Category Archives: Official Statements

Founder’s Day Message 2016

Posted on by

 

KKPsi-Logo

Brothers and Friends of Kappa Kappa Psi,

Today marks 97 years since the founding of Kappa Kappa Psi. A Fraternity that started with 10 men, has expanded to where we are today: over 6000 active members from all walks of life, chapters and colonies on 217 college and university campuses, and thousands of alumni that to this day, honor their commitment to walk ever in the ways of Kappa Kappa Psi.

There is no doubt that today is a day that our Brothers and Friends should celebrate. However, it is also a day that we should remind ourselves of our ritualistic obligations and charge. As a chapter, I encourage you to review the ritual together. Make time during your chapter meetings to do so. As an individual member, I challenge you to hold true to our ritual and its lessons. Study it. Learn it. Live it.

In 1923, our then publication, The Baton, summarized the purpose of our founding:

“Kappa Kappa Psi was founded for a great and definite purpose. Believing that better music and better bands would be the result of such an organization, the Fraternity was organized to foster a close relationship and co-operation within the band, to co-operate with the direction in making a better band for the institution, to raise the standard of music in our American universities, to own an organization that bandmembers may stand together in a time of need and to organize university bandmembers from which professional band leaders may select musicians for their bands at any time in a systematic way.”

Since then, we have worked to fulfill that purpose through the initiation of men and women that have a desire to see the success of their college and university band programs. We have sought to fulfill the purposes of this great Fraternity for the betterment of our band programs, our universities, and our chapters. We have worked to support our Brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi and our Sisters of Tau Beta Sigma in ways that have created life-long friendships. We have stood together in times of difficulty as well as times of celebration.

Brothers, we have much to be thankful for!

Today, I challenge our Brothers and Friends to celebrate our founding by sharing with your Brothers, Sisters, friends, family, and colleagues why you are thankful for them and for Kappa Kappa Psi. Celebrate by sharing a message of gratitude and love. I am thankful that our Founders pushed their friendships to commitment and started this 97 year journey. I am thankful for where Kappa Kappa Psi stands today. I am thankful for each and every one of you. I am #ThankfulForKKPsi.

AEA,
Jack D. Lee
National President
Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity
www.kkpsi.org

Joint Statement on Military Bands

Posted on by

To the Brothers and Sisters of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma,

The National Leadership of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma take great pride in the work our organizations do in service to college and university bands. We also take pride in the many members of our organizations who actively serve in the United States Military.

To that end, you may be aware of legislation making its way through the United States Congress regarding the funding of military service bands and their activities. An amendment attached to the version of the 2017 Defense Appropriations Act passed by the House of Representatives is currently awaiting action by the United States Senate. This legislation, if passed into law would severely reduce the permissible activities of said groups, removing parades, concerts, and other performances that do not directly support official ceremonial activities.

While our primary mission is the support of college and university bands, we as joint organizations feel it is important to inform our members when actions being taken impact the greater band community. If this is something that you feel very strongly about, we encourage you to reach out to your United States Senators and voice your support for bands of all kinds, including those that serve in the military capacity. If you are not sure how to contact your Senator (or do not know who that might be), please go here: http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/. 

—

Kathryn D. Kelly, M.D.
National President for Tau Beta Sigma
“We provide exceptional service to collegiate bands and promote equality and diversity, including empowering women in the band profession. We cultivate leadership, educational achievement, music appreciation and community development.” – Tau Beta Sigma Mission Statement

Jack Lee
National President for Kappa Kappa Psi
“Kappa Kappa Psi is a co-educational fraternal organization that advances college and university bands for the benefit of its members and society through dedicated service and support to bands, encouragement of musical growth, lifelong educational experiences, leadership opportunities, and recognition.” – Kappa Kappa Psi Mission Statement

Statement From National President Jack D. Lee

Posted on by

Brothers,

I write to you today with a great sense of love and gratitude. I am thankful that I became a Brother of Kappa Kappa Psi. I am thankful that Kappa Kappa Psi is a place where all Brothers should feel welcomed and supported. I love that this Fraternity continually reminds me that we celebrate love over hate.

The recent events throughout the world, from Baton Rouge to Minnesota to Orlando to the Middle East, unfortunately show us that not everyone in the world shares the same views that I know our Brothers do.  I encourage each of you to remember the tenets of our ritual, and to live by them. If you are doing so, you are making this world a better place. If you are doing so, you are showing the world that this organization makes you a better human being.

As we continue to move through the month of July, and we begin to travel back to our universities for summer band camp, review the purposes of our organization. There, you will find that Kappa Kappa Psi, and each of you, work to support our organization’s being:  college and university bands.  It is through participation in band that we all share a universal trait: we are musicians.  Let us continue to use that skill to create beauty, joy, and inspiration to this world.

Please know that the entire national leadership of Kappa Kappa Psi stands, shoulder to shoulder, with our Brothers. No one should be treated differently or live in fear simply based on the color of their skin, a uniform that they wear, their religious beliefs, or their sexual orientation.  It is not appropriate, it is not right, and it will not happen here in Kappa Kappa Psi because our Brotherhood is better than that. Because our Brotherhood spreads love.

AEA,

Jack D. Lee

National President

Kappa Kappa Psi

Kappa Kappa Psi Official Statement on Orlando Tragedy

Posted on by

The National Leadership of Kappa Kappa Psi is proud of the work of this fraternity. We are proud that we are a fraternity that is made up of diverse individuals. Individuals that commit themselves to the selfless service of college and university band programs. Individuals that are, each and every one, a family member; a brother. Our diversity is often celebrated among our members, and it is the love that we all share that allows us to join in fellowship to be embraced as a brother.

Kappa Kappa Psi stands with and supports our brothers and the people of Orlando. We send our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, and we will continue to support our own beloved fraternity members affected by this tragedy. As an organization, we embrace and celebrate our diversity – it is what makes us the great Fraternity that we are – and we empower our members to live with authenticity and courage. We stand with our brothers of the LGBT community and support their right to live and love without fear of hatred, intolerance, or violence. In keeping with our belief that music is a universal language and as we move forward with our mission to promote and advance college and university bands, we echo the words of Leonard Bernstein:

“This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”