"Stronger Chapters, Stronger Bands"

Convention Season Schedule

2008-01-13T11:03:00.001-05:00

Brothers,

I wanted to take a moment and mention again the entire schedule for the convention season. Bits of information have been release piecemeal, but some may find it helpful to have all dates and locations in one communication. Here it is:

January 19 – Leadership Conference at Butler University
February 9 – Block Meeting at Purdue University
February 23 – Block Meeting at the University of Louisville
March 5 – Magic Date for all Convention Paperwork and Award Applications
March 8 – Block Meeting at Eastern Michigan University
April 4-6 – North Central District Convention in Indianapolis, IN

A few other things should be made very clear:

The Leadership Conference is only one day this year. It will only be on Saturday. Please contact the hosts ASAP if you will need housing. They can be reached at kky.tbs.leadership.2008@gmail.com.

Block Meetings are designed so that you travel to only the closest site. If you travel to more than one block site, then you will hear the same information as the other sites. We love that Brothers in the NCD will drive anywhere to see their other Brothers, but we also recognize that asking you to travel to three block sites is unreasonable. Our hope is that you attend one block meeting that is most convenient to you, and that your chapter shows up in force!

The Magic Date is the 30 day deadline established for convention paperwork for the councils. That deadline will be for committee preferences, delegate information, award applications, and so forth. March 5th is a postmark date.

*****Your Magic Date Alternative: If for some reason you cannot (or choose to not) get your paperwork postmarked by March 5th, you may drive to the Block Meeting at Eastern Michigan University and hand your paperwork to the District President and/or District Governor. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, HAND YOUR PAPERWORK TO ANYONE ELSE AND ASSUME THAT THEY WILL DELIVER IT FOR YOU. If the District President and/or District Governor do not have your paperwork by the end of the block meeting, then it will be considered late.

Finally, the NCD Convention does begin on April 4th. The tentative plan, at this point, is to begin Governor’s Cup presentations sometime around noon. If your chapter is eligible and planning on presenting, begin making arrangements NOW.

As always, please let me know if there are questions.

Safe travels, and Keep Strivin’,
Rod

Stay eligible!

2007-11-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

Make sure that your chapter stays eligible for the Superior Achievement Award (and the ability to bid for the Governor's Cup)!!

It's easy: just go to http://kkpsi.org/fallreport.asp and complete the Fall Activity Report and submit it to the necessary people (see below) by December 1. Also get those MEPs and CMEPs sent in to Raina, Rod, and Christine.

Start working on the FAR paperwork now and set up a time to meet with your Sponsor to get the signatures that you need.

Send copies of your FAR to:

Kappa Kappa Psi National Headquarters
P.O. Box 849
Stillwater, OK 74076

Jeremy Horner
NCD President
D5016 Boulevard Pl
Apt. D201
Indianapolis, IN 46208

Rod Whiteman
NCD Governor
1312 Old Town South Dr #6
Indianapolis, IN 46260

Christine Beason
NCD Governor
739 S. 15th St.
Quincy, IL 62301

This is a great time to write down all the great things your chapter does, so definitely put some effort into the details. I'm looking forward to seeing all the work that you've been doing throughout the semester.

Keep Strivin'
Jeremy

Block Schedule

2007-11-09T13:44:00.000-05:00

Now announcing the block schedule for 2008!

February 9
West Lafayette, Indiana
Hosted by:
Gamma Pi (KKΨ) and Beta Sigma (TBΣ)
Purdue University

February 23
Louisville, Kentucky
Hosted by
Theta Psi (TBΣ)
University of Louisville

March 8
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Hosted by:
Delta Upsilon (KKΨ)
Easter Michigan University

Also, remember that Leadership Weekend will be at Butler University in Indianapolis on January 19-20.

Can't wait to see everyone there! We've got some great workshops in the works.

