Third District History and Archives Monday Pearl 1/27/20 – Collegiality

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Greetings Brothers!

Sometimes the simplest of history's markers carry with them the profoundest of messages - messages that find unmistakable relevance and utility in the now. Although there are many ideas, thoughts, and opinions on how to address the challenges of the day and to advance Omega, perhaps the most compelling (and ultimately effective) belong to and come from history itself. An attentive read of history tells us that Omega's longevity has been and always will be predicated on the extent to which its constructs, leaders, and members remain in-sync and imbued with the true spirit of Omega - a spirit recognizable by its peculiar sense of personality, purpose, camaraderie, collegiality, and resultant agency. I trust the attached Alpha Chapter Letter No. 1 (October 15, 1953) will conjure up good memories for many of the initiated, and prove to be exemplary of this point.

Read More - Collegiality

Make it a great week Brothers. Be Noble!

F.I.E.T.T.S.
3rd District History and Archives Committee
___________________________________
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. Previous "Pearls" can be found at http://3rddistrictques.org/about-us/overview/monday-pearl/. 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.

Delta Omega Foundation, Inc Center of Excellence Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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On December 7, 2019 the Delta Omega Foundation, Inc.(DOFI), a 501 (C) organization supporting the Tri-Cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell Virginia, and its surrounding counties; conducted a Dedication and Ribbon cutting ceremony for their newly purchased building “The Delta Omega Foundation Center of Excellence (DOFICoE)”. The DOFICoE was purchase on August 31, 2018 and underwent renovations over the past year. The building will be used to support the DOFI more than 25 charitable programs and scholarships. It will also provide a place to mentor the DOFI’s6th – 8th, and 9th – 12th grades students participating in The Male Proteges Program (TMPP). The Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was led by the Chairman of Delta Omega Foundation, Inc. (Michael T. Bass, Sr.). Mr. Bass delivered the welcome, and provided some special presentations.

The guest speaker was Mr. Kenneth A. Brown, the Chairman of Omega Life Membership Foundation (OLMF). Community Leaders present for the event included: Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin (Petersburg Superintendent), Ms. Aretha Ferrell-Benavides (Petersburg City Manager); and Mr. Lionel Lyons (Petersburg Assistant City Manager). Key members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity present included: Kevin Brown (3rd District Representative (DR) for Virginia), Ezekiel Dennison Jr. (Immediate past 3rd DR); Anthony Knight (Past DR); Joseph McKinney (Past DR); James R. Clark, Sr. (Past DR); and Kenneth A. Brown (Past DR). Also present was Dr. Rossi Johnson, the Basileus/President of Delta Omega Chapter, Third District of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Third District History and Archives Monday Pearl 1/20/20 – Sticking Together and Working as a Unit

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Greetings Brothers!

I was riding in the car today with a fraternity brother after leaving one of the many Martin Luther King, Jr. Day service projects in which we Omegas are inclined to enthusiastically participate. This particular event was called "We Feed Our People" (WFOP). Conceived and started by Brother Walter McGill (Rho Psi 1980), for 32 years now, WFOP has delivered on its mission of "shining a light on the plight of the poor and neglected." What started as a response to the irony created by the King Holiday (commonly addressed as "A day on") has through its agency made a positive difference in the fabric of a community. WFOP not only brings together people to help others in need, it teaches young people the importance of coming together to help people in need - and that is a blessing that keeps on blessing. Although fellowshipping in service to others with my brothers never gets old, I too enjoy watching the sons, daughters, and youth volunteers from area schools pitch in. They are learning important lessons.

During our car ride, I enjoyed listening to my brother reflect on his longtime involvement with WFOP. As he provided context and perspective on WFOP's evolution, he referred more than once to "Martin Luther the King", a not so subtle nod to a great man. It got me thinking about King's plight and message and it reminded me of a message from the 25th Grand Basileus Cary D. Jacobs that appeared in the September 1963 Oracle, in which Jacobs (in my view) articulates the essence of King's greatness - his message of and ability to facilitate "sticking together and working as a unit." Although there were other leaders who chose different approaches to improving the African American circumstance, none was able to unite the masses like King.

Sticking together and working as a unit remains an important and instructive message from times past. It's application and mobilization in both micro and macro contexts is useful in times present.

Please enjoy the view from the attached window into history. Happy MLK Day!

Read More - Sep1963Oracle_MLKandOmega

Make it a great week Brothers. Be Noble!

F.I.E.T.T.S.
3rd District History and Archives Committee
___________________________________
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. Previous "Pearls" can be found at http://3rddistrictques.org/about-us/overview/monday-pearl/. 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.

DR’s MLK Day 2020 Message

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Greetings Brothers of the Third District,

Today, I am asking the District to pause to join the nation in remembering and celebrating the great American leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his immeasurable contributions to the character of our country. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man of deep and abiding faith, compassion, and dedication. He reminded us all that “human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability,” and that “the time is always ripe to do right.” He challenged us all to live up to the ideals enshrined in our founding documents – that we are all created equal, endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

In his eloquent words and in the peaceful, compassionate life he lived, Dr. King gave our nation an inspired and inspiring vision. He had a clear purpose for his life, and it guided how he lived and treated others. We would all do well to think about and learn from his powerful example of a life driven by purpose. Though many years have passed, Dr. King’s lesson is relevant to the way we conduct our own lives. It encourages kindness and patience in how we treat one another. It shapes how we might consider the unique and often unspoken personal experiences and challenges of our friends, families, colleagues, fellow citizens, and the Brothers we serve—and to whom we are devoted. And it reinforces the virtue of our own cardinal principles, values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence.

