THE IVYETTE Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Zeta Chi Omega Chapter P.O. Box 25763 Alexandria, VA 22313 January 2014 Volume 14, Issue 1 Greetings from the Basileus Happy New Year Sorors! As we move forward in 2014, let us pause to reflect on 2013 and come with renewed hearts in 2014, as God has given us the opportunity to share all gifts and talents with others. With a humble servant heart, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as your new Basileus. I am excited about what s on the horizon as we continue our journey to keep Zeta Chi Omega Supreme in Service! As with any new beginning, there are always trailblazers who clear the path for others to follow. I d like to especially thank Soror Michelle M. Jones and her leadership team for setting the stage for greater things to come. I d also like to thank the sorors who accepted the challenge to serve in leadership roles for the 2014-2015 administration. With a platform of Strategy, Service, and Sisterhood, we will maintain the course that has been set with our 2011-2015 Chapter Strategic Plan and welcome new ideas that will allow us to soar to new heights. Get Involved: Before and after the January and February Chapter meetings, you will be given the opportunity to express your interest with committees that best align with your interests and/or talents. Therefore, I encourage each of you to place your name on the list of at least one program committee and one operation committee (standing or ad hoc), per our Chapter Bylaws. We want to ensure all members have an opportunity to serve and be fully engaged with the Chapter. Sorors will be notified of confirmed committee member appointments by the end of February. We will hold a special election for three (3) open positions during this month s meeting: Anti-Basileus (1-year term for 2014) Nominating Committee Member (1-year term for 2014) Ivy Leaf Reporter (2014-2015) As a reminder, no nominations will be taken from the floor as part of this special election. Only current financial members (2014 dues payment postmarked as of December 9, 2013) will be allowed to vote. Additional candidate and voting information will be provided in an upcoming Weekly Memo edition. Save the Dates: The AKA Legislative Weekend will take place February 16-17, 2014. There are plans to have a Town Hall meeting on February 16, 2014, followed by our Day at the Capitol on February 17, 2014. The 61 st Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference will be held April 3-6, 2014 in Raleigh, NC; registration materials will be available soon. Look for additional information in the Weekly Memo and on the Mid-Atlantic Region s website for these upcoming events. I look forward to an outstanding year in 2014 thank you for all you do! Yours in service, Soror Kendra Strategy, Service, Sisterhood
January 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Executive Committee Meeting 7:00 PM 3 4 General Membership Meeting 10:00 AM 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 (ILES) Leadership Training - Officers & Committee Chairmen - 8:30-2:00 PM - NRECA (Breakfast & Reg. 8:30-9:15 AM) 12 Metropolitan Founders Day - Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Bethesda, Maryland 13 14 Project StepOut - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM 15 16 17 Social Justice and Human Rights - Human Trafficking Movie Night 18 MLK Day of Service 19 MLK Sunday Supper (Bi-Monthly Meal Service) 20 21 22 23 24 25 EYL Activities 9:00 AM 1:00 PM 26 27 28 Project StepOut - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM 29 30 Executive Committee Meeting 7:00 PM 31 Leadership Training Workshop January 11 th Metropolitan Founders Day January 12 th
Congratulations to our 2014 Officers Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Zeta Chi Omega Chapter OFFICERS BASILEUS... Kendra Gillespie* ANTI-BASILEUS... TBD GRAMMATEUS... Katrina Anwar* ANTI-GRAMMATEUS... Chiquita King PECUNIOUS GRAMMATEUS... Crystal Lander* ANTI-PECUNIOUS GRAMMATEUS... Katrina Moss TAMIOUCHOS... Robin McCoy EPISTOLEUS... Gloria Bell HODEGOS... Melanie Henderson PHILACTER... Sherry Billingsley IVY LEAF REPORTER... TBD GRADUATE ADVISOR... Tiffany Montgomery* PARLIAMENTARIAN... Hazel Cameron Archivist... Monique Robinson Historian... Shirley Taylor NOMINATING COMMITTEE:... TBD, Chairman Hazel Cameron* Yvette Darnaby* Shi Evans* Cora King* Caroline Howard* Geraldine Howell Whitney Majette Patricia Thomas * Elected November 2013 3