Jeremy

Membership Education Notes

2007-11-04T15:17:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone,
We hope to start updating the blog more frequently as we are getting into the swing of things for the spring! We're currently working on planning Leadership Weekend, Block Meetings, and District Convention.

A couple of Membership Education Points of interest:

1) There is a new Membership Education Listserv especially created for the NCD! So far, discussions have included big/little programs, service projects as recruiting tools, and creative MEP applications. It's never too late to join! Shoot me an e-mail at reganrai@gmail.com to get added!

2) MEPs and CMEPs are due to Christine, Rod, and myself by December 1st. It is REQUIRED to be eligible for the Superior Achievement Award. You can find more information out on the district website (http://www.kkytbsncd.org). Let me know if you have any questions.

As I know many chapters are currently in the midst of their Membership Education Program, please feel free to e-mail me at anytime with any questions you might have, including if you need suggestions on how to make something new work!

Until next time,
Raina

What Has KKΨ Given Back to You?

2007-09-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

During one of the MER workshops, I proposed a prompt to all the participants.

Write down two or three sentences about what you would say to someone interested in joining Kappa Kappa Psi about how it has benefited you personally. What has Kappa Kappa Psi given back to you?

I gave everyone a couple of minutes to ponder what they thought so they could really divulge into what they really believe their answer to be. Going through all the responses, I wanted to share a couple with all of you.

KKΨ is like a second family to me and by serving the band, I am helping and supporting my family. The bonds and interactions that are formed by being a part of KKΨ have made me feel like I am a part of something bigger than myself.

KKΨ has given me an opportunity to interact with others like me who have a love for band and want to do more to make the band great. The Brotherhood is so strong and there are always people to stand behind me and support me when I need help. They make me so happy and understand my craziness. It’s nice knowing there are people who want me around and know I can help.

This organization has provided me with a family away from home and an opportunity to give back to the band program. Without KKΨ I would not be who I am today, It has helped me to realize my full leadership potential and has given me many of opportunities to share my love for band with others.

KKΨ provides a foundation for developing your own dedication and skills while working with friends and brothers toward common goals. In short – it’s fantastic!

KKΨ afford a truly fraternal experience while providing valuable services to the college and university bands in which its members participate. The opportunities for band leadership promote personal growth. Such inspired leadership encourages all band members to strive for the highest.

I love music and my university bands. My goal is to exude a positive attitude and be a good leader. I feel that KKΨ has given me the opportunity to express my love for music, give back to the bands that have given me so much and build my own character. Perhaps more importantly, it has acquainted me with people who share these same values and have helped me grow as a musician, leader, and friend.

Of course, there were TONS of really great responses - it was very exciting to go through and read each individual responses. The purpose of this activity was to prove you have to make a connection with the individuals you want to recruit into your chapter. Teaching your potential members about the organization in general is good, but go beyond that. Teach them about why it is important to you and your chapter. Tell them what it has given you personally - it could be a whole variety of things. Use the prompt above as a good starting point. Ask each of your members to ponder the question so if asked, they too can give the best response!

Let me know if you have any questions. Look for the full list of these responses on the district website soon!

AEA,
Raina

Thank you for attending MER!

2007-09-23T23:09:00.000-04:00

I am currently working on doing some post-MER analysis and figured I would update and talk about some of the great work that was accomplished at MER. I have to commend the NCD for showing up ready and willing to work, ask questions, share ideas, and come up with new ones. I hope everyone has taken what they've learned and started finding new ways to update your MEPs.

Now, just a couple highlights and comments. The Who? workshop focused on recruitment and membership selection and the entire group seemed very focused while discussing with their groups. The individual groups (formed of people from different chapters) seemed to come up with long lists of everything included in the MEP up until 1st degree. It was exciting to walk around and hear everyone sharing what their chapter did and have others ask questions about specific projects. Want some more information about one of those things you heard about? Use the Online Chapter Directory to find those chapter's contact information.

