George Trace Rhode

Southwest District Member at Large

2018 – 2019

Trace Rhode – Member at Large

2

Table of Contents

Letter of Intent 3

Fraternal Resume 4

Goals for Office 5

Letters of Recommendation

Director of Bands: 6

Ricky Brooks

Chapter Sponsor: 7

Brantley Douglas

Chapter: 8

Jake Gatlin

National Ritual Committee Chair/ 9

Past National Vice President for Student Affairs:

Zac Humphrey

Trace Rhode – Member at Large

3

Brothers of the Southwest District,

I am very excited to announce my candidacy for the position of Southwest District Member at

Large for the 2018-2019 term.

Since I was initiated last spring, this organization has done so much for me, both within and

outside of my band program. I have gained lifelong friends, and learned so much about what it

means to serve and be a leader. I believe that I can give back to our fraternity by serving as your

Member at Large for the upcoming year.

In my chapter I currently serve as the Vice President of Projects, and am responsible in part for

communicating with my Tau Beta Sigma counterpart, my chapter sponsor, and any other party

necessary to organize service projects. I also chair the Spirit and Service committee of my

chapter, which helps plan and organize brotherhood events and service projects. At the

national level, I am currently serving on the newly-formed National Communications Team,

which is responsible for creating various media content for the fraternity.

I am also a dedicated student, earning a 4.0 GPA the past two semesters. This, combined with

my participation in band and Kappa Kappa Psi, demonstrates that I am capable of effectively

managing my time and resources. I would have no trouble fulfilling the duties of my office in a

quality and timely manner.

I am running for this position because I desire to serve this fraternity as much as I can, and

believe that the Member at Large position is a perfect fit for me. I have no desire to settle in the

success of the previous Member at Large, but instead continue the work he did in growing

communication with the chapters, and with the Southwest District Alumni Association.

To this end I have several goals. I desire to reach out to every chapter and gather information

about which programs and resources our chapters are using most, and which are being

underutilized. I also hope to work with brothers in the Southwest District to create and

promote State specific alumni associations to help ease the transition from Active to Alumni

status. A more detailed outline of my goals is on page four of my packet.

I wholeheartedly thank you for your consideration of my candidacy. If you have any questions

regarding my packet do not hesitate to contact me.

AEA,

George Trace Rhode

Trace Rhode – Member at Large

4

George Trace Rhode Brother Spring 2017 - Present

Trace@kkpsi.org Epsilon Beta Chapter

University of Central Arkansas

Leadership Experience

Vice President of Projects – EB Spring 2017 – Present

Responsible for the logistical planning of all service projects, brotherhood functions, and

social events.

Spirit and Service Committee Head - EB Spring 2017 – Present

Responsible for scheduling and leading committee meetings, recording meeting

minutes, and presenting committee decisions to the chapter during chapter meetings.

Kappa Kappa Psi National Communications Team / Pilot Program Summer 2017 – Present

Pilot Program - Responsible for obtaining content at the 2017 National Convention for

the fraternity’s podcast

Current Role – Plan, organize and create content for the Podcast

District Experience 2017 Area Workshops

February 11th

– Arkansas Area in Fayetteville, AR

2018 Area Workshops

March 10th

– Arkansas Area in Russellville

March 31st

– Oklahoma Area in Weatherford

SWD Conventions

March 24th

-26th

– SWD Convention in Stillwater, OK

Other Events

August 5th

– Chapter Leadership Conference

November 20th

– Co-wrote and submitted an article for the New ALTO

March 26th

– Submitted an article for the New ALTO

National Experience

Kappa Kappa Psi Communications Team Winter 2018 – Present

Work with the National VPSA to create content for the fraternity’s various media

outlets, primarily the podcast, YouTube, and other social media platforms.

National Conventions

July 18th

-22nd

– National Convention in Orlando, FL

Education

History Education, University of Central Arkansas, 3.8 GPA 2016 – Present

Trace Rhode – Member at Large

5

Goals for Office

Social Media

Continue the upkeep of the District Facebook Page, Kappa Kappa Psi Facebook

group, joint Facebook group, YouTube channel, Instagram, and Twitter.

Keep updated info on these platforms regarding:

o Chapter ritual dates

o Important district announcements

o Upcoming deadlines

Cooperate with other officers to promote engagement with district programs

such as District Day and Area Workshops.

Chapter Communication

Determine which programs / resources in the District are being underutilized.

o Compile a list of every program / resource offered by the SWD

o Reach out to each chapter with a survey and ask them which of these

resources they use, and how much they use these resources.

o Also ask for recommendations on how to improve these programs

o Give this information to the district governors/officers and decide which

programs to more heavily promote, and consider possibly revising others.

Remind Chapters about National deadlines, and to submit pictures for the

scrapbook

Continue the creation of promotional videos for Area workshops

Alumni relations

Continue to be an aid to SWDAA and assist them in whatever manner they need.

Aid in the formation of State Alumni associations.

o Contact the alumni relations officer of each chapter and ask them whether

or not there is interest in creating a state alumni association.

o If there is interest in brothers of a state, aid those brothers in creating a

local alumni association for their state.

o I would like to see one created for every state in the South West district,

but this depends on how many interested brothers will agree to create it,

as only alumni can form a local alumni association.

o These local alumni associations would help more brothers make the

transition into alumni status.

201 Donaghey Avenue, Conway, Arkansas, 72035

March 15, 2018

Dear District Council Members,

I am Ricky Brooks, Director of Bands at the University of Central Arkansas. I am happy to write a letter of

recommendation on behalf of George Trace Rhodes for a member-at-large position on the KKPsi Southwest District

Council. Trace is a dedicated member of the UCA band program, and is a history education major.

