NATCHEZ &045;Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity members will hold its Province Council, an annual business meeting and celebration that will bring about 700 people from five states to the area today through Sunday.

But Darryl Grennell &045; the polemarch, or president, of the fraternity’s local chapter &045; said that for years, he lobbied for the convention to be held in Natchez, but few listened.

&uot;It was difficult to get it here Š because (fraternity higher-ups) said we needed a place with an airport with commuter flights,&uot; Grennell said. &uot;People said, ‘Give up. It’ll never happen.’&uot;

But explaining that it can take almost as much time to drive across a larger city as it takes to drive from the Baton Rouge airport to Natchez helped persuade the fraternity brass to make hold the council here, he said.

&uot;Also, there’s the historic aspect. Natchez is rich in history, and while (fraternity members) are here, perhaps they can learn more about their ancestry,&uot; said Grennell, who also serves as president of the Adams County Board of Supervisors.

Dr. Chuck Carr Brown of Baton Rouge, the province polemarch, said many other factors also made Natchez the fraternity’s choice.

Brown, who has visited Natchez several times in the past, felt that with the Natchez Convention Center so recently built, &uot;that brand new facility and the downtown charm Š made it a good fit&uot; for this year’s council.

&uot;I felt it was worth exposing this group to Natchez, giving them another view of Mississippi,&uot; Brown said.

He explained the province rotates councils among its member states but usually visits Jackson or the Coast while in Mississippi.

This time, he said, &uot;we felt we should give the old city on the river a chance.&uot;

Grennell said highlights of the meeting, which starts today and ends with a church service and wrap-up meetings Sunday, will include public meeting at 7 p.m. Friday. That meeting will feature keynote speaker and Jackson attorney Hiawatha Northington.

The program will also include recognition of the first black mayors of cities in the Miss-Lou and a performance by the Natchez High choir.

The council will also include a food drive, with Kappa Alpha Psi chapters bringing canned goods to the convention center and $25 per chapter to donate to the Stewpot.

Conventions of this size, and that stay in the area this long, have a significant economic impact, Tourism Director Walter Tipton. He also said they show how local people can help attract conventions to the area.

&uot;Some of the best groups we’ve had have come to us as the result of Natchezians who are members of large organizations,&uot; Tipton said.