Taylor County Commissioner Clinton Perry was sworn in as President of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) after being selected by his peers to serve on the organization’s Board of Managers.  The installation ceremony was conducted by Department of Corrections Commissioner Brian Owens during the “Celebrating Leadership Luncheon” at the 2012 ACCG Annual Meeting, which took place at the Savannah Civic Center on April 30, 2012.

ACCG is a membership services association that works on behalf of Georgia’s county governments.  Formed in 1914 with 19 charter county members, today ACCG represents all 159 county governments in the state.  ACCG provides programs and services in the areas of public policy and legislative advocacy, leadership enhancement, civic and community engagement and cost-efficient services such as insurance and retirement on behalf of Georgia’s county officials and their local communities

“I am proud to serve as the first ACCG President from Taylor County,” said Commissioner Perry.  “I stand on the shoulders of great individuals who came before me and encouraged me to get involved with ACCG.  I appreciate the leadership development opportunities and the many programs and services that this organization offers to county officials.”

Clinton Perry earned his degree in psychology from Tuskegee University. He served eight years in the United States Army and was honorably discharged as a Captain in the Intelligence Branch in 1992.  He is a member of several civic, social and professional organizations such as Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Freerun 518^th Masonic Lodge and the Georgia Prison Wardens Association (GPWA).  He is also a licensed insurance agent and funeral director with his family’s firm, Bentley’s Chain of Funeral Homes of Middle Georgia.

In addition to his service on the Taylor County Board of Commissioners, Perry serves as Vice-Chair for the River Valley Regional Development Commission and is a Board Member of the Valley Partnership.  Chairman Perry was also appointed by Governor Perdue to serve on the Public Defenders Supervisory Panel for the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit in February 2010.  Last year, Chairman Perry served as ACCG’s Second Vice President.

“Chairman Perry is a dedicated public servant, serving as an elected official as well as a Superintendent at the McEver Probation Facility for the Department of Corrections,” said Ross King.  “He understands the importance of encouraging county officials to get involved in our legislative advocacy, leadership development and membership services programs, and I look forward to working with him in the coming year.”

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc/ Birmingham Chapter of Alabama sponsored a team to participate in the Divine 9 Birmingham Big Brothers Big Sisters Greek Bowl for Kids Sake on April 14, 2012 at Brunswick Riverview Lanes. The team consisted of Khary Wray, Raphael Bryant, Joe and Laura Evans. The team raised $250 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Birmingham. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Birmingham focuses on educational achievement and avoidance of risky behaviors such as juvenile delinquency and promotes higher self-esteem, confidence and the ability to relate to others.

For more than 40 years, Bowl for Kids’ Sake has supported Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across the country, becoming its premier fundraising event and raising $20 million nationwide each year. “Bowl for Kids’ Sake brings the whole community together in support of a positive future for our kids,” said Khary Wray, Director of Public Relations of Phi Beta Sigma Inc. Birmingham. We all had a great time bowling for the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. “Big Brothers Big Sisters Birmingham is a vital part of our community. … A few precious minutes of quality time could alter the path a child walks upon,” said Roderick Wilkins, President of Phi Beta Sigma Inc. Birmingham.

William Savage Regional Legal Counsel

Occasio Gee Director of Publicity

JR Reeves Director of Social Action

Dr. Gerald Weatherspon Director of Education

Dumisani Solwazi Director of Bigger & Better Business

Devon Henry Regional Vice-Director

Leonard Lockhart Regional Director

Charles Holt Secretary

 Brad Leak Treasurer

For the third year in a row, the Gamma Eta Sigma, Tampa Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity has been named the Model Chapter of the Year, as well as earning Gold Level Membership status. The award came during the fraternity’s 98th Anniversary Southern Regional conference in Biloxi, Miss. The organization also received the honor for years 2009, 2010 and 2011.