Initiatives Soror Joy Page, Chairman Economic Security Initiative The Economic Security Initiative Committee participated in the Senior Citizens Holiday Luncheon. We were able to set up a resource table, which included information pertaining to legal assistance and senior transportation services. The information was well received by the senior citizens. Thank you for joining the December Third Thursday Wealth-Building Webinar. We hope that you walked away with tips to help you capitalize your assets in the new year. Project Giveback Community Service (L) Soror Monique Glover, EYL Girls, (R) Sorors Tamara Rowe, Carla Haynes Harper, Michele Crawley, Caroline Howard For our December 21 st meeting, our Emerging Young Leaders participated in the Alexandria Child Holiday Sharing project. Our girls reached out to the neediest in our community in these hard times by sorting toys at the distribution center. Please join us this month during the MLK service weekend, as we participate in a business clothing drive and career transition workshop for female veterans. FOUR FINANCIAL NEW YEAR S RESOLUTIONS TO CONSIDER 1. Eliminate credit card debt 2. Save more for retirement 3. Reduce monthly bills 4. Start an emergency fund Soror Caroline Howard, Chairman Soror Shani Provost, Co-Chairman Emerging Young Leaders (EYL) Committee Emerging Young Leaders Our Emerging Young Leaders did a fantastic job November 23 rd during Project Giveback. The number of food boxes they helped assemble for the needy was increased from 1,000 to 1,500 this year. Many of them worked from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM. The girls really helped to make a difference! EYL Girls Gather Sweet Potatoes for Thanksgiving Baskets UPCOMING MEETING Saturday, January 25, 2014. Nutrition & Fitness Workshop for Tweens Leader: Location: Time: Soror Dee Hillery Charles Houston Recreation Center 905 Wythe Street Alexandria, VA 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM For information contact: Soror Caroline Howard caroline83eyl@gmail.com 757-218-3338 or Soror Shani Provost shanipr@gmail.com 510-393-7159 4
Initiatives Global Poverty Initiative Sorors, as we begin our new year, let s reflect on the many blessings from 2013. This is the time to unfurl new gifts and to unveil new opportunities as the new year welcomes you. Soror Saundra McCullough-Cobey, Chairman Soror Adria M. T. Owens, Co-Chairman Global Poverty and Social Justice will have an opportunity to share, once again, in a moment of joy and pleasure with those who are homeless facing the start of another year. We will join forces to feed the homeless as part of our bi-monthly meal service at the Carpenter s Shelter located at 930 N. Henry Street, Alexandria, VA in 2014. The next meal service program is scheduled for Sunday, January 19, 2014. Lunch will be served from 12:00-1:00 PM. Global Poverty will take the lead for this meal service. If you are interested in volunteering on January 19 th, please contact Soror Saundra McCullough-Cobey at saundra.mcculloughcobey@verizon.net. Please wear comfortable clothing. Sorority paraphernalia is encouraged. As a reminder, the goals for the Global Poverty Initiative are to end hunger, preserve the environment and empower women. The program will provide food production skills and training in self-reliance through gifts of seeds, livestock and training in environmentally sound agriculture. Education in sustainable food practices will make women equal partners in ending poverty and hunger. Please consider volunteering to work on the Global Poverty Committee for 2014. It is rewarding, as well as a humbling experience. We would love to have you on the team. Thank you sorors, for your continued support. Happy New Year to you and yours! Officers Reports Soror Chiquita King Anti-Grammateus Greetings sorors! On Saturday, January 4, 2014, in preparation for the 2014 Directory, the Directory Committee will take photos (head shots) of newly transferred/ reactivating sorors, as well as sorors who do not have an existing photo in our database. The attire is black suit or dress. Picture taking will occur from 9:00-10:00AM and resume after the General Membership meeting. The 2014 Directory will include the following information about you: Name Birthdate Address Initiating chapter & year Telephone number(s) Email address Photograph PHOTOS FOR 2014 CHAPTER DIRECTORY 5 To ensure that the contents of the directory are accurate, please send any changes or corrections (e.g., address, telephone number) to Chiquita King at chiquita.king@gmail.com. You may also see me prior to the January General Membership meeting to confirm accuracy, as well. The Directory Committee will distribute the 2014 Zeta Chi Omega Chapter Directory at the March General Membership meeting. Sorors who are financially active by February 1, 2014 will be listed in the roster section of the directory. Please contact Chiquita King at chiquita.king@gmail.com with your questions or comments.
