The next Cluster Initiation in our province will take place on Friday, October 31st, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on the evening prior to the C. Rodger Wilson Leadership Conference. In order for your chapter to participate in that initiation, you must comply with each of the following steps:
- Letter of Intent
This is a very simple "notice" to the Province Polemarch that your chapter wishes to participate in the upcoming initiation. The "letter" may be sent to him as a message via e-mail (addressed to Polemarch@KAPsiMWP.com), or mailed to him via postal delivery at 3821 Westminster Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63108. For these purposes, an e-mail message is preferred and a telephone call will not suffice. The content of the letter need only say, "Our chapter intends to participate in the Cluster Initiation on October 31st." The letter must be signed by your Chapter Polemarch or it must originate from the e-mail address of your Chapter Polemarch or Chapter Keeper of Records. The "Letter of Intent" must arrive before September 14th. Chapters that do not submit a "Letter of Intent" prior to September 14th (meaning ON or BEFORE September 13th) will not be allowed to participate in the Cluster Initiation on October 31st.
- Informational Meeting
The conduct of the Informational Meeting is included in your chapter's copy of the "Membership Intake and Orientation Program Manual" (the red three-ring binder). Therein, you will find an agenda for the meeting, as well as several pointers for assuring its success. Your chapter should "announce" the time and place of the Information Meeting in a public place, such as a campus bulletin board, campus radio station, and/or by invitations to all eligible students. For these purposes, "eligible students" are any males on your campus who are not currently members of any of the other Black Greek-Letter Organization of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Further, even though a first semester Freshman cannot be initiated into the fraternity at the Cluster Initiation on October 31st, you are not allowed to exclude him from attending the Informational Meeting, nor may you exclude students who might not have a sufficient grade point average to qualify for initiation. This is an "informational meeting" for the dissemination of facts about Kappa Alpha Psi and "information" about how to become a member. There are no "secrets" revealed in this meeting. AND, while it is NOT (yet!) a "requirement" in our province, it is highly recommended that you to videotape the entire Informational Meeting, from start to finish, so that there will be a complete record of everything that took place, including responses to any questions the students may have had. Should your chapter be able to videotape these proceedings, please have each student introduce himself on the tape, giving his name, age, home town, classification, major field of study, and grade point average. It is during this meeting that "The Grand Polemarch's Executive Orders One, Two and Three" should be read and explained, if not presented to each student as a handout when they enter the meeting, along with a printed agenda for the meeting. Another important item that you must explain to the students is the cost of initiation. The Middle Western Province Initiation Fees (including Grand Chapter fees) for the October 31st initiation are posted on our website. In addition to these fees, your chapter may add a "Local Chapter Initiation Fee" that is not allowed to exceed an additional $100. Should you choose to add a Local Initiation Fee to the cost for each of the applicants that you select for membership, that money belongs to your chapter and should be placed in your chapter's Exchequer to be used as the majority of the chapter may vote to use it.
NOTE: The Chapter Advisor must be in attendance at the "entire" Informational Meeting, from start to finish. If your Chapter Advisor is not present at this meeting, the Province Polemarch will disqualify your chapter from participation in the Cluster Initiation, and your Chapter Advisor will be replaced.
- Sign-In Sheet
EVERY student who attends the Informational Meeting must be included on the Sign-In Sheet provided on our website. EVERY student! Make as many copies as you think you'll need, then make a few extra copies, just in case the attendance exceeds your expectations. Please make sure that every piece of information on that sign-in sheet is printed clearly and dark enough to be fully legible, because the Sign-In Sheets must be faxed to our Province Headquarters within 24 hours after the Informational Meeting. The fax number is 405-524-5601. Be certain that all addresses on the Sign-In Sheet include street address, city, state, and Zip Code. If a student doesn't fill in ALL of the information properly, scratch through his first attempt and have him do it again in the next available space. This information is VERY important.
NOTE: If you fail to fax the Sign-In Sheets to our Province Headquarters within 24 hours after the meeting, the Province Polemarch can disqualify your chapter from participation in the Cluster Initiation, and your Chapter Advisor may be replaced.