The What? workshop focused on the elements of the MEP. Some great analysis of what is really required to be taught in the MEP occurred. A general consensus transpired that we should be building and focusing our MEPs around the Fraternal Foundations - the Purposes, the Code of Conduct, the Mission Statement, and the Lessons of the Degrees. Look on the district website soon for the information compiled from that workshop.

The How? workshop, guest presented by Rose Bradbourne, gave chapters the tools to implement lesson planning for their MEPs. Everyone learned they should "Stop Reinventing the Wheel" and instead just update from year to year. Find Rose's handouts on the District Website under My Downloads.

Thank you to everyone who attended! Your ideas and enthusiasm about the Fraternity helped make the day a great success. I wish everyone the best as they begin taking membership classes and educating!

Remember, although some ideas we discussed may have seemed focused, you can find different ways to apply them to your chapter, no matter how big or small. E-mail me if you're trying to figure out the best way to make this happen and we can brainstorm some possible solutions!

AEA,
Raina

Countdown to MER!

2007-09-04T17:36:00.001-04:00

As you all are settling back into the school year, it's less than 2 weeks away to the 2007 Membership Education Retreat! It will be held on Sunday, September 16th at Tiffin University.

The concept of this year's MER is the Who? What? and How? of Membership Education. These three questions should always be in the back of your mind when you are developing your entire Membership Education Program. The combination of these three questions serve as the backbone to any good Membership Education Program. The Who? gives you the quality members that you should be identifying for membership through recruitment programs and the membership selection process. The What? defines the material that needs to be covered in the MEP to the material that can be more suited for a Continuing Membership Education lesson. The How? program will allow you to better understand how to physically teach and plan the lessons of the MEP.

So how about some logistics concerning MER? First of all, the day will begin with some presentations from three chapters in the NCD. Theta Zeta will be discussing their recruitment week, Kappa Nu will be discussing their membership selection plan, and Mu Alpha will discuss their membership selection rubric. Definitely take the time to listen to all of these chapters and see how they've implemented these programs in their chapters. For the How? workshop, we are fortunate to have an NCD Alumni, Rose Bradbourne, an alumni of Beta Psi, presenting.

All of these workshops are designed for every type of chapter, school, and individual member that you can imagine. Make an effort to get a member from your chapter to MER, if not 10 members! The more the merrier!

I can not wait to see everyone again on the 16th! Let me know if there's any questions you might have before then.
Raina

Convention Recap: Raina's Perspective

2007-08-02T20:14:00.001-04:00

Even though we've been back from National Convention for a couple days, I have to admit I'm still as excited as when I left Orlando on Sunday. Here's a couple of highlights from the week I thought I'd share with all of you:

1) Being able to watch the business of the Fraternity and our Fraternity in general change in front of my eyes. Saturday's business sessions - both of them - created changes in our Fraternity in several aspects. If you did not attend National Convention, please make sure you read the National Convention Minutes as soon as they are published. Read about the changes made in Jurisdiction, which included structural changes to align with the new alumni program. Other major changes came out of Ritual and Regalia, so it will be important to read the minutes to gain a better understanding on how these effect you and your chapters. I could go on for an entire entry, but suffice to say I'm not going to. We'll let you know when the minutes become available so you can stay informed.

2) Watching the NCD come together as a district was one of the highlights of the entire
convention. As Alex alluded to in his entry, countless hours were spent at the pool and other venues getting to better know the brothers of the NCD. The image you see is from Wednesday's pool party. The NCD Caucuses were also an amazing chance to see the NCD come together and conduct business on a formal level. Everyone seemed to have something to contribute, whether it had been a question for a National Officer candidate or sharing the information their committee had been working on.

