suggested-projects

The following are suggestions for projects if you are seriously considering making a contribution to the Beta Sigma History effort. This is certainly not an exhaustive list nor is it in any particular order. If you elect to work on one of these or even a project of your own design, you are under no obligation to complete it. Anything that you get done, any progress that you make, is a valuable step in the right direction. We encourage alumni, active brothers and even pledges to play a role in documenting our history.

There are expenses associated with this effort. If you cannot undertake a project perhaps you might consider a monetary contribution (or both). Donations are always accepted. Checks should be made out to Beta Sigma Corporation with a notation designating the funds for "BS History Project" and mailed to the contact address provided on the Home Page.

When you select a project or want to discuss a possibility, let us know using the email contact from the Home Page. You will need to check with us before getting started as there may be some specific instructions that you will need in order to insure that the results of your efforts are easily applied to the history pages and the archives.

Thank you for considering being a Beta Sigma Chapter History Project supporter. Your fellow alumni, active brothers and our brothers in the future will all appreciate it.

Project Suggestions

PROJECT NO. 1 - Inventory all available photo composites. Make a list of those that are found and begin a search for those that are missing. Collect any smaller (10" x 14" for instance) composite photos. Contact alumni through the Kilt or any other means to obtain/borrow small composites for scanning.

PROJECT NO. 2 - Scan or digitally photograph composite photos where needed to create individual photos for display with each brother's entry. These image files are to be B&W saved in JPEG format exactly 100 pixels wide by approximately 130 pixels high with no more than 10% compression and 0% smoothing. Files are to be named using the brother's Roll No. For example, the file 796.jpg would be associated with Bruce Cloutier.

PROJECT NO. 3 - Research past Thistle yearbooks and digitally scan individual photos of brothers where no composite image can located. These image files are to be B&W saved in JPEG format exactly 100 pixels wide by approximately 130 pixels high with no more than 10% compression and 0% smoothing. Files are to be named using the brother's Roll No. For example, the file 796.jpg would be associated with Bruce Cloutier.

PROJECT NO. 4 - Research past Thistle yearbooks and digitally scan the section on Pi Kappa Alpha. Create and archive high resolution photos of any images and make xerographic copies of the pages to preserve text. This information will be built into an HTML page and associated with the appropriate year in the history pages.

PROJECT NO. 5 - Contact alumni and active brothers through the Kilt or any other means to determine missing information regarding the Positions/Offices that they held, their Big Brother, their Little Brothers if any, Activities, and any other important contributions that they may have made.

PROJECT NO. 6 - Contact alumni through the Kilt or any other means to collect information, stories and photos from their era. Obtain/borrow photos for high resolution digital scanning (600 dpi).

PROJECT NO. 7 - Perform research necessary to develop a complete list of Kilt mailings. Obtain copies of as many of these Kilts as is possible. This information will be built into an HTML page and associated with the appropriate year in the history pages.

PROJECT NO. 8 - Digitally scan and produce high resolution (600 dpi) images from the photo content of the available Kilts.

PROJECT NO. 9 - Perform OCR and proof for corrections (or otherwise type in) text from the individual Kilts. The resulting text files will be archived. Each article will be built into an HTML page and associated with the appropriate year in the history pages.

PROJECT NO. 10 - Perform research and develop a biography for a selected Charter Member or deceased alumnus from the early decades of our history.

PROJECT NO. 11 - Write an article describing our performance and advances in Buggy for each year. These articles must be suitable for public consumption and must not reveal critical information. Nevertheless we should recognize the significant steps that were taken and the brothers who took them. Our performance in this competition has gone unmatched. This is an important aspect of life in Beta Sigma and this history needs to be documented.

PROJECT NO. 12 - Research and document our performance in IM sports for each year. Highlight those years and sports where we have had great successes. Highlight the PiKA legends of IM Football, etc.

PROJECT NO. 13 - Research past chapter houses to obtain any details previously not known. The background as to how we acquired the location, who was involved, did we own or rent, and why did we move are a few examples of what would be of serious interest. This should include the collection of photos wherever possible.

PROJECT NO. 14 - Research additional information regarding the Thaw family and the background surrounding the Ben Thaw mansion which we occupied 1936 through 1957. This is of particular interest as we have two fine marble fireplace mantles and a number of other items from that mansion. Background specific to those fireplaces would be interest as well.

PROJECT NO. 15 - Research background pertaining to the acquisition and maintenance of the fire truck. Describe how the truck has been used over the years.

PROJECT NO. 16 - Research "Herbert Morris White" who appears on our Charter but not in our database. He is listed but he did not initiate into our Chapter. Was he an associate from another chapter?

PROJECT NO. 17 - Research any record of the "Beta Sigma Building Corporation". This corporation was once run by our alumni to own and manage the early chapter houses. This was the case for the 1445 Wightman Street house and likely the Thaw mansion. This project would entail locating any record of the corporation and a search for the corporate record books which may still exist.

PROJECT NO. 18 - Try to find out what ever happened to the "Alumni Cup" that was engraved with the name of the Senior who has done the most for PiKA on the Carnegie campus. This cup is mentioned in the history reports from 1925 and 1926.

PROJECT NO. 19 - Research for copies of local newspaper reports concerning the fire of December 26, 1935 which razed our chapter house located at 1445 Wightman Street. It took four fire companies over five hours to contain the blaze. The event should have been reported locally and perhaps with photos. Six fireman were injured and had to be taken to the hospital.

*** Please feel free to suggest other projects. Conceiving of a project is in itself a contribution. By suggesting a project you are not being obligated to undertake it. Please email us with your thoughts.