:Vlessage from the President Beta and Mu Lambda Sweep Up District Awards
At the District VI conference held on February 17 at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, the ubiquitous Beta and Mu Lambda connec¬ tion clearly demonstrated to all in attendance that these two renowned chapters were aformidable force to be reckoned with, by executing a clean sweep of the major awards. Led by Mu Lambda’s own President Lowery taking the honor of Alumni Brother of the Year, Beta Chapter’s President John Berry in hot pursuit captured the Undergraduate Brother of the Year Award. Atotal sweep materialized as both Brotherhoods re¬ ceived the distinction of being selected Chapter of the Year for its re¬ spective category. Brother Thaddeus Taylor of Mu Lambda was named Alpha Man of Merit, thereby assuring an indisputable sweep by the “con¬ nection.”
Ireceived acall on February 20th that Miss Joanne Johnson had passed over the weekend. This brave young lady, avictim of can¬ cer and hoping for abone marrow transplant, was the daughter of Brother and Mrs. Howard Johnson (Omicron Eta Lambda). Our sincerest condolences are extended to Brother Johnson and his family.
The Brothers of Mu Lambda and Beta Chapters can justifiably be proud after their “clean sweep” of the competitions at the District VI Conference. AH of you who gave of your time and expertise on the various committees made these awards possible. As they wm douii learn in Stamford, Connecticut, pass the word to the Brothers that ^ta and Mu Lambda are back!!!
Competing and winning are natural desires that are healthy and necessary. We will continue to compete as long as the strength is available, not for awards and acco¬ lades, mind you, but for the results that are achieved from the compe¬ tition. Whatever incentives are ef¬ fective to continue our quest for a (continued on page 3)
Fundraising Committee Proposes Activities
Brother Rylan R. Harris at the February Chapter meeting out¬ lined aseries of events that his committee would like to institute. The committee envisions aseries of fundraisers that will add im¬ mensely to the Chapter’s coffers and particularly the Henry Arthur Callis Scholarship Fund. The com¬ mittee endeavors to make it possi¬ ble for the Brotherhood to expand its operations and activities with¬ out taxing the members beyond their current dues-assessment level.
Several activities are being explored as potential fundraising events, including athletic and sporting competitions, cultural ex¬ cursions, and events that are held in conjunction with established major festivities such as the Legislative Weekend of the Congressional Black Caucus, Potomac Riverfest, or Black Family Reunion. The committee is now forming and all Brothers are encouraged to add insights, skills, and ideas, as well as volunteer to chair or co-chair an event.
ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNnX INCORPORATED
Mu Lambda Chapter
The Board of Directors of the Henry Arthur Callis Scholarship Fimd requests the pleasure of your company at its Spring Scholarship Dinner Dance on Friday, April 27,1990 7:30 EM., The Regency Room of The Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street N.W.
Contribution: $50.00 per person or $500.00 per table of ten.
For further information, please contact Brother Rodman Turner (7233461), Wayland McQellan (723-0453), or any member of the social com¬ mittee. Deposits for reservations will be accepted at the March meeting.
Founders (Omega Chapter)
Henry A. Callis
Charles H. Chapman Eugene Kinckle Jones George B. Kelley Natheiniel A. Murray Robert H. Ogle Vertner W. Tandy
TiuHniS
GOLLEGE 1989-90 Dues
I
Dues for the 1989-90 fraternal year are $85 for life members and $170 for non-life members. (The $170 includes a$10 late fee and $75 for the National Grand Tax, which is pro-rated as follows for recently graduated Brothers: 1st year—$37.50; 2nd year—$56.00.) Brother Ernest Smith/ Brother Curtis Hunnigan will accept your check at the March meeting. Dues may also be mailed to Brother Smith at 5730 Blair Road N.W., Washington. D.C. 20011. Please take care of your fraternal obligations now.
Beta Chapter
Mu Lambda proudly salutes the Brothers of Beta Chapter on their
selection as recent
Undergraduate Chapter of the Year for District VI. At last count the Brothers of Beta had instituted over 35 service projects this school year! Congratulations Beta ajob well done! Good luck in ^ the Eastern Region competition in ( Stamford.
Help!!!
