History of TEKE Colony at Michigan Technological University

TKE Colony of Tau Kappa Epsilon Memo (1968)

It was no more than three months ago when our organization was no more than fifteen friends. It was our objective to further our friendship. It was both our impression and that of the IFC that there was a need for another fraternity on campus because of Tech’s growth. Rather than distribute ourselves among existing fraternities, we decided to start our own fraternity.

Our initial process of organization was visiting active chapters in surrounding states as members went home for Thanksgiving vacation. These people gathered necessary information and several chapters wrote National Headquarters on our behalf. Since then we have become an active colony of TKE having drafted our own constitution and by-laws. We have grown in number to 23 with a larger number of new interested men. We have the highest G.P.A. on campus and have full support of the IFC at Tech. Our province advisor commented when visiting Tech that we were the best organized and most fired group of young men that he has ever come in contact with.

Goals

1. Increase social opportunities.
2. Increase scholarship.
3. Expand interfraternity relations.
4. Aid campus-community relations.
5. Provide means of increasing leadership ability.
6. Encourage a loyal attitude towards our school.
7. Find and acquire fraternity house.

Signed,

Robert Pelczar

TKE Colony History Petition (1969)

On October 20, 1967, several men met in the Douglass Houghton Hall Dormitory to discuss the formation of a new fraternity on the Michigan Tech Campus. The group was unanimously in favor of affiliation with Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Soon after, on January 6, 1968, pledge pins were given to the 23 founders by the Field Supervisor T. J. Schmitz, signifying the colony’s first association with Tau Kappa Epsilon. The colony was soon recognized by the Dean of Students and as a non-voting member of the IFC. On March 28, 1969 the Teke Colony became a voting member on the IFC, as they had served one-year associate membership.

Teke Colony has been busy participating in campus activities. Their first effort was a colony was the building of a snow statue in Michigan Tech’s famed Winter Carnival. Winter Carnival is the biggest event of the year on campus, and the colony’s contribution was a snow and ice model of the campus showing the locations of the other snow statues. The statues was not entered in the competition, but was a great aid to the many visitors. In early spring, the colony placed first in the Annual Beauty and Beast Contest by collecting over $300 for the Heart Fund. Public Service Weekend 1968 found the colony clearing a wooded area for a parking lot for St. Alberts the Great Church.

Other spring activities in which Teke Colony took part were the Military Ball and the Greek Weekend. Greek Weekend was the first ever at Michigan Tech, and the colony did its share in planning and running the events. It is the colony’s hope to make this years Greek Weekend better than before, as we are going to try to get some of the more traditional Greek activities, such as the chariot race added. The colony also initiated a new Community Services in the spring by performing a general clean-up of several stores in the downtown district. The colony plans on continuing this service.

These spring events marked the end of the school year at MTU, and the members left for the summer. The 1968-1969 school year founded the colony back at work, however. Homecoming came first, and the colony built a float for its contribution in the Homecoming parade. The major project of the year came next in Winter Carnival. The colony participated in the snow statue building and all special events, as well as sponsoring a dinner which all members and their dates and several important campus official’s attended.

Teke Colony took advantage of its first opportunity to participate in campus competition by winning the first place trophy in the Annual Beauty and Beast Heart Fund Contest. The colony out-classed other participants, including all campus fraternities and sororities, by collecting more money than the next two closest competitors combined. The membership is looking anxiously to repeating as winners again this spring.

In all, Teke Colony at Michigan Tech has done well since its founding. It has participated in all campus activities, including intermetals, and created good relationships with the school, community, and other campus organizations.

The colony is dedicated to the facts that it must continue to grow it both status and size, preserve its strong brotherhood, and maintain its established public relations.

Signed,

Terry Tansey