Gordon Henriott – Reading Indiana Alpha Delta “The Riott” Act
Keeping Pilam brothers involved and informed is truly a grassroots movement, and Gordon Henriott ’72 (Indiana State) took the initiative to be his chapter’s “town crier.” He’s been writing monthly e-newsletters for IN Alpha Delta alumni for almost twenty years.
Getting the news out
Gordon started writing the newsletter after the Indiana State chapter disbanded in the late 90s. In spite of the status of the chapter, he wanted to share news to keep brothers in touch with each other, “not four years, but a lifetime.”
To deliver the news, Gordon compiled a list of e-mail addressed through university and Pilam directories. His list has more than 300 recipients with most brothers from the 1960s through the 90s.
The newsletter is a real “riot”
Gordon gets most of his content from the local papers, Facebook, and contributions from alumni. He crowdsourced the brotherhood for a catchy title for the newsletter and brothers weighed in with “The Riott,” a tongue-in-cheek play on the name of the author.
The newsletter shares brother news, university happenings, chapter traditions, and a picture of the month.
Some pictures of the month
Gordon, who is a retired educator, donates his time and efforts saying, “I’ve always been told I write good letters. It gives me something to do since my wife passed away, and that really helps me out. I think the brothers enjoy it.”
Brothers give their snaps… and clicks
The Indiana State chapter has a long history of referring to “snaps” as “clicks.” As an alumni, Gordon learned from an IHQ rep that “snaps” is the widely accepted terminology. He said with a laugh, “OK, the newsletter gets a lot of snaps… and clicks.”
Steve Calvert ’70 shared why the newsletter meant something to him, “As I turn 75 this year, it still amazes me that my valuable and precious time in our fraternity was more than 53 years ago! I cherish the memories and the details in your newsletter and the comments and pictures shared by our brothers.”
Why Gordon donates his time
Joining Pilam had a lasting impact on Gordon’s life. Though he didn’t pledge until he was a junior, he said, “I made lifelong friends. Three of my brothers were in my wedding party.”
He reflected on a time in the late 70s, long before social media, when Indiana State brothers kept each other up-to-date on the chapter “old school.” He said, “we kept in touch, no matter where we were. I was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas when a brother called me about a house fire, and we basically passed the news down the line.”
Gordon successfully continued that tradition (without having to use a rotary phone) and has reached a lot more brothers.
Snaps and clicks to Brother Henriott for keeping communication lines open with the Indiana Alpha Delta newsletter, The Riott.
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