37th Roscoe Group Reunion - 2016
A Report to the Brotherhood
The 37th AU Lambda Chi Alpha “Roscoe” Reunion was held in Hornell New York in June of 2016 in conjunction with the Alfred University Annual Reunion, marking our 41st gathering. For those brothers, wives, friends attending and those of you who attended past reunions, this was a year of: Testimony, Trauma, Tradition, Tribute, and Transition. I'm happy to provide you with the wrap-up below.
The Program:
The Tribute: Erf Porter, ’57, introduced the two new Honorary ΛXA members, Chuck Shultz, ’57, and Joe Fasano, ‘54. Erf began with notes on their personal lives during and after campus, and ended with the presentation of freshman/pledge beanies, Certificates of Membership, and official Lambda Chi Alpha caps.
Chuck was well known and admired by many having been an AU Saxons football star from Kappa Psi Upsilon, taught and coached at AU, and retired after 36 years as Director of Career Planning and Counseling, a volunteer and active in the Allegany County Office for the Aging, Meals on Wheels, Allegany Senior Foundation (Director), Alfred Food Pantry, Alfred Lions Club (Founder), and Alumni Golf Tournament (Board) and Reunion class coordinator. Chuck continues to enjoy fly fishing and woodworking.
Joe Fasano a business major in 1954, completed his Master’s Degree in Education in 1964. Joe lettered in football at AU as a member of Delta Sigma Phi. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp and retired as a Lt. Col. after 25 years. Joe returned to AU in 1959 as Director of Alumni Affairs, was President of the American Novelty Shop in Wellsville, elected to the AU Athletics Hall of Fame headed the AU Alumni Association until 1992. Both Joe and Chuck spoke at the Banquet, fondly, about their life shaping experiences at AU.
The Transition: Change is always hard, especially when traditions are involved. The sadness that 2016 was our last “Roscoe” Reunion will be lessened as we move on to the first of many ΛXA Golden Saxon Reunions in the coming years, when all ΛXA brothers are encouraged to return to the AU Reunion and share some time together. For 2017 we propose to again e-mail our brothers, including the class of 1967, encouraging them to attend the AU Reunion and share in what event or gathering may be planned by the younger brothers, the classes from 1963 and younger, or an AU event for the “Greeks”.
Photos, contributed by Bill (Baxter) Pierce ’58, and a recent glee club presentation are available by individual request via e-mail.
Lambda Chi Alpha “Roscoe” (now the Golden Saxon) Reunion Committee:
Joe Stein, Erf Porter, Bruce Boulton, Bill Dick, Kent Riegel, Roger Eiss, Walt Reed, Harrie Stevens
In a Sense – By Kent Riegel
In a sense, each Lambda Chi Alpha reunion is a confirmation and Celebration of the Brotherhood that is the foundation of the fraternity. In recognition of that fact, the organizers of this year’s reunion decided it was appropriate to ask one of us to speak to his perspective on our brotherhood. While any one of us could have done so, I was privileged to be asked to speak to it.
Like most of us, I arrived on campus as a freshly graduated high school senior filled with awe and anticipation of life as a college student. Shortly into our freshman year, we first encountered fraternity life at Alfred through the formal rush season. While even as new freshmen we had a first impression of the personalities of the fraternities; Delta Sig was, for example, the “jock” house, but we only met the true personality of each of them through visiting them as part of the rush process. My impression of the men I met at Lambda Chi was immediate and yet enduring.
First of all, there was a sense that some fraternities had members who were front men or “face” men. These were the guys that greeted you and were the primary contacts as you toured the house in contrast to some of the members who were relegated to the background. In the case of Lambda Chi, there was no distinction. All members were upfront and personal and the overwhelming impression was that this was a group of civil, mature, and engaging individuals offering the potential pledge an array of viable role models. I would add that some of these men I met are still present at these reunions and, without fail, continue as those positive role models I first encountered so many years ago.
