The Fraternity welcomed more than 1,800 brothers, including 1,400 undergraduates, to last week’s 2015 Balfour Leadership Training Workshop (LTW) at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. It is the 11th time the Fraternity has hosted Balfour LTW at the university, and the first since 1995.
“Balfour LTW is Sigma Chi’s signature annual event, and there is no substitute for the experience of bringing nearly 2,000 brothers together for a week of working to improve ourselves and our chapters,” says Balfour Leadership Operating Board chairman Mike DePuydt, TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE 1988.
The event kicked off midday Thursday, July 30, and ended the evening of Saturday, Aug. 1. Alumni facilitators led undergraduate attendees in large- and small-group sessions based on their officer positions for the 2015 to 2016 school year to talk about best practices and how to deal with commonly faced problems. Later, the undergraduates convened with their chapter brothers and alumni advisors to formulate chapter-specific goals for the coming year.
The event wasn’t all oriented toward classroom development, though. On Friday and Saturday evening, attendees had the option of attending SigFest, Balfour LTW’s annual collection of sporting events, games and social events that take place in the evening hours. In addition, brothers could attend a Ritual history talk hosted by 65th Grand Consul Bob Jones, RENSSELAER 1973, and 62nd Grand Consul Doug Carlson, MINNESOTA 1973, or a Derby Days discussion hosted by 2015 to 2017 International Sweetheart Kelsey Maggard. In addition to being past Grand Consuls, Jones and Carlson are also recipients of the Significant Sig Award and inductees into the Order of Constantine.
The event concluded with a Saturday night closing session at Bowling Green State’s Stroh Center arena, at which Matthew Keller, SPRING HILL 2015, accepted the International Balfour Award. In addition, the Fraternity presented the Danield William Cooper Award to the University of Kentucky Chapter; the James F. Bash Significant Improvement Award to nine chapters; the Legion of Honor Award to 30 chapters; and the Peterson Significant Chapter Award to 88 chapters, including seven that received Peterson Significant Chapter Gold Awards. The event’s keynote speaker was Significant Sig Matt Eversmann, HAMPDEN-SYDNEY 1988, whom actor Josh Hartnett portrayed in the 2001 Ridley Scott film Black Hawk Down.
To learn more about Balfour LTW, visit the event’s website or contact Director of Leadership Programs Matthew Coffin, DEPAUW 2013, at (847) 869-3655, ext. 251.
