1869-2012 and Beyond…

December 10, 1869. Charlottesville, Virginia. Five friends at the University of Virginia formed an organization that remains today: Kappa Sigma.

These five friends and brothers were following some trends in the collegiate world that had been going on for several years prior; i.e., the formation of clubs and secret societies within the college world. Saying “secret society” is a bit of a misnomer. Rather, Kappa Sigma is a society with secrets. Heck, I’m a member, as is Bob Dole, Jimmy Buffett and hundreds of thousands of others. Drive by any college or university with a chapter of Kappa Sigma and you’ll see the letters proudly displayed outside the chapter house. The only true secrets are those that pertain to the ritual which binds men together into the brotherhood.

In February of 1997, I received my Kappa Sigma pledge pin. Myself, along with half a dozen other guys, all made the decision that we wanted to join the Kappa Sig chapter at Missouri State University. Receiving a pledge pin doesn’t mean one is a member, but rather, one is going through the membership process. Over the next several months, I learned the rich history of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, the history of the Mu Rho chapter I was joining at Missouri State and got acquainted with the 30 or so brothers of the chapter, as well as my pledge brothers. Then, in August of that same year, with my new membership requirements complete, I was invited to receive the ritual which had been passed down for the previous 125 plus years by all fellow Kappa Sigma brothers.

This is a pretty cool thing. I mean, I consider becoming a Kappa Sig one of the three best decisions of my life, along with marrying Marvelyne and becoming a Freemason. The deep and rich history, the connections, the comradery throughout my undergrad years and now, the friendship and brotherhood that goes a little deeper than just being buddies.

So, on this Founder’s Day 2012, I say AEKDB to all my Kappa Sigma bretheren!