coming into the regional conference season, i put out a few feelers soliciting for guest bloggers to write about their experiences at regionals. while i didn’t get the participation i had wanted, i did receive the following perspective of the eastern regional conference.<\/p>\n
Brothers are not ready for progressive change…<\/em><\/p>\n It has been a few weeks since the 91st Anniversary Eastern Regional Conference. To put it in simple terms, ?Ain?t much change???. Once again we had brothers re-elected not due to positive progress within the Region or even on the strength of programming during their previous term, but solely due to deals and dirty politics.<\/em><\/p>\n We had officers run for re-election on sheer arrogance. Although it was assumed they were running they never formally announced. Their only contact and visits were to the handful of large chapters in the area. Once they were certain they had secured those votes, through deals and promises for future consideration, their job was done. They had no vision for the future of the Region and handed out no materials. Well, no material discussing a vision for the future, and they had no past record to stand on.<\/em><\/p>\n Undergrad chapters were threatened to vote a certain way, or they were told there could be consequences. Since we do a terrible job of teaching and mentoring our young brothers as they enter Sigma they get intimidated. As a result, they often buckle to these ridiculous threats. Chapters not present at the conference were contacted, by Board members, via phone and told their fare and registration would be paid if they came to the conference. This is what we have become?<\/em><\/p>\n Most brothers will look at the numbers, from the voting, and come to the wrong conclusion. If they look under the surface the story is totally different, and the message becomes a bit foggy. In the voting for Regional Director and Vice the numbers are misleading. When you take a count of the chapters, Bro. Powell won 70% of the chapters, but lost the race. Why? Greville won the larger chapters, and for the most part only the larger chapters. The race for Vice Director was not as lopsided as the numbers show either. Bro. Williams won 35 chapters to Bro. Lockhart?s 34. Once again, the larger chapters went for Darryl, as did the win. So, although they won the race they do not have a clear support of the Region. Unfortunately, most brothers will not look beyond what is on the surface and therefore are misinformed. This applies not only to our region, but the fraternity as a whole. To the naked eye things might look on point. However, take a closer look and we are close to the end of the road.<\/em><\/p>\n To break down the situation in the east we must go back to the 2003 Regional Conference in Brooklyn. Powell?s election to RD back in 2003 set the plans back and now they are trying to get back on track. Darryl was scheduled to be elected RD at that conference. However, it looked (remember the key word is looked) as though the Region was tired of stagnation and wanted to move forward. Under Powell?s administration, the Region made progress for the first time in many years. Since Sigma is such a passive, backward thinking organization we had brothers that did not like the progress. They wanted back in so they could do their dirt unchecked. From day one we had brothers working to get him out of office. They were only looking for the opportunity, and if it did not arise they would just create it. That is how they play the game. I will not get into the details here, but they used a bogus incident to try and persuade Powell not to run. At the same time his Vice Director, Greville, was making deals to become the next RD. They completed the deal during a break at the Eastern Region Board meeting that took place in DC. They had a meeting without Powell?s knowledge during the break. Powell eventually decided not to run mainly due to family obligations and health reasons. The nonsense was just not worth the trouble. So, the deal made by Greville, Darryl and their puppeteers was made and carried out at the Regional Conference.<\/em><\/p>\n The year under Greville was not in their plan, but they made the deal and chalked it up as a loss. The hope was to get back on track with this election. Darryl was going to run for RD, but he was instructed not to do so. Why? Powell was running again and Darryl lost to him BIG the first time. At the same time they had Bro. Leonard Lockhart, a rising star in the Region, running for Vice. They do not want him on the Board because he is his own man and they do not control him. Same thing applies to Bro. Rob Allen. He was named Sigma Man of the Year at the Regional in DC, but they did what was necessary to make sure he did not get on the Board. He ran for Social Action Director in DC, and won until a chapter returned to the floor during the voting and changed their vote. They would use other dirty tactics to make sure he lost this year.<\/em><\/p>\n So, it was decided to put up with Greville for another term and run Darryl against Leonard. Their arrogance told them Darryl would win as Vice due to Leonard not being known around the Region. The Board and Ol? Boys knew him from his attendance at Board Meetings and State Meetings. His strength scared them, along with the fact that his area is growing during his term as States Director. The New England area had been ignored by the Region for years until Powell came into office. Now it is one of the fastest growing areas.<\/em><\/p>\n So, as usual, the brothers fell for the yokie doke and they were voted back in. Well at least the larger chapters made sure it happened. One of the major problems in the east, most of the larger chapters are responsible for getting us in the sorry state we are in today. They are without a doubt part of the problem. It is a shame when you can have a Board do nothing and get voted back into office for another term. How can they possibly justify voting them back for another term? Why not give someone else a chance? Since nothing has been done for two years they could not possibly do any worse.<\/em><\/p>\n At the post conference Board meeting they proceeded to adopt many of the ideas Bro. Powell pushed during his campaign. Why? They did nothing during the first term and as I stated had no vision this time. So, although Powell can not be RD, they proceed to adopt his vision. What kind of backward BS is that? Here again, it looks stupid on the surface but is a smart move. They will now run with his vision, embrace brothers they have traditionally kept at arms length to make Darryl look good for a run in 2008. Then they will be back on track and continue where they left off in 2003. Destroying the region and Fraternity from within! Well, maybe…I think the membership will have something to say about that!!! The sad thing is Greville continues to be used and does not even see it happening.<\/em><\/p>\n We have lost the battle, but the War goes on. The war to save Sigma from suffering the same fate as the dinosaurs pushes on.<\/em><\/p>\n “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” (The story of Phi Beta Sigma today…) <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" coming into the regional conference season, i put out a few feelers soliciting for guest bloggers to write about their experiences at regionals. while i didn’t get the participation i had wanted, i did receive the following perspective of the eastern regional conference. 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\n-Martin Luther King, Jr.<\/em><\/p>\n