Absolutely incredible. Absolutely incredible.

Brought it all back...I appreciated all it represented and the courage it took for him to relate it to the group.

Priceless...

thats as good as it can get in words. it really took me back.


"Guns don't kill people, I kill people."

It was the right way to remember and reflect.

Chip's got it right. And so did the Governor.

Bring it back!

I wouldn't have expected anything different out of him. Chip was always my favorite out of that group.

wasn't three of chip's friends up on stack three of the fallen?

He did have one hell of a speech.

Several of the browns/old browns/new browns were up on 4th. It was passdown night.

Chip did a great job. I know he used to post here...not sure if he still does. Chip, if you're around, I'd love to get a copy of your speech from today.

If you are thinking of me, it's not me. Chip's a year older than me.

Whoa...
I just searched for you, ChipFTAC01, and it lead me back to this thread. I was like, "Huh?" and saw that you posted.

Weird. Thanks for clearing that up.

Is that speech on line (or going to be) where I can hear it? I missed it.

Please post a video of the speech if you can!

As someone who never got to see bonfire burn or have any connection with its construction, I apprecciated him giving people like me an insight into what it was like. I felt as if I was there. Definetly no dry eyes here. i.e. it was priceless. Thanks so much.

Head out to stack tomorrow and participate Diana!

Chip - absolutely incredible. I never thought words could so vividly describe many of nuances, but they all came back then and there.

I've watched it several times now, and still cry every time. It could not have been said better. Truly moving.

Every word...

quote:

---

Absolutely incredible. Absolutely incredible.

---

Like I said in the other post, that was classic Chip. He always said exactly what he thought, even as a fish. Chip, if you come on here, hope all is going well. Good job today.

Got a chance to meet him and his mom briefly last night. He is incredible.

You can watch the entire ceremony here...

http://www.kbtx.com/news/features/8/1133746.html

Just click on the link that says "Bonfire Memorial Ceremony".

I grew up here in B/CS, so I've been around Bonfire all my life. From as far back as I can remember I either attended Bonfire, or watched it at home with my family on tv. However, I never knew what it was like to be on site. Chip painted a beautiul picture of what it was truly like to help build TAMU's greatest tradition. I was in tears and I know many others were as well. Thank you.

For those who want to skip to Chip Thiel's speech, start it at right about 1 hour into the broadcast.

anyone know how we can download this to our computers??

The video I see is only 46 minutes long...is that the right one?

Chip & Steph are on "vacation" this weekend and do not have internet access- I have related a few of your posts to him & I can say on behalf of Chip and our family that we are all touched. Thank you!

Well make sure he gets this message:

BEAT THE HELL OUTTA tu!

aka "the ladies from austin"

Chip's Speech from the dedication:

Five years ago I stood on top of the world perched
atop 4th stack with 3 dear friends of mine watching
Aggies build what is one of our greatest traditions.
Suddenly, in some unforeseeable twist of fate, my life changed, the life of every Aggie that came before and after me changed. Texas A&M changed.

As a natural result Texas A&M has to adapt to a life without bonfire on campus. As we celebrate the
memories of 12 aggies whose lives were cut short as they willingly participated in this university's
greatest tradition, I would like to reflect on the contagious spirit of a tradition left behind.

My favorite time of year comes in the fall, when the northern air arrives to push the humidity down to a reasonable level, to turn leaves brown, and to remind me and Ags everywhere that it is bonfire weather.
Many current students do not know the meaning bonfire weather and many former students have let the memory fade. Bonfire weather is the time of year when aggies unselfishly sacrifice time, grades, and everything in between to cut, load, transport, unload, and stack a forest full of trees to create the largest bonfire in the world.

It was bigger than necessary and defied reason and
possibility, but we would not have it any other way.
While it would have been more efficient to use modern technologies and equipment, we chose to do it as it was done for 90 years; with sweat, blisters, grunts, groans, teamwork, axes, machetes, ropes, chains, wire,over-sized nails, pliers, steel toed boots, carhartt jackets, generous donations, left handed sky hooks,
FFE semi's, muddy pick-ups, muffler less tractors,
scarecrows, and perimeter pole fires. Then just
before the fightin Texas aggie football team squared
off against the ladies from Austin, we burned it in an arrogantly flamboyant ceremony that said, "We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we." While 10s of 000's gathered annually to witness the big fire, the cadets, non-regs, O.C. hogs, brownpots, yellowpots, butt-pots, crew chiefs, centerpolepots, pink pots, redpots, bonfire buddies, blacks, women, asians, men, whites,
latinos, and randoms who had invested 000's of hours of sweat equity in that stack of wood knew that the only reason we burned it was to clear the Polo Fields so that we could do it all over again next year.

