YOU MIGHT WANT TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THE MUSEUM OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Br. Jerry Fecht has to admit that working to bring about The Museum of the San Fernando Valley is hard work, but somebody has to do it. (click on image to enlarge it.)

MORE VERY EARLY PHI DELT PHOTOS

These early photos of the Fraternity were donated to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley by Br. Jerry Berns in 2009.

 Br. Jerry Fecht speaks at the Fall 1959 "Smoker". Note the Phi Delt banner in the background.
 Photo 2304

 Newly initiated Br. Dave Clancy, I believe with his parents, at a Parents Day. This may have been taken at the Oxnard House before Beta Chapter was formed - U.S. Grant High School under construction in the background. Photo 2305.  Br. Clancy was the first Pledge Master of Beta Chapter.

 Popular disc jockey Dell Moore speaks at an early Phi Delta Psi "Smoker". In the background is the Bob Harnow quartet. This group inspired our guys to form their own quartet. Photo 2306

 Br. Ted Quillen speaks at the Fall Smoke 1959. Ted was the first honorary initiate of the Fraternity. He was a big time LA disc jockey on Radio KFWB.  Photo 2307

 Br. Jerry Fecht speaks at the Fall 1959 "smoker". Note the handmade Phi Delta Psi letters on the crest on the podium.  Jerry was the 6th President of the Fraternity. Photo 2308

7th President of the Phi Delta Psi Fraternity, Br. Rowland LoBianco Jr. Speaking at a Rush Smoker in 1959. Photo 2309.

KICKOFF OF AIDS LIFECYCLE RIDE BRINGS OUT THE FECHTS

Photograph by Chris Eisenberg
Janne Fecht hands out bagels while Jerry hustles bananas.

Our commitment to the AIDS Lifecycle Bicycle Ride, from San Francisco to Los Angeles each year, begins early. In this case, Janne and I got up at 4:30 am to drive to Manhattan Beach, California to support the riders participating in the A.L.C. "Kickoff Ride" on October 24th. We cut and handed out bagels and bananas. New riders received basic instruction, and there were rides of various lengths for those of differing skills. Our son Brendan led a beginners' ride. He calls his novice riders, his possums.

Taggart and Fecht

Fiercely dedicated to his Fraternity and having fun, Founder Donald B. Taggart.


Navy Reserve photo taken of Jerry Fecht at Los Alamitos.

BIG SEA-CRUISE REUNION PLANNED FOR OCTOBER

Brothers Arnold Levy, Jerry McAlevey, Gary Fredburg and Jerry Fecht met today at the relocated Barrone's Restaurant in Valley Village (Van Nuys by Valley College). We discussed Arnie's plan for a sea-cruise reunion in October of this year. There will be lots of food, entertainment and places to get together to share our Phi Delt history. Stay tuned - more to come soon.

Nordic Inn - Matchbook Cover - Collection of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley - gift of Gary Fredburg 2008

You might like to see how The Museum keeps records on its acquisitions.
first number is the date acquired - donor's code (001 is Gary) and the number in The Museum's inventory
Nordic Inn Smorgasbord (match book cover)
artifact number: 0708-001-283
condition: fair
donor: Gary Fredburg - 08
location: Fecht's studio office - matchbook collection
scanned: 29 July 08 - filed COMMUNITIES Sherman Oaks
used on Maple Leaf Brotherhood blog 29 July 08
Notes: Deluxe Scandinavian Smorgasbord
13359 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA
Phone 783-9513
Hours 4 PM to 9 PM closed Monday
beer wine award-winning chef

JERRY FECHT AND JIM NIVETTE

Clipping in archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 2008 (click on photo to enlarge)

