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By Ray Lamb ‘56
Fourth Chapter President
Fall 2008, when the Sig Tau’s of Alpha
Phi (years 1952-60) gather in Branson, MO, it will be forty-two
years of many gatherings of fellowship and fraternal bonding with
brothers from across our great nation.
How did it all begin, and what makes
it work all these years? It appears that our founding brothers were
a rather unique group, in that they loved life and enjoyed their
special connection with each other on campus, and wanted to extend
their friendship in the many years ahead.
Many of us married co-eds from SEMO,
so this further cemented our friendship together. In my case, I
graduated on May 13, 1956, got married on May 19th; to a
girl I met on campus. Another brother got married the day before to
a girl from SEMO. Yet another brother married a co-ed the following
week, and many did the same over the next few years. So as you see,
we have many things in common and still do today.
We first began talking of a common
plan for a mini reunion in the spring of 1956. Marv Herpel ’54, at
the time in the Army, Ron Danback ’55 in business in St. Louis, and
me, (who was about to graduate, get married and go into the Army)
felt a need to keep our friendship on going, no matter where our
paths might take us in the years ahead. I suggested that we agree
upon a future date to meet, but the date had to be one that we could
easily remember and never forget. I pledged that if we agreed upon
a specific date, I would paint the date on the school water tower
next to Academic Hall. We agreed upon a date! In the still of a
spring night, my roommate (a brother) and I painted in white numbers
6-6-66 on the water tower! No one but us knew what it meant. There
was considerable amount of talk about its meaning and who did it.
All we did was smile and ask, what do you think it means? Several
years later, we decided that Las Vegas would be an exciting
adventure for the reunion. Ron and Sis drove in from Dallas, Marv
and Patti along with Kay and I flew in from St. Louis. Our first
reunion was a great adventure, which began our gatherings that
continue to this day.
Following Vegas, we began meeting as a
larger group in the Lake of the Ozarks area, every 5 years, over a
20 year period. We then decided on a three year interval. During
the past 10 years we have gathered every 2 years. During these 42
years we have met 14 to 15 times, from Las Vegas, Lake of the
Ozarks, Sacramento, CA, Bay Harbor, MI, Coeur d’ Alene, ID,
Charleston, SC, to Branson, MO.
We have lost 26 brothers and 8 wives
over the 56 years, but the widows and re-married brothers keep
coming back just to be together again. We have 62 people coming to
Chateau on the Lake in Branson, MO this fall. It could be our
biggest reunion ever! We are a unique group from a unique time, our
friendship is forever.
Here’s to the beer I left on the bar,
here’s to the Brothers where ever they are!
If they have gone to the chapter
eternal it does not matter,
Where ever we gather we feel and hear
their joyful laughter.
We came from the Big Smoke and farms
and towns in the Southeast,
It was a college town called Cape
where we all meet.
Where will we gather next, it doesn’t
matter, it’s always a treat. |
