Brothers and friends,

This is my last "Our Quest" message while serving as your Grand Consul. We have attempted through this medium to keep you informed on thoughts and events that stir our hearts as Sigma Chis.

There is more than a single common thread through these monthly messages. We have highlighted outstanding individuals, inspiring events, and our philosophy for advancing both Sigma Chi and our mission of being the preeminent collegiate leadership development organization. We hope as well that our message of service has come through; service not only to community but also to faith, family and Fraternity.

There have been SO many volunteers, staff members and undergraduates who have contributed to our success that we devoted an issue of The Magazine of Sigma Chi to them and attempted to credit each of them by listing them and their roles. We were told it was not doable — but we did it.

We have significantly reversed the steadily declining undergraduate membership numbers (a nearly straight negative slope from 16,000 in 1993 to just under 10,000 in 2006) reaching nearly 13,000 this year. A dramatic recovery due to our Mission 365 program, in some way to our expansion, but primarily to the tremendous efforts of our undergrads.

We have added 13 undergraduate chapters in the last two years, a record not just in biannual quantity, but taking us to a record total number of 230 chapters as well. AND we have left the expansion pipeline FULL! Those 13 new chapters include nine reinstallations, restoring both the chapter AND their alumni to full communion.

Obviously, the synergies of these two years benefit from all of the efforts made by previous Grand Consuls and the huge sacrifices made by those in the volunteer trenches for many years. We truly are blessed to have the support and dedication of the Sigma Chi Foundation and the many men who sacrifice their personal time, talents, and treasure to support our leadership programming and scholarship endeavors.

Permit me a nostalgic moment and perhaps even a tear or two as I part from the position it has been the honor of my life to hold in service to Sigma Chi. I have personally placed the White Cross on nearly 600 new members, including an 81-year-old; pledged a 36-hour-old baby; spent more than 200 days away from home on Sig business; presided over a rare change of Executive Directors at Headquarters; fostered a new history volume; helped create and then recreate the Sigma Chi Leadership Institute; promoted expansion and provincial realignment for the benefit of our undergrads; and helped to re-energize many facets of Sigma Chi. My greatest pride is that "I" did exactly NONE of that, but that other volunteers, supported by an able staff, did ALL of it.

Sigma Chi is a miracle of volunteerism. We could not do it without YOU, and WE do it ALL for our undergraduate members.

Truly,
In hoc signo vinces,

Bob Jones
65th Grand Consul