Letter from the Phi Alpha

Dear Brothers,

Our annual Convention is a time to look back upon the past year, which many of us would rather not do.

To those of you who have lost family members and friends and to those who have suffered during the pandemic, you have your brothers’ deepest sympathies.

To those of you who have a lost a year of academics and fraternal fellowship, I hope you will make up for that in your future years of Tau Kappa Phi.

To those of you who feel you have missed the initial Zeta Psi experience… you are brothers. Every one of us has a unique initiation story. You have yours. Your ritual initiation has made you a brother in the true spirit of Zeta Psi.

There are few positives in the past year and a half. I hope your brotherhood in Zeta Psi has been one of them.

This chapter in the Story of Zeta Psi will not have any poems written about it. It will not feature a Brother Sommers or Comstock or McElroy.

However, we’re reminded that every opportunity that Zeta Psi has won and every great challenge that is has met was not successful due to the work of one brother alone. It is the same in the current challenge to ourselves, our families, our colleges and universities and our individual chapters.

In the past year we’ve continued to initiate new members into our Circle, we’ve chartered a new chapter, and we’re nurturing a new interest group that will put yet another country’s flag on our dais.

These successes are due to all of you: through the efforts of our volunteer leadership, the good work of our professional staff and the simple act of living in the Zeta Psi tradition by our active members. On behalf of the Grand Chapter of Zeta Psi, I thank you all.

But now let us look forward.

One of our next challenges will be restarting the lives of our active chapters and maintaining the health and safety of our brothers, recruits and guests as we return to campuses and social life.

We will strive to improve our awareness and practice of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, particularly in ways that relate to our understanding of what it means to be a Zeta Psi brother.

We will continue to promote our wonderful Ritual, which is the only act that makes one a Zeta Psi. We will improve our knowledge and practice of it and use this to drive out whatever remnants of hazing remain.

You’ll hear of a new strategic plan that promises to chart our course over the coming years.

And in this, our 175th year of Tau Kappa Phi, we will celebrate not only our history, but our potential.

This year is a reminder that the work of perfecting our Circle is never complete. Zeta Psi is always growing, always changing and always responding to change.

Sadly, we’re not meeting with our regalia, our secrets will not be spoken, and we won’t be counting off hand in hand today, but we will soon.

Until then we are surely heart-to-heart in Tau Kappa Phi.

Thank you.

In Tau Kappa Phi,

Ron Cass, Nu ’84
Phi Alpha