The Chapter House Corporation, the Hopkins Society of Sigma Nu, has continued to renovate our historic Chapter House, with the help of alumni contributions and chapter parlor fees. This fall we repaired plaster and wallboard in the basement party room, kitchen and in the main floor Chapter Room. Much of the interior was painted and the house was in great shape for rush. Viewed from Emmet Street, our Chapter House is a stunning architectural gem which frequently garners admiration from visitors and the administration.
We work closely with the chapter to identify and assure needed repairs and upgrades to furnishings and equipment. The chapter and tenants have been excellent custodians of the house and pitch in to care for upkeep of grounds and common areas. The Chapter has also assured our financial integrity by keeping the house fully tenanted the past four years by paying semester parlor fees. At the Chapter’s request, we are installing one or more water refill stations in the house, buying new furniture, upgrading planting, addressing water runoff issues, and considering a major renovation to restore the kitchen to code standards. This fall, we replaced one of the two HVAC systems which had reached the end of its useful life, at a cost of $15,000. We are evaluating proposals to install a mini-split air conditioning system for the main floor—a considerable expense, quoted at over $25,000.
The chapter house remains a source of pride for all alumni returning to Grounds and we urge you to consider a donation of any size to improve our capital reserves for needed repairs and upgrades planned in the coming months. Our sinking fund reserves are adequate at present, but we have made over $75,000 in capital improvements since 2020 and remain in need of annual alumni support. We need support from our loyal Beta alumni to ensure repairs are completed and our reserves remain adequate. All alumni contributions are used for capital improvements to the chapter house, and none are applied to support the social activities of the chapter.
Venmo payments may be made to @HopkinsSociety. Payments can also be made online through our secure online donation portal or via check. Please make checks out to ‘Sigma Nu House Fund’ and add ‘Allocation: 00529’ in the memo and mail to:
UVA Alumni Association
Attn: Sigma Nu
PO Box 37963
Boone, Iowa 50037-0963