OUR ORDER News, Notes & Recog nition
Historic Province Realignment Duncan Province Established, Others Merged As the Order grew in the late 19th century,
reconstituting provinces. Consideration was
the report and the Knight Commander’s
and early 20th, the national leadership was
given to historical boundaries, geographic
direction, and pursuant to Section 311 of the
considering structure and alignment of
areas and borders, Courts of Honor as well as
Constitution, the Advisory Council voted to
volunteers and communications amongst
number of chapters. The group was chaired
reconstitute several provinces.
chapters. In 1883, a failed attempt to divide
by Former Knight Commander J. Michael
the Active Chapters of the Order into a new
Duncan (Delta Kappa–Stephen F. Austin State
Knight Commander then selected the
structure was shelved after two years—the
’69) and consisted of Senior Councilor King V.
names of these reconstituted provinces and
geographic terms used at the time were
Aiken, Jr. (Kappa–Mercer ’87), Smith Province
called for nominations for their province
“Commanderies” and a “Knight Visitor” would
Commander Robert H. Wall (Tau–Wake Forest
commanders. There are now fourteen active
have been appointed to oversee and engage
’95) and Neal Province Commander Douglas
provinces.
the chapters.
W. Hanisch (Epsilon Tau–Northern Arizona
The Knight Commander and the Order
The current idea of a province system
’98), along with staff liaisons, Executive
wish to thank retiring province commanders,
of the Order was established in 1911. Since
Director Larry Stanton Wiese (Gamma
Jeffrey R. Love (Epsilon Rho–Purdue ’88),
that original demarcation of chapters, the
Omega–Midwestern State ’87) and Assistant
Jason L. Potts (Delta Lambda–Middle
boundaries and alignment of provinces has
Executive Director for Advancement Jesse
Tennessee State ‘93), James Ransbottom
been altered eighteen (18) times.
S. Lyons (Delta Alpha–Western Carolina ’98).
(Alpha Rho–West Virginia ’98), and Ronny J.
In early 2022, Knight Commander C.
The working group delivered their report
Snow (Gamma Tau–Sam Houston State ‘87).
Douglas Simmons appointed a working group
to the Knight Commander and Executive
to discuss the current province composition,
Council in May.
that of Active and Alumni Chapters, and
Subsequently, the Advisory Council
Commissions, review province boundaries
met on July 29, 2022, at the Driskill Hotel
and consider changing province boundaries/
in Austin, Texas. Following a review of
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Pursuant to the same provision, the
W W W. K A P PA A L P H AO R D E R .O R G
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