Uolunteers are needed io maintain and seiuice the refreshment bar at our monthly meetings. If you mould like to help by purchasing supplies, bartending, etc., please contact Brother Leroy Loiiiery. for
(6): (14). / BrothersofMuLambdaalsoV commend Brother John Berry, President of Beta Chapter, on his selection as Undergraduate Brother of the Year for District VI. Brother Berry has continually demonstrated his outstanding lead¬ ership ability in urging Beta Brothers ‘onward and upward to¬ ward the Light’. Mu Lambda anx¬ iously awaits the upcoming Eastern Region Confab and Brother Berry’s selection as the Region’s Undergraduate Brother of the Year.
Any others? Contact the Corresponding Secretary to include your birth month and day in our database.
Newsletter Committee
Editor: William D. Thomas (363-7976)
Associate Editors: C.C. Jones (483-3102), Ryland R. Harris (882-4407) Circulation Manager: Louis A. Ford (723-8592)
The deadline for submission of materials for the April issue is March 15. e
Schedule of Activities
4Call to Chapel
5“Drugs on the College Campus” featuring arepresenta¬ tive from HUDEPP
6“Alcohol Awareness” fea¬ turing arepresentative from WACADA
7“Psychology
Physiology of (Docaine and Crack Addition,” apresentation from Seton House, Providence Hospital Balloon Release” 12:00
LeRoy Lowery, HI -_ Morris Hawkins, Jr. (232-7265)
Robert M. Brown, IH (354-8018)
Curtis A. Hunigan (484-4944)
William D. Thomas (363-7976) Father Jerry Hargrove, Jr. (397-2525)
Melvin Clark (526-4662)
William M. Joyner (256-4714)
Lee A. Tyler (723-9220)
Louis A. Ford (723-8592)
Ernest L. Smith (723-7844)
Maryland D. Kemp (583-1261) and 9 □ noon.
Mu Lambda Torch/ Marchl
rThere goes an Alpha Man
Brother Le Roy Lowery, III, the first of two sons bom to Agnes and Joseph Lowery, who married while students at I^oxville (Ten¬ nessee) College, graduated from Lima Senior High School in Ohio in 1959. He received aB.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University in 1964, He earned the MS degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in 1984. He has worked for the federal govern¬ ment since completing his Army service, where he attended the Army Air Defense Artillery and Airborne schools. The agencies he has worked for include the General Services Administration, Navy Department, Department of Energy, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He is currently asenior staff engineer at NASA’s headquarters where he manages the Enhanced Multiplexer Pallet program.
Brother Lowery entered the House of Alpha through Mu Lambda Chapter in March 1984. Since he did not pledge in college, he has spent the last six years try¬ ing to make up for the twenty-odd years of service he could have put in as an Al¬ pha man.
In May 1988, the Brothers of Mu Lambda elected him to the office of Chapter President after having served three years as the recording secretary. Chapter-wise he has also served on the social, program, and education committees. Since assum¬ ing the presidency of Mu Lambda, he has worked diligently to build upon the lega¬ cy of his predecessors. Accordingly, he has reinstituted amonthly newsletter that will allow all members of Mu Lambda to share in the Fraternal information deliv¬ ered at the monthly meetings. The newsletter also serves as asource of nonFratemal news for over 250 Brothers on the mailing list. He has actively worked to coordinate the efforts of some 15 committees, many newly formed, to take advan¬ tage of the expertise and interests of Mu Lambda’s members.
He has attempted to bridge some of the “gaps” in Fraternal relations by attend¬ ing meetings of many of the Chapters in the Washington metropolitan area. He has
District VI’S Alumni Brother of the Year, March 1990
indicatedtotheBrothersofIotaUpsilonLambda(SilverSpring,Maryland),OmicronOmicron(D.C.),KappaEpsilonLambda(PrinceGeorgesCbunty,Maryland), andOmicronEtaLambda(D.C.)thatthereshouldbemorecooperationamongst the chapters.As such, he extended the “olive branch of Fratemalism” to each chap¬ ter, hoping to result in more joint efforts between them. One typical effort was the Joint Founders Day program conducted by the Washington metropolitan of Alpha. He presided over the evening affair in 1988, and gave the Fraternal histo¬ ry in 1989.
