At the 2017 National Convention, the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Board of Directors established the “Brent Cannon Music Education Alumni Achievement Award” to recognize brothers for outstanding achievement in the field of music education at the secondary level. Any person can serve as a nominator and submit a name for consideration for this award. Nominee criteria and required information for nominations are outlined below.

Nominee:

(1)    A nominee must have been initiated into Kappa Kappa Psi as a brother. Membership status can be checked by contacting Kappa Kappa Psi National Headquarters by phone at 405-372-2333 or via email hqacc@kkytbs.org. The Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Awards Committee will be charged with verifying the current membership statuses of award nominees.

(2)    A nominee must have a minimum of ten years of experience teaching band primarily at the middle school, junior high, and/or high school level(s) in either public and/or private school(s).

(3)    A nominee must be nominated by one nominator, along with two additional references, and the nomination must substantiate the defined award criteria for the nominee and include letters of recommendation that meet the criteria defined below.

Nominator: The nominator will be responsible for writing a letter of recommendation for the nomination; obtaining two additional references for the nomination; submitting all required documentation for the nomination, with this nomination substantiating the defined award criteria for the nominee and including the nominator’s and additional references’ letters of recommendation. A nominator should include their own contact information with their letter of recommendation. The nominator will also be the main contact person for the Traditions and Recognition Director of the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association and/or the Chair of the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Awards Committee. The nominator is not required to have any affiliation with Kappa Kappa Psi.

Additional References:  The two additional references of the nomination will each provide to the nominator a letter of recommendation that substantiates the defined award criteria for the nominee. (The nominator will submit these letters of recommendation with the nomination). Each additional reference should include his/her own contact information with his/her letters of recommendation. Two additional references are required for each nomination making a total of three with the nominator’s.  An additional reference is not required to have any affiliation with Kappa Kappa Psi.

Letters of Recommendation:

(1)    The letters of recommendation accompanying the nomination must include the nominator’s and additional references’ contact information, descriptions of their own professions, and explanations regarding how they know the nominee.

(2)    These letters should include as much information as possible regarding the nominee in order to help the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Awards Committee as it considers each nominee.

(3)    These letters, at a minimum, must address the nominee’s:

1.       influence with respect to his/her students, school(s), and community;
2.      professional service to the bands and the teaching field;
3.       awards for music education and instruction;
4.      the achievements of his/her musical ensemble(s); and
5.   his/her moral character

Nomination Process: All nominations will be submitted to the Traditions and Recognition Director of the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association and/or the Chair of the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Awards Committee through the online form available below. A nomination can be submitted at any time, as there is no deadline or limit of recipients associated with this award. It is strongly suggested that nominees remain unaware of their nominations until and unless they actually receive the award in case there is any issue that prevents such recognition. In such a situation, the nominator will be notified by the Traditions and Recognition Director of the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association and/or the Chair of the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Awards Committee of any issues with the nomination and will be counseled regarding a suggested course of action.

Recognition Process: After reviewing a nomination, the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Awards Committee may recommend to the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Board of Directors approval of this award for the nominee. If the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Board of Directors approves the recognition of the nominee through this award, the nominator will be informed of that decision. (However, the award recipient will not be notified at that time.) The nominator and the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Board of Directors will discuss possible upcoming events during which the award could be presented. (Such presentations would preferably occur as close as possible to where the recipient works and surrounded by those who know the recipient best. Quite often, a public concert would be ideal.) The Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Board of Directors will use their discretion to select the presentation event and award presenter. The award recipient will receive a framed certificate and a lapel pin designed particularly for recipients of this award.  Award recipients will also be commemorated in appropriate fraternity records.