15th GCC
15th Grand Council Convention
Portland, Oregon
Thursday-Saturday, November 25-27, 1920
New York City, New York
Tuesday-Thursday, December 28-30, 1920
Hosted By: Upsilon, Beta Mu, Beta Iota, Gamma
Host Hotels: Tyler Hotel, Hotel Portland, Imperial Hotel
Attendance: Total Attendance: 203
203 Brothers
56 Chapters
Convention Summary
Although World War I ended in November 1918, Kappa Psi Fraternity had not recovered sufficiently by 1920 to schedule the usual type of national convention. Alpha Chapter agreed that three regional conventions would be held where chapters would meet at the same time and transact exactly the same business at each of the regional meetings. It was agreed that printed lists of the business to be considered would be furnished to the three regional meetings and that at least one Grand Officer and the province officers in the area would attend each of the meetings.
Thus, the 15th Grand Council Convention of Kappa Psi Fraternity met in three regional meetings as follows:
The chapters in the Pacific District met at the Portland Hotel, Portland, Oregon, November 25-27, 1920. Forty-eight delegates and members, representing nine chapters, were in attendance. The Pacific District was composed of the chapters at San Francisco, California; Corvallis and Portland, Oregon; Pullman and Seattle, Washington; Missoula, Montana.
The chapters in the Middlewest-South Atlantic District met at the Tyler Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky, November 25-27, 1920. Seventy-four delegates and members, representing eighteen chapters, were in attendance. The Middlewest-South Atlantic District was composed of chapters at Louisville, Kentucky; Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska; Madison, Wisconsin; Ada, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Mobile and Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Dallas and Galveston, Texas; the chapters in Florida, South Carolina and West Virginia.
The chapters in the North Atlantic-Middle Atlantic District met at the Imperial Hotel, New York City, December 28-30, 1920. Eighty-one delegates and members, representing twenty-nine chapters, were in attendance. The North Atlantic-Middle Atlantic District was composed of chapters in Boston, Massachusetts; Albany, Brooklyn, Buffalo and New York City, New York; Providence, Rhode Island; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Virginia; the chapters in North Carolina and Toronto, Canada.
A summary of some of the important actions, including amendments which were recorded officially when the proceedings of the three meetings were consolidated, are as follows: (1) the title of the Fraternity magazine was changed from The MASK to The Kappa Psi Mask; (2) an amendment to the constitution approved changes so that the roster of Grand Officers would include a Grand Regent, Grand Vice Regent, Grand Registrar and Editor, Grand Secretary and Measurer and Grand Historian, (the change which combined the Grand Registrar and Editor made possible a single office to be known as the "Central Office" through which all Fraternity business is to be conducted); (3) an amendment to the Constitution established a fund for use by the Grand Registrar and Editor in providing his office with the necessary stenographic or clerical assistance to carry on the greatly increased work load; (4) since the Ritual Committee was unable to present the completed revised ritual, authority was granted to the Grand Officers to approve the Ritual when completed and to have it published and distributed as soon as possible; (5) a uniform chapter house account book or form was approved; (6) membership certificates are to be issued to every initiate before the completion of his last year of college; (7) committees of the Grand Council were increased by the addition of a Ritual Committee and an Interfraternity Committee; (8) it is required that each chapter shall provide every one of its initiates with a copy of the Constitution and By-Laws at the meeting at which the initiation is completed; (9) an amendment to the constitution was approved providing for the additional chapter office of Grand Council Deputysuch office to be filled by the election of some graduate or facultate member who need not necessarily be an initiate of the same chapter, and a new section is to be added to the Constitution in which the duties of the Grand Council Deputy are to be defined; (10) an amendment to the Constitution established additional chapter committees, including the Chapter House Committee, the Chapter Meeting Program Committee, and the Entertainment Committee; (11) the annual per capita fee was increased from three dollars to four dollars payable over an eight month period at the rate of fifty cents per month; (12) a ten dollar life subscription fee to The MASK which is to be paid by chapters to the Grand Council immediately following the initiation of each new member, was approved, with chapters to determine how the fee will be collected from the respective members; (13) an amendment to the constitution was approved which required that in the badge (pin) "The MASK made of gold is to be raised above the black enameled surface;" (14) the correct position for wearing the Fraternity badge was defined; (15) each chapter will be required to adopt the Model Set of By-Laws that appears in the back of the Constitution; (16) recognition of four regularly organized provinces of Kappa Psi Fraternity was given to: (a) the South Atlantic Province; (b) the Middle Atlantic Province; (c) the Middle West or Delta Omicron Alpha Province; (d) the Pacific Province; (17) a distinctive Kappa Psi "emblem" is to be chosen to replace the present Kappa Psi Key because the latter is frequently confused with the key of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Fraternity.
Grand Officers Elected
Grand Regent: J. Dawson Reeder
Grand Vice Regent: Victor J. Anderson
Grand Secretary-Treasurer: Preston W. Eldridge, Jr.
Grand Registrar-Editor: A. Richard Bliss, Jr.
Grand Historian: W. Bruce Philip