INDIANAPOLIS — Nearly 40 members met in Indianapolis on December 6 for the Fraternity Ritual Team training. The inaugural Fraternity Ritual Team members were certified to manage, educate and execute fraternity rituals in compliance with risk management policies and in keeping with traditions.
The Fraternity Ritual Team was developed with the express intent of presenting the fraternity’s honored and cherished rituals in a uniform manner so all chapters of Alpha Kappa Psi could be directed by complete formatted presentations, setup instructions, role descriptions, and specific dialogue, blending both modern and traditional symbolism and speech.
“The common identity is a really interesting thing for us to consider,” said Steve Hartman, CEO of Alpha Kappa Psi. “For us, that challenge is so great because we have such a disperse population, generations, geography; all these things that make it really difficult for us to have a common culture through the organization. The only way we can really do that is with common language, common rituals and common practices that we can all employ. That’s why it’s so important that we do it consistently and do it well.”
Serving on the Fraternity Ritual Team is a vital volunteer position in the fraternity. A successful, efficient and professional ritual is a key determinant of whether a chapter will properly execute rituals in the future. The Fraternity Ritual Team is divided into four Area Ritual Teams, which are responsible for the installations and ritual education in its respective area. The members of the Fraternity Ritual Team include:
| Area I | Area II | Area III | Area IV |
| Ernest B. Hammond III, Florida ’08Matthew A. Hartmann, Central Washington ’08David Hsu, California – Merced ’09 – LifeRandy J. Johnson, Texas State – San Marcos ’78-Life Andrew H. Lee, J. Christian Nuccio, Donna Prideaux, Heather D. Robinette, Charles D. Steffens, Suzanne M. Ward, David P. Wendroff, Jonathan Yang, |
Joseph D. Allen, Missouri Western State ’12-LifeMariann L. Fenton, Missouri ’88-LifeCherie A. Harshman, Illinois-Chicago ’08-LifeDerek W. Hunter, Murray State ’01-Life Jessica M. Kerns, Carol C. Kim, Daniel D. Mendoza, Egbar J. Ozenkoski, Jonathon T. Pritt, Lane N. Velayo, |
Stephan T. Austria, James Madison ’08-LifeChristina M. Ayers, Washington State ‘04Theresa M. DeCosta, East Carolina ’10-LifeMike G. Dickerson, Virginia Tech ’04-Life Michael C. Heer, MiCoya G. Hutchins, Victor Lee, Andrea Nemeth, Ravi H. Patel, John J. Von Achen, Randall K. Williams, Elizaveta Zhmurkin, Shippensburg ‘10 |
Melissa Blair, South Florida ‘01Regina R. Cheers, Tennessee – Martin ‘02Andres Correa, Florida International ‘07Terry M. Darring-Rogers, South Alabama ‘86 Santee R. Ezell, Brittany L. Folds, Christopher M. Folds, Western Carolina ’03-Life Kimberly Y. Lewis, Taylor A. Morgan, TeNikka Roberts, |
