PIVOT Guidance UPDATE (January 8, 2021)

Posted on January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 by podium

January 8, 2020

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

As we begin the new year and our 2021 terms, the National Councils of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma wanted to provide you with updated guidance regarding chapter operations and the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 is continuing to affect our lives, our campuses, and our band programs, and we once again ask that all of our chapters follow the advice of public health experts and the guidance given to you at the campus, local, state, and federal levels, just as you have over the last several months. We recognize that it has not been easy to operate a chapter under such conditions, and we truly appreciate all that you have done to continue to live out our missions and ideals during the pandemic. We are continually inspired by each chapter’s ingenuity, resolve, compassion, and positive presence in the face of great trial. You inspire us!

Moving into the 2021 terms, please note that the following updates have been made to our PIVOT! Chapter Operations Guide:

Some chapters may now be able to host in-person activities/events: Chapters should only host in-person social, service, membership, or fundraising activities/events (with the exception of the Ritual which is still prohibited) during the Spring 2021 Term if the following criteria are in place:
- Your campus activities office, Dean of Students, Office of Greek Life, or other authorizing body is permitting your chapter to host in-person activities/events on your campus.
- Your chapter activity/event has been approved by your Director of Bands in writing
- Your chapter follows all campus, local, state, and federal health and safety guidance.
- Your chapter does not penalize members who feel uncomfortable attending these activities/events.
The waiver for band participation has been extended until July for active members and membership candidates. However, members must still be enrolled in coursework at their college or university in good standing with their university or college.
Additional guidance has been added for the Chapter Summary Report.
Additional information has been provided for 2021 District Events.

The National Councils of both Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma know that each campus has its own unique procedure in place for this pandemic, and it is our hope that the information outlined in PIVOT! is easily adaptable to every chapter’s situation. However, we want to emphasize that we are here to assist your chapter and your chapter members. If, after reading the changes above or the full PIVOT! guide you still have questions or concerns, please reach out to your District Counselors/Governors or send us an email at healthandsafety@tbsigma.org or healthandsafety@kkpsi.org.

As we continue to navigate through the weeks and months ahead, please know that your National Leadership Teams and your National Headquarters Staff are at your service. Our main goal for the rest of the biennium is to help our chapters be successful in our missions and ideals, even though the ways in which we serve may be different for now. If at any point you or your chapter need assistance with anything at all, please contact us. We promise to work with you as you continue to strive for the highest for greater bands.

MLITB,

Marco, Adrienne, and The National Leadership Teams of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma

Cancellation of 2020 District Conventions

Posted on March 12, 2020March 12, 2020 by podium

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the National Councils and Boards of Trustees of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma have made the difficult decision to cancel all six in-person District Conventions. We understand that this may be extremely disappointing to our members, especially to those of you who spent many long hours planning these events. Please know that we have made the decision to cancel conventions with the best of intentions, as the health and safety of our active, alumni, and life members and their loved ones is of the utmost importance.

This pandemic is an unprecedented situation for our organizations, and we thank you for your flexibility and patience as we all navigate it together. Below you can find information relating to next steps for chapters and for those who were registered for these conventions.

VIRTUAL CONVENTIONS

The joint national councils have created a task force to assist us with the preparations needed to host virtual conventions for all districts affected by cancellations. Virtual conventions for District business will take place on the Saturday and Sunday of the originally planned in-person conventions:

Northeast District: Saturday, March 21 – Sunday, March 22
Midwest District: Saturday, March 21 – Sunday, March 22
Western District: Saturday, March 28 – Sunday, March 29
North Central District: Saturday, April 4 – Sunday, April 5
Southeast District Convention: Saturday, April 4 – Sunday, April 5
Southwest District Convention: Saturday, April 18 – Sunday, April 19

In addition to the virtual conventions for District business, the task force is also assisting us in planning a larger nation-wide virtual event in late April. All chapter members will be invited to participate in this weekend of workshops, collaboration, and celebration of our organizations.

Chapters should plan to have chapter members attend both the virtual District business convention and the nation-wide virtual event. More guidance, as well as schedules and activities for all events, will be released soon.

REFUNDS OF DISTRICT CONVENTION REGISTRATIONS

Our National Headquarters staff will work to issue refunds to all District Convention registrants affected by these cancellations. All registrants will receive a direct email from a National Headquarters Staff member with more information regarding their refund(s). It may take some time to issue all refunds, so we appreciate your patience as they are processed.

CANCELLING HOTEL RESERVATIONS

Please remember to cancel your hotel reservations as soon as possible, as this is not something that anyone can manage for you. If you booked within the reserved hotel block for a convention, those cancellations will need to be made at least three days prior to the date of check-in.

ALUMNI CONVENTION PARTICIPANTS

The District-based Local Alumni Associations will also have virtual conventions concurrent with the active members on the weekend of the originally planned in-person conventions. The ΚΚΨAA Board of Directors and the ΤΒΣAA Executive Council will be sending out information to their members, as well as coordinating with the District-based LAAs to develop virtual conventions in which they can conduct their necessary business, connect with graduating seniors, and provide development opportunities for their district alumni.

