GUIDE RIGHT
THE NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAM
Guide Right is
the program for the educational and occupational guidance of youth, primarily
inspirational and informational in character. Its reach extends to high schools
and colleges alike. In the latter, giving due attention to the needs of the
undergraduate Brothers.
Conceived in 1922 by Leon W. Stewart, and suggested at the twelfth Grand Chapter
of Kappa Alpha Psi, Guide Right became the Fraternity's National Service
Program. Jesse Jerome Peters, later to become the eighth Grand Polemarch, was
the chairman of the committee, during the administration of W. Ellis Stewart as
Grand Polemarch.
Guide Right is administered by a National Director and a Guide Right Commission.
The Commission consists of a Director and 12 Provincial Coordinators. This
Commission serves to evaluate the needs of the African-American community and
address them with service.
A. Kappa
League
The Kappa Alpha Psi Instructional Leadership League is primarily Alumni Chapter
projects but many undergraduate chapters have taken on the same task. It is
organization oriented toward helping young men of high school age to grow and
develop their leadership talents in every phase of human endeavor. It provides
challenging and rewarding experiences both through academia and sport. Since the
fundamental purpose of Kappa Alpha Psi is ACHIEVEMENT, it is the Fraternity's
purpose to help these young men to achieve worthy goals for themselves and to
make constructive contributions to their community when leadership roles become
their responsibility.
There are three Kappa League awards named after Brothers, who have been
outstanding in their Guide Right efforts. The awards listed below are presented
at Provincial meetings. • The Leon W. Stewart Award for the most outstanding
individual Kappa League participant.
• The Bert V. Wadkins Award for the most outstanding Kappa Brother, who is
the Director of Kappa League Club.
• The Jay Crosby Award for the most outstanding Kappa League Club.
B. Student
of the Year Pageant
The Student of the Year Pageant is given to both undergraduate Brothers and
Kappa Leaguers who are achieving above and beyond the rest. There are certain
characteristics prevalent in all men destined to achieve in life. They include
scholarship, talent, community involvement, poise and appearance, career
preparation, and awareness. The high school participants are to be sponsored by
an Alumni Chapter and Undergraduate Chapters sponsor their own Brothers.
C. Guide Right on Campus
In the infancy of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity when chapters were blossoming and
flourishing throughout the length and breadth of the United States, both
individual and collective efforts were being made to incorporate meaningful
programs into various local chapter activities.
The very foundation of Guide Right can be traced to the St. Louis Alumni Chapter
and Leon W. Steward, who rightfully is dubbed the "Father of the Guide Right
Movement."
According to THE STORY OF KAPPA ALPHA PSI, soon after the St. Louis
Alumni Chapter's beginning in 1921, Brothers Leon W. Steward and J. Jerome
Peters were assigned to study the needs of active chapters for guidance and
funds to devise a "meaningful and practical" approach to the problem.
Ultimately, Brother Steward, a YMCA secretary, proposed a program of guidance to
be designed as Guide Right, with the purpose of assisting high school males to
choose and pursue useful careers, consistent with the Fraternity purpose. This
program was immediately adopted at the local level and the 12th Grand Chapter
adopted Guide Right as the national service program.
The focus of Guide Right, from its inception, was to provide scholarships to the
needy and talented students, and to inform young people in the professions and
career options.
The basic
concepts of Guide Right may be summarized as follows:
1. To help youth, especially those of high school age, in the selection of
courses leading to vocations compatible with their aptitudes, interests, and
personalities.
2. To assist students, while they are in training, to get started in employment,
and to progress successfully in their chosen fields.
3. To assist parents in the handling of their children by giving them
opportunities to talk over their problems with those whom know and are
successful in their chosen vocations.
4. To afford the less fortunate youths a respite from the drudgery of the
streets, through sponsored entertainment and cultural enrichment.
5.
To inform youth of the values of higher education, of assistance available for
continued pursuits, scholarships, loans, professional counseling, fellowships,
etc.; of various occupational and professional opportunities; and of current lab
or demands and the trends on the labor market, supply rewards, etc.
Kappa Alpha
Psi's commitment to young people is well established, and our Guide Right
efforts, both individual and collective, can continue to serve as a mechanism to
"inspire service in the public interest."
Pine Bluff Alumni & Gamma Sigma of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Guide Right Program
Pine Bluff Kappa League
In spring of 1997, Demetrius Delaoch, a member of the Gamma Sigma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff developed a strong desire to help male students mature into men. In addition, he also wanted to help those who were underprivileged to matriculate from poverty into colleges and universities.
2001-02 Leaguers are seen sacking grocery bags at the
Eighth Avenue Church Pantry
During the spring of 1997, in an effort to put his idea into action he went to two of the local high schools in Pine Bluff. With the help of some teachers at these local high schools, young men were selected to be a part of Kappa League. After Mr. Delaoch finished setting the guidelines and the program up, he would then need some help working with these young men; so he called on three Pine Bluff Alumni members, Derrick Denny, Jr., Larry Matthews, Jr., and Ralph Owens, Jr. During the summer Kappa League and their advisors worked hard to help this project materialize by having several fund-raisers. They did such activities as washing cars, selling raffle tickets, and dances. In addition, the advisors planned trips, clean ups, nursing home visits, barbecues, and set up a tutoring program. They also established what is called League Night, and this is where the advisors meet with the parents and their children and give them an overview of the program.
At the program they also give awards to the graduating seniors. Over the course of a year from 1997-98, the Kappa League program had gained citywide recognition for services rendered to the community of Pine Bluff. They were recognized and honored at the Annual Third Avenue Celebration by the mayor, city Council, and the Chief of Police for adopting Third Avenue Street and Park. The next day their picture was shown on the front page of the Pine Bluff Commercial Newspaper. Finally, there are five phase of Kappa League that the leaguers are train on, and they are Self-Identity, Training, Competition, Social, and Health Education.