  From multiple angles, our Q.T.V. and Omega Mu brothers have enriched the civic life at the University of Maine, and we are fortunate to have had many hardworking, talented brothers throughout our history. The balance between our athletic involvement, intellectual pursuits, and campus involvement is compelling. What they accomplished in their respective pursuits at the university constitutes a wonderful achievement in our fraternal history. There efforts were good and laudable, and there efforts represented the very best of our core values of persistence and determination. It is, believe me, a wonderful achievement, on the part of generations of Omega Mu brothers, for the respective gifts that they gave for the civic good at the University of Maine. In our historically calm, customary fashion, 149 years and growing, it was a rich yield for the common good of the Maine community, All of them, through their various commitments and endeavors within the University of Maine community, improved and brightened up the quality of life of the university community with their enthusiasm and dedication to their respective University of Maine teams, organizations, and clubs. They each had uniques strengths as actors, artists, musicians, athletes, and journalists, and they all embodied the shared commitment to do something well for the University of Maine community. Fraternally integrity demands that, and we are proud of all of these brothers. Over the years, our Omega Mu brothers have been involved in many musical productions at the University of Maine, and praise for them is merited. With the same unconditional focus, diligence and discipline as our athlete brothers, our musically focused brothers, through many decades, brought richness ands joy to the University of Maine community because of their involvement on various bands, orchestras, and choral groups. Their commitment was compelling, and the quality and depth of their art form enriched the lives of countless generations of students at the university, as well as many towns and cities throughout Maine and New England. Generously, with never-ending joy and inspiration, they always gave of their time and talent for the good in all of their musical performances. The embodied our old fraternal truth in being perseverant and determined in being faithful and generous with their beautiful musical gifts. Our Omega Mu Maine music brothers, just like our athlete and Maine Masque brothers, are an enriching testament to what it means to be a fraternity brother in Omega Mu. We remain proud of their dedication, creativity, and commitment in adding such a rich angle in our fraternal history at the University of Maine. Above all, what a superb gift to give anyone: music. Omega Mu Portrait George P. Goodwin, 1907  Omega Mu Years            "The Omega Mu chapter of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity started off the social events for the new year by giving, on the evening of January 8, one of the most delightful dances ever held in the gymnasium. The hall was handsomely decorated with hundreds of yards of evergreen rope gracefully festooned about the galleries and suspended from the rafters. A huge evergreen bell centered with colored lights, and suspended above the orchestra added much to the general effect. Around the hall, cosy corners decorated with fraternity flags, cushions and insignias of the society, were tastily arranged......the success of the occasion was largely due to Lester E. Little, Walter E. Scott, Arthur W. Collins, George P. Goodwin, and Terchak F. Bye."   
   Chapel at the University of Maine        University of Maine Athlete           “What if the space be long and wide, That parts us from our brother’s side A soul-joined chain unites our band, And memory links us hand in hand.” (Phi Gamma Delta fraternity song)    Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82 Perge
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Omega Mu Voice John L. Collins, 1970  John Collins, 1970 Suddenly a flourish of brain cells seem to have kicked in and I recall a bunch of stories that will take me a while to get down in writing: stealing a real pig for pig dinner, how to kill a pig (no one knew), the infamous Fiji Island fire on Baker Island (1968, I think), Freak-out parties. How we pulled ourselves together to escape from social probation under the leadership of Michael O’Leary by suddenly cleaning up our act and participating in all the goody-goody activities that were expected of a “good” fraternity: the snow sculpture of a drunk driving accident (designed by “the spook”, our artistic brother complete with red-dyed snow representing blood, participation in the IFC sing performing “The Vietnam Song” by Country Joe and the Fish: Snow Sculpture         Omega Mu Housemother, Clara Hammond  Clara Hammond and the "The Spook"  Country Joe and the Fish at Woodstock  “Well come on all of you big strong men, Uncle Sam needs your help again, he got himself in a terrible jam, way down yonder