Honor frat receives award

By Kristina Morris, contributing writer
Posted on October 1, 2007

Over the summer the Beta Rho Chapter of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity of James Madison University was awarded the Claude A. Phillips Fellowship Award for Excellence in Scholarship at the 2007 National Convention held in New Orleans.

The Claude A. Phillips Fellowship Award is presented each year to a collegiate chapter for an outstanding fellowship event that showcases the bond between their fraternities.

This year JMU’s Beta Rho Chapter won the award out of more than 95 submitted applications Suzanne Schaffer, executive director of Phi Sigma Pi national headquarters, said.

“The JMU chapter went out of its way to make sure their special event was more than a dinner and dance,” Schaffer said. “It was the memorable moments that assured brothers would look back on this event and remember that it was a true time of brotherhood.”

Last Spring JMU’s Beta Rho Chapter held an event during Founder’s Weekend to invite alumni back to celebrate all they’ve accomplished. The chapter went with a Mardi Gras theme and had a catered dinner at Simple Pleasures, Danielle McGhee, President of the JMU Chapter said.

JMU alumni and Phi Sigma Pi Brothers who embodied the chapter spirit were encouraged to give passionate speeches that would unite the Brotherhood in a desire to strengthen the chapter.

“The chapter kept spirits high with awards, both humorous and quite serious,” Schaffer said. “Brothers were inspired to see and imagine exactly what Phi Sigma Pi could be.”

Last Spring JMU’s chapter even invited the Alpha Rho Chapter from Virginia Tech to come up for the night and celebrate.

“For the emphasis on unity, passion and discovering what truly united their brotherhood, the Beta Rho Chapter received the Claude A. Phillips Fellowship Award,” Schaffer said.

McGhee said the award came as a surprise.

“I was extremely surprised [when we won] because the national organization as a whole is very strong and each chapter has awesome strengths as a brotherhood,” she said.

“Getting any award at a National Convention is such an honor and a privilege.”

Justin Seidel, a brother of Phi Sigma Phi, agreed.

“We were a little surprised to be honest, but honored all the same,” he said. “Our chapter won the award because of our willingness to foster stronger relations with brothers from other chapters.”

McGhee and Seidel represented JMU’s chapter with over 85 college and university chapters in attendance at the convention in New Orleans.

Phi Sigma Pi has over 96 chapters nationwide with over 4,400 collegiate members and over 21,000 alumni.

The Beta Rho Chapter if Phi Sigma Pi at JMU currently has almost 80 members and is dedicated to the ideas of scholarship, leadership and fellowship.

“It is an honorable recognition to know that the bond we have as members of the Beta Rho chapter is being noticed,” McGhee said. “Not only are we brothers, but we’re great friends and sincerely enjoy one another’s company.”