I would now like to take you back to a day prior to Nov 18, 1999 to enjoy what many Ags enjoyed...a common day at bonfire. Not to diminish the memories of the fallen, but to burn into your memory why they were here that night. If you would like, go ahead and close your eyes and take a nostalgic journey back to the good ol days.

As you make your way to the polo fields, first you
hear it. It's dark outside and you are walking across a sleeping and studying campus. Steel toe boots clunking along the sidewalk. A chain jingles at your side that is taped to your pliers. Your pot rattles a little. The first sounds from the field emerge as the buzz of chainsaws, tractor engines, and then some faint music. A nearly worn out Jerry Jeff tape moans out "desperadoes waiting for a train..." Then you can hear the shouts and your pace quickens. "1-2 halfway up, I need a log right here, gimmie some wire, I want my chain back, headache!, I need a heave." all mixed
with the proper expletives.

Then you can see it. A home made flag waves atop an oppressive hulk of a structure lit by old beat up gas lights atop leaning perimeter poles. A chill of Aggie pride runs down your spine. A mass of people are there; some working, some watching. A huge crane lifts another log and swings it gently into place.

Then you can smell it. Smoke from perimeter fires,
mud or dust depending on the year, chainsaw mix, cigar smoke, stale coffee, non-reg's grodes, sawdust and fresh cut hardwood.


Then you can taste it. You flick a dead bee off an
old donut and wash it down with coffee that tastes
like it was made last week. On your way to the stack, you put in a dip of Copenhagen...no less than a third of the can.

Finally you can feel it. A chilly north wind, oaky
bark, cold wire, metal pliers, a 2x8 for a seat in a swing on third stack, perimeter ropes nearby. You survey your quadrant and agree with your ground man where you need to concentrate. You spy a penny nail a few logs in. You get it and stick it through the hole in the sleeve of your jacket so you can use it later. Then you shout with all of your might I NEED SOME WIRE AND A LOG UP HERE RIGHT NOW!!! Again sprinkled with expletives.

At the end of the shift, the sun is peeking up over
the oak trees. You work your way down the stack.
Your voice is spent. You walk back to the dorm joking with your friends...probably your friends for years to come. All of you tired, but proud to be Aggies and united by the fire.

That is the Bonfire I knew, that is the Bonfire I
miss.


God Bless America and the Soldiers that defend her.

Gig'em Chip Thiel '00

Also from 05munkee's post on another thread about Chip's speech...
Chip Thiel's Speech as a ogg vorbis file. Be nice to my poor DSL. Sorry, no MP3 since all of the ones I tried to make sounded like crap. http://quackerhead.com/~dwhit/chip.ogg
This might also be useful for those on windows:
http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/11/2/2/11-2-2-102.shtml



[This message has been edited by Tigger51 (edited 11/20/2004 9:58a).]

Thanx Tigger!

Chip's speech was amazing, and I love the tradition of bonfire. Working on it this year has be awesome... Last night at stack was amazing when we got it done. But I think we need to keep something in perspective.

People have been calling Bonfire A&M's "greatest tradition," and while I love bonfire, I think we should remember that our truely worthwhile traditions, are Silver Taps and Muster. These are our greatest traditions, simply because, like with the Bonfire collapse, they show how Aggies will stand together in the hard times, not just the good.

Tigger thanks so much for posting that! I was going to try to contact Chip to get a copy. Chad and I absolutely loved the speech. It was very hard to control myself, I wanted to stand up and whoop, or yell, or I don't know what. It was so great...he did an awesome job taking us back to a time we all loved.

After being away from the internet since last Wednesday, I would like to say thanks for the positive response to the speech.

I sent it to some old pots before my wife and I went to CS Wednesday, and it seemed to make its way around the net like the plague. Anyway, it was evolving right up to the time we walked on stage so there are some discrepancies to the one making the rounds.

I was honored to be in the company of Mr. Ebanks and to be a part of the ceremony.

I have copied the speech I took to the podium, at the end is a poem Jeremy wrote years ago that I had in the original speech but could not fit into the one I used. For some reason the pages did not look right to me without it there, so I left it.

Chip Thiel '00
--old brownpots never die


Five years ago I stood on top of the world perched atop 4th stack with 3 dear friends of mine watching Aggies build what is one of our greatest traditions. Suddenly, in some unforeseeable twist of fate, my life changed, the life of every Aggie that came before and after me changed. Texas A&M changed.

As a natural result Texas A&M has to adapt to a life without bonfire on campus. As we celebrate the memories of 12 aggies whose lives were cut short as they willingly participated in this university’s greatest tradition, I would like to reflect on the contagious spirit of a tradition left behind.

