Walker challenged sorority members to dare to be bold and courageous in their service to community, the cornerstone of the sororitys mission. o Can we extend to all students the benefits of practice pioneered in our scholars programs? In my 2020 Founders Day message, I underscored the importance of TKEs mission because our missionto aid men in their mental, moral, and social development for lifeis enduring. Frater Lester H. Martin, the first Grand Prytanis, was once quoted saying that our Founders set out to create an organization for the development of men to enable them to cope with the world when their school days were over and when they would be forced against the stern realities of life.. Many have lost a loved one to Covid-19. For the first time in a generation since 1992, our chapters and colonies initiated more than 4,000 new men. We celebrate to commemorate the humble beginnings of our beloved sorority, The U.S. Military Academy held its annual Founders Day dinner March 16 in the Cadet Mess Hall. When we look ahead we are also inspired in two essential ways. We have the possibility of running for the Grand Council and charting the path of the Grand Chapter. So today, I leave you with those wise words. Given the stature today of our nations research enterprise, most would also be astonished to learn that at that time the most prestigious universities in the world were in Europe and that there was just a handful of American universities that could be called research universities. The federal government was not yet a player in higher education, nor was it a major funder of research most research on American campuses was funded by private philanthropy. o Indeed, we can report that for the 2009 cohort, after six years: As the Grand Prytanis of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, I am only a temporary occupant of the Office I was elected to hold. Change, both significant and vital, will require concerted efforts and meaningful plans for implementation. Over the past fifty years, as our nation has grown its higher education enterprise, many more Americans went to college and earned bachelors degrees, access to our postsecondary institutions was widened to people of all groups, and the federal government expanded its investments in university research. It takes a lifetime, however, to become Tau Kappa Epsilon, the Fraternity for Life. Let me talk here about the meaning of this growth. America still faces major social challenges from economic inequality and the issues that divide usrace, ethnicity, religion, and sexualityto criminal justice reform and heath disparities. Fraters, grit and determination have been the cornerstones of TKE successes throughout our history. I am especially proud of their foresight and the vast membership that TKE has grown to achieve since that time. Fraters, I believe our greatest days are within our reach if we choose to embrace our values and fulfill our desire to be Better Men for a Better World. I was born the son of a car mechanic and a hairstylist. Being a TKE for Life means acting on our values to make a better life for you and those around you. We celebrate Founders Day and gather for Convocation, by direction of the Board of Trustees, on the birthday of Robert E. Lee, who served as It was our very first Grand Prytanis, Lester H. Martin, recalling his time with Founder Settles, who stated, "The idea, as it struck brother Settles, was not a Fraternity in the usual acceptation, but an organization for the development of men to fit them to cope with the world when their school days were over and they would be forced up against the stern realities of life.". For example, we know we must continue our work to develop a more diverse faculty and staffparticularly African Americans, Hispanics, and womenin selected areas. Clark Kerr once summarized this development when he wrote, At the end of World War II, perhaps six American universities could be called research universities, in the sense the research was the dominant faculty activity By the early 1960s, there were about 20, and they received half of all federal research and development funds going to higher education. In our world, you become leaders. Our philanthropic work has raised millions of dollars for the St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital along with other charitable organizations. Thank you for having the vision to open this university, and for carrying All our administrative work was done via paper, and even the most basic level of data analysis was difficult and time consuming. Being a founder means being a fearless advocate. Their decision to select our membership by an individuals personal worth and character, not by their wealth, rank or honor, had wisdom decades ahead of society at the time. WebI am so glad that you got to live a normal life, that you always brought me so much pride and joy, and that you now have a wonderful family of your own. These challenges focus our work on carbon sequestration, improved solar energy, access to clean water, modernizing urban infrastructure, reverse engineering the brain, preventing nuclear terror, and the development of advanced personal learning. All of these choices provide life lessons to ourselves while helping to provide a great TKE experience for our fellow Fraters. The aerial photos in the video showed how our campus has grown physically over time. o This spring, Michael Summers, Robert E. Meyerhoff Chair for Excellence in Research and Mentoring, University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Howard Hughes Investigator, was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences. These partnerships are important to the Maryland economy and the health and defense of our nation. o Our alumni now lead such institutions as the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and Clemson University, and chair the Department of Neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University. A gift to the Wake Forest Fund supports student needsimmediately. At the same time, the landmark 1954 Supreme Court case