Brother Lowery continues to hold other positions in the Fraternity while serving as Mu Lambda ‘s president. He is also the graduate advisor to Beta Chapter at Ho¬ ward University. There he works with 35 young men who continually up hold the high ideals of what Alpha Phi Alpha is all about. In this capacity, he continually meets with university officials as the Chapter liaison, oversees Beta’s community and university service projects and attends most of their weekly meetings. He has called upon Brothers of Beta to make averbal report to the Mu Lambda Brother¬ hood on alternate months with Omicron Omicron of the University of the District of Columbia. His purposes are to let the graduate Brothers know that the under¬ graduate Brothers are not just conducting frivolous activities, to encourage contin¬ ued participation after graduation, and to allow constructive social dialogue be¬ tween the many generations of Alpha men present. The efforts appear to be working as more Beta graduates are becoming financial members of Mu Lambda.
Brother Lowery has served as the Chairman of the Eastern Region’s Leadership Development Institute Committee since 1984. Each year the LDI program has grown allowing more students to experience the character-building seminars and to hear experts on Black history. At the General Convention in Kansas City, he met with other regional chairmen to share the Eastern Region’s program. The other re¬ gions have adopted the format of the East and call upon Brother Lowery often for planning and implementation advice.
Based upon the success of the annual LDI, Brother Lowery requested Brother WarrenScott’ssupporttoimplementamonthlyLDIprogramthroughtheEastern Region.WiththeendorsementandassistanceofVicePresidentScott,themonthly program was approved at aregional staff conference. Accordingly, Mu Lambda be¬ gan the monthly LDI last Fraternal year with agroup of 30 students. The smaller group and more frequent sessions allow for reinforcement of the material imparted by the speakers and expands the number of areas addressed.This program will be molded into the “Go to High School, Go to College-Program Revisited.”
As acertified Risk Management workshop instructor, Brother Lowery has ductedtrainingsessionsformembersofMuLambdaandBetaChapters.Theseef¬ forts have augmented the Area Directors’ workshops leading to amajority of the membership of both chapters being certified.
After being appointed by then-President Charles Teamer to be one of seven
rnational coordinators for Project Alpha, Brother Lowery has worked with the Eastern Region Chapters to encourage this worthwhile effort. He has worked with Delta Lambda and consulted with chapters from New York to Charlotte, North Carolina. He has visited Wilmington, Dela¬ ware sessions and spoken to the Virginia State Convention in Petersburg and Hampton. He has given reports during the Project Alpha workshop in Kansas City and at the Eastern Region Con¬ ventions in Richmond and Baltimore. Having b^n apart of the programs, he developed an alter¬ native approach to those presented in the Leadership Guide. This approach involves meeting monthly with male students within the schools. After coordinating meetings with D.C. public school officials and March of Dimes representatives, the program was started in January 1989 at aSoutheast Washington junior high school. Assessments of the success of the program will ulti¬ mately lead to recommendations for incorporation of this approach in the General program.
As adelegate to the General Convention in Kansas City, Brother Lowery led the largest con¬ tingent of Brothers registered from outside the host region. While accepting the plaque for that honor, he was asked to coordinate the Fraternity’s participation in the 25th Anniversary March on Washington last August. The Brothers responded in typical Alpha fashion, resulting in the largest identifiable group of Black participants in the march, and certainly the most colorful!
In January 1989, Brother Lowery was invited by Zeta Rho Lambda Chapter of Dover, Dela¬ ware to deliver the address at its Martin Luther King, Jr. Day program. The affair was attended by over 400 persons as Brother Lowery spoke on “Martin Luther King, Jr: The Man, His Deeds, and His Legacy.” In May of 1989, Brother Lowery was appointed as Chairman of the Fraterni¬ ty’s Committee on Special Projects. He reported to the San Antonio Convention on anew Na¬ tional program that is to be mandatory for all Chapters. The program was approved by the Con¬ vention. Subsequently, Brother Lowery was appointed Chairman of the Committee on National Programs to develop and oversee the implementation of the “Go to High School, Go to College, Revisited” program.
Based on previous service as aPTA co-president, Brother Lowery was asked to serve on the select D.C. Committee on Public Education. The committee operates under a$600, 000 grant co¬ ordinated by the Federal Council and is chartered to investigate all aspects of the D.C. school system. The results of this investigation culminated in recommendations to the Superintendent of Schools. Accordingly, Brother Lowery attends town meetings where parents, students, and teach¬ ers testify before the Committee, as well as sub-committee and full committee meetings. The DCCOPE includes on its membership rolls Brother James Cheek, as well as presidents of all of the universities in Washington, the president of the Washington Post, the Chair of the Metro sys¬ tem, John Hechinger, major developers, lawyers, educators, etc. The committee issued areport in June 1989 and continues to support the implementation of its recommendations.
