84th Grand Chapter Meeting Edition (Summer Issue)

GRAND POLEMARCH'S MESSAGE

• St. Jude Sunday of Hope initiative: Kappa has raised more than $2 million, becoming St. Jude’s leading African American fundraising organization. • iKARE: Brothers are continuing to support our disaster relief charity through contributions to the Kappa Al- pha Psi Foundation. We embraced our Mobile Cause technology and brothers across the land have used this text-to- give method to ensure we can continue our iKARE initiatives. • The Smithsonian National African American Museum of History and Cul- ture: Kappa is strengthening a partner- ship as a founding and contributing donor, helping the museum to enlighten visitors worldwide about unknown as well as widely familiar African American influences on the nation’s greatness. • Piney Woods: Continuing com- mitment to this co-educational, inde- pendent, Mississippi-based historically African-American boarding school for grades 9-12. Piney Woods is among four remaining historically black boarding schools in the U.S. Kappa’s support is helping the students, who come from mainly lower to middle-income families, attend on scholarship. The fraternity’s efforts also have been a key to Piney Woods’ achieving a 98 percent rate of college-bound graduating seniors. • Undergraduate Development: The first Undergraduate Summit was held at the 14th National Founders’ Day in Tampa, Fla. The Summit drew more than 200 undergraduate brothers who received perspectives about college, career and life from eight university presidents and received national at- tention. We have worked diligently to bring undergraduates back to college campuses. • C. Rodger Wilson Leadership Con- ference: During the 33rd, we redesigned the conference to more directly empha- size leadership training that supports our membership on three fronts: personal, professional and fraternal. This effort supports the development of programs for undergraduates and alumni to en-

hance leadership skills. • Commission on Military and Vet- erans Affairs: Evolving from the Com- munity Service point, the Commission inspires public service interest through parallel initiatives on all levels of the fra- ternity. More than recognizing and cel- ebrating Kappa veterans and active duty military personnel, the Commission also is a strategic vehicle for reclamation. It aims to bring veterans home to Kappa and re-integrate them into the Bond. • Healthy Kappas/Healthy Com- munities: We have made great strides bringing awareness and change to our respective communities. The All of Us Research Program has been pres- ent far and wide gathering data to bring improve medical outcomes to African Americans. We partnered with the Silhouettes to champion Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Domestic Violence. These are just a few of our ac- complishments in this area. • There are innumerable successes aligned with the Six Point Plan that have occurred in your local chapters world- wide. They are equally as important be- cause it means that we pulled together to change the paradigm for our respec- tive communities. We welcomed stu- dents back to school, mentored young men, provided scholarships to college, fed and clothed our less fortunate broth- ers and sisters and much more. I would also like to thank each of you for your many invitations to speak and fellowship with you throughout my time as your Grand Polemarch. You have truly exemplified that good ole’ Kappa spirit. Your kindness does not go unno- ticed and it is truly appreciated. There is nothing in this world like the Bond of brotherhood in Kappa Alpha Psi. Thank you, my brothers. As we move into the 34 th Adminis- tration of Kappa Alpha Psi, I ask that you reflect on your service to our noble fraternity, whether it has come through chapter administration, community

service, youth mentorship or acts of brotherhood. Have you worked hard to realize the vision of The Dreamer and sustain the legacy he and our other founders gave to us? I treasure the responsibility you bestowed upon me four years ago in New Orleans, the start of the 33rd’s journey. I also pray that we have succeeded in deepening the foundation that has kept us thriving since 1911 so that Kappa can weather the storms that threaten to prevent it from soaring for another century. My brothers, The Dreamer, our first Grand Polemarch and Founder Elder Watson Diggs, included this profound mandate in his legacy: Please live these words each and every day and make them a part of your legacy. Our history records that Kappa Alpha Psi is an institution founded on Christian principles. We have a responsibility to follow these principles as defined by our referred Founders as we secure the bright future of our fraternity. “Leave a legacy to build a future”! “Leave a legacy to build a future”! Yo! Yo! Yo! “A Kappaman must be good, upright, moral and manly.”

Yours in the Bond, Thomas L. Battles, Jr. Grand Polemarch

Publishing achievement for 105 years

THE JOURNAL  84 TH GRAND CHAPTER MEETING ISSUE  | 5

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