Ω  DC Voter Registration
Ω  Virginia Voter Registration
Ω  Maryland Voter Registration

Greetings Brothers,

I pray this email finds you and your family safe. We have less than 90 days until the most important election day of our lifetime (November 3, 2020).

We are encouraging all chapters to do the following:

  1. Ensure all chapter members are registered and will VOTE.
  2. Adopt 1 or 2 local precincts to work with during election day.
  3. Work with local NAACP, churches, and the NPHC to help get registered voters.
  4. VOTE EARLY (Encourage your family and friends).

a.     District of Columbia – Early Vote – October 17, 2020 – October 30, 2020
b.     Maryland – October 22, 2020 – October 29, 2020
c.      Virginia – 45 days before Election Day (Saturday before election day is the last day to voter)

5.     Please check your absentee ballots that were mailed to you.  (The return address is incorrect on some of the envelopes)

NOTE: Important Websites for more detailed information

  1. DCboe.org
  2. Elections.maryland.gov
  3. Elections.virginia.gov

Please call or write if you have any questions.

Fraternally,

Brother Jeffrey Tarpley

Chairman, Third District Social Action Committee

Greetings Brothers,

The theme of this week’s Monday Pearl is “Omega Votes.” This is the first part of a two part sharing of information prior to the 2018 mid-term elections exploring Omega’s legacy of civic engagement vis-a-vis voter registration, education, and mobilization (VREM). Given the importance of the upcoming mid-term elections, the Committee was compelled to provide Brothers with a historical point of reference with the expressed purpose of motivating all Brothers to honor the legacy we have inherited by doing our part to GET OUT THE VOTE.

In this first part, the Committee combed through 113 Oracles published between 1919 and 1959 looking for all references to VREM activities here in the Third District and fraternity-wide. Our research revealed the following:
Prior to 1928, references to VREM activities in the Oracle were largely by proxy (i.e., through the reprint of speeches by politicians or other civic leaders, or as a tertiary theme in a fictional literary entry). After 1927, editorials, opinion pieces, commentary on the unrealized gains at the polls post-15th Amendment, and calls for “Negro” advancement by way of the ballot became increasingly conspicuous in our national publication.
The early and eventual shift in the majority Negro/Black vote from Republican to Democrat is chronicled fairly well in the Oracle.

From 1928-1929 there were four instances of VREM-related content in the Oracle, from 1930-1939 there were 15, from 1940-1949 there were 24, and from 1950-1959 there were 21.

Brother Ellis F. Corbett of Lambda Omega Chapter was an early adopter and advocate providing much of he early VREM leadership in the Third District.
In the 1940’s and 1950’s annual Essay Contest themes were often VREM-related. Check out the winner in 1956 (printed in March 1957).
Harry T. Penn, former Grand Basileus, former Third District Representative, and former Basileus and longtime member of Gamma Alpha Chapter was an outspoken and active advocate for voting rights and the Black vote. (Former Grand Basileus Grant Reynolds shared Brother Penn’s VREM interests.)
Social Action initiatives in the 1940s and 1950s always included VREM.

Undergraduates were notably active in VREM.

Many Brothers participated in and led VREM initiatives inside and outside of Omega.
As we combed through the Oracles, we “extracted” the VREM references to make it easier to quickly access the information. In many cases, we highlighted the content of interest to further help quickly identify the reference. Because the references are many, we have attached just a few here. All references can be downloaded by clicking on https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LkULVJSxjyjKZ7xyoIbo6O5DUmUjCcVb?usp=sharing. We urge to read all of the information as you can…there is some really good stuff in here.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.

F.I.E.T.T.S.
3rd District History and Archives Committee

Greetings My Beloved Brothers in Omega,

I hope that this message finds you and your Chapter members well.  We have received an administrative directive from Brother Grand Basileus Dr. David Marion that each Chapter in the Third District is to adopt a voting precinct for the upcoming Mid Term Election that is to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.  Both Graduate and Undergraduate Chapters are to target at least one precinct in their service area.  Once you have identified the precinct that you will be responsible for, please complete the form below or forward the information to the Third District Voter Registration, Education, and Mobilization (VREM) Chairman Brother James Barber (gqbarber@yahoo.com; 757.535.2350).  A full listing of each Chapter and its precinct will be listed on the Third District website.  It is imperative that we complete this task well in advance of the election.  Therefore, please submit the name and location of your precinct no later than October 5th.  Thank you.

Always fraternally yours in Omega,

Brother Harvey L. Woodson, Jr.
Chairman, Third District Social Action Committee

Brother James Barber
Chairman, Voter Registration, Education, and Mobilization

Please select a valid form

Brothers, FYI  above are copies of pledge cards for a voter campaign encouraging fathers to take their kids with them to the polls.  It will be a Fraternity wide effort that is being done in conjunction with the VREM efforts. It has been noted that men have not been as active in the voting process as they should be.  The intent is not only to get the men out but to have them take their children with them so they can learn from the experience.

The kickoff was June 1st.  The Grand is sending a letter out encouraging maximum participation.  Pledge cards will be made available soon.  As much as possible please support and help to promote this effort.

Take care

Bro. Fairchild