of Brown v Board of Education of Topeka and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964again under Johnsonhelped ensure that the expansion of access could be inclusive, extending beyond just whites to African Americans and other minorities. You can use phrases such as the following: * According to. These traits are critical if we are to be great founders. We will work to become one of the best research universities of our size in the world, and we are determined that our dream will not be deferred.. Organizations are founded only once, and the best ones renew themselves continually. This takes a lot of courage, but humans are more alike than we are unalike.. From modest beginnings, we have solidified our place as a Doctoral University with Higher Research Activity, as designated by the current Carnegie Classification. As we celebrate, we can look back at significant achievements and tremendous growth in our capacity to conduct meaningful research across our entire campus community. This is a moment that allows us to consider what our aspirations have been over the years; reflect on 50 years of growth, grit and greatness; celebrate all that we have achieved together; and aspire yet again as success is never final. Yet the expense of membership should be kept sufficiently within the means of the average man that he may not be denied the prestige of belonging to a great national fraternity because of his limited means, nor Tau Kappa Epsilon deprived of the splendid assets that members of strong character, sterling worth and high scholastic standing will become to our fraternity, however they may be in material wealth. o Most recently, an article in yesterdays New York Times provides more national exposure to our academic strengths (in research and teaching) than ever before. As we mark the 124th Founders' Day in the history of our beloved Fraternity, we celebrate the 1,549 men who have officially joined the Fraternity for Life this past semester. They wanted to establish a fraternity of men whose primary requirement for membership would be based on personal worth and character, not the wealth he possessed, or the connections he had, or the lineage from which he came. o We are an institution that can place teams in the top four nationally in mens soccer, chess, game development, and mini-Baja racing, all in one year! Looking ahead to August 1-4, be sure to mark your calendars and make plans to join us in Orlando, FL for the 60th TKE Conclave. This hard work formed deep bonds and I still consider my fellow Xi-Iota Fraters my closest personal friends. The Maryland General Assembly authorized a new campus for Baltimore County in 1963, and it was 50 years ago today that UMBC opened in 1966 on what had recently been 432 acres of farmland. With utmost respect to our founders, we owe it to ourselves to be critical and thorough with our plans for improvements. We will be increasing enrollment as we attract more resources to hire needed faculty and staff. Consider the year 1962 sixty years ago. 67 percent graduated from UMBC or another four-year institution in Maryland; Collegiate chapters broke recruitment records despite social distancing. For my parents, life was about survival and college was mere a fairy tale of opportunity that people living in double-wide trailers did not get. As I travel TKE Nation, I consistently see the positive impact of our chapters, our alumni, our headquarters staff and our Foundation. WebIt is my privilege and pleasure to welcome all of you here on the auspicious day of our school completing its 25 years and celebrating its Silver Jubilee function. Over the next several days, I found my first Teke family with Nathan White, Wes Newton, Mikey Kriese, Robert Luby, Kevin Major, and Walt Moody - my fellow candidates in the Rho-Omega chapter that fall of 1998 and all of whom would later become the newest Fraters of our chapter. Today I have been endowed with the responsibility of speaking We are here today and we are who we are today because of many foundings and many founders. As their membership size grew, they felt that they needed to affiliate with a larger fraternity. As our creed highlights: TKEs have always been a Brotherhood of gentlemen in perpetual quest of excellence as a way of life. Staff had literally been sweeping floors and assembling desks the night before students arrived. TKE ideals and values endure through generations and connect our past to our future. Over the last 122 years, Tau Kappa Epsilon has faithfully lived its mission. In order to maximize our opportunities this year, we need to overcome the challenges and limitations that we all too often impose upon ourselves. 75 percent earned a postsecondary degree; and 15 percent are still enrolled. As I reflect back on the impact of our great Fraternity, I'm encouraged by the progress we've made just in this past year. Yes, our Founders truly were visionaries. It is always the result of high intentions, sincere effort, and intelligent execution. We would urge, therefore, as a fraternity dealing with up-to-date problems, that we should never forget the principles of true fraternalism as involved in the mutual helpfulness and the common ambition that are necessary in carrying this out. After all, without it, we would not be where we are today. Lets expand on that quest and chart an even greater future. In the early 1960s, the case for a new campus in Maryland was growing. However, there is much more to do and the time has come for us to once again lead the way via important organizational changes. And we are a university that is Freeman A. Hrabowski III. We are forward-looking and responsive. With Gods grace, with faith in our heritage and a strong commitment to the magnificent obsession, with confidence in our future, with inspiration from the enduring wisdom of our Founders, and with the beacon of mission to light the way, the best days of Tau Kappa Epsilon are unquestionably ahead. Now we have integrated those four offices into the Division of Information Technology. In order to fortify our existence and build a championship culture, we need to control our destiny through bold initiatives and progressive actions. Why do we celebrate? 