Fraternity of Roosters

The Fraternity of Roosters is a collegiate fraternal organization of men affiliated with Block C of Taylor Hall at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus in Kingston, Jamaica. Founded in 1954, it is among the oldest continuously operating fraternal organizations in Caribbean university history. The fraternity describes its mission as creating "a resounding example of leadership and forward thinking to aid in the progress of our nation."

The organization's membership comprises students and alumni of UWI Mona from Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region. Its philanthropic work is conducted through a dedicated charitable arm, The Roosters' NEST (Nurture, Empower, Support, Transform), established in 2016 to deliver sustained community engagement centred on the Gordon Town community in rural St Andrew.

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Fraternity of Roosters
Logo of the Fraternity of Roosters
Founded	1954 (1954) University of the West Indies
Type	Social fraternity
Emphasis	Caribbean
Scope	North America
Motto	"Our purpose is to create a resounding example of leadership and forward thinking to aid in the progress of our nation"
Pillars	Philanthropy, Academics, Brotherhood and Leadership
Colors	Blue and      Yellow
Symbol	Rooster
Nicknames	Roost, Cocks
Headquarters	Ring road, University of the West Indies Jamaica
Website	www.roostersfrat.com//

History

Founding

The Fraternity of Roosters was founded in 1954 at Taylor Hall on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies at the time still operating as the University College of the West Indies, which had been established six years earlier in 1948. The fraternity's founding thus sits within the first decade of organized university life in the English-speaking Caribbean, making its longevity particularly significant in the regional context.

Taking its name from the rooster, a symbol associated with early rising, vigilance, and forward momentum, the organization has sought from its inception to develop leaders who serve as examples to their campus community and wider Jamaican society. The fraternity maintains an official website and is a registered charity organization.

As of 2025, at 72 years of continuous operation, the Fraternity of Roosters is one of the longest-standing collegiate fraternities in Jamaica.

Taylor Hall and Block C

The Fraternity of Roosters is formally affiliated with Block C of Taylor Hall, one of the residential halls on the Mona Campus. Block C serves as the physical home base of the organization, with fraternity activities, meetings, and visiting exchange partners all housed there. The block's executive committee operates in conjunction with the fraternity's higher council: a governing body that provides senior oversight and continuity across student generations.

Philanthropy

Roosters' NEST

The fraternity's philanthropic arm, known as The Roosters' NEST, an acronym standing for Nurture, Empower, Support, and Transform, was formalized in 2016 with a focus on Grove Primary School in Gordon Town, St Andrew. The initiative was described at its founding as a long-term program of projects aimed at improving educational delivery for children in the Gordon Town community and its satellite areas.

COVID-19 relief (2020)

In May 2020, during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Fraternity of Roosters distributed more than 40 care packages to families of Grove Primary School students whose low-income parents had been affected by the economic disruption of the outbreak. Packages contained staple food items including rice, flour, sugar, cornmeal, and tinned goods, as well as toiletries and soap.

"The feeling that we have done something that matters at a time of great need and challenge has left us with a sense of purpose, that's our reward." ~ Miguel Binns, project manager, Roosters' NEST (2020)

The initiative received coverage on the official UWI Mona news bulletin and was also reported in the Jamaica Observer and The Jamaica Star.

Salvation Army School outreach

Over more than a decade, the fraternity has maintained an ongoing relationship with the Salvation Army School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Children in Kingston. Activities have included repeat visits to the school and donations of appliances, toiletries, food items, and responses to urgent material needs. The fraternity has described this as one of its most sustained charitable partnerships.

NCB Grant-a-Wish

The Fraternity of Roosters has been a multiple-time podium finisher in the NCB Foundation Grant-a-Wish Competition, a national philanthropic initiative hosted by NCB Financial Group. The fraternity was awarded third place in the competition.

Operation Tallawah

The fraternity served as a stakeholder in Operation Tallawah, a coordinated campus-wide relief initiative that mobilized the UWI Mona university community to provide support for students and their families affected by Hurricane Melissa in 2025.

Campus life and events

The Fraternity of Roosters organizes an annual Block Week, a period of programmed campus activity that combines community engagement, leadership programming, and fraternal culture. The organization also maintains an active events calendar and a gallery of fraternal activities.

