The fraternal order of Kappa Alpha officially returned to GW last weekend. About 30 members were present to receive the group’s charter, a ceremonial marker of the chapter’s reinstatement.

Kappa Alpha first established a chapter at GW in 1894, with notable alumni including former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, but left campus in 1960. In 2007, the national Kappa Alpha organization began recruiting at GW and the brothers have been working since last February to get the chapter chartered again.

Kappa Alpha President Alex Graham stressed the distinction between his group as a fraternal order and other fraternities on campus.

“By definition, the goal of fraternities is to mold men, but an order is formed of men of common ideals. Kappa Alpha doesn’t change people; it brings people together,” Graham said. “Our motto is ‘reverence to God and women’ and that’s something we’re trying to share with the community.”

Along with its roles as a social and philanthropic organization, Kappa Alpha also provides religious support to its members.

“Kappa Alpha is a Christian order of knights, but we support people from all faith backgrounds,” said Brandon Hines, Kappa Alpha recruitment and media relations officer. “The brothers are very supportive of all faiths. It’s not just a Christian knighthood. And we’re very supportive of sororities on campus.”

Hines also emphasized the differences between students who choose to join Kappa Alpha as opposed to other campus fraternities.

“A lot of guys who joined Kappa Alpha didn’t want to get brainwashed, or drink the proverbial Kool-Aid of the other fraternities. When you join Kappa Alpha, it’s a recognition of our common ideals.”

Kappa Alpha is beginning its first official rush on campus this weekend. As a smaller Greek-letter organization, Kappa Alpha prides itself on the individual attention it’s able to give its prospective members. Kappa Alpha, unlike most fraternities, requires a unanimous vote to be initiated.

“We’re coming up on a really great weekend – we’re all really excited about rush,” said Hines. “We have a lot of great guys, and we’re hoping to incrementally increase our numbers.”