Welcome to Denver and the 57th Grand Chapter Conclave!

You are about to experience a century-old tradition that has shaped Sigma Phi Epsilon and the lives of tens of thousands who have attended. Whether you are a regular Conclave attendee or this is your first experience, I hope you will discover and build deeper connections through the brotherhood of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Never before has SigEp meant more to our brothers, our alumni and our communities. As we gather in Denver, it is clear that the strength of our brotherhood has carried so many of us through what has been a difficult two years. When Carter Ashton Jenkens spoke the words, “This Fraternity will be different,” I don’t know that he could have imagined what that would mean to us in 2021. Because we are different, because our cardinal principles of Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love are real in our lives, SigEp has never been more important.

As you enter Conclave and consider our theme, Now More Than Ever, after months of separation it is your time to seize opportunities to chart the course of the Fraternity and fortify relationships with brothers, friends and alumni.

At the 2019 Conclave in Houston, I shared my dream about the day my sons are ready for college, and if you were to ask people about which fraternity they would join, they would immediately say SigEp – because they have the right people, the right experiences and the right environment to help them succeed to be better men. I also expressed my desire for our chapters to be the safest on-campus organizations. Together, as undergraduates and alumni, friends and volunteers, you’ve responded and improved the fraternity experience for those to come. By focusing on our Cardinal Principles of Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love, we will continue to chart the Fraternity’s course that leads SigEp to stand out from the rest.

I hope you will find this Conclave an incredible experience, one we all won’t soon forget. Now more than ever, we need real face-to-face time and I hope that you can enjoy that time as we build SigEp’s future together.

Thomas B. Jelke, Florida International ’90
Grand President