In 1967, the Burbank Junior Chamber of Commerce designed Jerry as an "Outstanding Young Teacher." The award was presented by James Nivette. The award was a surprise to both Jerry and Jim. Nivette had only been told that he was presenting the award to a teacher at Burbank High School and the director of the school district's new continuation school.
Delta Chapter Brothers, Jim Nivette and Horace Seeley-Brown III both pledge Sigma Alpha Epsilon at the University of Southern California, where they became close friends with the Phi Delts in the national fraternity.
Jerry Fecht and Jim Nivette had not seen each other more than a few times after Jerry's graduation. So, the award was a double pleasure for both.
After Jerry earned his doctorate, he visited Jim Nivette, where he was in practice in Santa Cruz. To Jerry's profound shock, he later learned that Jim had been accused of murdering his wife and had fled the country. Years earlier Jim and Jerry discussed a river in France flowing from the Vogues Mountains, called La Fecht.
Jim fled the United States, after abandoning his little son in the San Francisco Airport. He disappeared somewhere in France. An international search ensued. Eventually he was found in the tiny village of Munster on the Fecht River in Alsace. It turned out that his family owned a condo there. France refused to extradite Nivette, because of America's death penalty. Eventually, he and a notorious killer named Einhorn were sent to the USA with the agreement of life in prison without possibility of parole. Jim is serving a life sentence in a California prison. (Folsom, I think.)

JERRY BERNS MUSEUM DONATION

Jerry Berns - Tarzan Books Donation - 2008 - Archive of the Museum of the San Fernando Valley
To honor the memory of our great old friend, Danton Burroughs who died this last week, Br. Jerry Berns has donated eight first edition Edgar Rice Burroughs books to your Museum. Each of the books has an inscription written by Danton Burroughs to our Fraterntiy Brother in 1987.
Grady Talbot, Gary Fredburg and Jerry Fecht have been working to bring about The Museum of the San Fernando Valley for the last four years. Our goal is to bring about a full service Museum of history and culture for the San Fernando Valley. The Museum maintains extensive electronic archives, one of which is the Archive of the Phi Delta Psi Fraternity. (The photos on this Maple Leaf Brotherhood blog are part of this Archive.
The Museum is working with the Weddington Heritage Trust to preserve the historic Weddington House in North Hollywood. The City agreed with us, and the house is scheduled to be move to the north-west corner of North Hollywood Park on Chandler Boulevard. When the house is moved, within the next two months, the Museum will begin laying out our management plans for the house.

MAPLE LEAF BALL COMMITTEE 1966

Maple Leaf Ball Brochure 1966 - Phi Delta Psi Archive - The Museum of the San Fernando Valley - 2008
How would you like to have these guys organize a party for your group today? Members of the committee were: Founder Steve Falk, Gerald Fecht, Richard Ennis (Alpha), Art Aston Jr. (Founder of Beta), Gerald Olson (Beta) and Robert Rayne Sherman (Beta)

I'll cut-and-paste each one of these photos and give you a little update on each man, after I've had my Ovaltine. Click on the photo to enlarge the image. I had a great lunch with Br. Clay Koerner yesterday. He looks like he ought to be in the White House.
"The Falcon"

DANTON BURROUGHS HAS DIED

One of the San Fernando Valley's greatest friends of history, Danton Burroughs has died. Dan died sometime after 10 last evening. He had struggled with Parkinson's Disease for sometime, but his death may have been related to a significant fire among his historical treasures on April 30th. Danton was the grandson of the beloved author Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan.
Danton died at his home in Tarzana, a San Fernando Valley suburb named by his grandfather. Danton was the son of the great American photographer John Coleman Burroughs. He was a founder of the Tarzana Museum and supporter of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley.
Danton was a member of Chi Chi Chi Fraternity at Los Angeles Pierce College and was a lifelong friend of many members of the Beta Chapter of the Phi Delta Psi Fraternity. Among the last persons to speak with him is Br. Jerry Berns who had a long conversation with Dan about 8 o'clock last evening. He commented to Jerry Fecht, the morning after the fire, that he cherished his college friends, who were the greatest of his treasures.
At Dan's request, Jerry Fecht went to his home the morning after the fire to photograph damage. The photographs are a tragic record of how fragile our friendships and our history can be.
Services for Danton are not as yet decided.

JANNE AND JERRY FECHT

Janne Fecht, Jerry's wife, distributes orange slices to AIDS Life Cycle riders on Saturday April 19th.
Jerry Fecht directs AIDS Life Cycle riders into their rest stop in Rolling Hills. Jerry will be a "roadie" on the big ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles in June. The Fechts work as volunteers for the AIDS Life Cycle ride all year long as the riders do practice rides, such as this one, getting into condition. Jerry will work in the camp store, near the coffee station.
Jerry pledged our Brotherhood in the Fall of 1957.