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FROM: Mitchell B. Wilson, Executive Director

DATE: December 12, 2002

RE: Kappa Sigma's Resignation from North-American Interfraternity Conference


Dear Friends,


I am writing this letter to provide explanation to the members of the Association of Fraternity Advisors and other campus officials who work with chapters of Kappa Sigma Fraternity to explain our withdrawal from the North-American Interfraternity Conference. For several years, there has been extensive discussion in regard to the focus of the work and priorities of the North-American Interfraternity Conference to represent the interest of member organizations of the Conference. There has been great concern that instead of being an advocate for the college fraternity system, the North-American Interfraternity Conference has established the majority of its focus on the development of educational programs and conferences. Please be assured that Kappa Sigma places great emphasis on educational programming for undergraduates, and we already provide these same leadership programs to our undergraduate chapters. We received little benefit from the programs offered through the NIC. In the meantime, our dues to the North-American Interfraternity Conference more than tripled through legislation passed by the NIC in 2001. The decision of Kappa Sigma to withdraw from the North-American Interfraternity Conference was for philosophical reasons as to what the conference should represent and it was also a business decision.


Kappa Sigma Fraternity remains committed to interfraternalism, and we value the opportunity to associate with college fraternities for the purpose of advancing the interest of the fraternity system. The only thing that has really changed is that Kappa Sigma Fraternity is no longer a member of the NIC. We continue to participate in the Fraternity Executives Association, the Association of Fraternity Advisors and other interfraternity, student leadership and higher education initiatives. We expect our chapters to be good citizens and to practice interfraternalism on their respective campuses, and we will continue to be an accountable and responsible college fraternity with emphasis placed on our values of fellowship, leadership, scholarship and service. We will continue to conduct ourselves as leaders and continue the performance which we have established to over the course of the past 133 years.


It is our belief that the North-American Interfraternity Conference should have focused on serving the member organizations instead of the undergraduate members of the member organizations. As you know, men's college fraternities need a strong advocate who will focus strictly on the establishment of relations with government agencies, to conduct a successful public relations program, to protect the right of association and other constitutional privileges and to assist in supporting men's college fraternities in projects such as acquiring insurance at a reasonable cost. The Kappa Sigma Fraternity respects the decision of those men's college fraternities who remain within the North-American Interfraternity Conference, and we continue to work with these organizations to build fraternity systems on your campuses that will support the educational mission of the host institution.


The Kappa Sigma Fraternity has committed to the establishment of a new interfraternal association which is being developed at the present time. The formation of the Fraternity Leadership Association has been initiated in order to provide a trade association for men's college fraternities that meets the needs of its members. The members of this new association will include some of the fraternities who have decided to remain members of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. We would ask that campus officials and interfraternity councils provide the same recognition to this new association as is accorded the North-American Interfraternity Conference, the National Panhellenic Conference, the National Pan-Hellenic Conference and the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations. The Kappa Sigma Fraternity supports interfraternalism and continues to observe its existence as a mutually exclusive college fraternity with other men's college fraternities. We are also a national fraternity with a constitution and policies the same as those who currently belong to the North-American Interfraternity Conference. We are committed to an existence as a values-based college fraternity and expect this performance from our chapters.


We look forward to discussing this with you further in our interfraternal gatherings in the future. We appreciate what each of you do for our chapters on a daily basis and you can expect Kappa Sigma Fraternity to continue to conduct business as usual. We will continue a cooperative working relationship with campus officials.


Should you have questions concerning this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.


Sincerely and Interfraternally,



MBW:ksm




Questions and Answers Concerning Kappa Sigma's

Decision to Leave the North-American Interfraternity Conference




1. What were the reasons that led to Kappa Sigma's withdrawal from the North-American Interfraternity Conference?


The Kappa Sigma Fraternity made the decision to withdraw from the North-American Interfraternity Conference due to philosophical differences between Kappa Sigma and the direction and focus of the current operations of the Conference. In particular, the Kappa Sigma Fraternity felt that the North-American Interfraternity Conference failed to properly represent the interest of Kappa Sigma and other college fraternities in areas such as freedom of association, public relations, relation with government agencies and other areas that reflect the operation of a trade association. There was also legislation passed in December of 2001 that tripled the amount of dues which Kappa Sigma Fraternity paid to the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The Supreme Executive Committee of Kappa Sigma made the decision to withdraw the membership of Kappa Sigma Fraternity from the North-American Interfraternity Conference since it did not derive an equal amount of benefits from participation in the Conference for the amount of dues being assessed. The focus of the Conference has been on the development of educational programs and conferences for undergraduates which are already being provided in abundance through the Kappa Sigma Fraternity to our undergraduate Brothers and chapters. The decision to leave the conference primarily was due to the philosophical differences as to how the conference should represent all fraternities as a trade association. The decision was also a business decision in making the most effective use of the resources of our Fraternity.



