2023 Special Edition

S p e c i a l E d i t i o n

Welcome to another special edition of The Great Lakes Gazette! This time we are focusing on membership, the “in perpetuity” that we speak of and strive for in all that we do.

The lifeblood of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® depends on the revitalization of its membership: qualified members, talented members, dedicated members, committed members and engaged members. Our rebranded Membership Intake Process (MIP) is now the Membership Experience (ME).

This special edition is a celebration of the focus and attention being brought to sustain and uplift the undergraduate membership in the Great Lakes Region. Our Great Lakes Regional Director Gwendolyn L. Kirtley, in concert with the Graduate Advisors, sponsoring Graduate Chapters, our Undergraduates and Undergraduate Activities Committee have aligned to make this one of our more successful membership experiences. Undergraduate chapters whose membership was dwindling are trending positive for the next year or so. But, the work continues.

Once again, we hope you’ll see and feel the joy of “The Great Great Lakes Region.” It is in every smile, every belly laugh, every wink, every quote and every flawlessly executed task seen in these pages.

On a personal note, the newsletter staff is pleased to welcome new members: Sorors Kathryn Walker, Megan Johnson, Monica Bourn, Dwonna Lenoir, Michele A. Williams, Johnnetta Shaw, Yvie Solomon, and Felisha Gould.

All my best!!

d i t o r

GREAT LAKES REGIONAL NEWSLETTER CHAIRMAN

Membership

Sorors Lisa E. Dubose and Jasmine Adkins Moore, International Membership Committee members are standing by to answer any questions you may have regarding all things Membership Experience.

Please reach out to them at glrmembershipexperience@gmail.com

SOROR LISA E DUBOSE INTERNATIONAL MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBER, GREAT LAKES REGION

SOROR JASMINE ADKINS MOORE INTERNATIONAL MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

The International Membership Committee is excited to share that since launching the inaugural Membership Experience (ME) Facilitator Certification in November 2022, 980 sorors have been certified, including 95 from the Great Lakes Region!

Congratulations to the following chapters with certified members:

NOVEMBER 2022

ALPHA LAMBDA

DELTA DELTA

DELTA PHI

KAPPA BETA

PI GAMMA

SIGMA ZETA

THETA TAU

XI PHI

APRIL 2023

NU PI

ETA OMICRON

IOTA IOTA

OMEGA EPSILON OMEGA

THETA LAMBDA OMEGA XI

FEBRUARY 2023

ALPHA SIGMA

BETA MU

BETA OMICRON

BETA XI

DELTA CHI

DELTA ZETA

EPSILON CHI

ETA OMICRON

ETA ZETA

GAMMA IOTA

IOTA UPSILON

KAPPA BETA

LAMBDA MU

MU OMICRON

MU PHI NU

NU PHI

OMEGA

RHO PSI

RHO RHO

SIGMA ZETA

THETA TAU

UPSILON LAMBDA

XI PHI

ZETA

ZETA EPSILON

" ... I ' ve got all my sisters with me ... "

During the Great Lakes Regional Conference, chapters were recognized for reactivating the most members in 2022 based on data received from the Corporate Office. Congratulations to the following chapters:

Small Chapter

There was a tie!

XI EPSILON OMEGA

Amherst, New York & ALPHA BETA BETA OMEGA

Canton, Ohio

Medium Chapter

TAU ALPHA OMEGA Redford, Michigan

Large Chapter

ALPHA SIGMA OMEGA Columbus, Ohio

As we move into summer, chapters are encouraged to continue focusing on reclamation. The Soar with Membership 2023 Reactivation Toolkit is an excellent resource with guidelines to assist chapters with their reclamation goals. The Reactivation Toolkit can be found in the Members Only forms and documents section of www.aka1908.com Stay tuned for the upcoming release of our comprehensive mentoring guide which will be provided to chapters in the Fall mailing.

The following chapters were recognized as the Best of the Best in the Great Lakes Region.

ALPHA BETA BETA OMEGA

ALPHA OMEGA

ALPHA RHO OMEGA

ALPHA SIGMA OMEGA

BETA ETA OMEGA

CHI EPSILON OMEGA

DELTA NU OMEGA

DELTA TAU OMEGA

EPSILON MU OMEGA

ETA IOTA OMEGA

ETA UPSILON OMEGA

GAMMA CHI OMEGA

IOTA PHI OMEGA

IOTA SIGMA OMEGA

LAMBDA PHI OMEGA

LAMBA PI OMEGA

OMEGA EPSILON OMEGA

PHI PSI OMEGA

PI TAU OMEGA

RHO OMEGA

SIGMA OMEGA

TAU ALPHA OMEGA

THETA LAMBDA OMEGA

XI EPSILON OMEGA

ZETA ALPHA OMEGA

ZETA BETA OMEGA

ZETA THETA OMEGA

Chapters receiving the best of the best recognition met the following criteria*:

• Submitted the online Membership end of year report by January 17, 2023

• Reactivated at least one (1) soror in 2022

• Held at least one (1) reactivation activity in 2022

• Implemented a mentoring program in 2022

*Data obtained from Corporate Office:

Congratulations to all Best of the Best chapters. Keep up the great work! We look forward to seeing you in Chicago for the 2023 Leadership Seminar and the Membership Experience (ME) Facilitator Certifications.

