Kappa Sigma Programs Demonstrate Commitment to Its Values

The first chapter of the fraternal organization Kappa Sigma was founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. An international organization headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, the organization is comprised of 200,000 members, 17,000 of them undergraduates, in 300 chapters spanning the US and Canada. The organization’s core values center around leadership, fellowship, scholarship, and service. These values are integrated in each of the programs offered through the fraternity to engender participation among its members.

One of the organization’s centerpiece programs is Champion Quest. The program assists members in attracting and recruiting quality men to each chapter and colony. At the center of Champion Quest is Jackson’s Dream, named for Stephen Alonzo Jackson, who was integral in building Kappa Sigma from a struggling fraternity to a national organization.

While the fraternity recruits quality prospective members, the members who participate in Champion Quest have the chance to improve their self-promotion skills. Participation in the activity not only affords members the chance to work on personal presentation skills, but they also get to fellowship with other brothers. Champion Quest focuses on facilitating a stronger brotherhood and year-long recruitment that happens during three pledge and initiation cycles held throughout the academic year.

Members can experience fellowshipping with one another through Brothers in Action. This program aims to get members to interact with one another and cultivate their brotherhood.

One of the main events that Brothers in Action hosts is the Mountain Weekend. Gathered in a cabin in the mountains, the brothers spend time reconnecting with one another. Fraternity members also have opportunities to engage in community service events that provide them additional outlets for fellowshipping. For example, the brothers at the Delta Chi chapter at Mississippi State University have worked with the (Re)claimed Project, which focuses on helping youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The brothers at Kappa Sigma also engage in giving back to the military community through the Military Heroes program, which has a mission of supporting veterans and their families. Based on the idea that people who serve the country deserve to have stability, Kappa Sigma provides financial and organizational support.

Since 2007, Kappa Sigma has raised more than $2 million for veterans from philanthropic fundraising and donations from undergraduate chapters. The campaign collaborates with other organizations to find ways to meet the needs of veterans and their families. The organization also accepts donations from the public to support the program.

In addition, Kappa Sigma alumni are encouraged to stay connected to the fraternity and its values after college through iPledge. This pledge asks alumni to stay engaged with the fraternity through social media platforms, mentor an undergraduate member, volunteer for the fraternity, and join Jackson’s Men in five years.

Arguably the most important man in Kappa Sigma’s history, Stephen Alonzo Jackson crafted the fraternity’s Ritual, wrote its constitution, and was elected the first Worthy Grand Master. Members who choose to donate to the organization’s endowment fund become one of Jackson’s Men. Funds go to chapter scholarship funds, and donors receive a numbered pin to commemorate their gift.