Shippensburg Celebrates their 40th Anniversary
On March 23 over 100 alumni, undergrads, and a few Pilam sweethearts gathered for an all-day celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Shippensburg chapter. It was a true affirmation of our motto, “not four years, but a lifetime.”
Andrew Plumly ’10, gave the (rampant) lion’s share of the credit to the undergraduates, who planned, arranged and executed the agenda. He said “a great time was had by all and the event really rejuvenated the enthusiasm of the alumni.”
A day full of activities
The day began with breakfast at the house on fraternity row, where the chapter has resided for 15 years. Alumni were then welcomed at the Chapter House on High Street, where they could reminisce and see their composites and pledge class paddles.
Before the main event, brothers visited Arooga’s Bar for some catching up and a few toasts to Pilam.
The formal banquet took place at the University Grille. There was a reception with a live band, a raffle, giveaways, and a buffet dinner. Speeches were given by the chapter Rex Anthony McCloskey, founding brothers, John Ilgenfritz and Scott Mathna, IHQ Rep Calvin Carrie, and a few others.
Asked if the current brotherhood was what he remembered from his days at Ship, Andrew Plumly said, “Yes, but different in a good way. They’re more diverse. They were outgoing, and seeking out founders and alumni to chat with. They seem to have more maturity and drive than we had when I was in school. We flew by the seat of our pants.”
Brothers were particularly moved by a memorial table for brothers who passed into the Chapter Eternal. Those who attended the event were also invited to sign a paddle commemorating the 40th anniversary celebration.
How the event came about
Planning for the event started with former Rex Brant Palm. After he passed the gavel to Anthony and introduced him to alumnus Andrew, Brant continued to provide his support and input. The new “A-team” (Anthony and Andrew) set up an in-depth plan where Anthony and the brotherhood dealt with logistics (costs, scheduling), and Andrew secured facilities and rallied the alumni.
Anthony thanked his brothers and the alumni saying, “It was great working with the brotherhood and the University to plan and deliver a special event that the alumni would remember. We were so happy to have such a fantastic showing. After the event, alumni brothers reached out to me regarding the startup of a new Alumni Association.”
Calvin Carrie, who attended on behalf of the IHQ said, “It was great to see so many brothers from founders to newly initiated brothers. The camaraderie and hearing all the stories really made it for me. Attending a chapter event that is not your own really brings the Creed to life, and shows you just how impactful Pilam is.”
Energizing alumni
The PA Sigma Upsilon chapter hosts an annual summer golf outing, and now they are working on formalizing an alumni association to make more connections to do more for the chapter.