A Father's Legacy for His Children As a father, Bob Gingras (Bowling Green) is determined to leave behind something of value for his children, and as a brother, that same desire extends to Sigma Nu. A former traveling consultant and current member of the High Council, Bob has made it his mission to not only provide for his family but to do so in a way that teaches his children about the value of money and giving back.

To hear him talk about the process and motive behind what he's teaching his two boys, Trevor (16) and Hunter (9), it's clear that he's committed to providing lessons that will last a lifetime. Most importantly he teaches them about "proportionate living and proportionate giving." He has explained to his boys that no matter how much they make, it will never feel like enough. Therefore, he's taught them the importance of planning for the future and budgeting for today. He shows them how he divides every pay check and puts a percentage in savings, a percentage in retirement, a percentage towards charitable giving and a percentage towards everything else. He even explains how much the family pays in taxes so that they will understand those implications as well.

The lessons began when each boy was in kindergarten, Bob says. They do chores at home and earn money using a formula based on their age. Whatever money they make, they take 30% off the top, and they put a percentage in savings, a percentage in their college fund and give 10% to the church. The message Bob says he wants them to understand is "no matter how much or how little you make you still need to give back a portion of what you earn." It's an important lesson, Bob says, for the boys to learn for themselves so they can apply it and then teach it to their own children.

He doesn't just talk the talk -- Bob walks the walk. He is a long time donor to the Foundation, since his senior year in college. Today he supports Epsilon Chi's scholarship fund that he began with some of his chapter brothers in the 1980s. He also contributes to a fund for the Headquarters Shrine, which was intended to pay off the mortgage by applying additional payments on the principal. Since the mortgage was retired in May 2005, contributions are now applied to the maintenance, upkeep and renovation of our beautiful and historic Shrine. Bob says he supports this fund because "the Headquarters is the core of the Fraternity. It's a gorgeous place, but it's also what keeps Sigma Nu going each day. We have to have that strong central power base." He says it's also one of those contributions that you can see results of on a daily basis.

In keeping with what they are teaching their children, when Bob and his wife Terry were doing their estate planning they made sure to designate enough for their children and for their church. Together they also decided to leave $25,000 in their will for the Sigma Nu Foundation. Bob says, "I see it as part of my permanent commitment to Sigma Nu. Not just a check but a part of our lives." In addition, as long as he's living, Bob plans to re-evaluate that amount every 5 years and as his assets increase his contribution may increase as well. He explains that this decision is a great teaching opportunity to further emphasize to their boys the importance of giving back and doing so based on what they earn.

"I give back today," says Bob, "because Sigma Nu has been a lifelong experience for me. I greatly benefited as an undergraduate and am still benefiting from my volunteer experience. I've built relationships with some great men." He also says he gives back so that other Sigma Nus can have the same experience he had. "I want a very good mature fraternity experience for our children and for other people's children." He stays involved to help make sure that happens.

Bob is not only passing on to his children an incredible gift of wisdom in how they view and handle money, but he's also teaching them the value and importance of giving back. One can be certain that with a father who has taken such care to bestow these lessons on his sons, that they will grow up and carry with them the same passion and enthusiasm for the organizations they love. Sigma Nu is proud to call Bob Gingras "brother".