April 2016
Volume I
Greetings Sorors Congratulations to Soror Sheree, Cotillion Chairman, Sorors Natasha an Bria , Cotillion Co-Chairmen as well as the Cotillion Com-
mittee Members and other Sorors who stepped forward and did what was necessary to assist in presenting such a beautiful and well executed “Miss Prominent Pearl Cotillion.” It was a beautiful
April 23rd-30th: Money Smart Week. Target III: Family Strengthening Presentation - “What Will Be Your Legacy?”
April 28th @ the Homewood Library @ 6:30 p.m. Direct questions to Soror Renee Collins.
event in a beautifully decorated room which set the tone for an
May 11th: AKA Day at the Capitol. See the Connection Com-
elegant evening. The debutantes were beautiful and poised; like-
mittee Report. Direct questions to Soror Jerry Bridges.
wise the escorts were handsome in their formal attire. Many lessons were learned by each of us, and those lessons will strength-
May 13th – 14th: “Spring Retreat 2016 ” Part I: Friday Evening,
en each of us as we continue our journey together…Sisters in Ser-
@ Marie Irwin Center, Homewood, IL, 6:00-10:00 P.M. Part II:
vice joined by Hearts of Love.
Saturday, @ Doubletree Inn/Hilton, 5000 West 127th Street, Alsip, IL. 8AM-3PM. Cost $40/Soror. Direct questions to Soror
My sincere thanks to each of you for your prayers, calls and acts
Jeanette Rogers
of kindness during my recent eye surgery. Special thanks to Soror Marilyn, from the bottom of my heart, for carrying on during my
June 11th: June Luncheon, Silver Lake Country Club, Orland
recovery.
Park, IL See Soror Tonika Roach for details.
We have a very robust schedule between now and Boule. I am
SAVE THE DATE: 67th Boule, July 9-14, 2016,Atlanta, GA
pleased to see that our chapter is continuing to provide our communities with exemplary Programs of Service. Please support the upcoming activities of LTO and remember to refer to our Event Calendar regularly for updates. My sincere thanks to all of our
In This Issue:
Page
Leaders for your hard work and dedication. Additionally, thanks Spiritual Oversight
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to each member for your cooperation and participation, for you Prayer Requests truly are the backbone to helping get the job done.
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Leadership
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Pearls of Protocol
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Tamiouchos Tips
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AKAverseries
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LTO Celebrates Silver
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Soror Barbara, Basileus
The Legacy Continues
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Target II-NAMI
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president@ltoaka.org
Newsletter Submission
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“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about”…
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Spiritual Oversight Committee April 2016 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:6 NLT)
Anytime we demonstrate faith, we’re relying on something. When you sit in a chair, you’re relying on the chair’s manufacturer to produce something that will hold you up. When you’re on the freeway, you’re relying on every other driver around you. Faith in God means we rely on him and depend on his reliability. Having faith means realizing that God is bigger, greater, and better than me – and he loves me greatly. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (NLT). That's the problem with relying on yourself. We’re often wrong. Human intuition is not always reliable. In fact, it’s just good enough to make us think we’re right – even when we’re not. Genuine faith is relying on God's direction and on who he is. God is reliable. He knows what you need, and he wants to meet those needs. Unfortunately, we think we know better. We think we have a better plan. We want to use our logic and get to the answer in a way that makes us look good – and doesn’t require risk. But God wants us to grow, so he takes us a different way. Many times in Scripture, God asks us to do what doesn’t make sense to our logic. For example, Mark 10:43 says, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant” (NLT). To most people, that verse doesn’t make sense; you’d think great people would have others serving them. Jesus says it’s the other way around – the great people are the ones serving others. I need to trust what God says about greatness, not what I think. God also says we’re to honor him by giving the first 10 percent of our income back to him. By our reason, that doesn’t make much sense to us. But we’re to lean on God’s understanding, not our own. Because we trust him, we obey what he says – even if it doesn’t make sense to us. Author: Rick Warren
Submitted by LTO Chaplain: Tina Hughes Burke 2
Remember in prayer…… There by the grace of God go I….
Soror Barbara McCreary (healing at home)
Soror Veneeta Phelps (healing at home) Soror Sarah Lewis -Weaver's Grandmother Ms. Ethel McCray (discharged from hospital).
