Category Archives: Convention

Call for Applications – National Vice President for Student Affairs

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Brothers:

At the 2021 Kappa Kappa Psi National Convention, no candidate received the simple majority vote needed to elect a National Vice President for Student Affairs for the 2021-2023 biennium. 

In accordance with the Kappa Kappa Psi National Constitution, if a vacancy occurs in the office of National Vice President for Student Affairs, the Board of Trustees, upon the recommendation of the National Council, shall appoint a National Vice President for Student Affairs. (Section 3.214)

The Kappa Kappa Psi National Council and Board of Trustees invite interested and qualified individuals to submit their name and qualifications for the position of National Vice President for Student Affairs for the 2021-2023 Biennium.  The qualifications and responsibilities of the National Vice President for Student Affairs are outlined in Section 3.208, Section 3.401, and Section 3.711 of the Kappa Kappa Psi National Constitution.

Interested individuals should meet the following qualifications:

  • Be at least twenty-three (23) years of age.
  • Completed at least two (2) years of college work.
  • Must be an Active Member, Associate Member, or Member of the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association.
  • Possess outstanding business or professional ability.
  • Capable of representing the Fraternity under all ordinary conditions.
  • Willing and able to devote the necessary time to the execution of the duties imposed by the office.
  • Possess a thorough knowledge of developing and implementing student engagement programming.
  • Experienced in working with individuals and groups of diverse backgrounds.
  • Capable of mentoring and coaching students in the areas of leadership, event planning, and conflict resolution.

Interested individuals must submit the following information to the National Council (council@kkpsi.org) no later than 11:59 pm CST on August 23, 2021. 

  • Letter of intent for the office of National Vice President for Student Affairs, why it is being sought, what contributions you can make in that office, and information detailing how you meet the above qualifications.
  • Resume/Vita, which highlights professional, band, and fraternal experiences.
  • A minimum of three (no more than five) letters of recommendation, one of which should be from within the applicant’s profession.
  • A campaign statement, which provides a list of goals for the office and how you plan to achieve them.
  • Biographical profile for publication on the National Website.
  • One professional photograph, suitable for publication.

After a review of applications, the National Council will choose several individuals for a Zoom interview. Following the Zoom interview process, the National Council will recommend a candidate to the Board of Trustees, who review, approve, and appoint a National Vice President for Student Affairs.

Interested Brothers can submit materials electronically, in PDF format, no later than 11:59 pm CST on August 23, 2021, to: 

Email to: council@kkpsi.org

Email Subject Line:  National Vice President for Student Affairs Application

For more information, interested candidates can review the following:

  • Sample Candidate Packets:  Candidate packets will be posted on the elections website as examples.
  • VPSA Chat – VPSA Q&A Panel: Hosted on August 8th at 6:00 pm Central Time.  Registration Information for this session will be released in a few days.

Questions may be addressed to National President, Jessica Lee at jessicalee@kkpsi.org and to Board of Trustees Chair, Eric Morson at eric@kkpsi.org. We hope that you will consider applying for this unique opportunity to serve on the National Council!

AEA,

Jessica Lee

Kappa Kappa Psi National President 

Life Member, Eta Alpha – Lock Haven University

Cancellation of 2020 District Conventions

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the National Councils and Boards of Trustees of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma have made the difficult decision to cancel all six in-person District Conventions. We understand that this may be extremely disappointing to our members, especially to those of you who spent many long hours planning these events. Please know that we have made the decision to cancel conventions with the best of intentions, as the health and safety of our active, alumni, and life members and their loved ones is of the utmost importance.

This pandemic is an unprecedented situation for our organizations, and we thank you for your flexibility and patience as we all navigate it together. Below you can find information relating to next steps for chapters and for those who were registered for these conventions.

