Greetings Brothers, Looking back, the History and Archives Committee wishes you a Happy Belated Founders Day. It seems the Omega Spirit remains fervent and irrepressible. Looking forward, the Committee wishes you and your families a blessed and very happy Thanksgiving. Hats off to the several chapters and many Brothers in the Mighty Third District that have added and will add to our story of Uplift during this holiday season. Thousands of families throughout the District of Columbia and Virginal will be nourished and strengthened by our many food drives and other expressions of care and concern. We are making history every day. As we re-dedicate ourselves to Her cause, this week's Monday Pearl asks us to revisit uniquely Omega notions of Brotherly cooperation symbolized and "operationalized" by our Founders to tear down barriers and build bridges. As thoughtfully expressed in the attached 1925 address by one fair-haired Omega youth, we are encouraged to embrace what our Founders instinctively knew all too well - the awesome agency in the brotherhood of the college man. From the Dreer... Especially did they observe the young men. Love and Cooper were not long in concluding, after a few such observations, that the prospective dynamic leaders would increase their vision and their willingness to serve, if they could be united with like ideals and vow to give themselves to the execution of these ideals. They believed that they should be united for creative action to see the brotherhood of the college man. They believed that college men united in this way, planning for each other and living for each other, had something to give mutually that the university could not give. The university might inspire them; but this.they believed only college youth could give to each other. Age, they knew, had a message for youth; but they believed also that youth had his own message for himself. Especially did they believe that Negro youth needed their idea. What form should their idea take? At once they thought that their idea could be best carried out by the organization of a Greek-letter fraternity. They believed that the students should be united not just at Howard, but that they should be united as college men wherever they might go. Such an organization, national in scope and universal in its ideals, had never been started on the Howard campus. Such an organization created by Negroes in a Negro institution of higher learning would cause a new awakening in Negro college life and blaze the trail for a common attack upon the discriminations and injustices that are barriers to human progress. Some day the youth would leave Howard and settle in various states and cities. If the youth would create some of their own ideals and by sacred vows guide their lives in college accordingly, Brothers Love and Cooper thought that they would more nearly follow those ideals than ones that might be set up for them by writers of books. Thus could thousands through the years become one in aim, one in thought, and one in loyalty. As they were men of action, it was natural for them to try to consummate their idea. After discussing the matter on different occasions, Brothers Love and Cooper thought of their friend, Frank Coleman. They would do nothing vital without him. When they talked with Brother Coleman about the wisdom of organizing a national fraternity at Howard, Brother Coleman said that he had been thinking along that line and believed that it would be an honor for a national Negro. fraternity to be born at their Alma Mater and inspire Negro youth throughout the Nation. The friends discussed the matter many times, and as a result concluded that they should have some guidance. Brother Cooper at once suggested Professor Just, who seemed to him to have a keen appreciation for the problems of youth. The next day after class was out, while working in the laboratory, Cooper discussed the matter with the young professor, who readily consented to serve as an advisor. The Monday Pearl is provided by the Third District History and Archives Committee and is a weekly sharing of fraternity content, commentary, and research of historical value we hope Brothers will enjoy and from which Brothers will draw inspiration. The Committee encourages your feedback. Should you have reactions, comments, information, anecdotes, documents, and the like, related to any of the content we share, we'd very much like to hear from you. Please send all communication to 3dhistoryandarchives@gmail.com. Read More - And Young Men F.I.E.T.T.S. 3rd District History and Archives Committee