Like all graduate members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Graduate Advisors should be role models for undergraduate members. Graduate Advisors serve as liaisons between the graduate and undergraduate chapters and the Regional Director. They must have a working knowledge of the Constitution and Bylaws, the Manual of Standard Procedure, the Undergraduate Membership Experience Manual, Anti-Hazing Manual, and other pertinent sorority documents. Possessing this knowledge and understanding is key to advising undergraduates in the interpretation and implementation of the International Alpha Kappa Alpha program as well as our Constitution and Bylaws.

Graduate Advisors must fulfill specific requirements as cited in the Constitution and Bylaws to be elected to this position by their chapters. To be eligible to serve in this position, sorors must never have been suspended for hazing, be at least a five-year postgraduate from an undergraduate college or university, be a member of the sponsoring graduate chapter for at least two years prior to election, certified by the Graduate Advisors’ Certification Program prior to election, must have attended one of the last two Boules or Regional Conferences, and possess knowledge about the Pan-Hellenic Council and Pan-Hellenic Conference. They also serve as members of the Graduate Advisory Committee. Under extenuating circumstances, Graduate Advisors may be appointed by the Supreme Basileus or Regional Director.

Graduate Advisors must provide supervision by attending all undergraduate chapter meetings and activities. They must be visible on campus and have a working relationship with the appropriate college or university officials. Some specific duties include: approving/supervising all facets of the Membership Experience; reviewing/approving undergraduate reports, forms, and correspondence; as well as countersigning all chapter checks.

The position of Graduate Advisor is vital to the supervision of and successful operations of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® undergraduate chapters, a role not to be taken lightly.

SOROR KATHRYN A. WALKER GENERAL MEMBER

in

Soror Gwendolyn Bush

U.A.C Co-Chairman

mmittee Mem

Soror Dana Boyd

Soror Alberta Britton

Soror Leslie Clark

Soror Vanessa Coakley

Soror Tracy Elliott

Soror Joya Dillard

Soror Selina Lazarus

Soror Janet McGee

GOAL 1: INSPIRE 2-3 SORORS TO RUN FOR AN UNDERGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL POSITION OR OFFICE BY 2024

GOAL 2: SUPPORT 15 UNDERGRADUATES IN APPLYING FOR THE LEADERSHIP FELLOWS PROGRAM EVERY YEAR

ACTION PLAN: CONDUCTED A LEADERSHIP FELLOWS APPLICATION ASSISTANCE POP-UP SESSION

Soror Jasmyne McCoy Former Leadership Fellow Presenter

Soror Gwendolyn D. Bush UAC Co-Chairman Presenter

The Reverse

Opportunities

Migration

& Challenges

A Haitian Proverb states “Dèyè mòn gen mòn”, Beyond mountains there are mountains. This fitting phrase depicts the “Great” Great Lakes Region and its relationship to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. Behind a great institution is a great region composed of great chapters. Set against the backdrop of the Great Migration, Alpha Kappa Alpha and its Great Lakes Region are products of the hopes and dreams of millions of African Americans who changed the course of history, transforming every community in which it put down roots. Between 1910 and 1970, more

than 5 million Blacks left the South for major

cities in the North and West, including: Pittsburgh, New York, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, and Los Angeles.

“The last 45 years has seen a “reverse migration” of Blacks, with large gains in “new south” metropolitan areas like Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston, and Charlotte. The slowdown in manufacturing employment and deteriorating race relations in the North, coupled with the postwar economic renaissance in southern cities, have brought new generations of blacks to a region that their grandparents and great grandparents sought to leave. Between 2000 and 2010, Atlanta led the nation in black population gains at the same time that New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles registered declines.”

—William H. Frey, Ph.D., Demographer, Sociologist, and Author of

Diversity Explosion: How New Racial Demographics are Remaking America (2015)

The Reverse Migration Call To Action

Why is this of note in the Great Lakes Region? The challenges are selfevident in areas where there is population decline, and notable in Great Lakes as we have seen our region shrink from ~97 chapters in 2000s to ~89 chapters in 2023. Where there are fewer active chapters, there are fewer opportunities for service, growth for our members and the unique impact we bring to our communities.

Yet, where there are challenges, there are opportunities. The Great Lakes Region's "Greater Together" 2023 Membership Experience focused on: revitalizing our undergraduate chapters; establishing a barometer for healthy undergraduate chapter culture; as well as providing support to graduate advisors and graduate chapters overseeing undergraduate intake.

