Ralph Finch
BETA PHI # 22
I proudly enrolled at East Carolina College after graduating from Sanford Central High School in Sanford, NC. I pledged Pi Kappa Phi in the spring after attending Rush for all fraternities. It was an easy decision as I found my home with the existing brothers at the recently acquired house at 1301 E. 5th Street, an address etched in my mind. I am eternally grateful to the founding brothers for allowing me to be Beta Phi #22. ECG and Beta Phi became a big part of my being due to my experience there. I could write a book about many of the adventures with this group, but I may face being blackballed after all these years if I told it all! Here are some memories and culture information that I hope future generations will enjoy:
1301 E. 5th Street was the place to live, but you needed to go to the library to study. We studied from books as there were no computers, laptops, or social media then! I roomed in the back room one year with 7 other brothers, dominated by a window fan that could suck the paint off the wall. There was 1 bathroom up and 1 bathroom down, so you can imagine always having cold water. We also shared the downstairs bath with our required house mother, Mrs. Barnhill. She was an angel who put up with our antics except when Ray Lewis mooned her! I was our house manager once, and made everyone leave their shoes on the porch due to our new carpet! There was a 25-cent fine if inside with shoes on!
I did not show up at the house for two days after putting motor oil in my shampoo bottle often stolen from me by Ray Lewis. One brother said he came out of the bathroom screaming, "Finch!" Laxatives were often put in food also, curing items being stolen from our shared kitchen refrigerator.
I confess to being a participant in hazing when we almost drowned Bob Hood and Charlie Davis when we threw them in the river. We did this when pinned or engaged.
Dave Knock was often mad at John Gaffney and me, as we "borrowed" his Triumph convertible. We told him to quit leaving the key in the car, as he always parked in the house driveway! Most of the brothers' cars were from the 1950's. I later bought myself a 1951 Plymouth that cost $300! This was my whole summer savings!
Our chapter room was downtown on Dickinson Avenue in the space above Diener's Bakery and Ken's Furniture. Great parties were held there with shagging, twisting, and slow dancing to the 60's music from our jukebox. No one looked at their cell phones as they did not exist! One day, we got in trouble when a beer keg leaked into the bakery! I bet the baked goods were great the next day!
One Saturday, Dave Knock, John Gaffney, Walt Jacob, a few others, and I cleaned the chapter room. When walking back to the house, John and Walt tried on some dresses displayed outside a thrift store, thinking it was funny as they walked around in them. The owner did not think it was funny at all, so he called the police. Dave and I kept walking not realizing the consequences of their actions. The owner took them to court, where the judge made them walk down Main Street in dresses as punishment. It made the news, and John was worried his parents might make him come home.