The purpose of The Crusade is to provide members with educational opportunities throughout their collegiate experience. The emphasis placed on academic excellence, community service, teambuilding and leadership is beneficial to the active participant not only during his undergraduate years, but throughout life.
A member of Kappa Alpha Order begins The Crusade immediately after he is inducted into a crusade chapter. He begins with the first phase, Voyage for Brotherhood and moves sequentially through the remaining three phases.
The Crusade's four phases are:
- Voyage for Brotherhood
- Honor Bound
- Quest for Leadership
- The Journey Beyond
While there are time limits established for each phase, the amount of time needed to complete the expectations for each section varies according to the participant.
A member completes a phase by fulfilling specific expectations. The expectations for each phase are divided into those that must be completed individually, within the member's chapter, and within the member's campus or community. While the expectations are specific in nature, the member is allowed some flexibility in how he chooses to complete each phase. This design allows participants to choose projects that are personally more interesting and gratifying.
Voyage for Brotherhood
This phase encompasses the new member education program. Its purpose is to help the new member establish high standards in all areas relevant to his college career. During this phase the student will gain a greater appreciation of all the competing interests for his time, and the ability to manage them. Additionally, the new member will have the opportunity to identify resources that will help him on his crusade for excellence throughout college.
Honor Bound
The second phase of The Crusade is wrapped around an in-depth study of the Kappa Alpha Laws and the customs of the Order. Program participants will have the option to participate in KA's intensive and demanding Council of Honor program or they can attend two separate workshops - one on the laws and one on the customs of the Order. The purpose of Honor Bound is to give members a better understanding of our laws and customs. Further purposes include fostering in members a greater appreciation of values and ethics and emphasizing leadership within Kappa Alpha. Community service continues to be important as members assist in the organization of one community service or fund-raising event.
Quest for Leadership
The chief purposes of the third phase are to provide members with leadership skills and to educate them on social issues. Members will have the opportunity to define their leadership style by completing a leadership style self-assessment. Their leadership will also be expanded beyond Kappa Alpha as they hold leadership positions in other university organizations. Further focus will be given to enriching leadership by having them participate in a weekend long leadership retreat. Members will have the opportunity to further develop their leadership and organizational skills by assisting in and organizing a project to benefit MDA, KA's national philanthropy. Students in this phase will also be required to organize an experiential learning activity for the chapter.
The Journey Beyond
The final phase of The Crusade, has been designed to allow members to focus on activities that will prepare them for life after college. Its main purposes are to prepare members for a career, emphasize the importance of KA involvement as an alumni and to enhance community awareness. Members will also have the opportunity to develop a resume and cover letter, research interesting careers, and attend civic meetings. Kappa Alpha alumni will play important roles in the development of this stage and the successful completion of the program.
