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The Torch

The Official Newsletter of Mu Lambda Chapter Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. _________________________________________________________

April, 2009

Inside this Edition:

• The Executive Message

• 77th Eastern Region Convention

• Alpha Wives Section

• Beta’s Campus Corner

• Beautillion News

• Community Day at the House

• Prostate Cancer Seminar

• Black Facts

• Historical Moment

• Birthdays

• Membership News • The Alpha House

• Announcements

Walter Whitley Editor

Message from the Office of the President Brother Timothy Fitzgerald

Brothers, April is an exciting month with several events taking place. April is March for Babies Month. President Franklin D. Roosevelt founded the March of Dimes in 1938 to defeat polio. Within 17 years, the Salk vaccine had been developed and polio was on the run. Founded in crisis and validated by this victory, the March of Dimes continues to serve as a catalyst for action in the face of threats to our nation’s infants and children. Today, the March of Dimes is one of the most highly respected non-profits in the nation. Businesses and organizations that partner with the March of Dimes help to improve employee health, enhance morale, and reduce company health care costs. Organizations that work with March of Dimes align themselves with a winner! Mu Lambda Chapter will donate 100 percent of the money that has been raised over the year thanks to our Education Director, Brother Geoffrey Johnson. Sunday, April 26, 2009 Mu Lambda Chapter will be Marching for Babies! We will walk 4 miles beginning at 9:00am. The walk will start at 15h & Madison Ave NW, Washington, DC. Please plan to participate! Brother Mark Ross and the Beautillon Committee have been working tirelessly to ensure that that the 14th Annual Mu Lambda Foundation Henry Arthur Callis Beautillion and Scholarship Gala will be a success. I applaud the committee and the members of Mu Lambda for recognizing the importance of scholarships and the difference that can be made in the lives of young people. The Gala will take place Friday, April 17th 2009 at Martins Crosswinds. Please plan to attend. There are only three months left in the fraternal year and Mu Lambda has led the way in the Washington, DC area. Next Month, the members of Mu Lambda will be electing officers. If you are interested in being chairman of a committee or an officer in Mu Lambda, please let the members of the nominating committee know. Brothers as always, hold the light of Alpha high!

The Next Chapter meeting will be the second Thursday, April 09, 2009, 7:06 pm

Eastern Region Convention Highlights April 2-5, 2009 Philadelphia, PA

General President Bro. Herman “Skip” Mason provided an extended overview on the state of our Fraternity focusing on the condition of our headquarters facility in Baltimore. Bro. Syl Lorenzo Shannon, National Chaplain Emeritus, keynoted the Life Membership Luncheon. He admonished Brothers to pay more attention to their health— physical, mental, and spiritual. Bros. Julius Brice, Rudolph Harris, and LeRoy Lowrey, each gave extended interviews to Bro. Brian Cook of Alpha East News . Look for the “Stalwarts of the East” on Face Book and Alpha East News soon. Bro. Reginald Salter serves as Regional Secretary, Bro. Ryle Bell conducted workshop on Fraternity Ritual and Bro. Joe Jones served on the Elections Committee. Bro. Sean McCaskill, current President of the Pennsylvania Association of Alpha Chapters (PAAC) elected Eastern Region VP Bro. Taurean Branch , III , elected Assistant Eastern Region VP - Mu Rho Chapter, Towson State Univ, MD Mu Lambda shared the award with Kappa Phi Lambda (Columbia, MD) for most registered Brothers outside of host district. Miss NYACOA, Michelle Mbekeani placed first and our Miss MAAC, Phylicia Porter, was 2nd Runner-up in the Miss Black & Gold Pageant. ML Bro. Isaac W.K. Thweatt served as pageant choreographer. Alpha Award of Merit—Bro. Langston Smith of Iota Upsilon Lambda (Silver Spring, MD) Alumni Chapter of the Year –Epsilon Theta Lambda (Hamilton, Bermuda) Step Show Competition—Upsilon Pi (Norfolk State Univ) Collegiate Scholars Bowel—Nu Chapter (Lincoln Univ, PA) Charles H. Wesley Award—Zeta Lambda (Norfolk, VA) and Kappa Pi William and Mary College(Williamsburg, VA) College Chapter of the Year—Theta Iota Virginia Polytechnic Institute, (Blacksburg, VA)

Mu Lambda Brothers with Eastern Region VP Dennis Kemp and Assistant VP DaShawn Hickman

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Eastern Region VP

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ALPHA WIVES ALPHA WIVES OF WASHINGTON DC, INC.  April 

