Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2013, No.04 - Special Edition: "The Jesus Episode"

Beta Pi:

 

IS  BETA PI BLOG WITHOUT ANY REDEEMING SOCIAL OR ARTISTIC MERIT?:  

YEA .   .   .   . or

 

NAY? 

 Beta Pi Blog’s purpose: to bring ATO, Beta Pi Chapter Brothers and ATO Gal-Pals together.  The blog is not to be taken seriously - it is meant for

fun. 

The Beta Pi Blog is non-political.  It includes

pictures, links, Archives of previous issues,

and other

time-wasters.

 

To get there, go to web address: http://beta-pi-blog.blogspot.com

 

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THE JESUS EPISODE

As all of you know, ATO is a Christian Fraternity.  Why?  Because Christian principles were placed in our Creed by our Founders, Otis Glazebrook, et al.   As Pledges, we read all of that, and most of us - being Christians - were quite used to such principles.

In 1971, the Vanderbilt Yearbook contained a controversial photo – that year, the ATO’s decided that their annual yearbook picture would be an adaptation of the famous “Last Supper” painting done by Leonardo Da Vinci.

 

Let us now take a “forensic” look at the ATO picture, and the Class of 1971.  It was a time when the Civil Rights Protests of the 1960’s were still fresh in minds. 

When “Womens’ Liberation” was coming of age.  

 

 

Not to be discounted is the fact that Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee sits smack-dab in the middle of “The Bible Belt” – where there were at the time (and still are) more Churches per capita than anywhere else on the frickin’ planet.

Also not to be brushed aside lightly, the politics at Vanderbilt was at the time probably somewhat moderate.  It was a time on campus when “free love” was in the air, when there were wild fraternity parties.  What – other than the infamous ATO disdain for Authority – could possibly motivate the Class of 1971 to publish, as their Yearbook Picture, a simulated scene depicting . . .

 

THE LAST SUPPER?

 

 Your Blog Editors posed difficult questions to various esteemed Alums . . . like WHY? And how did you guys decide who would be Jesus, with all those ego’s involved?

 

FROM CLAUDE CODY:

 

“This is recollection of 43 years ago so treat it with a grain of salt.

The seated Jesus is DENNIS FITE (I think) who was a freshman.  He was chosen because of his appearance. 

The other “Jesus” is JIM BURGESS, an upper classman, no beard but similar to Jesus.  Jim was the owner of the infamous yellow car (Smok’em Vandy). 

Other than Dennis, the table was all upper classmen. 

GEORGE JOE is on the left standing.






HOWIE VOGEL is the second from the right.  Since we had a bunch of other people, the crucifixion idea came up with the 2 kneeling in front, others standing to the sides. 

MIKE McCARTY is leaning in on the left side,

GEORGE TOMLINSON is next to Jim Burgess on the left (looking up). 

LANCE “Bad Moon” REISING is immediately to the right of Jim Burgess.

TRAVIS BURCH, the guy with the restaurant in Athens, GA, is next to Howie on the left.  I’m one of the kneelers (on the right), the other kneeler is Roswell, NM brother (Tim?) (I’ve forgotten his name). 

I’ll see if I can find my yearbook because the beam of light (lighting up Jim Burgess’s head/face, similar to old religious artwork) was clearly visible in the yearbook picture.  The beam may not show up in a copy.  As far as politics go, I was a freshman and had no say in anything.  Howie may remember the politics better as he was Worthy Master that year.  His memory of who is who may be better as well.  He corrected one of my identifications earlier.

As I said in an earlier email, CLARK THOMAS may have the original since he took the picture and added the beam of light.  He’s an ATO as well and I know that Stein has some contact information for him,  he lives in Nashville (I think).

That’s all I can think of right now.  A lot of alcohol has flowed through me since then, so things aren’t as clear as they might be.

TO BROTHER CLAUDE:  Awesome!  I never knew who owned the Yellow Car.  Back in the day, I thought perhaps the Yellow Car might be a “gift from above” – now you have confirmed it. J 

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FROM TRAVIS BURCH:

 

I have the 1971 Commodore. At the table, from right to left:

Bob "Old Man" Vogelei '71,

WM Howie "The Handle" Vogel '71,

me '71, also known in some circles as "Porter Rico",

Steve "Whitey Leafcheese" Johnson '72,

Jim Larsen '71 but graduated later, now a Phd.,

Jimmy Conn '72 I think, varsity BB, 

at our very heart and center-Dennis Fite '72, 

Mike Tilley '71,

Mike McCarty '72 I think,

Max Williams '72,

Jack Jennings '72,

Scott "Scooter aka Sweat Hog" Hansen '72, 

Bob Mingea '72.

 

At the next level, left to right:

George Joe,

Mike Seymour '71,

Mitch Williams '71,

Bubba Farrior, also an ATO WM, 

Tim Cusack,

the light from the heavens shines on Jim Burgess '71,

Claude Cody on his knees in worship,

Lance "Bad Moon" Reising,

Mitch Lohr and

Jim Walker '71.

The caption: Alpha Tau Omega places Jesus Christ, the True Brother, at its very heart and center and adoringly enshrines His living presence as the true source of its vitalizing aspirations. It reverently teaches that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. 

Still can't believe we did it and the Commodore published it. Probably set Beta Pi fund raising back 100 years.

Our aspirations for political office are now shattered. This internet  thing gives up its ghosts. You're right, we were bad to the bone.

 

Hope you young folks have enjoyed the example set by the brothers in 1971. 

 

Thanks for keeping us connected. Saw Vogelei two weeks ago in Nashville. Jim Burgess, Vogelei, now known as Henry, Steve Johnson, Susie and I will convene in Sayulita, Mexico for fun in the sun later this fall. We've included Sherbe Green '72, an SAE in our Sayulita group, to prove we all have open minds.  

