We’ve all had our brief brushes with celebrity.  I remember, for example, watching George McGovern and his whole entourage, including Secret Service men, hustle past Diane and me in the Cincinnati airport during his hugely unsuccessful campaign for the presidency.  And there was the time that television journalist Bill Moyers and I shared a plane (along with about 150 other people) from Dallas to Indianapolis.  A more notable encounter occurred for me on October 29, 1960 in the Jack Tar Hotel in Lansing, Michigan.

The Ohio State football team had just defeated Michigan State 21-10 in East Lansing.  The marching band had performed at the game.  There would be a second performance by an Ohio State musical group that evening; the Men’s Glee Club, would be singing a joint concert on campus with its Michigan State counterpart.  The band had already loaded onto its busses and headed back to Columbus, leaving behind three of its members who also sang in the glee club.  George, Andy, and I, still in uniform, waited for a cab that would take us to the Jack Tar Hotel where the glee club would be staying after its performance.  It was cold enough that we also wore the ugly overcoats that were a part of our uniform in cold or inclement weather.  The coats were ugly enough to suggest that they might had been bought at a war surplus clearance sale, having originally been intended for some übergrüppen füerers but had since been died a hue not very close to the navy blue of our uniforms.  The cab arrived, we loaded ourselves and out bags in it, and headed for the hotel.
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The campus-area domicile of current “A” row squad leader Michael Thake was the setting for the September 10 row dinner/soiree provided by Miranda Burke, and myself, George Zonders. As was the case last year, the consensus menu favorite was Miranda’s homemade lemon squares; my contributions of ramen noodles, corn flakes and all-purpose flour were less well-received. Some members commented that the dinner was much like eating KFC during a band bus trip only less interesting; others felt the highlight of the evening (besides us leaving) was Miranda presenting each current members with his/her own small rock, each painstakingly hand-painted with the words “A-row 2009, Rock’s 25th” to commemorate a quarter century of the official row mascot, the A-Row Rock. Several of these small rocks wound up being flung by row members at each other and one window was shattered in the exchange (for which I recently received a “payment due” notice). However, as Columbus police were only summoned twice during the course of the evening we consider the dinner an overall success.
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Kappa Kappa Psi began at Oklahoma A&M College in 1919 with ten band members wanting a better experience for their fellow musicians. Ninety years later, Kappa Kappa Psi is on over 200 campuses, with thousands of active fraternity members continually working to enhance their fellow musicians’ experiences. The passion demonstrated by active members is what continues to encourage and drive me to serve. It has truly been an honor to serve you on the National Council the last six years. I humbly and enthusiastically look forward to serving as your next National President.

In developing my goals for the 2009-2011 biennium, I continue to reflect on our approaching November anniversary. Our organization will be ninety years old with our 100th anniversary right around the corner. My first goal is to answer a series questions:

1. What would 1919’s Kappa Kappa Psi think about 2009’s Kappa Kappa Psi?
2. Are we living up to our own standards and purposes?
3. Are we still fulfilling every purpose of Kappa Kappa Psi?
4. Do we allow outside influences or pressures to keep us from our fraternal/musical mission?

I encourage chapters to take time this next biennium to assess Kappa Kappa Psi and its meaning on your campus We will expand our workshop and discussion capabilities in order to work together to find honest answers to these questions.

Secondly, it is imperative that we invest in our fraternal infrastructure. My goal is to continue to expand the resources and technical capabilities of our fraternity. Ever since I have been on the National Council, I have worked with teams taking gradual steps to expand our web presence and technical capabilities. This biennium, I propose that we take larger steps and significantly invest in our web capabilities moving towards little to no paper. This will dynamically enhance headquarters accuracy and give all of the national leadership a better opportunity to serve active local chapters with cutting edge resources. Thirdly I believe that Kappa Kappa Psi should be raising standards for college band excellence. I will work closely with our district governors and band directors around the country to enhance Kappa Kappa Psi’s leadership role in college bands. In today’s changing world, we need to be encouraging, leading and inspiring our fellow band members to enjoy their experience. This biennium will feature round table discussions about college bands and Kappa Kappa Psi’s role in creating excellence.

These are only a snapshot of my goals and thoughts for the coming biennium. Our fraternity is strong and I believe that assessment and investment will move us into more prosperity. We need to continue to strive for the highest in order to achieve our collective goals. I believe that the work we will do together next biennium will lay the foundation for our fraternity to last another 90 years and beyond. As always, I am eternally grateful for your continued support and trust. Being a national officer has been the experience of a lifetime and I have you to thank.

I look forward to seeing you in Phoenix.

Derrick Mills is the current National Vice President for Colonization and Membership. He has previously served on the National Council as the National Vice President for Programs (2005-2007) and National Vice President for Student Affairs (2003-2007).

