KAPPA PHI LAMBDA CHAPTER • COLUMBIA, MD • WWW.APAKPL.ORGBro. Kerry G. Johnson, Associate Editor to The Sphinx - e-mail: caricatureKerry@verizon.net

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THE KPL SPHINXJANUARY / FEBRUARY 2014

THE 39th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. BREAKFASTBro. Kerry G. Johnson

Associate Editor to The Sphinx

In the age of social media, the (Bro.) Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would want people to focus on serving others instead of themselves as evidenced by society’s obsessions with so-called “selfies” – photos people take of themselves and post on social media websites.

That was the crux of the message by Bro. Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University in New Orleans, who served as the keynote speaker of the 39th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast held at Martin’s West in Windsor Mill on Jan. 12.

More than 1,000 people attended the event sponsored by the Alpha Foundation of Howard County, Inc., and Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter.

Numerous dignitaries, including Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, Howard County Executive Ken Ul-man and Howard County Public Schools Superintendent Renee Foose

attended the breakfast. Members of the Alpha Achievers, high school boys mentored by the fraternity, were also commended for achieving high grades and demonstrating exception-al leadership and community service.

Bro. Kimbrough urged attendees to get involved in their communities by making a difference in the lives of others.

“You’re not a revolutionary be-cause you say I support x, y or z on Twitter,” he explained.

Bro. Kimbrough added that social media sites such as Instagram, Face-book and Vine have created a culture where “everybody wants to be seen,” leading to a more “self-absorbed” so-ciety.

He suggested people post pictures of themselves helping others learn to read. “We’ve got to move from self to service,” he said.

For more photos from the breakfast, see Page 6 >>

Bro. James T. JacksonChaplain, KPL Chapter

The next Brotherhood worship is sched-uled for St. John Baptist Church in Co-lumbia on Sunday, February 9, 2014. The service starts at 10:00 a.m. Broth-ers are asked to arrive at 10:45 a.m. and be dressed in official Alpha attire (black suit, gold tie). The church’s ad-dress: 9055 Tamar Drive, Columbia, MD 21045 - www.stjohnbaptistchurch.org Ph: (410) 992-6977

KPL Meeting DetailsDate: February 8, 2014Location Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Address: 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd. Laurel, MD 20723Repast: 5:30 p.m.

Meeting 6:30 p.m.

Menu: Honey BBQ baked chicken Beef bourguignon Honey wheat rolls Collard greens w/ turkey Candied sweet potatoes Corn Peach Cobbler German Chocolate Cake Vanilla Ice TeaIf any Brother requires assistance getting to this KPL meeting or future meetings, please contact the chapter president, Bro. Norris T. Jennings via email: ntjenni1942@gmail.com

Photos by Bro. Greg Stansbury (www.gregstansburyphotography.com)

Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter is still collecting funds for our Valentine Gala scheduled for February 14. KPL needs 20 (or more) brothers to join us at this annual event to be held at Martin’s West. The plan-ning committee has worked hard to make this an enjoyable evening for Brothers and their guest. This is a “black tie”, sit-down dinner with dancing and a cash bar. There will be a photographer on hand to take pictures. Additionally, each guest will be presented with a gift. KPL needs each Brother’s support to make this a success.

Please contact Bro. John H. Taylor or Bro. Norris T. Jen-nings for ticket info:

Bro. Norris T. Jennings email: ntjenni1942@gmail.com

Bro. John H. Tayloremail: pajpahpat@verizon.net

See Page 5 >>

A Night of Fun and Love

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Many thanks to Bro. Richard Shepherd and his wife, Betty for hosting the annual KPL Christmas Party.

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ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC.Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter of Columbia, MD

Day At TheRACES

Hold the date: March 29, 2014: Laurel Park Race Course Details to come ...

Photos by Bro. Richard Shepherd

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Update on the IMDPBro. Brandon L. Tilghman

KPL Dean of Membership Intake

The Initial Membership Development Process (IMDP) certification expired for all KPL Broth-ers on December 31, 2013. This means that all KPL Brothers must attend a training session in 2014 to be re-certified for IMDP.

Despite several sessions taking place through-out the Mid-Atlantic Association of Alpha Phi Alpha Chapters (MAAC), please be aware that IMDP training will also be offered in our surrounding areas which include Howard and Baltimore counties and Baltimore city.

The training is expected to take place some time in the spring/summer in preparation for KPL’s participation in Fall 2014 IMDP activities.

