Bill Poland ‘67: Sigma Nu made me realize that I could be a leader

Bill Poland ‘67 ([email protected]) says that he knew very quickly that he wanted to pledge to Sigma Nu. “I had a mentor in Houston who was the father of a classmate of mine who was a Sigma Nu at Suwannee College. I admired him greatly. I did look closely at other fraternities, but bonded with several Sigma Nu’s quickly, especially my Big Brother, Tom Buckler.” 

Bill Poland ‘67 ([email protected]) says that he knew very quickly that he wanted to pledge to Sigma Nu. “I had a mentor in Houston who was the father of a classmate of mine who was a Sigma Nu at Suwannee College. I admired him greatly. I did look closely at other fraternities, but bonded with several Sigma Nu’s quickly, especially my Big Brother, Tom Buckler.” 

He says that the house stood apart on campus. “The fraternity house has an excellent location on campus. It allowed us to be quite active with intramural sports, and a number of us were active in student government as well.”  

He says that his best memories are of the activities in the house – after the tough homework was done. “We were a large house with, I believe, over 100 members. We enjoyed our lives but knew we had to buckle down because Georgia Tech was tough academically. We had wonderful parties.  

All these years later, a number of us (around 40) have a reunion in Florida every May. It’s not often easy for me to attend.”  

He says that Sigma Nu made an impact on him that lasted long after graduation. “For me personally, I realized that I could be a leader. It was great to learn to be respectful and follow the Roberts Rules of Order in meetings.”  

He says that giving back to the chapter is crucial for him. “I certainly want to know the Gamma Alpha chapter Georgia Tech can sustain itself.”  

I don’t know how I would’ve turned out if I had headed in a different direction, and not joined Sigma Nu.