2. Will Kappa Sigma have the same commitment to working in a cooperative fashion with college and university officials?


The Kappa Sigma Fraternity remains committed now more than ever to developing cooperative working relationships with college and university officials for the betterment of our students. We have kept this commitment for a period of over 133 years and our volunteer officers, Supreme Executive Committee and staff members will be assessable to serving the interests of our chapters and host institutions where Kappa Sigma is represented. Our commitment remains strong and firm in the development of our student leaders. We are committed to open communication with college and university officials and greek affairs professionals. We will also attend annual NASPA meetings and continue our association with AFA.



3. Did Kappa Sigma withdraw from the North-American Interfraternity Conference for financial reasons?


The Kappa Sigma Fraternity has been extremely loyal over the years in providing financial support to the North-American Interfraternity Conference and has always been a member in good standing in its financial commitment to the conference in paying its dues and in participating in interfraternity initiatives. Kappa Sigma Fraternity was one of the first to put forth a commitment to support the North-American Interfraternity Conference Public Relations Initiative. We also spend a significant amount of our resources in sending multiple members of our staff and board to the NIC/AFA Meeting so that we could meet with campus officials and to also assure that proper representation was present to work on the directives of the NIC.


The recent increase in the dues structure of the North-American Interfraternity Conference did not provide equity in services back to our Fraternity and therefore we made the decision to withdraw from the conference.


4. What role will Kappa Sigma play in working with other men's and women's college fraternities?


Kappa Sigma remains committed to the spirit of interfraternalism and looks forward to our continued association with the Fraternity Executives Association, Association of Fraternity Advisors, other interfraternal groups and higher education student development organizations. Our chapters practice this same level of interfraternalism on their local college and university campuses by participating in the interfraternity council and providing leadership in those councils.


The Kappa Sigma Fraternity has committed to joining a new trade association that will represent the interest of men's college fraternities. We are excited about this opportunity and are presently working with other fraternities to establish the Fraternity Leadership Association (FLA). Kappa Sigma's commitment in working with other men's college fraternities and women's fraternities and sororities will continue as practiced throughout our history. Kappa Sigma is a founding member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and it was very difficult for us to walk away from a relationship which we had invested 90 years of leadership and financial resources. However, this decision was in the best interest of our undergraduates, alumni and chapters, and we would ask that each campus respect this decision.


5. Should chapters of Kappa Sigma be allowed to participate in campus interfraternity councils?


Absolutely. Simply put, our withdrawal from the NIC should have no effect on the ability of our chapters to participate inn local IFC's. Chapters of Kappa Sigma Fraternity continue to practice mutual exclusivity with other men's college fraternities and our chapters are governed by Kappa Sigma's constitution and policies the same as other men's college fraternities are governed by their internal documents. It is our hope that the local interfraternity councils and college administrators will recognize our history of interfraternalism and allow us to continue on the same path that we have observed throughout our history on the campuses where we are represented. Our undergraduate leaders pay the same tuition as members of other college fraternities and sororities and we are governed by the same code of conduct. Therefore, it is only fair to allow these students this affiliation.


If there is a need to revise the local interfraternity council by-laws to include those fraternities that are not members of the North-American Interfraternity Conference, it is our hope that the local IFC by-laws could be revised to reflect wording such as "members of the interfraternity council at ________ institution must be a member of the NIC, FLA or be a chapter of a men's general (National/International) college fraternity.


Kappa Sigma also plans to have continued association with other men's college fraternities in interfraternity initiatives. We believe that each college fraternity and sorority should be allowed to select whether or not it chooses to affiliate with an umbrella association.


6. Should student leaders be allowed to serve in campus interfraternity council positions?


Yes. Kappa Sigma will continue to emphasize the importance of being a partner in the development of the interfraternity work on the campuses where we are represented and we certainly expect our student leaders to participate in activities that will reflect the positive attributes of college fraternities and sororities. The current members of Kappa Sigma who serve on interfraternity councils have provided excellent leadership to their local IFCs and their service should not be interrupted simply because Kappa Sigma has decided to disaffiliate with the North-American Interfraternity Conference. Our interfraternal commitment, both at the General Fraternity and local chapter level, remains the same as it always has.


7. Has Kappa Sigma's priority as a values-based college fraternity changed with this decision?


Absolutely not. The Kappa Sigma Fraternity continues to stress our four principle values of fellowship, leadership, scholarship and service. We are in the process of developing new educational initiatives for our chapters that will be unveiled at our Grand Conclave this coming summer. The program will complement the local interfraternity council and will represent Kappa Sigma in an excellent fashion to the university and to the alumni of our Fraternity. Our program will focus on the importance of accountability and responsibility and living the values of our Fraternity on a day-to-day basis. The program will involve many dynamic aspects for both recruitment and the education of our pledges to become responsible members.


8. Has the decision of Kappa Sigma Fraternity to withdraw from the North-American Interfraternity Conference established a precedent?


The Kappa Sigma Fraternity has withdrawn from the North-American Interfraternity Conference along with Phi Delta Theta Fraternity as of December 9, 2002. This is not the first time in the history of the conference that members have withdrawn and many have done so in the past and have continued to function as successful and credible fraternities on your campuses while they were not affiliated with the NIC. Please understand that Kappa Sigma Fraternity remains as an accountable and responsible fraternity in the academic communities where our chapters operate.