Category Archives: Fraternity News

Student Advisory Committee September 2016 Report

Posted on by

Brothers,

Below you will find an outline of what took place during the September Student Advisory Committee meeting on September 11, 2016. Notes for the meeting were taken by Sarah Person from the MWD. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. You can reach me at zac@kkpsi.org or the whole committee at StudentAdvisory@kkpsi.org.

Keep Striving!
Zac

—September SAC – Minutes 9/11/2016—

  • Introduction/Attendance
    • Midwest: Sarah Person – Secretary/Treasurer
    • Western: no representative
    • North Central: Abigail Johnson – VPM
    • North East: Helen Landers – HAAL & Shanon Rubin – VP
    • Southeast: Evan Schlameuss – VPP
    • Southwest: Arjun Jeetan – MAL
  • District Updates
    • Midwest: District Day at CU Boulder – Mountain themed with focus being on goal setting and planning
    • Western: n/a
    • North Central: Work on planning and logistics for member education retreat!
    • North East: District planning, trying to set up KKPsi and TBS meeting times. District promoting pictures!
    • Southeast: Psi 85, bring the chapters along route 85. Planning for the year and prepping for an upcoming council meeting. Working on side projects and with district VP’s.
    • Southwest: Selected team for the Alto (Newsletter). Have more articles that aren’t convention themed. Working on new ‘Badges for brotherhood”. Little badges for the different chapters for making different tasks. Had to CLC’s – east and west. Looking to have it in the north and the south next year to have it more balanced. Working on speakers for conventions, schools for workshops, service event (Penny drive), etc. New colony at University of Texas El Paso
  • SAC Topic #1: What do DOs/students want to get out of the SAC?
    • SAC Overview
      • Year-long SAC aims toward providing a way to get input and have a greater student voice
        • Email the SAC email with things that come up!
      • Shannon – Committee is most beneficial when we are all in contact with each other – also bring student voices up to the national level
      • Providing opportunities for them to question programs
        • Look into talking to Marco to try and get more of the programs broken down in ways that are easy to understand and apply for
        • Use social media more to get the news out there
          • Put out more announcements for “ask me questions” reminders
        • Sometimes saying “Come to me with your questions comments and concerns” is very vague and can be hard to get interaction that way
  • National Council Updates
    • Jack has been working on getting committees set up for National Convention
      • Nominations committee will be set by the middle of October
      • Ritual Performance and Education Committee
        • This committee will…
          • Work on recommendations for ritual logistics
          • Provide clarifications and suggestions
          • Provide CMEP kinds of things that will tie into the national curriculum
        • Next National Council meeting on the 20th of Sept.
          • If you have any questions you would like to be brought up send them to Zac (zac@kkpsi.org)
        • National MEP Curriculum is being cleaned up
          • National Headquarters is being cleaned out to be rented
            • An exciting opportunity for revenue to the nationals
            • Doing a lot of upgrades to the building from the citiy!
        • Podcasts are live!
          • Weekly on Tuesday mornings
          • Listen to them! Spread the word!
          • Send Zac your genuine comments! Good or bad.
          • Zac wants to interview national award winners in the future. He is scheduling interviews with these winners.
            • One episode a semester to provide recognitions to winners
          • Wants to provide more workshop based episodes once the get to know the national leadership episodes are finished.
          • Arjun’s podcast suggestion: Podcast on each of the district conventions as they are having
            • See the differences between the districts
            • Zac wants to do ‘Story Corps’ like bits during convention
            • Also wants to do convention recaps
        • Life membership drive on September 23rd
          • Discounted life memberships – spread the word
          • Zac will send a flyer out to everyone on SAC to spread the word
        • National Student Awards
          • Spread awareness how these awards are picked
          • Looking to have student becoming a part of the selection process
          • Keep your eyes out for potentials of these awards
          • Have questions? Marco (VPP) would be happy to talk as well as any National Officers
  • District Feedback/Concerns
    • Arjun – Lack of participation in student awards, specifically AEA scholarship and J. Lee Burke Student Achievement Award. As District officers try to spread the word about these awards so there is a bigger pool of applicants.
      • Bring more awareness – Zac will work with Robert at HQ to come up with flyers or things to spread on social media
      • Marco’s work putting it on the website is helpful – now it is on District Officers to spread the word
      • Moving forward look into ways to help the District Officers put the word out there
  • SAC Topic #2: What would you like to see the Ritual Performance and Education Committee do?
    • Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, a complete account of this part of the conversation will not be shared here. If you would like to get a record of what was discussed, you can contact Zac Humphrey, VPSA (zac@kkpsi.org) for that information.
    • The first meeting of this new committee will take place on September 25th, 2016 at 8pm ET. If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns, please send them to Zac.
  • Announcements and Wrap up
    • Give the national council your perspective!
      • Nationals want your honest input both good and bad!
      • Don’t hesitate to bring your frustrations to Zac or others on the council
      • Everyone wants you to be having fun as a member of the district council, but if you have them bring your concerns to someone

