Baylor Obtains Charter

By Matthew Rindt, Baylor ‘12

After years of hard work, the SigEp chapter at Baylor celebrated its chartering with a banquet on January 28. Texas Rho learned its chartering petition had been approved this past summer at Conclave, and held a celebration to receive the charter in Waco, Texas. With this benchmark behind it, the chapter eagerly expects to increase its campus reach, establish a new campus-wide softball philanthropy event and improve alumni relations. The chapter’s goals are set with an eye toward becoming a premier fraternity not only on the Baylor campus, but across the nation as well.

Fifty undergraduates, 20 alumni and guests attended the banquet. Notable guests included chapter advisor Jeremy McElroy, National Director Daniel McVeigh, Texas Wesleyan ‘90, Executive Director Brian Warren, Virginia ’04, Regional Director Kyle Nelson, Washington State ‘11, and current district governors Bill Patten, Texas Christian ‘73, and fellow Texas Rho alum Chad Carlson ‘95.

“The charter banquet was just the icing on the cake to all the hard work that was put into receiving our charter,” said Vice President of Programming John Andres, ‘13.

“I thought the banquet was fantastic,” said Walker Hanson, ‘08. “The current actives put together an excellent event, which allowed national SigEp representatives and the alumni of Texas Rho to show their support and to join the chapter as it celebrated the milestone of the re-chartering of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Baylor.”

The chapter was initially chartered at Baylor in 1976 and lost its charter in 2005. The chapter returned to Baylor’s campus in 2007 under the Balanced Man Program. Focusing on Sound Mind and Sound Body, Texas Rho has grown rapidly over the past three years. Under this new directive, the chapter stresses leadership, values and building men throughout their four undergraduate years to prepare them for the real world.

In the early years, the chapter’s brothers became close friends with Mr. and Mrs. Berry Winn, and during the next four decades, the chapter helped take care of their ranch. In 1989, for its dedicated service to the Winn Family, Texas Rho became the first chapter to receive the Honor of Philias award. The Winns hold a special place in the chapter’s collective hearts, even after they have both passed away.


In 2003, the chapter lost Lt. Colonel Kim Orlando, ‘82, during the Iraq War. Some of Orlando’s pledge brothers, led by Charlie Gamble, ‘82, began to raise money in his name for the Fisher House Organization. Today, the undergraduate brothers join their alumni in the Annual Kim Orlando Golf Invitational in order to help raise money for this cause. Last year, 44 attendees at the tournament raised $2,500, donated to the Fisher House Organization (which has now raised a total of over $23,000).

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