3) The information shared and gained from interacting with other Brothers and chapters across the nation. This was especially the case in the Interactive Psi session. We were able to share information about the NCD through the NCD Poster we had created in addition to getting the chance to pursue the other posters and learn about other chapters. Even at meals and just hanging out wherever ideas were shared and created and hopefully many of them will make an impact on the chapters of those individuals in attendance. If you were at convention and did not get a copy of the handout besides the NCD Poster at the Interactive Psi session, e-mail Jeremy (bluebiohazrd@gmail.com) or I (reganrai@gmail.com) and we'd be happy to provide a copy. If you did not attend, please e-mail us as well and we'd be more than willing to send one as well.

That's it for me now. Expect a post from me next week about all the MER planning I've been working on. Remember: Sunday, September 16th at Tiffin University! Be there or miss out on an AMAZING day of learning more about Membership Education!!!!

The Madness that was Convention

2007-07-30T15:35:00.001-04:00

Pretty soon, the other officers of the North Central District should be also sharing their experiences from National Convention in Orlando, but as I am the first to think of it, here is what I got out of convention:

1) A better understanding of the National Council. Previously, I had skimmed through the National Constitution in an attempt at understanding exactly what the members of Kappa Kappa Psi's National Council do while in office. However, I found that once I was in Orlando and had an opportunity to talk to the (now past) Officers, along with the Candidates, and after looking through their bid packets, I have a much better understanding of their roles in the fraternity. I'm glad that I gained this knowledge, because it will undoubtedly be helpful when I am looking for aide and will now know who to appropriately turn to.

2) Insight into the opinions of other district councils. As a part of the Student Advisory Committee, we discussed certain issues in an attempt to make recommendations to committees. It was interesting to see and hear of some of the issues which unfolded, especially concerning argument over the color of letters on our fraternity clothing. Additionally, it was interesting to see how the other district councils differed in setup from our own. I believe every other district council contained at least one member-at-large. To be quite honest, it makes me curious as to how the new Vice President of Student Affairs, Jason Morris, will try and coordinate contacts between the councils.

3) A big bunch of new people, and a great sense of pride in the NCD. Upon returning home, I found that I had quite a number of Facebook friend invites. The times spent at the pool were very fun, and getting to know more brothers in the NCD and other districts was my favorite part of National Convention. Additionally, I was very impressed with the ways which our district conducted itself during our caucuses. The brothers of the NCD were very efficient with our time, and asked the candidates for National Council great questions. They acted in a very professional manner which makes me proud to be a brother of the NCD.

4) Excitement for the future! For those who are yet unaware, we have a new National Council.

NATIONAL COUNCIL
National President: Dr. Malinda Matney
National Vice President for Colonization and Membership: Mr. Derrick Mills
National Vice President for Programs: Mr. Adam Cantley
National Vice President for Student Affairs: Mr. Jason Morris
National Vice President for Professional Relations: Dr. Bruce Moss
Immediate Past National President: Dr. Rod Chesnutt (ex officio)

NATIONAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dr. Michael Golemo (2007-2011)
Mr. Michael Osborn (2007-2011)
Dr. Kirk Randazzo (2005-2009)
Mr. Scott Stowell (2005-2009)
Mr. Ken Corbett (2005-2009)
Immediate Past National President: Dr. Rod Chesnutt
National President: Dr. Malinda Matney (ex officio)

Additionally, the next National Convention will be held in the Arizona Biltmore (the hotel has its own Podcast! Though nothing quite compares to the Rodcast...) in Phoenix, AZ! While that will be a bit of a trip for those from the NCD (we will most definitely have to fly, unless you like 25+ hr. road trips), but I'm sure it will be well worth it (waterslide!!!!!).

See you all at MER on Sudnay, September 16 at Tiffin University!!!

Alex

Packing for National Convention

2007-07-15T14:47:00.000-04:00

I'm in the middle of packing for national convention, which is a multi-day project for me. I've even geeked out enough to make a chart of what I'm wearing on which day, complete with photos of articles of clothing. That level of geek-dom aside, let me recommend a few things for you to bring:

Your Membership Card
- If you are an active or conditional member, make sure you have your most recent card. If you are a life member, bring your card. If you have recently become an alumni, bring your most recent active card.