2023 All Rights Reserved. Using virtual platforms, alumni have reconnected for the first time in decades. Frater Settles and I shared another bond besides TKE. This was after a three-year battle, where Wake Forest students played a leading role in efforts to overturn the ban on same-sex marriage ceremonies on campus. WebA special occasion speech can often give pride to the individual being honored. * As the old saying goes. And UMBC is widely regarded as a national model for inclusive excellence in a research university. Strong bipartisan support then further expanded higher education in the US. We can and we must do better. Happy Founders Day. We continue to build an entrepreneurial climate for economic development. Buildings were ready to be occupied; sidewalks were installed; the faculty was here. The voices of disenfranchised and marginalized Tekes inspired the Fraternity to deepen our commitment to justice and inclusion. If we look back to our Centennial Celebration, now twenty years ago, a multitude of corollaries and visions continue to ring true. That effort raised nearly $30,000which is more than $430,000 in todays dollars when adjusted for inflation. Our legacy of fundraising is nearly as lengthy as our existence. The key point is that more students are succeeding today than ever. Our Founders wanted an organization that would be different from other fraternities. o In the past year, our alumni were recognized for outstanding teaching. They are representative of the creative class in the State of Maryland. And, most importantly as an educational institution with knowledge creation at our core we must learn from them. We don't know anything about you, your school, or its founder. As a nation, we have much more work to do. But it wasnt easy. I love the Fraternity. While waiting to board my flight, another person in line noticed my TKE polo shirt and initiated a conversation. Julie Harris 0 Likes Sponsored Links The fountain is my speech. All of which are components of a championship culture. WebFounders Day is extremely important for the school for two reasons: firstly, it is a day on which we celebrate achievement our many achievements, individual and collective; second, it is an important occasion for the whole school to be together, to do things together, and to remember that we are an important and strong community the whole is For instance, a welcome speech gives thanks to the audience for being present despite various circumstances. 8)Prize distribution. This is a proud moment for the campus she called home for over 30 years. It must be the compass by which we chart our course. TKE Nation now exceeds 285,000 lifetime members and continues to grow stronger every year. We have an inclusive notion of leadership and shared governanceand many of our administrators today were once leaders in our senates. If you are in a position to support TKE with a financial gift during this difficult time, a donation to Life Loyal Teke through the TKE Foundation will sustain educational programming for collegiate and alumni Fraters. Be progressive forward looking Although they were expectedly nervous and overwhelmed, watching the Fraternity grow through their initiation was inspiring. Unsurprisingly, many Fraters immediately heeded the call to help TKE confront the Covid-19 headwinds and advance the cause of social justice that rang out across America. Yet, I know that future generations of Tekes will read about this time in a future edition of The Teke Guide. Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement Our alumni have a strong impact. It was 187 years ago this month that the Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute was founded about 100 miles east of here. White attainment was at 10.4 percent in 1977 and the percentage of non-Hispanic whites over 25 with a college degree in 2015 was 36.2 percent. We are helping to change the culture of STEM education in the nation from weeding out students to supporting success for all students. It is a time to honor our To achieve that, Tau Kappa Epsilon needs your help. Today, we celebrate our birthday. In celebrating our 116th birthday, we know our TKE work is not done nor should it be. We have just launched the first Naval ROTC program in Maryland, with special support from Senator Mikulski. In my tenure on the Grand Council, this has happened frequently. Can you help find lost alumni? For our broader engagement: Part of any honest reflection on the past requires honoring the parts that fill us with pride and critically analyzing where we have fallen short. Let me give a few examples. However, from day one, TKE has lead the way as an organization focused on the benefits of diversity and inclusion. o Global dimensions are hallmarks of many other departments and programs, ranging from economics to philosophy to visual arts to engineering. To achieve what our Founders set out to accomplish. Through these experiences and additional outreach efforts in our communities, we continue to foster next generation leadership among our collegiate and alumni members as the Fraternity for Life. Of that $440 million, almost $250 million comes from the State of Maryland or tuition and fees. They are working. Meanwhile, we are addressing issues involving social justice, equality, race, gender, sexuality, and religion through a diverse range of courses, as well other research, community engagement, and learning opportunities. In our fraternity, we get real life learning opportunities not found in the classroom. o During the 2015-2106 academic year, we awarded the most degrees ever in our history, with 3,429 total degrees awarded, an increase of almost 10 percent over the past two years, and 2,521 bachelors degrees awarded, an increase of 12 percent over the past two years. Four out of the last nine awards under the Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) went to UMBC faculty.
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