Well, I asked to be pledged to Lambda Chi and was fortunate—and delighted—to be accepted. This was the first step in my successful journey into brotherhood. However, reflecting my immaturity, I thought that now the fun and partying begins. While I was accepted into the social life of the fraternity, I was about to learn the true sense of the brotherhood that it represented. It began with the appointment of my “Big Brother”; the next step on my brotherhood journey. Little did I know at that time how fortunate I was to have the Big Brother that I was assigned; Sam Iorio. My first impression of Sam when he introduced himself was that the term, “Big Brother” was not a metric but a concept. Sam, as those of you who knew him will recall, was a short man, but his personality, laughter, smile and heart made him a man of much larger stature. For those of us who have big brothers through birth, we are familiar with the relationship. I had a big brother and while our relationship was interrupted by a little diversion known as WWII, we nonetheless were able to develop a loving, big-little brother relationship that I treasured through his entire life. Having a big brother “assigned” to you, on the other hand, was a new experience for me. What was it about? Was he to be a disciplinarian, a “buddy”, a teacher, mentor-role model? Well, Sam was all of these. He soon taught me that while being a member of Lambda Chi Alpha was a privilege and a means of an active, fun filled social life, there was, on the other hand, obligations that accompanied that privilege. Through Sam, I learned the history of the fraternity, both the local and national organization, the principles of being a brother and the imperative of not only enjoying the privileges but the corresponding obligation of being a positive contributor and taking my turn at being part of the management of the house and its traditions. Yes; then there was the traditional, “hazing” phase. While this was at times arduous and a bit demeaning, in retrospect, I learned that it was all with a purpose of preparing me to undertake the responsibilities of being a Lambda Chi Alpha brother. There was never a sense of mean spiritedness or danger to me; only a very focused, structured step in the next phase of my brotherhood journey.
I successfully completed the pledge period, finally achieving a GPA that permitted me (another facet of the responsibility of brotherhood) to became a brother and I went on to enjoy three years of wonderful life as a member of the fraternity. However, there came a point in my Alfred life in which I experienced another, very profound aspect of its brotherhood.
I began my Alfred life as a premed student which was a fantasy. My high school was a modest institution in rural Pennsylvania which, coupled with my pathetically poor performance as a student made a future in medical school very unlikely. I got to a point when there was a real question as to whether I would even be able to remain at Alfred, so much so, that I felt that a reasonable course of action was to leave Alfred, join the military, achieve some badly needed maturity and return better prepared to undertake a college education. Fortunately, however, our fraternity included a brother, Stan Harris, who made an enormous difference to my life.
Stan was older than most of us, having been in the military before coming to Alfred. Also, Stan was a premed student. I don’t recall whether it was through Sam or Stan himself who took it upon himself to spend time with me, counseling me about viable courses of action. Well, while I do not recall his exact words, I remember well how patient a listener he was, that he was nonjudgmental and unfailingly supportive of me and my potential. The long and short of it was he convinced me to stay at Alfred, find a different direction and have confidence in myself that I could be successful. Well, I did that. I persevered, brought my GPA up to a respectable level so I could leave premed with some self-respect and in the second semester of my junior year switched to a pre-law major. From there, I began to succeed. I was subsequently awarded the most improved student at the annual Lambda Chi awards banquet, enrolled in law school, becoming a successful member of the school’s moot court team, chief justice of its honor court and graduated in the top 25% of the class. I subsequently joined a Marine Corps commissioning program, becoming a lawyer and served in Vietnam. Thereafter I became an assistant attorney general in Maryland, then one afternoon, answered an ad in the Wall Street Journal for a legal position with ICI Americas, the American operating company for Imperial Chemical Industries, one of the top five worldwide chemical companies. I eventually became general counsel then the president of the company which then had an annual turnover of some $4 billion with some 35,000 employees. I share this not because I am anyone special; I am not. I do this only to indicate another aspect of brotherhood that has had such an impact on my life.
