Archive for February, 2006

some misc stuff

First off, sorry for the lack of posts lately. work’s been kickin’ my butt lately, but a  few things to share…

Register today for the Western Regional conference in Ontario, CA if you want to get your souvenir (ooh it’s a jacket!). i’m told there are a few sizes left (2 XLs and 14 Ls). If you’re planning on registering after March 1, the jackets become first come, first served and you don’t want to be the ace swimming in the XL ’cause you waited too long or worse..the one who registers after the last jacket is taken. It sucks to be the bubble boy.
Speaking of conference souvenirs, I finally heard back from the Executive Director regarding the Conclave souvenirs. Turns out orders for additional ones (it was those nice black attaches with the shield on them) haven’t been placed yet and this needs to be addressed by the president and treasurer. I expressed my disappointment in having to follow up on this to them. And for those in the betting pool, if you had squares 7 months or less, you’ve lost. FYI – there was no “Never” square.

a little Sigma history

brother k. christian shared this photo earlier this month, but i’m just now getting around to posting it. in case you’re wondering:

Alpha Sigma Chapter circa 1946-47, from the Collection of Bro. Francis L. Hall.

L-R Standing, Bro. JLS Holloman, Founder A. Langston Taylor, Bro. George A. Parker (National President 1944-47), other two standing, not identified yet.

L-R Sitting, Bro. Joseph Bryant, Bro. Joseph Battle, Bro. Herbert Pair, Center not identified yet, Bro. Jesse W. Lewis (1st member of the DSC and National President 1935-36, he signed Bro. Hall’s Membership Certificate), Bro. Dr. Charles Wade, and Bro. Francis L. Hall (author –Sigma Light)

Bro Robert E. Allen, III

Brothers in Sigma:

I would like to take this opportunity to OFFICIALLY announce my candidacy for the position of Eastern Regional Director of Social Action

I humbly ask for your support as I set out on my mission to promote the Conclave-approved Social Action agenda for 2003-2005 here in the Eastern Region. It is my hope to continue to serve as a valuable resource to the chapters in the Eastern Region as Sigma continues to provide quality services to our communities.

Phi Beta Sigma’s Eastern Region desperately needs a strong leader to emphasize and reinforce the significance of Project S.W.W.A.C, Project S.A.T.A.P. and Project Vote. In addition, we need someone to be creative in formulating new and unique ideas that will address local Social Action issues on a regional level. We must continue to develop the existing relationships with our partner organizations and welcome new collaborative relationships, if Phi Beta Sigma intends on exemplifying world class leadership in service.

I have proven myself to be that leader. As former chairman of the Social Action Committee in my chapter I initiated and successfully enacted the following programs which presently remain in effect:

• Collected and donated 2,500 Toys to Cooper Medical Hospital in Camden, NJ
• Collected and donated over 5,000 Holiday toys to Camden County DYFS
• Collected and donated 100 Stuffed Animals to DSC President and St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, TN
• Collected and donated 1,500 Educational CD’s and Cassettes to Camden County Daycare Association

Again, thank you for your time and I look forward to seeing you at the Eastern Regional Conference in New Brunswick, NJ, April 27-30, 2006.

Fraternally,

Bro. Robert E. Allen III., LM 1482
President
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Zeta Rho Sigma Chapter
90th Anniversary Eastern Region Sigma Man of the Year

blog about your regional conference experience

we’re about a month away from the start of the 2006 regional conferences and i wanted to showcase experiences across the regions from a first person perspective. i thought it would be interesting to see what’s being discussed across the regions and how perceptions vary from old school to new school.

my first regional conference was in san diego in 1994. james, jermaine, ashanti and i made the trip from san luis obispo to san diego in jermaine’s bucket and as luck would have it, sans air conditioning. as a neo, i really didn’t know what to expect nor did i have any clue as to what sort of business issues are discussed. of course partying was at the top of our list and the conference was a buzz with 2 questions “when’s soror cheryl underwood arriving and is she performing” and “is omicron pi gonna step?” O-Pi was the elite Sigma step team in the state at the time after a strong 2nd place finish in UCLA and top prizes at Fresno State and San Jose State. i practiced with the step team early on, but as a graduating senior in the midst of my core sequences, i rode the pine. still, i knew enough to help us win the blue & white crown – my one and only step show appearance. i still won’t forget the overwhelming feeling of the sea of blue & white brotherhood and finally understanding how far reaching the Sigma family is.
that’s my story and i’d love to offer bluephi.net to you to share yours. i’m looking for Sigmas young and old, from east and west, from southwestern to the great lakes. if you’re going to your regional conference and would love to write about it, please email me so we can work out the details.

Crescent Cutting Room

Last week, Bro. Ron Lewis, Editor of The Crescent Magazine, proudly debuted the Fall 2005 edition of our Fraternity’s periodical. Featuring a modern, contemporary design and compelling content, you can get it online if you haven’t received it in the mail yet.

While Howard Stern fights the FCC’s censorship attempts, similar struggles were fought during the development of The Crescent. Did you notice that no author was credited with writing the “Conclave LA 2005″ article on page 8? While the Editor saw little need to edit the original submission, someone else decided to modify the original so heavily that the original author declined to have his name associated with the article. Here’s the original “Conclave LA 2005″ review as submitted by Bro. Todd Le Bon for you to compare for yourself.

In addition, Todd provided a book review for “What Went Wrong In Ohio” that didn’t make the cut either. Happy reading.