Officers Reports CONGRATULATIONS Hodegos Soror Melanie Henderson JANUARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRANTS Hazel Cameron - 1 Jessica Sims 1 Jennifer Wallace - 1 Sarah Bowers - 4 Caroline Howard - 4 Sandra Shelby Poindexter - 4 Kendra White - 4 Joyce Parrish - 7 Debra Saunders-White - 8 Geraldine Lewis - 11 Nadia Ryder - 11 Cora King - 12 Tawanda Thomas - 12 Beverly Anderson - 14 Martha Conner - 15 Zuwana Johnson - 16 Delores Copeland* - 18 Lisa Wilson 20 KenYata McClain - 21 Altonia Crenshaw - 22 Laura Velinor -22 Barbara Walker - 24 Susie Smith - 26 Yolanda Barbier Gibson - 30 Geraldine Howell - 30 Detisha Joy Page - 30 Clarice Crudup* - 31 Kellee Edmonds - 31 *Golden Soror Join the January birthday celebrants for lunch after the Chapter meeting at Delia s Mediterranean Restaurant located at 209 Swamp Fox Road, Alexandria, VA. On January 3, 2014, Silver Star Cynthia Denise Longshaw, will retire from the Federal Government after a total of 24 years of service. GET WELL WISHES Please keep Soror Lula Lang-Jeter in your prayers as she recovers from surgery. She is home doing well. Soror Belinda Shaw had hip replacement surgery on December 23rd and is recuperating at home. Please keep Soror Belinda in your thoughts and prayers. Sorors, please continue to keep our sorors and their families lifted up in prayer who may suffering a loss, illness, or difficulty during this time, and let s continue to celebrate and encourage each other as we continue to serve all mankind. Happy New Year Sorors! Sorors, when signing in at Chapter meetings, Philacter please ensure that your information printed on the Soror Sherry Billingsley roster is correct. If not, please update it. You may email your updated information to s.billings1908@gmail.com. REMINDER: If you invite a guest soror to a meeting, please inform her to bring proper credentials in order to attend the meeting. The credentials required must be one of the following: A financial card (old or current) A copy of her certificate A faxed verification letter or an email confirmation from the Corporate Office. Please don t forget to turn in your voter s card at the sign-in table at the end of each Chapter meeting. 6
Officers Reports Pecunious Grammateus Soror Crystal Lander Payment Received Postmarked by December 31, 2014 Paid in person at January 4, 2014 meeting Postmarked by January 20, 2014 Chapter Dues/Assessments Happy New Year Sorors! I am extremely excited to serve, and I thank all of you for your support. As a reminder, Chapter dues for 2014 are $255 (life members dues are $165). After February 1, 2014, the Corporate Office will apply a $20 late fee to chapter dues. In order to allow time for processing to meet the Corporate Office deadline of February 1, 2014, payment must be received according to the following schedule: Payment Processed January 15, 2014 January 15, 2014 January 31, 2014 IMPORTANT: Dues postmarked after January 20, 2014, will not be processed until after February 1, 2014 and must include the late fee. Late payment (payment postmarked after January 20) without the late fee will not be processed. Please make your checks payable to Zeta Chi Omega. Mail your payment to: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Zeta Chi Omega Chapter P.O. Box 25763 Alexandria, Virginia 22313 NOTE: Payments should not be sent to the address of any Chapter member. This will allow us to properly log and track payments received. Key Reminders for Timely Processing Make sure your check is signed. Checks without signatures will be returned, resulting in a delay in processing your payment. Do not send payments via certified mail, or any delivery requiring a signature. Certified or registered mail may be returned, resulting in further delays in processing payments. If your name and address is not printed on your check, please write your name and address and specify in the memo section the purpose of the payment. This will assist us in identifying the source of payment, avoiding potential delays in processing your payment. If your name has changed, is hyphenated, etc., make sure your check reflects the current name in our records (you can still use your old checks, but put your current name in the memo section). Visit the Corporate website and enter the Members Only section to update your contact information. This will assist us in identifying you if names don t match when we are conducting mass payment. