July 2017Greetings Brothers,I am ecstatic to begin my work as one of the two new Traveling Charge Consultants for the Central Fraternity Office! Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison only a month ago with a double major in History and Political Science and a certificate in European Studies, I believe my education and other experiences in college will serve me well at the CFO. There are numerous amounts of fascinating Theta Delt history such as records, memorabilia, and archives maintained at 214 Lewis Wharf about each Charge, and I hope to share this history with Charges during my travels. I also hope to offer as much help as possible to brothers and Charges during my visits, as I believe my experiences at Sigma Deuteron put me in a great position to help Charges improve in meaningful ways.During my undergraduate years, the Sigma Deuteron Charge went through somewhat of a Renaissance: going from a group with strong Brotherhood but poor organization and a bad standing with the university administration, to a fully functioning Fraternity with a state-of-the-art Charge House and improved campus relations.I joined TDX in the Fall of 2013, when our 90-year-old house at 144 Langdon had just been condemned due to black mold. In addition, we had received a year-long suspension from the University due to brothers' actions from semesters prior, crippling our operational abilities in all departments, especially regarding our social and recruitment capabilities. We were stuck in a limbo of not knowing whether our house would be renovated, combined with an incapacitating suspension which could have led to expulsion - potentially destroying 120 years of history and Brotherhood at Wisconsin.The Brothers of Sigma Deuteron quickly agreed that if positive changes were not made, the Charge would soon cease to exist. Because of this, it was decided during the Fall of 2013 that the Brother delegations of 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 would take it upon ourselves to make positive and effective changes to save the Fraternity. Luckily, the changes we implemented in our recruitment efforts, combined with a new commitment towards Ritual and general business ended up increasing membership by more than 50% in the Fall recruitment effort of 2014. Due to an increased Brotherhood that could now fully fill the house, our Alumni followed through on renovations. The TDX Brothers moved back into 144 Langdon during the Fall of 2015, thus finalizing a 2-year rebuilding effort and saving Sigma Deuteron.Since then, Sigma Deuteron has had consistent recruitment efforts, created new and lasting relationships with various Sororities at UW, created new philanthropies such as Theta Delta Dogs and Tie Dye Chi, and has brought Bros UniteD to our Charge - now heading into its 3rd consecutive year.Throughout this time, I served in various positions at the Charge level - such as Vice President, Recruitment Chair, Social Chair, Alumni Relations Chair, Homecoming/Greek Week Chair, and IFC Representative - as well as serving as an Associate Justice on the IFC Judiciary Committee. Outside of the fraternity, I was involved in the Wisconsin Union Directorate Music Committee, the Bernie Sanders 2016 campaign, the Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign, and actively involved with the UW Jewish Community through organizations such as the University of Wisconsin Hillel Foundation, the University of Wisconsin Chabad, Badgers for Israel, and Badgers United Against Hate. These fraternal and non-fraternal experiences alike were all eye-opening, and taught me important skills in management, organization, leadership, and how Greek Life is perceived from different perspectives and communities.I hope to use the experience from these positions, my work put into Sigma Deuteron, and my overall experience at UW to assist Brothers and Charges along my travels in any way possible. If individuals or Charges as a whole have a desire to better their recruitment efforts, create better bonds with their Alumni Boards/Housing Corps, start Bros United - or any new philanthropy for that matter, create better relations with Sororities or the Greek Community at their campus as a whole, please do not hesitate to ask for my help. My job as a Charge Consultant is to assist Theta Delts out in every imaginable way - I am here for you. If any Brother ever has questions of how to get involved in their campus communities outside of the Greek system, I am also happy to assist in that sector, as I have found through my experiences that it is very easy to find other organizations that intersect with Greek life that may produce meaningful allies and bonds which can be useful in trying times.I very much look forward to my consultant seminars in Indianapolis in the upcoming months, the 170th Convention in Philadelphia, and the start of my Charge visits beginning this fall. I look forwards to meeting many of you in the coming months - here's to the "Old Lady"!In the Bonds,Gordon Bentley ΣΔ '17gbentley@tdx.org800-999-1847 ex5