In 1988, Brother Lowery was asked to participate in Congressman Walter Fauntroy’s Leader¬ ship Roundtable. Attendance at the meetings led to the recommendation that Mu Lambda partici¬ pate in the World Hunger Day Program. Subsequently, alocal center for the homeless and hun¬ gry was adopted by the Chapter. Material and financial assistance has been provided by the Chapter.
His employer, NASA Headquarters, asked Brother Lowery to work with the “Shadow Host” program. The program has ajunior high student “shadow” the employee for aday to learn more about the fields of engineering and science, as well as about space projects. He also visits Park View Elementary School with fellow NASA employees to inspire the students to develop their educational potential to the fullest.
PROBLE
THADDEUS TAYLOR CRUSADER FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
Thaddeus Taylor joined Alpha Phi Alpha as aCharter member of Omicron Lambda Alpha, the first intermediate chapter, which was established for Brothers attending graduate schools at Howard University 1952.
Tjoined Alpha in order to be apart of the greatest fraternity in this coimtry. They were doing so many wonderful things for Black people and especially for Black students. Alphas have ahistory of working with Black students." It was an interesting period of time; Howard University was the hub of activity and Alphas were in the forefront of the struggle for equal rights. It was the period of "Brown vs. the Board of Education" which was the landmark decision that pioneered today's progress.WecelebratedatHowardUniversity."
Brother Taylor has kept close fraternal ties for the past 37 years always holding high the Alpha mantle. He served as president of lUL from 1983 to 1986. During his presidencyhemadeadvocacyforequalrightsforBlacks his highest priority.
On February 1,1985 Brother Taylor led an lUL delegation of approximately twenty Brothers in amarch against Apartheid in South Africa. Brother Taylor and several other Brothers were arrested at the South African Embassy.
In 1986 he took the leadership role in planning the EightiethGeneralConventioninWashingtonD.C.and served as liaison to the Metro area Chapters. He was appointedbytheGeneralPresidenttoserveonthe Planning Committee for the Risk Management Program of Alpha Phi Alpha. He was appointed Director of Area Three, District Six Eastern region and has served as delegate-at-large at the General Convention for the past nine years. He is alife member of Alpha and is presently Chairman of the Political Action Committee, a positionhehasservedinforthepastsbcyears.Brother TaylorisaGoldenHeritageMemberoftheNAACPand has been aMember of the NAACP Executive Board for the past eight years. He is adeacon at Nineteenth Street Baptist Church and Vice President of the White Oak Civic Association in Montgomery Coimty.
Professionally, Brother Taylor has had avaried career, but all of his jobs involved service to the conmmnity. He launched his career after receiving his M.A. in PsychologyfromAmericanUniversityasaProfessorof PsychologyatTuskegeeUniversityinAlabama.
Returning to Washington, he joined the National Institutes of Mental Health as aChild Research Psychologist working on projects dealing with emotionally disturbed children. After stints as Qinical Psychologist for Institutional Services and Institutional Administrator at Cedar Knoll School he became Bureau Chief of Youth Services, Sodal Rehabilitation Administration, Department of Human Resources, District of Columbia Government.
After his retirement from the District Government, Brother Taylor was appointed to the County's Juvenile Justices Advisory Group where he served for three years. Brother Taylor presently is apracticing Clinical PsychologistwithofficesinSilverSpringMaryland. Brother Taylor and his wife Helen, aretired school teacher, reside in Montgomery County.
Brother Thaddeus Taylor is also amember in good standing of Mu Lambda Chapter, Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc.
Alpha Man of Merit, District VI, March 1990
rPresident’s Message
(continued from page 1) better community are welcomed. The "carrot on the stick” that strives to keep us going in apositive direction can’t be all bad. We expect to keep much of Mu Lambda’s energies focused in the direc¬ tion of community service because it is sorely needed. Thankfully, many of you feel the same way as you continue labor¬ ing in the vineyards. Your energy is ap¬ preciated by the Chapter, the District, and most importantly, by the beneficiaries. Keep up the good work! I!
