Zeta Upsilon Omega Chapter

PINK PEARLS OF SERVICE Zeta Upsilon Omega Chapter

December 14, 2013

Message from the Basileus Greetings Sorors, It is with great excitement and anticipation that we look forward to a brand new year in 2014.

Thank you for your commitment and service over the past 12 months. Your efforts helped Zeta Upsilon Omega Chapter to increase its membership, create new partnerships and uplift hundreds of youth and families in our community.

In the coming year, we anticipate another year of growth and promise. We will forge ahead to create new and nurture existing relationships. We will also embark on improving our technology and implement sustainable best practices to improve our chapter operations.

Together, we can achieve more! Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success.

Happy Birthday Sorors Dec. 1—Soror Denise FosterWilliams Dec. 2—Soror NaKena Cromartie Dec. 7—Soror Delphinia Davis Dec. 8—Soror Lounell Britt Dec. 8—Soror Keturah Pittman Dec. 8—Soror Jenee Skipper Dec. 9—Soror Gwen Anderson Dec. 10—Soror Evyan Gordon Dec. 10—Soror Verbenia Wells

Dec. 22—Soror Dharvette Reid

Let us continue to pray for our sorority and join together in the spirit of sisterhood and service.

Dec. 23—Soror Asjana Swain

Sisterly,

Dec. 26—Soror Bettye Newsome

Soror Crystal L. Pruitt

Dec. 24—Soror Nathalia Jeffrey-Fort Dec. 29—Soror Mary Franklin

In This Issue

ZUO Members Attend Cluster II Conference in Clearwater, Florida.

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AKA AKAlades

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Program Reports

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Committee Reports

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Upcoming Events

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Announcements

Committee Reports

Education Committee Education Committee had a conference call meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 3 and discussed the following items: ACT Practice Test held Saturday, Dec. 7 at Eckerd College, Sheen Auditorium.

Committee made recommendation for Chapter to continue support the David Welch Scholarship contingent on funding. A formal recommendation will be presented at next Executive Board meeting in December. This scholarship is open only to students within the AKAdemy.

Update on Middle School tutoring, specifically the Iready Program. Soror Nicole Johnson informed the committee that she is waiting for response from JWB. Soror Manitia informed the committee that we will need sorors to be trained by JWB on the Iready Program.

Update on the creation of Soror Vivian Rouson Scholarship This scholarship is opened to Soror’s child/children. A recommendation will be presented and voted on at Sorority Meeting on Saturday, Dec. 14.

Discussion of Merit Scholarship to be open to AKAdemy students only. Committee members did not agree that we should close these scholarships to students within the local community, and to offer to GEMS and Pathfinders only. Therefore, all Merit Scholarships will remain open to all students within the St. Petersburg community. The David Welch Scholarship will remain open to all GEMS and Pathfinders.

AKA Connection The AKA Connection in partnership with the Health Committee sponsored a community information event on Dec. 3 at Enoch Davis Center.

The topic was Affordable Healthcare.

During the event, Navigators spoke on their roles and understanding the process for securing health insurance through the Affordable Healthcare Market Place. Six sorors and 14 guests were in attendance.

Submitted by Soror Sharon Jackson

Discussion of upcoming EYL Black History Month Presentation. Chairman Lena Wilfalk made a request from committee members to forward suggested topics to be presented to students at EYL Orientation on Thursday Dec.12, 2013.

Submitted by: Soror Lena L. Wilfalk, Chairman Soror Nicole Johnson, Co-chairman Soror Carolyn Turner and Soror Sharon Jackson with Pinellas County Health Navigators

Global Leadership Through Timeless Service

AKAonomics Networking Mixer Our AKAonomics Business Mixer was held on Nov. 14 at Sylvia’s Soul Food Restaurant.

The guest Speaker was

EYL Students and Staff Members Participate in Career Fair

Dr. Cynthia Johnson from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Dr. Johnson informed the group of various classes and services offered by SBDC. Dr. Johnson also shared with us the need to be specific to your purpose. Whether you’re seeking a loan or trying to increase profits, SBDC will show you the best format for your purpose, and the best sources for research to guide your plan.

