Virtually Impossible

IN MID-MARCH, when Pi Kappa Phi’s Headquarters Staff shifted the fraternity’s operations from the Kelly A. Bergstrom Leadership Center to their home offices, questions immediately arose regarding how Pi Kappa Phi would continue its slate of leadership development and brotherhood opportunities.

Most importantly, the fraternity was faced with the difficult task of hosting Supreme Chapter, after years of planning, in a virtual capacity with just four months to transform a four-day in-person event to a two-hour live broadcast. On May 14, 2020, Pi Kappa Phi officially announced that the 57th Supreme Chapter in Baltimore, Maryland, would be postponed due to COVID-19.

Without gathering in person, the challenge became not just how to accomplish the necessary business of the Supreme Chapter, but to create an experience that celebrated Pi Kappa Phi’s brotherhood and outlined the fraternity’s commitment to creating exceptional leaders through uncommon opportunities.

The creation of the Supreme Chapter Virtual Experience over the next two months required careful planning and coordination to accomplish. Not only did Headquarters Staff have to condense Supreme Chapter down to the essentials to inform members about the state of the fraternity, but it also required connecting Pi Kappa Phi’s leadership across nine states to present how the fraternity’s operations have adapted in 2020.

The Supreme Chapter’s staple events would remain, including a state of the fraternity address, the presentation of the Mr. Pi Kappa Phi and Hall of Fame awards, and the incoming National President’s address from William Sigmon, in addition to updates from The Ability Experience Chairman Chad Perce, Pi Kappa Phi Properties Chairman Tony Noce and Pi Kappa Phi Foundation Chairman Ernest Johnson.

Just as important to consider was the legal aspect of electing Pi Kappa Phi’s incoming National Council slate. Normally, the Supreme Chapter,consisting of undergraduate chapter representation and dedicated alumni, vote in person for the National Council. The fraternity needed to seek a digital solution.

“Since the pandemic dramatically changed our best-laid plans to hold a Supreme Chapter meeting, including our voting process, our staff and National Council needed to pivot quickly and vet available tools and technology to execute an electronic voting mechanism,” Chief Administrative Officer Brandon Belote said. Mark and Jeremy consulted a South Carolina attorney specializing in non-profit associations; that is where we learned about the ability to amend the election procedure to allow for electronic voting, through emergency provisions outlined in the South Carolina Non-Profit Act.We were able to administer a ballot to each “duly registered” member and offer a generous time-table for ballot submission. The whole thing actually came together quite nicely.”

During the month of June, 11,355 votes were cast online for the National Council. Additionally, nearly 800 members and friends of the fraternity registered for the Supreme Chapter Virtual Experience, allowing more people than ever before to attend a Supreme Chapter, which will be credited towards Nu Phi status upon attendance at the 2021 Summer Alumni Reunion in St. Louis, Missouri.

"Despite COVID-19 not allowing us to gather in Baltimore, brothers throughout the country were able to come together and experience the Supreme Chapter virtually,” said Mary- Michael McClure, Coordinator of Alumni Engagement. We saw the most alumni and guests at a Supreme Chapter ever and we hope everyone can join us in Tampa in 2022"

With ballots cast and a new virtual format decided upon, Pi Kappa Phi’s communication team coordinated the live broadcast, working with members of the National Council and board chairmen from each of Pi Kappa Phi’s four entities for remote filming, including filming on location at Iowa State University to broadcast President Galvin’s address.

“Organizing a film is no easy task, let alone across the country, with multiple people in the midst of a global pandemic,” said Patrick Carlson, Pi Kappa Phi’s former assistant communication director. “Thankfully, with the help of technology and some amazingly helpful alumni brothers, we were able to successfully create a full length, two hour stream, featuring graphics and content provided by our student brothers along the way.”

For the first time in four months, while following proper social distancing and mask-usage recommendations, select staff returned to headquarters to operate the broadcast and bring the Supreme Chapter Virtual Experience to life.

The Supreme Chapter Virtual Experience opened with remarks from Jeremy Galvin, acknowledging that even though the fraternity wasn’t meeting in person, the commitment of members to attend.

“Despite our physical distance from each other, I’m impressed at how many brothers were able to come together here virtually — some of whom would not have been able to attend our originally scheduled in-person meeting,” Galvin said.

Following his opening remarks, Galvin presented the state of the fraternity, specifically commenting on the fraternity’s future regarding COVID-19. “Our Fraternity has rebounded from war, pandemics, economic downfalls, and challenges in higher education before,” Galvin said. “Our leadership is strong at all levels of the organization. Our undergraduates and young alumni are leading with passion and vision. Eventually we will rebound from the effects of COVID – individually, as chapters, as a fraternity.”

Additionally, Galvin spoke on the fraternity’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitment, and announced the formation of a new standing committee.“Pi Kappa Phi will continue to do more to advocate, support and provide opportunity for our members of color through improved and expanded diversity, equity & inclusion efforts across the organization,” Galvin said.

These words were echoed by Timmes, who when delivering his path forward address spoke to holding the values of the fraternity close as Pi Kappa Phi finds new solutions to modern problems.

“We should look to what remains steadfast; we should look to our Ritual and Student Creed,” Timmes said. “Pi Kappa Phi will assist, support, and defend our brothers. We will bear our share of the financial burden of the chapter and national organization. We will shoulder our full responsibilities as citizens.”

As the Supreme Chapter Virtual Experience continued, members heard updates from each of the fraternity’s entities, saw the presentation of the fraternity’s highest honors and welcomed the new National Council. After the fraternity’s new officers took their oath, new National President William Sigmon addressed the fraternity himself.

The Supreme Chapter Virtual Experience, ending with an adjourning prayer from incoming National Chaplain Andrae Turner, closed that afternoon. As brothers continued to engage with one another in virtual events following the events, the fraternity announced with excitement the return of the in-person Supreme Chapter in Tampa, Florida in 2022, where members will engage in all of the traditions of the Supreme Chapter to its fullest extent.

Until then, the Supreme Chapter Virtual Experience will go down in history as a testament to the fraternity’s adaptability and commitment to its membership, and will be remembered not just for the circumstances in which it was created, but for the Pi Kappa Phi’s perseverance in uncertain times.