We are committed to honoring Dr. King’s legacy. That means recognizing the human dignity in all the people we serve. It means protecting the right to vote for all our communities. It means ensuring that those who serve are judged not based on who they are or where they come from, but rather what they have to offer to help defend this country.

We remember that MLK Day is a Day of Service and is observed as a “day on, not a day off.” MLK Day of Service is intended to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King's vision of a “Beloved Community”.

Thank you for your service to your Chapter, to the District, to our Fraternity. May God bless you all as we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

In Friendship,
Kevin Brown
29th Third District Representative

Third District History and Archives Monday Pearl 1/13/20 – He Who Cometh in Peace

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Greetings Brothers!

In the summer of 1974, Brother Dr. W. Montague Cobb penned an article that appeared in the Oracle titled "Blacks in Medicine". Cobb's article is an interesting and informative account of the influence African American medical practitioners had on the development of medical policy, education and training, and facilities. In his article, Cobb highlights the presence of Omega leadership in the National Medical Association (NMA), "the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing African American physicians and health professionals in the United States." Since its founding in 1895, the NMA has contributed to countless advancements in the field of medicine and public health policy, including the passage of the 1962 King-Anderson Bill, otherwise known as Medicare. In that same time, the NMA has been led by no fewer than five Omega men from the Third District. Dr. G. Hamilton Francis, longtime member of Lambda Omega chapter, served as NMA president in 1933, and Doctors C. Herbert Marshall, Edward C. Mazique, W. Montague Cobb,and Tracy M. Walton of Alpha Omega chapter served as president in 1949, 1959, 1964, and 1994, respectively. (The Committee is interested in hearing from anyone who knows of other Omega men who served in this capacity.)

Although the attached article is a little long, a full read will surely not disappoint. Additional information and history on the NMA can also be found at https://www.nmanet.org/page/History.

Read More - Blacks in Medicine (Cobb 1974)

Make it a great week Brothers. Be Noble!

F.I.E.T.T.S.
3rd District History and Archives Committee
___________________________________
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. Previous "Pearls" can be found at http://3rddistrictques.org/about-us/overview/monday-pearl/. 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.

Delta Omega Christmas Baskets

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21 December 2019. The Delta Omega Chapter, Third District of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. along with Protégé's from the Chapter’s “The Male Protégé Program - TMPP,” got together for their annual Christmas Food Basket Drive, where the Chapter purchased and prepared food baskets for less fortunate families in the Tri-Cities area of Virginia. Brother Henry Davis, Chairman, spearheaded the event that was held at the Delta Omega Center of Excellence in Petersburg, Virginia. The Chapter prepared and delivered over 20 full Christmas meals.

Photo credits: Brothers Mike Parker and William Rippey

Third District History and Archives Monday Pearl 1/6/20 – Six Verbs

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Greetings Brothers!

Accomplished astrophysicist, Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, said "One of the great challenges in this world is knowing enough about a subject to think you're right, but not enough about the subject to know you're wrong." Dr. Tyson added "It's not good enough to be right; you also have to be effective. The less connected you are to what is objectively true, the less likely you will be able to make decisions that will benefit your life, the life of your family, and even civilization itself." This year as much as any requires Omega to be connected to what is objectively true about its own agency.

Article II
Purpose
The purpose of the Fraternity shall be to bring about a union of college men of similar high ideals of scholarship and manhood in order to:

    • Stimulate the attainment of ideals and ambitions of its members;
    • Disseminate and inculcate those ideals among those with whom its members come in contact;
    • Cooperate with the schools where its chapters may be located in fostering these ideals;
    • Occupy a progressive, helpful and constructive place in the civic and political life, domestically, and internationally;
    • Prepare its members for greater usefulness in causes of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual; and,
    • Aid down-trodden humanity in its effort to achieve higher social, economic, and intellectual status.

Although there are countless examples of Omega functioning in harmony with its own truth, the juxtaposition of the two articles in the attached Winter 1968 Oracle highlighting the agency of Kappa Psi and Alpha Omega chapters seemed a fitting complement to this week's message.

In 2020, let's be right and effective. Let us Stimulate, Disseminate, Cooperate, Occupy, Prepare, and Aid.

Read More - SixVerbs_OracleWin1968

Make it a great week Brothers. Be Noble!

F.I.E.T.T.S.
3rd District History and Archives Committee
___________________________________
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. Previous "Pearls" can be found at http://3rddistrictques.org/about-us/overview/monday-pearl/. 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.

Delta Omega Thanksgiving Baskets

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23 and 25 November 2019. The Delta Omega Chapter, Third District of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. along with Protégé's from the Chapter’s “The Male Protégé Program - TMPP,” got together for their annual Thanksgiving Food Basket Drive, where the Chapter purchased and prepared food baskets for less fortunate families in the Tri-Cities area of Virginia. Brother Henry Davis, Chairman, spearheaded the event that was held at the Delta Omega Center of Excellence in Petersburg, Virginia. The Chapter prepared and delivered over 20 full Thanksgiving meals.  Additionally, on 25 November, the Chapter delivered additional Thanksgiving Meals to the Petersburg Cares Shelter to help those families in need.
Photo credits: Brothers Henry Davis, Mike Parker, William Rippey