Newsletters - Black & Old Gold (2010-2019)

Click on a link below to view/download that edition of Skullumni's annual print newsletter, "Black & Old Gold"

2019-20	2018-19	2017-18
2016-17	2015-16	2014-15
2013-14	2012-13	2011-12
2010-11

For other editions of Black & Old Gold, click on a link below:

• 2020-2029
• 2001-2009

Newsletters - Black & Old Gold (2001-2009)

Click on a link below to view/download that edition of Skullumni's annual print newsletter, "Black & Old Gold"

	2009-10	2008-09
2007-08	2006-07	2005-06
2004-05	2003-04	2002-03
2002 (Summer)	2001-02 (v.2)	2001-02 (v.1)

For newer editions of Black & Old Gold, click on a link below:

• 2020-2029
• 2010-2019

It's that time of year again - Skullumni's 2024-25 annual newsletter will begin arriving at mailboxes across the country in the coming weeks!

The Phi Kappa Sigma Housing Corporation is a separate legal entity from Skullumni, although both share in the goal of supporting the undergraduate chapter at the University of Maine. Reinvigorated with seven new members in October 2023, the Housing Corp's mission is to provide and maintain the chapter house at 89 College Avenue, Orono, Maine. Further, the Housing Corporation will ensure that current undergraduate Phi Kappa Sigma members have a safe, affordable, and desirable living environment to enhance the college and fraternity experience; and foster the affinity of alumni; and support the health, heritage, and future of the Alpha Delta Chapter of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. 

Current Officers

President - Chris Hopper '95 (email: [email protected])
Vice President - Ryan Demeny '01
Secretary - Jerome Graffam '03
Treasurer - Patrick Pebley '91 (acting)

Current Trustees

Patrick Penley '91
Derek Jones '11
Scott Morelli '99

Documents

• Click here to be taken to a Google Drive repository containing various Housing Corp documents such as meeting minutes, financials, etc.
• Housing Corps' Facebook page

Regular Housing Corp Meetings

The Corporation board generally meets the second Sunday of every month at 6 PM via Zoom. Alumni are invited to join in these discussions.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85769606522

Meeting ID: 857 6960 6522

Current Status of the Chapter/Chapter House (as of 8/4/25)

While the undergraduate chapter has successfully completed its first semester back from suspension and gears up for the start of a new school year, the Housing Corporation continues to explore options for the future of the chapter house, with time growing short on making a decision.

Essentially, there are three viable options remaining:

• Repair the house and return the undergraduates, likely next summer by the time construction is finished.
• Sell or lease the house long-term to the university.
• Sell or lease the house to another organization.

Repair the House/Return the Undergraduates

This option is the preferred solution amongst alumni, but the most difficult. There are over half a million dollars in repairs needed to make the house code compliant and livable, and we do not have the financial ability amongst alumni for that much in donations. The Corps is working with the state, UM Foundation, and a local attorney to see how we can repurpose up to $280,000 in scholarship funds for chapter members to instead go toward Corp debts and some repairs. Eliminating debt such as two years of back property taxes, debt owed to the university, past bills due to utilities, etc – and having funds to continue to cover costs like insurance and the security system, etc. while we wait for rent revenues to once again come in – will make us much more attractive to potential lenders for a mortgage. Right now, obtaining a mortgage with two years of back taxes is essentially impossible.

If we cannot tap into these funds, it is highly unlikely we can get a loan or keep the house in Phi Kap hands. If we can access these funds, we still need to obtain a loan for the work. Some of the loan amount can be brought down by using scholarship funds that remain after paying off current and future debts, and also through alumni and undergraduate work weekends to perform some of the repairs ourselves. We will still have a significant mortgage needed – likely $350,000 or more – so we then need to be sure we have the capacity in the house to not only make monthly debt service payments, but also to pay all our others bills and have some money to save up in a reserve for future, unanticipated repairs. We estimate 20 members are needed to live in to meet this need, with anything above that adding additional funds to a reserve or paying off the mortgage sooner.

As of now, the chapter does not have 20 members who could live in, so they would either need to grow in numbers over the next several months, or we consider leasing short-term to another entity who can reach or surpass the critical mass while our chapter expands is membership.

Sell or Lease the House to the University

Given all the things that have to fall into place in the prior scenario, the most likely option is for the house to be sold or leased long-term to the university. The Corps is currently engaged in talks with the university about these possibilities. It is more likely the university would want to buy the house outright, essentially meaning the end of Phi Kap at 89 College Avenue forever. Depending on how much the university would be willing to pay – likely not much considering the significant repairs needed – there could be some funds to purchase a smaller chapter house. The university has hinted at creating a Greek area on campus where all fraternities and sororities would be located and share common spaces, and they could reclaim the waterfront areas currently dominated by Greek housing. But that is not final or even in the works as yet, and the Town of Orono also has a moratorium on the creation of any new Greek houses, so its possible the chapter never has a house again if the university purchases the existing house.

Less possible is a long-term lease to the university, where they repair the house, use it for their purposes for a long period (20-30 years?), and then give us the option to buy it back in the future at an amount determined by a formula. In order to buy the house back in the future, alumni would need to commit to a capital campaign over time to help amass the funding needed to repurchase the house, and then pay for repairs/renovations after decades of use by the university, so a lease is probably a long shot.

Sell or Lease the House to Another Organization

Currently, there are no unhoused Greek organizations that are willing to repair our house, enter into a long-term lease, and then return the house to Phi Kap. They either do not have the financial ability to do so, or are not interested in making such an investment only to return the house back to us after 20 or so years. There is some but limited interest in purchasing the house and having it permanently be under the control of another Greek organization, effectively ending Phi Kap at this location for good.

What’s Next

The Corps hopes to know more about the possibility of accessing scholarship funds in the coming months, and to have more information about the university’s intentions within that timeframe as well. This information will help determine the next steps. Either way, with back debt and new debt accruing every month without a revenue stream, a final decision will need to be made in short order.

In addition to these email updates, you can stay up to date via the following means:

• Phi Kap Alumni Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16ieFecyxZ/
• Housing Corps Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560066786539
• Skullumni Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/skullumni/

It's that time of year again - Skullumni's annual newsletter will soon be arriving in alumni mailboxes.

It's that time of year again - Skullumni's annual newsletter will soon be arriving in alumni mailboxes.

Dear Skullumnus - 

It's that time of year ... time for Skullumni's annual newsletter. Starting next week, alumni should begin receiving their copy, along with a request to renew their membership dues for 2018 (or for some, a request to donate for the first time!). As you will note in the screenshot below, there are a number of entertaining articles in this year's edition of Black & Old Gold, including a recap of Homecoming 2017, observations from a wild tailgating experience, a listing of our Voting Members, an article on the Alumnus of the Year, and update on Br. Randy King's battle with cancer, and more! 

It's been a few years since we last updated the "Chapter Eternal" listing of deceased brothers from the Alpha Delta Chapter. Today we were finally able to update this list, thanks to assistance from the University of Maine Alumni Association. Alumni who are Skullumni Voting Members (i.e. those who have paid dues for 2017) have access to this content via the Chapter Room feature on our website. Contact information for alumni is also exclusively available to our Voting Members. Click here for more info on how to become a Voting Member.