It’s Time to Reconnect Continuing to be a Part of Triangle
When we were in college and a member of the fraternity, it was an important time in our lives. There are so many reasons to think about. There was a lot of ‘growing up’ to do with new experiences. Mark Twain said that good decisions come from experience.” Some of us had more experience than we can talk about to improve our decisions. Certainly, we learned a great deal from being around others with the same interests having the same experiences. The value of those cannot be reproduced for us again.
There is an opportunity to
reconnect: with the chapter, with the other members of our generation of Triangles, and meet those that have followed as the newest to be living that experience. For the chapter, to see what has happened, what is in progress is re-affirming the choices that were made. The opportunity to reestablish contacts and hear what’s been up with others in the generation is a unique one. For some of us, it’s best to do this sooner if possible. There is also the curiosity factor with those that shared that part of life with us. The common question is “Hey, whatever happened to … ”
It’s comforting to get the answer to that question and the other questions that follow. And there may be a chance to clarify the stories that were told (or defend them).
How to reconnect is actually very easy. A great way is to be at the Alumni-Active Work Day where the alumni work with actives on short
Workday with alumni and actives
Workday
improvement projects around the house Mike Kinsella (MoM 1971) organizes the projects, working with the current House Manager. These have been very productive for the House but, more importantly, the undergraduates get a chance to work with the alumni, know who they are, understand their dedication, and usually learn how to do needed repairs/updates There will be emails about the upcoming work day which is on the Saturday of Founders’ Day (this year, Work Day will be on April 18).
Another opportunity is to attend Homecoming on a Saturday in October. The usual agenda is an alumni meeting at 10am which includes information from the active chapter as well as the alumni board, different groups go to lunch at local places together, 4pm social time with champagne on the front porch, a semi-formal dinner of prime rib in the old dining room at 6:30 and at the end, a round of embarrassing jokes Of course, afterwards there is more socializing. Also, many get together for a Friday night dinner as well – remember Alex’s?
Alumni – Active WorkDay
M I K E K I N S E L L A
The Active Chapter reached a low point in the Fall of 2010. Membership had dropped to a critical low level and National was pushing to shut the Chapter down. The Alumni met in October and made a pledge to step in and assist the Active Chapter to return to a sustainable level of membership. Due to the low membership and lack of funds, the Active Chapter was unable to maintain the property. Much work was needed to return the House to a competitive standard to attract new members.
The Alumni performed an assessment of the House condition and quickly realized that a fund raiser would be needed to pay for the repairs that were required.
Based on the generosity of many Alumni, we were able to pay for a new shingle roof, new water softener, new flooring in the dining room, new bathroom vanities, new furniture, installed multiple mini-split a/c heater units in the common areas of the house, installed James Hardi Shake Siding on the rear addition, removed dead trees on the lot, replaced toilets and urinals, and repaired the boiler system This work was performed by outside contractors.
To bring those of the same generation of Triangles for the reconnection, it is best to invite the others through phone calls or emails. The alumni board can provide information for most. Call or email that you want to reconnect and it will be put in the newsletter as well. The alumni board secretary is Cody Meece at codyjmeece@gmail.com.
Reconnecting is important –for all of us.
For the past fifteen years, we have held annual Alumni/Active Workdays (in the early years two per year). Through the efforts of numerous Alumni, we have installed new luxury vinyl plank flooring in 9 study rooms, replaced the acoustic tile ceiling in the dining room, repaired and painted damaged shake siding on the rear addition, repaired and painted drywall ceilings and walls, installed new fire rated doors on the exterior stairwell, rebuilt the deck, improved landscaping, and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned.
We missed a workday in 2020 and 2021 due to covid but resumed in 2022. In December 2022, the House suffered major water damage when frozen pipes burst on the third floor and a sprinkler system jet went off on the main floor flooding the basement. This resulted in over $160,000 in damage that was covered by our insurance. In 2023, we dedicated most of the efforts of the Workday to demolition of carpeting and flooring in the House. The labor for this was paid for by the insurance company. The water damage repairs resulted in replacing all of the carpet and flooring in the House, major repairs to the secondfloor bathroom, chapter room, and basement dining room and refinished hardwood flooring in the old dining room
The Alumni / Active Workdays have been extremely successful and have provided an opportunity for the Actives to work side-by-side with Alumni from generations past We always devote timfor reports from the Actives on the House status and for Alumni to share old war stories of past fraternity life.