The question is “How do we expand these concepts to help strengthen and sustain both our graduate and undergraduate chapters?” Our collective response to this question shapes the enduring legacy if our sisterhood. After all, we are the “Great” Great Lakes Region, therefore Greatness is in our D.N.A.!

SOROR OCTAVIA CABEY MU ALPHA OMEGA CHAPTER

TRANSITIONING FROM UNDERGRAD

2023 LEADERSHIP FELLOWS

If we dre achieve it! p all lev essential for The Great Lakes Region's success. To b inclusive is to meet sorors where they are, help the assess their skills, imagine the possibilities and train present and futur “Gre -S elds

Micah Carey Micah Carey

Leadership Fellows is a transformative program offered to undergraduate members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.® to mold them into outstanding leaders and well-rounded individuals within Alpha Kappa Alpha, their professions, and personally. Each day of the program focused on a new specific area. There was a day dedicated to growth within Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® There was a day dedicated to growth professionally, and there was a day dedicated to giving back to the community. This program gives undergraduate members the opportunity to learn and improve their leadership skills, know their strengths, and how to identify their weaknesses. Each young woman left the program with knowledge and skills that will help them advance and thrive in future leadership positions.

Mackenzie Fields Mackenzie Fields

The impact of attending the 2023 Leadership Fellows Program will be significant not only for the Great Lakes Region, but also for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® at large.

Sorors Micah, Rian, Ateria, and Mackenzie all agree that after attending the 2023 Leadership Fellows Program, they have an unequivocal vision of how their individual strengths can be utilized to best serve the sorority and their communities.

Before this program, each of the sorors representing the Great Lakes Region were already showcasing a commitment to leadership, and now, they will use the knowledge they gained regarding sorority governance, branding, mental health, and more to create even more successful, influential chapters within Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®

Not only are these Great Lakes sorors grateful for this once-in-alifetime experience, but they also are eager to soar to greater heights through unprecedented service, emphasis on sisterhood, and revitalizing our sorors’ devotion to scholarship. Sorors Micah, Rian, Ateria, and Mackenzie arrived at the 2023 Leadership Fellows Program capable leaders, and they have left this prestigious honor as capable, enterprising, and self-realized sorors who will move the needle for our sorority through seeking greater levels of leadership in our region and through their personal and professional pursuits.

Rian Oglesby Rian Oglesby

“If I could use one word to describe Leadership Fellows 2023, it would be enthralling. During my experience as a Fellow, I learned and experienced so much that I will be able to take and apply for the rest of my life. I was able to gain knowledge and mentorship through a number of valuable sessions and workshops put on by the entire Leadership Fellows committee. These workshops gave me insight on a number of things including the ins and outs of our illustrious sorority and advice on how to pursue my career aspirations.

During this experience I also gained 43 new sisters. Sisters I spent all 3 meals of the day with, from 6 am early mornings, to 10 pm late night work sessions, I was able to gain a bond that will be unbreakable. Most importantly, I was able to gain a new perspective. A new perspective on how to lead, a new perspective on how to act as a sister and most importantly a new perspective on how to show up for my role as a woman of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. Our founders set a standard for us and led by example and the best way to honor them is to keep upholding those same standards we were founded on. Leadership Fellows was an unforgettable experience that I hope all undergraduates try for at least once. If you don’t respond to your calling as a leader, no one else will!”

teria Walker teria Walker

023 Leadership Fellows Program, sorors from s across the world were able to come together to ir leadership qualities as well as build a stronger d. According to Soror Ateria Walker, she loved the to meet new sorors from different regions. She feels that the camaraderie they built during this program allowed her to gain additional lifelong friends. Soror Ateria stated, “We made a group chat with all of the sorors from the 2023 Leadership Fellows Program and we still text each other in the group chat each day even though the program is over”. She plans to stay connected with her peer Leadership Fellows. One thing she is looking forward to is seeing her beloved Leadership Fellow Sorors at the July Leadership Seminar in Chicago, IL.

C o n f e r e n c e R e g i o n a l

The joy is palpable! We're absolutely thrilled to have reunited once more at the Regional Conference. Over 4000 sorors have converged from every corner of the Great Lakes Region to embark on an exhilarating journey towards Greater Heights of Sisterhood and Service. Get ready for a recap of the whirlwind of sisterly connection, certifications, immersive workshops, and thought-provoking plenary sessions that delivered on its promise to elevate our collective experience!

REGIONAL SERVICE PROJECT

CERTIFICATIONS / WORKSHOPS

CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPREMES

SISTERLY RELATIONS LUNCHEON

REGIONAL DIRECTORS GALA

E.A.F BREAKFAST

JEWELS LUNCHEON

" ... Praise is who I am , I will praise him while I can ... "

-William Murphy

" G r e a t e r T o g e t h e r " " G r e a t e r T o g e t h e r " " G r e a t e r T o g e t h e r "