President’s Pointers by Shirley M. Johnson Sorors, a new day, a new year, a new beginning! We are thinking in terms of newness. We may feel as if we have emerged out an old place in to a new one, as if we are taking hold of a new life. Today, as we approach 2017, remember that we have a charge to keep. We must stay true to our commitment of sisterhood, scholarship and service, while continuing to support our programs, projects and events. Let us fill our minds and hearts with positive thoughts so that our actions and experiences will be rewarding!
women realizing the vision of our 22 Illustrious Founders. See the Insert for more details. Also, the Southwest Region TX/New Mexico State Summit will be held on February 10-12, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. Finally, we’re doing big things at our 53rd National Convention in Las Vegas, NV. August 3rd through 9th. Sorors, let’s make this year our BEST year. This is certainly OUR TIME TO SHINE!
May you have a blessed New Year and a very happy Founders Day!
We have two amazing Delta learning and growing opportunities to take advantage of as we move into this New Year: In honor of our 22 Illustrious Founders this January 28th, we, along with the Greater Houston Area Chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., will celebrate our inspiring and revered history and our progress as a powerful sisterhood of
Metropolitan Leadership
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Program STOPlight: Physical & Mental Health
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Detour to Grace & Gratitude Committee Crossroads
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Membership Services Budget & Finance
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HMAC in Pictures (Online) Visit: http://bit.ly/TorchJan17 to view photos.
Executive Board Meeting Monday, January 9, 2017 6:30 pm Metropolitan Place 5441 Trafalgar Drive General Chapter Meeting Saturday, January 14, 2017 10:00 am Metropolitan Place 5441 Trafalgar Drive Business Attire
HMAC Sisters Lighting the Way: dFree in 2017! Congratulations to the members of the dFree Training class presented by Houston Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter. The Economic Development Committee continues to shatter records and make us HMAC Proud! Check out the pictures from their final day!
Note: All meetings will begin promptly and as scheduled. Hostess assignments are listed on the Insert page.
Congratulations Graduates!
I am I competition with no one. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone. I am simply trying to be a better person than the person I was yesterday.
Program STOPlight: Setting the PACE! Shirley M. Johnson President Eryka Robinson 1st Vice-President
The inaugural P.A.C.E. Conference (Prepare, Achieve, Create and Educate) presented with our community youth in mind, was a great success! Thank you to our partners at the Hiram Clarke Multi-Service Center and all who worked to make this event a success!
Check out these pictures!
Keesha Bone-Smith 2nd Vice-President Candra O. Lacy Corresponding Secretary Karen Jackson Recording Secretary Patricia Allison Financial Secretary Elizabeth Humphrey Ja’Milla K. Lomas Assistant Financial Secretaries Sherri L. Daniels Treasurer Mary Kaye Childs-Henry Chaplain Jacquelyn Blossom Delta Internal Development Cassandra Brooks Historian Pamela Cashaw Journalist Gloria Hays Keeper of Properties Barbara Branch Parliamentarian Victoria Lackey Cynthia Larkin Sergeants-at-Arms Chemene Jackson Webmaster
Detour to Grace and Gratitude “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17 2017 will be a time of refreshing for us. Our community and all we meet will be better because we will live up to our cardinal principles and virtues as women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Dear Lord, Thank you for a new year filled with fresh grace and countless opportunities. Lead me to your heart, your word and your ways as I purpose to live out your love through my giving and service in 2017. Amen. Prayer Requests Please keep the following members and their families in prayer: Mary Culpepper Margaret Henson Zoia Jones Karen Jackson
Eryka Robinson Brenda Sanders Donna Scott Dannie Simmons Judy Smith Sonya Smith-Watson Demita Sweet Vivian Vincent LaDonna Wynn January Birthdays * Stephanie Adams Felicia Berry-Washington Jacqueline W. Bostic Barbara Branch Janae’ Branch Cheryl Douglas Gabrielle Floyd Katrice Baisey Galloway Joyce Smith Handy Trista Huckleberry Lun Ye’Keeshaun Hygh Earnice Jenkins Tomara Johnson Tye V. Kelley Valerie Landry Shamona Leday Trammell McKnight Darlene Robinson Rosa Lee Shelton Junetta D. Slaughter Judy C. Smith
Jo-Lynnis Moore Turner Dr. Brenda A. Washington Crystal Watts Carrie Wiley Brittney Williams LaDonna Wynn Bettye Zachery Congratulations Rosalind Brown, Son University of Houston, Graduate Zhela Harris– Layne Birth of Daughter, Zoe Marie Victoria Lackey, Election Vice-Grand Lady-Elect, St. Benedict de Moor Court 72 Cynthia Larkin, Election Grand Lady-Elect, St. Benedict de Moor Court 72 * Please contact Eryka M. Robinson, 1st Vice President and Membership Services Chair for corrections or additions.