Over the past years, we have had 12-16 Alumni participate in each of these workdays. Not including the insurance claim, we have invested over $200,000 in the House since 2010. The next Alumni / Active Workday will be April 18, 2026.
LOST CONTACT?
Know a brother who’s changed emails, moved, or fallen out of contact? Help us bring him back into the fold. Send updated contact information to alumnicommunications@triangle.org so we can keep every Triangle member connected.
Recruiting New Members - Recruiting Chairman Nathan Arthur Explains
How Recruitment Works Today
Recruitment nowadays can feel either dramatically different or surprisingly like how it was done years ago The truth is, we don’t have a ton of detailed documentation on exactly how recruitment used to be run in
our chapter Because of that, over the past year the house and I have focused on building a recruitment process that fits the current conditions of the chapter and documenting it clearly so future members can follow it, evaluate it, and adjust it as needed.
Rush Week: Structured Planning
Our biggest recruitment efforts still happen during Rush Week, but we’ve worked to make it both efficient and intentional. It starts with a brainstorming phase where we put every idea on the table and map out what
Homecoming
each event would look like: where it would be hosted, what it would cost, what resources it would require, and how well it might draw interest from students
Our event options vary widely,
Beyond Rush Week
Outside of Rush Week, recruitment looks different. During the semester we participate in NSP (New Student Program) events such as Advising and Registration Days, where we have opportunities to have a table and speak directly with incoming freshmen and transfer students. We collect interest forms so we can follow up by text and continue the conversation after the event.
We also have access to a university-provided call list of incoming students who have expressed interest in Greek life.
Advertising
One of our strongest improvements has been changing how we advertise. While we don’t put posters up on campus anymore, we’ve expanded heavily into online promotion. Two platforms that have been especially effective are Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook allows us to post in places like the Missouri S&T
from simple bonfires to more interactive activities like a bridge building contest. One thing we’ve learned is that the simplest events often work the best. When an event doesn’t perform the way we hoped, we take
We use that list to reach out during the semester and during breaks. In addition, we have experimented with hosting recruitment-style events during the semester, and while we are still working on making those successful, we continue testing formats to find what resonates.
Tie-Dye Recruitment Event
Involving the Whole Executive Board
Another big focus this year has been bringing more of the Executive Board into recruitment, so it isn’t conducted by one role alone. We’ve used philanthropy
parents’ discussion community, which helps increase awareness among families. Instagram has been valuable because we can run paid ads targeted by location, age range, and interests, helping us reach the exact students we want to connect with
Still Improving
While this is how we’re doing recruitment right now, we’re still actively experimenting
notes, evaluate why, and either improve it for the next cycle or drop it entirely. That trial and improve mindset has made our Rush Week stronger each time.
events to increase campus visibility and strengthen our reputation When students connect with the cause we’re supporting, it often creates a natural opening for them to learn more about the house and consider getting involved.
We’ve also discussed hosting an on-campus event centered around finals preparation and studying, something that would tie directly into Scholarship while still providing real value to students across campus.
and refining the process. Through conversations with alumni and other Triangle chapters, we’ve shaped recruitment into something that is structured, repeatable, and realistic for our house and most importantly, it’s working Our goal is to keep improving each cycle while leaving behind clear documentation so future members can build on what we’ve started.
Addressing Chapter Needs
The brothers, the chapter, and the house deeply appreciate your generosity; hundreds of generous brothers and friends have made their investment in the future of the Missouri Mines chapter
The Chapter Endowment Fund exists to help address individual chapter needs. The program is designed to provide additional funding to chapters each year to support educational, leadership, and academic programs that advance the mission of Triangle in building better men in the fields of engineering, architecture, and science. The brothers, the chapter, and the house deeply appreciate your generosity; hundreds of generous brothers and friends have made their investment in the future of the Missouri Mines chapter.
Current Alumni Board
President – Stephen Lang
Vice President – Michael Kinsella
Vice President – Wyatt Pickett
Secretary – Cody Meece
Treasurer – Ryan Spillers
House Board Chairman – Kristian