Your Cell Phone Charger
- I've seen bootless attempts at conserving batteries. It doesn't work. Trust me.

Your Notebook Computer Charger
- This just makes sense.

A Notebook
- National conventions are starting to catch up to NCD conventions in the way of offering educational workshops. You'll be a better Brother, in a better Chapter, serving a better Band if you attend and share what you've learned with others.

Your Musical Instrument
- Play in the reading band. 'Nuff said.

Appropriate Dress Clothing
- The NIB Concert, the Banquet, and the Ritual all occur on different days. Be able to dress for all of them.

Your Address Book
- That is, if you keep such a thing anymore. Whatever method you use to keep track of contacts --have it available. You're going to meet a lot of people from across the entire country. You'll want to be able to follow up after convention.

Extra Cash
- The convention gives you all of Thursday afternoon to go play in Orlando. I hope you take advantage of this opportunity to hang out with all of the Brothers you've met in the week. You may want a little extra cash to help with that.

Pool-wear
- We'll have a pretty sweet pool at the convention site. Take advantage of it.

If you can think of anything I'm forgetting, let me know by emailing me. You can also post a comment to this blog.

Can't wait to see you all!
Rod

Top Ten

2007-07-08T21:52:00.000-04:00

If you are reading this and aren't signed up for National Convention, why not? We developed the "Top Ten" reasons why you should sign up to go to Orlando!

Top Ten Reasons Why You and Your Chapter Should Attend National Convention:

10. Meeting people from chapters in the entire country! Yeah, we see our friends and chapters in the NCD at district events, but how about the chapters in the Western District? A great opportunity to see and meet chapters who may be doing all kinds of other great things from across the United States.

9. ORLANDO! How often do our district conventions take place in weather warm enough to swim in an outdoor pool? Almost never. Remember, there's free time on Thursday afternoon to check out the sights!

8. Merchandise. The amount of "stuff" you'll be able to procure will definitely hurt your bank account, but you'll be happy with your purchases!

7. The New Interactive Psi Session. A chance to mingle with National Officers, District Presidents, and Chapter Leadership Finalists as they present a poster presentation. Be sure to check out the NCD poster!

6. The National Intercollegiate Band concert on Tuesday evening! They will premiere a new work by the composer Eric Ewazen, under the direction of Frank B. Wickes, a part of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma history in the making! It's also a chance to support the musicians from the NCD in the NIB!

5. Workshops! The same kind you see at Block Meetings, Leadership Weekend, and District Convention. Check out the Convention Schedule here: http://www.kkytbs.org/NatConv/2007%20Conv%20Agenda.doc to see what kinds of workshops will be available.

4. BAND!!! By attending National Convention, you are bound to come back to your band programs with several ideas to improve your chapter and your band program. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge to improve your chapter and your band!

3. Supporting Dr. Malinda Matney as she ascends to the office of National President of Kappa Kappa Psi!

2. Representing your Chapter and the North Central District is an opportunity to show the country what our Chapters and District stand for and how we represent the fraternity.

1. Conducting the business of the National Fraternity. This is your opportunity to have a voice and an impact on the future of the Fraternity. We will all have the opportunity to make or prevent changes to keep the Fraternity striving to new heights!

It's still not too late to sign up! Don't miss an opportunity to be a part of Kappa Kappa Psi history!

How can you prepare for National Convention?

2007-07-06T17:11:00.000-04:00

Brothers,

I hope you all had an enjoyable and safe holiday! With National Convention preparations well underway, I would like for all of you to be aware of the resources available. There are a few documents available on the national website that will provide some useful background material as you prepare for the trip to Orlando. Remember that preparing for convention is about more than just packing the right clothes, this is your chance to impact the future of the Fraterntiy so make sure your decisions are informed!

