The Wall St. Alphas Report

THE WALL ST. ALPHA REPORT The official Wall Street Alphas newsletter, Kappa Xi Lambda Chapter, NYC

December / January 2008

Vol. 1, No. 3

Think Cold….Think Classy…..Think Black!

By Bro. Brian Pruitt

President’s Letter

By Bro. Jacques Etienne

The arrival of fall brought with it the introduction of an important new initiative for Kappa Xi Lambda; increasing the awareness of important health issues in the African American community. Teaming with the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Wall Street Alphas Charitable Foundation (WSACF) put on Think Black! at Lotus in the meat packing district to raise money for ACS’s prostate cancer initiative and the Foundation’s programs.

Being among the most oppressive of diseases afflicting our community, prostate cancer testing and treatment are key to managing and preventing the disease. Many

who must deal with the disease day to day have had that burden lessened due to the support of the Brother to Brother program in Harlem.

Brother to Brother is an ACS program where men meet each month to give support to one another and listen to speakers who discuss the latest information on prostate cancer. One of the founders of the program, Dr. Brian Stone is a nationally known specialist in Urolic Oncology and Erectile Dysfunction at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Stone and current Brother to Brother facilitator Courtney Bowen were among the many guests who came out in support of Think Black! on November 1.

I love this time of year. Everything seems so right and hopeful. There always seems to be in the air this scent of limitless possibilities.

We engage in celebration, reflection, and renewal. For us Alphas, the significance of this time is further enhanced by our own Founder’s Day celebration on December 4th.

This year will mark the 101st anniversary of our beloved Fraternity.

One hundred and one years of service, leadership, and Brotherhood. As we reflect upon our journey, we must also carve out time to envision the future we face. It is a personal belief that the reasons for our founding continue to be alive and well today. The challenges facing our communities require the urgent and competent leadership to which we pledged ourselves. Internally, we continue to struggle with the challenge of reclamation, in-take process and others. However, amidst all these facts, I remain optimistic about our future. I remain steadfast in my belief that Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc will continue to be the light of the world.

Continued on Page 2

Inside this Edition

Continued on Page 6 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

President’s Letter Editor’s Report Think Black! wrap up Alpha G.E.N.T.S. College tour Bro. Herman “Skip” Mason – Jewel Jones Financial Focus NYACOA report

Contact Us: WSANews@gmail.com Think Black! Slide Show by Tricia Messeroux 1

Mark your Calendar!

President’s Letter Continued from Page 1

We will be that shining light through a renewal of our commitments to our noble creed. We will accomplish our aims by each brother rededicating himself to live and be the example that Alpha proposes itself to be. We will uplift our communities by our very dedication to excellence. Most of all, my optimism in our future is rooted in our Brotherhood, this transcendental idea that gives life to the House of Alpha, and is the linchpin of our very essence. It is what makes us unique. It, indeed, must be celebrated.

12/4: Founder’s Day 12/11: Chapter Meeting 1/8/08: Chapter Meeting 1/15/08: 100 Years of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday

Education + Exposure = Alpha G.E.N.T.S Excellence

By Bro. Malik Simmonds The start of the academic school year 2007-2008 finds the Alpha G.E.N.T.S in an intense pursuit of academic achievement and personal development. The school year kicked off with a six week PSAT training course, to help the mentees prepare for the October PSAT

In this holiday season, as we go and be merry with family, friends, and colleagues, I urge us to make the time to reflect on our Brotherhood, renew our vows to it, and most of all, let us celebrate it.

Happy Holidays!

Fraternally, Jacques Etienne Vice President, Kappa Xi Lambda Wall St. Alphas

ΑΦΑ Founder’s Day Social @

The G.E.N.T.S. on the steps of the Harvard admissions building.

exam. We had 15 young men attend classes three times per week to capitalize on the tools and test taking strategies offered by the facilitators of the non profit organization College Summit. Upon completion of the trainings, the Alpha G.E.N.T.S went on the "3rd Annual Kappa Xi Lambda College Tour".

202 West 40th Street www.fashion40lounge.com

Tuesday, December 4 6:06 PM – 9:06 PM Drink Specials till 8:06 PM **RSVP HERE**

This year we visited Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The weekend was a great teachable moment for the young men, taking them outside of their comfort zone of the lower east side and inner city streets of New York. The brothers from the Rho Nu Chapter at Harvard and M.I.T were gracious hosts and facilitators of the "Go to High School, Continued on page 4

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Editor’s Report Greetings Brothers!

