The annual Chapter Delegates Meeting kicks off a busy week at GCSAA headquarters in Lawrence. Eighty-seven delegates representing 90 GCSAA-affiliated chapters are in town for the next two days to receive updates on GCSAA initiatives, share successes and meet candidates for the 2027 GCSAA Board of Directors.

For more than three decades, the Chapter Delegates Meeting has been a vital link between the national organization and its 93 affiliated chapters. After the meeting, delegates are tasked with taking the information they gathered in Lawrence back to their chapters. This not only keeps chapters informed, but it also helps them prepare to vote at the 2027 Annual Meeting and Election, which will be held in conjunction with the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show on Jan. 21 in New Orleans.

Also at HQ this week will be participants in the EXCEL Leadership Program, which is funded by Nufarm. EXCEL is a program for assistant superintendents that offers leadership training to support their personal, professional and community growth. In addition to visiting headquarters, the eight members of the class of 2026 will travel to New Orleans for the 2027 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show.

After the Delegates Meeting and EXCEL events wrap up on Wednesday, both groups will be joined by others on Oct. 8 to commemorate 100 years of GCSAA history at the Celebration of a Century. The day honoring a century of history and progress will begin at GCSAA headquarters with the dedication of the GCSAA Centennial Plaza. After an afternoon of golf at two Kansas City-area courses, the celebration will move to the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center for a reception, dinner and program celebrating GCSAA’s 100th anniversary.