2011 ALABAMA CHAPTER ALUMNI DINNER GREAT SUCCESS
Matt Scalici, ’80, Received 2011 Coleman Award
The 2011 Alumni Dinner of Delta Chi Fraternity’s Alabama Chapter was held
(thanks to Brother Joey Ritchey, ’77, who as a member, made the arrangements)
on Saturday, August 13, at the recently reconstructed, beautiful Inverness Country Club in Hoover, Alabama. The gathering saw more than 80 in attendance, 13 of whom were Alabama Chapter student members, the rest mostly being alumni Brothers and their guests.
The evening started with a 6:00 p.m. “Happy Hour,” during which much
Brotherhood was exhibited, including the recounting of many stories (some of them even true!) about the “good ol’ days.” After everyone had about as much of this as they could possibly stand, the group adjourned to the club house’s palatial dining room for a repast befitting the occasion.
Before being seated, the evening’s master of ceremony, Brother Matt Coulter, ’82, local television personality, asked for a moment of silence in memory of the tragic July 13th loss of just-initiated, student member Jonathan “Johnny” Billings in a Huntsville-area car accident. Then Brother Bill Crawford, 71, offered the dinner’s Invocation, preceded first by some excellent remarks by him directed mainly to the student members, in particular urging them to remain in contact with the family of departed Brother Billings.
After the meal was finished, the evening’s first order of business was for Brother
Coulter to introduce a number of honored guests in attendance, as well as one
special alumni Brother. Ms. Kathy Oglesby, departing house director, was
recognized for her outstanding work in 2010-11, including her help in getting our
new house director, Ms. Vivian Anderson, a retired educator, who was welcomed
to the Alabama DX family. Mrs. Sandra “Sandy” Wood, Professor/Advisor,
UA Freshman Engineering Program and former Chapter Faculty Advisor, was
introduced as the mother of two Alabama Delta Chi members (Jeremy,’05, current Chapter “BB,” and Daniel, ’10, current ABT member), as well as the wife of Jerry Wood, Jacksonville State Chapter member. It was good to see both Sandy and Jerry again. They represent a total DX family, if ever there was one!
Brother Jack Husted, a DX at Michigan State University, was welcomed along with his two sons, Josh and Mark, both Alabama Chapter members. Josh graduated in May 2011 and Mark is a raising senior (more about him later).
The Chapter’s lettered officers and the rush chair were then introduced. Trent
Smith, “A,” gave an excellent report on the Student Chapter’s current status, while emphasizing the importance of the coming fall rush. He re-introduced Nick Price, Rush Chair, making sure the group knew how to contact him about viable rush prospects (ncprice@crimson.ua.edu or 404/550-1595). Trent ended by thanking all alumni Brothers for their past support of the Student Chapter, especially the alumni members of the ABT and the HCB.
Stan Williams, ’60, HCB President, gave a report largely based on his informative
article in the recently published issue of THE COUNSELOR, impressing the
listening alumni Brothers with the need for their financial support for the pending
construction of a 2-story addition and several major renovations to the Chapter
House. He reminded the gathering of past alumni support, and stated he fully
expects it again when the necessary fund-raising gets underway. He concluded by pointing out the amazing growth of the Student Chapter during the last three years, congratulating the student members on their successful rush efforts, which, as he had previously stated, must now be supported by increasing the house facilities available to the SC. Stan’s important concluding point about a larger SC’s ability to take on its fair share of the long-term financing of the house’s planned addition/ renovations was not missed by the attentively listening alumni Brothers.
Joey Ritchey, ’77, ABT President, gave his report that, like Stan’s, was based on
his fine article in the just published newsletter, especially giving much credit for
the SC’s remarkable achievements during the 2010-11 school year to hard working student members and supporting alumni Brothers. He made a point of naming the alumni Brothers who did so much to contribute to the year’s success. Then, as the attorney who drew up the House Corporation’s new Articles of Incorporation, Joey called for the required election of the corporation’s Board, which resulted (to no one’s surprise) in the re-election of the current HCB by acclamation.
The Chapter’s new annual scholarship award, the Stan and Ann Williams Scholastic Achievement Award, was presented to rising senior Mark Husted, who completed his junior year with a perfect 4.0 GPA. After thanking the Williams for his $1,000 award, which will be applied toward the payment of his senior year house bills, Mark thanked both his father and older brother (both Delta Chis) for their guidance and support to-date during his college career. A fine, highly intelligent young man, Mark will no doubt be a leading candidate for next year’s Williams Award.
The final matter to be settled by the evening’s events was the awarding of the 2011 Jefferson J. Coleman Outstanding Alabama Chapter Alumnus Award to Brother Matt Scalici, ’80, President, MPS Consulting, Inc., Birmingham. Brother Scalici, an honors graduate of the University’s College of Communications, was, among a host of other achievements, the chief guiding technical expert behind the founding of both the EWTN and The Golf Channel.
In 2010, Brother Scalici began work consulting for The University of Alabama for
the design and construction of a Digital Media Center to be located inside the north end zone building of Bryant-Denny Stadium. The center is due to be completed in late 2012, when it will serve as a home to WVUA, the University’s commercial television station.
Scalici also currently serves on the Board of Visitors for the University of Alabama College of Communications and Information Sciences, and was named as 2007 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year by the college. He was an obvious candidate for the 2011 Coleman Award and was thus recognized as such by the Chapter’s ABT. (A more detailed description of Brother Scalici’s outstanding career achievements will appear in next year’s issue of the Chapter’s alumni newsletter.)
Matt graciously accepted his award and gave a humble, yet revealing, account of his days as a Chapter student member and his transition into a highly successful career as a television/electronics entrepreneur. His counseling words were especially most inspiring for the student members in the audience.
The evening ended with the standing Brothers singing a rousing rendition of “The
Bond Song,” followed by a loud, traditionally enthusiastic “Hottie-Tottie!”
Respectfully submitted,
Chuck Carlin
HCB Secretary
August 20, 2011
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