Did Stan send me on my way to these specific progressions? No. Did he cause me to succeed in each of these steps? No. I did the rest. But my point is this. If I had not been a member of Lambda Chi when I was at this crossroads of my life, but, instead, sitting in a dorm trying to figure out my life on my own what would have happened? What if Stan Harris was not there for me when I needed some direction? I will never know. All I do know is that I was in Lambda Chi, Stan was there for me, cared about me, was supportive as much as any member of my family and had the wisdom to help me find my direction. These are all elements of what caring members of a close community are about. In other words, this defines brotherhood both for me and, I suspect many others who shared that special bond that was Lambda Chi Alpha at Alfred University.
An author once described life as a rail journey and the people we encounter along the way as passengers. As we begin our journey we are accompanied by our first passengers; our parents who we expect to remain with us for the entire length of our journey, but, of course, we learn otherwise. Then, there are others who join us and do, indeed, become lifelong fellow passengers with deep impacts on our lives such as my wife, Betty. Then there are others who come and go sometimes getting off when the trip becomes difficult and others, remaining with us whatever the challenges. But they all impact our lives in varying degrees. The men I met through my three years at Alfred University Lambda Chi Alpha were only on my journey for a few years because all of us were there as part of our individual journeys. However, the friendships and bonds formed through that experience while we were fellow passengers on our respective journeys still remains some half century later as we gather together for these reunions. One need only look around at the work and dedication the organizers such as Joe, Erf, Bruce, Roger and Bill and others put forth to see how this bond is sustained. This, ladies and gentlemen is how the brothers of Alfred University Lambda Chi Alpha have by their actions and commitment defined brotherhood for me and these words from me, Kent Riegel, are only my effort to describe it.
The Program:
- Thursday evening welcome dinner a big success at Marino’s in Hornell
- Friday night banquet began with blessing once again by brother Bruce Boulton, ‘58
- A round of drinks at the request of, and with a salute to: Fran Tatnall who died in the spring 2016
- Records confirmed it was the 41st reunion, started by the Spragues, Steliins, Bryants and Fosters in 1975
- We welcomed back Bill Ries and Tom and Sue Scanlon (class of ’65)
- Returning for more hazing were last year’s Honorary Members, Barney diBenedetto, Russ & Pat Fahey
- The Testimony Special recognition for most Roscoe reunions attended: Gordon Shippy and Pete Riker
- The Trauma Golf ended on a tragic note … Barney was tossed from his cart and suffered a broken leg
- After days of hospital care in Rochester NY, Barney returned home near Boston and is recovering well
- Golf Trophy … retired with the 2016 winner’s names engraved prior to the 15 hole match, “Class of 1958”
- Given the seriousness of the events, Al Richter and Russ Fahey agreed to defer their commentaries 1 year
The Tribute: Erf Porter, ’57, introduced the two new Honorary ΛXA members, Chuck Shultz, ’57, and Joe Fasano, ‘54. Erf began with notes on their personal lives during and after campus, and ended with the presentation of freshman/pledge beanies, Certificates of Membership, and official Lambda Chi Alpha caps.
Chuck was well known and admired by many having been an AU Saxons football star from Kappa Psi Upsilon, taught and coached at AU, and retired after 36 years as Director of Career Planning and Counseling, a volunteer and active in the Allegany County Office for the Aging, Meals on Wheels, Allegany Senior Foundation (Director), Alfred Food Pantry, Alfred Lions Club (Founder), and Alumni Golf Tournament (Board) and Reunion class coordinator. Chuck continues to enjoy fly fishing and woodworking.
Joe Fasano a business major in 1954, completed his Master’s Degree in Education in 1964. Joe lettered in football at AU as a member of Delta Sigma Phi. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp and retired as a Lt. Col. after 25 years. Joe returned to AU in 1959 as Director of Alumni Affairs, was President of the American Novelty Shop in Wellsville, elected to the AU Athletics Hall of Fame headed the AU Alumni Association until 1992. Both Joe and Chuck spoke at the Banquet, fondly, about their life shaping experiences at AU.