As a non-music major, Trace is very active in the music department, and has strived to be involved in the many activities

within the band program. He is a valuable and loyal member of our band, playing mellophone in the Bear Marching

Band, and horn in the University Concert Band. He is a member of the UCA horn club as a non-music major.

Trace balances a very active to role in the Epsilon Beta chapter of KKPsi with the demands of his major, and hours

dedicated to the band. He has served as an officer of the chapter, as well as a member of the KKPsi National

Communications Team Pilot Program. On the district level, Trace is a regular attendee of the area workshops, and co-

authored an article submitted for the NEW Alto. On the national level, Trace attended the national convention in 2017

and is on the KKPsi Communications Team.

Trace is enthusiastic about the UCA band and KKPsi. I appreciate his contribution to our band program. He balances a

full schedule of ensembles, academics, and KKPsi activities while maintaining a good GPA. I am happy to give George

Trace Rhodes my support for his application for member-at-large on the Southwest District Council.

Sincerely,

Ricky Brooks

Director of Bands

University of Central Arkansas

W W W. UC AB A N DS .C O M

Brantley T. Douglas III, Associate Director of Bands

University of Central Arkansas

201 Donaghey Ave.

Conway, AR 72035

(501) 450-5022

bdouglas@uca.edu

March 16, 2018

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing in support of George Rhodes for the position Member at Large Position on

the KKPsi Southwest District Council. I have known George for three years as a member

of the band program and a brother of KKY here at the University of Central Arkansas.

During this time, George has distinguished himself as an excellent musician and leader.

But these are only a couple of the many outstanding qualities that scratches the surface of

his ability and character. George is the type of person who loves learning. He is one of

those exceptional students that works hard and diligently. He constantly strives for

excellence in his work with the band in the mellophone section, and as Vice-President of

Projects for our KKY chapter.

I know first-hand that George performs with aplomb in challenging situations. As a Vice-

President of Projects, he is required to communicate and coordinate with our KKY and

TBE chapters. He must organize and execute the many projects proposed. He must

follow specific directions, make decisions, problem solve and motivate constantly and

does so consistently and effectively. In short, his high caliber of character and dedication

set him above others at his level of education. I recommend him for a position on the

District Council. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require additional

information.

Regards,

Brantley T. Douglas III

Associate Director of Bands

University of Central Arkansas

Kappa Kappa Psi – Epsilon Beta

Brothers of the Southwest District,

I am writing on behalf of Trace Rhode regarding the Member-at-Large position on the

2018-2019 Southwest District Council. As President of the Epsilon Beta chapter, I have known

Trace since he decided to pursue membership in this organization through today, when he now

acts as our chapter Vice President of Projects.

In the time I have known Trace, he has proven himself to be a consistently reliable member of

our chapter; he is almost never late or absent, and always shows up willing to go above and

beyond the requirements set before him. He is an excellent leader both within our band

program and our chapter, exemplifying a positive attitude and strong personal character.

Whenever it is called of him, he can always come up with a creative solution or idea to help

push the chapter and our band to be better. Above all, he is a good communicator, as he

ensures both our chapter and our sister chapter, Gamma Tau, is kept up to date on whatever

affairs he may be coordinating.

Trace is also able to quickly better himself. He has always taken constructive criticism

extremely well, and since he will be representing the Southwest in so many ways I think his

willingness to learn and improve from his mistakes make him an excellent candidate for this

position.

Overall, I cannot recommend Trace highly enough for the office of District Member-at-Large. I

believe he has exactly the skillset the District needs and if elected will prove to be of

outstanding service to the Southwest District.

Fraternally Submitted,

Jacob Gatlin, Epsilon Beta President

KAPPA KAPPA PSI

NATIONAL HONORARY BAND FRATERNITY

Zachary T. Humphrey • Chair, National Ritual Performance and Education Committee

Cell: 0. 0 . 02 • Email: zac@kkpsi.org

National Headquarters • P.O. Box • Stillwater, OK 0 • 405.372.2333 • www.kkpsi.org

March 21, 2018

To whom it may concern,

I am writing today on behalf of Mr. Trace Rhodes for his application to the Kappa Kappa Psi

Southwest District Member at Large.

I first met Mr. Rhodes in the spring of 2017 in an online meeting when I was National Vice President

for Student Affairs. He was one of the three active members who reached out with interest in

helping me with the fraternity’s podcast during our upcoming national convention. While he

initially seemed a bit reserved, I quickly learned this was not his normal, outgoing self. That spirit

would serve him well as he made his way to his first national convention, signing up to help out

with this new undertaking. While there, he acquitted himself admirably, diving into the task that

was recording the experience for posterity (and the podcast). He seemed to always have a

microphone out and chatting with someone, and the content he created was excellent. In the weeks

following national convention, I was able to rely heavily on the recordings he made during the

event. This outgoing personality, his ability to connect with people in an easy way, and his

commitment to the work would serve him well in this role.

From the first meeting, until the final day of National Convention, Trace Rhodes was a reliable

member of my team. He was never afraid of a challenge and he was happy to volunteer for any

assignment. He worked well with the rest of our team and he put out great content. As I look over

his fraternal resume, I see he is a driven brother who is always looking for new ways to get involved

and give back and meet new brothers. I couldn’t think of better qualities for one who is applying for

this position.

I can think of few people for whom I would rather write a letter of recommendation for the

Southwest District Member at Large than Trace. He is hard working and dependable and is always

willing to go the extra mile to get things done. I couldn’t be happier to recommend him for

Southwest District Member at Large.

Fraternally,

Zac Humphrey

Chair, National Ritual Performance and Education Committee, 2015-2019