Derrick served Kappa Kappa Psi as its fifth National Chapter Field Representative (CFR) from 2000-2002. In his time as CFR, he visited with over 120 universities/chapters and attended several district conventions and fraternity conferences. If elected, Derrick will be the first National Chapter Field Representative to serve as National President.

Derrick graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science in 1998. He resides in Columbus, Ohio and is the vice president and custom shop foreman for his family’s general contracting company, Page Construction. The company focuses on remodeling, with an emphasis on hospital remodeling and cabinetry, and has 16 full time – year round employees. Derrick’s responsibilities include design, conceptual layout and building of commercial and residential projects, marketing, estimating all custom case work projects, and company safety and risk management.

Derrick was initiated into the Eta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, at The Ohio State University, in March 1995. He participated in several athletic bands at Ohio State and was a five-year member of The Ohio State University Marching Band, where he served as an assistant squad leader. He served two terms as the chapter’s historian and as the 1996-1997 North Central District vice president for programs. He is a life member of Kappa Kappa Psi, the Ohio State University Alumni Association and a member of the TBDBITL alumni band club. Derrick has honorary membership in the Midwest, North Central, and Southwest Districts, and Tau Beta Sigma’s National Chapter and Chi Chapter. He is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

He and his wife Emily, a sister of Tau Beta Sigma, have one son James (4 years old) and twin girls Rachael and Jordan (one year old).

A story written by Linda (Crossmock) Riley (OSU ‘97 – non band member) about her dad, John R. Crossmock (Alto Horn 1975-1977)

It’s 9:00 A.M. The heat index has just crept into the triple digits. Two miles down, but four more still stretch out ahead of me. I should have left earlier to beat the heat. It’s hot, I’m tired, and it looks like it’s going to be a tough workout. As I make my way across the 31st Street bridge that stretches across the Arkansas River (glamorous, I know) near downtown Tulsa, my spirits are suddenly lifted. A song pops into my head. “Drive! Drive on down the field.” Smooth strides. “Men of the scarlet and gray.” A perfect pace. “Don’t let them thru that line.” What heat? “We’ve got to win this game today.” I nearly cry out loud, “Come on, Ohio!” I’m sure many an OSU grad feels the energy from the Buckeye Battle Cry, myself included. But I’m a little different. When you rewind the clock about fifteen years, you’ll see why.

The suburbs of Chicago are a nice place for a little girl like me to grow up. But not so nice for a set of Ohio State Alumni parents trying to instill the Buckeye spirit into that child. Especially, if one of those parents is a TBDBITL Dad. Fifteen years ago, I was in the fourth grade and getting ready to attend my first OSU football game. Before we left for Columbus, my parents were going over all the details; things I didn’t yet really understand. “We’ll just scalp tickets,” “We’ll park across the river,” “Don’t forget your Woody Hat” and “What time does the Skull Session begin?” A day and half later, I began to understand and appreciate what it all meant. Returning home after the weekend, decked out in scarlet and gray, I tried to share my newfound Buckeye passion with my friends. There was just one problem, my friends were elementary school age girls who could care less about football. But, I was hooked!

John R. Crossmock (Alto Horn 1975-1977) and his daughter, Linda (Crossmock) Riley (OSU '97 - non band member)

My dad was particularly interested in one event during that trip to Columbus: Skull Session. Skull Session is where dad felt right at home, as he had been a member of TBDBITL for several of his college years. My family listened to the band warm up, cheered along as they ran through their show, and then enthusiastically headed over to the ‘Shoe.

After a few years of perfecting this game day routine, I had it down pat. As a middle-schooler, I knew all the words to “Fight the Team.” I knew there were two O-H-I-O’s during each “Hang on Sloopy” chorus. (I also knew the words were “Hang on Sloopy,” not Snoopy, as most of my generation thought). I knew right when the i-dotter would break away from the little “o” during Le Regiment. These were not normal things for a thirteen-year-old girl to know. And, it’s all thanks to my dad, a TBDBITL grad.

More recently, my dad has had the opportunity to participate in Alumni Band Reunion games. Every year, he plays it off, acting like he’s not that interested. But, August rolls around and low and behold, the Alto Horn makes its annual appearance (much to the dismay of our poor pug, Twiggy) and dad admits he signed up two weeks ago.

I now realize TBDBITL instills a certain level of craziness into its members. How many other dads in the world find themselves practicing their marching on top of a hotel bed the night before the game? I’ve been able to attend a few of the Alumni Band reunion games to cheer on my dad. But the games I can’t attend are the ones that are the hardest to handle; I wait impatiently for that important call, “Don’t worry, I didn’t fall down!” Not that he’s ever actually fallen on the field, but you never know… I don’t think a hotel bed provides a quality practice surface!

Looking back, I feel fortunate to have had those experiences from my childhood. Entering into my freshman year at The Ohio State University, I was well versed in Buckeye tradition, thanks to my dad, a TBDBITL grad.