The various classes start from $10 - $25. The office is located at 13805 58th Street North.

Suite1-200 in Clearwater or you may call Dr. Johnson at her office 727-453-7000.

Other highlights included our vendors: The Family Dental Boutique owned by Dr. Nathalia Fort, LaFaye’s Boutque, LLC a clothing retail owned by Hilda Harrell, Bay Area Natural Hair promoting healthy hair owned by Marcina Williams, Urban Exposure, Inc. a Marketing & PR group owned by Rinita Anderson. Submitted by Soror Bettye Newsome

Emerging Young Leaders The Emerging Young Leaders Committee received applicants from 13 Gems seeking entrance into the Emerging Young Leaders Program. All 13 applicants were accepted and will join the 11 remaining EYL’ers for the 2013-2014 Program Year.

EYL Orientation EYL Orientation will take place on Thursday December 12th from 6:00pm-7:30pm at the Child’s Park YMCA. All new and returning EYL’ers are expected to attend.

EYL Service Projects Keeping with the tradition of providing the girls with community service opportunities, the EYL’ers will participate in one of their favorites service projects on Saturday December 21, 2013. The girls will be participating in the Neighbor to Neighbor Program Toybox Event at the Child’s Park YMCA. EYL Retreat The EYL Annual Retreat will take place on Saturday January 11, 2014 from 3 p.m.to 7 p.m. at the Childs Park YMCA. A special thank you to Soror Nakena and Soror Jasmine Clark for once again offering to do engaging workshops for the girls. Sorors if you have a workshop topic or are interested in conducting a retreat activity please contact Soror Lisa.

Upcoming Events EYL Black History Month Presentation presented in partnership with the Education Committee. Please stay tuned for more information and dates that will be forthcoming.

EYL’ers Served to Date: 56 young ladies. Within those 56 ladies we have had girls who have gone on to be Student Body Presidents, Class Presidents, Honor Roll, Principals List, Accepted into Programs, etc.

Sorors, as you can see from the above mentioned activities, the Sorors on the EYL Committee have been very busy with the planning of our Sorority’s Signature Program. As we enter the final year of the EYL Program as the Signature Program, please make an effort to show your support to our EYL’ers and the EYL Committee who work so very hard to plan and present programming consistent with the high standards of Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Sisterly, Soror Lisa L. Brody EYL Chairman

Committee Reports

AKAlades

Membership Matters

Congratulations

Love Your Sister Day—Dec. 14, 2013 Sisterhood is the essence of all the wisdom of the ages, distilled into a single word. You cannot see sisterhood, neither can you hear it or taste it. But you can feel it a hundred times a day..." 

We will move forward with our request to conduct MIP in 2014.

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Reclamation 2013—Reclaiming Our Missing Pearls for Timeless Service. Invite an inactive soror to sorority meeting.

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Joint Founders Day—Jan. 25. Early registration ends Dec. 14.

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Encourage dues payment by Dec. 31.

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Chapter dues waived for undergraduates immediately following graduation.

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Assessment for a Golden Soror is waived.

Soror Deborah Figgs-Sanders for receiving the 2014 Robin Lynn Young Spirit Award at Cluster II Conference in Clearwater.

Soror Deborah Figgs-Sanders accepts the Robin Lynn Young Spirit Award

Upcoming Activities 

Themed meetings with goodies

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AKAlades

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Membership Survey

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5th Friday Socials

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Sisterly Relations Activities

AKAlades Congratulations Soror Lisa Brody for receiving an appointment to the Bayfront Center Hospital Board.

Submitted by Soror Joi Davies

Technology Committee The committee is working diligently with our website designer to complete our new website. We’re moving closer to completion date

which is estimated to be no later than January 11, 2014. We are putting the final touches on the website and creating the Members Only section. Training also has to take place before

we “go live”. Thank you for your patience.

