Fling 2000, Pict. courtesy Mike Estes PK 007

All fraters -- Alumni and Actives -- their significant others and little ones are invited to Teke Summer Fling 2001 at Snowden (same place as last year). Do not miss the best event of the year. In addition to the pleasure of catching up with long lost fraters, plan for a fun filled day with croquet, volleyball, swings, water splashers (water permitting) hay rides and and the horseshoe tournament with a new cash prize courtesy of Frater Wertz and Trophies courtesy of Sebastian Völcker. Other suggestions are welcome.
Bring your favorite covered dish and we will have burgers, dogs sodas and one keg of Sam Adams. Bring a lawn chair for you and a friend! Make a week-end out of it and bring a tent.
Please let us know if you plan to attend so that we know how much food and Soda to get stevewertz@earthlink.net

ANNUAL GIVING 2001
by Michael Estes, Alumni Crysophylo$
One of the principles that the Rho-Kappa chapter has prided itself on is community service. One of the ways the alumni association achieves that goal is requesting its members to voluntarily donate money to be used for helping the undergraduate chapter or Longwood College. We have changed the donation process a bit to allow each of you to designate part or all of your funds to a specific purpose. We hope you will be generous in your giving, but understand that this is an individual decision that all of us will respect.
Please complete the information below and mail it back with your donation in the enclosed envelope. We would like to collect all donations by or on August 18, 2001 (Summer Teke Fling) . If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email me at teke007@yahoo.com or call me at 804-967-7745.
You can also pay through www.paypal.com - Just create an account for yourself, type in either mine or Stuart's email address (shallett@megasurf.net) and use your credit card - That EASY!!!!
Lastly, if you would like to specify where/how your donation is spent, please write that in on the return slip. Thank you!

I just returned from two months in Europe, during which time I had the honor of visiting Frater Harris at his quiet, humble abode in Slovakia. I am actually jealous of the simplicity of life there, and the sheer beauty of the surrounding mountains and castles and so on. Truly an incredible experience.
I will let Stefan speak on behalf of his own well being, but it seemed that he was doing quite well. He WILL be making it to the reunion in August. Anyway, while I was there, in the TKE tradition, we drank a WHOLE LOT of beer, for just about NO money. Like 10 bucks for 5 of us to get screwed up drunk, have dinner, goof off. Very fun.
We also had a run in with Slovak Mafia, climbed a small mountain to explore a locked castle, hiked around in a virtual blizzard of snow (in April no less) and had a really great frikin' time! It is definitely good to have fraters in strange places.
Stefan, if you read this, thanks again for everything. I owe you one!

