The Grandeur Gentlemen’s Coterie’s mission is to strive to inspire and influence their peers, according to their organizational profile, by teaching their members to be the “prototype and proper representation of a young man at The University of Alabama.”
The organization held its first Annual Gentlemen’s Ball in January at the Cypress Inn Pavilion, with Judy Bonner in attendance. They partnered with the Mortar Board Honor Society in hosting the event.
The group raised $1,100 for the Exceptional Foundation from the Annual Gentlemen’s Ball. James Kemp, a senior majoring in finance and president of the Grandeur Gentlemen’s Coterie, said the foundation is located in Homewood, where it caters to special needs children and adults around the Birmingham area.
“We will be doing different events throughout the year, such as professional development programs, an etiquette dinner and resume critiquing, along with the ball in the spring and another big event in the fall,” he said.
Marcus Cotton, advisor of the organization, said the time and energy the young men put into hosting the ball, plus raising funds for the Exceptional Foundation, created a stellar evening experience for all who attended.
“The director of the Exceptional Foundation [who attended the event] was excited to see a group of young men fostering their leadership skills and doing positive things in the community,” he said.
Cotton said the Grandeur Gentlemen’s Coterie looks to develop student leaders.
Derion Lipford, a junior majoring in electrical engineering who is in his second year in the Grandeur Gentlemen’s Coterie and now serves as professional development chair, said the organization is more than a club for him.
“The culture of this organization is a group of young men who all want to strive to be successful in everything they do, and have very high morals and values for themselves,” he said. “It’s a collective unit of guys who exemplify what it means to be successful men on campus, and being someone who your mom and dad are proud of.”
Currently, there are 27 members of the Grandeur Gentlemen’s Coterie. Kemp said he hopes the group will grow to about 40 members by next fall.
“A lot of guys in our group are involved in several of other groups on campus, such as student ambassadors, Capstone men ambassadors and members of the Blackburn Institute, just to name a few,” Kemp said. “It’s a great network of guys you can connect with in diverse areas on campus.”
Applications for the Grandeur Gentlemen’s Coterie are due Thursday, including a current resume and one letter of recommendation. Kemp said he encourages second semester freshmen through second semester juniors to apply. Applicants must submit their material to [email protected].
