Conclave 2021 Postponed Until 2022

INDIANAPOLIS - The Grand Council announced today Conclave 2021 will be postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Venerable Grand Prytanis James Hickey, Ph.D. shared, "As stewards of Tau Kappa Epsilon, the Grand Council is responsible for health and well-being of the Fraternity and its members. COVID-19 continues to impact our chapters, housing corporations, collegiates, alumni volunteers, and professional staff. The decision to reschedule Conclave to August 2022 was the right decision to maximize the safety of Fraters. Conclave is both a gathering to conduct the business of the Fraternity and an opportunity for the Grand Chapter to celebrate our heritage. The many hardships caused by the pandemic will make coming together for Conclave this year extremely challenging.”

The Black Book—TKE's International Bylaws and Constitution—specifies that Conclave shall be held in odd-numbered years. The Grand Council, at the recommendation of the Judiciary Committee, has declared a state of emergency which allows the Grand Council to suspend that requirement to safeguard the Fraternity. The Judiciary Committee determined the ongoing public health crisis created a clear danger to the Fraternity and constituted an emergency pursuant to Article II, §4 (Second) of the International Constitution permitting the Grand Council to take action. Pursuant to The Black Book, the Grand Council’s action is subject to approval of the Grand Chapter at the next Conclave.

In their Statement of Emergency, the Judiciary Committee of Tau Kappa Epsilon wrote, in part, "It is the recommendation of the Judiciary Committee that all requirements found in the Black Book for Conclaves to be held in odd numbered years be suspended through 2023 and that the Conclave currently scheduled to take place in Houston, Texas on August 5-8, 2021 be postponed until such a time in the year 2022…Further it is recommended that all deadlines or timeframes set forth in the Black Book relating to a “Conclave year” be interpreted to mean the year in which the Conclave is held, regardless of whether such date falls on an odd or even numbered year."

Pursuant to Article IV Section 3 of the International Constitution, which states the Grand Officers "shall be elected by a majority ballot of the Grand Chapter at each Conclave and shall hold office until the close of the next succeeding Conclave or until such time as their successors shall be elected and installed," the current members of the Grand Council will serve in their respective roles until Conclave occurs in 2022.

As noted in the Statement of Emergency, all regular Conclave deadlines, including legislation and Grand Council applications, will be updated to reflect the respective deadline that would have occurred in 2021.

The Offices of the Grand Chapter will communicate updates on Conclave 2022 as they become available.