2009 by Modestine J. Lowery

Alpha Wives Lose Long Time Member The Alpha Wives were sorry to lose long time member Anne J. DeLaine.  Anne was the wife of Alpha Franklin DeLaine.  She was a loyal attendee and contributed much to the Alpha Wives organization.  She made wise suggestions during the meetings and supported the programs and goals of the Alpha Wives. She made  time  for her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and supported her husbandʹs fraternity.  Her smiling face and her presence will certainly be missed by the Alpha Wives. Alpha Wives Scholarship Luncheon/Card Party‐A Success

A  special  thanks  to  Barbara  Ramos,  and  co‐chair  Valencia Barber and  their  committee  for  the Alpha  Wives Scholarship Luncheon/Card  Party recently  held  at  the Washington Navy Yard on Saturday April 4th.  It was a grand success. The  tables  were  beautifully  and  appropriately decorated  in  a  playing  card  theme. Attendees  played bridge, pinochle  and  games after  enjoying  the delicious luncheon.  Many  door  prizes  were  given  to  lucky  ticket holders.  Guest also received a gift to take home. Thanks  to  all  Alpha  Wives,  Alphas,  and  guest  for attending. We will be able to continue our college scholarships for  the  coming  school  year  because  of  this  fundraiser.   For scholarship information, call Mary Murray on 301‐588‐4663.

Mu Lamba April 17th, 2009 Beautillion

Be sure to contact members of the committee and Committee Chair, Brother Mark Ross for individual tickets. Group sales and full table tickets available as well. Bro. Ross(202) 422-8493 rossmarka@aol.com

Beta’s Campus Corner

No activity to report

The Torch: April, 2009

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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is pleased to announce that it is currently accepting resumes and applications for the Corporate Headquarters Office Internship Program, located at 2313 St. Paul Street , Baltimore , Maryland 21218 . All application materials should be mailed to Cornell A. Lynch, Internship Coordinator Applications must be received NLT Friday, May 1, 2009 , to be reviewed for consideration.

Membership News

Hall of Famer Dr. Garnett Wood, a 50 year Brother and member of Mu Lambda, is a 2009 Hall of Fame Inductee in the area of Science/Technology/Architecture/Engineering. Bro. Wood is a research chemist with the Food and Drug Administration, responsible for the planning and monitoring of all FDA programs concerned with the chemistry and regulatory control of specific toxins. He has authored more than 55 publications in national and international scientific literature relating to natural toxins in foods. The Washington DC Hall of Fame Society, Inc, is hosting its 10th Annual Awards Program—“Recognizing Legacies In The District Of Columbia” on Sunday Evening, April 19, 2009, 6 pm. at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2600 Woodley Road NW. Donation for this affair is $100.00. The Bickerstaff Group, 4401-A Connecticut Ave, NW #337 is the ticket master for this event (202-363-2375).

The Scurlock Studio & Black Washington:Picturing the Promise

Presentation to Jewel Callis in early 1970’s by Mu Lambda Brothers

Beta Chapter banquet April 1932

On the Mall 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW

Washington, DC

Nearly a century's worth of photographs courtesy of the Scurlock studio form a vivid portrait of black Washington, DC, in all its guises—its challenges and its victories, its dignity and its determination. The exhibition features more than 100 images created by one of the premiere African American studios in the country and one of the longest-running black businesses in Washington. Highlights include cameras and equipment from the studio and period artifacts from Washington. The images are drawn from the Scurlock Studio Collection, preserved since 1997 at the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History. Artifacts are on loan from Howard University, The Historical Society of Washington DC and the Scurlock family. The exhibition is presented by the National Museum of African American History and Culture in collaboration with the National Museum of American History. Sponsored by: National Museum of American History

Contact: Elizabeth Little

(202) 633-3306

Important Dates

Take A Loved One To The Doctor Day

Provident Hospital April 07, 2009

DC Emancipation Day

April 16, 2009

Henry Arthur Callis Beautillion & Scholarship Gala

April 17, 2009

DC March of Dimes: March for Babies Grounds of the National Mall

April 26, 2009

Milestones: 25 years in our Dear Fraternity March 16, 1984 Mu Lambda Chapter Brother Wendell P. Gardner, Jr. Brother Jerry E. Hargrove, Jr. Brother Frederick W. Jones Brother William M. Joyner Brother Anthony Lee Brother LeRoy Lowery, III Brother William R. Spaulding

April 1, 1984 Nu Psi Chapter LSU Baton Rouge,LA         Brother Jeffrey Poydras    

The Torch: April, 2009

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Prostate Cancer Awareness Seminar March 05, 2009

Dr. Phillip Proctor conducts seminar for Mu Lambda Brothers Dr. Phillip Proctor receives certificate of appreciation

by President Timothy Fitzgerald

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, affecting 1 in 6 men. The older you are, the more likely you are to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Although only 1 in 10,000 under age 40 will be diagnosed, the rate shoots up to 1 in 38 for ages 40 to 59, and 1 in 15 for ages 60 to 69. In fact, more than 65% of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65.

