got an email today about some national debt reduction campaign wherein the membership is being asked the following:
The National Debt Reduction campagin is on it’s way, you are needed to make this happen by CONCLAVE 2007. Here is the PLAN:
- $200.00 Each chapter
- $200.00 Each Life Member
- $200.00 Each DSC Member
- $200.00 Each Past President
- $200.00 Each Board Member
this campaign is coming out of left field. it wasn’t part of paul’s platform while he was running for office and it’s never been on his calls to action in the year+ he’s been in office.my first question is what’s the overall debt reduction plan. if step #1 was asking the membership for more money, then i say we don’t give a penny. we shouldn’t be in the habit of writing blank checks. have you ever tried asking IHQ about what happened to the money we generated for hurricane katrina victims? if they choose not to ignore you, you’ll be treated like you’re asking for the nuclear launch codes. no one can/will tell you where it went.
additionally, i’d love to know what this money is earmarked for. i want to know what this money can and cannot be used for and how they’re going to ensure that it doesn’t get reallocated by the GB for something else. ideally, reallocation would require conclave approval and the GB can’t make that change. what debt is it being used for and what’s the schedule to pay it down?
furthermore, what’s going on on the national level to reduce expenditures? how about starting with how much economic wisdom is exercised in having headquarters in DC? $50k was “appropriated” to this blue ribbon commission. what the hell have they done? take it back. conclave LA netted less than the individual yearly maximum 401k contribution. that’s a horrible return on investment as i’m sure we poured in a whole lot more time and money to only make such a paltry sum.
lastly, there’s the issue of someone who should be behind bars for having stolen whole lotta bucks from the org yet he’s walking the streets, employed and his wages are ungarnished. it’s been years since his crime, yet we haven’t gone after him or the people who knew about it and did nothing. settle that and maybe i’ll put $5 on it.
You are correct…
I am not sending in one extra dime of my money until they put Terry Davis and whoever else was responsible in jail, and until they collect the $100,000+ that he/they stole. I will not support this program either, and will publically state that at every Leadership, State, and Regional Conference that I attend. The audacity to ask for more money…instead of going after the guy that stole it.
Mallet
Call the HQ and e-mail #32 asking to see a list of items these funds raised will be used for. How many times will they come to the membership for funds to reduce the debt, but it never seems to decrease?
How much money is still owed on the HQ and what is the plan and time frame to pay it back? They need to save the money spent on glossy pamphlets, which have about as much use as toilet paper, and the funds used mailing those items out. Giving these cats money is like a drug dealer giving a crackhead his stash to hold. How many times is he going to let that crackhead smoke up his sh%$#@ before realizing it is a bad idea? If they want some money ask them to call Terry and fill out a loan application. maybe he will loan us back our own money.
“loan back our own money”…that is classic! I am sure he will charge us interest…and we will pay it.
Mallet
Someone is smoking crack!! And alot of it. How in the world is the HQ asking for cash with so much havent been proven by this administration. Will any of it clean up the records room. Where is the vision? With “Brother” Davis, Former National Treasuer and “Brother” Varnnado Former National Director of Sigma Beta Clubs haven stolen thousands of bucks from the fraternity… when are we expected to recieve any of this money? And what exactly is the plan to do with the money? Who is holding who responsible. I guess Paul thinks the brotherhood doesnt have a clue and we (the brotherhood) are like an Ethiopian buying Slimfast.
Well…most of the Brotherhood DOESN’T have a clue Demetrius. I can GUARANTEE you that no one in Florida even knows anything about the Sigma Beta club “missing money” that you are referring to. And we are talking thousands of dollars. They are trying to keep everything quiet.
Mallet
The Former National Director of the Sigma Beta Clubs, Brother Varnnado out of New Orleans, LA was found guilty of not only taking money from the Beta Clubs but the State of LA, the local Beta Club, and the thousands from the local chapter. Our Past President is aware but nothing was done. And nothing is being done by the present. The local chapter were pressing charges but was delayed by Katrina. Their current challenge is to find the brother. The Regional Director for the Gulf Coast and the Former National Director of BBB both know very well of the charges because they served on the committee to bring these charges. This “brother” continues to attend Sigma functions when he should be kicked out of the fraternity. Its estimated this brother took more than $60,000. And I say to Paul, go after this money. He knows about this situation as I am sure the Brother Green, GC Regional Director has briefed him.
I heard about Sigma Beta funds being taken by the past director but did not know the guy until recently. He pledged grad in ATL and moved to New Orleans. I was told about this by another Brother who was in the New Orleans Chapter before the storm. He now lives in Atlanta and noted how Athur allowed it to fly under the radar and left if for Paul to do something about. Yes Brother Mallet it is true.