in Vietnam, put down your books and pick up a gun, we're gunna have a whole lotta fun. CHORUS and its 1,2,3 what are we fightin for? don't ask me i don't give a dam, the next stop is Vietnam, and its 5,6,7 open up the pearly gates. Well there aint no time to wonder why...WHOPEE we're all gunna die. now come on wall street don't be slow, why man this's war a-go-go, there's plenty good money to be made, supplyin' the army with the tools of the trade, just hope and pray that when they drop the bomb, they drop it on the Vietcong. CHORUS now come on generals lets move fast, your big chance is here at last. nite you go out and get those reds cuz the only good commie is one that’s dead, you know that peace can only be won, when you blow em all to kingdom come. CHORUS      (spoken)- listen people O don’t know you expect to ever stop the war if you can’t sing any better than that... theres about 300,000 of you fuc|ers out there.. i want you to start singing.. CHORUS now come on mothers throughout the land, pack your boys off to Vietnam, come on fathers don't hesitate, send your sons off before its too late, be the first one on your block, to have your boy come home in a box CHORUS Alrite.”  Max Yasgur, the farmer who allowed the concert to take place on his land, speaking to the crowd and then giving the peace sign. “What if the space be long and wide, That parts us from our brother’s side A soul-joined chain unites our band, And memory links us hand in hand.” (Phi Gamma Delta fraternity song)    Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82 Perge Omega Mu Christmas Party  We all have our personal memories of the traditions that we enjoyed while we lived together in the Castle. First and foremost, they have stayed in our memory, astonishingly. They rise effortlessly and cause us to smile and chuckle with gratitude each time we think about them. They glow in our minds-eye, and we do not hurry to rush them away, much less suppress them, for each memory is a journey home, a return passage; even better, a homing instinct to a particular place, event, brother, or a group of brothers when you were undergraduate living in the Castle. All the memories cover the emotional spectrum of our years living in the Castle. Take a moment and recall your memories about our Christmas parties, Fiji Island, Pig Dinner, Mud Bowl, The Fiji 24 Hour Relay Marathon, our formals. Not difficult to do, is it? They give you a sparkle in the eye and an easy smile, I know. Its safe to say that we loved all of them. With each tradition and event, something wonderful happened. These events were the distinctive, fundamental core of our Omega Mu culture. They helped define priorities, daily, weekly, and monthly. Because of the them, we lived with assurance and stability, generatively so. We were deeply tied to these traditions and activities, our uniting chain of events. And, in retrospect, we all believed, appropriately so, that all of our daily and seasonal traditions were all structurally important in creating the wonderful fraternal life that we lived in the Castle through all the years that we lived in the Castle. They were, and they continue to be the be-all and end-all of our historically long chain of sustained fraternal good at the University of Maine since 1874. Although there have been many different iterations on our fraternal traditions and activities, all the variant expressions, for the most past, have created the basis for a wonderful fraternal life, all the while knowing that fraternities fare less well when they do not have good, sustaining traditions. Our traditions were, and they remain, our sustaining hope because they exist for the common good. The tradition, activities, and duties set the daily, weekly, and seasonal tone of our fraternal life together, in every measured way. Thematically, the traditions, activities, and responsibilities were different. Some were very mundane because the were concerned with daily practical matters, whereas as some were more suspenseful, mysterious and fun like the RAM and Fiji Island, and some were magisterial and dignifying like Pig Dinner and escorting the housemother into dinner. However, all of them made things work within the house and preserved the cooperative and enjoyable world of our Omega Mu life. We enjoyed all of them, and we did not discuss whether they were their relevant, old-fashioned, or out-dated. On the contrary, and I think we would all agree, they were all sensible, reasonable and enjoyable. In retrospect, all of them are the underpinning of our historic success, and they remain relevant now. They established, collectively so, a balanced and cooperative fraternal life for everyone that was satisfying. And, perhaps, it is not far-reaching to say that they shaped us a little for the better. I believe they did. They certainly did not hurt. Simply put, our Omega Mu memories resonate powerfully with all of us, still, because these events and traditions link generations of Omega Mu Fijis. Clear and distinct Omega