The brothers of Florida Kappa were honored and grateful to be initiated into the Brotherhood on Friday, April 1, and bring Phi Delta Theta back to Florida International University. Colony members gathered at the Wolfe Center of the Biscayne Bay campus two hours before the ceremony to reflect on their time as a colony and the steps taken to get to where they were at that moment. As the ceremony concluded, fellow FIU alumni, Headquarters members, as well as brothers from the Florida Atlantic University chapter joined together in welcoming and congratulating the Florida Kappa Chapter.
The ceremony was followed by a banquet where brothers brought dates and family members to the Frost Art Museum to celebrate the installation. The event began as the brothers took their seats while singing “Eternal Praise”, followed by a short ceremony that was acted out between the six founding fathers. A few words from Director of Expansion Tucker Barney and Chapter President Joey Valme were given, preceding a pasta and salad luncheon. After the meal, more speeches were given from Province President Clay Coleman as well as President of the General Council Rich Fabritius. Joey Valme was then presented with the charter and the event came to a close, although people stayed to socialize and take photos.
The Florida Kappa Colony was re-established at Florida International University on March 1, 2015, bringing together a group of men with the desire of bettering themselves with the aid of each other and growing as both fraternity men and as leaders on campus. In the 13 months that the colony was together, they were able to accomplish great milestones on campus while attaining a reputation of gentlemen and scholars. The colony hosted several Special Olympic events, won a homecoming title, excelled in intramural sports and took on leaderships positions in respective clubs and organizations in their short time together. The chapter’s efforts do not stop with initiation, however, as the brothers look forward to reaching new heights and setting new standards. They plan to do this immediately with a Carnival being held later this April to raise funds for a sister of Sigma Kappa’s father who was recently diagnosed with ALS and the Association itself.
In the future, the chapter hopes to continue challenging the status quo, redefining what it means to be a fraternity man at FIU, lending a helping hand to those in need, while learning from each other to become the greatest versions of themselves. The chapter would like to send its thanks and appreciation to Zach Hilliard and Andrew Carlson for bringing this organization together at FIU and igniting the brotherhood they so genuinely cherish. The colony would also like to thank Tucker Barney and Justin Letcher, and all those who were involved, for making the weekend possible.
In accordance with Phi Delta Theta’s Strategic 10-Year Plan, Phi Delt 2020 and its growth initiative, Phi Delta Theta is currently executing expansion strategies that culminate in seven chapter installations annually and 200 chapters by 2018. The installation of Florida Kappa was the second chapter installation of 2016, and the Fraternity currently has 182 active chapters and 9 colonies.