My favorite time of year comes in the fall, when the northern air arrives to push the humidity down to a reasonable level, to turn leaves brown, and to remind me and Ags everywhere that it is bonfire weather. Many current students do not understand this and many former students have let the memory fade. Bonfire weather is the time of year when aggies unselfishly sacrifice time, grades, and everything in between to cut, load, transport, unload, and stack a forest full of trees to create the largest bonfire in the world.

It was bigger than necessary and defied reason and possibility, but we would not have it any other way. While it would have been more efficient to use modern technologies and equipment, we chose to do it as it was done for 90 years; with sweat, blisters, grunts, groans, teamwork, axes, machetes, ropes, chains, wire, over-sized nails, pliers, steel toed boots, carhartt jackets, generous donations, left handed sky hooks, FFE semi’s, muddy pick-ups, muffler less tractors, scarecrows, and perimeter pole fires. Then just before the fightin Texas aggie football team squared off against the ladies from Austin, we burned it in an arrogantly flamboyant ceremony that said, "We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we.”

While 10s of 000’s gathered annually to witness the big fire, the cadets, non-regs, brownpots, yellowpots, butt-pots, crew chiefs, centerpolepots, pink pots, redpots, bonfire buddies, and randoms who had invested 000’s of hours of sweat equity in that stack of wood knew that the only reason we burned it was to clear the Polo Fields so that we could do it all over again next year.

I would now like to take you back to a day prior to Nov 18, 1999 to enjoy what many Ags enjoyed...a common day at bonfire. Not to diminish the memories of the fallen, but to burn into your memory why they were here that night. If you would like, go ahead and close your eyes and take a nostalgic journey back to the good ol days.

As you make your way to the fields, first you hear it. It's dark outside and you are walking across a sleeping and studying campus. Steel toe boots clunking along the sidewalk. A chain jingles at your side that is taped to your pliers. Your pot rattles a little. The first sounds from the field emerge as the buzz of chainsaws, tractor engines, and then some faint music. A nearly worn out Jerry Jeff tape moans out "desperadoes waiting for a train...” Then you can hear the shouts and your pace quickens. "1-2 halfway up/ I need a log right here/ gimmie some wire/ I want my pot back/ headache!/ I need a heave."

Then you can see it. A home made flag waves atop an oppressive hulk of a structure lit by old beat up gas lights atop leaning perimeter poles. A chill of Aggie pride runs down your spine. A mass of people are there; some working, some watching. A huge crane lifts another log and swings it gently into place.

Then you can smell it. Smoke from perimeter fires, mud or dust depending on the weather, diesel, chainsaw mix, cigar smoke, stale coffee, non-reg's grodes, sawdust and fresh cut hardwood.

Then you can taste it. You flick a dead bug off an old donut and wash it down with coffee that tastes like it was made last week. On your way to the stack, you put in a dip of Copenhagen...no less than a third of the can.

Finally you can feel it. A chilly north wind, oaky bark, cold wire, metal pliers, a 2x8 for a seat in a swing on third stack, perimeter ropes nearby. You survey your quadrant and agree with your ground man where you need to concentrate. You spy a penny nail a few logs in, you grab it and stick it through the hole in the sleeve of your jacket so you can use it later. Then you shout with all of your might “ I need some wire and a log up here right now!!!”

At the end of the shift, the sun is peeking up over the oak trees. You work your way down the stack. Your voice is spent. You walk back to the dorm joking with your friends...probably your friends for years to come. All of you tired, but proud to be Aggies and united by the fire.

That is the Bonfire that the 12 we are here to remember knew and loved. It is the Bonfire we all loved building together, and that is the Bonfire I miss.

God Bless America and the Soldiers that defend her.

Gig’em


_______________________________

Jeremy Frampton wrote: The Purpose of Life
Why look for reason
There is not cause
Why try to find a purpose
There may be none at all
Take whatever there is
And make the most
And if there is nothing
Make your own
And while you are loving to live
A reason will become
And a purpose will appear
Making all the more reason to go on.

Chip, I met you very briefly at the hotel--and your mother. I was with Kelly.

This speech was such a gift. Thank you so much for taking on a tough task and doing it with heart and courage.

Take care.

It was truly incredible! I couldn't have imagined anything better. THANK YOU!

Great speech. Felt like I was out there again listening to his speech.

Hey Charles, shoot me an email, need to get ahold of you. Ran into Eric, Justin's bonfire dad had it continued...


[This message has been edited by robertf03 (edited 6/16/2011 11:38a).]