VIRTUAL CONVENTIONS

The joint national councils have created a task force to assist us with the preparations needed to host virtual conventions for all districts affected by cancellations. Virtual conventions for District business will take place on the Saturday and Sunday of the originally planned in-person conventions:

  • Northeast District: Saturday, March 21 – Sunday, March 22
  • Midwest District: Saturday, March 21 – Sunday, March 22
  • Western District: Saturday, March 28 – Sunday, March 29
  • North Central District: Saturday, April 4 – Sunday, April 5
  • Southeast District Convention: Saturday, April 4 – Sunday, April 5
  • Southwest District Convention: Saturday, April 18 – Sunday, April 19

In addition to the virtual conventions for District business, the task force is also assisting us in planning a larger nation-wide virtual event in late April. All chapter members will be invited to participate in this weekend of workshops, collaboration, and celebration of our organizations.

Chapters should plan to have chapter members attend both the virtual District business convention and the nation-wide virtual event. More guidance, as well as schedules and activities for all events, will be released soon.

REFUNDS OF DISTRICT CONVENTION REGISTRATIONS

Our National Headquarters staff will work to issue refunds to all District Convention registrants affected by these cancellations. All registrants will receive a direct email from a National Headquarters Staff member with more information regarding their refund(s). It may take some time to issue all refunds, so we appreciate your patience as they are processed.

CANCELLING HOTEL RESERVATIONS

Please remember to cancel your hotel reservations as soon as possible, as this is not something that anyone can manage for you. If you booked within the reserved hotel block for a convention, those cancellations will need to be made at least three days prior to the date of check-in.

ALUMNI CONVENTION PARTICIPANTS

The District-based Local Alumni Associations will also have virtual conventions concurrent with the active members on the weekend of the originally planned in-person conventions.  The ΚΚΨAA Board of Directors and the ΤΒΣAA Executive Council will be sending out information to their members, as well as coordinating with the District-based LAAs to develop virtual conventions in which they can conduct their necessary business, connect with graduating seniors, and provide development opportunities for their district alumni.

If you have any concerns surrounding the conventions or chapter operations as we move forward, please continue to reach out to the following email addresses for assistance: healthandsafety@kkpsi.org or healthandsafety@tbsigma.org. Your email will be directed to the appropriate person or persons!

The National Leadership Teams of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma are committed to walking hand-in-hand with you during these uncertain times. We will continue to send updates to our membership as we work through questions about chapter operations and provide more details for the virtual conventions and the nation-wide virtual event. We ask that you continue to check our websites and social media for these updates.

As we continue on into uncharted territory, we want to thank each of you for the remarkable flexibility, understanding, and strength you have shown so far. Band members, current and former, know how to adapt on the fly and how to make the best of any given situation, so that is what we intend to do.

Statement on COVID-19: Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma Basic Chapter Operations

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Dear Sisters and Brothers,

We are writing to you today to provide guidance on chapter operations for those chapters experiencing campus closures or restrictions on face-to-face interactions due to COVID-19. Please note that a separate message regarding district conventions is forthcoming.

The National Councils of both Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma recognize that each campus has its own unique procedure in place for this pandemic, and it is our hope that the information outlined below is easily adaptable to every chapter’s situation. However, we want to emphasize that we are here to assist your chapter and your chapter members through this difficult and unprecedented time. If, after reading the guidance below, you still have questions or concerns, please reach out to your District Counselors/Governors or send us an email at healthandsafety@tbsigma.org or healthandsafety@kkpsi.org. 

Membership Education Classes and/or Membership Intake

We are aware that there are chapters who were in the middle of conducting Membership Education Classes and/or Membership Intake on campuses that have cancelled face-to-face classes as a health and safety precaution. We are committed to assisting chapters in completing their Membership Education Classes and have therefore developed the following guidelines:

  • Online Membership Education Classes – All chapters are encouraged to continue the educational components of the Membership Education process via online meetings and sessions. This can be accomplished by using a number of online tools such as Google Hangout Meet, Google Classroom, Zoom Video Conferencing, etc. The curriculum committee for both organizations, as well as the National Councils are here to serve as resources, so please do not hesitate to reach out should your chapter require assistance in implementing an online educational experience for your Membership Candidates.

