Perseverance pays off. It paid off most recently when
on Sunday night, March 21, 2010, by a vote of 219-212, President
Barack Obama and the Democratic leadership refused to be
dissuaded or defeated in their pursuit of healthcare reform.
In so doing, this administration, with the able leadership
of President Obama and House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, was
able to achieve what other administrations were unable to
do for over the last 100 or more years. Seizing the moment
was an obvious factor, but having a vision, crafting a plan,
articulating the benefits, building effective coalitions,
and staying the course were just as critical. Those are
the same imperatives we will apply to our plans to make
our 80th Grand Chapter Meeting and Centennial Celebration
as historic and memorable as our 100 years of achievement
warrants. I know your sentiments are the same as mine.
Already this spring, we have completed several Province
Councils, and by the end of April, only one Province Council
remains. I can tell by the reports already seen and heard,
that Brothers, Chapters, and Provinces are already focused
on events which will take place in 2011, and the plans which
must be implemented to make us successful. We will begin
the year 2011 by placing a wreath on the grave sites of
all our founders, and erecting markers that identify each
of the entombed as a "Founder of Kappa Alpha Psi". Obviously,
we will get the permission of appropriate family members,
and include them in the Memorial Tribute to the extent possible.
Members of the Grand Board of Directors and other members
of the Kappa leadership team will lead the memorial celebrations
which will take place simultaneously at each grave site
on January 5, 2011. A few days later, we will gather in
Philadelphia to observe our 6th National Founders' Day celebration
on January 8, 2011. Later, we will gather in Indianapolis,
Indiana, during the dates of July 5-10, 2011, to celebrate
our 100th anniversary.
For the remainder of this calendar year, we will engage in
a number of activities and plans which will help insure our
80th Grand Chapter Meeting is all we want it to be. Now, more
than ever, we need each Brother to be fully engaged as we
move forward with a singleness of purpose to our date with
destiny. We have already faced some challenges, and undoubtedly
will face others in the next 14 months. Each Brother must
reach out and RECRUIT, RECLAIM and RETAIN at levels greater
than ever before. Support our Centennial Fund, and do all
you can to make our Centennial the very best. I know we will
prevail. It's in our DNA. "It's who we are. It's what we do."
Like William Ernest Henley, author of
Invictus, we
have come to realize,
"I am the master of my fate; I am
the captain of my soul."
Perseverance pays off. Our country and our fraternity
are the better because of it.
One KAPPA! Creating Inspiration!