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority operates on a calendar year basis. Membership cards are valid from January 1 through December 31. All dues and assessments are due and payable January 1 of each year and are subject to a late fee of $20 if received after February 1 Bylaws, Article VII, Section 1-19. If you paid your dues after the December 9th postmark deadline, please be mindful that you will not be listed on the January Chapter member roster. Feel free to contact me (akacrystallander@yahoo.com) if you have any questions about these or any other Sororityrelated financial matters. 7
Committee Reports Awards Committee Soror Carla Haynes Harper, Chairman Soror Amirah Salaam, Co-Chairman MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL AWARDS The 61 st Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference will be held April 3-6, 2014, in Raleigh, NC. In efforts to continue ZXΩ s winning strategy, the Awards Committee request that you start now to prepare your award portfolios to showcase your hard work and service throughout 2013. A complete listing of the Regional Awards can be found in The Awards Handbook on the Mid-Atlantic Region s website, including an updated version of the General Guidelines. Award submissions will automatically be returned if the requirements and documentation are not complete, so please review the Awards Handbook for information on the criteria and report format for each award. MAR Scrapbook Party Mark Your Calendar! The Awards Committee is excited to announce the first MAR Scrapbook Party, which will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2014 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM at Martha Washington Library - 6614 Fort Hunt Rd, Alexandria, VA. Please bring your scrapbook, documents, photos and embellishments. Committee members will be available to review scrapbooks and assist with the layout and design. MAR Awards Nomination & Submission Deadlines DEADLINE EVENT SUBMIT VIA EMAIL Jan. 31, 2014 Global Leadership Through Timeless Service Amirah S. Salaam Electronic submissions due (.doc or.ppt format) asalaam3@hotmail.com SUBMIT IN-PERSON LEE CENTER Jan. 31, 2014 Exhibit/Arts & Crafts applications Amirah S. Salaam Feb. 1, 2014 All scrapbooks and portfolios due Carla Haynes Harper Lee Center - from 9:30-10:00 AM 8
Committee Reports Educational Advancement Foundation, Inc. (EAF) Soror Sade Demery, Captain Soror Angela Turner, Chairman NPHC NoVA Committee Happy New Year Sorors! The mission of EAF is to promote lifelong learning by securing charitable contributions, gifts, and endowment funds to award scholarships, fellowships and grants. During the 61st Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference s EAF event, chapters will be recognized for their contributions to EAF. Zeta Chi Omega can be one of the chapters recognized this year! In order to be recognized, we must first make a chapter donation that meets the requirement of one of three levels of chapter contributions: Silver, Gold, or Platinum. Silver level; Chapter size of 201 or more members donation of $500 Gold level; $1000 Platinum level; $1500 As EAF Chapter Captain, I am asking every Chapter member to please donate $15 each towards the Zeta Chi Omega Chapter contribution. There are also opportunities for Individual Contribution and Century Level of Giving to donate to the EAF. Make your check out to Zeta Chi Omega, and on the memo line, put Details are forthcoming for recognition at the 61st MARC. The National Pan-Hellenic Council of Northern Virginia ended its year with a meeting/dinner at