The Founding
The Delta Sigma Phi colony at Eau Claire was started in the
beginning of March 1988. Scott Cooper, Director of Chapter Services
at the time, flew up from the national headquarters and gave a
presentation to about 25 interested men. At that meeting, the group
decided that they wanted to become a colony of Delta Sigma Phi.
The next week the group decided that they should advertise to
attract new members. They put up signs that they had made
announcing a new men's social fraternity on campus. Unfortunately,
the only people that showed up were the members of other
fraternities and sororities. They had come there to tell the
fledging group that they did not want a new fraternity on campus.
The administration also informed the group that they would not
allow a new fraternity on campus.
Consequently, Scott Cooper and a leadership consultant flew back
up to speak with the administration. The result of the meeting was
that Delta Sigma Phi would leave the campus and disassociate with
the group. Also, part of the agreement, the group would be allowed
to go through a formal expansion the next semester, with Delta
Sigma Phi participating.
Through the course of that following summer, many of the men
lost interest. The group had dropped to six dedicated men and a few
interested friends by the start of the fall semester. These men
went through the formal expansion process, looking at Delta Sigma
Phi and only one other fraternity. Again, Delta Sigma Phi was
chosen as the fraternity to represent the group. At the very last
Interfraternity Council meeting of the semester, the new colony was
allowed to become a member of IFC.
At the beginning of the 1989 semester, Dan Valha, a leadership
consultant came up from the national headquarters and helped the
six men rush 41 men. At that time, he also helped set up the
structure of the colony. With the help of Ken Riley and the men of
the LaCrosse chapter, the Eau Claire colony was officially begun on
February 16, 1989 with a pledge class of 47 men.
The large, but unorganized colony pushed through the semester
working on its organization and acceptance on campus with the help
of Ken Riley. By the end of the semester, the colony had gained the
respect and acceptance of all the fraternities and sororities on
campus. Many important steps were taken this first semester.
The colony entered the 1989 fall semester very excited to get
underway, but the membership had decreased over the summer. Over
the course of the first month, the colony began internal
strengthening and rushing a new pledge class of 10 men. A bond of
brotherhood began to evolve. On October 7, 1989 the first pledge
class of the colony was initiated. Twenty-two men became the
charter members of the Eau Claire colony.
Recent Years
The Eta Omicron chapter experienced many ups and downs during
its early years. Things seemed positive as the chapte celebrated
its fifth anniversary in the fall of 1994, then the bottom fell
out.
With a pledge class of only five men in a semester when a dozen
brothers were graduating, the chapter was dangerously close to
losing their charter. With nationals on the chapter's case, fifteen
dedicated men went to work.
The chapter implemented an extensive summer rush program in the
summer of 1995. It was expensive and required lots of dedicated
effort. The chapter worked at "Country Jam" in Eau Claire as a
fundraiser and made close to a thousand dollars which was used for
rush and much needed work on the chapter house.
As fall arrived, the chapter was anxious to see if its hard work
would pay off. It did and the chapter had a pledge class of eleven
men, the largest pledge class ever. This success carried over into
the spring of 1996 when the chapter added another five men. The Eta
Omicron chapter had doubled its size in only a year!
The chapter has not allowed itself to fall off and be placed in
the same predicament it was in the fall of 1995. During the 1996 -
97 school year, the chapter intitiated another sixteen men. Through
it all, the chapter has not only increased its membership, but has
also improved its stature on campus and in the community. The IFC
football title the early brothers had made a fixture at the Delta
Sig house has been reclaimed. The last two IFC presidents have been
members of the Eta Omicron chapter of Delta Sigma Phi. The chapter
has become involved in Special Olympics and the local Big
Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl-A-Thon. The Eta Omicron chapter has also
been the largest raising non-profit organization for the past two
years for the March of Dimes Walk America, raising $927 in 1996 and
$1635 in 1997!
Facebook