National Council Connects – August 2016

Posted on by

Brothers:

Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year! The National Council is looking forward to an outstanding year of promoting and advancing college/university bands through musicianship, leadership, and service.

As we move closer to the 2017 National Convention in Orlando, the National Council will begin monthly communication with all members, directors, and sponsors providing important updates and information regarding fraternity business, committees, proposals, and the National Intercollegiate Band. The council will also provide general updates on programming, deadlines, and district events and recognize excellence within our chapters and membership.

As your National Vice President for Colonization & Membership, I will be sharing updates and information with you regarding our colonization/expansion program and the CFRs.

Colonization/Expansion

I would like to welcome our two newest colonies. They have already started the colonization process and should be done in November.

Please send a note of welcome and congratulations to these outstanding band members! Many thanks to SED Governor Tron Hunter and SWD Governor Clint Wieden for serving as colony advisors for this cycle.

Chapter Field Representatives

Alaina Peters and Justin Chesak are busy preparing for their first visits as CFRs. Please welcome them to your chapters this fall and learn all you can to make your chapter the best it can be. Visit http://www.kkpsi.org/about/leadership/chapter-field-representative/ to access their schedule and contact information. Best of luck to Alaina and Justin as they hit the road!

Five Effective Ways to Recruit New Brothers

Live our values. This may seem cliché and overused in the college and fraternity world, but it continues to be said because it is true. Individuals are attracted to organizations with great people and great ideas. Kappa Kappa Psi promotes and advances college/university bands through musicianship, leadership, and service—your band members need to see you engaged in this work all the time. Our fraternity’s ritual calls us to become better band members and leaders. By treating our fellow band members with kindness and boosting morale, we become an invaluable part of the band program.

Build a strong professional relationship with your band directors. One of your greatest assets in the recruitment process is your band faculty and staff. Seek their advice on recruiting outstanding band members and discuss ways your chapter can help develop the future leaders of the program. It requires hard work, but every chapter is capable of building the trust and respect needed for excellence in membership selection. Including your directors and staff in the recruitment process gives them information they need to support your membership efforts and encourage band members to participate.

Create unique recruitment events and experiences. It is easy to organize a meeting at the band hall or in an empty classroom. Offer free food and you’ve got some folks hooked. While these meetings can be useful to disseminate important information, younger generations are requiring more engaging activities and meaningful dialogue regarding who we are and what we stand for. Your recruitment week and/or other events need to reflect what it means to be a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi and what the fraternity offers new members as they begin thinking about their future. You can share requirements and information about membership. Unfortunately, you won’t build passion and excitement unless potential members get an opportunity to experience it. Show potential members what it means to be a Brother and allow them to share in your service.

Market your chapter on social media and campus. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. They work extremely well. Create accounts and assign an officer(s) to make updates and share posts. Make sure you are following and mentioning your band’s accounts when chapter accounts are updated. Get involved on campus as well. Participate in homecoming festivities; form pep bands (with director permission) to travel around campus; organize band lunches in between classes. Allow band members to see you outside of rehearsal and contributing to campus life.

Seek out outstanding band members. Recruitment is about searching for and identifying your future leaders and brothers. While the recruitment process should be inclusive and welcoming to all eligible band members, many chapters wait for band members to show interest in the fraternity but never reach out to individuals that are truly outstanding. Reaching out in a personal manner demonstrates your willingness to connect and share your passion for Kappa Kappa Psi. It also demonstrates your desire to honor outstanding band members. Should we only recruit band members we talk to? No. Should we acknowledge band members who are going above and beyond for the band program and encourage them to attend events? Absolutely.

The National Council wish you the very best this school year. If we can ever be of assistance to you, do not hesitate to contact us.