The Transition: Change is always hard, especially when traditions are involved. The sadness that 2016 was our last “Roscoe” Reunion will be lessened as we move on to the first of many ΛXA Golden Saxon Reunions in the coming years, when all ΛXA brothers are encouraged to return to the AU Reunion and share some time together. For 2017 we propose to again e-mail our brothers, including the class of 1967, encouraging them to attend the AU Reunion and share in what event or gathering may be planned by the younger brothers, the classes from 1963 and younger, or an AU event for the “Greeks”.
Photos, contributed by Bill (Baxter) Pierce ’58, and a recent glee club presentation are available by individual request via e-mail.
Lambda Chi Alpha “Roscoe” (now the Golden Saxon) Reunion Committee:
Joe Stein, Erf Porter, Bruce Boulton, Bill Dick, Kent Riegel, Roger Eiss, Walt Reed, Harrie Stevens
In a Sense – By Kent Riegel
In a sense, each Lambda Chi Alpha reunion is a confirmation and Celebration of the Brotherhood that is the foundation of the fraternity. In recognition of that fact, the organizers of this year’s reunion decided it was appropriate to ask one of us to speak to his perspective on our brotherhood. While any one of us could have done so, I was privileged to be asked to speak to it.
Like most of us, I arrived on campus as a freshly graduated high school senior filled with awe and anticipation of life as a college student. Shortly into our freshman year, we first encountered fraternity life at Alfred through the formal rush season. While even as new freshmen we had a first impression of the personalities of the fraternities; Delta Sig was, for example, the “jock” house, but we only met the true personality of each of them through visiting them as part of the rush process. My impression of the men I met at Lambda Chi was immediate and yet enduring.
First of all, there was a sense that some fraternities had members who were front men or “face” men. These were the guys that greeted you and were the primary contacts as you toured the house in contrast to some of the members who were relegated to the background. In the case of Lambda Chi, there was no distinction. All members were upfront and personal and the overwhelming impression was that this was a group of civil, mature, and engaging individuals offering the potential pledge an array of viable role models. I would add that some of these men I met are still present at these reunions and, without fail, continue as those positive role models I first encountered so many years ago.
Well, I asked to be pledged to Lambda Chi and was fortunate—and delighted—to be accepted. This was the first step in my successful journey into brotherhood. However, reflecting my immaturity, I thought that now the fun and partying begins. While I was accepted into the social life of the fraternity, I was about to learn the true sense of the brotherhood that it represented. It began with the appointment of my “Big Brother”; the next step on my brotherhood journey. Little did I know at that time how fortunate I was to have the Big Brother that I was assigned; Sam Iorio. My first impression of Sam when he introduced himself was that the term, “Big Brother” was not a metric but a concept. Sam, as those of you who knew him will recall, was a short man, but his personality, laughter, smile and heart made him a man of much larger stature. For those of us who have big brothers through birth, we are familiar with the relationship. I had a big brother and while our relationship was interrupted by a little diversion known as WWII, we nonetheless were able to develop a loving, big-little brother relationship that I treasured through his entire life. Having a big brother “assigned” to you, on the other hand, was a new experience for me. What was it about? Was he to be a disciplinarian, a “buddy”, a teacher, mentor-role model? Well, Sam was all of these. He soon taught me that while being a member of Lambda Chi Alpha was a privilege and a means of an active, fun filled social life, there was, on the other hand, obligations that accompanied that privilege. Through Sam, I learned the history of the fraternity, both the local and national organization, the principles of being a brother and the imperative of not only enjoying the privileges but the corresponding obligation of being a positive contributor and taking my turn at being part of the management of the house and its traditions. Yes; then there was the traditional, “hazing” phase. While this was at times arduous and a bit demeaning, in retrospect, I learned that it was all with a purpose of preparing me to undertake the responsibilities of being a Lambda Chi Alpha brother. There was never a sense of mean spiritedness or danger to me; only a very focused, structured step in the next phase of my brotherhood journey.
