There’s a lot of optimism and excitement for the new year, and the things that we have planned! Since my last letter, we hosted two luncheons at the San Diego Yacht Club. In August, Ted Leitner was our guest speaker. Uncle Teddy was very insightful and a lot of fun. He entertained the 60 brothers in attendance with some great stories about his time with Jerry Coleman and Tony Gwynn. He also discussed the huge impact that Vin Scully had on his life. In October, coach Brian Dutcher was our guest speaker. As always, Dutch had the room hanging on his every word as he talked about his team, and the prospects for another NCAA Tournament run! We had another good crowd with 65 brothers (including 5 undergrads that we hosted). These two luncheons drew a few first-time alumni brothers to the mix. We hope this trend continues!
Many of you have asked about membership for the coming year, and we’ve revamped the membership program to provide more benefits at each membership level. We’ve expanded membership to the following levels: Neophyte Club, Phoenix Club, Lion Club, Minerva Club, and Phi Alpha Club.
The annual Holiday Party is slated for December 9th from 4:00 to 7:00 at the San Diego Yacht Club, and it will feature good cheer, appetizers, and a silent auction. The auction features sports memorabilia, ΣΑΕ logo items, and merchandise that you will be able to bid on with proceeds going to local charities. We have reserved the Spinnaker Room, which is an indoor/outdoor venue located on the main deck. We hope to see you there to spread some cheer and kick off the holiday season! Wear your favorite Holiday/Cocktail attire and bring your spouse (or significant other). Reservations can be made at https://www.saesd.org/events, or if you’d prefer, send me an email at president@saesd.org to be added to the list.
BREAKING NEWS: After a 3-year hiatus, Founders Day is back! It really hit home when we were speaking with the undergrads at Cal Theta and not one of them had ever been to a Founders Day event, let alone even heard of it! We are happy to announce that we will be having a Founders Day dinner on March 10, 2023.
The Catamaran Resort in Mission Beach will host the dinner in the Aviary Ballroom. As many of you know, The Catamaran hosted many Founders Day dinners over the years, so we felt it was the right place to relaunch this special event. We can’t wait to see a room full of alumni and undergrads (from Cal Theta and Cal Alpha Gamma) celebrating the founding of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Chris Hancock (Eminent Supreme Recorder & CEO) will be our guest of honor and invitations have been extended to other special guests. We are counting on alumni to go big and show up for this special evening. Grab a few of your favorite brothers and urge them to participate. We need to show the undergrads what Founders Day is all about.
A new initiative that has gained traction is called “ΣΑΕ Third Thursdays”. It’s a “Dutch treat” alumni engagement initiative to gather Brothers together on the third Thursday of each month in locales and cities throughout the Realm. Whether you are new to your city, a long-time resident, seeking to build your professional network, or simply enjoying meeting other ΣΑΕs, Sigma Alpha Epsilon wants you to have a place where you can celebrate Brotherhood on the third Thursday of each month. The ΣΑΕ network is vast and powerful, and we know Brothers who attend these informal gatherings will find great value to broaden personal and professional connections, deepening the Bonds of Our Beloved Order. As you know, we have been doing an event called “Brews with Bros” for the past few years. ΣΑΕ Third Thursdays have the same objective as Brews with Bros, but it is being promoted on a national level. There are a number of ΣΑΕ alumni (from across the realm) in San Diego County who have not engaged with our Alumni Association. With this initiative, I am hoping to draw more brothers to our events and grow our membership. January 19th will be the first “Third Thursday” of the new year, so keep an eye out for details (time is usually 5-7 and location rotates among local craft breweries, restaurants, or bars).
As we head towards 2023, we plan to continue the events that you have become accustomed to (quarterly luncheons, Founders Day Dinner, Padres Night with the Bros, and the Holiday Party) while adding new and different events in order to attract new members. It is imperative for the health of our fraternity that there are strong alumni associations across the realm that not only provide an avenue of ΣΑΕ to their alumni members but also provide help and support to their undergraduate chapters. We are fortunate to be members of one of the strongest alumni associations in the country, and it is no surprise that we have two solid chapters here in San Diego. That, of course, could not be possible without the year-in and year-out support of all of you. Thank you in advance for your continued membership and participation! I look forward to seeing you soon.
Kip Barton
President, San Diego Area ΣΑΕ Alumni Association
Email: president@saesd.org