Gamma Pi Chapter Kicks Off the 50th Year With An Awe-Inspiring Achievement Week

 

For the Brothers of Gamma Pi Chapter, the 2022 Achievement week program was a special milestone for The Super Chapter. It was the first time the chapter held its entire Achievement Week program in person since COVID emerged in early 2020.

 Two key highlights of Achievement Week ’22 were the community awards program held on November 14 at the University of Maryland and the always-anticipated Brothers Only dinner that was held on the evening of November 11 at the Lake Presidential Golf Club in Upper Marlboro. Both events drew a full house.

 Brothers from Gamma Pi, along with Brothers as guests from other chapters, joined together for an interesting, informative and exciting dinner program that offer the perfect atmosphere for Brothers to engage in fellowship and celebrate the Founders Day and Achievement Week period. Bro. Amir Shareef, Second District First Vice Representative, served as Master of Ceremonies. Past Second District Representative Bro. Milton Harrison attended as a special guest.

This year’s Achievement Week theme, “Providing Uplift to Local, National and World Communities," came through in the message of keynote speaker past Second District Representative Bro. James “Scrappy” Jordan, who talked about the precious value of Friendship from a personal level during the Brothers Only Dinner. Bro. Jordan recounted the role of Brothers in helping along his recovery from a health crisis and a coma several years ago. The personal Uplift from Brothers that he described is the same Uplift that can revive and strengthen our communities. Bro. Basileus Richard Allison II also used the occasion to recognize members of his leadership teams for their support of him and the chapter’s operations.

Many members of the local community attended the evening awards program on the Maryland campus. This was the program where the so-called “hardware” was handed out to deserving Brothers in the chapter as well as to outstanding leaders in the community. Just as Bro. Jordan’s message at the Brothers Only dinner, the message at the awards program was about how award winners embodied Uplift of local, national and world communities through their work.

Congratulations to the Achievement week award winners:

• Omega Man of the Year: Basileus Richard Allison II
• Superior Service: Bro. John Morgan, Jr.
• Founders Award: Bro. Edward High II
• Citizen of the Year: Bro. Anthony J. McAllister
• Religious Leader of the Year: Rev. Tony Lee (Community of Hope AME Church, Hillcrest Heights, MD)
• Educator of the Year: Bro. Regie Pickett
• Student Athlete of the Year: Karmarre J. Lawrence
• Essay Winner: Elizabeth Oduro

Congratulations also to Bros. Terence Hare and Tommie Boone, who as co-chairs led the planning and execution of a memorable Achievement Week program for The Super Chapter.

"Achievement Week is an opportunity to recognize the good work that has been done as well as look ahead to the work that remains,” said Bro. Basileus Allison.

Voices of the Founders Help Gamma Pi Chapter Prepare to Celebrate 50 Years

Charter members in early 1970's photo

As Gamma Pi Chapter moves toward its 50th Anniversary date of March 5, members of the Chapter are starting to hear voices. Voices, that is, of the Charter Members who started it all in 1973 as they look back at the early 1970s and Gamma Pi's bold beginnings in Prince George's County, MD that planted the seed for what today is now called "The Super Chapter." 

Surviving members of the original 21 charter members who birthed the chapter are pridefully speaking out and reminiscing on the chapter's noble start through a new video series called, "Que-versations - Meet the Charter Members." The video series is a collection of individual interviews with the charter members by Gamma Pi's Public Relations committee.

To date, four charter members have been interviewed. They are Brothers Tim McIntosh, the chapter's first-ever Basileus; Don Herring; John Robinson and Clemmie Solomon. Their video interviews are posted on the chapter's website (www.gammapi.org/videos) and are also available on the chapter's
YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/gammapichapter ). Brothers Anthony Kelly and Reggie Pickett are members of the chapter's Public Relations committee. 

Bro. Tim McIntosh talls to Bro. Reggie Pickett

These first four interviews are part of a continuing series that will take place until every available charter member has been interviewed. So far, those who have been interviewed have done so from their homes. The interviews are all solo and range from 30-50 minutes in length.

Get your popcorn ready, grab the remote and get ready to tune into some fascinating Omega Psi Phi history from Gamma Pi Chapter. Stay tuned for information about upcoming activities later this year as we mark 50 years of Brotherhood and Service in Prince George's County.

Bro. Clemmie Solomon chats with Bro. Anthony Kelly

Bro. John Robinson and Bro. Kelly

Bro. Don Herring, Sr. and Bro. Pickett