In July, I attended SigEp’s 59th Grand Chapter Conclave—my 17th overall—in Tampa, Florida. My first was the 40th Grand Chapter Conclave in New Orleans in 1987.
It might be stating the obvious to say that so much has changed—in my life and for my chapter and the Fraternity—in the 38 years since my first Conclave. Yet, it is remarkable and comforting that so much feels familiar in what seems like such a turbulent world.
To recount a few persistent threads . . .
In New Orleans in 1987, I first experienced the exuberance of my chapter receiving the Buchanan Outstanding Chapter Award, what we all colloquially refer to as the “Buc Cup.” That was the chapter’s then third overall and third consecutive Buc Cup. In Tampa this year, I was privileged and proud to hear my chapter announced as the recipient of its eighth (and fourth consecutive) Buc Cup. The outstanding young men of today’s Connecticut Alpha are aspiring to high standards of excellence similar to my 1980’s chapter.
Chapter ties to the Conclave Chorus reverberate back decades. Lt. Col. (ret.) Vern Gildhouse, Connecticut Renaissance, was a soloist with the Conclave Chorus in New Orleans in 1987 and Choir Director in St. Louis in 1989. By 1991 in Washington, D.C., Brother Gildhouse was elevated to National Song Chairman. In 2025, we were led in song by the current National Song Chairman, Bill Gunn, Connecticut ‘88, who has been at the helm since taking over from Brother Gildhouse in 1997. Throughout those years, I have stood in the back (you would understand why if you ever heard me sing) surrounded by the voices of an always large, albeit ever-changing, mix of my undergraduate and alumni chapter brothers who lend their voice to the Conclave Chorus.
We continued our outsized Conclave presence in Tampa. Connecticut Alpha received the Man Mile Award in ‘83 in Chicago—one of the Conclaves I missed. I was part of the large contingent in New Orleans four years later in 1987. In Tampa, continuing the trend over the years, we assembled the largest group ever, at least since Chicago, with 23 undergraduate brothers and 16 alumni brothers in attendance (and some others who joined us for dinner Friday night). Collectively, our attendees accounted for several hundred aggregate Conclave attendances, reflecting our chapter culture of long-term commitment. At number 17, I’m a mere adolescent compared to some of my chapter brother Loyal Legionnaires such as Robert Flynn, Connecticut ‘82, who attended his 23rd Conclave in Tampa. By my count, there were only about a dozen brothers still standing after Bob sat down during the stand-down.
Hosting our undergraduate brothers for dinner Friday night is a long-standing tradition. Where possible, we select a local culinary theme such as barbecue in San Antonio and the Buckhorn Exchange in Denver. This year we broke bread together in a private dining room at a Brazilian steakhouse (seemingly a Florida thing since that was our culinary choice in Orlando in 2017), toasting our successes, welcoming first time attendees and welcoming back some after an absence of many years, and singing the Sweetheart song to our female guests.
Since 1997, the NUTS! McAuliffe Society has been a staple of my and my chapter’s Conclave experience. Connecticut Alpha currently holds the 5th position for most NUTS! members. Serendipitously, I found myself in the hot tub in Phoenix in 1997 as a founding member of NUTS! This year, two of our undergraduate brothers, Chapter President Alex Reilly, Connecticut ‘26, and Vice President of Communications Patrick Murray, Connecticut ‘27, attended their first Conclave as NUTS! Scholars. We added five new members, including one of our Faculty Fellows.
There are so many other enduring Conclave memories that space here does not allow me to explore. The aggregate collection of Conclave pins and awards dinner coasters that now crowd my memento shelf, the accumulation of ribbons, the Garry and Chris show, enlightening educational programming about best practices, conversations lasting until early morning hours, recalling special moments shared, and raising a glass to and reminiscing about our brothers who transitioned to chapter eternal far too soon.
To attend Conclave is to return to the Ritual, literally and figuratively. In Tampa, we celebrated the Ritual in shared spectacle at the Wednesday night performance at a moment in time when so much we used to enjoy collectively has been ceded to the isolated experience of social media scrolls and podcasts. For many years, Connecticut Alpha brothers—alumni (including the author) and undergrads—have enjoyed the privilege of participating in the Ritual presentation, and one of our own was a co-author of this year’s script. Reinforced by the energy and camaraderie among such a large group connected by a shared set of values, this performance is an important refresher on how to live the Ritual daily.
Conclave also is a platform on which to engage with the Fraternity for a lifetime regardless of one’s chapter affiliation and to engage with the Fraternity writ large. Our Alumni and Volunteer Corporation, in coordination with the chapter, recently initiated a program branded “SigEp for Life” to promote a longer term view of being a member of the Fraternity, to build bridges from undergraduate to alumni status, and to provide support for personal and professional growth of our undergraduate brothers. The SigEp experience need not be limited to the undergraduate years. That truth is evidenced by the Saturday night awards dinner stand-down and conferral of the Order of the Golden Heart for service with distinction for at least 30 years. Connecticut Alpha exemplifies both with six Loyal Legionnaires with more than 15 Conclaves each and an Order of the Golden Heart recipient.
Overall, Conclave is a celebration of the spirit of our brotherhood and reaffirmation of our Cardinal Principles. It is a time to make new friends and re-connect with old ones. For undergraduates, it is an opportunity to appreciate the scale and scope of the Fraternity beyond their college campuses and after college.
As the 125th anniversary of the Fraternity’s founding approaches, we should reflect on our stewardship of the Fraternity. Although now giving ground to the reality of age, I nevertheless remain as inspired by today’s exceptional undergraduate members as I was by the group of exceptional young men (many of whom have remained my lifelong friends) who led me through the red door at 9 Gilbert Road in my youth to offer their friendship and an opportunity be a better version of myself. I leave each Conclave, this most recent one being no exception, having met undergraduates who inspire confidence that the Fraternity will be in the hands of capable stewards through our next 125 years.
I look forward to my 18th Conclave in Phoenix and standing past 17 Saturday night. It’s great to be a SigEp! It’s even better to be a SigEp for life. NUTS!