A MEETING OF THE MINDS

By Josh “Rhodie” Mitchell Kentucky ’95

I was just in line for cafeteria pizza … with no idea I’d leave the checkout with my head spinning.

It was the District III Meeting at Butler University in late July. I was standing in the lunch line with Evan Englander Oneonta ’09 and Brock Wagehoft RIT ’15. Evan is the FSL Director at Dayton, Brock is the Chapter Advisor for Miami, and I am the Financial Advisor for Miami and the Corporation President for Kentucky. We’re also all members of the new Queen City Alumni Association in Cincinnati, Ohio.

With the start of school a few weeks away, we were talking about how chapters prepare for the year; how they set goals, expectations for chairmen / officers; and their calendars. One of us had a thought: We’re all connected to chapters located close to the Greater Cincinnati Area — why don’t we see if the undergrads are interested in a multi-chapter retreat, where they can plan and learn from other chapters and advisors.

It might be a great idea for alumni, but we were not moving forward without the chapters buying in and finding a time they could meet, which is tough on short notice when campus calendars are already full. Within a few weeks Miami and Kentucky were completely invested; Dayton could send a few representatives to balance planned activities, and our Colony at Ohio State was also able to send someone.

After a few sessions with the GPs and advisors, the content started to take shape. We realized all the chapters had the same struggles and questions, and they wanted the same outcome.

Our intent was to have material that focused on four areas. 

1. Inspiring the individual brother to see the value in investing time and talent into their chapter.
2. Showing the chapter how to effectively operate.
3. Allowing the undergrads to share ideas and ask questions on topics that were most important to them: Recruitment, Showing up on Campus, Alumni Engagement and Brotherhood.
4. Action planning for the remainder of the school year.

Brothers Rob Patterson Kentucky ’94, Justin Steinhard RIT ’00 and Nikki Johnson (Kentucky Beta’s advisor — Delta Gamma, Delta Beta Chapter ’96) joined the team, and Max Pratt Capital ’21 joined from HQ, and on Oct. 11, 2025, we spent almost eight hours going through programing the alumni created to meet the undergraduate’s needs along with a Ritual Review and an etiquette session. We ended the day with a happy-hour celebration, open to the Queen City Alumni Association.

This was a test. We were trying something new, hoping the undergraduates would leave glad they spent the full day in the session, appreciating how they’re part of a national brotherhood and not just a local chapter. We look forward to seeing how this will evolve in the coming years — in content and participation, but most importantly in observing the positive impact this has on the brothers and chapters as the years progress.

We know this is not a unique endeavor — there are a few similar events like this throughout the country. That said, there could be plenty more. This was as rewarding to alumni as it was undergraduates, and I hope our work will inspire other alumni associations and advisors to replicate!