Special congratulations are in order to two of our local undergraduate chapters.  At the recent 2010 Balfour Leadership Training Workshop, various awards were presented to chapters around the country.  Two of the most significant of these are the James F. Bash Most Improved Chapter award (named for 48th Grand Consul James F. Bash, Butler & Indiana 1949) and the J. Dwight Peterson Significant Chapter Award (named for 38th Grand Consul J. Dwight Peterson, Indiana 1919).

J. Dwight Peterson Significant Chapter Award
Recognizing strong performance in all areas of chapter operations, the Peterson Significant Chapter Award is the highest honor bestowed upon an undergraduate chapter. Award criteria include scholarship, financial stability, new member retention, campus activities and leadership, campus and community service, chapter development, faculty and alumni relations, publications, active and new member programs.

James F. Bash Significant Improvement Award
The Bash award is given to chapters demonstrating major improvement in total chapter operations from year to year. “Significant improvement” is defined as a gain of a minimum of 24 percent in the score ascribed to a Peterson Significant Chapter Award application from one year to the next. Any chapter that submits a Peterson Significant Chapter Award application two consecutive years and earns a 24 percent score increase or greater qualifies.

The same application and criteria are used for both awards.  This year the Peterson award was divided into two divisions: Blue and Gold.  Chapters scoring between 90% and 96% earned the Blue Award, while chapters scoring 97% and above earned the Gold Award.  While only 3 chapters (George Washington, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas State) earned the Gold distinction, 35 earned Blue.

The chapter at Westminster College earned the Bash Award for 2010, and the chapter at the University of Missouri won the Peterson Award (Blue division).  No other chapters in Missouri received awards.  Additionally, the Xi Xi Chapter (University of Missouri) House Corporation received an award for Outstanding House Corporation.

Kyle Haberberger, Xi Xi Chapter Consul, writes this about the chapter this year:

Over the past year, the Xi Xi Chapter of Sigma Chi has made many accomplishments to further us in our goal to be the best fraternity on the MU campus. This last year we placed 1st academically among large fraternities on campus. The chapter as placed first in Greek Week Fling, due to a fantastic “Cat and the Hat” skit. The chapter also held the most successful Derby Days since the refounding, raising over $7000 for Huntsman Cancer Institute. On campus, the chapter gained recognition for “Outstanding Leadership by an Executive Committee” and one chapter member was named the IFC “Man of Value”. The Chapter is very excited about all of these achievements and looks forward to another semester of success at the University of Missouri.

On behalf of the Central Missouri Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter, congratulations to both chapters!