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  • Initiate Registration and Fees – Initiate Registrations Forms do not require face-to-face interactions for completion, therefore all chapters who will be continuing their intake process during this time, should still plan to fill out the Initiate Registration Form, to collect all Initiate Fees, and to send both the form and fees into our National Headquarters for processing. This should occur upon the completion of the online Membership Education Classes. For the initiation date, please put the date in which you intend or intended to have your 3rd Degree. If chapters require assistance in getting electronic signatures on the Initiate Signature Page, please let us know as we have a system in place. A very important note: All initiate forms and fees must be sent into National Headquarters, no later than Friday, May 15, 2020.

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  • Rituals – While not ideal, until face-to-face classes are back in session on your campus, performing the Rituals for your Membership Candidates will need to be postponed. Once your institution says that it is safe for students to return to campus, we ask that you consult your Sponsor and/or Director of Bands as you work to schedule a date for initiation. This could be as soon as you are allowed back on your campus, sometime during the summer months, or even right at the very beginning of the Fall 2020 semester.

Chapter Officer Elections

Some campuses have been instructed to close for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year and this effectively ends most, if not all chapter business for this year. However, chapters that traditionally elect officers during the Spring Semester should plan to carry out this crucial item of business, regardless of not being able to meet in person. The National Councils will provide guidance to all chapters on how this task can be completed remotely using online election software very soon.

National Paperwork

  • Graduating Senior Report – Even if your campus is not able to host in-person commencement ceremonies, chapters should still fill out the Graduating Senior Report in the Online Membership Reporting System (OMRS), so that graduating seniors can be appropriately moved to Alumni Status.

 

  • Chapter Summary Report – The annual Chapter Summary Report is still due on June 1st. Since this is a yearly national requirement that does not require that a chapter meet in person in order to get it completed, there should not be any issues in completing this report on time.  Remember to start this report as soon as possible and give your Director of Bands (and Sponsor, if applicable) extra time to review your report and approve it before the deadline.  

 

Tau Beta Sigma Chapter Visitation Program

The COVID-19 pandemic will affect Tau Beta Sigma’s Chapter Visitation Program Chapter, as some chapters will no longer be on campus, some chapters will have limitations on face-to-face meetings, and some Chapter Visitation Assistants (CVAs) may feel uncomfortable traveling. In order to address each situation appropriately, CVAs have been instructed to reach out to chapters affected by closures or restrictions on face-to-face meetings to discuss transitioning to one of the following options: 1) Hosting a Virtual Visit, or 2) Rescheduling the visit to the 2020-2021 academic year. Please help us ensure this outreach is successful by checking in with your chapter president on the status of your visit.

Kappa Kappa Psi Chapter Field Representatives

Chapter Field Representative Visits are cancelled for the month of March and we are evaluating visits scheduled for April. We may conduct some visits virtually but the CFRs will contact chapters to discuss the best method to conduct these visits. Kappa Kappa Psi has also postponed the interviews for 2020-2022 CFRs until April. If you have questions about an upcoming CFR visit, please contact our CFRs at kkytbs@kkytbs.org.

Last Council Update before National Convention 2017!

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Happy Friday!

We are T-11 days until the opening session of the 2017 National Convention of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. Because we are now under two weeks away, the national leadership felt it was a good time to post some reminders about business to be discussed and about the logistics of the event itself. As always, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Alright, let’s get down to brass tacks, this year’s convention has a few big ticket items in terms of business, the national curriculum framework proposal, The Road to Wisdom, national officer elections, and the fraternity ritual being off its ten-year moratorium. But there are also a lot of other, more general reminders relating to national convention and the work of the national council. So let’s get started:

The Road to Wisdom

First up, the national curriculum proposal, The Road to Wisdom. The framework that the Curriculum committee has been working on this biennium will be presented to the Colonization and Membership committee during convention where it will then be debated and discussed.

Many of you have been asking to see more materials relating to this curriculum, and you’re in luck! The committee, working with our National Publications Manager, Robert Bratcher, has uploaded PDFs of the Vice President Teach Manual and the MC Guidebook on the national convention website here. These are up to date as of today, July 7, 2017.