National President – Jack Lee – lee.jack.d@gmail.com 

National VPCM – Evan Thompson – evan@kkpsi.org 

National VPP – Marco Krcatovich – mkrcatov@kkpsi.org 

National VPSA – Zac Humphrey – zac@kkpsi.org 

National VPPR – Dr. Douglas Stotter – dstotter@uta.edu 

Alumni Chair – Ali Beidler – alison.beidler@gmail.com 

Board Chair – Dr. Rod Chesnutt – rchesnut@fgcu.edu 

Don’t forget that Chapter Personnel Report, Chapter Fee, and Member Dues are due by September 30, 2016! 

AEA,

Evan L. Thompson

National Vice President for Colonization & Membership

Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity

evan@kkpsi.org

Student Advisory Committee Announcement & Summer Report 2016

Posted on by

— Student Advisory Committee Announcement—

Last year, as part of my work as your Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA), I met with your district officers on a monthly basis. During these online meetings, officers would provide updates on the work being done in their districts and I would provide updates on the work of the national council. Coming out of the national council’s winter council meeting in January, I started tinkering with the idea of rebranding this meeting and transforming it into an ongoing Student Advisory Committee (SAC). This committee has historically met only during national convention, but the current national council is looking to leverage our students as resources throughout the coming year in the lead up to the 2017 national convention in Orlando, FL. Per the national constitution, the committee will be made up of current district officers. I want to introduce the current members of the Student Advisory Committee for the 2015-2017 biennium:

CHAIR
Zac Humphrey

MWD
Floyd Pierce
Tenea Fabray
Sarah Person
Jordan Burgin
 
NCD
Jeric Tumang
Abigail Johnson
Danielle Francis
Justin Jensen
 
NED
Kylie Wolfe
Shanon Rubin
Miranda Cook
Emily McPeake
Helen Landers
SED
Michael Bradford-CalhounSAC
Ariel Marissa Clouse
Jerome Hall
Evan Schlameuss
 
SWD
George Ishii
Robert Morris
Jayden Goeringer
David Cox
Arjun Jeetan
 
WD
Mitch Mikuchonis
Alyssa Maher
Shi Ya Ni
Jake Rocco

The committee will meet at least once each month to have ongoing work sessions. During these online meetings, at least one member from each district will be required to attend with the rest strongly encouraged to attend, if possible. Each month, a different district will be charged with drafting a report that will be shared with all Brothers via the website. Each session will include a brief update from each district. Following these updates, there will be conversation on a topic submitted by the district officers/active students. Following that first conversation, the VPSA will provide an update on the work being done by the national leadership. The meeting will wrap up with a conversation based on a topic provided by the national council. The session will end with final comments and announcements. These will happen monthly until national convention next summer where a final report will be submitted by the district officers of the 2017-2018 school year. Due to the overlapping nature of bienniums and academic calendars, the makeup of this committee may change due to who is elected in the spring of 2017 to district office.

— Summer 2016 SAC Report —

Brothers,

We held the first official session on Thursday, July 7th, 2016. The following committee members were in attendance: Sarah Person of the MWD, Abigail Johnson of the NCD, Shanon Rubin and Miranda Cook of the NED, Michael Bradford-Calhoun of the SED, George Ishii and Arjun Jeetan of the SWD, and Shi Ya Ni of the WD.

During the conversation, after initial updates by the districts, there was discussion on the upcoming Kappa Kappa Psi Presents podcast as well as the current state and functionality of the national website, www.kkpsi.org.

The conversation surrounding the podcast was both exciting and appreciated. This is a new endeavor, and one in which I am learning a lot. Feedback largely revolved around length and content. The committee members liked the content and were interested in what other areas/topics were in the pipeline for upcoming episodes. As the initial set of episodes erred on the long side, once the podcast rolls out on a more regular schedule in the fall, the goal will be to keep each episode to 20-30 minutes. We ended the conversation by saying that this won’t be the last time this topic is addressed as the growth and development of the podcast will be organic and ongoing.

Regarding the national website, www.kkpsi.org, the conversation was extremely productive. It provided a great look into how our active members make use of the website. Most of the issues brought forward centered largely on technical aspects of the website’s design: dead links, circular redirecting links, blank pages, and non-working aspects of the mobile interface. Content wasn’t an issue and when provided with a brief update on the goals of National Vice President for Programs Marco Kcratovich relating to upcoming content, the committee members expressed approval regarding the future of the website. As with the podcast, this will not be the final conversation as the national council is wanting to create a website that will be a useful tool for our brothers, both active and alumni, advisers and faculty, and the public.