At least 50% of Kappa Phi Lambda Brothers will have to be certified to make the chapter eligible to have membership intake.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions/concerns about IMDP certifica-tion, or if you would like additional information about sponsoring or recommending candidates.

Bro. Brandon L. Tilghman email: bltilghman@yahoo.com

KPL Summer CookoutMark your calendars! The Fall 2013 neophytes are in the midst of planning Kappa Phi Lamb-da’s annual day of food, fun and fellowship. Stay tuned for additional information in future editions of The KPL Sphinx.

Sunday, July 20, 2014Cedar Lane Park - East Pavilion

10745 Rte. 108 - Columbia MD 21044

Alpha Achievers accept challenge and gain assistance for books

The Alpha Achievers is an educational program of the Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter

of the AΦA. The program was created to foster positive oppor-tunities for assisting young Af-rican American males in grades 9-12 in the Howard County Pub-lic School System. The program requires young males to strive to attain, maintain, and exceed a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). It also seeks to en-courage and motivate students who have less than a 3.0 GPA to strive toward that academic goal.Recently, Bro. Rodney Hawkins, a member of KPL and President of Washington Tech-nology Group, Inc. located in Silver Spring, MD, was invited to speak at Project Alpha, a program that provides discussions explor-ing issues on responsible sexual behavior, to the Alpha Achievers at Hammond High School in Columbia, MD. During the dis-cussion, Bro. Hawkins shared his personal story and experiences of growing up in a single-parent home that was headed by his father, Melvin Hawkins. He shared his perspective on leadership and expressed the importance of a college education, to which many of the young men in attendance indicated their interest in attending college. After listening to their dreams, Bro. Hawkins also gave them a challenge: “If you earn a 3.5 GPA or better in your first semester, I will support you in your dreams and pay for your books for the next college semester.”Six months later, Bro. Hawkins received an email from Ayo Akangbe. The name was not familiar, but he opened and read the note. Akangbe explained that he was at the presentation that morning when Bro. Hawkins issued the challenge. He wanted him to know that he took the charge seriously and was proud to report that he entered the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and earned a 4.0 GPA during his first semester. Akangbe asked if Bro. Hawkins was sin-cere with his challenge and whether he would keep his word to help with the pur-chase of his books during the second se-mester. Pleased to know that someone was

listening, Bro. Hawkins wrote back and told the young man that he was proud of him and that he would definitely honor his part of the deal. He told Ayo to let him know which books he needed and where to send the payment.A short time later, a second email came from Dami Olajuyigbe,

who was also an Alpha Achiever at Hammond High School. He was writing to report that he had taken Bro. Hawkins’ lecture seriously and he also achieved a 4.0 GPA for his first semester at UofMD - Eastern Shore. Dami inquired if he would be able to get his books paid, as per the agreement. Bro. Hawkins assured him that he would honor his promise. Although genuinely pleased with these young men’s accomplishments, Bro. Hawkins began to think that the young men were talking and spreading the word that he was actually honoring his challenge.Bro. Hawkins was beginning to wonder how many other young men would reach out to him with their success stories during their first semester at college and exactly how much it was going to cost him. After verifying the GPAs of the two stu-dents, Bro. Hawkins honored his commit-ment and sent a check for over $1,000 for their textbooks.As this article went to press, only two young men have come forward to claim their re-wards. This is a small number compared to the number of young men who were present at the discussion. Not concerned about the ultimate expense, Bro. Hawkins, believes it’s the responsibility of all Alpha men to reach back to help our next generation of strong and educated men.More importantly, it is imperative that we demonstrate “our word is our bond”, espe-cially when it is given to our youth, said Bro. Hawkins.The Alpha Achievers program has been in existence since 1997. The program also seeks to promote character growth and critical thinking as well as develop leader-ship skills and encourage its members to become full citizens of their schools and community.