Committee Reports

Health Committee

Fundraising Committee The ladies of Zeta Upsilon Omega Chapter along with the men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity will hold its annual Holiday Celebration at 8 p.m. on Dec. 20 at the Hilton Hotel.

Many thanks to the sorors who came out to support our Diabetes Chronicles health conversation last month.

UPCOMING EVENTS Feb. 1—Healthy Bodies/Healthy Minds Workshop

Tickets cost $30.

Must sell 10 tickets to reserve a table by Dec. 14.

If you still have not met your chapter assessment, you can get credit up to $15 for each ticket sold.

Feb. 7—Pink Goes Red

Social Justice Committee Angel Tree project in partnership with Global Poverty committee, provided gifts for 32 children on Dec. 7 at Faith Memorial Missionary Baptist Church, 1800 18th Avenue South in St. Petersburg.

CASA We will collect food Items or grocery store gift cards to help CASA families. Contacts: Soror Tamara Felton Howard and Soror Earline Gilbert.

Sell, Sell, Sell holiday dance tickets!

Black Family The committee will discontinue its collection of

coupons after December. We collected 1,117 coupons in November.

Donations: On behalf of the chapter, the committee has made a $200 donation to the following community organizations: Opera-

tion Attack, Clothes to Kids, and YMCA Family Village. A donation of $150 will help purchase calling cards for military troops to call

The Timeless History committee is compiling the material submitted by all Basilei and updating the membership roster for all decades. A more detailed report will be given at our next meeting.

home and $150 for Craft Kits for our veterans. Also, $120 was sent to Heifer to purchase flocks and three families will benefit from gifts of $20 each.

Submitted by Soror Earline Gilber

Submitted by Soror Myrtle Williams.

AKA AKAdemy Juvenile Welfare Board Update

Upcoming Events

The AKAdemy is looking to rent space from the Enoch Davis Center. The YDF AKAdemy budget will be revised to include the allocation of the following: Enoch Davis Center, 1111 18th Ave. South

Dec.14 Coastal Conservation, Canoeing and Scavenger Hunt for Middle School Pathfinders.

Environmental Conference at Weedon Island 8:30 a.m.– 2 p.m.

Keyed access to half of computer lab in rear/west end of building. Monthly payment of $147 for 10’ x 20’ space. Rental period is Dec 1 thru Sept 30. Rental fee for remainder of FY13-14 from AKAdemy budget: $1470 Benefits: The space will offer us access to the AKAdemy computer and printer at the following times: Mon– Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon, Tue and Thu, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. or concurrent with AKAdemy activities on Saturdays.

Location for the storage of “locking” AKAdemy files for staff auditing by JWB staff during annual site visit.

Opportunity to establish office hours for students/parents to drop off grades, applications, permission forms and/or pick up T-shirts, books, etc.

Mailing address would remain the same – PO Box 16784, St. Pete, FL 33733

Dec. 20 and 21 N2N Toy Box Setup/Toy Box Dec. 22 AKAdemy and Alumni Holiday Party

Dec. 28 Bowling or Skating Incentive

Submitted by Soror Manitia Moultrie

Community Service Project

St. Petersburg College MLK Grant The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Project Executive Committee and Team awarded the ZUO chapter one of many 2014 MLK Day of Service Awards.

ZUO was awarded a grant in the amount of $3,932.38 to carry out our MLK Day of Service Project.

The Starling School and Daycare was selected for our project which will be held on Monday, January 20, 2014.

Our goal is to encourage a sense of pride in school and the community. By making physical improvements to the school grounds will revitalize the school’s appearance and beautify the neighborhood. Another goal is to foster a love of reading at an early age and promote reading comprehension. We want to provide Kindle tablets for six teachers and books as a means to instill in the children that learning to read is fun and they must know how to read in order to be successful in school. We also want to promote healthy eating at a young age by supporting the school’s garden project. The children will be involved first hand with growing their own fresh vegetables. Sign-up at Sorority meeting to volunteer.

Submitted by Soror Cassandra Williams