President’s Pointers by Shirley M. Johnson Greetings Sorors, Last month we celebrated our mothers. Now it is time to show our fathers how much we appreciate them. Father’s Day is June 18, 2017. Let him know how important they have been in your life, and take a moment to express to them that their presence made a world of difference in the person you are today. This month brings the beginning of those dreadful hot summer months, the end of our Sorority year, the installation of our elected officers, and the anticipation of our 53rd National Convention in Las Vegas, NV, August 3 through 9, 2017. Let us welcome and congratulate those sorors who will be charged to carry the torch and serve in various elected and appointed positions for the 2017 – 2019 Sorority years. To the entire membership, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and my administration as your 18th President for the past 4 years. We have built a team that was about the business of show casing our chapter in all aspects of our existence. We provided thousands of volunteer service hours in support of
Delta’s Five Point Programmatic Thrust, We received numerous awards, retained, reclaimed and recognized our membership and we remained committed to the sisterhood, scholarship and service. Without you, the work of Delta/HMAC would not have been possible. I will be forever grateful. The Select Chapter will continue to make a mark in our community and in our chapter’s archives. As we embark upon our 43rd year of existence, let’s continue to celebrate our successes. I pray that you all have a safe and fun-filled summer! As we continue to Countdown to 2017 53rd National Convention. Again, thank you for all of the calls, e-mails, words of encouragement and support over the past four years. Together we can continue to make HMAC a place for members to learn and grow in Delta and serve the community we serve. As Dr. Paulette C. Walker, our National Presidential stated, Delta is a “movement not a mountain.” Let's k e e p th e momentum going and continue to Stand Shoulder to Shoulder to Accomplish More!
Program STOPlight: PPD 2016- 2017 Review & Success The Program Planning & Development (PPD) Committee experienced great success during the 2015-2017 sorority year. Having completed over 10 of the thirteen Project 13 Initiatives established by Grand Chapter for two consecutive years and upholding the Sorority’s Five-Point Programmatic Thrust, the PPD Committee recognizes this success and the great work that has been done by the committees.
The following is a sample year-in-review of the projects and programs completed by HMAC in 2016-2017. They include but are not limited to:
“When we began this year, we knew that the work would be intense, but that we could complete our mission successfully,” said Shirley M. Johnson, HMAC President. “I am so proud of all the work done by the PPD Chairs and committees and all committees this year.”
The Economic Development Committee’s dFree Financial Freedom Movement classes won the committee regional acclaim as they gave members the tools spend wisely, save and become debt free. Continued on Page 2
Metropolitan Leadership
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Program STOPlight: 2016-2017 PPD Success
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Detour to Grace & Gratitude Committee Crossroads
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Membership Services
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Budget & Finance
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HMAC in Pictures (Online) Visit: http://bit.ly/TorchJune17 to view photos.
Executive Board Meeting Monday, June 5, 2017 6:30 pm Metropolitan Place 5441 Trafalgar Drive General Chapter Meeting Saturday, June 10, 2017 9:00 am Metropolitan Place 5441 Trafalgar Drive
Business Attire All Black, No Pants for Incoming & Transitioning Officers Note: All meetings will begin promptly and as scheduled. Hostess assignments are listed on the Insert page.
The people who are meant to be in your life will always gravitate back towards you, no matter how far they wander.
Program STOPlight: May Week Shirley M. Johnson President Eryka Robinson 1st Vice-President 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
The Educational Development Committee moved forward with the EMBODI program’s Classic Man theme along with Delta Academy and Delta GEMS as the dug into service, etiquette and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
The Political Awareness & Involvement Committee educated the community racism in the industries of Mental Health and Education and in the Workplace with our Eracism event and held various voter registration drives throughout the year.
The International Awareness & Involvement Committee’s commitment to ending HIV/AIDS in our community led to a partnership with the Omega House Hospice and participated in Houston’s Dining Out For Life event. The Physical & Mental Health Committee led the charge on several awareness walks including Sisters Network Breast Cancer Awareness, March of Dimes and the Shaundra Simmons Walk for Colon Cancer.
