History

Gamma Kappa Phi was founded on a beautiful day, October 9, 1962, when eleven students at Divine Word College gathered to transform the ‘Gentlemen’s Club’ into a fraternity, thereby planting the seed of brotherhood.

For many months, the bonds of harmony had drawn these eleven gentlemen together; now the need became clear for a formal formation to embody their vision. Thus, not only did the Founders formalize their goodwill, but they also established a fraternity immersed in the lore of the past and dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. The new fraternity brothers entered into a bond in a structure and a pledge that set forth the goals and foundation of all Gamma Kappa Phi today.

Give me some men who are stout-hearted men, Who will fight, for the right they adore, Start me with ten who are stout-hearted men, And I’ll soon give you ten thousand more. Shoulder to shoulder and bolder and bolder, They grow as they go to the fore.

From the song ‘Stout-hearted Men’ by Perry Askam

The organization was founded as a group called G-Club, also known as the Gentlemen’s Club, by mostly liberal arts students from the school’s College of Law. A professor of the College of Law, lawyer Rosemarie Beldia, suggested the formation of Gamma Kappa Phi.

She convinced her brother, Antonio Beldia III, to transform the club into a brotherhood or fraternity. Antonio called for a meeting with his fellow members and agreed to formally rename the G-Club into the Gamma Kappa Phi Fraternity with Vicente Baquial, Florante Cimagala, Alfonso Damalerio, Lauro Dominese, Landelino Maslog, Fernan Maslog, Romulo Racho, Godofredo Sinajon, Roldan Sarmiento, and Prisco Viñalon, comprising the eleven founding members.

With regards to Roldan Sarmiento, who is not known to the members of Gamma Kappa Phi, but is part of the forebearers of the Gentlemen Club, or G-Club. He participated in the drafting of the first Constitution and Bylaws of Gamma Kappa Phi. When it was transformed to Gamma Kappa Phi, Roldan served as the First Master Exchequer.

However, just a few days after the induction ceremony, he decided to stop attending meetings and gatherings of the newly formed Gamma Kappa Phi. For this reason, he and Founder Antonio III had misunderstandings regarding the hazing process of admitting new members.

Roldan did not resign or waive his membership; because he disappeared from the organization, he was forgotten and ceased to exist. The phrase “Ten Stout Hearted Men,” used by Founder Landelino in his publication on the brief history of Gamma Kappa Phi, suggests that Roldan was no longer considered a member or a founder during the late 1960s.

In 1972, Roldan migrated to the United States and just recently reconnected with some of the living founders.