The Torch Contributors Candra O. Lacy, Editor-In-Chief Cassandra Brooks, Photographer Pamela Cashaw, Journalist
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January Contributors MaryKaye Childs-Henry, Sherri Daniels, Sonika Kwarteng, Shirley M. Johnson, Eryka Robinson, and Donna Scott and all announcing committees.
Delta Dear Celebration! A big thanks to all of the members who helped to make the Delta Dear Celebration a success. And a huge thanks to all of the Delta Dears who reached out and shared their appreciation. The Dears were provided with HMAC Delta Dear umbrellas and Protocol and Traditions booklet. They were serenaded by our own opera singer, Nicole Heaston Lane, with her interpretation of Oh, Holy Night. The luncheon was accompanied with Christmas Soul songs. A great time was had by all. Are You Celebrating a Delta Milestone? If you are reaching a Delta milestone of 25 or 50 years this year OR you have already reached your 25 or 50 year milestone and have never received your plaque, please contact Soror Eryka M. Robinson so that your milestone plaque can be ordered.
Monthly Jewel: The Jewel for the month of January is Fidelity. Reflect on the steadfast devotion and faithful commitment we give to purposes larger than ourselves. Attend a Founders Day celebration. Wear red or Delta paraphernalia on January 13th. Read a book written by a member. In your journal entry, write about an Honorary Member you admire. Future Membership Services Updates If you have any questions or concerns about any of the Membership Services projects or activities or if you want more information on how to join this committee, contact Eryka M. Robinson, 1st Vice President & Membership Services Chair at EMRobinson1913@gmail.com for details about these items.
Oh, To Be Loved! Celebrating our Delta Dears!
The Finance Team is accepting 2017-2018 dues. Annual chapter and Grand Chapter dues and fees for the upcoming/ensuing fiscal year are payable January 1, 2017 through March 31, 2017 without incurring a late or reinstatement fee. Payment of these dues by March 31, 2017 will make you financial for the 2017-2018 fiscal year, July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. Please complete the "Annual Membership Dues Renewal FY 2017-2018" form and place it with your payment of cash, check, or money order in the HMAC payment envelope. Forms will be available at the Finance table. Dues must be paid in full and cannot be divided into payments. With the payment of your annual chapter and Grand Chapter dues and fees, you will be eligible to participate in all activities that occur July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. To register for all events, members must be financial at the time of registration. In order to attend the 53rd National Convention, members will need to be financial for the fiscal year that the convention takes place. Failure to pay annual chapter and Grand Chapter dues and fees by March 31, 2017 constitutes a late or reinstatement fee. The late fee is payable and applicable from April 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. A reinstatement fee is payable and applicable if a member is currently not financial or remits annual chapter and Grand Chapter dues and fees after June 30, 2017 or has not paid these fees for two or more years. Golden and Diamond Life Members are NOT assessed late fees. If you have any questions or concerns , please contact Sherri Daniels at (713) 3047289 or shrrdnls@verizon.net. HMAC is now ready to accept ELECTRONIC Payments via PAYPAL. To pay any items to the chapter via this method, visit www.paypal.com and send money to treasurer@hmacdelta.org. The swiping method of payment is unavailable at this time. Stay tuned for updates. Your profile in the Sister Portal of the National website dictates how your name appears on HMAC sign-in sheets. If updates are needed, please log-in and make them. If assistance is needed with your Sister Portal account, please contact Grand Chapter at (202) 986-2400. Lastly, when submitting vouchers for reimbursements, please include original receipt and a copy of the original receipt if it is an ink generated one. Sorors, ink fades and disbursements need to be verified for accuracy by Internal Audit during Quarterly Audits. If you need to be reimbursed for expenses, it is greatly appreciated that you notify the Finance Table at the beginning of HMAC meetings before the Finance Table is closed. Your Faithful Finance Team Soror Sherri Daniels, Treasurer Soror Patricia Allison, Financial Secretary Soror Elizabeth Humphrey, Asst. Financial Secretary Soror Ja'Milla Lomas, Asst. Financial Secretary
