decade of excellence
programming to cover the remaining officers and positions has become reality. Now, NLI trains, equips and empowers every Number I in the Order, just after taking office. Since its restructuring in 2003 to focus solely on chapter presidents, the average attendance rate has been 95 percent, and 98 percent the last three years - a rate unheard of around the world of Greek programming. Knight Commander Mike Duncan, who was instrumental in the implementation of the “new” NLI, has also served as the Dean of the Institute since 2003. An important maturation of the organization occurred in 2003, when the Loyal Order was launched alongside a restructuring of The Kappa Alpha Journal subscription policy. Facing increased production and mailing costs, the Order was forced to alter the way it paid for the magazine and instituted the Loyal Order as a way to endow the magazine and create a new way for brothers to stay connected to and involved in Kappa Alpha. The Loyal Order is essentially a group of active and alumni brothers dedicated to the enduring bonds of our brotherhood and to the future success of KA. Over 2,400 brothers have joined the Loyal Order to date. To join, please log onto loyalorder.org. Outside of the programming realm, the Order experienced a unique event when William A. Wood, the grandson of founder, James Ward Wood, was initiated as a special initiate at the seventieth Convention in Tampa, Florida in 2003. Brother Wood has been instrumental in increasing our knowledge
Active members served MDA to the tune of over $1.7 million since 2000.
and understanding of his grandfather, providing a wealth of information and access to his grandfather’s life and legacy. As a result, the newest edition of The Varlet is dedicated to Brother Wood and that legacy that he carries from our principal founder, James Ward Wood. Created in 2004, the E. Fleming Mason Memorial Internship program is another stellar offering available to our undergraduates, providing a unique summer of learning and life experiences in Washington D.C. The program, instigated by KAOEF Trustee Bill Skipper (ΔΤ-Francis Marion ’80), is one of the most successful and highly sought after programs available to members. Each summer, five outstanding candidates are chosen to participate in this popular program. Through an ongoing partnership with our alumni, these men come back changed and empowered to achieve things they never thought possible. Thirty-one brothers have now taken part in this spectacular program. To learn more, visit kappaalphaorder.org.
KA Journal
12
Winter 2010
One of the more prominent events of the 2000s was the Order’s move out of the historic Rockbridge County Jail in 2004 where it had been since 1992. Forced out of the building when the property was acquired by the county for expanding the courthouse and its facilities, the change was, at first, an unwanted one. Discovering the stately and historic manor house of Mulberry Hill changed the outlook, however, and the Order made the necessary arrangements to make it the Order’s new home. Sitting atop a beautiful eight acre property of rolling lawns with magnificent trees, the new home has proven to be a perfect fit – especially from a historical standpoint, with Robert E. Lee having stayed at the home just prior to taking over as President of Washington College. With room to grow, Mulberry Hill will be an outstanding headquarters for the Order for many years to come. On the chapter operational front, the Order took important steps to raise the overall standards of chapter achievement