Brods,

 

First, thanks to Eric, his officers and the outgoing Board for a long 4 years of service to the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity International.  The former UP Beta Sigma Fraternity USA was officially born on May 27, 2001 when our founding president, the late Jesus Jayme, inaugurated it at the 55^th Anniversary Grand Reunion in San Francisco.  In January 2001, the UP Beta Sigma of Northern California and UP Beta Sigma of Southern California met in Pismo Beach, California and formed the international counterpart of the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity Alumni Association of the Philippines.  As the coordinating arm, especially for the alumni who might be unaffiliated or living away from the cosmopolitan centers in the world, this would serve as the inlet connecting the overseas brods.  From this fun family reunion came the “Pismo Manifesto”, the anchor of our “Vision and Mission”.  Bumps and struggles along the way, for sure, as all budding orgs experience.  Overall, our founding brothers, I believe, will approve.

 

Secondly, I thank the brods for participating and giving us the confidence to continue the work.  Remember: this is OUR ORGANIZATION and OUR CAUSE.  We got to do it all together to fulfill our “Vision and Mission”: to have the Beta Sigma as the fraternity of choice at the University of the Philippines; to preserve and strengthen its traditions, legends, symbols and culture of excellence.  Briefly, just to mention some of the programs that the UPBSFI has embarked on: (1) first and foremost, rebuild and augment the resident membership by helping in their recruitment efforts and campus projects; (2) collect pledges and establish scholarships for deserving brods; (3) revive the School of Martial Arts (SOMA) by donating martial arts equipments and by arranging the tutelage of Betan masters Johnny Chiuten, Jopet Laraya, Dolf Pinlac, among others, and with able assistance by Noli Nolasco’s Black Secrets instructors; (4) in keeping up with the communication technology, create our own UPBSFI website; and (5) provide moral and monetary support for the medical and bereavement needs of our alumni brothers at home and abroad.

 

Thirdly, I want to reiterate that the International is strictly voluntary and is individual-based.  No arm-twisting or cajoling here.  There is no hidden agenda or personal egos involved.  We most definitely hope that many more will step forward and share the load, but you decide if you want to get involved.  We will try whenever possible to align and synergize with and complement the activities of the “Mother Chapter” and other UP alumni chapters, avoiding or minimizing duplications.  Our focus must be on the issues, problems and self-preserving interests directly affecting the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity.  Let’s not waste any time in distracting personal or extraneous organizational differences.  Our energy and resources must meet the challenge of our continued existence, if not dominance, in our beloved Alma Mater.  This is our charter and our purpose.  Our posterity might depend on what we do, or don’t do, now.

 

I am also requesting the officers to stay for now.  We need somebody to replace me as VP for National Affairs.  Volunteers, no need to take a ticket.

 

Btw, I will be in the Chicago area this week, Aug. 3-8, with my wife Cherry for the UST Nurses Assn. of America Annual Convention at the Marriott Hotel in Oak Brook.  I am looking forward to seeing the Midwest brods, UP and/or non-UP.  This was brought up so I want to make this one final clarification.  The UPBSFI Manifesto states, and from me personally, that all Beta Sigmans recognize and mutually respect each other.     

 

Lest I forget, please visit our website at ‘http://upbetasigma-usa.net’.  (Note: we have already bought the “international” domain name, so we will rename accordingly).  We will need to do some work (paging web developers!) to improve/update this site.  But even now there’s quite a lot to see (Pictures; Artwork) and read (Homepage; About Us; Directory; Newsletters; Announcements; UP Links; Betan Business), etc.  Check out the Archives too for excellent past articles: “New Life for A Betan Immigrant” by Noli Nolasco, “Kapihan sa Makati Chapter” by Pogs Gaspay, to name a few.  Contributions (news items, scientific papers, job ads, photos, etc.) are always welcome and to post/publish these and other queries do contact our web site administrator, Ollie Jumao-as via siteadmin@upbetasigma-international.org .

 

I will send this email in batches due to my ISP’s maximum number of recipients.  We will provide you a profile form and an updated UPBSFI Membership in spreadsheet form, which we are still compiling, next time.  If for any reason you prefer not to be included in the mailing, please send me a note and I will make sure that we remove your name until you tell us to do otherwise. 

 

Lastly, to introduce myself .  I joined the UP Beta Sigma in Diliman, batch ’65, taking me two years to make it.  I credit a big part of my becoming a Betan to two individuals who believed in me when things were really rough, and I thank them: my wild and crazy karate partners – Jopet and Noli.  I was the GP in Diliman in ’71-‘72.  Got my BA and MBA in Diliman; worked for the Phil. gov’t.; emigrated to Canada in ‘73, then USA in ’76.   I was the GP of UP Beta Sigma SoCal in ’92-’94.  I am married to Cherry Tambaoan, an ICU nurse, and we have three children.  I work for Southern California Edison in the IT Dept. as a programmer/developer.      

 

For questions, concerns, suggestions email me at ‘nmbituin@msn.com’ (home) and ‘norman.bituin@sce.com’ (work), or call anytime at my cell 909-815-1374.  Salamat, mga utol.

 

For a united UP Beta Sigma!

 

 

Norman’65