I, as your VPSA, am looking forward to the work that is going to be done throughout the year. If you have any questions, comments or concerns or if you would like to submit something for the SAC to discuss, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself at zac@kkpsi.org or the whole committee at studentadvisory@kkpsi.org.

AEA,
Zac Humphrey
National Vice President for Student Affairs

Kappa Kappa Psi Presents goes live!

Posted on by

Good evening Brothers!

We are excited to announce that the first episodes of the new Kappa Kappa Psi Presents podcast are available on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher. If there are other platforms we should be posting to, let us know! These initial episodes act as a teaser for what is to come once the school year gets underway. The episodes highlight a couple of the different ways we’re looking to create content, focusing on educational topics as well as interviews with members of the fraternity.

We look forward to hearing your feedback as well as your suggestions for future episodes. You can get in touch by either emailing the podcast email, kkpsipresents@kkpsi.org or zac@kkpsi.org.

AEA,
Zac Humphrey
National Vice President for Student Affairs

kkpsi-presents-itunes

KKPsiAA Board of Directors Announcement

Posted on by

Dear Brothers,

On behalf of the Kappa Kappa Psi Board of Trustees, I am pleased and honored to announce the appointment of Alison Beidler as Chair of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. She replaces Mike Napolitano who is taking on the position of Northeast District Governor. Mike has done a terrific job as chair, and Alison is poised to continue the Alumni Association having served as co-Vice Chair. Her work with membership is particularly remarkable.

Please join us in congratulating Alison as she takes on this role and in supporting the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association as they continue to “Strive for the Highest.”

AEA

Rod Chesnutt, Chair

Northeast District Governor Changes

Posted on by

Brothers of the Northeast District –

I wanted to take a moment to thank Marie Burleigh and John Leonard on their outstanding work this year as the governor team in the Northeast District.  They have each continued a high standard of work and motivation for the active members of the district.

Unfortunately, John has notified the National Council that he is resigning his position as Governor of the Northeast District.  It is exciting, however, that John is doing so to focus on future plans as he pursues his doctoral degree at Western Michigan University.  We are thankful to John for his service to the district, and wish him the best as he continues to support the Fraternity through his work as a collegiate director.

Obviously, this creates a vacancy in the governorship within the district.  After careful consideration and with input from the national leadership team, I am excited to announce that Mike Napolitano will join the national leadership team as a Northeast District Governor alongside Marie.

Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and should be a familiar name for many in the NED.  Mike has recently served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and was most recently serving as the chair.  He was initiated in to the Kappa Upsilon chapter at Marist College in Spring 2002.  For the past 12 year, Mike has served as the chapter sponsor while he serves as the Associate Director of Music and Operations manager at Marist College.

I am excited that Mike is joining the governor team in the Northeast District, and I know that he is going to be an exception example of leadership for the active membership.

Please feel free to send a welcoming and congratulatory message to Mike at mnapolitano@kkpsi.org.

As always, if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

AEA,
Jack Lee
National President

North Central District Governor Changes

Posted on by

Brothers of the North Central District,

I wanted to take a moment to thank Dr. Ishbah Cox and Jason Mlady on their outstanding work this year as the governor team in the North Central District.  They have each continued a high standard of work and motivation for the active members of the district.

Dr. Cox has notified the National Council that he is resigning his position as Governor of the North Central District to focus on family commitments.  We are thankful to Dr. Cox, and are reminded of the great musical leadership and passion he brings to Kappa Kappa Psi.  We wish him the best in his future!

Obviously, this creates a vacancy in the governorship within the district.  After careful consideration and with input from the national leadership team, I am excited to announce that Tammi Ramsey will join the national leadership team as a North Central District Governor alongside Jason.

Tammi is no stranger to the Fraternity or to the NCD.  Tammi was initiated in, and is a life member of, the Zeta Omicron chapter at the University of Akron.  She has previously served as a NCD President and as a colony advisor for Kappa Kappa Psi.  I know that her passion for our Fraternity is great, and she is going to do an exceptional job.

Please feel free to send her a congratulatory message at tammi@kkpsi.org.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

AEA,
Jack D. Lee
National President

Closing Out 2015-2016 Announcements & Reminders

Posted on by

Brothers:

As we close out another school year, I want to share this friendly reminder with all of our outgoing and incoming chapter officers, active members, sponsors, and directors.

