KA is a lifetime commitment. We’ve all heard that remark. We have all understood at one time or another, that we “are KAs” and we never “were KAs.” But what does that exactly mean?

There are numerous ways that as alumni members, we can give back to the Order. Three are the simplest:

ATTEND A KA EVENT

Across the country and at any given time, KA events are taking place. You  may remember them from new member education or from attending in years prior.

Examples include Convivium, alumni chapter event, Homecoming, province councils, Courts of Honor*, Convention, Bid4Brotherhood, or just an Active Chapter initiation… and the list goes on and on.

Some of these event are organized by location, some by specific chapter alumni, others by *invitation only. Click on each of these to learn more.

RECOMMEND A YOUNG MAN FOR MEMBERSHIP

Quiet possibly the easiest way to give back to the Order is to supply our Active Chapters and Commissions with healthy recommendations for new brothers. Per the Kappa Alpha Laws each chapter should contact and consider the young man recommended and keep you informed as the “recommending brother.” No one, from the alumnus advisor to the Knight Commander, may interfere in an Active Chapter’s decision to grant a bid to young men. This is paradoxically very important and sometimes confusing. However, it is one of the foundations of our operating system:  Active Chapters primarily create the future of the Order.

For recommendations to an Active Chapter you can consider relatives, friends, neighbors, and a whole host of other potential members. The requirements for membership are simple: a young man must be at least 15 years of age, be enrolled at the institution where we have an Active Chapter (or provisional chapter working toward a charter), and never have been initiated by a rival fraternity. Obviously recommended members need to be considered for their moral, educational, and personal attributes, with a strong reference to our values of gentlemanly conduct and excellence.

For recommendations to a Commission you may consider the same folks!  Commissions are unique in that they operate solely to initiate graduates of the institutions to where they are assigned; often times this means “current year graduates,” however all alumni of these institutions, meeting the same qualifications above, are eligible under Kappa Alpha Laws. For a list of commissions, please click here.

There are a number of tips you can follow to as best practices, should you fill out the online recommendation form. This form will be sent electronically to the Active Chapter Number I, IV (recruitment chairman), alumnus advisor, province commander, and relevant national administrative staff. From there, you should request the contact information for the Number I and contact him directly to remain apprised of the process.

Next, it would be especially important to have a discussion about Kappa Alpha Order with the young man you are recommending. Talk to him about why you joined, what you love about the Order, how it will relate to this young man, and why you have recommended him. Explain that the process is not full proof but that you have gotten the ball rolling and he will now have a chance to meet the brothers and get to know the organization. The impact this discussion may have on a young man is priceless.

Finally, follow up with the chapter and recommended young man. If everything proceeds accordingly, work to possibly to attend the young man’s initiation. Who knows, you might just create a new relationship between yourself and the chapter!

DONATE TO THE FOUNDATION and/or JOIN THE LOYAL ORDER

When the time is right, and your affairs are conducive to such an option, it is very important for each alumnus to consider how they might monetarily support the Order. Often times, alumni are nervous to ask others to commit money of their own to the fraternity. However, if you have benefited in some way:  developed skills, built lifelong friendships, found opportunities, met your wife, or acquired any other tangible or intangible result of your membership, you have a duty to give back. Here are some clearcut opportunities:

foreverKA – Within this monthly giving program, you receive a membership in the Loyal Order, while a portion of your donation goes to the KAOEF, a portion to the Order, and a portion remaining goes to a chapter endowment account to build for future Active Members educational usage. Please click here to learn more about this lifetime involvement and giving movement.

Loyal Order – You may also join the Loyal Order in a stand alone manner. The Loyal Order is essentially a lifetime subscription to The Kappa Alpha Journal. Further, this elite group of brothers rededicate themselves back to the Order in a way that creates a Journal endowment account. This will free up funds from undergraduate dues to be put toward undergraduate programs. Currently a portion of undergraduate dues go to pay for The Journal when the magazine is primarily an alumni publication.

Annual Fund -

1865 Trust -

Major Gift -