Soror Vanessa Byrd’s daughter Kristen (discharged from hospital) Soror Toni Grayer’s aunt Athea (recovering from a broken hip)
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Growing Your Skills The Leadership Development Committee is delighted to facilitate the planning of activities to help all members, including present leaders and aspiring leaders opportunities to learn and grow. Neither of us has likely reached her full potential or learning curve. The committee is anxious to plan, but will look to you, our members, for input and suggestions for workshop topics and to serve as presenters in your areas of expertise. Please send workshop suggestions and topics you would like to present or participate in presenting to our Basileus with copies to the Leadership Development Committee chairman and co-chairman. The upcoming retreat is designed to help us grow our skills. Reminder: our next 2016 Chapter Retreat is scheduled as follows: May 13, 6-10 p.m. at Marie Irvin Community Center, 18120 Highland Avenue, Homewood May 14, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Doubletree by Hilton, 5000 W 127th Street, Alsip.
In addition to chapter and committee participation requirements (See Article III, Section 4 of the LTO Bylaws), a soror, who wishes to sponsor or co-sponsor a candidate for a membership intake process, (MIP) must have registered and attended two of the following: A Boule, Leadership Conference, Regional Conference, Cluster Retreat or Chapter Retreat within the 24 months immediately preceding the approval of the MIP. This two day Chapter Retreat can count toward one of the conference requirements, if there is an MIP within this time frame and if member attended the Friday night and Saturday sessions. Read the above referenced Article for full details.
“IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE LEADERSHIP POTEN-
TIAL; ONE MUST HAVE CHARACTER AND THE RIGHT SETTING IN WHICH TO GROW.”
PEARLS OF WISDOM Nominating No-Nos: No, you can’t nominate a second person for the same position. No, you can’t nominate more than one person to a committee or other multi-member body, if others are seeking to make their first nomination. No, you don’t need a person’s permission before nominating her (but it is a good idea to get it anyway, as they can decline to be nominated). No, a person does not have to be present to be nominated. No, you don’t have to be nominated to be elected (if you qualify for the position per chapter/foundation bylaws and get a majority of the votes, even as a write-in, unless stated otherwise in organization’s governing documents.). No, there is no rule preventing the same person from being nominated for more than one office (unless stated in bylaws). No, the motion to close nominations “is not in order until a reasonable opportunity to make nominations has been given…and it is out of order if a member is seeking the floor to make a further nomination” (RONR, p. 277). The above stated “Nominating No-Nos are based on Robert’s Rules of Order (RONR), 10th edition, pp. 275-277 and 416-424. See below.* Meeting Myths: You can’t nominate yourself. Fact: Nothing in Roberts Rules of Order preludes nominating yourself, but unless the chairman is “begging” for volunteers and it is thus a last minute decision, it may imply that the member doesn’t have a single friend willing to make the nomination. A motion adopted by the required vote but which lacked a second is null and void. Fact: “After debate has begun or, if there is no debate, after any member has voted, the lack of a second has become immaterial and it is too late to make a point of order that the motion has not been seconded.” - -Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10th edition, page 35.* *These “Nominating No-Nos and Meeting Myths” are based on the above cited references; if there are conflicts, the federal and state rules/statues, articles of incorporation, international and chapter bylaws and/statues governing our chapter and foundation supersede these rules taken from Roberts Rules of Order, 10th edition. Soror Jeanette W. Rogers, Chairman Soror Rose Butler-Hayes, Co-Chairman
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PEARLS of PROTOCOL for CHAPTER MEMBERS
Protocol for Chapter Members
Characteristics Of A Second Century Leader
Maintains proper decorum in business meetings. -Dresses appropriately.
Second Century Leaders have integrity, are trustworthy, honest and candid. Today’s leader has the ability to inspire others to act by:
-Arrives before the official start time.
Fostering collaboration
-Silence all electronic communication devices.
Involving others in the process
-Speaks only when recognized by the presiding officer.
Creating an atmosphere of trust and respect
-Projects voice or moves to a microphone when speaking so eve- ryone can hear.
-Addresses the presiding officer before speaking. (Example: Madam Basileus, I move that…)
Empowering others.
Second Century Leaders lead by example and establish and maintain a culture of trust and opportunity for participation of all members.