I successfully completed the pledge period, finally achieving a GPA that permitted me (another facet of the responsibility of brotherhood) to became a brother and I went on to enjoy three years of wonderful life as a member of the fraternity. However, there came a point in my Alfred life in which I experienced another, very profound aspect of its brotherhood.
I began my Alfred life as a premed student which was a fantasy. My high school was a modest institution in rural Pennsylvania which, coupled with my pathetically poor performance as a student made a future in medical school very unlikely. I got to a point when there was a real question as to whether I would even be able to remain at Alfred, so much so, that I felt that a reasonable course of action was to leave Alfred, join the military, achieve some badly needed maturity and return better prepared to undertake a college education. Fortunately, however, our fraternity included a brother, Stan Harris, who made an enormous difference to my life.
Stan was older than most of us, having been in the military before coming to Alfred. Also, Stan was a premed student. I don’t recall whether it was through Sam or Stan himself who took it upon himself to spend time with me, counseling me about viable courses of action. Well, while I do not recall his exact words, I remember well how patient a listener he was, that he was nonjudgmental and unfailingly supportive of me and my potential. The long and short of it was he convinced me to stay at Alfred, find a different direction and have confidence in myself that I could be successful. Well, I did that. I persevered, brought my GPA up to a respectable level so I could leave premed with some self-respect and in the second semester of my junior year switched to a pre-law major. From there, I began to succeed. I was subsequently awarded the most improved student at the annual Lambda Chi awards banquet, enrolled in law school, becoming a successful member of the school’s moot court team, chief justice of its honor court and graduated in the top 25% of the class. I subsequently joined a Marine Corps commissioning program, becoming a lawyer and served in Vietnam. Thereafter I became an assistant attorney general in Maryland, then one afternoon, answered an ad in the Wall Street Journal for a legal position with ICI Americas, the American operating company for Imperial Chemical Industries, one of the top five worldwide chemical companies. I eventually became general counsel then the president of the company which then had an annual turnover of some $4 billion with some 35,000 employees. I share this not because I am anyone special; I am not. I do this only to indicate another aspect of brotherhood that has had such an impact on my life.
Did Stan send me on my way to these specific progressions? No. Did he cause me to succeed in each of these steps? No. I did the rest. But my point is this. If I had not been a member of Lambda Chi when I was at this crossroads of my life, but, instead, sitting in a dorm trying to figure out my life on my own what would have happened? What if Stan Harris was not there for me when I needed some direction? I will never know. All I do know is that I was in Lambda Chi, Stan was there for me, cared about me, was supportive as much as any member of my family and had the wisdom to help me find my direction. These are all elements of what caring members of a close community are about. In other words, this defines brotherhood both for me and, I suspect many others who shared that special bond that was Lambda Chi Alpha at Alfred University.
An author once described life as a rail journey and the people we encounter along the way as passengers. As we begin our journey we are accompanied by our first passengers; our parents who we expect to remain with us for the entire length of our journey, but, of course, we learn otherwise. Then, there are others who join us and do, indeed, become lifelong fellow passengers with deep impacts on our lives such as my wife, Betty. Then there are others who come and go sometimes getting off when the trip becomes difficult and others, remaining with us whatever the challenges. But they all impact our lives in varying degrees. The men I met through my three years at Alfred University Lambda Chi Alpha were only on my journey for a few years because all of us were there as part of our individual journeys. However, the friendships and bonds formed through that experience while we were fellow passengers on our respective journeys still remains some half century later as we gather together for these reunions. One need only look around at the work and dedication the organizers such as Joe, Erf, Bruce, Roger and Bill and others put forth to see how this bond is sustained. This, ladies and gentlemen is how the brothers of Alfred University Lambda Chi Alpha have by their actions and commitment defined brotherhood for me and these words from me, Kent Riegel, are only my effort to describe it.