December 4, 1906 is a day that is very near and dear to us, but it is also a day that would play a critical role in the lives of many young men.

What the 7 Jewels began gave birth to other Black fraternal organizations and made many of our greatest leaders since that time aspire to be Alpha men. Brother Herman “Skip” Mason, who is the curator of the Centennial Exhibition and Traveling Exhibition and candidate for the 33rd General President, provides some perspective on the many contributions of Jewel Eugene Kinckle Jones.

If you missed Think Black! you missed another great Kappa Xi Lambda event. Guests partied at Lotus with proceeds benefiting the prostate cancer initiative of the American Cancer Society and the Wall Street Alphas Charitable Foundation (WSACF) programs. Special thanks go out to Columbia University Medical Center’s Dr. Brian A. Stone, MD for his continuing efforts to educate our community about prostate cancer.

Scholarship and mentorship are among the basic tenets of Alpha. Through the Alpha G.E.N.T.S. program and supported by WSACF, Kappa Xi Lambda brothers work with young men through the high school years and help prepare them for a transition into college.

Brothers recently took the G.E.N.T.S. on a weekend college tour visiting Harvard and MIT. The good brothers of Rho Nu went out of their way to welcome our young men and give them an appreciation of college life at these prestigious institutions.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) created the ManTo-Man program as a forum for men to learn about prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment options – as well as coping and everyday living – through community-based education. Specialists in various fields related to prostate cancer share information on medical topics and quality of life issues in a relaxed supportive setting.

The program in Harlem is run by ACS representative Courtney Bowen and is known as Brother-ToBrother. Meetings occur on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 133 Morningside Avenue (125th and Morningside) at the NY Hotel Trade Counsel Health Center from 6 – 8 PM. For more information about the program or about prostate cancer in general, please contact Mr. Bowen at (212) 283-4125, ext.

3956.

If you have any comments on the newsletter or would like to be a contributor, please reply to wsanews@gmail.com. Have a safe holiday season! ’06, Brian Pruitt Newsletter Editor Wall St. Alphas

Courtney Bowen (ACS), Bro. Dr. Brian A. Stone, and Bro. Brian Pruitt at Think Black!

Photography by Tricia Messeroux

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Alpha G.E.N.T.S. – College Tour ‘07 Continued from Page 2

Brothers Simmonds and Wade (KXL) and Bryant (Rho Nu) at MIT.

Brothers and G.E.N.T.S. in front of a statue of John Harvard.

Go to College” panel discussion. Many of the young men came away with a renewed interest in the collegiate experience while strengthening their camaraderie with the Brothers and with one another.

There has been significant growth in their communication and critical thinking skills, while taking great pride in the shaping of their own success stories. Six young scholars have emerged from this group of fifteen and they will participate in our new partnership with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program of New York. This new beginning with the Alpha G.E.N.T.S program will allow them to forge a more dynamic relationship with an individual Brother as his personal mentor. We are still looking for Brothers to serve as individual mentors, but also welcome Brothers who can attend any one of our monthly workshops to provide his insight on life, living and personal choices. The Alpha G.E.N.T.S program is off to a great start and dedicated to the development of future college men and leaders. The Education Committee looks forward to the Chapters active involvement and commitment to the better making of men. For more information on how you can help with the Alpha G.E.N.T.S program please contact Brother Brian Pruitt at cuatro06spr91@gmail.com.

As part of the tour, the young men had an opportunity to review informational materials for each school.

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2007 NYACOA CONFERENCE November 9 – 11, 2007

White Plains, NY - The New York Association of Chapters of Alpha (NYACOA) Conference was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Pace University White Plains Campus. There were 107 registered Brothers and 75 delegates. Bros. Jioha Amatokwu, Brandon Ray, and Christian Robinson represented Kappa Xi Lambda as delegates.