In 2009 the Tampa Chapter was also awarded the International Model Chapter of the Year. During the regional conference, which took place at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention Center, the Alpha Beta Gamma Chapter from University of Tampa won the Florida Collegiate Model Chapter of the Year. Brothers from the Zeta Xi Chapter from the University of South Florida won the Silver Level Membership status.

This year, Brother Philip Harris from the Alumni Chapter was awarded the Southern Region scholarship to support his Doctoral degree in Business Administration from Argosy University. The Southern Region consists of more than 4,000 members from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and the Bahamas. They hold high the ideas of Brotherhood, Scholarship, and Service as signified in the motto, “Culture For Service and Service For Humanity.”

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., an international organization of college and professional men, was founded at Howard University in Washington, DC, in 1914. It is one of the nine largest predominantly African American Greek-lettered organizations. Phi Beta Sigma boasts more than 150,000 members, with 650 chapters throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa. Programs of the Fraternity include Sigma Beta Clubs (the youth auxiliary for males), Sigmas Against Teenage Pregnancy (SATAP), Sigmas Against Domestic Abuse (SADA), American Cancer Society, March of Dimes and its newest initiative, a partnership with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA).

For more information contact Brother Philip Harris at (727) 255-1360.

Members and friends of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity collect donations to help the homeless.

They are calling it a sleepout. Beginning at 9:00 p.m. Thursday, some 20 members and friends of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity camped out on both sides of Vine near 20th Street. Their mission, to collect donations to help the homeless.

Fraternity spokesman Bryan Colbert Jr. said the fraternity has been holding this event in Omaha near 72nd and Dodge for years. This is the first event held in Lincoln.

Holding signs on both sides of the street as cars pass by was effective too. A number of vehicles stopped and asked what was going on. Some even came back to drop off items.

Food, clothing and cash donations are all passed on to a number of Lincoln area agencies who support the homeless.

Colbert said, “It’s a great thing to come out, a lot of people come together and do something for other people.”

Actor Hill Harper is supporting a new national partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC),  Call to Service for St. Jude initiative, which launched earlier this month.

“NPHC organizations have deep roots in education and making a difference in the lives of our youth. Engaging this richly diverse membership through the Call to Service for St. Jude initiative will help raise awareness about St. Jude in the African-American community, while sharing the hospital’s mission of treating the world’s sickest children with the best care.”  Key messages: There’s still time for NPHC members, family and friends to support help St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital provide the best care to the world’s sickest children at no cost to their family by visiting stjude.org/nphc.

One reason this partnership is of such significance is because it is critical that we continue to educate communities about the importance of resources and treatment for pediatric cancer, sickle cell screening and treatment for the disease as well as research aimed at improving the quality of life for those living with sickle cell disease.  The NPHC is composed of historically African-American international Greek letter Sororities and Fraternities. Participating organizations include: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

The Men of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc, Zeta Rho Sigma Chapter, Amicae and our Sisters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Omicron Omicron Zeta, Gamma Nu Zeta and Chi Rho Zeta chapters celebrated Black History Month by doing a Read-In at Wiggins College Prepatory Lab School in Camden, New Jersey.  Each Zeta and Sigma was assigned a classroom to read a book, discuss their career path, the history of their respective organizations and by engaging students in a literacy activity they were able to “ lift the words off the pages”.

This program was developed by Omicron Omicron Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., hosted by Soror Irene Richardson who is an educator at Wiggins.

]]> http://progressivegreek.com/organizations/phi-beta-sigma-fraternity-organizations/south-jersey-sigmas-and-zetas-celebrate-reading-black-history/feed/ 1 http://progressivegreek.com/organizations/phi-beta-sigma-fraternity-organizations/phi-beta-sigma-presents-check-from-fund-raiser-to-girl-needing-surgery/ http://progressivegreek.com/organizations/phi-beta-sigma-fraternity-organizations/phi-beta-sigma-presents-check-from-fund-raiser-to-girl-needing-surgery/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:23:47 +0000 kevin1914 http://progressivegreek.com/?p=6946 Source

After a successful Dollar Day fund-raiser to raise money to cover the expense of surgery for 12-year-old Dijae Dean, the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity presented a check for $2,000 to Dean Wednesday evening.

