Eta Gamma/Morehead State Receives Westol Sacred Purpose Award
Carmel, IN - Theta Chi Fraternity is proud to announce Eta Gamma Chapter at Morehead State University as the 2019/2020 recipient of the David L. Westol Sacred Purpose Award. The award was presented during the online chapter awards ceremony as part of the modified 164th Anniversary Convention schedule.
The mission of Sacred Purpose is to protect our brothers, and the broader campus community, by providing health and safety education. By offering programmatic support at the chapter and international levels, Theta Chi inspires its members live up to our Fraternity’s highest calling.
Eta Gamma hosted guest speakers on Hazing Prevention; Recognizing Signs of Depression; Alcohol Use, Drug Use, and Abuse; and Fire Health & Safety. They partnered with the Director of Nursing in their local school district and offered American Red Cross CPR, AED, and first aid training to the entire chapter, with 19 brothers completing the training.
They also established an ongoing partnership with their campus health center to post flyers across campus which included crisis numbers for students to call if they found themselves in need. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the chapter had planned an entire week of activities to promote Sexual Misconduct Prevention. When the campus closed due to COVID-19, the chapter moved this event to an online format and still promoted awareness of sexual misconduct prevention through a social media campaign with Chi Omega.
The gentlemen of Eta Gamma Chapter continue to exceed expectations of implementing Sacred Purpose in their daily operations and this year was no exception. The Fraternity is proud of their commitment to the health, safety, and well-being of our members and others.
The Sacred Purpose award is named in honor of David L. Westol, Beta Zeta Chapter at Michigan State 1973, who’s volunteer and professional career have been devoted to the health, safety, and protection of fraternity and sorority members. After graduating from Michigan State in 1973, Dave worked for his alma mater as Assistant Director of Student Activities and Advisor to Fraternities. He was admitted to the Michigan Bar in November 1979 and became an assistant prosecutor for the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney in Kalamazoo County, MI.
From 1975-1980, Westol served as a Regional Counselor for Theta Chi before being elected to the Grand Chapter as International Vice President in 1980. He remained in that role until completing his maximum second term in 1988. In December of that year, he was named the Fraternity’s Executive Director and held that position for 18 years. Today, he is the founder, owner and CEO of Limberlost Consulting.
Westol’s interfraternal career is equally impressive. He was elected to the board of directors of the Fraternal Information and Programming Group (FIPG) in 1993 and served continuously on the board since that time. He has also served FIPG in the roles of Director of Policy Interpretation and Administrator since 1996. In July 1998, he was elected to the Fraternity Executives Association board of directors and served as president from 2002-2003. He has also served on the board of directors for HazingPrevention.org and on the Association of Fraternal Leadership and Values.
Dave has become a universal figure at fraternity and sorority leadership development events. He has performed his signature anti-hazing presentation “Hazing on Trial” over 1,800 times since 1981 and has spoken on more than 350 campuses and at over 200 Greek leadership events. Dave has served as a faculty member for the Association of Fraternity Leadership and Values, the Northeast Greek Leadership Association, the Southeast Interfraternity Conference, and the Fraternal Risk Management Trust, Inc. From its first session in the early 1990s through 2010, he was a faculty member for “Risk Management on the Road,” an annual workshop for traveling consultants of women’s national fraternities and sororities.
In 2012, Dave was named a recipient of the North-American Interfraternity Conference’s Gold Medal, the most prestigious honor in the inter-fraternal world. Brother Westol is one of only four Theta Chi members to have received the Gold Medal.
Founded in 1856, Theta Chi Fraternity is a men’s collegiate fraternity with more than 196,000 initiated members and has established 243 chapters. Leadership development, personal development, and service to alma mater are fundamental to Theta Chi Fraternity’s mission.