Gamma Pi Marches Into the Lives of Young Men Housed at Regional Juvenile Facility

Brothers organize in the parking lot before entering facility

One by one, they strode along the concrete sidewalk up a small incline and into the building through one of an array of electronically secured glass doors. Each one walked with a different cadence, a different length in their step, a different gait, a slightly different path yet along the same route. Symbolizing the fortitude of Omega, one determined Brother, apparently fresh off a leg surgery, dragged one leg on the ground with his injured leg propped up on a scooter. The Brothers of Gamma Pi Chapter marched in by two's and three's and at different paces, but they were united in their focus on the young souls waiting inside the Cheltenhan Youth Detention Center.

A Sense of Urgency

On this scorching hot Saturday, June 29, with morning temperatures in the 80s, the average person would have viewed entering the facility only as a relief from the heat. But the more than 50 Brothers of Gamma Pi welcomed entry into the center as a chance -- an opportunity -- to change the lives of young men housed there.

The annual visit to Cheltenham is never routine. Brothers never follow the exact same script. And this year, Brothers used the visit to share their own stories of struggle within the legal system and how they recovered. The lesson for the young men was, "These may be your circumstances today, but tomorrow can be brighter."

Cheltenham Youth Detention Center

Behind the Walls

Once they cleared extremely tight security, the Brothers entered a large gymnasium and took seats on four rows of chairs facing the bleachers that jutted out from the wall. Just about every Omega man wore the Purple and Gold. Shortly after Brothers took their seats, about 30 young men wearing baby blue shirts and khakis were escorted in by the black-clad security guards and other staffers, where they sat in the bleachers. If somebody had walked in from the streets, they would have assumed the guys in Purple and Gold and the guys in Blue and Beige were about to square off. Quite the contrary. Yes, it was a fight that was about to take place. But the Brothers were only helping the young men to fight past their current situation and see bright futures.

Everybody Has a Story

After Bro. Keeper of Records & Seal Otis Fowler warmed up the audience with a run-through of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, history, the information flow took a hard turn toward real "in-your-face" reality.

One by one, Brothers shared some real and raw stories. Just like you would expect from accomplished men of Omega Psi Phi. They did not hold back.

One Brother talked about how his association with the wrong crowd a decade ago ended up with is incarceration for two years on charges for a white collar crime.

Another Brother talked about how when he was the age of the young Cheltenham residents, he too bounced around in juvenile detention for a series of crimes that had his mother saying she had given up on him. He talked about the intense pain of hearing that.

Another Omega man shared how his love -- his obsession with money -- led to his downfall at an early age. Today he is a Chief Information Officer.

Another Brother shared how his exploits as a young teenager kept him off course for so long that he did not begin college until age 25.

A Brother from a nearby chapter came by to give the young men some "current" information. He had just been released from a 51-day jail stay just a month ago after pleading guilty to a white collar crime. With incarceration fresh in his mind, he pleaded with the young men to spend every waking hour working and planning their exit and looking to the future. His message was to visit the library often. Make plans. Talk to people on the outside. Find a mentor. Make good use of the time and begin to visualize "beyond here."

And a Brother who recently retired as a high-ranking police officer closed it out by offering a written strategy for the youth to begin rebuilding their lives, challenging each one to ask of themselves, "What are you going to do about it and when are you going to start?"

The entire two-hour encounter was powerful and uplifting for Gamma Pi and the few guest Brothers who joined us, as several of the young men asked questions and gathered around the Brothers at the end of the presentations to seek more wisdom and encouragement. On the way out, many Brothers were heard repeating the oft-used phrase, "If we can just change one life." They way things went Saturday, it could very weell be several lives that were redirected by the brothers' outpouring.

Thanks to Bro.Tiresias McCall, a professional counselor, for organizing a great and challenging visit. It was a truly great and moving day for Gamma Pi Chapter and for Omega Psi Phi. This is what this Fraternity is all about. This is what Gamma Pi -- The Super Chapter -- is all about.  We could feel the applause of the Founders watching over us.

Due to restrictions, no photographic or video equipment is permitted inside the center

 WATCH GAMMA PI ENTER THE FACILITY EN MASSE: VIDEO

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At Second District Conference, Gamma Pi's Community Work and Effectiveness Is Lauded and Highlighted

Basileus Bro. Tony Lee (2nd left) and other chapter members at Founders' Banquet

DOVER, Del.-- Hundreds of hours of volunteer time spent planning and executing programs for youth, families and seniors in Prince George's County just about every weekend in the 2017-18 Fraternity Year translated into several awards for The Super Chapter at the 71st Second District Conference here the weekend of April 25-28.