First of all, a special Delegate Listserv has been created for all the delegates in the NCD. If you are a delegate and you did not receive an invitation to this listserv let me know ASAP. Now, here are the documents that will be helpful in preparing for convention:

Kappa Kappa Psi Separates Minutes 2003-05
See what business occurred at the past convention. This will give you an idea of what happens at National Convention and the reports definitely give some perspective on the growth we've experienced in two years.

Report of the Advisory Committee on Nominations
This contains information on all of the candidates for national office (except VPSA). Definitely give this a look over and print it to take to convention. Know the candidates now and start thinking about those questions!

National Alumni Program Proposal
There will be some sessions explaining the components of the new Alumni Program. This report explains every component of the new program. Just like the report on candidates give this a look over to be prepared.

2005-07 Reports
The reports for this convention are already available online at the national website. Check out the reports of the National Officers and District Presidents at http://kkpsi.org/Reports2005-2007.asp

This is a good preliminary list of important background information and references for National Convention. As always if you have any questions please let me know. We want our district to be prepared to make the most informed decisions possible.

Keep those registrations coming!

Jeremy

Planning for National Convention

2007-06-30T23:46:00.000-04:00

Less than a month to go to National Convention and the district council has been busy preparing in several ways. I’ve been extremely busy lately working with Jeremy on our poster for National Convention. We hope to represent the district well and have been putting the man hours into making it the best possible. Look for it at National Convention during the Interactive Psi session, which is very similar to our Block Party/Expo you've seen at our last two district conventions.

Speaking of National Convention... I really hope the NCD can rise to Jeremy's challenge to you - calling for more National Convention registrations. You might say there are plenty of reasons why you can’t go, but there are twice as many reasons why you SHOULD go! Need a roommate? Send an e-mail over the listserv and see who else might need one. I think you’d be surprised how many people are looking for one or two more people to complete a room! By attending National Convention, you are investing in your chapter's future and the future of the Fraternity as a whole. If there's anything the district officers can do to help getting your chapter represented at National Convention, please let us know. Although we may not have magical powers, we can definitely at least try to help in any way possible!

If you haven't viewed the National Convention website, take a look around. You can find a copy of the convention schedule, among other things. A little advance planning can never hurt!

Anyway, one last plug and reminder! The 2007 Membership Education Retreat will be at Tiffin University in Tiffin, OH on September 16th. I already have some exciting things and guest speakers planned, so I hope to see all chapters from the NCD!

See you all at National Convention!

AEA,
Raina

Nat'l Convention Challenge!

2007-06-24T15:19:00.000-04:00

I recently received a copy of the NCD registration information for National Convention, and I was excited to see all of the people from our district that are attending. We currently have roughly 70 actives and a few life members from our district registered, representing 19 chapters in the district.

While this is a decent representation for our district let's all try to make it even better! Ideally as many of our chapters would be represented by their own delegate as possible. If your chapter isn't sending a delegate or if you're not sure if they are please find out and try to work so that your chapter can be represented. Remember: it's not too late to register (there is a small late fee). If lack of roommates is an obstacle don't hesitate to send a requeste over the listserv; there are plenty of people that still have space in their rooms.

Here is my challenge for our district: Let's try to get 90 people registered from 25 chapters (there are 30 in our district). Please try everything that you can to get more of our chapters represented, whether it's by working things out to get a delegate from your chapter to convention or by helping one of the chapters in need by giving their delegate a space in your room. I know that together we can all increase our district's attendance at convention!

The district officers will be contacting various chapters in the district in the coming week. This will be to check in on those chapters currently not registered for convention and to check with other chapters about possibly sending more people. A strong attendance means a strong NCD voting block (we have the power of helping guide our fraternity!).

If you need anything or have any questions, please contact me. Let's show up in force at National Convention!

Jeremy

Chapter Summary Reports

2007-06-21T22:43:00.000-04:00

Just a little update on the Governor front...

Christine and I are reading Chapter Summary Reports, comparing notes, and sharing what we find with each other, the council, and the rest of the National Leadership Team. I blogged earlier today about the content of CSRs, so I won't get into that again.

