The Nicholls chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity received top honors nationwide in its category at the annual John Mosley National Leadership School in St. Charles, Ill. SAE was given the Harry S. Bunting Outstanding Colony Award. According to James Irwin, SAE adviser, the award is given to the colony that best exemplifies the qualities on which the fraternity was founded, which include chapter management, leadership, recruitment, member education, finance and quality chapter planning.
Irwin said that the chapter completed an application process to compete for the award. The outstanding colony is the nominee with the best overall progress in 12 core areas.
“You have to present documentation of how you meet the core areas,” Irwin said. “It then goes through a committee, which evaluates progress of who did best in each overall area.”
David Vicknair, business administration sophomore from Thibodaux and SAE eminent archon, said that they competed against 15 new colonies, some from schools larger than Nicholls. Some include Louisiana State University, University of Colorado, University of North Florida, University of Western Carolina and University of California in Santa Barbara.
Vicknair said that at the leadership school, they learned different things about leadership and fraternity rituals to use in their chapter.
“We bring back ideas from other chapters and an understanding of the magnitude and size of SAE,” Vicknair said.
According to Irwin, the leadership school was designed so that brothers of the fraternity could come together and learn about chapter development. Chapters are encouraged to participate in the events at the leadership school but are not required to do so. Irwin said that most chapters do participate.
The outstanding colony of the year award was the only competition that SAE was eligible to compete in this year. Although SAE is no longer a colony and became a chapter in March, they will not be eligible for chapter awards until next year. SAE attended the leadership school last year, but this year was the first time that they were eligible for any award.