In addition to those amazing resources, there are other documents for your perusal, such as a Rationale Statement and planning guides for the Spring and Fall semesters. I would also steer you to the fraternity’s podcast, Kappa Kappa Psi Presents, as we have devoted a number of episodes to the curriculum over the past six months. Specifically, I recommend the following episodes: 24, 26, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 52, and 52a. I would especially suggest you listen to both 52 and 52a as they are the most recent and 52a is filled with brothers from the pilot chapters who actually used the curriculum this year as part of the membership education process. You can find all those and more here.

And if all that still isn’t enough, you can always reach out to the committee itself by sending an email to curriculum@kkpsi.org.

Kappa Kappa Psi Officer Elections

As you know, the election process was changed at the last national convention, in Lexington, Kentucky. As such, the slate of candidates has already been announced by the nominations committee. You can find their report here. You can find a list of all of the candidates along with introduction video clips here. Episode 39 of the podcast also features the audio content of the introduction videos, you can find that here.

Kappa Kappa Psi Ritual

Next, the Kappa Kappa Psi ritual! As many are aware, National President Jack Lee and National Vice President for Colonization and Membership Evan Thompson created the Ritual Performance and Education committee this biennium. They asked me, your National Vice President for Student Affairs, to serve as chair. We were charged with reviewing the entire ritual book and compiling a list of updates with respect to the performance and preparation language. The committee submitted its convention report to Jack earlier this week, and I can say we were very thorough.

It was an humbling experience and I am excited to see the conversations that take place within the Ritual and Regalia committee in a few days. Due to the secrecy of the ritual, I cannot provide even an overview of the suggested changes on this platform, but know that our committee did not make any recommendations that altered content within the ritual–our work was about the performance of the ritual so that the lessons and values it teaches can be articulated in the best way possible!

Also, I want to get  everyone excited for all of the ritual related content that will be presented at national convention. There were be a number of workshops centered on our ritual and I am excited to see the conversations that take place!

National Council Feedback

I also would like to remind everyone that the council has their summer meeting directly in front of national convention. So if there is something you want to be sure we discuss, please don’t hesitate to submit your feedback here.

Other Reminders and Updates

With the big items out of the way, here are some other reminders:

National Convention is happening July 18th-22nd at the Buena Vista Palace resort in Orlando, Florida. You can find more information regarding registration, schedules and workshop descriptions, along with any other information you’d need here.

Be sure to use promo code ZKDZP when booking your SuperShuttle to the Buena Vista Palace for NatCon and save 10% on your trip! For more information click here.

Remember that as this is an official fraternity event, our attendance policy will be in full effect. Please refer here for more information on what to bring to verify your status as a brother in good standing.

I am excited to also share the following information with you! This afternoon, our National Executive Director, Steve Nelson received confirmation from the hotel of the following:

– All attendees will now receive complimentary parking.
– Attendees will receive a 15% discount off food purchases in the hotel’s restaurants
– Complimentary wifi will be available in meeting rooms (for light use, not for streaming or downloading of large files/videos)

If you are interested in spending the free day on Thursday at a theme park, there are also discounts available to us through the national convention website. Click on the attraction tickets menu and follow the directions for whichever parks you are interested in visiting. Deadlines for those discounts are fast approaching.

Also, remember to plan for the weather! It will be the middle to end of July in Florida! It will be hot, humid, and will probably storm in the afternoons. And while your packing, make sure to include not only your swimsuit for the awesome lazy river. But also be sure to pack your coolest letters and your best school spirit gear (for the fight song competition after banquet on Saturday).

Also, for situational awareness purposes, I wanted to share the closest non-Disney Springs/Hotel food and grocery options. There is a shopping center just off I-4 and just outside the resort property where you can find a Gooding’s (grocery store), McDonalds, Taco Bell, Waffle House, Chevy’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, TGI Fridays, Sweet Tomatoes, and more. This is about a 2 mile or 30 minute walk, which I have done it before when I stayed at another hotel around the corner from the Buena Vista Palace. Directions/google map of the area can be found here.

Be sure to add the fraternity and sorority’s google calendar that is being updated with national convention events with date/time/room locations here.

If you have any other questions between now and then, please don’t hesitate to reach out! You can either send an email to myself at zac@kkpsi.org or you can call national headquarters at (405)372-2333.

