Annual Reviews Rebranded in our 5th Year
The mottos “Forever Alpha” and a friendship that is “Lasting for an Age” are not just words that we utter, they are actions that we emulate that define the essence of being a Brother and being an Alpha Beta.
Since the reestablishment of the Alpha chapter back to Miami University’s campus, both our chapter Alumni and Actives have worked arduously to grow and improve the state of the chapter and the state of each Brother within it. Each year our chapter connects a Brother currently studying at Miami University with one of our graduated Brothers for a one-on-one style collaboration and growth-oriented reflection on the chapter’s progress and the individual’s development which we had called our Annual Reviews.
As the chapter continues to find ways to grow and improve, we have reevaluated our Annual Reviews and decided that as the chapter evolves, so should our events. This idea sparked our transition from an annual assessment and progress check to a more profound connective and collaborative brotherhood event that kept all the same positive aspects that the annual review had and made it more conversational.
Alpha Reflection and Connection is our new brand to replace the previous annual reviews. The name ARC is symbolic for the structure of a bridge themed by our bridge builder poem, to connect ALL Alpha Betas, not just the few within our age groups. With this inspiration and aim, and through the collaboration of Alpha Beta’s of all ages, the Alpha chapter has initiated this change. Our chapter thanks Brother Massillon Myers ’20 for the name behind the inspiration.
Because of coronavirus restrictions, we held this event virtually over zoom connecting Brothers in breakout rooms for a better one on one connection. The virtual platform ended up working very well because it gave Brothers from all over the nation the ability to dial in from home. This was convenient for our Brothers outside Southwestern Ohio because it gave them an opportunity to join without all the hassle commuting to Oxford.
I’m pleased to say that this year we had a record number of Brothers who came together to make this event a success. We had 146 Brothers participate, of which 90 were still students at Miami University and 56 were alumni. For me, the experience was both enlightening and fun. It gave me and others the opportunity to meet Brothers who we may not have gotten the opportunity to meet otherwise. I think Beta is blessed to have a network of engaged Brothers and I encourage all Alpha Betas reading this, who want to be a part of this event next spring to reach out, and we would be happy to include you in next year’s ARCs.
