Brotherhood Through the Eyes of a Younger Brother

by Blaine Robertson, Eta Omega, KKΨ |

“The people you meet in Kappa Kappa Psi, be it through your home Chapter, through visiting with bands at football games, or through Conventions and other fraternal meetings, are the people who will be your friends and advisors throughout your life.”

– Edward Savoy

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #0099FF;”]B[/dropcap]rother Edward Savoy, Chair of the Alumni Advisory Committee reminded us of this cliché in the last issue of the Podium as he went on to discuss some of the opportunities, especially the fellowship experiences, the Fraternity has to offer to Alumni who can continue to play a role in Kappa Kappa Psi.

However, I would like to shed some light on the fellowship experiences that this Fraternity offers to its active members as well.  This past summer in July, I took advantage of a once in a biennium chance to travel to our national convention held in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Although the event featured astounding performances by the United States Air Force Academy Falconaires and Boston Brass and remarkable speeches by Dr. Lori Hart and Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, nothing was more invigorating than being able to share such an experience with Brothers from around the country.

At some points during the Convention, when we could repress our business mode, we were able to relax and listen to stories from past national presidents, or talk with brothers like Jeffrey Heckstall and hear his personal tale of writing what would become our National Hymn.  As time wound down and the Convention came to a close we made sure to network with each other, in case we had future questions, needed advice, or simply just wanted to keep in touch later on.

Swapping tips, advice, concerns, problems, and solutions with other active members, alumni, and officers on every level provided me the realization that 1) we are all united by a common goal along with a certain attitude as we strive for the highest in achieving it, and 2) we’re here for one another and are all dedicated to assisting one another in whatever way we can “just because”, something I would appreciate even more a few months later.

During football season, we had a couple of free weekends to ourselves.  Our chapter decided to use this time  to travel to visit other bands at their football games.  One such trip was to the University of Maryland, home of our “big brother” chapter, Gamma Xi; and the other was at Jackson State University who took on the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, home of the Epsilon Chi Chapter.  Almost all of us can confirm that college football games can be pretty intense, and once you add the thrill of the university level marching bands, the experience becomes completely exhilarating.  Yet once again, sharing the experience with brothers and alumni (some of whom go as far back as the 1980’s) from their respective bands that we sat with was the highlight of it all.

Even the road trip down to Jackson, Mississippi was enhanced because we got to hang with some Brothers from Iota Tau at Clark Atlanta University.  Nine hours into our journey, we were more than restless and as we approached Atlanta, we were thinking about taking a break somewhere.  Fortunately at the convention I had met a fellow Spring 2011 initiate from IT by the name of Paul Hopson who was more than glad to see us. He along with the rest of his chapter and several Sisters from CAU received us as nothing short of close family members for the hour and a half that we spent there.  After meeting and greeting, an exchange of contact information, and also performing Groovin’ with the Brothers from IT we were back on our way.

Having only been initiated into the Fraternity last spring it’s safe for me to say that I haven’t been around for very long.  Moreover, this serves as a testament in itself of the lasting and far reaching tradition of the true Brotherhood that we share, when one stops and thinks about how a recent initiate like me can relate his or her experience to those of life members and alumni who have been around for awhile like Edward.  Ultimately, as the organization ages, members young and older alike will continue to be united by the precepts of Kappa Kappa Psi, and the relationships connections we consequently form and build with one another will always be an aspect of the Fraternity that is deeply valued and appreciated.