1. Initiate Registration Form – Please complete and submit all fees and paperwork associated with your Initiate Registration Form. This should be submitted within 30 days of initiation. Late fees apply to chapters who do not submit within the appropriate time. Remember that this form cannot be processed if you do not submit a copy of the signed summary page along with payment.

2. Officer & Chapter Update – If you have held elections that have not been reported, please complete this form as soon as possible so that National Headquarters has accurate contact information for your chapter leadership. If you have not yet started your Chapter Summary Report, please check that you officers are listed correctly before beginning the CSR.

3. Chapter Summary Report – This report is due by June 1st. Please begin working on this document now and remember to give time for sponsor and director approval prior to June 1st. We recommend completing this form prior to the end of finals week.

4. Graduating Senior Report – This reports allows us to document graduating seniors and provide recognition to them for their service to college bands. Graduating Seniors receive a one-year complimentary membership in the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association if the chapter submits this form.

5. Officer Transition Meeting – The National Council encourages all chapters to hold a transition meeting between outgoing and incoming officers. Many discipline issues occur as a result of a lack of institutional knowledge of the larger fraternal responsibilities of the active chapter including reports and dues. Outgoing officers please take time to review these responsibilities with your successor. Set your chapter up success in the coming year.

6. National Programs – The National Council encourages all chapters and members to review the national awards and scholarships which can be found at kkpsi.org under the Programs tab. Due date for applications and nominations is July 1st. If you have specific questions, contact Vice President Krcatovich at mkrcatov@kkpsi.org.

If you have any questions, please let us know.

AEA,

Evan L. Thompson
National Vice President for Colonization & Membership
Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity
evan@kkpsi.org

Installation of Nu Pi at the University of Illinois at Chicago

Posted on by

Brothers:

I’m pleased to announce the installation of the Nu Pi Chapter (#328) at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This is the fifth installation of the biennium.

The Mu Delta chapter at Western Michigan University served as the advising chapter and NCD Governor Jason Mlady served as the colony adviser. Many thanks to these brothers for their service and leadership!

Active and alumni members from Nu, Gamma Pi, Kappa Chi, and Mu Delta attended the initiation and installation. Director of Bands, Dr. José Riojas and NCD Governor Jason Mlady were also in attendance.

Mr. Marco Krcatovich, National Vice President for Programs, served as the Installing Officer.

The chapter is electing and installing new officers in the next few days. We will send out new contact information once we have it so that everyone can send congratulatory notes to our new brothers.

Congratulations to Nu Pi! Welcome to the brotherhood!

AEA,

Evan L. Thompson
National Vice President for Colonization & Membership
Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity
evan@kkpsi.org

Installation of Nu Omicron at the University of New Haven

Posted on by

Brothers:

I’m pleased to announce the installation of the Nu Omicron Chapter (#327) at the University of New Haven. This is the fourth installation of the biennium.

Multiple chapters served as participants in the ritual degrees throughout the colonization process. Active and alumni members from the following chapters attended the installation and assisted with initiation: Alpha Epsilon, Alpha Omega, Delta Omicron, Epsilon Nu, Eta Rho, Lambda Nu, Theta Beta, and Theta Upsilon

Current NED Council members in attendance: President Kylie Wolfe, Vice President Shanon Rubin, and Member At Large Emily McPeake. Past NED Officers included: Vice President Emily Quinlisk, Historian/Alumni Liaison Alex Finkel, and Secretary/Treasurer Howard Kalfus.

Mr. Eric Morson, Board of Trustees Member, served as the Colony Adviser and Installing Officer.

The chapter is 32 members strong. The elected officers of the Nu Omicron Chapter are:

President: Christopher Zygmunt
Vice President of Membership: William Belke
Vice President of Projects: Leah Myers
Secretary: Nikolas Decker
Treasurer: Justin Pelletier
Historian: Christopher Jenis
Parliamentarian: Melissa Bannon
Sponsor: Chad Cooper
Director of Bands: Jason DeGroff

Please send notes of congratulations to the Chapter President Christopher Zygmunt at czygm1@unh.newhaven.edu.

Congratulations to Nu Omicron! Welcome to the brotherhood!

AEA,

Evan L. Thompson
National Vice President for Colonization & Membership
Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity
evan@kkpsi.org