The Origins of Summer FUNction

Published on June 29th, 2018

It is summer so that means that the NCD Summer FUNction is coming up fast. By now you should know what Summer FUNction is but do you know how the it came to be?! Welcome to your 1st NCD History Highlight from your History and Traditions Director, Mike Osborn.

What we know today as Summer FUNction was approved at the 1991 NCD Convention in Ann Arbor when David Homan (KKPsi Upsilon) and Jackie Miller (TBS Delta Epsilon) were district presidents. At that point the district was extremely business oriented which did not lend itself to social activities. It was therefore decided that a summer event that was centered on social interaction needed to be created. This social outlet is what became the Summer FUNction.

The first NCD Summer FUNction took place in July 1991 during the presidential term of Mike Osborn (KKPsi ZE) and Larissa (Bien) Miller (TBS ZE). It was a one day event at what was then the Dover Lake Waterpark in Dover, OH. For KKPsi the planning for the event fell mostly to NCD Member at Large, Dan Skrovan (BK). The first Summer FUNction was well attended which was in part due to its location within easy travel of many of the chapters back in 1991. At the first Summer FUNction there was a short business meeting where updates on national convention topics were discussed (it was a major issue oriented convention with the CFR proposal, a complete revision of the Ritual, changes in membership terminology along with a national convention bid coming from Purdue. (keep in mind that in that era the only ways to update people were mailings, phone calls or meetings so a meeting at a district function was most efficient). The short meeting was accompanied by a picnic cookout and then the district enjoyed a sun soaked day of fun in the water park. As a side note the hot dogs might have had a part in securing the 1993 National Convention for Purdue as the leftover uncooked hot dogs were brought to College Park Maryland for the 1991 National Convention. It was there that the hot dogs were cooked and distributed to Brothers and Sisters on the walkway where the district was playing volleyball. The phrase “a hot dog is a vote for Purdue for national convention” showed great district support for Gamma Pi and Beta Sigma and let’s face it free food can do a lot to get support from starving college students at a national convention.

I encourage you to post your favorite Summer FUNction memories as a comment to this post. In the soon to be 27 Summer FUNctions there have been so many many memorable moments and it would be great to collect that history here as well.