- Form 50 - Application for Membership
EVERY student who attends the Informational Meeting must be given the opportunity to take an application for membership (Form 50) as he leaves the meeting. There is nothing secret or sacred about our application for membership. The Form 50 is available on our province website. During the Informational Meeting, you must instruct the students about each item on the Form 50, including the requirement that all of the responses on that form MUST BE TYPED. You should review the form carefully prior to the meeting so that you may respond to every question any student may have about completing the form as well as the attachments and additional information required in the application process. They must understand that that the attached transcript must be an "official" school transcript, and that the five letters of recommendation must include three (3) from Sustaining ("financial") members of the fraternity, two (2) from community sponsors, and that one (1) of the community sponsor recommendations must be from a faculty member. The students must also understand and comply with the deadline for submitting the application and all attachments. That deadline is usually at least three days following the Informational Meeting. And, because we are on such a "short fuse" prior to the Cluster Initiation, the deadline probably cannot be more than one week following the Informational Meeting. The student is NOT to receive the last page of the Form 50 (usually page 5) on which the chapter certifies the vote about the candidate, indicates the results of the "Point Rating System Performance" in the spaces provided for that purpose, and provides all required signatures of chapter officers and the Chapter Advisor.
NOTE: If a Form 50 is submitted to the Province Polemarch that has not been properly completed, including all attachments and the "certification page" (usually page 5), the applicant will be disqualified from being initiated on October 31st, and your Chapter Advisor will be replaced.
- Objective Point System Evaluation
After the chapter receives any applications for membership, you must first attach a "certification page" (usually page 5) to each application, then evaluate the information on each application to determine whether or not the applicant has a sufficient number of points to qualify for an interview. The Point Rating System is also included in the "Membership Intake and Orientation Program Manual" (the red three-ring binder). It is usually the duty of the Membership Intake Chairman and his committee to perform this evaluation. However, it is not uncommon for some smaller chapters to utilize every chapter member at this stage. While reviewing the application to determine if the applicant qualifies by the Point Rating System, the Membership Intake Committee (or the chapter), must also assure that all of the attachments are present (i.e. letters of recommendation and "official" transcript). If the committee does its job properly at this stage, it can save the chapter some time that might be wasted by interviewing an unqualified candidate who either doesn't have a sufficient number of points to qualify for an interview, or who may have submitted a sub-par application by some other standard. From their evaluation of the information on the application, the committee (or the chapter) must register the points on the "certification page" (usually page 5) of the Form 50.
NOTE: The Chapter Advisor must be in attendance at this evaluation meeting. If the Chapter Advisor is unwilling or unable to attend this meeting, it must be rescheduled to accommodate his availability. If a Form 50 is submitted to the Province Polemarch that has not been properly completed, processed and authenticated, the applicant will be disqualified from being initiated on October 31st, and your Chapter Advisor will be replaced.
- Correspondence to Applicants
ALL applicants must be contacted by the chapter following the Evaluation Meeting. For those applicants whose application did not qualify them for an interview, they should receive a letter, signed by the Chapter Polemarch and/or Keeper of Records, in the same format and with similar (if not identical) wording as the sample that is included in your chapter's "Membership Intake and Orientation Program Manual" (the red three-ring binder). For those applicants whose application qualifies them for an interview, they should receive a letter, signed by the Chapter Polemarch and/or Keeper of Records, in which they are invited to be interviewed at a specific time and place, usually at least 24 to 48 hours following the Evaluation Meeting. Again, our "short fuse" time frame for the upcoming Cluster Initiation suggests that the turnaround time for this stage must be hurried. An acceptable alternative to sending a correspondence to those applicants who are invited to an interview may be to post the last four digits of their Social Security Number in a pre-determined location that has been made known to all applicants. For example, that could be on the door of the Chapter's Campus Advisor, Director of Greek Affairs, or some other "official" public place.
