Triangle - 2000 March

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2000 March

THE EXPONENT: Volume 00, Number 3

"Tell me how you measure me and I will tell you how I will behave. If you measure me in an illogical way, do not complain about illogical behavior." - Eli Goldratt

Contents

Action is not Equivalent to Progress: Tim Eiler minn87

I remember an old Beetle Bailey cartoon where Beetle was loafing next to a tree in the first panel. As Sarge walked by in the next panel, Beetle has gotten up and is jumping up and down violently and Sarge is smiling broadly. In the final panel, Beetle tells us the moral of the story ( even funny cartoons have morals sometimes) -- The army doesn't care what you do as long as you do it with vigor.

That's motion all right, but unfortunately it's motion without a purpose. Except for rare instances, that's wasted effort. To be *progress*, the motion has to be done in support of achieving a goal.

In practical terms, a leader should avoid going down the non-progress action road. He should always be watchful that every group project and task should support at least some part of the group's goal. Where the leader finds an activity that doesn't support the goal, he should ensure that activity ceases quickly.

Given a situation where available resources are limited (i.e. reality), the leader should choose to do only the activities that most support the goals of the group. (Note: when some resources would otherwise sit idle, but could handle a less-than-best task in that time, it can be reasonable to utilize resources for something good but less than optimal.)

How does a leader decide if something will support or is supporting the goals of the group? That's up to the judgment of the leader, as long as the leader remains aware of the goals.

The Alumni Are Coming...The Alumni are coming...: Ron Rissel ps83 and Al Evon ar88

One of the most common requests from chapters is how to successfully organize, plan and implement an alumni event. The Penn State Chapter did just that in mid 1999. While your chapter may not be ready to host a similar event, I think if you follow the timeline proposed and other key facets of the plan (communication with Triangle National, use of important alumni, communication with university, possible outsourcing) your chapter can also have a successful alumni event. -- Al

Here is an overview of the past year of Penn State Triangle's contacts with Alumni and the planning that we did for the mortgage burning ceremony, which turned out to be a HUGE success! Throughout the text of this message, I use 'PSU Triangle' so as to include all of Triangle. Yes there were some select people that performed items, but the words 'PSU Triangle' made it easier to write.

PSU Triangle thought about a mortgage-burning ceremony about 2 years before the last installment (1/1/99) and thought it would be a focal event to get as many alumni back to Penn State as possible. During one of the low turnout alumni weekends 2 years ago (the low-turnout of alumni at that event triggered determination to go all out for the mortgage-burning event), PSU Triangle mapped out a preliminary agenda. It included a cocktail reception on Friday night, activities Saturday (golf, campus tour, wine-tasting, hike up Mt. Nittany led by the Alumni Board President, round table discussion with A. Robert Brooks - the architect of the house), reception and banquet Saturday night, official mortgage burning after the banquet, Saturday night house party, and Sunday brunch with the Brothers.

We realized this was going to take some immense planning. So we found a professional services organization in State College.. Though Best Event Rentals never planned an entire fraternity alumni weekend, they were happy to take on the challenge with us, so things started rolling. We realized right off the bat that our grandiose schemes of tuxedos and limousines had to be pared down to reality. We had several planning sessions with the Penn State Alumni Board, actives, and Best Event Rentals during 1998 (winter meeting, Founders' Day meeting, arts festival meeting, homecoming meeting, and numerous phone calls and emails amongst all PSU Triangles, Alumni Board, and Best Event Rentals) and the beginning of 1999.

For contacting alumni we did several things. The Triangles involved in planning the event (PSU Triangle Alumni board and actives) would bring up the event in casual conversations and contacts with other Triangle alumni. A 'teaser' was published on the front page of the PSU Triangle's Fall Lion's Tale (sent to all PSU alumni) about a 'huge' event to happen May 22 and to reserve the date. In the Fall of 1998, we added an article on the event to the Penn State Triangle home page.

We then contacted the architect of the house, A. Robert Brooks ps51, and contacted alumnus Norm Aggon ps73, who was an active during the destruction of the old house and construction of the new house, to get their perspective on life and conditions of alumni living in temporary housing. This formed the basis of the mortgage burning article that appeared in the Winter Triangle Review along with a picture of the new house.

In the Fall of 1999, we contacted the National HQ to invite Jeff Scott, Merle Newlon, and Al Evon to the event. We also received some pointers from Al Evon on how to make the event more successful.