Bro. Don Norwood with Omega Man of the Year award

Gamma Pi Winners 
Recognition for Gamma Pi at the 2019 conference was highlighted by Vice Basileus Bro. Don Norwood's selection as the Omega Man of the Year for the Second District. It is the first time that a member of the chapter has been named the winner of the prestigious award district-wide.

Immediate Past Grand Keeper of Records and Seal Bro. Kenneth Rodgers, who is also the 32nd and former three-time Second District Representative and former Gamma Pi three-time Basileus, was named Founders' Award winner for the district.

Gamma Pi's Citizen  of the Year winner, new Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, was named Second District Citizen of the Year. And, Gamma Pi was one of three chapters that placed in the Social Action Chapter of the Year competition, winning 2nd place.

Bro. Kenneth Rodgers  with District Founders' Award

If being recognized by your peers is the highest form of achievement, then the Brothers of Gamma Pi have every right to feel good about their efforts as fellow Omega men in the 5-state Second District bestowed three individual awards and one group award on the chapter at the conference.

For Gamma Pi, it was a time to reflect on all the chapter's hard work and sacrifice, noted by hundreds and hundreds of volunteer hours working with children, youth, families and seniors to improve the lives of the Prince George's County community. It was also a time to demonstrate humility in the context of what Omega stands for, grateful for being recognized by other Omega men who are also doing great work in the Second District.

The District Conference: Getting Down to Business
The awards were announced Saturday, April 27, at the Founders' Banquet gala held at the Dover Downs Casino and Hotel. For those unfamiliar with how the Fraternity does its business, Omega Psi Phi is about far more than "hops," social events and the chants that many people mistake as the only activities of the 107-year-old Fraternity.

Not only do individual chapters conduct monthly business meetings, but once a year, the Brothers in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania gather to host a four-day business conference to elect officers, set priorities and plan service events and other operational activities. It's also done this way in other districts.

 As part of the District Conference occasion, chapters and individuals who do outstanding work are cited. So are members of the greater community that Omega Psi Phi serves as part of its Social Action agenda, which accounts for the selection of Gamma Pi's Citizen of the Year awardee.


Gamma Pi is very active in the Second District, led by Bro. Adrian Wilcox, who this weekend was elected as the Second District Keeper of Finance. It is one of the most significant leadership roles in all of District operations. Bro. Wilcox is a professional insurance broker with his own agency.

Other Gamma Pi members who serve in appointed positions for the district are Bro. Gordon Everett, Sr. (committee chair); Bro. Teddy Taylor; Bro. Lawrence Dukes, Bro. Norwood and Bro. James Alexander.

Bro. J. Kendall Smalls with Gamma Pi awardees and stand-ins

The Super Chapter Behind the Scenes 
In addition to the awards, Gamma Pi played a behind-the-scenes role in the proceedings. Brother Brian "BK" Long, the Immediate Past three-term Basileus and now Chief of Staff for the Second District, orchestrated many of the logistics and kept 33rd Second District Representative Bro. J. Kendall Smalls and other District and Fraternity leaders updated and connected, including a major visit and address to the conference by the Fraternity's Grand Basileus, Bro, Dr. David T. Marion. Also, Gamma Pi was asked to develop a video slide show to showcase all the scrapbook submissions which was played during the gala.

Young Bros on the move with Gamma Pi

Led by Basileus Bro. Tony Lee, about 30 chapter members traveled here for the weekend meetings. As always when Omega men get together, time to fellowship and socialize was mixed in with the official business. It's the Omega way. For example, Omega men who were initiated at colleges and universities within the Second District often find the district conference a time to re-connect with their fellow chapter Brothers scattered in the region. But the business clearly came first.

Individual chapters of the Fraternity give out their local version of these awards every year during the Achievement Week period, which is the official observance of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity's Founders' Day, November 17, 1911. For district-level awards, each chapter's local winners are judged to determine who is the overall district winner for these categories.

This year's 71st Second District Conference was hosted by Psi Iota chapter in Dover. It was a smooth-operating, well-organized conference that many Brothers complimented. Next year, the 72nd Second District Conference will be hosted by the Iota Phi Chapter of Pittsburgh during the weekend of April 30-May 3, 2020. Travel plans are already underway for next year.