- Interview and Selection Meeting
This is a meeting of the entire chapter, even though only three of the chapter members will actually be questioning the applicants. The other members of the chapter are there to observe the interviews, evaluate the responses from each applicant, and be prepared to cast a secret ballot vote immediately following each interview. This meeting is held with the utmost decorum by chapter members. Applicants should be encouraged to look their best (coat and tie) and be prepared to attend what might very well be the most important meeting of their Kappa career, "if" they are ultimately selected for membership. As the secret ballot votes are tallied, an applicant for membership must receive at least a seventy-five (75) percent affirmative vote to be selected for membership, EXCEPT that in a chapter of 10 or fewer members, any two (2) "Nay" votes will deny selection of an applicant.
NOTE: The Chapter Advisor must be in attendance at the "entire" Interview and Selection Meeting, from start to finish. If the Chapter Advisor is unwilling or unable to attend this meeting, it must be rescheduled to accommodate his availability. Otherwise, the Province Polemarch will disqualify your chapter from participation in the Cluster Initiation, and your Chapter Advisor will be replaced.
- Correspondence to Interviewees
ALL applicants who were interviewed must receive correspondence from the chapter, signed by the Chapter Polemarch and/or Chapter Keeper of Records, informing them of the result of the Interview and Selection Meeting. For those who are not selected, they should receive a letter as described above for those who were declined in the Evaluation Meeting. For those who are selected for membership, they should receive a letter reminding them of the time and place of the Cluster Initiation, and informing them of a meeting at which they must bring the total amount of money to pay all of the initiation fees, and at which they will be required to sign the fraternity's Form 60, PROVIDED they are approved by the school for initiation. As an alternative, your chapter may choose to delay sending correspondence to any of the selected applicants until after the school has approved their initiation. If the school does not approve them, you should send them a letter as described above for those who were declined in the Evaluation Meeting.
- Form 60 - Undergraduate Chapter Request To Initiate
The Form 60 is available on our website in TWO (2) pages and in two (2) formats. Page One (1) of the Form 60 may be downloaded in Word format or in PDF format. It must be completed in triplicate (three copies), even though the front of the form suggests that there should be four copies. Page One (1) of the Form 60 must be delivered to the proper authorities of your college or university for them to authorize the initiation of the applicants that your chapter has selected for initiation. If you have more than eight (8) applicants who have been selected for initiation, you will need to use additional copies of this form for submittal to the school, because there are only eight (8) lines available on the form. The school should photocopy the completed form for their records, and give you the original form. You should then make one copy which you will retain in your chapter's archives. The original will be sent to the Province Polemarch at our Province Headquarters. This form (the original) must be typed, and the school must affix its "official seal" to the paper. To be clear, a school's "official seal" will produce a "dimpled" pattern on the paper that can be seen by the eye and "felt" to the touch. A "picture" (reproduction, copy, etc.) of the school seal is NOT sufficient on the original form. After you have obtained a properly completed Page One (1) of the Form 60 from the school, you are now ready to complete Page Two (2) of the Form 60 which may be downloaded in Word format or in PDF format. This form must be completed in duplicate (two copies). Since there is no compelling reason for the school to have a copy of this page, two copies should be sufficient for submittal purposes. The original must be sent to the Province Polemarch and the duplicate copy should be retained in your chapter's archives. Additional copies of Page Two (2) of the Form 60 should be prepared so that each applicant for membership may receive his own copy during the next phase of the process.
NOTE: If Page One (1) of the Form 60 has not been properly completed by your chapter and/or has not been properly signed by a school official and/or does not have the "official seal" of the school affixed, ALL of the applicants for membership will be disqualified, and your Chapter Advisor will be replaced.