To make the event and banquet a little more exciting, we researched Jay Hammond ps41, ex-governor of Alaska. Throughout November 1998 to April 1999, we called him and wrote him several times. We bought his book and wrote a short autobiography to provide to Triangle National's award committee for the Wall of Fame. He won the award and we had Jeff Scott, National President, present the award at the banquet, though Jay Hammond could not attend. We also attempted to nominate Brother A. Robert Brooks for the Order of Transit for his service as architect during the construction of the new house, but he had previously received the award or an equivalent at that time.

In 1/99 and 2/99, we emailed all the alumni personally about the event, not a bulk email, with a personalized email using email addresses retrieved from other Triangle alumni and from the National web site.

We requested a database dump of all Penn State Alumni from the National HQ, sorting them based on year initiated. At the board meeting 2/99, we had alumni board members volunteer to call anywhere from 20 to 40 alumni. The remaining alumni we dispersed amongst the actives so that we accounted for the more than 700 alumni. For the actives to do a mass calling of alumni as a group, we found a company, MBNA America, in downtown State College that volunteered their phones for the actives to use (including free long distance) to contact Alumni inviting them to the event. During the actives and alumni board callings, we found that we had wrong addresses and even some alumni who had entered chapter eternal. We forwarded address changes to the Penn State Chapter and to National for updating addresses and adding the names, as necessary, into the Triangle Review for those alumni who entered chapter eternal. To thank MBNA America for the free use of their phones, we placed an ad in the Penn State student newspaper, The Daily Collegian, thanking them, and we also donated to the Second Mile Charity on behalf of MBNA America.

In 3/99, we personally called Wall of Fame Triangle Penn State alumnus Charles Bowman ps56, former chairman and CEO of BP America, Inc., to speak at the Saturday night banquet. PSU Triangle's Spring Lion's Tale and the Spring Triangle Review had a full agenda of the weekend including a list of activities. We also investigated those 'pool' of alumni who organized reunions each year with their small collective classes. We personally contacted those alumni to notify them of the event and to organize their reunions around the May 22 mortgage burning.

In 4/99, we sent official 'wedding-like' invitations to all Penn State Triangle Alumni that had an RSVP card along with a list of activities that they could check-off that they were interested in participating. As indicated previously, the events were golf, campus tour, wine-tasting, hike up Mt. Nittany led by the Alumni Board President, and a round table discussion with A. Robert Brooks, the architect of the house. We reserved a block of rooms at two different hotels within State College where alumni could stay for the weekend.

In early 5/99, as invitation responses were received from Penn State Alumni, we posted their names on the Penn State Triangle web page so that other alumni could see who was coming. The actives landscaped around the house with mulch, and then thoroughly cleaned the house right before the May 22 weekend.

Best Event Rentals did all the detail planning throughout the weekend. The Friday welcoming reception included a welcoming desk at the front door of the house that was manned by Best Event Rentals. As alumni entered the house on Friday evening, they were given a welcoming packet with a welcoming letter from the Alumni Board president. The welcoming letter addressed improving communications with alumni, renovations of the existing house, and the establishment of an endowment fund. Also enclosed was an agenda of events and personalized pins with their names that they could wear throughout the weekend. Hors d'ouevres were catered and drinks available. Old Triangle mementos were on display, including scrap books. Best Event Rentals created engineering props (e.g. slide rules, tape measures, etc.) that completed the theme within the house. We had available Triangle golf shirts for sale, many of which were sold and worn throughout the weekend.

Events went on throughout Saturday. Saturday evening began with happy hour before the banquet. The banquet was held at the Nittany Lion Inn, again the props depicted an engineering theme created by Best Event Rentals. The props included place mats containing blueprints of the new and old houses. After the dinner, we had numerous speakers: Ron Rissel for the opening, Davis Johnson (alumni president announcing the creation of the Triangle Fraternity Penn State Chapter Academic Excellence Endowment), Charles Bowman (Wall of Fame Penn State Alumnus), Active Hoyt on living through a personal crisis with help from Triangle actives, Jeff Scott (National President giving Wall of Fame award to Jay Hammond, in absentia), and finally the mortgage burning. We had a copy of the satisified mortgage that the actives actually ate, since we could not burn a paper within the hotel. Later that evening was a party back at the house. Sunday brunch was catered to send off alumni. During the weekend, active Paul Gralewski took pictures for a followup article in the Lion's Tale and Triangle Review.