We're also in the process of determining who is now still eligible for the Superior Achievement Award. A post will be made later this summer about the standings for that award, based on CSR submissions.

If you have questions about CSRs, or if you want to make sure that I received your chapter's, feel free to email me.

AEA,
RSW

FUNction was Great!!! Now on to Convention...

2007-06-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

Greetings wonderful NCDers!

This is your freindly and overly-excited VPP here to share a few things with you. Summer FUNction was a blast. It seems like every time I get together with the people around the district, I can't help but to have tons of fun. FUNction was a wierd experience for me because it wasn't what I expected.

I always considered Summer FUNction to be an event where we meet somewhere and just goof off. I was under the impression that it is a break from all of the hardcore workshops about building chapters and being good brothers and things of that sort. I was wrong!

Although we don't hold workshops or have a concrete schedule, participating in the events at the campground teach a lot of the things that you learn in those workshops as well as gives the opportunity to discuss things with brothers and sisters from other chapters. A lot of the events (including canoeing with another district officer) really highlight things that we suggest can build stronger chapters and stronger bands.

While planning FUNction, it wasn't always easy. Quite honestly, it wasn't always fun. There was a lot of work that went into it, but it was all WELL WORTH IT!!! The things you gain by just experiencing life in the middle of "nothingness" with your fellow brothers in priceless. Now that FUNction is over, we have the opportunity to experience life in the middle of "somethingness" with more brothers than can be imagined.

National Convention is a little under five weeks away and I am so excited about it. There is so much to be learned from all of the people who will be in attendance... AND IT'S IN ORLANDO!!! This is a great opportunity for all of us and I hope that as many of you as possible will take advantage of it. See ya' at convention!

Always Strivin'
RJ

Convention Grants

2007-06-19T15:41:00.001-04:00

The NCD Council is happy and proud to present delegate grants for National Convention. We have several to distribute, and they will be going to:

Sigma - Ohio Northern
Eta - Ohio State
Beta Psi - Kent State
Gamma Pi - Purdue
Delta Upsilon - Eastern Michigan
Zeta Epsilon - Michigan State
Eta Delta - Eastern Illinois
Theta Zeta - Ashland
Kappa Chi - Albion
Lambda Lambda - Indiana State
Lambda Tau - Central Michigan
Lambda Chi - Quincy

These chapters will be reimbursed for their delegate fee following national convention.

We're hoping to see many of you in Orlando. Find a way to get there. Beg, borrow, or steal. You won't regret it!

Get excited for FUNction!!!

2007-06-14T15:25:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to post a quick update on what I've been doing lately, so here goes:

For those of you who don't know yet, there will be a poster session at National Convention. I've been doing some initial work on that poster. I think I've found most of the supplies that I'll need so now the main focus is the content. That shouldn't be too hard because we already know what we want to do with the district poster and I've already got a lot of ideas and notes to work with. I'm starting to get excited about finishing this up and I should be hitting it hard next week.

I recently met with Eric Gilliam (2005-06 NCD President) to discuss National Convention preparations, district reports, and poster stuff. He had some good insights and he also helped confirm some of the things I was already thinking about. I also had my introduction to Chipotle for lunch, which was just as good as Eric said it would be.

Most of my upcoming tasks are mostly National Convention prep. I should have the delegate listserv up and running sometime soon so that we can begin some communication over the next month and a half. National Convention is coming up so fast! I can't wait for all the preparations to come together, and I'm excited to get to see as many of you as I can in Orlando!

Well, I've got to run. I've got to get some things ready for FUNction because I still haven't packed. I hope to see a lot of you there for some wild and crazy fun!

Jeremy

Greetings From Your VPM

2007-06-05T19:51:00.001-04:00

Greetings NCD Land!

I figured I would follow up on Jeremy's wonderful welcome post and greet you to our council blog! Make sure to check it regularly, as we hope to post often to keep you all updated on what we're up to and all kinds of other fun blog-type things.