Gary…
Oh, I believe it is true…I also believe they are going to keep it from the Brotherhood and do nothing about it. They are going to do nothing except continue to elect themselves to the DSC.
So…the Beta Club advisor stole money under Art, and Terry Davis stole money under Art…and Art makes the DSC. Interesting.
Mallet
Thanks Gary for exposing another unsolved matter. I read this earlier today and called an undergraduate brother who confirmed Gary’s story. He gave me the Chapter Presidents phone no. 504-329-1559. He was careful to say that while most brothers in Louisiana know about the situation few know outside of the state. Art appointed Varnado to the position of National Director and this brother violated the trust of not only the national office but also his local office as chapter treasuer, advisor to Nicholos State, Chapter Sigma Beta Advisor and State Treasuer. You talking about abuse. And to make matters worse this brother is in law school at southern. Yes Southern where Art is on the Faculty and helped the brother get into school. And to think the current regional Director and former president both know. In fact this brother continues to be listed on the regional site as the Director of Sigma Beta.
Thanks for the information Brothers. I am going to take this up with Paul and see what type of response I get. I will keep you all informed.
These cats are straight up GANGSTA . . . Art Thomas is something else the way he continued to sell Sigma up the river during his time in office.
I blame the Board memebsr and others who have first hand knowledge of this stuff and turn their backs on us by hiding things.
Its finally out. Thank God. At this years regionals I wanted an update to the Varnado situation but everything was hush hush. No one would touch it. The regionals were in Texas and everyone knows Pauls from Houston. It was like trying to pull teeth. Its sad how these things happen. Varnado was my old chapters advisor and served also as the National Director of Sigma Beta. This dude stole more than two thousand from our chapter alone. Hed say we owe money to nationals or we are late with new fees being asked of all chapters. Only after the New Orleans Grad Chapter replaced him after they did an audit did they find this dude was stealing money from nearly every office he held. Well the hush is over.
Gulf Coast brothers contact your Regional Director Green at 504.244.7638. He knows of the situation with Varnado. As these other brothers have said, your past director of Sigma Beta also abused his office(s) and to date NOTHING has been done. Better yet e-mail Brother Green at jgreen4878@bellsouth.net. Mallet what are we to do?
Who is investigating Varnado? Is this case solved? What is going on with this? I personally e-mailed Jerry Green and got no response. I live in Louisiana and heard about this a year ago and thought it was solved and the Varnado was thrown out of the fraternity. Please say something has been done; I would hate to think we aloowed two brothers to take from the brotherhood and get away with it.
Two Brothers have stolen from the Fraternity…and as of now…they have gotten away from it. I don’t know if Varnardo was expelled, but from my understanding, he has to be expelled at the Conclave. (At least they expelled Terry). Our “elected officials” want all of this to go away. Brothers, when these guys go to the podium and solicit your vote at the Regional Conferences, go to the microphone on the floor and ask them these questions…in public…in front of everyone. Watch them squirm.
Mallet
Hotep Brothers of the Dove:
Phi Beta Sigma is not currently an organization – it is more properly classified as a “disorganization???. And, like a fish, Sigma rots from the head.
Now – here’s something that you might not expect to hear me say – It is not Paul Griffin’s fault. Paul –like all of us – is a victim of our “JOINT??? neglect. We, the membership of Phi Beta Sigma, are the source of the problem.
Our constitution states that the supreme authority in Phi Beta Sigma is the Conclave. The “International President???, of a 6,000 financial member organization, is not to blame. Terry Davis is not to blame. The Gulf Coast Director of the Sigma Beta Club is not to blame.
WE – Dear Brothers of the Dove – WE ARE TO BLAME !!!.
I was a participant this past weekend in the tribute for Brother Demetrius C. Newton. I attended because I was the National Executive Director who served when Demetrius served as the organization’s president. No man deserves honor more than “D???. But there is a problem. Our CONCLAVE did not decide to honor Demetrius; just as the CONCLAVE did not decide to honor Bro. Roswell Sutton. The board declared a national celebration. Our General Board has now replaced the CONCLAVE as the supreme authority. And we allow it.
Each loyal Sigma must now prepare to do two things:
(1) Each loyal Sigma must attend the Charlotte Conclave as a financial, participating member. Each loyal member must read the constitution and insist that your chapter members read and discuss the constitution’s strengths and weaknesses. And you must propose the changes necessary to make Phi Beta Sigma viable again – and you (personally) must attend to advocate and fight for the changes that you feel required.