Continued on Page 4 >>

 

Bro. Hawkins

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CELEBRATIONS AND HIGH ACHIEVEMENTSDorsey family scoresKudos to Bro. Bruce Dorsey and his family. His daughter, Imani was selected for the Washington Post’s Fall ALL-METRO sports team. She was named “player of the year” for high school girl’s soccer. See her write-up below from the newspaper.--------------------------------------Imani Dorsey (Mid Fielder)Our Lady of Good Counsel High School / SeniorThe Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) player of the year scored 15 goals with seven assists despite missing games for U.S. National Team camp. Often hassled by mul-tiple defenders, the 2013 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) all-American rarely relented possession – unless it was to teammates, as Coach Jim Bruno said his midfielder was too unselfish on several occasions. Thanks to uncommon field vision and the ability to finish from anywhere with either foot, she graduates with 51 career goals, 30 assists and three WCAC championships. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/highschools/2013/fall-all-met/girls-soccer/index.html

CORRECTION: In the December 2013 edition of The KPL Sphinx, Bro. Harry Evans, III’s family member’s names were misspelled. The correct caption is provided below:-------------------------------------Kudos to Mr. Keasel Evans-Broome, who is the nephew of Bro. Harry Evans, III. Evans-Broome is the team captain of the Providence College (Friars) soccer team. The team played in the Big East Tournament in Chester, PA. Left to right: Bro. John Keiller, Keasel Evans-Broome, June Evans Broome and Bro. Harry Evans, III

Evans re-elected to boardCongratulations to Bro. Harry Evans, III who serves on the How-ard County Liquor Board. Bro. Evans was recently re-elected to serve as chairman of the board.

PARLIAMENTARIAN’S CORNERFrom Bro. Cecil G. Christian, Jr.Kappa Phi Lambda, Parliamentarian

Chairman, Election Committee

Here’s a reminder, please start the process of thinking of the Alpha man whom you believe is qualified, eligible and willing to serve as an elected officer for the 2014-15 fraternal year. Several KPL officers cannot be elected again to the offices they currently occupy. The offices affected are: President, Recording Secretary, Corre-sponding Secretary, Chaplain, Historian and Editor to The Sphinx.

Bro. Brandon L. Tilghman • Bro. Da’Nall WilmerKPL NPHC Representatives

n African-American Cultural FairSaturday, February 22, 2014Theme: Honoring our Past, Inspiring our FutureLocation & Time: The Mall in Columbia • 10:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Brothers will be needed to make a trip to the mall on such day so that our pres-ence is visible throughout the mall. In addition, coverage will be needed from the Brotherhood throughout the day to explain our display to Howard County residents so that they learn more about our respective organizations, historical contributions, and current efforts to serve this beloved community and beyond. A sign-up sheet will be available at the February chapter meeting. For more info, see Page 10 >> n Greek Day @ the Reginald F. Lewis MuseumSaturday, March 1, 2014

The NPHC of Howard County, MD is excited to assist in organizing Greek Day @ the Reginald F. Museum (Baltimore). Alpha Brothers and other members of the Divine 9 will view “The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey – Where Art and History Intersect” ― an exhibition of African American history as expressed through art. The Kinsey Collection is an extensive museum exhibition that includes artistic and historical treasures of African Ameri-can history and culture, including rarely seen nineteenth-century slave documents, an early version of the Emancipation Proclamation, speeches by Bro. Frederick Douglass, letters from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., brilliant expressions in paint, and unforgettable glimpses into the private lives of African Americans over the last four centuries. “The Kinsey Collection strives to give our ancestors a voice, name and personality, enabling the viewer to understand the challenges, obstacles, triumphs and extraordinary sacrifice of African Americans who’ve greatly con-tributed to the success of this country,” said Bernard Kinsey. Visit the museum’s website for more details later this month.

PAN-HELLENIC COUNCIL PLANNED EVENTS

The Alpha Achievers Program is in all twelve high schools of the Howard County Public School System. An en-dowment fund has been established to support the Alpha Achievers and other education programs of the Alpha Foun-dation of Howard County of the Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter. If you are interested in supporting the Alpha Achievers program, you may send your donations directly to the AFHC, Inc. at P.O. Box 2694, Colum-bia, MD 21045.

Achievers accept academy challengeContinued from Page 3

 

 

Akangbe

Olajuyigbe

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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter

“Valentine Gala” Celebrating Wives and Significant Others

February 14, 2014 8pm to 12:00am

at Martin’s West

                                                                                                                                                                                       

Sit Down Dinner Assorted Dessert Coffee, Tea, Ice Tea

Champagne Toast Music for Dancing

Cash Bar Cost $65.00 per person Attire: Black Tie

Invite your friends to join us

Make checks payable to KPL, APA Send to: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter P. O. Box 321

Columbia, MD 20145 For tickets/info contact John Taylor 443-520-0914 or pajpahpat@verizon.net

Norris Jennings 443-744-8602 or ntjenni1942@gmail.com

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