Nassau, The Bahamas
Our History
From an alumni association in 1973
to a chartered chapter in 1982.
I The founding
A Bold Step in 1973
Holding to the ideals of the Fraternity and its Founders, and to the brotherhood they had shared as undergraduates, Bahamian members of Kappa Alpha Psi set out to establish an alumni chapter at home.
Brothers William R. Wallace and Dr. Oswald Symonette led the effort and challenged the brothers to join the Fraternity’s Life Membership Programme. The brothers accepted. With help from the Fraternity’s Executive Secretary, Brother Earl A. Morris, from two brothers living in Grand Bahama, and from a brother serving with the U.S. Immigration Services in Nassau, the Bahamas achieved Alumni Association status on Friday, January 12, 1973, at services held at the Below Deck Restaurant on East Street, Nassau.
II Where it began
Charter Members of the Alumni Association
| Brother | Office |
|---|---|
| William R. Wallace | Polemarch |
| Dr. Oswald Symonette | Vice Polemarch |
| Frank “Pancho” Rahming | Keeper of Records |
| A. Philip Saunders | Keeper of Exchequer |
| Robert Strong | Strategus (U.S.) |
| Dave Blake | Reporter |
| Eugene Nairn | Member |
| Bernard Levarity | Member (Grand Bahama) |
| Bruce Lightbourne | Member (Grand Bahama) |
| Philip Poitier | Member |
| Kenrad Wilchcombe | Member |
III A chapter at last
The Charter Evening, 1982
Nine years later, the Bahamas achieved full chapter status. On June 5, 1982, Southern Province Polemarch Brother Dr. Ullysses McBride presented the chapter’s charter to Polemarch Brother William R. Wallace.
The evening was held at the Bayside Restaurant in the Sheraton Hotel, overlooking Nassau Harbour, and was shared with the brothers’ wives and sweethearts. Executive Secretary Brother Earl A. Morris urged the brothers to keep displaying the high ideals of Kappa Alpha Psi, to strive for achievement, and to study the Fraternity’s ritual and history. Brother McBride welcomed the chapter into the Southern Province and encouraged the brothers to take part at every level: local, provincial and national.
Officers who took the oath of office
- William R. Wallace, C.P.A.Polemarch
- Ricardo LightbourneVice Polemarch
- Paul “Pablo” WilliamsKeeper of Records
- Eugene “Geno” NairnKeeper of Exchequer
- Philip “Cabbage” PoitierStrategus
- Peter “Macaroni” GilcudLt. Strategus
- Frank “Pancho” RahmingHistorian
IV Building the chapter
Service to the Fraternity and the Country
After receiving its charter, the chapter kept contributing to the growth of the Fraternity and of The Bahamas.
- 1993The chapter hosted the 43rd Southern Province Meeting at the Carnival Crystal Palace Hotel in Nassau.
- Province leadershipBrother William R. Wallace was elected to the Province Board of Directors.
- September 1993Under the guidance of the Fraternity and the direction of Brother Dwayne Davis, the Guide Right Programme began at C.H. Reeves Secondary School as a pilot project, with more than forty young men taking part.
- CommunityOther projects included the Fraternity Home for Children and the Hard Decker Clinic for Children.
Source: History of the Southern Province, page 280. Shared with the chapter by Brother Eugene “Geno” Nairn.