Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007
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Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007 |
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Community | Obits | Editorial & Columnists | Society | Sports | Education | Classified Ads | Calendar of Events | Features | Newsbriefs | Legals | Archives | Subscriptions | Photo Gallery |
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Preparing for 75th anniversary Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.’s South Eastern Region is gearing up to celebrate the region’s seventh anniversary in the nation’s Music City capitol, Nashville, Tenn. More than 2,200 members representing the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee will arrive in the city October 17-21 to strengthen collaboration, enhance leadership skills and to shine a spotlight on the sorority as it begins its countdown to its national centennial in 2008. Omicron Alpha Omega Chapter in Holly Springs is among more than 100 chapters across the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee that will be represented at this important conference and participate in the month-long campaign. The chapter has provided hundreds of hours in community service and hundreds of dollars in financial resources to help local causes and charitable organizations through Alpha Kappa Alpha’s diverse programs supporting important issues like education, health care, and economics. Presiding over the region’s seventh anniversary celebration are South Eastern Regional director Dr. Juanita Sims Doty and Mary F. Conners, conference chairman and Minty Rich Ballard, conference co-chairman and Shirley Sims Christian, regional chairman for the October Centennial Kick-Off. In keeping with the sorority’s national ESP theme, the region has adopted the slogan, “Follow your Heart to South Eastern: Experience it! Share it! Protect it!” to drive the campaign. “We are looking forward to engaging in a month of wonderful programs and activities that will re-introduce Alpha Kappa Alpha to communities all across our region throughout the month of October,” said Dr. Doty. “Our region has positively impacted the community for 75 years, and our entire sorority has been a positive force in important causes in this nation for nearly 100 years. We want to continue that long tradition and commitment and to continue doing what we do best – making a difference in the lives of others in the communities we serve.” Among the region’s focused initiatives includes supporting the NAACP and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The South Eastern Region has embarked on a region-wide movement to encourage its almost 6,000 active members to join the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization by next year. The goal is to have as many of its 104 chapters in the region as possible become members of NAACP. A special “Diamond Centennial NAACP Award” will be presented to chapters that have 100 percent of their members as members of NAACP. In support of HBCUs, the region is promoting, “Invest in Our Universities or IOU.” South Eastern’s mantra will be “IOU-HBCU.” The South Eastern Region has one of the largest numbers of HBCUs in the country with a total of 28 HBCUs (14 in Alabama, 8 in Mississippi and 6 in Tennessee). Chapters throughout the region are supporting HBCUs in their states through scholarships, resource support and volunteerism. A special recognition will be held during the conference’s Regional Founders’ Day celebration in Nashville as HBCUs and their representatives will be saluted at a gospel brunch. Each chapter in the region will have AKA Day at city hall in their town or city. Chapters will encourage members to worship together where the pastor will highlight the accomplishments of the local chapter, the region’s seventh year history and the sorority’s 100th year history. Omicron Alpha Omega worshiped at Isaac Chapel on Sunday, October 14. Chapters will raise funds for the HBCU of their choice. Omicron Alpha Omega Chapter will support Rust College. In 2008, the region will join with the sorority’s entire membership for a Centennial Celebration in Washington, D.C. where the sorority was founded on Howard University’s campus. “Our sorority and this region have reached a milestone and we invite the entire community and our members to join in with us as we celebrate this powerful legacy, and continue our mission of service to all mankind,” said Doty. AKA is America’s first Greek-letter organization founded in 1908 by black college women. Headquartered in Chicago, Ill., the organization is divided into 10 regions and is one of the world’s leading service organizations. In the past four years alone, the sorority has provided more than 4 million service hours and $22 million to support service projects across the country and abroad benefiting more than 18.6 million people. The sorority serves all mankind through a nucleus of more than 190,000 women in over 930 chapters in the United Sates, the Caribbean, Germany, Korea, Japan and Africa. The local chapter, Omicron Alpha Omega, was chartered on December 11, 1983. The chapter has had five presidents. Dr. Wonso Hayes is currently serving as president. The chapter has supported Rust College and the NAACP all of the 24 years of it existence. Omicron Alpha Omega has also supported the schools in the county, provided educational experiences for young people, girls and boys, supported cancer health awareness initiatives, recreational, educational and social activities for young people, economic development, to name just a few. In years past, the chapter has supported voter registration. Service to all mankind was the foundation upon which Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. was founded and service to all mankind will continue to be the focus in everything Alpha Kappa Alpha does now and in the future. |
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