-Respects the Alpha Kappa Alpha Protocol and Order of Rank
A few basic principles for establishing and maintaining a culture of trust include:
--Keeps remarks brief and concise.
1. Lead by example
-Accepts the decision of the majority.
2. Seek first to understand and then to be understood; clarifying rather than persuading is the goal.
-Avoids individual conversations during meetings. -Avoids bringing children to business meetings (unless allowed
by chapter).
-Avoids walking during meditation periods.
3. Focus on the issue and interest related to it, not on the individual. Successful dialogue requires differing points of view be explored without the fear of personal attack. 4. Keep all players strong—-commit to the success of all team members.. Competition among members of a team can be motivating and healthy if done with sisterly intentions. Recognition that focuses on the team’s accomplishment of it’s own goals is more likely to inspire trust than recognition that singles out individuals. Since no team is stronger than its weakest member, rely on collaborating to build capacity as a major strategy to keep all players strong. 5
Tamiouchos Tips Greetings Sorors, As we prepare for our mid-year budget review, I thought it would be beneficial to share some budgetary information with you. A budget is an itemized listing of expected revenues and expenditures for the fiscal year. This is the tool that we used to facilitate not overspending. Within Lambda Tau Omega, we function from two different budgets – an operational and a program initiative budget. Within Twenty Pearls Foundation, we function from an operational budget. The Tamiouchos serves as the chairman of the budget committee. A budget consists of two parts:
Revenues
Expenditures
The primary sources of revenue are:
Expenditures include:
Dues
Per Capita and Chapter Taxes
Income from Special Fundraising Projects
Approved activities and general operating expenditures
Initiation Fees and Charges
Delegates’ attendance at Regional Conferences, Boules, etc.
Money can be spent for a budgeted item only if the funds are on hand. Once a chapter has adopted its budget, sorors should not be asked to vote again to authorize expenditures for specific items. All expenditures requesting reimbursement must be attached to a voucher supported by appropriate signatures and accurate documentation to substantiate payment. A copy of the budget is submitted to Corporate Office and to the Regional Director annually. The Mid Year Budget Committee Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 26, 2015, at 6:30pm at the Matteson Public Library. The purpose of the meeting is to review the FY2016 budget and make adjustments as needed to ensure sufficient funding through year end. Send any budget adjustments with details to skiwe29@gmail.com by Sunday, May 1, 2016 for the committee to review. $oror $arah Lewis-Weaver 2016 Tamiouchos 6
APRIL 4,1993
Soror kimberly d. williams april 2nd (1989)
SOROR LAVERNE BARNES
Soror sonya bowen april 6th (1987)
Soror mary reaves
Soror Nicole hudson lucas april 6th (1991)
SOROR ANDREA TURNER
Soror renee collins april 12th (1990)
Soror arlethia wright
Soror natasha topps april 13th (1997)
Soror christine adams april 13th (2014) Soror michelle clark april 14th (1990) Soror donna fowler-canty april 17th (1994)
Soror drella savage april 26th (1975) Soror jackie young april 26th (1975) Soror lolita smith april 27th (1980) Soror jeannette W. rogers april 28th (1967) Soror laura willis moss april 29th (1979) Soror pam jackson april 30th (1989) Soror audrey carter april XXth (1954) 7
LTO CELEBRATES SILVER
2016 Silver Sorors (from left to right-Soror Linda Varnado not pictured) Soror Judy Rush, Soror Nicole Hudson-Lucas and Soror Yvonne Williams
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LTO SILVER SORORS
THE LEGACY CONTINUES
Soror Alexis immediately following her commitment ceremony.
Former LTO member Soror Millicent Borishade with her legacy daughter, Soror Alexis.
Soror Alexis (center) with fellow initiates at Regional Conference in New York
Soror Alexis with Madam Supreme at he Regional Conference in New York, 9
NAMI AWARENESS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IMPACT DAY SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2016 12:00 PM—1:30 PM
Soror Toni Grayer, Target II Chairman with presenter Balin Durr, MD
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Newsletter submissions are due to the Basileus on the first Monday of each month, effective April, 2016. The May newsletter submissions must be in by May 2, 2016. Please send all submissions to: president@ltoaka.org. Be sure to Cc Soror Ruby Roberson at ruby.roberson@sbcglobal.net.
Next month, featured articles will include: Additional new Legacy’s Chapter Retreat Getting to know your Leaders
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