Update from Mac McKenzie, Texas Rho President
Dear SAE Texas Rho Alumni and Parents,
As we are a month into the new year and things are in full swing, I would like to provide a recap of the fall, a preview of the spring, and a glimpse of everything great happening at 2414 Pearl Street.
Fall Recap
In addition to enjoying the Horns’ 13-3 football season, we welcomed a class of 55 outstanding new members from all over Texas and the country. They continued the long and excellent traditions of the Build Parties. This fall, the new members, with the help of upperclassmen, built Gameday, Beach Club, Vegas, and Jungle.
Spring Semester
Upcoming, we have Resurrection, Dad’s Weekend, TommoRHOland, Mom’s Weekend, Cooking for Kids, and, finally, Graduation. Our rush captains have been hard at work for the past few weeks creating a plan to land the top kids in and out of the state of Texas. We are looking forward to having them come to Austin and seeing them in their hometowns over the spring and summer. Additionally, we hope to see as many alums as possible when we do are fundraising events in Dallas, Houston, Austin, and Fort Worth later this spring.
Philanthropy Initiatives
In early October, we held our annual Breast Cancer Awareness Car Wash, and we raised a little over $2,100. All of the donations from the car wash were donated to the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Texas. We look forward to continuing working with the resource center in the coming years. Additionally, we are continuing our partnership with the Jeremiah Program for our late spring rush event, Cooking for Kids. All of the money that we raise at this event will be donated to the Jeremiah Program, which seeks to stop the cycle of poverty by supporting single mothers and their children. As a chapter, we are eager to create more philanthropic events to help the greater Austin community and create lasting service work memories for our members.
SAE National Update
In January, we sent three members to SAE leadership school in Chicago, and a few weeks later the chapter welcomed several men from SAE National. Steve Mitchell, the new Eminent Supreme Recorder (President) of SAE, was in town for three days of meetings with the newly elected Executive Council and the Chapter. It was a great opportunity for us to meet them, and for them to spend time with our members and to see 2414 Pearl Street.
Conclusion
In closing, our 2025 Executive Council has been working diligently on a number of initiatives that we believe will help our fraternity to continue to thrive in the years to come. We are excited and looking forward to the continued success of SAE Texas Rho this spring, and into the summer and fall semester. The schedule is packed with events, and we are expecting another tremendous semester on Pearl Street. I would like to express my gratitude to all the parents and alumni who have generously donated their time and money to keep our chapter one of the best in the country. We really appreciate your support. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you might have. Finally, I would like to thank our outgoing President, Cole Michalek, and his EC for guiding us through a very successful 2024. Texas Rho alumni, you will hear from Cole in a few days.
Sincerely,
William “Mac” McKenzie, Texas Rho President (President)
469-781-2119
macmckenzie@utexas.edu