We are excited to host our fourth “VPSA Chat” for the 2019-2021 biennium! This will be taking place on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 from 8:00-9:00 p.m. CT. Register using the form below and join our panel of current Chapter Field Representatives, Nicole Brooks and Justin Jensen, and Vice President for Colonization & Membership, Jessica Lee. If you are interested or even curious, this will be a very helpful session for you.
Use the link below to register. Thank you and AEA!
Brothers:
Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity, is hiring two talented and dedicated brothers for the position of Chapter Field Representative (CFR). This position gives brothers a meaningful opportunity to give back to our organization as an official representative of the Fraternity and a staff member of our National Headquarters. Over a two-year period, our CFRs will visit dozens of chapters, travel thousands of miles across the country, and work with thousands of brothers and their college bands from coast to coast. The CFR position is supervised by National Executive Director, Steve Nelson, and National Vice President for Colonization & Membership, Jessica Lee.
The position starts in early summer 2020 (target date of May 29, 2020) and is held for two years. Applicant must be an Alumnus or Life Member of Kappa Kappa Psi in good standing on or before the first day of employment. At that time, the applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education. Applicants must be able to obtain an Oklahoma driver’s license if hired. Applicants must possess a good driving record and are subject to a check of their driving record, criminal background, and credit. New-hire drug screening may also be required.
Applications are submitted via the online submission form only. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Application Deadline: February 9, 2020 at 11:59 PM Central Time
Application Form: https://www.kkpsi.org/cfr-2020-app/
Questions? Email cfrsearch@kkytbsonline.com
Please consider serving the fraternity in this unique way!
AEA,
Jessica Lee
National Vice President for Colonization & Membership
Steve Nelson
National Executive Director
Hello brothers!
As we get ready for the Road to Wisdom 2.0 release on Wednesday, January 15, 2020, we wanted to remind you to submit your Calendars to the National Curriculum Committee through JotForm on www.kkpsi.org!
If you are not sure what a great calendar looks like, we wanted to show you a couple of amazing examples done by a couple of chapters. The first is from the Lambda Chapter at the University of Arkansas and the second is from the Lambda Xi Chapter at Southeastern Louisiana University! Both do an outstanding job of being clear with the events of their chapters, as well as making sure that all of the events follow the guidelines of what chapters should be doing with regards to their Membership Education process.
Feel free to use these as templates, or use your own that follows these ideas! You can find them at the following links:
Lambda: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1uflGibwEkz8V1oSEp1lbRkFSdicl51ig
Lambda Xi: https://drive.google.com/open?id=174fHyrTJiBQeKCI9VinjQW360LjlLuau
As always, feel free to reach out to the committee, curriculum@kkpsi.org, if you have any questions or concerns!
Brothers –
Below you will find an outline of the Student Advisory Committee’s meeting on November 15, 2019. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. You can reach me at bangco@kkpsi.org or the whole committee at studentadvisory@kkpsi.org.
With much love,
Bang
Brothers:
We are writing to inform you of a vote of the National Council.
The Council has unanimously voted to revoke the charter of the Iota Nu chapter from Alabama A & M University. All active members have been expelled and the chapter alumni will not be allowed to form any Local Alumni Association that supports the band program at Alabama A& M University. Given the nature of their offenses, the National Council has placed a 20 year moratorium on any future colonization on this campus.
This situation is the result of hazing related to their New Member Presentation Show, which violated both University and Kappa Kappa Psi policies.
Brothers, any chapter or individuals found responsible for hazing will be held accountable. That means the National Council will consider dropping the chapter and expulsion for the individual members. Any chapter or individual brother that is found responsible for hazing will be held accountable. Passively watching as hazing occurs in your chapter is not a defense; you are still responsible and will be held accountable. If you do nothing, you are choosing to allow something to happen that is a violation of our policies. Do not presume that any level of hazing is acceptable. Hazing never honors the name of Kappa Kappa Psi. It in no way is in the spirit of Striving for the Highest.
Brothers, I know you find these types of actions as intolerable as we do. Individuals that choose to willingly violate our Fraternity Policies and sacred Ritualistic Vows and harm others through hazing have no place in Kappa Kappa Psi. They tarnish the organization that we love.