We also hope to use this blog to discuss items that might not make it into workshops or smaller topics that might be better suited for a blog entry. If you ever have any suggestions on what you'd like to hear from us, put them in a comment! We hope to make this blog as informational as possible for the members of the North Central District.

I've been already hard at work for this year's Membership Education Retreat (MER). As Jeremy mentioned, it will be Sunday, September 16th, hosted by the Lambda Iota chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi at Tiffin University. I promise a fun filled day of workshops discussing almost every aspect of the membership education process, so there will be something to learn for everyone in attendance. As the event gets closer, I'll be sure to update you on what kinds of workshops to expect. As I'm still in the planning stages, but I can guarantee you it is a day not to be missed by any chapter!

Start planning now to attend - especially whomever is in charge of your chapter's membership education. Of course, the more the merrier, so bring a car full (or two!). Just a general reminder (and I will repeat this in the fall, as well), this is the only district event in which prospective members are not allowed to attend. We know you want to bring them, but they'll not be allowed to attend any of the workshops. Keep that in mind as you start planning who will be coming from your chapter.

Speaking of membership education... this fall I will be collecting MEPs and CMEPs. The District Policy Handbook was amended at this past district convention and it is now a requirement to turn them in by December 1st. Membership Educators - start planning now! Even if your MEP normally takes place in the spring, this does not mean you have to wait until the fall to work on your MEP. I will have a checklist of what you should be sending by MER. Look for e-mails over the listserv for more information.

That's all from me for now, but I'll see some of you in less than two weeks for FUNction! And, of course, I hope to see even more of you at National Convention.

Until next time...

AEA,
Raina

Welcome and the Summer Council Meeting

2007-05-28T15:58:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our new District Council blog for the coming year! Be on the lookout for new posts throughout the year about what the council is doing and why we’re doing it. We are also hoping to use this as another means of reaching out to the Brothers of the NCD with our message for the upcoming year.

Stronger Chapters, Stronger Bands. With the work of the past two years laying a strong foundation, the council and I hope to help each of our chapters improve so that the band programs at their universities may continue to prosper. Kappa Kappa Psi chapters can and do make a difference in their band programs, so strengthening our chapters will ultimately make our bands better.

Nothing helped to solidify my thoughts, the general theme, and the basic outline for the year more than our first District Council meeting on May 19. We set the ideal schedule for the year during our Joint Council meeting. While we don’t have any hosts confirmed for the block season yet, I’m sure many of you noticed Raina’s announcement of the MER date this coming fall: September 16 at Tiffin. I won’t spoil any of the great MER plans that Raina has been working on! We’re still working out the details of the spring, particularly what types of workshops we want to have to go along with the overall theme. I’m getting really excited about the content that we have been brainstorming so far! One of the things I’m most excited about for the year is the development of these workshops, and it has become the council’s goal to bring the most meaningful and well-planned workshops as possible.

All of the planning and brainstorming for the year was great, but it was even better getting to see the rest of the council again. We hadn’t all been together since our officer transition meetings following convention. We will all be at National Convention, so definitely take the time to get to know this exciting group! We can be a little crazy though. Here are some of the non-business lessons I learned from the weekend:

Breakfast in the morning that involved lots of laughing for no reason. Sleep deprivation can apparently cause fits of uncontrollable laughter.
Sometimes the largest drink available to go is not the best choice. "Sometimes" includes meetings.
Christine can be 7 feet tall and have a looming voice of God presence, so watch out!
Rod’s text message. We all learned the importance of having dollar bills in parking garages. He mentions it in a little more detail at his blog, The Governor’s Desk.

I hope that this blog becomes a useful reference for everyone in the district. Look for more posts from all the district officers throughout the year and please feel free to make comments on posts and give us feedback! We want to maintain as much communication with all of you as possible.

Hope to see many of you at Summer FUNction and National Convention!

Jeremy