David W. Raymond, President of ATO Chapter House Corporation

      Last year the Board awarded the ATO Foundation Scholarship to Bruce Evans ‘10 during the Board’s meeting at the Chapter House in September 2009. In addition, the College Award to the ATO senior with the highest overall grade point average was presented to Alexander Finley ‘10. Photos of this event can be seen on this website here. We encourage ATO alumni to make charitable contributions to the College and/or the ATO Foundation specifically designating the contributions to be added to the endowment funds for these scholarships.

      The ATO Chapter had the most successful Rush on Campus in the Fall of 2009 by pledging 38 sophomores. The next highest total for any fraternity was 27 pledges for Phi Sigma Kappa. The new ATO pledge class brings the total active Chapter membership for 2009-10 to 65.

      The Alpha Upsilon Chapter members’ grades dropped in the Spring semester of 2008-09. ATO ranked eighth out of 11 fraternities with an average GPA of 2.82. The GPA for all Greek men was 2.94. In the Fall semester of 2009-10, the Chapter dropped again to 9th out of 11 fraternities with an average GPA of 2.765. The all Greek men’s average GPA was 2.96. Since the pledge class for the Fall of 2009 was so large, this may have contributed to the drop in academic performance because pledges often have lower grades during their pledge period. The Board certainly hopes that the scholarship and academic achievement awards programs that it has established over the last few years will provide additional incentives for the students’ academic success. The Chapter members are committed to work with those members who are most in need of academic improvement in order to help them succeed and achieve better average grades for the Chapter.

      In addition to academics, the undergraduate members continue to be active in community service, College sports and other campus activities and to continue to support the efforts of the College’s Greek community to help maintain a positive Greek image on campus.

      Since 2010 marks the beginning of a new decade, many news organizations have been looking back at significant events of the past ten years. It, therefore, seems appropriate that I do the same with respect to the life of the Alpha Upsilon Chapter of ATO. The decade began with Rich Brunner ’58 as President of the alumni corporation, who was followed in that position by Ron Early ’65. I was fortunate to follow those two dedicated ATO alumni as President for the past five years. Both Rich and Ron continue to support our Board of Directors and occasionally attend our Board meetings to offer their seasoned advice and counsel.

      In 2004, the alumni corporation added a roof to our front porch on the Chapter House. A photo of that new roof can be seen at the bottom of this page.

      The most significant development in the Chapter’s recent history came with our new relationship with the College that began in 2006 when we joined the College’s Life Safety Program in order to have the College take responsibility for upgrading the Chapter House to comply with the College’s Life Safety standards that become effective for all fraternity houses at the end of the current academic year. The change in relationship with the College took place when we entered into new contracts with the College that gave the College ownership of the Chapter House as well as the responsibility for all maintenance, utilities, routine housekeeping and repairs needed for the operation of the facility. Our Chapter’s actives now engage the Facilities Department of the College for any unusual repairs and other major services required to maintain the house in good condition. The actives are still responsible for keeping the house clean and preventing damage to the facility and its furnishings. Any active member responsible for damage to the house or its furnishings must pay the College for the costs of repair and, in some cases, a fine.

      In accordance with the our new contractual arrangement, the College completely renovated the Chapter House and installed all required Life Safety equipment in the house in 2006. At about the same time that Gettysburg College adopted its new life safety standards, ATO National issued directives to all ATO Chapters across the country to meet enhanced fire safety requirements.

      One major benefit to our Chapter that resulted from the new contractual relationship with the College was the significant College payment made to our alumni corporation for the College taking ownership of the Chapter House. Most of the payment we received has been invested for the benefit of the Chapter in future years. In 2007, the ATO Alumni Board also used $100,000 of the funds received from the College to endow scholarships for active Chapter members through the College and the ATO Foundation. More detailed information about the endowed scholarships can be found here.

      In 2008, the ATO Alumni Board began a new relationship with the Eisenhower Institute, which now has a Gettysburg office in the former ATO Chapter House on North Washington Street. Our Board member, Rod Tosten ’85, who is the College Vice President for Information Technology, has helped the Institute establish its computer systems and communications link with its Washington headquarters. Rod saw an opportunity to commemorate the historical ATO connection with the house in which the Institute now has offices and houses the Eisenhower Undergraduate Fellows. As a result, Rod and his wife made a contribution to the College to start an endowment fund to name the Eisenhower Institute’s Boardroom on North Washington Street in honor of our Chapter.

      On Homecoming Saturday in September 2008, the Eisenhower Institute held a special reception for ATO alumni to visit the former Chapter House and see the renovations that have been made to accommodate the Institute’s offices and to provide residences for the Undergraduate Fellows. At this reception, Rod and I asked other ATO alumni to contribute to the endowment fund that Rod started to reach the level necessary to name the Boardroom for our ATO Chapter. Since that time, our ATO Alumni Board has pledged to make annual donations to that endowment fund. More information on this endeavor can be found on this website here.

      In 2009, ATO Director Emeritus, Rich Brunner ’58, started a College endowment fund to build a memorial near Musselman Stadium in honor of all Gettysburg College alumni who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Many ATO alumni have served with distinction in the military over the years, including many who saw combat in wars throughout the more than 125 years since our Chapter was founded in 1882. The veterans’ memorial will be a flagpole system with a tablet at its base displaying the official seals of the five branches of the US Armed Forces. This memorial is especially appropriate for the College at this time since there is a renewed pride that Americans are showing all over the country for our military men and women, who are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world. Donations to the College for this fund should be designated for the "Gettysburg College Veterans Memorial Fund". Rich should be commended and supported in his effort to have the College recognize our fellow alumni who have helped secure our country’s national security over the history of the College.

      Our all-volunteer Alumni Board of Directors of the ATO Chapter House Corporation is comprised of 20 members including graduates from every decade starting in the 1960s and extending up to the year 2005. We also have Directors Emeritus from classes of the 40’s and 50’s. It is a very competent and diverse Board consisting of a Vice President of the College, past Gettysburg College professors, computer specialists with companies large and small and professionals in the areas of law, banking, accounting, optometry and dentistry. We have numerous businessmen and a Pennsylvania County commission member. Of course, several of us are retired. Regardless of age, profession or employment status, all of the Board members share a commitment to seeing the Alpha Upsilon Chapter continue to thrive and to assuring that the Chapter House is and continues to be a place of which we can all be proud.

      The Alumni Board is always interested in having other ATO alumni become new Board members or help with specific projects. If any alumni are interested in helping out or becoming Board members, or know someone who is, please contact any current Board member.

      We encourage all ATO alumni to come visit the Chapter House whenever you visit the College. Even though sprinklers and other life safety features have been added, the original look and character of the house have been maintained. The current actives are very pleased with their renovated house, and we are all proud of our actives.