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 Web Administrator
Detour to Grace and Gratitude “A new command give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 Prayer Requests Please keep the following sorors and their families in prayer: Sarah M. Brown DeAndrea L. Hughes Victoria Lackey Barbara Demazeliere Mouton Linda Shankle Kimberlin Sturgis Vivian Vincent Joan Walker Betty Zachery June Birthdays Kiyetta Alade Patricia A. Allison Jewell Le Lu Davis-Lomas Julia Fitzpatrick Shalaire R. Garnett Frances M. Good beer
Deborah M Guillory Johnia Lanisa Henderson Alma R Henley DeAndreA L. Hughes Chemene P. Jackson Ja'Milla Catherine Lomas Tracee Monique Mallory Jacqueline Moton Guelda Slade Kimberly Brown Wells V'Lillian Wright July Birthdays Jean Allen-Smith Jacquelyn A. Blossom Tonya Y. Bryant Pamela M. Cashaw Rhysia Edwards Yvette Gallien Jana Green Trevis Harper Elizabeth Humphrey Wanda L Jackson-Graves Cynthia Jones Shalandra Jones Candra Offiong Lacy Whitney Cynae Larkin Gilda Marcus Rosalyn E. McClenon Bernadette Moore
Paulette Randle DyMisha J'nai Richardson Eryka M. Robinson Jylise Smith Sonya Smith-Watson Menthola Stevenson Demita N. Sweet Tequilla Wilson August Birthdays LaVerne Battle Simone Bray Jaimee M. Cashaw Bessye Clark Gloria Y. Davis Marla Davis Mary Ann Garrett Renee A Gibson ShuRon Green Sandra D. Jones-Hall Barbara Demazeliere Mouton Donna Y. Scott Maryann Shittabey Jocelyn Triplett Linda J. White * Please contact Eryka M. Robinson, 1st Vice President and Membership Services Chair for corrections or additions.
The Torch Contributors 2
Candra O. Lacy, Editor-In-Chief Cassandra Brooks, Photographer Pamela Cashaw, Journalist
June Contributors Sherri Daniels, Shirley M. Johnson, Daphne Moss, Eryka Robinson, and all announcing committees.
Chapter Fellowship Dinner at the 53rd National Convention
Chapter Meeting to pick up your items. Items may be discarded at the close of this sorority year.
The chapter fellowship dinner at the National Convention in Las Vegas, NV will be held at Landry’s Seafood on Monday, August 7th from 7pm to 9:30pm. The cost is $45 and it includes a garden salad, an entrée choice of chicken and mushrooms, fried fish and shrimp or tilapia Bianca and dessert is cinnamon bread pudding. You may pay a portion of the total in May and the balance in June. ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! If any member has NOT picked up her Policies and Procedures document (financial members only), please see the Finance table before the end of the June chapter meeting. Members who have paid OR need to pay for their Chapter Directory, Regional Conference T-Shirts or 52nd National Convention Shirts, please see the Finance Table at the June
MEMBERSHIP DUES The Finance Team is accepting dues for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. HMAC’s deadline was March 24, 2017 to allow processing time to meet Grand Chapter’s March 31, 2017 deadline. Now, dues paid should include the late fee of $5 (i.e. $370 for Regular Mambers). Golden Life and Diamond Life member dues are $240, and never incur late or reinstatement fees. Regular member dues are $365, and are subject to late or reinstatement fees. The next Grand Chapter deadline for the 20172018 dues is June 30, 2017. HMAC's deadline will be June 23, 2017 to allow processing time to meet Grand Chapter's June 30, 2017 deadline.
HMAC payment envelope along with your payment of cash, check, or money order. Forms will be available at the Finance Table. Dues must be paid in full and cannot be divided into installment payments.
Reinstatement fee of $15 (i.e. $380 for Regular members) is due for 2017-2018 if you were not financial for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. Reinstatement fee of $25 (i.e. $390 for Regular members) is due if you have not been financial for two or more fiscal years.
CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS ACCEPTED VIA PAYPAL To make any payment to the chapter, login to www.paypal.com and send money to treasurer@hmacdelta.org. Please include a brief description of payment purpose in the Memo area. If your payment is for membership dues, you still need to complete the Annual Membership Dues Renewal form. Please contact Soror Sherri L. Daniels for an electronic copy of form at sh rrdn ls @v eriz on .n et . SP EC IAL NOTE: Grand Chapter has advised that Local Chapters are to bear the PayPal fees for membership dues only. If you incur a fee associated with membership dues payment, please provide the support to Soror Daniels for reimbursement.
Please complete the "Annual Membership Dues Renewal FY 2017 -2018" form and place it inside the
NAME CHANGES Your profile in the Sister Portal of the National website dictates how
your name appears on HMAC signin sheets and financial roster. If updates are needed, please login and make them. If assistance is needed with your Sister Portal account, please contact Grand Chapter at (202) 9862400. VOUCHER REIMBURSEMENTS When submitting vouchers for reimbursement of expenses, if your receipt is an ink generated one (i.e. Walmart), please include original receipt and a copy of the receipt behind the voucher. Due to the fact that ink fades, the copy is needed by Internal Audit for verification purposes during Quarterly Audits. Also, please provide vouchers or notify Soror Daniels of needed reimbursement at the beginning of HMAC meetings. Once the Finance Table is closed, vouchers will need to be provided at the next HMAC meeting.. -Your Faithful Finance Team Sherri L. Daniels, Treasurer Patricia Allison, Financial Secretary Elizabeth Humphrey, Asst. Financial Sec. Ja’Milla Lomas, Asst. Financial Sec.
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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 $700,000 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!
June 2017 Hostess Assignments The following sorors will host the May meetings. Please see your lead to plan and coordinate this assignment.
EXECUTIVE BOARD CHAPTER MEETING MEETING Karolyn Williams Sttephanie Adams
Laura Thomas Joycelyn Triplett Annette Turner Jo-Lynnis Turner Nicole Turner Mary Underwood
Denae' Waller Brenda Washington Brianna Wasson Mary Watkins Crystal Watts Andrea Wells Kimberly Wells Andrea Weston Linda White
Valresa White Katrina Whitlock Carrie Wiley Brittney Williams Remi Williams Shanni Williform LaDonna Wynn Tamara Young
Committee Crossroads: Announcements & Updates Committee & Member Kudos! The Educational Development Committee presented their First Impression: Mother, Daughter and Son Luncheon hosted at Metropolitan place on Saturday, June 3rd for the Delta GEMS, Delta Academy and EMBODI program participants. A very special THANK YOU to the Committee for their work on such a beautiful and heartfelt year-end event! Thank you to the Courtesy Committee for your diligence in offering our support and thoughts of comfort to our membership in times of joy and pain; special thanks to the Hostess Committee for your work (delicious presentations) in our General Chapter and Executive Board Meetings; thank you to the Documents Review Committee for ensuring that HMAC is always on track; to the Newsletter Committee for your consistent and thoughtful news offerings and to the Social Action Committee for continuing to go above and beyond the call of duty in our schools and community —THANK YOU ALL! Demita Sweet has retired after 32 years of service in Alief ISD.
Debutante Ball The Debutante Ball Committee is accepting names of interested young ladies for the 2017-2018 Deb Ball Season. The prospective debutante must be a 2018 graduating high school senior or a college student, no older than 20 years of age. Names and contact information may be submitted to Soror Daphne Moss at Dmosix@aol.com or Soror Ava McFarland at ava.mcfarland@gmail.com. IMPORTANT: The next Parent/Deb interest meeting will be Saturday, June 10th at 2:00 P.M.
Congratulations and best wishes to the 2017-2019 Elected Officers!
Thank you to the Elections Committee for your diligence and unwavering commitment to a userfriendly, safe and secure elections process.
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