From the Prytanis, by Michael Clements, PK 003

Ah, what a three months it's been…
Our last Alumni Association meeting was held on April 7, 2001 at Macado's - Farmville. It was scheduled to coincide with the return of alumni to Longwood for Spring Weekend festivities. Eleven association members and two undergraduates were in attendance. A cash bar and food was available. Frater Strawn brought the entertainment (a special thanks to Kenny!) During the meeting, information was shared, laughs were had and decisions were made, to include establishing the date and location of the 2001 Teke Fling. This grand celebration of fraternity will begin at 1:00 p.m. at Frater Völcker's Snowden in Goochland, VA on Saturday, August 18th. Generous Fraters who wish to make contributions to the 2001 Rho-Kappa Alumni Association Annual Fund are asked to do so at or in advance of this event - in order to assist with costs. It is rumored that Samuel Adams will be making an appearance, so mark your calendars.
A little over two weeks following the association meeting, tragedy struck in the form of fire at around 9:00 p.m. on April 24th. Only three minor injuries were suffered, as over three hundred students were evacuated from the Colonnades Complex in just less than 15 minutes. Teke undergraduates, along with other Greek-organization members, worked for several hours to prepare temporary accommodations for displaced students, as the fire burned throughout the night. Now, two months later, one can watch traffic pass on High Street from the Pine Street fountain. Where the Rotunda once stood is an excavated lot prepared for reconstruction. The fate of Grainger, basically just a hollow brick shell, is still undecided - and Tabb awaits a new roof, fire suppression system and all new interior surfaces. Only French, South Tabb and South Ruffner, with its comprehensive "face-lift," will open for Colonnades residents in fall.
Like the historic buildings surrounded by High, Pine, Chamber and Venerable Streets, our beloved Rho-Kappa chapter has also suffered some crippling setbacks in the recent past. While our Alumni Association enjoys a healthy $2000 bank account, sustained attendance at annual social events, interest by members in leadership positions, official recognition by International Headquarters, and dedicated stewardship and care by involved alumni - Our undergraduate chapter meanders along without use of its chapter room for two years, membership rosters below 20 on a campus of over 3500 students, revoked permission to conduct recruitment during last spring, numerous events off-campus with alcohol served in an increasingly policed environment, and an unusually high membership loss rate (1 in 5) due to academic and disciplinary suspensions.
Having written this, I offer kudos to at least a handful of the current active members. These undergraduate Fraters believe that having a good time is acceptable, but additionally understand that hard work is necessary to be successful. They understand that emptying the most aluminum cans, chronicling the most romantic interludes or collecting the most signed letters by the Dean does not a whole man make. Agreed, like many reading this newsletter, all these "accomplishments" are woven in and out of my years at Longwood College…years during which I was an active member in the most successful fraternity on campus. Unfortunately, Rho-Kappa has lost this distinction, and according to my conversations with Longwood leaders, only in the last 5 to 7 years. We are initiated as Fraters for life and we must work together with our dedicated actives to rebuild the Rho-Kappa Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity to its former glory. My charge is to come together to do this in the same period required to rebuild our beloved Rotunda, which is by my completely unofficial expectations - within 3 years.
As discussed at our April 7th meeting, the Chapter is without a Board of Advisors as required by The Black Book. The Board of Advisors serves as the Board of Directors for the not-for-profit corporation - the legal definition of every TKE chapter. The Board of Advisors supervises chapter finances, sets financial policy, administers chapter property, and plans for the long-range future of the chapter. I believe it is critical that the Alumni Association play a central roll, assisting the undergraduate chapter, with developing a superior Board of Advisors.
The Chapter Advisor is the key to a successful undergraduate chapter. His efforts bring stability to the undergraduate fraternity experience. Frater Brower serves as our Chapter Advisor. However, without the support of an organized and involved Board of Advisors, Kevin lacks support to fulfill the extent of his responsibilities. They are, as stated by International Headquarters, to assist chapter officers in learning their responsibilities, to communicate with District Volunteers, to help facilitate chapter retreats, to advise the undergraduate chapter on all phases of operations and to serve as a link in overall chapter success.
My highest priority, as newly elected Prytanis for the Rho-Kappa Alumni Association, will be to recruit, organize and stabilize knowledgeable and responsible advisement for our undergraduate chapter. Delta Sigma Phi now operates as a rogue fraternity, called the Deltas, due to the limited foresight of its past membership. Last semester, Pi Kappa Phi was stripped of its charter and is no longer recognized by Longwood College - within weeks Sigma Nu was recognized as a colony on campus. Longwood is not attempting to dissolve the Greek system. On the contrary, the Longwood leadership wants a healthy fraternity system that promotes fulfilling opportunities for its members. If Rho-Kappa is unable to meet this expectation, then it will surely join the Deltas and the Pi Kapps on the perimeters of campus.
Additional plans for our Alumni Association, include incorporating as a not-for-profit organization in Virginia, developing of a system for on-line voting by members on Association initiatives, improving alumni and active participation in Association activities, providing financial assistance to the Chapter for worthy needs, enhancing educational programming for undergraduates, and positioning ourselves for competition as a Outstanding TKE Alumni Association Award for Conclave 2003.
Yes, it has been a busy three months, but it's my thought that the next two years will hold even more taxing emotional moments and hard work. I sincerely hope to have the enthusiastic support of all Rho-Kappa alumni and active Fraters as our capable Alumni Association Executive Board leads us to accomplish these endeavors. Please begin by supporting the 2001 Rho-Kappa Alumni Association Annual Fund and by attending the 2001 Teke Fling on August 18th at Snowden. With love, charity and esteem, I am forever… Yours in the Bond, Michael Clements, PK 003