Phi Alpha Delta

Issue One, 2016 — The Reporter 3 Another fine weekend in Towson, Maryland as the International Executive Board (IEB) met for its annual winter meeting January 15–17, 2016. At the top of the agenda were changes to the Fraternity's governing documents. For the past year and a half, the IEB has worked diligently to draft new Articles of Incorporation, Fraternity By-Laws, and Fraternity Policy Manual. After consulting with outside counsel, the Board resolved to draft documents that comply with both the law and best practices for not-for-profit organizations. The proposed documents have been published for review and comment. The next step will be to present the proposed documents for ratification at the 61 st Biennial Convention to be held August 3–7, 2016 in A r l i n g t o n , V i r g i n i a ( a s h o r t m e t r o r i d e t o d o w n t o w n W a s h i n g t o n , D C ) . T h e ' T a k e t h e Pledge Committee,' with gentle prodding from its chair John Weitkamp, has been registering Convention delegates at a record-setting pace. Meanwhile, the Convention Host Committee, chaired by Curtis Anderson and Alison Janowitz, has been coordinating social events, team building events, and a silent auction as part of Convention programming. The Foundation, chaired by Rhonda Hill, has awarded competitive grants in excess of $30,000 to assist with travel and registration costs for worthy student and alumni delegates. And of course the Executive Office staff has been scheduling speakers, professional programming, and workshops for the event. Now is the time to register to be a part of this exciting Convention. At Convention we experience the confluence of corporate function and fraternal identity. The business side of the Fraternity is conducted throughout the year by the IEB and Executive Office. In the past biennium the IEB and Executive Office have worked to build a sensible and efficient business model for the organization to ensure its continued prosperity now and into the distant future. At Convention other important corporate governance functions take place as well, not least of which is the election of the Fraternity's board of directors and officers. But it is fraternalism that makes Convention worth attending. Fraternalism does not reside in our Constitution and By-Laws. Nor is it a function of business and committee meetings. Rather, fraternalism infuses the events, both national and local, that take place throughout the year. These include the annual Mock Trial Competition, which attracts approximately 30 law school teams and numerous alumni who participate as judges for the event. It includes P.A.D. Day at the Supreme Court, which occurs every summer. Fraternalism also emerges at the grassroots level. Every year the districts conduct leadership conferences; and local law school and alumni chapters hold professional, educational, service, and leadership programs for our members. We also witnessed fraternalism at the first ever Leadership Summit last summer. In sum, fraternalism is what happens when we go about our Fraternity business. Fraternally, Stephen T. King, International Justice, Wythe Chapter Message from the International Justice "It is important for all of us to appreciate where we come from and how that history has really shaped us in ways that we might not understand."— Justice Sonia Sotomayor (Redding Alumni Chapter)

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