DOWNLOAD OUR PDF CONFERENCE EDITION "NEWS AND NOTES"

Below: Video Clip of Omega Man of the Year Award

Preparing for a session

Brothers pose with West Point Ques

Discussing the Proceedings

Bro. Basileus displays Social Action and Citizen of the Year awards

Gamma Pi's First Basileus Bro. Tim McIntosh

                                              Candid Shots from the Weekend Activities

Gamma Pi's Project ENRICH Teaches Students to Speak Up, Speak Out Confidently

Student listens to feedback from Project ENRICH staff

They approached the front of the room one by one. Once positioned, they introduced themselves and identified their topics. And then it was time to start talking. Each one had a different cadence, a different decibel level and a different presentation style. But one thing that is common to each of the students who presented their essays at Saturday’s Project ENRICH session, is that they all had the opportunity to research and talk about an important part of Black history.

Each year, the April essays are nail-biting time for the students who must overcome the jitters to stand tall and deliver a coherent talk in a room full of their peers and parents. But it’s also one of Project ENRICH’s top learning activities. It goes to the core of one of the program’s key goals, to help students learn vital verbal communication skills as they prepare for college and life afterwards.

The students are assigned topics according to their class standing. For example, the freshmen were asked to research and write essays about the early 20^th century Camp Logan Riots. What precipitated the riots and were the actions justified? The sophomores were given the task of orating on A. Phillip Randolph and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. The juniors spoke about The Great Migration of the 20^th century that saw millions of African Americans “head north” to escape the clutches of Jim Crow in the deep south and latch on to better job opportunities. Finally, the seniors discussed the two types of African American leaders who dominated at the turn of the 20^th century – the Assimilators and the Liberators. Which one should Black people have followed?

Persuading the audience

Project ENRICH Director Bro. Willie Hines views the essays as a training exercise for public speaking, as well as a venue to develop critical thinking skills. The students seem to understand and appreciate. After each presentation, students are given a critique by a panel of Project ENRICH staff, which included Gamma Pi members Hines, Lawrence Branch, Pete Ford, Marc Ellington, Jason Crump and James Riley.

Mastering the topic

“This subject was picked because we wanted you to understand what Camp Logan was all about,” director Hines said this morning. “These men left a military base and went into Houston and engaged police and whites…we want you to apply critical thinking skills to these topics.”

The subjects selected for also help the students learn about little-known or unknown Black history, as well as hone leadership skills, debate techniques and interpersonal communications skills. Project ENRICH is always reminding the students to practice and be ready to give their “30-second elevator speech.”

Project ENRICH awards prizes in every grade group. Winners will be announced next month.

Gamma Pi Brothers Show Up in Support of Fight Against Domestic Violence

Basileus Bro. Tony Lee, 2nd right and Social Action Chair Kevin Greenwood, 2nd left,
 with some of the other Gamma Pi Brothers at the domestic violence event

The Brothers of Gamma Pi don't have any problem rolling out of bed early on a Saturday morning, even after working all week, if it is for a good cause. Today, the Brothers rolled out and showed up at the Camelot by Martin's in Upper Marlboro to show support for and help local advocacy groups strategize in the fight domestic violence. For the third consecutive year, Gamma Pi participated in the Prince George's County MOMENTum "Men Making Our Relationships Excellent" Domestic Violence conference.

The chapter's participation was led by the Social action committee and was highlighted by the deployment of its new exhibit booth that served as an onsite home base for the distribution of information about the Fraternity and chapter and its ambitious Social Action initiatives. The booth received a multitude of visitors curious about Omega Psi Phi and about the various community programs the chapter is involved in.

Gamma Pi also drew praise for bringing about a dozen young boys from the nearby underserved Kentland Community-- many dressed professionally in their ties -- to learn an early life lesson in having a proper relationship with women. The young boys are part of Gamma Pi's long-running QueKidz mentoring initiative that sponsors a monthly series of social and education enrichment activities for the Kentland youth. The young boys were transported to the event by bus from the Kentland Community Center where QueKidz programs are held one Saturday a month.

One of the key aspects of the conference, sponsored by the county's Department of Family Services, was a series of breakout sessions, which the Brothers from Gamma Pi covered. For example, there was a session on "Understanding Domestic Violence and Your Role in Preventing It" which included discussions on learning how to detect, report and respond to domestic violence. Another one of the sessions focused on "Becoming a Better Man."  The Gamma Pi team attending the conference took an active part in the frank dialogue and informative discussion that came out of the conference.

"The conference created a gender specific community dialogue to educate men and youth on healthy relationships, non-violence, and to give them an opportunity to partner with other males in discussion to address domestic violence in Prince George’s County," said Social Action Chairman Kevin Greenwood. "We learned  lot."

In 2016, the chapter used the opportunity of attending the conference to observe and meet community leaders directing the fight. The focus now is on getting more actively engaged in the effort. In recent years, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. has turned more of its attention to the plight of domestic violence in our communities.

VIDEO CLIP: Que Kidz mentees arrive at the Camelot

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