ATO Father Seeks a Tipping Point for Sewanee Chapter

Merrill Stewart, Jr. is an alumnus of another fraternity. However, when his son Merrill Stewart, III became president of the Sigma Nu chapter at The University of the South, affectionately known as Sewanee, an ever-present need to repair and remodel the chapter house came to fruition because of the good will and inspiration of one man who isn't a brother but who cares about brotherhood. Stewart, Jr., a graduate of Auburn University Class of 1974, is a member of Alpha Tau Omega. He says his son's

experience at Sewanee and in Sigma Nu has been exceptional. Upon first visiting the campus and the Sigma Nu house, Stewart, Jr. was dismayed by the condition of the house. He says, "It didn't send the right message or foster the right spirit." The electrical/heating/air systems and bathrooms were all in disrepair. Many aspects of the house needed some type of repair as a result of having no established maintenance program.

One of the nation's top liberal arts colleges, Sewanee has 1500 students and a beautiful campus with 150-year-old stone buildings reminiscent of Oxford, England. Fraternities play an important role in campus life because of the university's remote location between Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. And while the Sigma Nu house remains a permanent fixture of this charming campus, Stewart points out that the ever-changing group of 18-22 year-olds passing through for a few short years necessitated a significant overhaul of the entire property.

With his vision in mind, Stewart, Jr. began to work with the House Corporation to provide a better educational and living environment for the men of Beta Omicron chapter. "When Merrill became President of the chapter, I told him that the house needed to be put into shape so guests, parents and brothers could enjoy it and have reasonable accommodations," he says. And with that he sent a superintendent and crew from his Birmingham-based construction company last summer to do the job. What began as a two-week project turned into six weeks. The crew went through the house from top to bottom to repair every system, repaint, clean and revitalize the home. In addition, a blacksmith installed a set of fireplace screens for the beautiful stone fireplace. The crew poured concrete stoops that were necessary for safety, trimmed trees, steam-cleaned the stone work, repainted all the cornice work and

added maintenance-resistant finishes throughout the house.

College of Chapters Builds Leaders

In June, more than 300 undergraduate members of Sigma Nu will make a pilgrimage to the birthplace of the Legion of Honor, Lexington, VA, to take part in the 2007 College of Chapters. All College of Chapters events will be held on the campuses of Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute. The College of Chapters is Sigma Nu's biennial leadership development conference, funded by the Sigma Nu Educational Foundation. The intensive, interactive curriculum focuses on leadership,

teambuilding and the core principles of Sigma Nu. Our collegiate brothers will learn more about themselves, connect with brothers from chapters and colonies across North America, find solutions to their challenges, discover ideas that can help take their chapters to the next level and learn skills that can help them succeed both now and after graduation. The Fraternity's staff and volunteers are currently meeting to finalize the curriculum for the 2007 College of Chapters.

As with previous years, undergraduate brothers attending the program will renew their initiation vows on VMI's parade ground. This ceremony will take place on the very location where our three founders Hopkins, Quarles and Riley met on a moonlit night in October 1868. When they met, Brothers Hopkins, Quarles and Riley clasped their hands on the Bible and gave a solemn pledge to form a new brotherhood society they called the Legion of Honor. The vows taken this fateful evening bound them together to oppose hazing and encourage the application of the Principle of Honor in all their relationships.