If you have any concerns surrounding the conventions or chapter operations as we move forward, please continue to reach out to the following email addresses for assistance: healthandsafety@kkpsi.org or healthandsafety@tbsigma.org. Your email will be directed to the appropriate person or persons!

The National Leadership Teams of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma are committed to walking hand-in-hand with you during these uncertain times. We will continue to send updates to our membership as we work through questions about chapter operations and provide more details for the virtual conventions and the nation-wide virtual event. We ask that you continue to check our websites and social media for these updates.

As we continue on into uncharted territory, we want to thank each of you for the remarkable flexibility, understanding, and strength you have shown so far. Band members, current and former, know how to adapt on the fly and how to make the best of any given situation, so that is what we intend to do.

Statement on COVID-19: Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma Basic Chapter Operations

Posted on March 12, 2020March 12, 2020 by podium

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

We are writing to you today to provide guidance on chapter operations for those chapters experiencing campus closures or restrictions on face-to-face interactions due to COVID-19. Please note that a separate message regarding district conventions is forthcoming.

The National Councils of both Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma recognize that each campus has its own unique procedure in place for this pandemic, and it is our hope that the information outlined below is easily adaptable to every chapter’s situation. However, we want to emphasize that we are here to assist your chapter and your chapter members through this difficult and unprecedented time. If, after reading the guidance below, you still have questions or concerns, please reach out to your District Counselors/Governors or send us an email at healthandsafety@tbsigma.org or healthandsafety@kkpsi.org.

Membership Education Classes and/or Membership Intake

We are aware that there are chapters who were in the middle of conducting Membership Education Classes and/or Membership Intake on campuses that have cancelled face-to-face classes as a health and safety precaution. We are committed to assisting chapters in completing their Membership Education Classes and have therefore developed the following guidelines:

Online Membership Education Classes – All chapters are encouraged to continue the educational components of the Membership Education process via online meetings and sessions. This can be accomplished by using a number of online tools such as Google Hangout Meet, Google Classroom, Zoom Video Conferencing, etc. The curriculum committee for both organizations, as well as the National Councils are here to serve as resources, so please do not hesitate to reach out should your chapter require assistance in implementing an online educational experience for your Membership Candidates.

Initiate Registration and Fees – Initiate Registrations Forms do not require face-to-face interactions for completion, therefore all chapters who will be continuing their intake process during this time, should still plan to fill out the Initiate Registration Form, to collect all Initiate Fees, and to send both the form and fees into our National Headquarters for processing. This should occur upon the completion of the online Membership Education Classes. For the initiation date, please put the date in which you intend or intended to have your 3rd Degree. If chapters require assistance in getting electronic signatures on the Initiate Signature Page, please let us know as we have a system in place. A very important note: All initiate forms and fees must be sent into National Headquarters, no later than Friday, May 15, 2020.

Rituals – While not ideal, until face-to-face classes are back in session on your campus, performing the Rituals for your Membership Candidates will need to be postponed. Once your institution says that it is safe for students to return to campus, we ask that you consult your Sponsor and/or Director of Bands as you work to schedule a date for initiation. This could be as soon as you are allowed back on your campus, sometime during the summer months, or even right at the very beginning of the Fall 2020 semester.

Chapter Officer Elections

Some campuses have been instructed to close for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year and this effectively ends most, if not all chapter business for this year. However, chapters that traditionally elect officers during the Spring Semester should plan to carry out this crucial item of business, regardless of not being able to meet in person. The National Councils will provide guidance to all chapters on how this task can be completed remotely using online election software very soon.

National Paperwork

Graduating Senior Report – Even if your campus is not able to host in-person commencement ceremonies, chapters should still fill out the Graduating Senior Report in the Online Membership Reporting System (OMRS), so that graduating seniors can be appropriately moved to Alumni Status.

Chapter Summary Report – The annual Chapter Summary Report is still due on June 1st. Since this is a yearly national requirement that does not require that a chapter meet in person in order to get it completed, there should not be any issues in completing this report on time. Remember to start this report as soon as possible and give your Director of Bands (and Sponsor, if applicable) extra time to review your report and approve it before the deadline.

Tau Beta Sigma Chapter Visitation Program

The COVID-19 pandemic will affect Tau Beta Sigma’s Chapter Visitation Program Chapter, as some chapters will no longer be on campus, some chapters will have limitations on face-to-face meetings, and some Chapter Visitation Assistants (CVAs) may feel uncomfortable traveling. In order to address each situation appropriately, CVAs have been instructed to reach out to chapters affected by closures or restrictions on face-to-face meetings to discuss transitioning to one of the following options: 1) Hosting a Virtual Visit, or 2) Rescheduling the visit to the 2020-2021 academic year. Please help us ensure this outreach is successful by checking in with your chapter president on the status of your visit.

Kappa Kappa Psi Chapter Field Representatives

Chapter Field Representative Visits are cancelled for the month of March and we are evaluating visits scheduled for April. We may conduct some visits virtually but the CFRs will contact chapters to discuss the best method to conduct these visits. Kappa Kappa Psi has also postponed the interviews for 2020-2022 CFRs until April. If you have questions about an upcoming CFR visit, please contact our CFRs at kkytbs@kkytbs.org.