In no way does this conduct honor our purposes or advance bands. In no way do such actions demonstrate strength or love for your fellow brother.
Each one of us, each and every chapter, and every individual member and membership candidate has a responsibility to uphold the values of our Fraternity.
The only way that Kappa Kappa Psi can continue to exist is with an appropriate stewardship of our values and policies through our active and alumni members. When we ignore that responsibility and choose to look the other way or to participate in a violation of policies, we endanger the future of the organization, we ignore our oath, and we turn our backs on our fellow brothers. We are better than this.
Since the 2019 National Convention, we have had 3 investigations that have resulted in violations of our Risk Management Policies.
These expenses are necessary for the security and future of our organization, but it is not how we want to spend fraternity money. Each brother, each chapter should stop and take a moment to reflect on your chapter activities. Is that activity or tradition worth your membership in Kappa Kappa Psi? Your chapters’ charter? Our fraternity? These risks are real, each time Brothers choose to ignore and willingly violate our policies.
This National Council is very invested in the future of Kappa Kappa Psi, and Brothers everywhere are encouraged to join us in eradicating hazing and any other violations of our risk management policies. All of our Risk Management policies can be found on the national website here: https://www.kkpsi.org/resources/policies/
If you see something in your chapter or another that is questionable, contact your Director of Bands, Chapter Sponsor, your District Governors, National Headquarters staff, or the National Council. Concerns may also reported anonymously using our national website: https://www.kkpsi.org/resources/report-a-problem/
Please feel free to contact Marco Krcatovich, National President, at mkrcatov@kkpsi.org, or Jessica Lee, National Vice President for Colonization & Membership, at jessicalee@kkpsi.org if you have any questions.
AEA,
The 2019-2021 National Council of Kappa Kappa Psi
Marco Krcatovich, National President
Jessica Lee, National Vice President for Colonization & Membership
Mike Napolitano, National Vice President for Programs
Bang Co, National Vice President for Student Affairs
Tony Falcone, National Vice President for Professional Relations
Evan Thompson, Immediate Past National President
Dr. Nicholas A. Rorrer, Chair, Alumni Association Board of Directors
Daniel George, Chair, Board of Trustees
Eric Morson, Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
I hope you’ve all had the chance to see the launch video of this year’s Month of Musicianship campaign, celebrating our personal connections to music. Many thanks to National VPSA Bang Co and the National Communications team for bringing this year’s vision to life.
During this Month of Musicianship, we are charging brothers to take some time and reflect on our personal relationship with music. Remember, while service to college and university bands unites us, it is the art of music that unifies us. So throughout this Month of Musicianship, not only do we want to actively showcase the best of what our brothers do for advancing music in our lives, but we want us all to take an inside look about what connects us to music in the first place.
Ask yourself: Band is our bond, but what does music mean to me? If I could find one word that summed up how important music is to me, what would it be?
Once you’ve uncovered your word, print out the attached template, write it out, snap a picture or a video, and post it up on social media using the hashtags #BandIsOurBond and #MonthofMusicianship. Take some time to share your story – celebrate how meaningful music is to you.
This can be an amazing conversation starter within your chapter, and an amazing opportunity to make connections with brothers across the country. Expand the conversation – we aren’t the only musicians in our bands. Ask our sisters in Tau Beta Sigma and other band members what music means to them. Because once we start to look at the broader meaning of music in our lives, music is no longer a broad concept, but something that holds true meaning in our identity.
Continue to share all of the amazing activities that you and your chapters are doing to hone the craft of music, but also share the stories of what music means to you.
If you have any questions about this year’s Month of Musicianship, or any of Kappa Kappa Psi’s national programs, please do not hesitate to contact me at mnapolitano@kkpsi.org.
If you have not yet had a chance to watch the Month of Musicianship launch video, find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9nBjj5Zn_I
To share and print out the template, visit: http://bit.ly/KKPsiMoM19
AEA,
Mike Napolitano
National Vice President for Programs, 2019-2021
Kappa Kappa Psi
National Honorary Band Fraternity
Pronouns: he, him, his
Brothers –
Below you will find an outline of the Student Advisory Committee’s meeting on October 16, 2019. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. You can reach me at bangco@kkpsi.org or the whole committee at studentadvisory@kkpsi.org.