Dean, who is inflicted with a non-cancerous tumor that is growing in her mouth and her mother Mizpha Mitchell joined the fraternity on The Mall Drive and Pioneer’s Way on Saturday as they sought to collect funds to cover the cost of the $60,000 surgery.

Mitchell expressed sincere gratitude to the group for their efforts to assist her daughter.

“I just want to say a special thank you to the guys for their time and effort and to the community who has supported the worthy cause,” she said.

Dean who is currently unemployed said she has under $20,000 of the sum needed for the surgery, but said she is hoping to get it performed as soon as possible.

She said it requires $30,000 to get the surgery started at Miami Chidren’s Hospital.

“I really need to get this over and done with because they told me that the longer I take with it, the worse things will get for her,” Mitchell said. “They e-mailed me to see what I’m doing because they said she would experience difficulty breathing, swallowing and with her speech.”

Mitchell said it is a difficult time for her family because she does not have insurance, so she is relying on the community’s help.

“I am still pleading for prayers because I can get the money I need to take my daughter, but if God isn’t behind it, it will still be the same. Pray for me and pray for my daughter that she will get her surgery and everything will be okay.”

Dean said when the tumor initially started to grow she thought it was a bump, then doctors diagnosed it as a tumor.

She said it has been a difficult and frightening experience.

“I have experienced headaches and bleeding and it has an odor coming out of it, so I’m scared to talk to people,” Dean said.

She said although she would appreciate it if the community could make monetary donations for her surgery, she wants people to pray for her if it is all they can do.

Fraternity member, Reno Smith said the fraternity was so moved by Dean’s plight that it had to get involved.

“We don’t feel that any child because of their socioeconomic situation should be denied medical services,” Smith said. “We were trying to help her raise the first half necessary for the surgery to take place.”

He added that the fund-raiser was also successful and the public was more than willing to help, adding that many were people searching their cars for what little change they could find.

Smith said although they are far away from the sum that is needed to cover Dean’s surgery, the group is prepared to go back on the streets to collect more funds.

He added that Sister Mary Patricia Russell Junior High School will hold a steak-out for Dean on Friday at the school from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.

Smith said the cost of the tickets are $10 and encouraged the public to support the effort.

He issued an appeal to the corporate community last week to churches and the corporate community to provide assistance to Dean and since then Smith said they have been informed that one or two banks have decided to lend assistance as well as a major food store on the island.

He noted that a local church has also provided some funds toward Dean’s surgery.

Smith said after getting involved with Dean’s case, the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity has decided to have an annual fund-raising event beginning February of next year to aid the Sir Victor Sassoon Heart Foundation.

“It was brought to our attention that several Grand Bahama families had babies born with heart defects and it was mentioned that hardly anyone goes back to the Victor Sassoon Heart Foundation to say thank you,” he said.

Smith said the fraternity would begin a fund-raiser called “Matters of the Heart,” to help all Bahamians born with heart defects, but more specifically Grand Bahama.

He said the organization is just one of the charitable organizations the fraternity will seek to aid.

Six Wiley College students have been banned from the campus while school officials investigate an alleged hazing. Administrators tell KSLA News 12 that a few students have come forward saying they were physically abused while trying to join the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.  The six fraternity brothers that were suspended said they are innocent.

“The information they provided was credible enough for us to take the step of an interim suspension,” Wiley College Vice President Joseph Morale.

Administrators at Wiley have also put a staff member, who allegedly played a role in the hazing, on administrative leave without pay.

“Pending the investigation, may in fact warrant further disciplinary action,” said Morale.

