100 YEARS
THE ST. LOUIS (MO) ALUMNI CHAPTER CELEBRATES ITS CENTENNIAL
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St. Louis (MO) AL Breaks New Ground with Virtual Celebration
By Matt Whitener
On April 19, 2021, the St. Louis Alumni chapter marked its 100th an- niversary in a unique –and previously unanticipated— fashion. With the chal- lenges of COVID-19 still ever-present, plans were forced to pivot and adapt to the times. And what ultimately came of it was an event that showcased the diverse skills and collective history of the chapter in a previously unapproached fashion. Hosted by Grand Board of Directors member Clifford Franklin, who has been a member of St. Louis Alumni since 1987, and highlighted by words from Grand Polemarch Reuben A Shelton, Esq and Brother Cedric the Entertainer, a St. Louis-native and initiate at the Mu Zeta chapter, the St. Louis Alumni Virtual Centennial Celebration was a first-of-its kind event. Celebrating the history and highlights of the chapter, the celebration was transformed into a vari- ety show, highlighted by musical perfor- mances, tributes and much more.
of alumni chapters in the continual expectation of lifelong service of the fraternity. Chartered on April 19, 1921, the St. Louis Alumni Chapter is the oldest continuous alumni chapter west of the Mississippi River. The chapter has hosted five Grand Chapter meetings and was the birthplace of the Guide Right program in 1922, that has since become a leading initiative for the fraternity at large. For 2021, the chapter was named Large Chapter of the Year in the Middle Western Province, while winning a fifth- consecutive honor as Guide Right Chap- ter of the Year in the Province as well. Over the years, the chapter has held two Kappa Houses, that have served as both gathering points for the brothers, but also event spaces for the commu- nity at large. It was at the first St. Louis Kappa House that a young man that would go on to one day become Grand Polemarch made his first earliest forays into graduate life within the fraternity,
Having the opportunity to participate in such an event marked a special type of synchronicity for Brother Franklin. “To be on the Grand Board of Directors in 2021, 100 years after the chartering of SLA is surreal for me” he says. “More importantly, it crystallizes for me the importance of this chapter in the history of Kappa Alpha Psi. The St. Louis Alumni chapter does indeed play an important part in the history of Kappa Alpha Psi, its westward expansion and the affirmation of value
20 | SPRING 2021 ♦ THE JOURNAL
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