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CHICAGO IS....
Chicago is home to...
2,716,450 residents
50 wards
77 community areas
100 neighborhoods
8 major league sports teams, including two MLB teams
United States President Barack
Obama
Chicago is is a foodie destination...
More than 7,300 restaurants
7 AAA Diamond-rated restaurants
26 Michelin-starred restaurants
40 James Beard Award-winning restaurants, and host of the annual James Beard Awards
54 Bib Gourmand winners
144 dog-friendly restaurants
Chicago is is a biking city...
Chicago has the second-highest percentage of commuters riding their bikes to work
Bicycle commute times in the region average only 23 minutes
303 miles of bike lanes
19 miles of lakefront bicycle paths along Lake Michigan
303 miles of bike lanes
Hon. Justice Carl AnthonyWalker,DSC165 PhiBeta Sigma Fraternity,Inc.,UpsilonSigmaChapter
On behalf of the Men of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Upsilon Sigma Chapter, I bring greetings as our chapter celebrates 95 years of service and continue in the tradition of the men who laid the foundation for our fraternity and chapter. More than 109 years ago, our revered founders A. Langston Taylor, Charles I. Brown, and Leonard F. Morse founded our fraternity with a focus on the ideas of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service. As a chapter, we havemaintained thoseideas.
I appreciate the voice of the Hon. Bro. Clarence Johnson who keeps us anchored in the rich history of our fraternity and chapter. Our executive team and chapter members joined my vision to increase our presence in every facet of service to youth, our community, and humanity, and I send a heartfelt "thank you" to each of my chapter brothers for giving their heart, mind, body and soul to the success and growth of our chapter. We are proud of our service and proud to be the largest chapter in the Great Lakes Region with more than130financialmembers.
Our chapter fully engaged in the Illinois One Sigma concept, and we have been active with Founders' Day celebrations. In addition, we have engaged other chapterstoparticipateinservice. We areproud to have conductedour Membership Intake Process that added 5 new brothers to the growth of our beloved fraternity Our new members are phenomenalworkerswholoveourgreatfraternity WearealsoelatedtohavebuiltworkingrelationshipswithlocalSigma and Zeta Chapters, and we have demonstrated strong and unwavering support for our brothers during times of bereavementandjoy.
Amongst our greatest achievements is the consistent increase in our social media presence. We can be found via our website, Facebook or Instagram Upsilon Sigma Chapter engaged in extensive service We maintained an active Sigma Beta Club that met regularly and engaged with our members. We also supported the March of Dimes and many local charities
Duringmytimeaspresident,ourchapterhashostedmanywebinarssuchas"HistoricalConversationwiththeHon Bro ClarenceD Johnson,DSC165"aspartofhisbirthdaycelebration,"AsktheLawyers","AsktheDoctor","WealthBuilding", and“"UnderstandingtheJudicialProcess."Wehavealsoengagedinmanyliveprogramstosupportthelocalcommunity whichincludedtheSigmaHouseBlockcleanup,giveawaysofpersonalprotectionequipment,programstosupportsmall business,Thanksgivingturkeygiveaways,toydrives,coatdrives,voterregistrationdriveswithRainbowPush,andblood drivesinconjunctionwiththeCommunityBloodCenter
WeareextremelyproudofoursignatureannualCarnationBall&CrescentMoonAwardswhichwascancelledin2020and 2021 due the COVID-19 pandemic The Crescent Moon Award was established as a vehicle to honor women of African descent,whohavemadesignificantcontributionsintheirfieldorthelargercommunity Recently,wehadmorethan500 guests in attendance for our 2022 Carnation Ball and Crescent Moon Awards Celebration We also gave $4,000 in scholarshiptodeservingcollegestudents.
IamsoproudoftheworkofUpsilonSigmaChapter.IjoinedPhiBetaSigmaFraternity,Inc.,asacollegiate,manyyears agoattheUniversityofIllinois,Urbana-Champaign AsIreflect,asidefromgivingmylifetoChristatanearlyage,joining PhiBetaSigmaFraternityis“amongst”thebestdecisionsIhaveevermade Yes,oursisatruebrotherhood
Sincerely,
Hon Bro JudgeCarlAnthonyWalker,DSC165 President,UpsilonSigmaChapter
Brothers, greetings, and welcome to another wonderful year. As I look back and reflect on my Blue and White family experiences from the age of 5 to present day, Sigma has blessed me. From starting my education in grammar school with a teacher, a Finer Woman of Zeta Phi Beta, to being mentored as a young teen while watching Super Bowls at the fraternity house, brothers uplifting each other when losing loved ones, and watching our younger brothers bring in new members to carry on the legacy, Sigma has always been at the center of my life. On May 3, 2003, my dream came true, Captain Quest of S.S. BLUE D.I.C.E. was born into Sigmadom. For 19+ more years living life as a Sigma man and upholding my vow for service has been an evolving journey. My journey through life has been both inspired and supported by the men of Sigma. Now, in my fourth term as Vice-President and now a regional board member, I am even more proud to say I am a member of Upsilon Sigma Chapter, a chapter of support, service, and relentless dedication to its community no matter the storm. We have continuous grown our membership and left a mark in this region.
Brothers you have shown this past year that YOU ALL live to educate and serve as exemplified in over 40 events that we have hosted, promoted, and/or supported despite being in a health pandemic. We have proven that the more our community needs us, the greater efforts we will put forth to serve. This great chapter embodies a brotherhood that truly lives by the adage:“I Am My Brothers’ Keeper”.The last few years in this chapter have been both an education and privilege to work next to such a dedicated group of brothers. I want to thank every member serving, officers leading, and brothers holding Sigma in their heart for making my childhood dream come true, the dream of endlessly effectuating change in the community.