Top 7 Conference Highlights ¾ Presidential Candidate Herman “Skip” Mason spoke on “are you a believer of the 7” in the presidential candidates forum. Brother Mason spoke on his record of service both as a college administrator and active leader within the Fraternity. He discussed that some of his goals if elected President include having the fraternity reclaim national relevancy, utilizing the human capital within the fraternity, and promoting the importance of membership being a responsibility. ¾ NYACOA incurred a loan from the Eastern Region to pay for a debt to the Statler Hotel in Ithaca during the Centennial celebration last December. Bro. Shawn Curwen, Treasurer and Director of Budget and Finance for NYACOA reported that the unofficial profit from this conference will allow for the paying of the debt. ¾ Bro. Leyde St. Leger resigned as President and District Director as he has accepted a teaching position in Bermuda. Bro. Keith Price, as 1st Vice President will assume the presidential duties for the remainder of Leyde’s term. Brothers St. Leger and outgoing 2nd Vice President Anthony Walker were given awards from Eastern Region VP, Dennis Kemp for their exemplary service to NYACOA and the Eastern Region. ¾ Oratorical Contest Winner: Bro. Sam Darguin ¾ Miss Black and Gold NYACOA: Ashley Miller – Rho Sigma ¾ Alumni Brother of the year: Bro. JD Jackson – Eta Rho Lambda ¾ Alumni Chapter: Eta Zeta Lambda

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Think Black!

Continued from Page 1 The all black attire of the night lent an air of sophistication to the evening as guests mingled and grooved to the sounds of DJ Sematic. Event supporters included Black Enterprise magazine and Silent Auction items included The Tie of the Month Club from Bro. Anthony Ray, a variety basket of Alize and artwork by Jay C. Bakari donated by Brother Tony Thompson and Penny Dell donated by Brother Tony Clark of City Without Walls Art Gallery of Newark, NJ.

Photography by Russell Malbrough

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Think Black!

Continued from Page 6

Thanks to all who attended Think Black! and helped support prostate cancer awareness and the Wall Street Alphas Charitable Foundation. Future information on prostate cancer treatment and support groups can be found in our newsletter and on our website.

- Think Black! Committee

"Young advertising executive captures great shots at The Wall Street Brothers, Think Black event.“ Tricia Messeroux-Curwen is a talented up and coming creative photographer. To check out this soror's style go to her company website and contact her for your photography needs www.bigeyephotography.com

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FINANCIAL FOCUS Three Examples of Good Debt

Debt is not always a bad thing. In fact, there are instances where the leveraging power of a loan actually helps put you in a better overall financial position.

Buying a home The chance that you can pay for a new home in cash is slim. Carefully consider how much you can afford to put down and how much loan you can carry. The more you put down, the less you'll owe and the less you'll pay in interest over time.

Although it may seem logical to plunk down every available dime to cut your interest payments, it's not always the best move. You need to consider other issues, such as your need for cash reserves and what your investments are earning.

Also, don't pour all your cash into a home if you have other debt. Mortgages tend to have lower interest rates than other debt, and you may deduct the interest you pay on the first $1 million of a mortgage loan. (If your mortgage has a high rate, you can always refinance later if rates fall. Use our calculator to determine how much you might save.)

A 20 percent down payment is traditional and may help buyers get the best mortgage deals - although that's become less of a truism as the housing market has boomed along with the mortgage lending market. Many home buyers do put down less - as little as 3 percent in some cases. But if you do, you'll end up paying higher monthly mortgage bills because you're borrowing more money, and you will have to pay for primary mortgage insurance (PMI), which protects the lender in the event you default.

Paying for college When it comes to paying for your children's education, allowing your kids to take loans makes far more sense than liquidating or borrowing against your retirement fund. That's because your kids have plenty of financial sources to draw on for college, but no one is going to give you a scholarship for your retirement. What's more, a big 401(k) balance won't count against you if you apply for financial aid since retirement savings are not counted as available assets. It's also unwise to borrow against your home to cover tuition. If you run into financial difficulties down the road, you risk losing the house.

Your best bet is to save what you can for your kids' educations without compromising your own financial health. Then let your kids borrow what you can't provide, especially if they are eligible for a government-backed Perkins or Stafford loans, which are based on need. Such loans have guaranteed low rates; no interest payments are due until after graduation; and interest paid is tax deductible under certain circumstances.

Financing a car Figuring out the best way to finance a car depends on how long you plan to keep it, since a car's value plummets as soon as you drive it off the lot. It also depends on how much cash you have on hand.

