “The Star & Crescent Society” in honor of the original group, the Star and Crescent Fraternity which started at Miami in 1965.
They met via Zoom over the summer, Fernando joining at midnight his local time to discuss plans for a philanthropy event that summer to raise money for the Oxford Free Clinic. The efforts would help the group reach out to other students, gain experience operating in a remote environment and begin to build a reputation for service one of four pillars within Kappa Sigma. The “Worldwide Run & Ride for the Oxford Free Clinic” held on August 1 raised $1,640 for the organization equating to several weeks of operating costs.
The small group returned to Miami in the fall of 2020 but was prevented from holding in-person meetings in groups larger than ten. The group reached out individually in their networks and used Zoom to hold informational meetings. Toward the end of the semester, Kappa Sigma sent Area Recruitment manager, Brother Nick Hauck (Alpha-Iota Chapter, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) to assist the with recruiting activities. Brother Hauck returned again in the Spring semester, this time staying with relatives in Hamilton and providing a huge boost to the recruiting efforts with his intimate knowledge of Kappa Sigma and the ability to meet with interested students in person on campus.
The colony members will participate in a virtual Kick-Off Orientation meeting Sunday April 25, led by BIA Commissioner Joey Otcasek, the Brother that started the Nu-Psi Colony and who was voted Area 3 Undergraduate Brother of the Year in 2018-2019, and assisted by Matthew Charnas the District Grand Master, Brothers Bren, Cavender, Hauck and Squance and soon to be appointed AAAs who were foundering members of the Nu-Psi Chapter Andy Bachus, Ryan Burch and Jake Holp.
Later in the evening the colony will elect its officers and four committee chairmen in an election moderated by the Nu-Psi Chapter’s Grand Master, Mason DeLuca, and assisted by Bren who is serving as the colonies Alumnus Advisor and the other Assistant Alumnus Advisors.
The colony is comprised of 2 juniors, 13 sophomores with 14 freshmen with about six additional students that have expressed interest but must be cleared by Miami before they can join. The group has two members who are sons of Kappa Sigma, Quin Sippola and David Weygant whose father, Scott was a member of the Alpha-Sigma Chapter.
The Colony will take a break for a few weeks so the student can concentrate on exams but will meet virtually over the summer to make progress on the Colony roadmap items and to hold a second “Worldwide Run and ride for the Oxford Free Clinic.”
The colony’s goal is to reach the required membership of 60 members, complete an average of 30 hours of service per man and other requirements by November 2021 in advance of the 55th Anniversary reunion in Oxford in April 2022.