With much love,
Bang
Brothers –
Below you will find an outline of what took place during the September Student Advisory Committee meeting on September 13, 2019. Ema Alexander of the NED took notes for the meeting. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. You can reach me at bangco@kkpsi.org or the whole committee at studentadvisory@kkpsi.org.
With much love,
Bang
Brothers,
Following our 2019 National Convention in Stillwater, Oklahoma we were left with two vacancies for District Governors and two positions were replaced due to election/appointment.
In the Midwest District, Tony Falcone (Life – Eta Omicron) has been appointed our 2019-2021 National Vice President for Professional Relations after twelve years as a District Governor. This vacancy was filled by Jennifer Pitts-Taylor (Life – Gamma Theta). Jennifer was recently a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and helped build the model we use for alumni-centered programming at our District Conventions. She also served on our National Curriculum Committee and brings that work and her background as a leader in Chi Omega Sorority to the role.
In the Northeast District, Marie Burleigh (Life – Omicron) has been the longest-serving District Governor in our Fraternity’s history and began in that role on July 1, 2000. Marie will be cycling off this year as she helps mentor the new Governors in the District. In her place, Sarah Fitzgerald (Life – Iota Delta) was appointed this July. A long-time leader in the Northeast District Alumni Association, she has been involved in the work of our alumni association for more than a decade and last biennium she served as a Curriculum Advisor as well. This July, Sarah was awarded the Scott Stowell Alumni Excellence Award for her work in the Northeast District.
Following his election to the office of National Vice President for Programs, Michael Napolitano (Life – Kappa Upsilon), will no longer serve as a District Governor in the Northeast District. After a long search I am pleased to appoint Dr. Brad Townsend (Alpha Epsilon) to the position of Northeast District Governor. Brad is the Director of Bands at the University of Pittsburgh and has worked with the chapters there since 2013. Prior to that, he was the Sponsor of the Theta chapter and for five years (2008-2013) served as Western District Governor.
A short time after the close of the 2019 National Convention, Latrondrick Hunter (Life – Zeta Eta) decided to step down as Southeast District Governor. We know the decision was not easy and we are honored by his work and passion for our organization. Following a long process where I was able to talk to an incredible slate of alumni leaders in the district, I have appointed Kalem Graham (Life – Zeta Psi) to serve as Southeast District Governor. Kalem is the Director of Bands at Dudley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, and was previously Assistant Director of Bands at Langston University. From 2015 to 2018, Kalem served as a Southwest District Governor and during that time served on our National Nominations Committee.
We will be updating our National Website soon with their contact information as we continue our transition into the new biennium. Please join me in welcoming and celebrating these new members of our National Leadership Team and thanking the four incredible individuals who served as District Governors last biennium and continue to serve the organization and model our values.
AEA
Marco A. Krcatovich II
National President, 2019-2021
Brothers,
In 1947, at the National Convention in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the National Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi recognized brothers who were killed in action while serving our country during World War II. They created a memorial recognition knows as the Gold Star.
Prior to the 2007 National Convention, the National Council was approached by Danielle Adams-Davis, a brother from the Zeta Sigma and Kappa Epsilon chapters. Danielle asked the National Council what could be done to recognize current Brothers and band members serving in the military. At that time, the National Council felt the National Convention in Orlando would be an appropriate time to recognize members of Kappa Kappa Psi and our band family who have served our country. The National Council used the Gold Star recognition ceremony from 1947 to serve as inspiration to recognize brothers and band members that were current military members or who had previously served their country.
As part of our centennial year celebration, the National Council continues this honored tradition during the 2019 National Convention. Brothers will be recognized in the following manner:
Certificates for the Blue Star Recognition and White Star Recognition will be issued to the Brother’s home chapter following National Convention. The home chapter will then be responsible for issuing those certificates to the individual Brothers. All categories of recognition will be memorialized by the Brothers’ respective District Presidents during the 2019 National Convention in Stillwater, Oklahoma and recorded in a memorial resolution in the convention minutes.
If you have names you would like to submit to be recognized this summer at National Convention in Stillwater, OK, please complete the form here.
AEA,
Dr. Nicholas Bratcher
National Vice President for Programs
Kappa Kappa Psi