HMAK Small Chapter of the Year 5 Times in 12 years

Being apart of a Small Chapter has it's pros and cons. Even more so, being apart of a Chapter that is less than 20 years old, has it's advantages and challenges at the same time as well. Either way, I am very proud to say that this chapter has accomplished so much, with limited resources, in such a short amount of time. When I was initiated in the Spring of 2013, the Chapter won it's fourth straight consecutive award at the Provincial Council Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin. It was a great feeling to know that this was the type of Chapter I was about to be apart of.

Shortly afterwards, I saw how hard it is to function as a small chapter. We don't have a long list of alumnus of the chapter to call on when things get financially rough. Things have not been established from 30-50 years of the way being paved for younger brothers. In many cases, it's the same allotment of brothers doing all jobs of the Chapter. It's not to say that most brothers aren't doing their job, it's mostly do to it's all we have to work with so far.

We have great Charter Members that are still around doing some of the leg work as if they are Neos in the Bond. These members provide on the job training to younger Nupes, such as myself, while allowing us to grow in Leadership. They instill confidence in us that gives us room to leave our feet in the sand as they did when they were first feeling there way around the Fraternity. In addition, younger brothers voices can be heard since we're not really that outnumbered with older brothers in the Bond. The older brothers continue to remind us that we were selected for a reason, and encourage us to use our gifts that they saw when we initially interviewed during our Intake Process.

Sometimes, being apart of a Small Chapter can be a financial headache. You have to pay your dues, pay for tickets for fundraisers, pay for your trips to places, and pay for fundraisers. Since we're still considered just starting off, we're the the brothers that have to invest into the Chapter before it really pays off. I do understand that in 20 or 30 years, someone may ready this as a historical artifact no different than the items we read about our Founders. So, I'm proud to know that I am apart of history in sense for the brothers that may not even be born yet.

Being apart of this Chapter has taught me a lot. It's taught me patience, humbleness, deference, to be strong, stay confident, and that their are people who believe in me even if in times I don't. It has shown me rewards not always come in the form of a plaque or a trophy, but in the smile on someone's face that we may have just helped. Most importantly, it's not always about me, it's about the 5 Objectives of Kappa Alpha Psi or better yet, the bigger picture. What is the bigger picture? You'll find out once you figure out your purpose in the Bond and in life. Y.I.T.B.,

Justin J. Johnson

Harvey-Markham Alumni Chapter

2016 Keeper of Records

2016 MTA Chairman

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