Dear Brothers,
At the time of this writing, almost 6 million individuals in the United States have been infected with COVID-19 and over 178,000 of them have died. Worldwide, those numbers are almost 24 million individuals infected and 820,000 who have died. Many members of this fraternity are in those numbers. As this pandemic has continued, I have continued to be on conference calls with the Surgeon General, members of the CDC, the White House Coronavirus Task Force, the United States Congress, and other COVID-19 experts. There continues to be no cure, no approved treatment, and no vaccine at this time for COVID-19. It is also expected that this will get worse in the fall of this year as we will be dealing with COVID-19 and the flu epidemic at the same time. Get your flu shot early.
We are less than three months away from the annual celebration of Achievement Week, one of our mandated programs. This is observed each November and is designed to celebrate our founders, rededicate ourselves to our oath, and recognize our high school essay contest winners and those individuals at the local level who have contributed to their community. During Achievement Week, many chapters participate in community service and social action projects that lead up to a Founders’ Day Program/Banquet. Given that we are still in this pandemic, in conducting these activities, it is very important to make sure appropriate social distancing can be achieved, to make sure appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is available to all involved, to ensure there are ample amounts of hand washing stations and/or hand sanitizer in place for all to use frequently, and to disinfect frequently touched surfaces. All participants should be contacted beforehand to ensure no one is sick. We will follow the laws and directives given from government officials in our respective cities and communities as it relates to COVID-19. For any events you are planning, you should ask any questions to and get approval from your district representative and follow the SEC submission process in your district. As it relates to a Founders’ Day Program/Banquet, these events should be done virtually to ensure the safety of our brothers, families, and friends.
Founders’ Day is one of the most important days of the year for an Omega Man. IHQ is working with various committees to produce a Virtual International Founders’ Day Program to be held on November 17, 2020 at 19:11pm. I am asking brothers to join us during this historic occasion of paying homage to our founders. This program will be one you will not want to miss. As you can see, we will still celebrate this Founders’ Day even in a pandemic, but we will live up to our collective responsibility and do so safely.
Fraternally,
David E. Marion, Ph.D.
Grand Basileus
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
