On November 9, 2019 the brothers of the Psi Alpha Alpha (PsiAA) Chapter, Third District of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in conjunction with the Bernie L. Bates Foundation gathered to celebrate our individual and collective accomplishments from the 2018 to 2019 Omega Year. The banquet was held at the elegant Waterford at Springfield where two hundred and ten brothers, family members, guests and friends were treated to an evening of elegance and fine dining. Brother Marvin Chisolm served as the Achievement Week Committee Chairman and coordinated an evening of elegance and the acknowledgement of excellence. The current PsiAA Basileus Brother Eric W. Kelly, Sr. closed out the banquet with words of thanks and an empationed-plea for continued financial support of the Bernie L. Bates Foundation. Brother Sheldon Schanck expertly served as the Master of Ceremonies and the Army Chief Information Officer, Brother Lieutenant General Bruce T. Crawford treated the audience with inspiring words on the Achievement Week theme: “Omega – Now is the Time for Serious Thinking and Impact”.
The dinner event gave all in attendance the opportunity to formally recognize and celebrate the following awardees: Omega Man of the Year, Brother Calvin C. Beidleman III; the Superior Service Awardee, Brother Tony A. Wells; the Colonel Charles Young Military Leadership Awardee, Brother (Colonel) Myron B. McDaniels and the Citizen of the year Mount Vernon High School Head Football Coach, Mr. Monty Fritts. Brother Eric Kelly (Basileus) presented two Basileus awards to Brothers James W. Cherry and Chester B. Keller. Special recognition was also afforded to several brothers celebrating a fraternity service anniversary:
Fifty-Five Years Fifty Years Forty-five Years
Bro. Leroy C. Latten Bro. Curtis A. Baylor Bro. Peter L. Burnett
Bro. Eddie Franklin Bro. Bradford M. Caldwell
Bro. Edward L. Craig Bro. Robert H. Lewis
Bro. Connie A. Brown
Forty Years Thirty-five Years Thirty Years
Bro. Phillip L. Wilkerson Jr. Bro. Foster P. Payne II Bro. George E. Davis
Bro. Danny R. Ross
As always, we used this elegant opportunity to highlight the youth in our community. The audience was treated to a contemporary dance performance from our 2019 Talent Hunt winner Miss Sydney Pollard and a solo song selection from Mr. Nicholas McCatty. As a special treat, our high school essay contest winner Miss Brynna Boyd presented her thought-provoking and winning essay.
The Fairfax County Ques kicked off our Achievement Week activities on Election Day (Nov 5th) by supporting the Fraternity’s voter registration, education and mobilization call to action by supporting the polling station at the Walt Whitman Middle school in the Mount Vernon area of Alexandria. On November 8th we conducted our first “Reading for Success” program event of the year at the Riverside elementary school; reading one book and providing twenty-five books to every 3rd grade student and later that day the chapter hosted our annual Pre-Achievement Week happy hour. On November 14, we hosted an evening of fellowship during the Thursday night football game. We concluded our Achievement Week activities with brothers worshipping together and providing a donation to the Harvest Assembly Baptist Church. After the church service, more than thirty brothers traveled to Howard University to participate in the annual rededication ceremony. The 2019 PsiAA Chapter Achievement Week events were a resounding success due to the effort of the committee and but more important due to the participation from the Fairfax County Ques, their families, and friends.