If you can pay for the car outright, it makes sense to do so if you plan to keep the car until it dies or for longer than the term of a high-interest car loan or pricey lease. It's also smart to use cash if that money is unlikely to earn more invested than what you would pay in loan interest.

Most people, however, can't afford to put down 100 percent. So the goal is to put down as much as possible without jeopardizing your other financial goals and emergency fund. Typically you won't be able to get a car loan without putting down at least 10 percent.

A loan makes most sense if you want to buy a new car and plan to keep driving it long after your loan payments have stopped.

You may be tempted to use a home equity loan when buying a car because you're likely to get a lower interest rate than you would on an auto loan, and the interest is tax deductible. But before going this route make sure you can afford the payments. If you default, you could lose your home. And be sure you can pay it off while you still have the car since it's painful to pay for something that has been consigned to the junkyard.

Leasing a car might be your best bet if the following applies: you want a new car every three or four years; you want to avoid a down payment of 10 percent to 20 percent; you don't drive more than the 15,000 miles a year allowed in most leases; and you keep your vehicle in good condition so that you avoid end-of-lease penalties.

Whatever route you choose, shop for the best deals. Remember, it's in the car dealer's best interest to finance at the highest rate possible, so look at what you'll pay overall, not just the monthly amount. If you tell your car dealer you can spend $400 a month, you could end up with a new car for $400 a month based on an uncompetitive interest rate.

Courtesy of CNN / Money

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2007-2008 Chapter Officers and Board Members Executive Board President:

Brother Tony Johnson

Vice President:

Brother Jacques Etienne

Recording Secretary:

Brother David Jones

Corresponding Secretary:

Brother Tony Thompson

Treasurer:

Brother Jioha Amatokwu

Financial Secretary:

Brother Brian Pruitt

Chaplain:

Brother Wiky Toussaint

Historian:

Brother Sean Gayle

Coordinator of Intake:

Brother Damon Culcleasure

Sergeant-at-Arms:

Brother Samuel Parker

Parliamentarian:

Brother Andrew Fisher

Dir. of Educational Activity:

Vacant

Assoc. Editor to the Sphinx:

Brother Corey A. McDougle

Wall Street Alphas Charitable Foundation Board of Directors President:

Brother Shawn A. Curwen

Treasurer:

Brother Roy A. Williams

Secretary:

Brother Tony Johnson

Assistant Treasurer:

Brother Brent Kastenbaum

Fundraising/Sponsorship Chair: Brother Brandon Ray General Counsel:

Brother Gerard Brogdon

Board Member:

Brother Derrick Crawford

Board Member:

Brother Elvin Dowling

Board Member:

Brother Samuel Parker

Newsletter Committee Editor:

Brother Brian Pruitt

Assistant Editor:

Brother Chris Hunt

Contributors:

Brother Corey A. McDougle

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JEWEL EUGENE KINCKLE JONES: TRULY A SERVANT OF ALL

by Bro. Herman “Skip” Mason Candidate for 33rd General President

He was tall, dashing, debonair, suave, worldly, handsome, sophisticated and articulate. Had he gone to Hollywood, he would have been characterized as the ‘swash buckling' type. But he did not go to Hollywood; instead he went to Harlem in 1911. With a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from Virginia Union University in Richmond and a Master's Degree in Social Work from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Eugene Kinckle Jones was the son of two prominent educators. Though born literally with a silver spoon in his mouth of culture, wealth and refinement, Jones gave his life to the uplifting of the "least of these" and the "downtrodden" as the Executive Secretary of the National Urban League. He was more than just the Executive Secretary; Eugene Kinckle Jones was a "Servant of All." In the "House of Alpha," Jones will forever be known as the last person designated as founder. He will also be known for establishing Beta, Gamma and Alpha Lambda Chapters. However, if that is the limit of your knowledge of "Gene" Jones to some and "Kinckle" as he was called by others, then this historical moment is for you.

There is perhaps no other founder who was as nationally and internationally known and respected as Eugene Kinckle Jones. Of course all of the Jewels did phenomenal work in their respective careers, but Jones's work redefined Alpha's motto "Servants of All." With his position with the National Urban League, Jones traveled in circles that others wished and dreamed about. His personal friends and associates reads like a Who's Who in Black America (Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes were two of his closets friends. It was in the magazine that he helped to create, "Opportunity," that the literary and poetic works of the Black Literati of the Harlem Renaissance came to life.

