So a few weeks ago, I attended my first Kappa Kappa Psi North Central District (NCD) Convention. I didn't really know what to expect before I went - of course I was excited, but I was also pretty nervous at the same time since I was going to a university I'd never even heard of before in a state I don't remember being in during my lifetime.

But, it's fine because I went with six other of my friends in the Zeta Lambda chapter.

The trip from Huntington, West Virginia to Normal, Illinois took an estimated time of around 7 and a half hours without stops. The halfway point was in Cincinnati, Ohio. It really made my entire trip in all honesty that I was able to eat at Raising Cane's not once, but TWICE during this trip.

The convention lasted from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon and featured tons of activities for brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi and sisters of Tau Beta Sigma to take part in, such as workshops, musical ensembles, and networking opportunities.

However, my convention experience happened to be a tad different from the other six peoples' experiences who went with me. Weeks leading into the convention, the Zeta Lambda chapter voted me as our delegate, which left me in a position to be the representative from our chapter at the convention. I was placed on the 2018 NCD Nominations Committee with six other brothers from various universities across the district. Together, we interviewed each candidate running for a position on the district council and being a part of this process really helped me learn how the NCD worked and why this mattered concerning my home chapter back in West Virginia.

The NCD Nominations Committee that I served on.

In my free time, I checked out some of the workshops I mentioned earlier. The most beneficial workshop I attended was targeted toward Vice Presidents of Memberships (the office I hoped to be elected into) titled, "The Road to Wisdom." It was a discussion about the membership education process in Kappa Kappa Psi. I was able to learn how to mold the material more toward my chapter and more importantly, how to get brothers inside of the chapter more involved and how to reach students outside of the chapter to want to get involved.

During this time, I heard the best advice I had received when recruiting brothers in our chapters:

"Think of who can serve a better tomorrow as my brother."

And that, my friends, was when I had my Kappa Kappa epiphany.

The entire week, I had asked myself if I was making the right decision to run for Vice President of Membership in the Zeta Lambda chapter. Our elections were only a few weeks away and with so many things going through my mind such as:

"Am I running for the right reasons?"

"What if I fail in this position?"

"What if I hit a rough patch during office?"

I felt kind of lost, but here's the thing:

1.) I was running for the right reasons. I wanted nothing more than to serve my chapter in the most beneficial way possible. My friends had faith in my judgments and character to believe that I would be the right fit for this position and carry out the responsibilities of a chapter officer. Looking back, knowing that many of them had this type of trust in me makes me smile wider than anyone could imagine.

2.) I bulked up and told myself, if I fail, at least go down swinging.

3.) The whole school year is about 32 weeks. I am bound to hit a rough patch at some point. When I do, I know the rest of my brothers will be there to pick me back up onto my feet.

Isn't this one of the whole main aspects of the fraternity? The willingness to serve and the love of the brotherhood?

Brothers, that is what I was able to learn at the 2018 North Central District. You are a brother or a sister for a reason. Strive to make a point to find your own specific and personal reason, whether that is through musicianship, service, or brotherhood. Finding my reason was one heck of a life-changing turning point in my life. I hope everyone gets to experience that in organizations that give us so much hope and excitement so that we may become the best person each one of us can possibly be.

AEA,

Erin Fields

Vice President of Membership

Kappa Kappa Psi - Zeta Lambda