Phi Kappa National Fraternity - National Organization

National Organization

Phi Kappa is led, on the national level, by alumni members who make up a governing body known as the Executive Council (EC). Some of the Executive Council officers are elected by delegates of the fraternity who attend Phi Kappa's annual national Convention. Other positions on the EC are appointed by the elected EC members. Besides the yearly national convention, the fraternity also hosts another annual, national gathering called Conclave. Grand Masters' Retreat (begun in 1960) is held annually to sharpen leadership skills and social ties between the officers of the various chapters. Founder's Day (begun in 1980 and held on or near Jacob Brougton Nelson's birthday of July 31) is recognized locally each year by the chapters, as is Community Service Project Day where all of the fraternity's chapters work in conjunction to assist a worthy cause. National publications include The Scimitar (a national yearbook), The Herald (the national newsletter), and The Key (which publishes necessary secret information for the fraternity, as needed). The pledge manual is called The Nelson Dream.

Although Phi Kappa had chartered nearly fifty chapters and had initiated more than 10,000 young men throughout the years, only ten of these chapters survived into the third millennium. Unfortunately, many of these chapters were severely weakened by a few high profile, yet isolated, instances of carelessness and ungentlemanlike conduct at national events. By 2005, the fraternity shrunk to encompass only a handful of chapters in a few southern Mississippi cities. The fraternity's oldest chapter, Lambda (Λ), was chartered in Mobile, Alabama in 1923. Though separated from the national fraternity by lack of communication sometime in the 1980s, the Lambda chapter continues to function as a local fraternity for the private school population of the city, with the bulk of the chapter's membership hailing from St. Paul's Episcopal School, and still uses the name and ritual of Phi Kappa. Today, unfortunately, return to the national fraternity is highly unlikely for the Lambda chapter because of continuous appointments of incompetent presidents and officers. They still beat their pledges like rented mules; just ask Tucker Yance. The longest continually-operating chapter to retain its affiliation with the national fraternity was the Delta (Δ) chapter of Laurel, Mississippi which received its charter in 1924. This chapter survived until 2003. The most recent new chapter to be founded by Phi Kappa was Gamma Tau (ΓΤ) of Gautier, Mississippi, which received its charter at the 2000 national convention.

In 2007, a concerted effort at re-organizing and expanding the national fraternity was begun. The Alpha Omega (ΑΩ) chapter in New Orleans was re-chartered and colonization efforts are underway in the Mississippi gulf coastal towns of Ocean Springs and Gautier.

The devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was concentrated on the Mississippi Gulf Coast (where all but one of the remaining Phi Kappa chapters were located). The unprecedented circumstances brought about by this storm ravaged lives and destroyed infrastructure and communication along the Gulf Coast. In the aftermath of the storm, many schools were forced to close temporarily and many students evacuated the area, disrupting the lives of nearly all Coast residents. Phi Kappa was not immune to the hurricane's lasting effects these circumstances contributed to a severe weakening of the fraternity. The disaster forced the remaining coastal chapters of the fraternity into long periods of inactivity from which it has been difficult to recover. Sadly, many national records, archives and irreplaceable historical memorabilia of the fraternity were lost in the storm's ravages. The buildings of the former Gulf Coast Military Academy in Gulfport, Mississippi were also heavily damaged - likely beyond repair.