Seven Lights Alumni, Significant Sig and Fresno Sigma Chi Alumni President Brad Fischer (78-S) announced during the June meeting that he is planning on the August 19 Alumni Dinner Meeting to be face-to-face at The Old Spaghetti Factory.  This will mark the first such dinner since the pandemic began in March of 2020. It was a great opportunity to talk to brothers Klopfstein, O’Brien and Renner who no longer live in California.

Brothers attending were John Ballinger (65-S) President House Corp, Tom Downing (62-F) Past Consul, Brad Fischer (78-S), Rich Klopfstein (74-F) Bar Harbor ME – Past Consul, Rick Nelson (65-S), Dan O’Brien (61-F) Sun City West AZ, Mike Patton (63-S),  Paul Renner (65-S) Denver CO, Dave Reuland (69-F), Bill Robinson (70-F), Chuck Sant’Agata (56-S),  Bill Smittcamp (73-S), and Tim Vaux (66-F).

Significant Sig Brother Elvin Bell (57-F) wrote his 19^th book, “Memories of Wagging Tails, Friends, and Special Events,” and it is now available to order. Net proceeds benefit the Chapter House.

Colonel Elvin C. Bell

The first chapter in the non-fiction book of 400-plus pages reveals some fascinating never-before told accomplishments in the life of Significant Sig and Order of Constantine Brother Phil Sanchez (52-T) when he was the youngest Chief Administrative Officer among California’s 58 counties. One of those early innovations that Phil initiated resulted in county-wide medical care through the Community Regional Medical Center which now has a value of more than $3 billion.

Phil Sanchez (L)

Brothers will also be surprised at a “nation-wide first” that Brother Sanchez accomplished in the military. The book also features Brother Bell’s acquaintance and visits with Brothers Significant Sig Barry Goldwater (1962 University of Arizona) and Significant Sig John Wayne (1929 USC) as well as personal visits and memories of Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Robert and John Kennedy, Jimmy Durante, among many others.

To order the book, send a check payable to Elvin Bell at 2130 W. Rue Saint Michel, Fresno, CA 93711 in the amount of $35.00. The turn-around time is about two-three weeks.

Dante Simi (58-F) served as Consul at Epsilon Eta the spring 1962 semester. He later graduated and left Fresno, but because of his superior leadership, he was a “legend” in the active chapter for several years. Dante had several successful careers including one in real estate in Fresno, but his most successful was his creation of the Learn4Life. Learn4Life is a “chain” of alternative charter schools that specialize in teaching high school dropouts the necessary skills to obtain their high school degrees. There are schools in California from San Diego to Sacramento, and in South Carolina and Texas. 

Through the years Dante chose many Sigma Chi alumni to serve on the company’s board of directors. Because of his fabulous success with Learn4Life, it is the largest charter school organization in California, he has been recognized as an outstanding leader in alternative education in California and the United States. This success also has also earned him the honor of being named Significant Sig in 2017. Dante is now retired and is living in Henderson, Nevada.

Dante Simi

A few years ago Dante set up an endowment at Fresno State to fund scholarships.  Those eligible for those scholarships are graduates of Learn4Life and Sigma Chi undergraduate members. Each year one or more Sigs are awarded scholarships, and last year three brothers, Nolan Long (20-S) and Christian Reta (18-F), both Smittcamp Scholars, each received a $1,500 scholarship, and Luke Karagozian (20-S) received $3,000 from the Simi Endowment for the 2020/2021 school year. All three Simi recipients are 4.0 students.

Well, here we are in 2021 and Epsilon Eta has two Dante Simi legacies who are brothers in the Active Chapter, grandsons Tyler Hansen (17-F) and his brother Travis Hansen (20-S). Both brothers are superior athletes, Tyler is a business management major who has excelled in baseball while Travis is a communications major who has excelled in both football and baseball. Travis received $2,300 from the Dante Simi endowment for the 2021/2022 school year.