Mu memories still cause us to smile and be proud that we are Omega Mu Fijis. We are, as you all know, an exemplary brotherhood. What’s more, that is a certain historic fact and truth since 1874. Upon that fact there is no debate. We remain proud of this fact through life, and we have no problem telling others, with fraternal, evangelical pride, that we lived in a beautiful fraternity home with a great group of men during college, and we continue to champion the fraternal life. Furthermore, I am equally sure that we are all thankful for whatever coincidence brought all of us to the front door of the Castle, our historic fraternal home. Thank God we did not turn back! We are, rightly so, a brotherhood family. That being said, I believe all Omega Mu Fijis will smile with understanding, in the truest way possible, what Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated about home in Letters and Papers from Prison: “Most people have forgotten nowadays what house can mean, though some of us have come to realize it as never before. It is a kingdom of its own in the midst of the world, a stronghold amid life’s storms and stresses, a refuge, even a sanctuary.” It is fitting to recall the fraternal feel of all the sights, sounds, smell, laughter, and joy of our annual Christmas party in the Castle. We can see Brother Santa delivering well-sauced remarks to all the brothers gathered in the dinning room, all of them smiling and merry. The groans, smiles, sights, and laughter of the evening were timeless. Indeed, in sight and sound, it was always a wonderful evening, and we still contemplate how Santa made it through the evening. It was high performance art, spirited in all the right, indulgent ways. To be fair, we were all, in one way or another, uplifted by the fraternal warmth and humor the entire evening. It was vintage Omega Mu Fiji. There certainly was no malaise, only a deeply felts sense of brotherly well-being, cheerfulness, and fraternal contentment in being together in the Castle. In fraternal mood and emotion, the pictures show The Merry Heart, to use a Robertson Davies book title, of our Omega Mu brotherhood, and that is what matters the most. We all hail from 79 College Avenue, home of the oldest and best fraternal brotherhood at the University of Maine, and that is the best Omega Mu memory. It is who we proudly are, without qualification. But, again, we all know that. Merry Christmas, Omega Mu Brothers. Let your Christmas memories rise and surface, and enjoy the resonating sound and color of the following Christmas Party homage pictures. They are everlasting. Perge. 1970's      1980's              2000's         “What if the space be long and wide, That parts us from our brother’s side A soul-joined chain unites our band, And memory links us hand in hand.” (Phi Gamma Delta fraternity song)   Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82 Perge Omega Mu Voice Jay L. Clement, 1982  Fire, fire! Ever wonder why electric blankets were banned from the Ram? Ignoring the issues of possibly overloading the few outlets that were available, perpetually forgetting to shut them off, or questionable wiring throughout the Ram, this modern contrivance would have made those cold nights a pleasure. But always one to set an example, Brother Holmes was snuggled under such a contrivance and as he often had a propensity to do after a hard night of drinking and other recreational activities, pissed the bed. Whether it was the electrolytes or water or the hand of god, the blanket shorted and started smoking and may have even caught fire, I don’t recall. Brother Holmes slept on, others saved the day, but the rule was set in stone.      “What if the space be long and wide, That parts us from our brother’s side A soul-joined chain unites our band, And memory links us hand in hand.” (Phi Gamma Delta fraternity song)    Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82 Perge Omega Mu Voice Jay L. Clement, 1982    No tale about life in the house would be complete without reminiscing about time spent in the Ram. The Ram was one of the few spaces in the house that the general populace rarely saw or even knew about, yet it was a vital element of the overall house experience.        Remember the horror on your mother’s face as you showed your parents where you slept for that obligatory parents’ weekend tour? “Why are the windows wide open?” “Would that ladder really work?” “Why are there no alarm clocks?” “Do boys bring girls up here?” “It’s not really.......that clean.” But    But to those of us that got to experience the privilege of spending most of our non-waking moments embraced by its exalted, dark wood partitioned, and often frigid walls, it was an experience like no other.  “What if the space be long and wide, That parts us from our brother’s side A soul-joined chain unites our band, And memory links us hand in hand.” (Phi Gamma Delta fraternity song)    Fraternally, Chip Chapman, ’82 Perge |
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