Travis Burch, Beta Pi, class of 1971 

TO BROTHER TRAVIS:  Thank you so much for your well-written piece.  Please give me a heads up next time you’re in Nashville. You will need to show up on a motorcycle, wearing leather and your bad-to-the-bone shades!

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BUCK BILLER, INTREPID SPORTS REPORTER

 

Intrepid Sports Commentary, by Buck Biller

So, I am having this marathon YouTube fest when I make the fatal mistake to pull the cork on a 3rd bottle of wine.  Pretty soon, I get to the end of YouTube.  I have seen every single YouTube every recorded.  I realize I have not eaten for 24 hours so I wander into the kitchen and find some eggs in the fridge.  Unfortunately, there is no light in the fridge since I left the door open overnight last weekend and the bulb burned out.  As luck would have it, the sun is coming up and I see the date on the eggs has not expired yet.  Unfortunately again, the aforementioned triple-play red wine fog has blown in and I cannot quite figure out how to turn on the stove.  I look at the old Grandfather clock my Mom left me and it says it’s about 7:00 AM.  I am thinking about cooking eggs on the grill at this point when I decide that I should catch some Storage Wars re-runs while my brain clears out and I remember how to light the burners.

I hit the cable button and the British Open comes on live from Murfield CC in Scotland.

I am entranced as I watch the golf Gods maneuver the wind swept pitch on the hallowed shore of the Firth o Forth.  I realize that I have finally come to peace with the loss of Severino Ballesteros and I am prepared to crown my new favorite Euro golfer.

Severino “Seve” Ballesteros

I loved Severino for his name as much as his swashbuckling style.  True, his daring play made Phil Mickelson look like an Amish Accountant.  But, Severino rhymes with Trevino.  And I love Lee Trevino

 

Lee Trevino

My favorite Trevino story is when he picked up the Sunday paper the day he won the 1968 US Open it said “Spaniard Trevino leads US Open”.  Trevino said, “I never knew I was a Spaniard.  I always thought I was a Mexican”. 

My second favorite Trevino story was the day when my Mom and my Aunt Alice were at a coffee shop in the Quad cities and Trevino was playing in one of the first QC Opens.  Aunt Alice recognized him when he walked in and said hello.  Mom didn’t know him from Adam.  Trevino sat down and ordered a cup of coffee and hung out for a while with Mom and Aunt Alice.  Mom connected with him from El Paso, TX which is Trevino’s home and our family home for about 4-5 years when Dad was stationed at Ft. Bliss.  Mom said “Lee Trevino is one of the nicest and most gracious people I have ever met”.

 

So, after Seve died, I really missed him and opted for Darren Clarke and his younger brother Lee Westwood.  Although these guys were separated at birth, it is obvious that they are both on a training regimen of whiskey, stout and haggis.

Westwood                           

Clarke

 

Ian Poulter is another favorite.  The love child of Rocker Rod Stewart and 3rd tier 80’s glitter queen Kiki Dee, Poulter rose to prominence as a Euro rabble rouser in the unpleasantries last fall at the teeing grounds of the Medina CC here in my native Itasca.

 

 

 

Poulter and the Clarke-Westwood brothers are great guys, but my heart gravitates towards Española when it comes to Euro-Golf. 

 

One of the reasons I love the Spanish golfers is they are all named “Jose Maria Something or Another”.

Much to my delight this morning, the tournament is being led by

Spaniard Jose Maria Ponytail. 










I happen to have a history with this guy.

 

 

I have had the good fortune to have attended a few rounds at the Masters in Augusta.  One year, I am hanging out at the 9th green on the day of a practice round.  The 9th at Augusta is a 460 yard par 4 with a 13000 ft. vertical drop canyon between the tee and the elevated green.  I am right next to the back right edge of the green when JMP drops a 9 iron about 2 feet in front of me.  JMP comes swaggering up from the fairway with the omnipresent cigar in his mouth sweating like a trooper and talking to no one in particular in perfect Castilian Spanish.  He walks over to the crowd and says something in Spanish to us, then turns toward the hole and without a read or a practice swing launches a 30 ft. putt that lips out.  He stares at and then starts in on his caddy, giving him the beejeezus (again in Spanish) about why he didn’t line the putt up for him.  We are all standing there holding our breaths in horror when JMP and the caddy can’t hold it in anymore and start laughing like hyenas. 

Then JMP turns on us and starts jabbering in Spanish like we distracted him and caused him to miss the putt.  By this time everyone is laughing their ass off.  JMP takes a few puffs on his stogie and wades into the crowd signing autographs and heads to the #10 tee.
 

So, I have decided to let Seve go to a revered place in my memory and I will now follow Jose Maria Ponytail as my favorite Euro.  Clarke-Westwood brothers and Poulter-Stewart-Dee notwithstanding.

I have also selected my favorite player from South of the Equator- Angel Cabrera of the famous Cabrera brothers.  Such a talented group of sibs has not existed since the Alou brothers (Felipe, Matty and Jesus) patrolled the outfield for the San Francisco Giants in the early 70’s.  Angel is the winner of two majors.  His brother Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers terrorized hurlers in the Junior League as he won the triple crown in baseball last year.  Their lesser sib Melke is an accomplished journeyman picket roaming the spacious pastures of Exhibition field for our good neighbors to the north the Toronto Blue Jays.

Alou's

Melke

Miguel

Angel

    

 

 

(. . . stay tuned for the next episode of BUCK BILLER, INTREPID SPORTS REPORTER . . .)

 

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VTL,

Larry Simons

Beta Pi, 72