The event was a huge success as we had alumni from all ages, the oldest being Emanuel E. MacCosbe ps32, and the furthest traveled Kent Hollinger ps77 from Phoenix, AZ. It was a lot of work, but well worth it and quite an exciting weekend!

Thirty-nine Instructions for Life: Author unknown (forwarded by Quentin Garlets minn89)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE

Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
Memorize your favorite poem.
Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
When you say, "I love you," mean it.
When you say, "I'm sorry," mean it..
Believe in love at first sight.
Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
Don't judge people by their relatives.
Talk slowly, but think quickly.
When you're asked a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?".
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
Call your Mom.
When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
Marry a person you love to talk with - conversational skills will become as important as any other.
Spend some time alone.
Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Read more books and watch less TV.
Live a good, honorable life. As you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time.
Trust in God but lock your car.
A loving atmosphere in your home is important. Do all you can to create a harmonious home.
In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
Read between the lines.
Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
Be gentle with the earth.
Never interrupt when you are being flattered.
Mind your own business.
Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
If you make a lot of money, use it to help others while you're alive. It's wealth's greatest satisfaction.
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.
Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon
Remember that your character is your destiny.

H.S. Seniors Bored, Worry About Loans: Arlene Levinson, AP National Writer, January 24, 2000

What joy of learning? America's current college freshmen recall their last year of high school as drudgery, marked by worry and boredom, according to a survey released today. And what did they look forward to in college? They fretted over how to pay for it, according to the 34th annual American Freshman survey, conducted by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Entering first-time, full-time freshmen were surveyed last year by questionnaire, mostly during summer orientation or within the first few weeks of school. More than 260,000 students at 462 two- and four-year schools participated in the survey by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute. The margin of sampling error was less than 1 percent. Results were adjusted to represent the 1.64 million freshmen entering in fall 1999, of whom about one-third attend community colleges and 55 percent are women.

A record 40 percent of the freshmen said they were "frequently bored" in their high school courses -- nearly doubling from a quarter of students first asked that question in 1985. A further sign of what researchers call "academic disengagement" was that more students spent their senior year arriving late or missing classes altogether. It's not the best attitude to take to college.

"This is a signal for colleges and universities to work closely with student groups and leaders," said Jennifer Lin of the United States Student Association, a Washington-based group serving 3.5 million students. "They need to make sure if the students are already feeling disengaged in high school, that they are going to get the support, mentoring, tutoring and other services they need to make it through college," Ms. Lin said.

UCLA Professor Alexander Astin, founding director of the survey begun in 1966, felt this year's most important finding was students' lessening interest in activism. Only 36 percent of students felt it important or essential to "influence social values" ; just 21 percent wanted to take part in community action programs; 28 percent were interested in becoming community leaders. "That's been a fairly recent phenomenon," Astin said, noting it reflects a society favoring individualism, materialism and competition. He added, "We all have some part of us that wants to do the right thing. That shows up in the volunteerism and wanting to teach. The better side of us has to pop out somewhere." Encouraging, he said, was the 75 percent of students who did volunteer work in high school -- "the bright light on the horizon."

Interest in teaching was expressed by 11 percent of students, a 30-year high, but far below the 1968 peak of 24 percent. A record 8 percent want to be artists or performers. The group was confident in one area: More rate themselves academically above average -- 59 percent, compared with others their own age, and 34 percent reported earning an "A" average in high school, more than in previous years and indicative of increasing grade inflation, the researchers said. About half the students expected to earn at least a "B" average in college.

The 1999 survey also suggests a maturing of American students. They're a bit older, taking longer to get out of high school. In high school they partied less, drank less beer and, after a decade of increased smoking, the survey found students smoke less. And more aspire to be teachers and performers. Yet, there's a vulnerability. Starting college, record numbers -- 70 percent of women, 57 percent of men -- worried they won't have money to complete their degree. Also a record 30 percent of students, looking back at their senior year, felt "overwhelmed by all I have to do" -- the most since the question was first asked in 1985, when an all-time low of 16 percent felt that way.

Hope you enjoyed this issue!!! If you have questions, feel free to email the editor ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Tim Eiler
Exponent Editor
"Relentlessy Pursuing Excellence"

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