International partnerships

In 2024, the fraternity established an exchange programme with the University of West Georgia (UWG) in Carrollton, Georgia, described as the first such initiative by a Jamaican collegiate fraternity and hall of residence. The programme was designed to foster cultural and academic exchanges and to provide students with exposure to differences in campus life between the two institutions.

In March 2024, four UWG students and a faculty member visited Block C, Taylor Hall, participating in UWI Carnival, panel discussions, student leadership meetings, and trips to the Bob Marley Museum, Liberty Hall, and Dunn's River Falls. In October 2024, four Roosters members reciprocated with a visit to UWG that coincided with the university's Homecoming Week, during which they engaged in classroom discussions, met with student government and faculty, and visited the Georgia Aquarium, Centennial Park, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Museum in Atlanta.

The program was facilitated by Taylor Hall resident advisor Dr Marc-Andre Allen, UWG's Dr Michael Hester, UWI Mona's Student Services and Development (SSD) directorate, and Taylor Hall alumnus and senior fraternity member Ackeem Clarke.

Student governance

For the 2026–27 academic year, Keshawn McGrath of the Fraternity of Roosters was elected to serve as Guild President of the UWI Mona Students' Guild, the principal student governance body of the campus. The fraternity has maintained a consistent record of involvement in student representative politics across its history.

Notable members

Hansle Parchment

Parchment is an alumnus of the University of the West Indies, Mona, and is a Jamaican track and field athlete competing in the 110 meters hurdles. He won the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the silver medal at the 2015 World Championships, before claiming gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, becoming the oldest-ever winner of the Olympic 110m hurdles title at 31 years old. He is one of Jamaica's most decorated track and field athletes.

Donovan Williams

Donovan St. Ledger Williams is a Jamaican politician from the Jamaica Labour Party who has been MP for Kingston Central since 2020. He was first elected in the 2020 Jamaican general election and re-elected in 2025. In September 2025, Williams was appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. An accomplished Attorney-at-Law, Williams earned his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of the West Indies and completed his professional legal training at the Norman Manley Law School.

Dr. Andre Haughton

Andre Haughton is a Jamaican economist and politician. He earned his master's degree in economics at the University of the West Indies, Mona, before completing doctoral studies at the University of Essex, funded by the British Commonwealth Scholarship. Upon completing his doctoral degree, Haughton resumed teaching at UWI. He serves as a Senior Lecturer in the UWI Department of Economics and has been recognized as UWI's Most Outstanding Researcher (2017). In April 2019, Haughton was appointed to the Senate of Jamaica, representing the People's National Party.

Omar Ryan

Known as a passionate, ambitious, and goal-oriented man from White Horses, St Thomas, Ryan founded ILife Vegan Foods, which operated from a stall on the UWI Mona campus. He holds a degree in African Diaspora studies and has pursued studies in law with a stated aim of becoming a "credible leader for his people" whether in law, business, or politics. Ryan gained public attention in 2017 after being detained by police for organizing demonstrations in St Thomas over poor road conditions, and subsequently published an anthology of original poetry titled Haffi Get Di Money.

Sandré Malcolm

Sandré Malcolm, a UWI Mona alumnus and member of the Fraternity of Roosters, is the founder and former CEO of Campus Elite, a marketing and events agency serving Jamaica's university scene. Malcolm credited the fraternity as a pivotal influence on his professional development, describing it as providing "mentorship, leadership, and access to a network of Jamaica's future power players.

He gained early industry exposure by helping promote the Alkaline & Friends: New Rules concert in Kingston in 2016 while still a student. He later won a regional marketing competition hosted by Scotiabank, defeating more than 1,300 entrants to secure an internship with the UWI Mona marketing department. His venture Campus Elite produces recurring student events including the UWI Carnival afterparty D'Aftermas and RR Wnzdz at Ribbiz UltraLounge, the latter of which also functions as a student employment platform.

Dr. Elon B. Thompson

Dr. Elon B. Thompson is Government Senator representing the Jamaica Labour Party, prominent medical doctor, consultant urologist, and former President of the Jamaica Medical Doctors' Association.In the Senate, Thompson has contributed to debate on legislation spanning public health, cybercrime, and gaming regulation. Following Hurricane Melissa in 2025, Thompson delivered a tribute in the Senate to Jamaica's healthcare workers, praising their efforts in keeping the health system functioning through the disaster. He has also been tasked by the Ministry of Health and Wellness with specific public health mandates.

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