LOOK BACK KAPPA HISTORY
T
his is the second of a five-part series entitled, “The History of Grand Chapter Meetings.” The series covers the origin and development of the Kappa Alpha Psi® Conclaves. In this installment, we examine unique Grand Chapter Meetings, including ones held on college campuses.
4th Grand Chapter Meeting University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL December 30, 1914-January 1, 1915 The estimated twenty-five delegates were registered by midweek, and ses- sions began on Wednesday afternoon. Grand Polemarch Elder W. Diggs pre- sided. The business session opened at the local YMCA and Grand Pole- march Diggs’ keynote address was the highlight of the Conclave banquet at the Beta Chapter House. The house party was held at the residence of Mrs. Fannie Brown. The Grand Prom was held at the Elk’s Auditorium in nearby Champaign, IL. New member initiations occurred on the closing day at Carey Hall.
5th Grand Chapter Meeting University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA December 29-31, 1915 Grand Polemarch Diggs opened the Grand Chapter Meeting on Wednesday at the YMCA’s Close Hall Auditorium in Iowa City, IA. The Public Meeting was held at the assembly room of the same location. The Conclave banquet was held at the Gamma Chapter house. The Conclave concluded with a Formal Prom at Red Men’s Hall. 22nd Grand Chapter Meeting West Virginia State University, Institute, WV December 27-30, 1932 A common complaint about the 22nd
Interestingly, early Grand Chapter Meetings were held on college and uni- versity campuses, very similar to today, as numerous provinces host C. Rodger Wilson Leadership Conferences. These “Campus Conclaves” had small dele- gate attendance in the early decades. For some Conclave host chapters, the only viable option for meeting space was school facilities. Some of the same facilities (i.e., auditoriums, lecture halls, chapels, and administration buildings) where these early Conclave activities were conducted are still in use today. The primary resources for this series are from archived issues of The Kappa Alpha Psi Journal and historical newspapers. The following are a brief description of past campus Conclaves.
36 THE JOURNAL ♦ SUMMER 2024
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker