LOOK BACK KAPPA HISTORY
“THIS PERIOD OF GRAND CHAPTER MEETINGS PREDATES THE EXISTENCE OF THE FRATERNITY’S NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, A NATIONAL MEETING PLANNER ROLE, AND AN ASSOCIATED COMMITTEE. ”
the Conclave and typically created ad hoc committees to manage numerous meeting events. The host local chapter was responsi- ble for organizing: • Lodging for visiting delegates and their families • Agenda of events • Social affairs • Silhouette activities • Conclave venues • Community event marketing Once the Grand Chapter Meeting com- menced, the host chapter members were responsible for: • Working the registration desks to check in delegates • Creating and provisioning delegate credentials • Securing the venue of the business meeting once in session
• Directing delegates to the correct venue • Ensuring venues for business sessions, banquets, balls, and public meetings were reserved and secured • Securing, if possible, lodging for out-of-town attendees; • Managing the Conclave logistics Grand Chapter Meetings expanded over the first five decades to accom- modate more delegates and visitors as the fraternity grew in members and chapters. Early Conclave delegate attendance ranged from a couple of dozen to hundreds by the end of the 1950s. A common practice at this time for local National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)* chapters, Kappa Ladies Auxiliary (precursor to the Kappa
From top: 7th Grand Chapter Meeting, December 1917 held at the Senate Avenue YMCA, Indianapolis, IN. 28th Grand Chapter Meeting, December 1938, Detroit, MI.
social events held at the Grand Chap- ter Meeting for many years. The “Winter Conclaves” were held annually and primarily occurred during the fraternity’s first five decades. Typically, chapters would bid during a business session of a Grand Chapter Meeting to host the following year’s meeting. By the 1940s and 1950s, the fraternity began to open bids to potential host chapters two to three years in advance. This period of Grand Chapter Meetings predates the existence of the fraternity’s National/International Headquarters, a National Meeting Planner role, and an associated committee. Therefore, the assigned local host chapter assumed the role of the meeting planner for the Conclave held in their city. Host chapters used an entire year to plan and prepare for
*NOTE: The term NPHC, in this instance refers to the eight historically Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs) fraternities and sororities in existence at that time. The NPHC term in this section should not be confused with the formal National Pan-Hellenic Council since those organizations did not form until later: KA Ψ & ΩΨΦ fraternities, and AKA, ΔΣΘ , and Z Φ B sororities officially joined the group in 1930. A Φ A and Φ B Σ fraternities officially joined the group in 1931, and ΣΓP joined in 1937.
SPRING 2024 ♦ THE JOURNAL 35
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker