Little Known Alpha Fact of the Quarter
When the literary/social club began it was composed of 12 individuals (10 guys, 2 girls). The girls withdrew due
to being outnumbered. [Sphinx April 1917 page 6]
NOVEMBER FIFTH
ISSUE
10
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
December
2014February
2015
Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter
Dallas, TX (e.1932)
Congratulations & Kudos
We’d like to extend well wishes and congratulatory praise to the following brothers for excelling/
venturing into new territories in their respective fields, in Alpha and life in general.
Career
Have Information
you want
the Chapter to know?
Bro. Nicholas C. Johnson - Gear Up Family/Financial Literacy Advocate at Desoto ISD
Bro. Michael Johnson—School (Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploratory Academy) Recognized
Nationally as Great American School
Get in contact with :
Life
Bro. Wallace T. Ford, Jr.
Bro. Martin Brown— Birth of child
Bro. Tavin K. Dillon
Social
Bro. Nicholas C. Johnson
Bro. Arthur Fleming—Elected as NAACP (Dallas Chapter) President
In this issue (cont.)
In this issue
College Bros Corner P.4
MLK Candlelight P.1
ASL New Initiates P.4
President’s Corner P.2
TCAC District Convention P.5
General Elections P.2
Upcoming Events P.5
Brothers’ Keeper P.3
Get to Know A Brother P.5
SWR Convention Call P.3
Little Known Facts/Contacts P.6
Reclamation 2015 P.4
Congrats & Kudos P.6
“Pursue A Positive Dream; Believe It, Achieve It”
Martin Luther King, Jr. Candlelight Ceremony
Education
Bro. Matt Houston—Master of Business Administration (Texas Christian University)
Bro. Ken Martin—Master of Business Administration (University of Dallas)
NOVEMBER FIFTH Issue 10 DECEMBER 2014
Alpha Sigma Lambda
On Friday, January 16,
2015 Alpha Sigma Lambda
chapter will continue its tradition of paying our untiring respects to the ultimate
“Dreamer.” The annual
MLK Candlelight Ceremony will occur at 7pm at
the MLK Center Gymnasium. This year’s speaker
will be the Pastor of the St.
Luke “Community” United
Methodist Church, Dr.
Michael Bowie.
After the message we will
walk to the MLK Statue by
candlelight and have a little
ceremony that will be lead
by the brothers of Alpha
Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Please help us in the
continued success of this
event. As always this event
is free to the public.
P.O. Box 150303
Dallas, TX 75315
469-251-ASL7
email: [email protected]
www.dallasalphas.com
Dallas Alphas 6
Dallas Alphas 1
President’s Corner
Upcoming Events
General Elections
Candidates for General President and Comptroller
Greetings Brothers of A Phi A:
Since the last President’s corner there
has been a lot of things going on that has
affected our community as a whole. Over
the past few years it seems as more
things change, the more things stay the
same. I like everyone else am at a loss
for words dealing with the blatant and
rampant killings of “black lives” by the
people who have sworn to protect us.
This goes back to my statement before,
the laws weren’t meant to protect us. I
think about the many young black men
whose lives are cut short due to the simple fact that they are black. And I wonder what we are doing to make sure this
does not happen.
Brothers it is time that we take charge
and get active in our community, not
just the communities where we live but
the black community. It is imperative
that we get engaged in the struggle for
equal rights especially at this moment of
utter disrespect. A young brother asked
what is ASL doing for these different
campaigns against police brutality. My
answer to that is the things that Alpha
has been doing since the beginning fight
for justice. But, there can’t be a fight
unless there is a plan of action. So my
call to action for brothers in Alpha
Sigma Lambda is to get involved in protesting the social injustice in our community. When we as a chapter have
community events we need you there to
show solidarity and support for what our
founders and countless other Alphas
have done. In the words of Mahatma
Ghandi, "You must be the change you
wish to see in the world."
Dallas Alphas 2
Cold & Classy Affair – Fri, Dec 12, 2014;
7pm @ Alpha Sigma Lambda House
The following brothers are certified to be candidates for the
nomination and election to the office of General President of Alpha
Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.:
James L. Crumel Sr. [Omicron Upsilon Lambda, '88]
Aaron Crutison Sr. [Alpha Epsilon, '83]
Ralph Johnson [Kappa Alpha, '79]
Sean L. McCaskill Sr. [Xi Sigma, '90]
Darren Morton [Xi Psi, '87]
Steven Sims [Delta Alpha Lambda, '89]
Everett B. Ward [Pi Lambda, '85]
The following brother is certified to be a candidate for the
nomination and election the office of Comptroller of Alpha Phi
Alpha Fraternity, Inc.:
Chapter Meeting – Sat, Dec 13, 2014; 4pm
@ Alpha Sigma Lambda House
Christmas Giveaway – Sat, Dec 20, 2014
Christmas—Thurs, Dec 25, 2014
New Year’s Eve—Wed, Dec 31, 2014
Theme: Moving Forward- The Past, the present, the progress.
The Texas Council of Alpha Chapters Annual District Convention will be
held February 12-15, 2015 at the Renaissance Dallas Richardson Hotel.
The chapters of Rho Nu Lambda and Tau Xi are the host chapters.
Early Bird registrations ends December 31, 2014.
The candidates may campaign at individual chapters, districts and
regions. Candidate forums will be held at the regional and
general convention only. Please refer to the Protocol and
Procedure for the Certification, Nomination and Election of
General Officers for the guidelines that candidates and brothers are
expected to follow.
Chapter Meeting – Sat, Jan 10, 2015; 4pm @
Alpha Sigma Lambda House
Alpha Merit – MLK Event; Fri, Jan 16-Sat,
Jan 17, 2015
MLK Candlelight Ceremony—Fri, Jan 16,
2015
Donald E. Jackson [Xi Kappa Lambda, '85]
These brothers are certified in accordance with the Alpha Phi
Alpha Fraternity Constitution and By-Laws, and the Protocol and
Procedure for the Certification, Nomination and Election of
General Officers.
New Year’s Day—Thurs, Jan 1, 2015
Get to Know a Brother
What is your name? Jeffrey Greenwood
MLK Day—Mon, Jan 19, 2015
Black History Month—Feb 1-28
Where were you born? New Braunfels, TX
TCAC District Convention—Feb 12-15,
2015; Richardson, TX
Where have you lived? San Antonio, TX and Dallas TX
Valentine’s Day—Sat, Feb 14, 2015
Where did you attend college? Texas State University (formerly Southwest
Texas State University)
President’s Day—Mon, Feb 16, 2015
When/where did you come into the word of Alpha? Fall 1999 - Mu Nu Chapter Texas State University
Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras—Tues, Feb 17,
2015
Ash Wednesday—Wed, Feb 18, 2015
What made you choose Alpha over other fraternities? The leadership of the Alpha men on campus
What is your occupation? IT Project Delivery Manager
Are you married? If so, what is your wife’s name? Yes, married 3 years to Kim
Greenwood
Do you have any children? One daughter, Kai - age 15
What are your hobbies/what do you do in your free time? Drawing, working out,
technology
What drew you to Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter? The urge to get active again
and The Alpha Merit Program
Dallas Alphas 5
Brothers’ Keeper Corner
69th SWR Convention Call
“The Benefits of Rest”
College Brothers’
Corner
People everywhere complain about not getting enough sleep, yet
they continue to push themselves relentlessly. Writings and other
presentations of Matthew Edlund, MD, MOH, a noted physician
and author were reviewed for the following presentation.
Rest, is shaped by Leisure activity, Human relaxation, or Sleep.
Realistically rest is best associated with sleep; a state of muscle
relaxation and limited perception of environmental stimuli. It is a
naturally recurring state characterized by altered consciousness,
relatively inhibited sensory activity, and inhibition of nearly all
voluntary muscles.[1] It is distinguished from wakefulness by a
decreased ability to react to stimuli, and it is more easily reversible
than being in hibernation or a coma.
While sleep has been determined to be crucial for good health, it
alone may not be sufficient to restore health. To address this inequity a 30-day rest make-over program based on four central types
of active rest was designed by the doctor and includes the following components:
• Physical Rest focuses on the body and provokes calm, relaxation,
mental alertness, and better health.
• Mental Rest involves focusing intelligently on your environment.
• Social Rest means using the power of social connectedness to
relax.
• Spiritual Rest is the practice of community whereby we renew
and revitalize ourselves.
From Dr. Edlund’s many years of research notes one can be provided a treasure of fascinating ideas and interpretations of the
rhythms of our body clocks and the amount of sleep people need.
Ultimately he concludes that during rest the body is provided opportunity to rebuild, renew, rewire, and re-create itself.
He suggests developing 1. a sleep ritual, 2. doing the Mountain
Pose at the start of the day, or learning the art of taking naps. He
discusses self-hypnosis, ear popping, different gradations of social
connection, thinking like a fly, dealing with multitasking and boredom, and living between energy and information. Most interesting
is Dr. Edlund's contention that we can tune our lives: it all has to
do with balance by going FAR — an acronym of using Food, Activity, and Rest.
Though many years of research with his patients, Dr Edlund concludes that people are not just sleep deprived but rest deprived.
By the authority vested in me by the constitution and by-laws
of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Southwestern
Region, I hereby issue the official “Convention Call” for the
69th Annual Southwestern Regional Convention. We will
convene April 9-12, 2015 in Dallas, Texas at the Intercontinental Dallas. There, we promise to Challenge You, Inform
You, and Inspire You as we focus on the theme “Alpha Impact: Year Two – Impacting our Community.” What does
this “Impacting our Community” mean for the Southwestern
Region? This is a challenge to every Alpha Man to recommit
himself to the true principles and precepts of our dear Fraternity – those upon which we were founded -- manly deeds,
scholarship and love for all mankind. This is a response to
the urgency surrounding the needs manifested in the demise
of countless young black males in the States of Arkansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. This is a charge to Alpha
Men to be the leaders, servants and change-agents needed to
transform our communities and revolutionize the Alpha
Brand locally, nationally, and globally. Finally, this is a celebration of the rich legacies and contributions made by Alpha
Men in their communities over the years. At this regional
convention you can expect to see Alpha ingenuity at its best
through an impressive array of workshops, presentations and
activities. In addition to receiving critical updates and training, you will be engaged in critical conversations on our plan
to move the Southwestern Region to a new level of greatness. If we are to be effective in “Impacting our Community”
we must develop stronger brothers and stronger chapters. The host chapters from the Texas District, under the
leadership of the Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter, are promising a regional convention to remember. All brothers are
encouraged to register, bring their wives, special guests, and
family members to take part in the excitement. I call all
brothers to serve…I call all brothers to lead…I call all brothers to make an impact. I will see you in Dallas!
Dallas Alphas 3
Salute to our young brothers of Eta Epsilon chapter who
have satisfied the requirements to earn their respective
degrees!!
Bro. Julian Jones—BA Accounting
Reclamation is a key factor in
moving Alpha Forward. We encourage
you to join us as we work to Reclaim and
Retain our Brothers. Please help to
ensure that the fire for our “Dear A-PhiA” continues to burn bright in those who
diligently toil to “Hold High the Name”.
We must reignite the flame in the hearts
of our brothers who have become disenfranchised from the Fraternity. With this
in mind we implore each Brother within
Alpha Sigma Lambda chapter to invite
and bring a brother with you to an event
or a meeting.
There is a direct correlation between
our Membership Retention and living up
Bro. Dapo Opegbemi—BS Biology
to the principles and ideals of
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
ASL Welcomes New Members Furthermore, each Brother must do a self
-examination and recognize that Alpha
7 young men were initiated into Alpha Phi Phi Alpha is like any other entity in your
life, if you put nothing into it, you will
Alpha Fraternity, Inc via Alpha Sigma
get nothing out of it. Our organization
Lambda Chapter last month. They are: and the state that it is in is a direct
representation of the men in it. So
#1 Bruce Young= "Iceberg"
with that being said let’s reclaim our
#2 Bartley Lotterberry= " Snow Storm" brothers to the House of Alpha!
Bro. Michael Ogundipe—BS Biology
#3 Joseph Gill = "IceTrey"
#4 Van Williams= " Phrozen Proverb"
#5 Charles Dodson = " Avalanche"
#6 Tommy Deboskie= "Black Ice"
#7 Hassan Haqq= " Deep Freeze"
Fraternally,
Brother Maurice D. Gipson, J.D.
Regeneration is how the body works and what keeps it going.
Scholars Making Dollars!!!!
Reclamation 2015
Vice President
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Southwestern Region
Let’s congratulate these young men as
they have fulfilled the necessities to be
called an Alpha Man!
Dallas Alphas 4