Both the college and the national fraternity have anti-hazing policies in place. On their website it reads “No chapter of Phi Beta Sigma shall indulge in any physical abuse or undignified treatment (hazing) of its members or prospective members.” The policy prohibits actions such as paddling, and excessive fatigue.

KSLA News 12 reached out to the Phi Beta Sigma headquarters but they declined to comment on the case. However, one of the fraternity members, not mentioned in the allegations, said his frat brothers are innocent.

“They say they have evidence but they haven’t shown us. So, they’re like just kicking us out without any evidence, or showing us, or letting us see any pictures or anything like that. It’s like we have to take their word for it,” Shawn Groce with Phi Beta Sigma.

The school’s administration said after their investigation is complete the six students will have a chance to state their case to a panel of fellow students and staff members.  If they are found guilty of hazing Vice President Morale said one possible option on the table is completely shutting down the local chapter of Phi Beta Sigma.

A local fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma will hold a fund-raiser on Saturday, February 18 to raise funds for the surgery of a 12-year-old girl inflicted with a non-cancerous tumor in her mouth.

The fraternity will hold a dollar drive on the corner of The Mall and Pioneer’s Way to collect funds for surgery that costs $60,000.

Dijae Dean explained that it had been a frightening experience for her since the tumor began developing in July of last year.

“I have experienced head-aches and bleeding and it has an odor coming out of it so I’m scared to talk to people,” she said.

Dean said she first thought the tumor was a bump then her grandmother took her to the doctor and it was determined what it was.

She has shared her story on ZNS and the public has rallied around, which she said she is grateful for.

Dean said she would like to thank everyone that has helped her during this difficult time.

“Even if you don’t donate something I would like a word of prayer,” she said.

Dean said her school, Sister Mary Patricia Russell Junior High School will also have a cook-out for her on February 24 and tickets can be purchased from her mother or from teachers at the school.

Dean’s mother, Mizpha Mitchell said she was extremely thankful for the fraternity’s efforts to help her daughter get the much-needed surgery.

“I am very appreciative of all the community and these gentlemen are trying to do because I am very frustrated, I am tired, I am folding in, but knowing that I have a lot of support out there and people that are trying to help gives me the strength to go on,” she said.

Mitchell said it has been a difficult time for her, but because people have been showing their support, it gives her the strength to go forward.

She said she has acquired half of the surgical expenses so far and is hoping to carry her daughter at the beginning of March to the Miami Children’s Hospital.

She noted that her daughter would have to remain hospitalized for a month after the surgery.

Mitchell said the surgery would take a few hours and would require that about four surgeons be present for the procedure.

She said if anyone in the public is willing to help in anyway they could contact her at 441-0428 or 351-3858.

President of the Phi Beta Sigma, Adrian Carey said in organizing the fund-raiser, the fraternity is carrying out its obligation to assist members of the community and the members were moved by Dean’s story.

“This particular plight struck a cord in a lot of us and so we responded very favorably and took no hesitation in going out there not only this Saturday, but any Saturday that it’s needed to continue to raise funds in an ongoing effort,” he said.

Carey said all proceeds would go toward Dean’s medical expenses.

“We do understand the urgency and the need for it and again Phi Beta is happy to assist,” he said.

The men will be out on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with five-gallon water bottles to collect funds.

Fraternity member, Reno Smith said the fraternity felt the need to lend its assistance to Dean and urged churches to help with the medical expenses.

“I am the pastor of a local church and so I would like all pastors, no matter the size of your church, if all churches can make a meaningful contribution to this young lady’s surgical expenses we would appreciate that,” he said.

Smith added that businesses could also contribute to the surgical expenses by stopping by at the fund-raiser to drop a check off payable to Dean’s mother.

“We would like for the business and corporate community to come and be a part of this venture as we help this young lady to have a meaningful, successful life,” he said.

Smith said all service organizations could also join in the effort to help.

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