GreekChat.com Forums  

Go Back   GreekChat.com Forums > Greek Life

Greek Life This forum is for various discussion topics regarding greek life. If you are posting a non-greek related message, please do so in one of the General Chat Topic forums.


Register Now for FREE!
Join GreekChat.com, The Fraternity & Sorority Greek Chat Network. To sign up for your FREE account INSTANTLY fill out the form below!

Username: Password: Confirm Password: E-Mail: Confirm E-Mail:
 
Image Verification
Please enter the six letters or digits that appear in the image opposite.

  I agree to forum rules 

» GC Stats
Members: 325,126
Threads: 115,503
Posts: 2,196,056
Welcome to our newest member, babobygooglet93
» Online Users: 636
0 members and 636 guests
No Members online
 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
  #1  
Old 10-16-2000, 03:33 PM
12dn94dst 12dn94dst is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 2,431
Thumbs up Something Heartwarming for a Monday.....

This article was in The Sacramento Bee. If you don't want to read it here, the address is
http://www.sacbee.com/lifestyle/news..._20001014.html

I encourage ALL Greeks to post similar items.

Sorority sisters bond for life, for betterment of Sacramento
By Fahizah Alim
Bee Staff Writer
(Published Oct. 14, 2000)
Carolyn N. Watts was in a serious car accident about two years ago. One of the first things she remembers is waking up in the intensive care unit of the UC Davis Medical Center and the nurse speaking to her in a hushed tone.

"She said, 'How many sisters do you have?' " Watts recalls. "I answered, 'One hundred and one.' The nurse responded, 'Well, they're all out there in the waiting room.' "

Of course, Watts was not referring to biological sisters. But even in her painful, medicated haze, she was keenly aware of the love and support she received from her Delta Sigma Theta sorority sisters.

They were already at the hospital when Watts' husband arrived. And they were there, day and night, until Watts was released.

For 45 years, since she became a member of the sorority, Watts -- an only child -- has enjoyed the friendship of women who, she believes, are as loyal as any biological sister could be.

When she moved to Sacramento 27 years ago, one of the first things she did was call her sister members of Sacramento's alumnae chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Although she had pledged the Alpha Zeta chapter when she was attending Talladega College in Alabama, she knew she would be welcomed into Sacramento's chapter. With open arms.

That is the nature of African American sorority life, which Watts believes has been exemplified during the 50-year history of the local Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.

Watts met Doris Woods when she went to her first Delta meeting.

Woods, a retired school administrator, was one of the founding members of the local chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. She and six other women decided it was important to bring to Sacramento the concept and practice of service that Delta has symbolized since it was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1913.

The first public act performed by the Delta Founders involved their participation in 1913 in the Women's Suffrage March in Washington, D.C.

Today, there are more than 750 chapters throughout the United States, Africa, Japan, Korea and the Caribbean Islands, with a membership of more than 195,000.

Most historically black colleges or colleges with significant African American enrollment have at least one chapter of the black sororities or fraternities.

However, in 1949 when Woods was attending CSUS, there were no black sororities or fraternities.

Woods had attended a historically black college in Texas before transferring to CSUS. There she met another woman, Sumatra Mulholland Kirkland, who also wanted to become a Delta. They decided to go to the Delta chapter in Berkeley to become members.

"They did a special line for us," recalls Woods, referring to the sorority method of welcoming a new group of members. "And the next year Sumatra and I formed our chapter here in Sacramento."

The other charter members of the local chapter were Grace Jones, who became a prominent businesswoman, Ruth Johnson, Lucille Veck Copeland, Marian Bolden and Frances LaRue Walker.

Four of the seven original members are still living and will be honored today at a dinner celebrating the local chapters' 50th anniversary. More than 150 people are expected to attend the event at the Capitol Plaza Holiday Inn.

Woods' family had moved to Sacramento from Chickasha, Okla., where she had attended Lincoln High School and received an academic scholarship from the Deltas. She attended Prairie View College before transferring to what was then called Sacramento State College.

There were three African Americans in Woods' graduating class.

"Coming from an all-black college to a practically all-white school was a little culture shock," Woods says.

"It's nice to have a network of friends. And that's what I wanted in the Deltas, a network of women that you could follow and respect and find anywhere you went in the U.S. That was a support system for you.

"That's what we can do for young people and for each other," Woods continues. "I am really proud of this chapter and the seven women who had the vision to bring this chapter here to perform a service, because first and foremost we are a public service organization."

During the 50 years that the Deltas have worked in the Sacramento area, they have developed a variety of programs to benefit the community.

The group made its first public appearance with a "tea" at the Women's Civic Improvement Center, one of the few places at that time that African Americans could host events.

They went on to host bridge luncheons that raised money for needy students at Sacramento City College.

As women's activism intensified over the decades, the Deltas followed suit -- moving from social functions to creating service programs. Their sponsorship of the annual Ebony Fashion Fair is their largest fund-raiser. Funds go to their scholarship funds for high scholastic achievers and single mothers continuing their education. Proceeds from that event also allowed the sorority to purchase a piano for the Women's Civic Improvement Club Center and make substantial contributions to the Sacramento Society for the Blind, the Mental Health Association and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

In the 1980s, they started a project at Grant High School to provide counseling for teen pregnancy intervention, tutoring and mentoring. Their Step-by-Step program for single heads of households assists people entering the job market.

In the 1990s, the Deltas started a "Delta Days at the Capitol," with hundreds of sorority members from throughout the state descending on the Capitol for workshops and to gain familiarity with legislators and the legislative process.

Current programs include Habitat for Humanity, Project Share and volunteering for the Special Olympics held each summer at CSUS.

Says Woods as she prepares to accept her honor as a founding Delta sister: "We try to continue the tradition of exposing our women to excellence in achievement and in service. We strive to be a part of the community as a resource and as a positive influence.

"Deltas have stood for public service since their beginning, and will continue to do so into the future."



------------------
Kelli
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
12-Delta Nu-94
MAL, Southern Region
Savannah State University c/o 1997
Reply With Quote
 

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:02 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.