SLS 19RS-1174 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 88
BY SENATOR CARTER
SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH. Recognizes April 30, 2019, as Kappa Day at the Kapitol.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To recognize April 30, 2019, as "Kappa Day at the Kapitol".
3 WHEREAS, regarding Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity men, "Achievement" is what they
4 do, "Commitment" is who they are, and "Fidelity" is how they live; and
5 WHEREAS, Kappa Alpha Psi, a college fraternity, now comprised of functioning
6 undergraduate and alumni chapters on major campuses in cities throughout the country, is
7 the crystallization of a dream; and
8 WHEREAS, the establishment of the fraternity is the beautiful realization of a vision
9 shared commonly by the late revered founders that enabled them in the school year
10 1910-1911, more specifically the night of January 5, 1911, on the campus of Indiana
11 University at Bloomington, Indiana, to sow the seed of a fraternal tree whose fruit is
12 available to, and now enjoyed by college men everywhere, regardless of their color, religion,
13 or national origin; and
14 WHEREAS, the constitution of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated is
15 predicated upon and dedicated to the principles of achievement through a truly democratic
16 fraternity; and
17 WHEREAS, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity was originally chartered and incorporated
18 under the laws of the state of Indiana as Kappa Alpha Nu on May 15, 1911; and
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1 WHEREAS, the name was changed to Kappa Alpha Psi by a resolution offered and
2 adopted at the Grand Chapter in December 1914, which became effective April 15, 1915;
3 and
4 WHEREAS, the name acquired a distinctive Greek letter symbol and Kappa Alpha
5 Psi thereby became a Greek letter fraternity in every sense of the designation; and
6 WHEREAS, from its inception, every endeavor was directed toward establishing the
7 fraternity upon a strong foundation before embarking on plans of expansion; and
8 WHEREAS, by the end of the first year, the then Grand Polemarch, Elder Watson
9 Diggs, working together with original Grand Board of Director member, B. K. Armstrong,
10 had completed the ritual and commenced work on the coat of arms, which was completed
11 the following summer; and
12 WHEREAS, in having adopted a mutually suitable motto, Grand Polemarch Diggs
13 and Grand Board of Director members B. K. Armstrong and John M. Lee carried a sketch
14 of the coat of arms to a commercial engraver, from which he made the first metal plate
15 "Kappa Alpha Psi"; and
16 WHEREAS, for years, in order to safeguard the ritualistic secrets of the fraternity,
17 Grand Polemarch Diggs laboriously typed and bound the rituals; and
18 WHEREAS, it was not until he moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he met an old
19 German printer in whom he had confidence that he entrusted the esoteric materials of the
20 fraternity to a commercial printer; and
21 WHEREAS, in the spring of 1912, Grand Polemarch Diggs wrote in a little blue
22 examination book the first Kappa Alpha Psi constitution, which was adopted in 1920; and
23 WHEREAS, this edition of the first constitution remained in use until 1926 when it
24 was supplanted by the codified edition jointly written by Elder Watson Diggs, J. Ernest
25 Wilkins, and W. Ellis Stewart; and
26 WHEREAS, in 1957 the constitution again underwent a major revision; and
27 WHEREAS, now substantially established and provided with a constitution, ritual,
28 coat of arms, motto, and guiding hand in a dynamic Grand Chapter, the fraternity was ready
29 for expansion; and
30 WHEREAS, in the summer of 1912, Grand Polemarch Diggs visited the University
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1 of Illinois at Urbana, Illinois, where he met Earl B. Dickerson, president of the old "Illini
2 Club"; and
3 WHEREAS, this club constituted the nucleus of the University of Illinois chapter,
4 the Beta, which was chartered on February 8, 1913; and
5 WHEREAS, Gamma Chapter was established on December 29, 1913, followed by
6 the establishment of Delta Chapter at the University of Iowa on March 7, 1914; and
7 WHEREAS, the latter was subsequently changed to the Gamma Chapter, and the
8 designation of Delta was assigned to the Wilberforce University Chapter at Wilberforce,
9 Ohio; and
10 WHEREAS, Epsilon Chapter, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania was established on
11 December 4, 1915, as the first chapter in the East; and
12 WHEREAS, except for the years of World War I and World War II when several
13 Grand Chapter meetings were suspended, Kappa Alpha Psi embarked upon an era of
14 expansion and growth and prevailed with unabating impetus; and
15 WHEREAS, to date, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity is organizationally and
16 administratively mature; and
17 WHEREAS, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity steadily moves toward a tomorrow of
18 promise, productivity, and influence.
19 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
20 does hereby recognize April 30, 2019, as "Kappa Day at the Kapitol".
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
22 Southwestern Providence Council of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 88 Original 2019 Regular Session Carter
Commends and recognizes April 30, 2019, as "Kappa Day at the Kapitol".
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