King Street Blues in Kingstowne, VA. Representatives from each Greek Letter Organization attended, and a great time was had by all. Upcoming activities include: Phi Beta Sigma Centennial Founders Day Gala Saturday, January 11, 2014. The gala will be held at the Renaissance Hotel, 999 9 th Street, N.W., Washington, DC from 7:00 PM -12:00 AM. Honorees include Brothers John Lewis, Al Sharpton, and Edolphus Towns. Other featured guests include Brothers Malik Yoba, Terrence Howard, and Former President, Bill Clinton. Tickets are $100/person and can be purchased at http:// pbs100.eventbrite.com. Tables can be reserved by contacting Brother Charles Young at pbs100dc@gmail.com. NPHC of NOVA Movie Night Fundraiser About Last Night starring Kevin Hart and Michael Ealy February 2014. Details are still being finalized. NPHC of NOVA Card Party Kappa Facility in Alexandria, VA tentative date is April 11, 2014. Details are still being finalized. NPHC of NOVA Movie Night Fundraiser Think Like a Man Too June 2014. Details are still being finalized. The National Pan-Hellenic Council of Northern Virginia meets on the 1 st Tuesday of every month unless otherwise stated. Contact: Soror Angela Turner (adt63@aol.com) for additional information. 9
Ivy Foundation of Northern Virginia The 55 th Annual Cooley Moore Scholarship Luncheon Fashion (LFS) Polished Chic: Style, Grace, and Elegance The 55 th Annual Luncheon Fashion Show committee extends our sincere appreciation to Zeta Chi Omega Chapter for your outstanding support for a successful event. Our goal was to raise $16,000 scholarship funding to assist students in offsetting the growing cost of attending colleges/universities. Your commitment, dedication, time and persistence helped us over achieve that goal by raising $21,490. We sincerely thank you for your support. A quote from one of the scholarship recipients: I would like to thank you for the generous scholarship that you have awarded me through the Ivy Foundation of Northern Virginia (IFNV). I was extremely thrilled and honored to learn that I was selected as the recipient for the Cooley Moore Scholarship. The University of Mary Washington would not have been possible for me had it not been for your generosity. I hope that I can make the most of my time here and contribute back to the community just as much as the foundation has. Sorors, this is the difference you make! "Individually, we are one drop, together, we are an ocean." Again, thank you for being a part of the LFS Ocean! Please mark your calendars for the 56th Annual Cooley Moore Scholarship Luncheon Fashion Show (LFS) to be held on Sunday, November 16, 2014 at the McLean Hilton, Tysons Corner, VA. Lula Hicks and Saundra McCullough-Cobey LFS Chairmen 10
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Zeta Chi Omega Chapter P.O. Box 25763 Alexandria, Virginia 22313 Email address: zetachiomega@gmail.com Website: www.aka-zco.org Basileus, Kendra Gillespie Anti-Basileus, TBD Grammateus, Katrina Anwar Anti-Grammateus, Chiquita King Tamiouchos, Robin McCoy Pecunious Grammateus, Crystal Lander Anti-Pecunious Grammateus, Katrina Moss Epistoleus, Gloria Bell Parliamentarian, Hazel Cameron EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Archivist, Monique Robinson Scholarship Committee, Dianne Burns Connection Committee, Gretchen Johnson Membership Committee, Cora King Standards Committee, Vanessa Jackson Awards Committee, Carla Haynes Harper Contracts Committee, Irma Bogan Protocol Committee, Bonnie Jones-Moon Technology Committee, Nekia Freeman Ivy Leaf Reporter, TBD Hodegos, Melanie Henderson Graduate Advisor, Tiffany Montgomery Philacter, Sherry Billingsley Immediate Past Basileus, Michelle M. Jones Nominating Committee: TBD, Chairman Hazel Cameron, Yvette Darnaby, Shi Evans, Cora King, Caroline Howard, Geraldine Howell, Whitney Majette, Patricia Harris Thomas The Ivyette Editor: Production Staff: Gloria Bell (contactgloria@verizon.net) C. Starr Garrett Stephanie Woodland Kelly Jeanette Martin Patricia Wallace