We have another undergraduate brother who is a legacy. Logan Mann (20-F) is the son of brother Sam Mann (91-S). Logan is an Agricultural Business major and wants to become a produce broker. He achieved a 3.84 GPA last semester while pledging, and will live in the Chapter House next year receiving a $2,000 scholarship from our Fresno Sigma Chi Endowment.  

Sam and Logan Mann

Sam served on the board of directors of the Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter of Fresno for many years in the 1990s and 2000s. Since 2005 he has served as the Warden for the Harry Saint John Dixon Memorial, Fresno’s only Sigma Chi “monument.” Sam works for the Fresno Department of Public Works and Planning with the title of Senior Staff Analyst.

Epsilon Eta has the opportunity to have two more “potentials” become brothers. The grandson of Tim Vaux (66-F), Bennett Frost (Ben), has been accepted to Fresno State as a freshman this Fall. His dad was an ΣAE at USC, but according to Tim his dad is not pushing him that way, but he does believe fraternity life would be good for him. Ben is 6’5” and plays high school water polo at Sanger High.

Ben Frost

Tim was honored as a Significant Sig in 2017 for his work in the agribusiness industry.  He worked 27 years with DuPont in various management positions in the crop protection business in the U.S. and Canada. Tim is now retired and lives in Fresno.

Tim Vaux

Past Consul Norm Bishop (77-F) says he also has a “potential.” His son, Ryan, is considering rushing Sigma Chi next year. Currently Ryan is a freshman kinesiology major at Fresno State with a 4.0 GPA. He was also a Smittcamp alternate with a 4.3 GPA at University High School. According to Norm, Ryan wanted to get his first year under his belt before considering Sigma Chi. He also likes athletics of all sorts and is a coach at the Little Gym.

Norm and Ryan Bishop

Norm is working in Fresno and his official title is Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Manager for a long-time Fresno family trust with 30 commercial properties in the Fresno-Clovis area. The properties include retail, office, industrial and raw land. He manages a small office and maintenance team and makes sure the money keeps coming in. He calls it a dream job since all the properties are free and clear. As Norm puts it, “No banks calling!”

Hopefully both Ben Frost and Ryan Bishop enthusiastically participate in the recruitment process, encourage lots of the friends to do the same and pledge our great chapter just as their fathers and grandfathers did.

Significant Sig Phil Sanchez (52-T) served as Epsilon Eta’s first Consul during the spring semester of 1952. He repeated as Consul the following year, the spring semester of 1953. Over time several brothers served two terms as Consul: Luis Ingraham (52-T) fall 1953/spring 1954, Ray Fragie (52-T) fall1954/spring 1955, Joe Davis (57-S) fall 1959/fall 1960 and Dick Harris (67-S) spring and fall 1968.

In the 1970s Sigma Chi International recommended that Consuls serve for the entire school year.  It was recognized that their leadership is essential to the welfare of active chapters, and that serving two consecutive terms would lend continuity to this leadership.

Epsilon Eta chose to accept this recommendation, and Rod Gavroian (76-S) was elected as Consul for the spring and fall 1977 semesters. He was followed by Ron Radoicich (77-S) 1979, Norm Bishop (77-F) 1980 and Kurt Whitlow (78-F) 1981, The three-year tradition was broken when George Matoian (79-S), Matt Rowan (80-F), Rob Eddington (80-F), Dick Arakelian (79-F), Marc Jason (81-F), Chip Radoicich (80-F) and Steve Smith (80-F) served only one semester. For the complete list of Epsilon Eta Consuls click here: EH EX Consuls

Brother Jordan Ayerza (17-F) served as Active Chapter Consul for the 2020/2021 school year. On Monday, May 4, he was re-elected for the 2021/2022 school year. When he finishes his second term he will make history at Epsilon Eta with four consecutive semesters served.  Jordan will graduate on May 5, 2022 with a special major called Agricultural Biology.

There is a lot of pressure on fraternity presidents these days, plus it takes extra time and energy. This was especially true leading the chapter during the first pandemic in 100 years. Jordan decided to run again because he did not get to experience many of the traditions of Sigma Chi. Many things were missing such as initiation, social functions and face-to-face Monday night meetings. Congratulations brother Ayerza!