In 2022, every committee has hosted events and provided a great service to the community despite the fact that COVID-19 is still hanging around. The greater the obstacles the stronger the bond this chapter has. It is this dedication that makes our chapter the precious jewel it is. No task is too great. No community member is beyond reach of our service. I am ever so proud of our brothers not just for their efforts, but their results.Brothers your spirit for humanity has been infectious on me and clearly to all others with whom you have come in contact. I know I speak for the community in saying that your service has provided both comfort and peace in our hearts. Your since of purpose is commendable and like no other organization in the world. We have marched together this year educating, mentoring, serving, feeding, clothing, marketing, and funding our community. In this upcoming year nothing would be more fulfilling than thundering back along the lines serving next to each and every one of you. It has been with great pleasure to serve as the vice-president of such a dedicated chapter. Brothers, "OUR CAUSE SPEEDS ON."
Sincerely,
Bro. Attorney Mike Jarard Vice-President, Upsilon Sigma Chapter
Hon. Bro. Justice Carl Anthony Walker President
Bro. Michael Jarard, Esq.Vice-President
Bro. Dr. Jessie E. Kilgore, Jr. 2nd Vice-President & Hon. Bro. Clarence D. Johnson Financial Secretary
Bro. Obeddie Hawkins
Treasurer/Director Sigma Beta Club
Bro. Dwayne Cecil Director Bigger Better Business
Bro. Paul Hayward Director Social Action
Bro. Reginald Wynne Director Membership
Hon. Clarence Johnson (DSC 165) Keeper of Records
Past International President
Bro. Arthur W. Mitchell
Bro. George W. Lawrence
Bro. Maurice Moore
Past International Treasurer
Bro. Ephriam Persons
Past International Auditor
Hon. Justice Carl Anthony Walker, CPA
Past Regional Directors
Bro. John Tardiff
Bro. Chester Riley
Hon. Bro. Clarence D. Johnson
Hon. Bro. Charles H. Talbert
Bro. Dr. Basil Muhammad Recording Secretary
Bro. Larry HorneCorresponding Secretary
Bro. Garrett Smith Sargent at Arms
Bro. Charles Bracey, Esq. Co-Director of Education
Bro. Tyrone Dowdell Co-Director of Education
Hon. Charles Talbert Co-Director of Education
Bro. Rev. Mitchell Johnson, JD Chaplain
Bro. Marquis WilliamsHistorian
Bro. Ronald Branch Sigma/Zeta Relations
Distinguished Service Chapter
DSC #15 - Hon. Bro. Hugh Fisher Lewis
DSC #20 - Hon. Bro. George W. Lawrence
DSC #44 - Hon Bro. Maurice A. Moore
DSC #60 - Hon. Bro. Andrew Childress
DSC #64 - Hon. Bro. Ephraim E. Person
DSC #87 - Hon. Bro. Chester Riley
DSC #114 - Hon. Bro. Dr. Howard Felder
DSC #126 - Hon. Bro. Clarence D. Johnson
DSC #165 - Hon. Bro. Justice Carl Anthony Waker, CPA
DSC #181 - Hon Bro. Charles H. Talbert
Past Regional Legal Counsel
Hon. Bro. Justice Carl Anthony Walker, CPA
Bro. Randy Crumpton, Esq.
Past International Director, The Sigma Leadership Academy
Hon Bro Charles H Talbert
Other Prominent Members of Upsilon Sigma Chapter
Hon Justice Charles E Freeman, First Black to Serve on the Illinois Supreme Court
Hon Mayor Harold Washington, First Black Mayor of the City of Chicago
Bro. Dr. Edward Hubbard
Hon. Bro. Clarence D. Johnson
Bro. Rutherford Wilson
Bro. Larry Copeland
Bro. Eric Daniels
Bro. Dr. Michael Miller
Bro. Walter Tolson
Bro. Alfred Williams
Bro. Keith Reed
Bro. J. Michael Johnson
Bro. Clifford Hartfield
Bro. Jeffrey Johnson
Bro. Anthony Lopez Hall
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The Founders, Honorable A. Langston Taylor, Honorable Leonard F. Morse, and Honorable Charles I. Brown, wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would truly exemplify the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service.
The Founders deeply wished to create an organization that viewed itself as “a part of” the general community rather than “apart from” the general community. They believed that each potential member should be judged by his own merits, rather than his family background or affluence… without regard to race, nationality, skin tone or texture of hair. They desired for their fraternity to exist as part of an even greater brotherhood which would be devoted to the “inclusive we” rather than the “exclusive we”.
From its inception, the Founders also conceived Phi Beta Sigma as a mechanism to deliver services to the general community. Rather than gaining skills to be utilized exclusively for themselves and their immediate families, they held a deep conviction that they should return their newly acquired skills to the communities from which they had come. This deep conviction was mirrored in the Fraternity’s motto, “Culture For Service and Service For Humanity”.
Today, Phi Beta Sigma has blossomed into an international organization of leaders. No longer a single entity, members of the Fraternity have been instrumental in the establishment of the Phi Beta Sigma National Foundation, the Phi Beta Sigma Federal Credit Union and The Sigma Beta Club Foundation. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, founded in 1920 with the assistance of Phi Beta Sigma, is the sister organization of the Fraternity.