The magazine began publication in 1923 and was edited by his high school classmate Charles Spurgeon Johnson, who would later become the first African-American president of Fisk University. As a member of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "Black Cabinet, " Jones, along with Mary McLeod Bethune and others met and dined with dignitaries from near and far. Yet he was able to "walk with kings and not lose the common touch" Jones traveled to Paris and England, several times. Spanned the United States from the Pacific Coast to Florida where he surveyed and observed conditions of African-Americans. He was an activist, who literally single handily integrated the Tuskegee Veterans Hospital by protesting directly to then President Warren Harding and alerting other groups such as DuBois and the NAACP and the National Council of Negro Women of the Government desire to completely staff the hospital with all white nurses and physicians. As a result of his action, Henry Arthur Callis was able to join the staff at Tuskegee.

Jewel Jones recognized the value of culture and literature. He was an avid reader and bibliophile and wrote book reviews along with his wife Blanche. It was Jones' leadership that enabled the New York Public Library to acquire the extensive collection from Arthur Schomburg for $10,000 to establish this Negro collection in 1925. Today, the Schomburg Research Library on 135th Street has the distinction of being one of the finest repositories in the country for the study of African-American Life and History.

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JEWEL EUGENE KINCKLE JONES Continued from page 10

Yet, Jones found time for relaxation. He was an avid Tennis player and served as Treasurer for the National American Tennis Association, one of the first groups to sponsor a National championship match for African-Americans. The social columns of the Baltimore Afro-American and the New York Amsterdam often featured the names of the Eugene and Blanche Jones. Through the columns one was able to "keep up with the Jones." He was active in his church in Flushing (Long Island) New York and numerous civic affairs and when possible attended the Alpha Gamma Lambda chapter meetings which he was affiliated.

Eugene Kinckle Jones and his brother Joseph inherited a rich legacy from his father Dr. Joseph E. Jones, a professor of homiletics and Greek at Virginia University. Uniquely too was the fact that Dr. Jones was made an honorary member of Gamma Chapter at Virginia Union University, making Eugene Kinckle Jones, the only Jewel whose father was an Alpha. When Eugene Kinckle Jones, Jr attended Virginia Union, he too was initiated into Gamma sometimes around 1931 or 1932 and graduated in 1933. The younger Jones went to the New York School of Law, graduated and was admitted to the bar in 1938. He practiced law in New York until his death in 1964, ten years following the death of his father, our beloved founder.

Jewel Jones grandson, Van Kinckle Jones, a renowned doctor attended Cornell University in the early sixties. According to a very reliable oral source, he had difficulty becoming a member of Alpha due to chapter pettiness and today has some bitter feelings regarding the fraternity.

It is ironic that Eugene Kinckle Jones life as a Jewel lasted only for two years. Following the 1952 Convention in Cleveland, the decision was made to remove James Morton, who had long since been dead and replace him with Eugene Kinckle Jones. Jones humbly accepted it and referred to it in a letter with Jewel Callis as a "righted wrong." From December of 1952 to January of 1954 at the time of his death, Jewel Jones personified the dignity and stature of a statesman.

This is just a brief synopsis of a phenomenal man. Of course there is much more to share. All of the details of the events of Jones life, his work with the National Urban League, and some of his speeches are included in my book the Talented Tenth.

“Without this particular sacrifice on your part and on my part, the fraternity may never have an account of its life and history. Unfortunately, this is one of the common neglects of the Negro group in America, the disregard for our past. Let it not be for those who have seen the light."

Charles H. Wesley, c. 1927

For more insight into Alpha Phi Alpha history and American History, and for more on The

Talented Tenth: The Founders and Presidents of Alpha, visit the website of Bro. Mason at http://www.skipmason.com/alpha.htm

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ΑΦΑ - 100 Years of Leadership - ΑΦΑ

Brother Skip Mason poses with the former heavyweight champ at a Dream Dinner benefit for the MLK Memorial. Brother Mason discuses Jewel Eugene Kinckle Jones on page 10.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Kappa Xi Lambda Chapter P.O. Box 5382 New York, NY 10185-5382

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