Each Brother is urged to attend the Chapter meetings regularly and to bring another Brother. At the Regional Convention in April there will be many critical issues discussed and it is impor¬ tant to have aconsensus of opinion amongst the members of Mu Lambda. Delegates will be selected in March and asked to take the Chapter’s position to the convention floor. Be present so that your opinions can be included. Some of the items that will be brought up include the new Headquarters building, the mem¬ bership intake process, changes in Life membership fees. Convention proce¬ dures, etc. I’m looking forward to seeing you on March 1st.
Tlct^er Taps
ITIkJ Lambda
fme^a C^iapter
Brother William H. Smith, Jr.
Mu Lambda mourns the passing of Brother William H. Smith, Jr. to Omega Chapter on January 22 at a hospital in New York. He was a former mathematics teacher at Roosevelt and Ballou high schools and at Federal City College. Born in Washington, Brother Smith graduated from Dunbar High School and Howard University and received amaster’s degree in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania and did additional graduate study in mathematics at the University of Chicago and Ohio State University.
After fi ve years with the Washington Post Office, Brother Smith then taught at Florida A&M College for nine years. He later taught at Bluefield State College in West Virginia and at Cheney State College in Pennsylvania. From 1962 to 1969, Brother Smith taught in the D.C. Public School system, when he joined the faculty at Federal City College. He retired in 1974.
Brother Smith had organized Boy Scout troops in North Brentwood and Washington. He had also been asuperintendent of Sunday school, chairman of the board of trustees, and director of the vacation Bible school at the Third Baptist Church of Washington. He was also amem¬ ber of the Urban League and the NAACP and had been president of the Pleasant Plains Civic Association in Washington.
Mu Lambda fondly remembers Brother “Billy” Smith for his en¬ thusiastic, dedicated, and exem¬ plary service on the social com¬ mittee as well as his involvement with various other committees.
Brother Smith moved from Washington to New York last year. His wife, Emmie F. Smith, died in 1982. He leaves to mourn his passing asister, lola Smith of New York and ahost of other rela¬ tives and friends.
Orchids to Brother Recoe Walker for his outstanding dramatic presentation at our February Chapter meeting that included three comical vignettes, "Frankie's Monologue" from Richard Wesley's The Mighty Gents, and an original poem, "Victimless Criiaes .*' Brother Louis Buck was recently honored by the D.C, Chapter of Concerned Black Men with an award for community service Brother Bishop J. Clinton Hoggard and his wife celebrated forty years of marital bliss surrounded by family, friends, and many well wishers at the Union Wesley A-M.E. Zion Church Brother Louis Buck, Comptroller of Alpha Phi Alpha, Incorporated made good on his promise to the Brotherhood to periodically inform them of his activities behalf of the Fraternity at the National level; he received awarm welcome at the February meeting Brothers Robert E. Richardson and Wendell P. Gardner, Jr. are on the list of attorneys being considered for judgeship vacancies on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
March
1MonthlymeetingofMuLambdaChapter,7KX)P.M^BlackburnStudentCenter, Howard University.
27 HenryArthur Callis Scholarship Dance; 7:30 P.M., Regency Room, Shoreham Hotel. National Headquarters Fund Drive
'iou/p SfOO ove/pctiLC-', ^e/ndf y^ou/r* to phi f^aJJ/ynal
March Meeting
The March 1st Chapter meeting will include the elec¬ tion of delegates to the upcoming Eastern Regional Convention. Don’t miss this opportunity to be heard! The Program Committee will present Dr. Spencer Holland of the D.C. Board of Education, who will speak on the topic, “Education of the Young African-American Male”; this is another presentation in the series exploring the theme of “the African-American Male in the 1990’s.”
Remember to bring an inactive Brother along to share our evening of fellowship. Senior Brothers who do not drive at night would greatly appreciate aride to the meeting.
Mu Lambda Chapter
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. P.O. Box 1993
Washington, D.C. 20013
P.^. S3V/7 Chlcxi/yo. fUx/noi^ 606S3-9998.
February Attendance
Three visitors were introduced at the February meeting: Brothers Robert Moore (Omicron Lambda Alpha '80); Recoe Walker (Epsilon Gamma 79 and former member of Beta); and Melvin White (Pi Lambda '88). Approximately SOBrothers were in attendance.