According to Dr. Phillip Proctor, urologist with Providence Hospital in Washington, DC, “The roles of race and family history are very important factors”. African American men are 61% more likely to develop prostate cancer compared with Caucasian men and are nearly 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease. Men with a single first-degree relative—father, brother or son—with a history of prostate cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease, while those with two or more relatives are nearly four times as likely to be diagnosed. The risk is even higher if the affected family members were diagnosed at a young age, with the highest risk seen in men whose family members were diagnosed before age 60.

Dr. Proctor, who specializes in impotence, incontinence and prostate disease, wants to explore using faith based organizations to get the message out. The Washington area sees higher prostate numbers than other parts of the country and during his brief seminar, he stressed being proactive about your health and that entails early detection, knowing your PSA numbers and yearly exams. The PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test is a screening for prostate cancer that can be performed quickly and easily in a physician’s office. The other way of screening for prostate cancer is the digital rectal exam (DRE).

Walter Whitley

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BLACK FACTS little Known Black

History Moment

North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Opened April 01, 1989 Aesop Explorer Matthew Henson Reach North Pole (Philosopher, fabulist, Greek Slave)

April 06, 1909 Civil War Began at Fort Sumpter, Charleston, SC Little is known about the life of the man who

April 12, 1861 has been considered one of the world’s greatest Cheyney State University Founded thinkers for the past 2500 years. As documented

April 19, 1837 by Historian J. A. Rogers, the name Aesop National Urban League Founded means “African” and descriptions of his facial

April 23, 1913 features and skin coloring support this. United Negro College Fund Established

April 24, 1944 Aesop (16th century BC), is believed to have been Greek slave on the island of Samos and, according to Herodotus and other classical writers, when he went to Delphi, the center of “piety, learning, and wisdom.” Aesop was so disappointed that he said to one of his friends, “this place is only a heap of weeds and rubbish.” The Delphians, afraid that his words would ruin Delphi’s tourist trade, accused Aesop of stealing a sacred cup from the temple and threw him headlong off a cliff to his death. According to legend, The Delphians faced universal condemnation for their violence against the beloved Aesop. Poverty, famine, and disease soon followed. In a desperate act of atonement, the people of Delphi erected a pyramid in Aesop’s honor and coins have been found at the Delphi site which bears the likeness of a Black man. Coin collectors and historians agree that these Delphian coins were stamped with the image of Aesop. Tradition says that he was misshapen, ugly and spoke with a stammer, but his storytelling was famed for its wit, and his ability to teach lessons in morality through story has made his name synonymous with the genre of ‘fable’.

(Artist Rendition)

ΑΦΑ Tags for DC, MD & VA

The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity licenses plates for Washington, DC are on the road! Brothers interested in acquiring DC tags should contact Bro Arthur King at aking536@aol.com or 202.744.6624.

For Maryland tags contact Brother Vernon Dorkins at (410) 664-0911.

For Virginia tags contact Brother Chuck Johnson at chrlzej06@gmail.com

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April is National Donate Life Month In 1983 Congress requested that President Reagan proclaim April 22 through April 28, 1984 as National Organ Donation Awareness Week. Not long after, the name was changed to National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week.

Tommy Thompson, Health and Human Services Secretary, announced in 2003 that April would be a time to recognize the need for donations of organs, tissue, marrow and blood. President Bush issued a proclamation recognizing the observance. He called National Donate Life Month a chance to “honor living and deceased donors and their families across our Nation.” He also urged more Americans to follow their example. By expanding the event to a full month, more public awareness activities can take place. Thousands of partners throughout the country take part in National Donate Life Month, including associations, state governments, federal agencies, private companies and fraternal organizations. The partners help millions of people learn what they can do to save the lives of those in need. Kidney transplants Many people are waiting for kidneys and the number is growing. In 2001, 47,830 patients waited for a kidney to become available. In 2002, the number was up to 50,855. About 75% of the increase was among people 50-years old or older. This age group makes up half of the total waiting list, up from 34% in 1993. Fortunately for kidney patients, dialysis is an alternative lifesaving treatment. This is not the case for other conditions such as heart and liver disease. While the number of people wanting transplants is on the rise, the number of people donating organs hasn’t changed much. This means patients must wait longer to get organs. On average, 16 people die every day while waiting for an organ to become available. There is also a growing trend in live organ donations. With the typical wait for a cadaver organ being a few years, many people in need of a transplant look to their relatives, friends and other acquaintances to make living donations, which decreases the wait time for an organ. Willing donors will go through testing to determine if they are a suitable match to the recipient. How to donate Almost anyone 18 years or older can donate organs, regardless of their health. If you would like to donate your organs to help save another person’s life, follow these steps: Put your decision in writing. Since laws differ from state to state, log onto www.shareyourlife.org for more information. Tell your family what you want to do. Making your loved ones aware of your intention to donate your organs will help them honor your request in the event of your death. It is important to discuss this, because your relatives will be asked for the go-ahead to donate your organs, even if you have a signed donor card.

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National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. of Washington D.C.

National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. of Washington D.C.

Presents the 4th Annual Scholarship and Awards Banquet

“Excellence in Achieving” Guest Speaker: Reverend Mary Brown Oliver

Educator ♦Pastor ♦ Mentor

Sunday, April 26, 2009 Navy Yard Catering and Conference Center

3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

$35 – adults/graduate members and $25 – youth/undergraduates

For additional information and/or to purchase tickets Please contact

Thuy H. Cooper at thuy_cooper@yahoo.com or

Maurice L. Edwards at medwardsjr@yahoo.com or

Brother Jermaine Wilson at jermaine_wilson@hotmail.com

www.dcnphc.org

Proceeds will benefit the Council’s Scholarship Fund

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The 2008-09 Executive Committee

President Timothy Fitzgerald 301-332-7507 Vice President Reginald Salter 301-379-6102 Recording Secretary Sean Bellamy 336-575-7677 Treasurer Curtis Hunigan 301-599-1191 Financial Secretary Arthur King 202-744-6624 Corresponding Secretary Jeffery Brown 301-204-9544 Chaplain William Hawkins 202-583-3211 Historian/Archivist Justin Davis 678-787-8344 Sergeant-at-Arms Darrell Chase 202-294-3383 Associate Editor to the Sphinx Kenneth Furlough 202-468-1892 Editor of the Torch Walter Whitley 202-255-9258 Webmaster Marvin Brooks 202-744-0891 Director of Intake Andre Lucas 202-271-1617 Director of Education Geoffrey Johnson 202-487-0785 Parliamentarian Eddie Neal 301-440-4055 Member-at-Large Arlester Brown 202-244-2778 Immediate Past President James McDonald 202-544-5026

www.mulambda.org

April Birthdays

Arlester Brown April 01 Franklin P. DeLaine, Sr. April 03 Lawrence K. Montgomery April 03 Jeffrey Fleming April 05 Thomas A. Duckenfield April 06 Clarence E. Magwood April 07 Charles E. Donegan April 10 Vincent B. Orange, Sr. April 11 Julius H. Brice April 14 James Mitchell April 15 James A. Donaldson April 17 Robert L. Cathey, Jr. April 18 Geoffrey Johnson April 19 James H. Burleson, Jr. April 23 Wilfred J. Christian April 23 Adrian V. James April 25 Carlos H. Powers April 28

2008 – 2009 Mu Lambda Housing Assessment

Please remember to pay your 2008-2009 Housing Assessment: $50 per chapter meeting (10 meetings) or $500 for the year. Remit to Bro. Curtis Hunigan, 5621 N. Marwood Blvd., Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

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Submit this form with your dues to the financial secretary. Name_____________________________________________________________________________________ Account or Life Member Number_______________________________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________________________________________ City _______________________________ State _____________________ Zip Code____________________ Birthday (Month/Day/Year) ___________________________________________________________________ Home Number _____________________________ Work Number ___________________________________ Email Address _____________________________________________________________________________ If transferring into Mu Lambda: Date of Initiation___________________ Chapter of Initiation________________ Chapter Dues: Life Member $160.00

Non-Life Member $320.00 1st Year Alumni $195.00 2nd Year Alumni $232.50 Graduate Student $270.00

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Mu Lambda Chapter PO Box 1993 Washington, DC 20013-1993

….Share the Light of the Torch with our inactive Brothers and Brothers new to the DC area….

April Meeting Thursday, April 09, 2009

7:06pm School of Dentistry

Howard University Campus