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Place Postage Here
Houston Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter Post Office Box 56108 Houston, Texas 77256-6108
The Houston Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter (HMAC) was charted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in October of 1974. Since its inception, HMAC has been actively involved in supporting national and local service agencies, all while sponsoring and presenting community workshops, awareness forums and health fairs. HMAC members and partners have provided over $200,000 in scholarships, directly benefitting the youth of the Greater Houston area. If you or your company/organization are interested in joining our community efforts, visit us at www.HMACDelta.org to learn how.
One Heart! One Purpose! Southwest!
January 2017 Hostess Assignments The following sorors will host the January meetings. Please see your lead to plan and coordinate this assignment.
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING Stephanie Adams Mauren Gordon Elizabeth Humphrey
CHAPTER MEETING Marjorie Gibson Renee Gibson Doris Hean Gill Frances Goodbeer Benita Graham Joan Graham Emma Gray Glenecia Green Jana Green
ShuRon Green Deborah Guillory Darla Hall Sandra Hall Joyce Handy Gloria Hays Alma Henly Artie Hill DeAndra Hughes Cynthia Humphrey
Committee Crossroads: Announcements & Updates Economic Development We are proud and excited to report the completion of the 12week Dfree class series SAY YES TO NO DEBT program. The classes have ended, but the journey to Financial Freedom and Debt Reduction and Dfree living continues. We are asking all participants of the program to be in attendance at the January chapter meeting to receive your certificates of completion. We are most appreciative to Marna Arvie and Sherri Daniels for assisting with starting and implementing the 12-week Dfree program. January Tip of the Month Part II Savings Challenge Continues to Las Vegas 2017 Start with $1 the first week in January and $2 week 2 and increase the $ amount each week—just as we did the 52-Week Money Saving Challenge! Congratulations to ALL members that have completed the 2016 52-Week Savings challenge and have saved $1,378 in their account. Remember: It’s your money! Manage IT. Don’t let it doesn’t manage YOU! Reminder: Update your www.billiondollarpaydown.com challenge monthly.
Physical & Mental Health The Physical and Mental Health Committee is excited to announce that HMAC will participate in the Sisters Network’s 8th Annual Stop the Silence 5k Walk/Run on Saturday, April 8th, 2017 with a VIRTUAL TEAM! Sisters Network is one of our Project 13 Partners as outlined by Grand Chapter, so your financial contributions are needed! A portion of the funds raised from this event will benefit Sisters Network Inc. Breast Cancer Assistance Program (BCAP). Registration is $35. Please make your donation at www.stopthesilencewalk.org and look for Team HMAC-DST. Let’s go, #TeamHMAC! Insert
HMAC and the Greater Houston Area Chapters will celebrate our 104th Founders Day on Saturday, January 28th. See you there! This is a ticketed event. Tickets are sold out.
Carnivale Mystique Scholarship Gala Tickets are now on sale! Join us on Saturday, February 11th at the Houston Westchase Marriott Hotel for a the ultimate “party with a purpose�! Tickets are $65 or $650 for a table of ten. See Barbara Branch or Grace Macklin to purchase your tickets today!
Guests will enjoy dinner and dancing with Rhythm & Blues Entertainers Hard2Fine Sensational Silent Auction Fabulous Photo Booth High Quality Vendor Shopping Well-Stocked Cash Bar 50/50 Split Raffle Insert