Your House Corporation has been busy this year. Between projects designed to improve the experience of living in the house, and maintaining the dwelling, we have:
Been working with the Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation on ways to offer our alumni tax-deductible gifting opportunities to Zeta Xi,
Submitted reinstatement papers with the IRS to revive our tax-exempt status as an organization,
Awarded the first Chuck Wooten Loyalty award, and
Are working to establish a schedule for renovating the kitchen and bathroom areas of the first floor this summer.
Are migrating our property management provider to West Range Properties (Pike Real Estate)
Here are some highlights from Founder’s Day, held February 22nd through 25th.
L to R: John Black ‘85, Bill “Wheat” Ross ‘68, Jeff Graham ‘84, Chuck Wooten ‘71
In 2023, the House Corporation established the Chuck Wooten Lifetime Loyalty Award to honor an alumnus who has lived up to the high standards set by Chuck ‘71 for his involvement with Zeta Xi.
This year, we announced the first recipient. Congratulations to Bill “Wheat” Ross ’68!
As this is an annual award, we encourage everyone to nominate any worthy alumnus once the 2025 nomination window opens in December 2024.
Multipurpose Housing Fund
The Multipurpose Housing Fund (MHF) is a tax-deductible account established with the Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation to receive donations specifically for Zeta Xi.
Donations are 100% tax-deductible and can be used for educational expenses such as the internet and network at the house, desks, and furniture for study areas, but when coupled with the Educational Facilities Grant (EFG), these funds can be used for a variety of non-educational expenses as well.
Educational Facilities Grant (EFG)
Buckle up, this one is huge! The House Corporation is working with the Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation at Memorial Headquarters to establish the percentage of the house as educational space. This is important because once we have that percentage, we can determine the amount of money that the House Corporation has spent over the years on educational expenses, and then solicit for donations via the Multipurpose Housing Fund (MHF) to reimburse us for those expenditures. Since those expenses would have been tax-deductible, and we haven’t taken advantage of them since 1985, we can do so now via the EFG. Doing this allows us to offer 100% tax-deductible donation options as qualified charitable donations.
Here’s the big part. Because those educational expenses have already been paid between 1985 and the present, we can now use MHF donations (up to the amount established in the EFG) for non-educational expenses such as repairing the driveway, renovating the kitchen, and maintenance and repair of the house.
House Occupancy for Fall 2024
Fall 2024 marks a milestone for Zeta Xi. This is the first semester that I can recall where we have a surplus of brothers wishing to reside in the house.
By promoting the experience of living in the house, an experience unavailable to all other fraternity men at Western Carolina, we have seen a new level of excitement amongst the actives. While we compete with swimming pools, gyms, and the like, we offer a unique experience that brothers carry with them for the rest of their lives, and the active recognize that.
Thanks to all of you who share your stories of living at East LaPort, Speedwell, and the current house. You are the reason our men want to share this common experience. Kudos!
Kitchen Renovation
At our first planning session held on Friday February 23rd, the House Corporation board identified our top initiatives for 2024.
Our priority is renovating the kitchen and bathroom areas on the first floor. Mike DeMatteo ’79 and Samir Hafiz ’10 are tasked with identifying space planners for the project. Mike will focus on a local planner, and Samir will work with Memorial Headquarters to identify a planner at the national level.
Tyler Tyndall ’10, Chair of the Kitchen Renovation committee, will work with Mike and Samir, along with James Harrison ’70 and Mark Tedder ’72, Chairs of the Improvements & Maintenance committee, to present the options to the board no later than mid-April. The board has established a “go/no go” date of May 1, 2024, for determining the feasibility of renovating the first floor over the summer of 2024.
Interested in helping? Please contact one of the Renovation committee members, or brother Tyndall directly at 252-939-6143 or tylertyndall91@aol.com.
Treasurer’s Report
We are awaiting the outcome of the annual financial audit for the 2023-24 fiscal year. We expect to have the audit completed no later than the end of March.
Last October, the House Corporation submitted the paperwork to reinstate the corporation’s tax-exempt status to the IRS. The tax-exempt status reduces the amount of annual paperwork submitted to the IRS and allows the House Corporation to avoid paying sales tax on many items. We expect to receive the reinstatement letter any day now. Shout out to Samir Hafiz ‘10 for handling this.
Note: to ensure transparency, we will be publishing our financials to the members only section of the website
Elections
Congratulations to Bill Ross ’68 and Mike Bullard ’79 on being elected to second terms as At-large board members. Bill and Mike have played significant roles on the board for the last three years, and we look forward to another three years of success.
Special Thanks
Many of you have said you were glad to see the house in such good condition at Founder’s Day. This was the result of several alumni and the active brothers.
James Harrison ‘70 and Mark Tedder ’72, chairs of the Building Improvements & Maintenance committee, have done an outstanding job identifying and addressing needs at the house, and you saw much of that at Founder’s Day. You won’t notice much of what they do, electrical panel, water heater, and a variety of repair work, but they do the things that keep us safe and secure in the house. Along with Drew Wells ’17, an At-large member of the board, whose guidance on the HVAC systems has been crucial to providing comfortable living conditions at the house.
David Prevette ’21 and Alex Ilch ’21, chairs the Operations committee have been working with Corban Parker ‘23, the current House Manager, to document processes and procedures for running the house. Identifying brothers who want to live in the house, on-boarding them, keeping the house in working order, and eventually off-boarding them as they graduate or return to other housing. These three brothers are building a manual that can be handed down to future House Managers so that we can continue to improve our operations and excel as a chapter.