- Preview Meeting
The "Preview Meeting" is so named, herein, for lack of a better term. The timing of this meeting must allow for Page One (1) of the Form 60 to be processed by the school, which means that the meeting may have to take place at least 24 to 72 hours (if not more) following the Interview and Selection Meeting. At this meeting, the candidates must be provided with a copy of Page Two (2) of the Form 60 so that they may "see" what it is that they will be required to sign, while some member of your chapter (or the Chapter Advisor) reads aloud the entire "Membership Intake Agreement" slowly, methodically and with "emphasis" where appropriate. After it has been read (aloud) to them, the applicants must be given the opportunity to ask any questions that they may have before signing the original form that will be submitted to the Province Polemarch. After all questions have been answered, each applicant must sign the original form on the numbered line corresponding to the same number at which their name is listed on Page One (1) of the Form 60 that your chapter received from the school. As with Page One (1), if you have more than eight (8) candidates, you will need to use additional copies of this form for their signatures, because there are only eight (8) lines available on the form. They should also sign and date their personal copy (in the presence of the Chapter Advisor) for them to keep in their personal archives. They should be instructed to begin studying in preparation for the tests that will take place prior to and on October 31st. If the members of your chapter don't have sufficient copies of the manual that could be "loaned" to the candidates, they may study the "Membership Orientation Manual" on our province website. During this meeting, you may choose to familiarize the candidates with the Personal Liability, Responsibility and Compliance Form that they must sign "after" they are initiated. You may also want to share with them the Statement of Collaboration and the chapter's Cooperation Agreement with your supervisory alumni chapter which will both help to emphasize the level of support that the chapter enjoys "outside" the boundaries of the chapter's membership. As the last "business" item on the agenda of this meeting, after all signatures are in place, it is now time to collect the money. It is at this "Preview Meeting" that the candidates for initiation must bring the total amount of money to pay all of the initiation fees. Payment must be made by cashier's check or money order. Payment of the Middle Western Province Initiation Fees (including Grand Chapter fees) may be included in a single instrument. However, it is preferable that your chapter's Local Initiation Fee (should you have one) be paid directly to your chapter so that the province will not have to "extract" your chapter's money and send it to you. After the "business" of the meeting is completed, but before it is adjourned, you may choose to use this opportunity to socialize with the candidates and the Chapter Advisor. Your next such opportunity will not occur until after they have been initiated.
NOTE: If Page Two (2) of the Form 60 is not properly signed by all of the candidates, those whose signatures are missing will be disqualified to participate in the October 31st Cluster Initiation, and your Chapter Advisor will be replaced. If Page Two (2) of the Form 60 is not properly signed by the required officers and the Chapter Advisor, ALL of the candidates will be disqualified from being initiated on October 31st, and your Chapter Advisor will be replaced.
- Submittal of Membership Intake Forms and Fees
If you "think" that you have "precisely" followed every step in the process to this point, think again! Review each document for accuracy, assuring that every component is complete. Do NOT rely on "just one set of eyes" for this task because there is FAR TOO MUCH depending on it. After you are "certain" that everything is in proper order, deliver it ALL to your Chapter Advisor. It will be his duty to also review each document for accuracy, assuring that every component is complete. It will be the further duty of the Chapter Advisor to place all of documents in a package and send that package to our Province Headquarters at 636 N.E. 36th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73105, where the Province Polemarch will review everything in the package. The deadline for getting your package to our Province Headquarters is 8 p.m. on October 6th. If your chapter's package arrives after that deadline, it will be returned to your chapter, unopenned, and the cost of postage for returning your package to you will be charged to your chapter.
- Cluster Initiation
The Cluster Initiation of the Middle Western Province will take place at approximately 8 p.m. on Friday, October 31st in Oklahoma City. Candidates for initiation must arrange their travel schedule so as to arrive not later than 6 p.m. so that they may take the "Final Examination" prior to their initiation. They must be attired in coat and tie, and must bring with them a plain white bed sheet. As this is a "formal" ceremony, conducted in accordance with the Ritual, all chapter members in attendance at the Cluster Initiation must be attired in coat and tie.
NOTE: TO BE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR . . .
If, during any stage of the Membership Intake and Orientation Program, your chapter is unwilling or unable to properly fulfill the requirements listed above, the chapter will be disqualified from participation in the October 31st Cluster Initiation. Further, if your CHAPTER ADVISOR is unwilling or unable to properly fulfill each of his duties listed above, as well as any additional duties required of him by virtue of his appointment, the CHAPTER ADVISOR will be replaced.
