Regional Conventions Bring Out the Best

                           By Dave Sigmund

Greetings Beta Gamma Epsilon,I can hardly contain my excitement as the Ohio Region Awards Convention is less than three weeks away. It will be held on February 24, 25^th at Edison State Community College in Piqua, Ohio (a small town just north of Dayton). 

In 1985, Ohio had sixteen Phi Theta Kappa chapters but they were not organized into a region. After two years of planning and effort, the Ohio Region was formed and the very first convention was held at Edison State. To celebrate our 20^th anniversary, we will be returning to Piqua for the awards convention and it is shaping up to be the best convention of the year. 

Rod Risley, Executive Director of Phi Theta Kappa International, will be in attendance as our Key-Note Speaker. Mr. Risley was the driving force in forming the Ohio Region shortly after becoming director in 1985 and he is excited to be returning to help us commemorate this milestone. This truly is a special occasion as Mr. Risley does not normally have the time to attend regional functions. However, because of this special celebration, he has made an exception. I have had the distinct pleasure to meet him personally; he is truly a wonderful person to converse with and his speaking presentations are very informative and enjoyable. 

Later on in the evening, after the formal dinner, we will be hearing from our after-dinner speaker, William Yoast. If you have ever seen or heard of the movie “Remember the Titans,” Mr. Yoast is the coach that was replaced by Denzel Washington (as depicted in the movie) at an Alexandria, Virginia high school. The movie is based on a true story about high school football, and how racial prejudice was overcome in spite of a highly volatile situation. The Ohio Region is very excited to be bringing Mr. Yoast to the convention to hear about his life. If you plan to attend the convention, I highly recommend that you see the movie first to have a greater appreciation for our speaker. 

The awards convention will not only host two great men but it is the time of fellowship, the election of new Regional Officers, fun, great food, and (of course) AWARDS! Beta Gamma Epsilon was chosen as the “Most Distinguished Chapter” in the Ohio Region last year and we plan to repeat! 

Please take the time to consider attending this convention. I guarantee it will be the best of the year. For more information, contact Cherie Barth at 330-494-6170, ext 4237.

Hope to see you there!

Dave

This article was published on 02 March 2007
For more information, please contact Dave Sigmund