THE JOURNAL PUBLISHING ACHIEVEMENT
JOURNAL NOTES
Five generations of Kappa men: learning, bonding, and building together—evidence that the work that remains ours endures because Kappa men stay, build, and achieve.
to withdraw when the work became difficult. It obligated them to remain engaged. Reflecting on the language of earlier struggles for justice, he observed, “In my day, we used to sing, ‘We shall overcome.’ Today, we ought to say, ‘We’re not going back.’” His words carried particular force in a moment when public discourse often rewards reaction more than resilience. The 73rd Laurel Wreath Laureate Rodney C. Adkins is a retired senior IBM executive who helped lead development of the company’s Watson artificial intelligence, distilled lead- ership into three essentials: curiosity, skills, and culture. Yet the most reveal- ing moment of his remarks came in the question he posed to himself—and to every brother present: “How can I do more for Kappa?” His answer was prac- tical. He invested in undergraduate brothers and he demystified board- rooms. Brother Adkins also reminded
the room that “Kappa lives in you. It is your superpower.” Founders’ Day celebrations across the Fraternity traditionally honor the courage of the ten young men who gathered in Bloomington in 1911. This national observance honored something equally important: the responsibility of the generations who followed them. The 35th Administration has pur- posefully shaped National Founders’ Day programming as a leadership devel- opment experience. The format itself reflects a belief that the Fraternity’s future depends not only on remember- ing our Founders, but also on preparing our successors. Conversations were structured across generations, networks were activated across professions, and expectations were clarified across chapters and provinces. The 17th Biennial National Found- ers’ Day observance made one truth
unmistakably clear; that departure is easy and stewardship requires courage. Grand Polemarch Jimmy McMikle and the 35th Administration reminds us that membership in Kappa Alpha Psi is not nostalgia. It is responsibility. It is mentorship. It is scholarship. It is civic engagement. It is preparation for leadership. It is love of the Bond expressed through action. For the Brother who pawned his watch in 1911—and for the young men who have yet to cross the Burning Sands—this observance renewed a shared commitment: To remain, to lead, and to do the work that remains ours.
Yours in the Bond,
Cleveland Ferguson III, Esq. Editor, The Kappa Alpha Psi Journal
WINTER 2025-2026 ♦ THE JOURNAL 9
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