Keep striving and seen you real soon!

Zachary T. Humphrey
National Vice President for Student Affairs

Be a part of the fraternity’s Podcast Crew at NatCon this summer!

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Are you interested in getting more involved on a national level? Are you studying something involving audio or video? Is recording a hobby you particularly enjoy? Is podcasting or videoblogging your thing? And last but not least are you attending national convention? If you answered any of the previous questions in the affirmative, I want to leverage your skills and passion.

I am looking for brothers who are in good standing with the national organization who would be interested in being part of my podcast crew at national convention. My goal is to get as many sessions recorded as possible so that brothers who aren’t able to attend NatCon can get in on the action. I am also hoping to record some of the social experience--the gatherings by the pools, in the halls, at the theme parks. All of this being done as a way to share that national convention experience with everyone long after the convention has ended.

If this interests you, you will find a button linking to the application below. And as a heads up, applications are due by June 15th.

Now before anyone panics, this isn’t a crazy process. At the end of the day, I am simply looking for a few good brothers who want to help me create content for this podcast while at national convention. So all of you budding filmmakers and journalists as well as audiophiles and techs, here’s your chance to funnel your other creative passions into the fraternity. And if you are none of those things and just want to help, that’s great too, submit and app and be part of the podcast today!

Keep striving!
Zac

Information for the upcoming MWD, SED, and WD conventions

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Brothers of the Midwest, Southeast, and Western Districts,

Below you will find buttons that link to both the National Town Hall question submission form (labeled with the hashtag for your convention) as well as the Ritual Performance and Education Committee Focus Group sign up form. The National Leadership Team is excited to see you all this weekend!

Keep striving!
Zac

 

Podcast update for the week of March 27th

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Brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi:

Due to some technical difficulties following the Southwest District Convention, there will only be one episode of “Kappa Kappa Psi Presents” this week as opposed to the double episodes I mentioned last week. The episode will be posted on Wednesday morning and will focus on the Curriculum Committee’s conversation that happened at SWDCon. It will have some updates for the coming week as well. The goal for next week and the week after will be to have double episodes each week following the remaining district conventions, with one focusing on the convention itself and the other focusing on that weekend’s Curriculum Committee conversations.

I apologize for the hiccup and I look forward to bringing the Brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi continued quality content with the upcoming episodes of the podcast. If you’d like to contribute to the podcast, don’t hesitate to reach out by visiting the podcast’s website or sending an email to kkpsipresents@kkpsi.org.

Thank you for understanding!

Keep striving!
Zac

Official Notice of KKΨ National Convention

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In accordance with Section 3.403 of the Kappa Kappa Psi National Constitution, official notice is hereby given that,

The National Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi will meet in National Convention

July 18-22, 2017
Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
1900 E. Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

In preparation for our upcoming National Convention this summer in Orlando, Florida, the fraternity’s constitution requires that the National Executive Director and the National Vice President for Student Affairs publish any relevant information that our membership needs to be informed about the upcoming meeting. Below you will find a short summary of both an initial agenda and topics that will be discussed.

As with all national conventions, the commissioning of a new piece of band literature through the joint effort of the National Intercollegiate Band with Tau Beta Sigma, the review of our national constitution, the passing of a budget, and the election of officers are key priorities. As you know, the election process was changed in 2015 at our last national convention in Lexington, Kentucky. This will be the first implementation of that new process and a review will be done of its efficacy. In addition, many guest speakers and leadership development sessions are planned for the continuing education of all members in attendance.

At this national convention, the 10-year moratorium on changes to our Ritual expires. As has been mentioned for the past several months, this does not mean that the ritual will be rewritten. Instead, the focus of the Ritual and Regalia committee will be to ensure that any necessary updates are made with respect to changes made to our guiding documents (constitution, policies, and various statements).

There is also a goal to enhance the performance aspects of the ritual by providing better guidance within our ritual book itself. The Ritual Performance and Education committee was created this biennium to propose changes to the instructions and preparation pages of the ritual. This committee will be on hand throughout the district convention season to chat with brothers about their ongoing efforts. If you’d like to reach out to the committee, you can do so by sending an email to RitualEducation@kkpsi.org.