(2) When you get to the Conclave you must “Abso-DAMN- lutly INSIST that the business of Phi Beta Sigma take precedence over food functions and public BS sessions. You must debate with your fellow brothers and chapters – and if necessary – stay up all week until you (and they) reach a consensus on what Phi Beta Sigma will do for the next two years – and how we will prepare for our 100th Anniversary.
DECIDING WHAT SIGMA WILL DO AND WHAT SIGMA WILL BECOME IS YOUR JOB – NOT THE JOB OF ANY BLUE-RIBBON COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT. THE CONCLAVE – YOU – ARE SUPREME
(But only if you respect yourself enough to do what the Founders entrusted to you to do to preserve and build a future for Phi Beta Sigma).
If Sigma is going to continue to be “screwed up??? (as it has been for the past quarter century), we should at-least take the time to do it ourselves rather than letting officers do it year after year just so that we can complain about their “wrong??? actions without making any “right??? actions ourselves.
That’s the end of my rant. Any comments, hit me back at asagai@verizon.net
G.D. Smith, National Executive Director 1978 – 1990
Is anyone giving an update on Varnado and Davis? What is the plan?
Willis,
Their plan is NOT to give an update. First off, 99% of the Brotherhood doesn’t even know about the Varnado/Sigma Beta Club incident…so they will never willingly bring forth that information. As far as Terry is concerned, “they” want us to forget about it and have it go away. Perfect example: at the General Board meeting in Miami, Bill Stanley addressed the Board and stated that “the Fraternity should not mention the Terry Davis situation anymore to the Brothers, because, quite frankly, most of them don’t know about it anyway.” They just want all of this to go away…when $100,000 of your money was stolen.
Mallet
Brothers I spoke with a former Theta Beta Sigma Brother from New Orleans who unfortunately validates what Mallet is saying. The incidents with Vardnado including his local,state and national offices were all pilfered. The incident was told to both Jerry Green (Regional Director) who was during and remains APART OF the chapter. And it was further reported to Lynard Carter (Former National Director of BBB & member of Theta Beta Sigma) and lastly to Arthur Thomas, Past national president. It trully appears like a real shell game. I believe we need to e-mail this info to chapter e-mail groups arounfd the country. We also need to start a campaign to keep the brotherhood informed which I know is apart of the purpose of this site. But how many brothers even know this site exist? I learned about it after the pics of the basement we told to me by another brother.
Lets change the tide. Initially we need to make the National Office give a report on Varnado and Davis. We can vote these guys out and return to our original purpose as a fraternity. What happened to being the peoples fraternity.
wait a damn minit…we got a fmr national director of the Sigma Betas stealing money, and they want a giving campaign?
What about the $500K surplus?
I am done, this is crap…
Everyone close to DC since 1989 has to go. Every last one of them. There has been theft, misappropriation, scandals, corruption, lies, false blame, blatant manipulation of the brotherhoods trust, and the list could go on for days…This has gone on at all levels, including state, regional and national.
And yet we keep electing these jackholes and we keep allowing these aholes to control all aspects of the fraternity.
This is a shame all these crooks running around and they asking me for money. They got $1200 and they get only $16 a year from me nothing else. It is a dayum shame that Varnado stealing like that and all the folks mentioned are in my region, Gulf Coast. Now Jerry just mentioned the Davis case but nothing about Varnado. You bet Im gonna ask.
I asked about Varnado today and was informed that while the National Office under Art suspected theft and saw some “funny business” it was decided to have him step down. As far as his local office, he was proven guilty to haven taken thousands from the local chapters general fund, sigma beta, the housing fund and as the advisor to Nicholas State University. The local chapter is pressing charges but nothing on the national side. The regional director is very quiet about this subject and you cant even get Art to discuss the issue; after all he did appoint this guy to this office and helped him get in to law school. So there we have it a new form of brotherhood. When does it stop?
why is Varnado listed as the Gulf Coast Director of Sigma Beta? With ongoing updates to this site, why has no one changed this? Further, why have we not heard from Jerry or Arthur about this situation? When is someone going to address the fraternity about the money owed? Why do we tolerate these gross and obvious disregard for the fraternity? and lastly why are most of the brothers uninformed? The last question I believe is why and how the national office is able to fly under the radar without having the best interest of the fraternity as a whole.
Mallet and others seem to think we are fading away as a fraternity but I see it differently. I think we are getting what we deserve because no one on this site has maped out a PLAN to restore the fraternity to what it once was and meant to be. Until there is a plan we have to say nothing. Truth is others will abuse their office and the cycle will continue. If there is a plan out there please post it for all to read.
I have not received anything in the mail or via e-mail even about this. When is this to begin?