We will also discuss the implementation of a national curriculum, entitled “The Road to Wisdom,” that is the product of a multi-biennial effort to provide our chapters with a framework for educating new members. There will be plenty of room for chapters to retain their individual identities, the curriculum being proposed is focused on providing more structure to the overall process. It will do so by setting benchmarks on bringing in new brothers to the fraternity, with the focus more on what it takes to be a successful and productive active member. Members of the curriculum committee will be available throughout the district convention season to answer questions and have conversations on their ongoing work. If you would like to reach out to the committee, you can do so by sending an email to Curriculum@kkpsi.org.

Several constitutional changes will be reviewed.  One such constitutional amend would create an appointed member to the Kappa Kapp Psi Board of Trustees.  This additional voting member would fill a gap in expertise or experience as deemed needed.  Additional constitutional changes may be recommended as we approach national convention.  These will be published on the national convention website.

National Convention is taking place in the Buena Vista Palace hotel in Orlando, Florida. Registration for the convention is $140. If you have questions or need more information regarding the upcoming National Convention, please visit the convention website here: http://natcon.kkytbsonline.com/. You can also contact our National Headquarters with any questions you have by calling (405)372-2333 or email our National Executive Director Steve Nelson at nelson@kkytbs.org.

A short outline of the daily agenda for the convention itself follows:

  • July 18 – Opening Joint and Separate Sessions, Seating of Delegates, NIB Concert
  • July 19 – Committee Meetings and Workshops
  • July 20 – Free Day for Orlando parks
  • July 21 – Separate Session, Committee Meetings and Workshops
  • July 22 – Closing Separate and Joint Sessions, National Elections, Convention Banquet

If you have specific questions for your National Council, there are a couple ways to get in touch. You can visit https://www.kkpsi.org/vpsa/ and click on the button at the bottom that mentions leaving feedback and questions for the National Council. You can also send an email to any or all of the National Council:

President:  Jack Lee – lee.jack.d@gmail.com

Vice President for Colonization and Membership:  Evan Thompson – evan@kkpsi.org

Vice President for Programs:  Marco Krcatovich – mkrcatovich@gmail.com

Vice President for Student Affairs:  Zac Humphrey – zac@kkpsi.org

Vice President for Professional Relations:  Douglas Stotter – dstotter@uta.edu

Immediate Past National President:  Christine Beason – beasonchristine@kkpsi.org

Chair for the Board of Trustees:  Rod Chesnutt – rchesnutt@fgcu.edu

Vice Chair for the Board of Trustees:  Adam Cantley – adamcantley@kkpsi.org

Chair for the KKΨ Alumni Association BOD:  Alison Beidler – alison@kkpsi.org

Thank you for taking the time to read this and we look forward to seeing you this July in Orlando, Florida!

The opening Joint Session with Tau Beta Sigma is expected to begin on July 18th at 2pm.  The seating of delegates will follow.

Sincerely,

Zac Humphrey
National Vice President for Student Affairs

Steven C. Nelson
National Executive Director
Kappa Kappa Psi & Tau Beta Sigma

—

Zachary T. Humphrey
National Vice President for Student Affairs
Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity
zac@kkpsi.org

Steve Nelson
National Executive Director
Kappa Kappa Psi / Tau Beta Sigma National Headquarters
PO Box 849, Stillwater, OK 74076
ph: 405-372-2333 / fax: 405-372-2363
www.kkpsi.org / www.tbsigma.org / www.kkytbs.org
2017 National Convention / July 18 – 22 / Orlando, Florida

District Convention National Town Hall Update

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Greetings from the Northeast District Convention in beautiful Lancaster, PA!

I wanted to take a moment to re-post the links to the online submission forms for the District Convention Town Halls. This, along with using your district specific hashtags, provides an alternative to standing at the mic and asking a question or sharing a comment or concern with the National Leadership Team. To that end, find your district's button below. Utilize the hashtags on the buttons to submit questions via Facebook and twitter.

We can't wait to see you all in the coming weeks!

Keep striving!
Zac
National Vice President for Student Affairs