The Wall St. Alpha Report August/September 2008

President’s Letter Continued from Page 1

me a chapter that is energized, dedicated and eager to serve our communities throughout New York City.

And serve New York City we will! During the summer break, the new Executive Board has spent valuable time planning and preparing for an outstanding year. Bro. Christian Robinson leads the Community Service initiative helping to plan and organize such programs as our National Program A Voteless People Is A Hopeless People, Alphas Against AIDS, and March of Dimes’ March for Babies. Bro. Plemmie Lawson guides our most important program, Alpha G.E.N.T.S., as we fulfill our obligation to mentor young African-American males and help turn them into the leaders our community needs.

Bro. Lael Chappell got his SIP4 party on. See what went down on page 4.

This year, I am especially excited about the upcoming social event of the year, Think Black 2, being developed by Bros. Lino Solis and Shawn Curwen which will raise money for our burgeoning 501c3 organization, the Wall Street Alphas Charitable Foundation, Inc. I also look forward to reading articles contributed by Brothers to this fine publication which is edited by 2007 – 08 Samuel C. Parker III Brother of the Year Brian Pruitt.

Last but certainly not least, in 2008 – 09 we will honor the memory of our dearly departed chapter Brother Samuel C. Parker III (Omega Chapter) by placing special emphasis on developing the bonds within the Brotherhood. We must remember that we can not effectively provide service to the community if we are not taking care of one another.

Brothers and guests, the future of Kappa Xi Lambda is bright. I thank God for the opportunity to be the chief servant and caretaker of that future.

Fraternally, Jioha Amatokwu President, KXL Chapter “Wall Street Alphas”

Mark your Calendar!

8/16: 8/25: 9/1: 9/1: Parade 9/9: 10/5: 10/10: 10/14: 11/4: 11/15: penalty

Wall Street Alphas Paintballing Democratic National Convention Republican National Convention Voter Registration at West Indian Day Chapter Meeting KXL Re-chartering – 6 Year Anniversary Deadline to Register to Vote - NY Chapter Meeting ELECTION DAY – PLEASE VOTE Last day to pay National dues with no

Visit the “Wall Street Alphas” on Facebook or My Space or at www.wallstreetalphas.com 2

THE EDITOR’S REPORT Greetings Brothers, While we find ourselves in the midst of a blistering summer and somewhat of a downtime for fraternal activity, believe me when I say that the coming fraternal year is about to get crazy!

Our Executive Board greeted summer with a full day strategic planning session at the end of June which will set the course for an incredible year.

But let me not get ahead of myself.

The Think Black committee has been working since May to pull together an incredible event this fall. Building on the momentum of the recent SIP4 wine tasting in late June, Think Black 2 will be one event where you’d better reserve your tickets early before they are sold out. Details are coming soon.

As we congratulate Bro. Skip Mason while he prepares to lead the greatest fraternity in the world, we want to take a moment to recognize the exceptional leadership that has brought us to this point.

Executive Director, Bro. Willard Hall recently took a moment out of his very busy schedule to share his thoughts on the state of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the challenges that lie ahead for the new administration. A summary of the 102nd Anniversary Convention comes next month, but 7 Questions with Bro. Hall can be found beginning on page 14.

Although some of us may have overindulged this summer with a few too many BBQ’s, let’s not forget to take stock of our health and do what we need to do to maintain it. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. KXL Bro. Dr. Brian A. Stone provides important information that black males in particular need to be aware of in a “Medical Minute”.

Congratulations to recently elected KXL President Bro. Jioha Amatokwu and the rest of his Executive Board. Some of Bro. Amatokwu’s vision for the chapter’s growth is presented in his first President’s Letter. And I’d like to thank Bro. Tony Johnson one last time for steering the chapter toward where we find ourselves today.

Finally, be sure to take note of what Director of Educational Activities Chairman Bro. Plemmie Lawson has been doing with our young Alpha G.E.N.T.S. and see what may be coming in the future. These young men will be the leaders of tomorrow and it’s our responsibility to help guide them down that path. If you haven’t been out recently to work with the young men, please reach out to Bro. Lawson and get involved.

‘06, Brian Pruitt Newsletter Editor in Chief Wall St. Alphas

New KXL President Jioha Amatokwu (left) enjoyed a moment at SIP4 with past President’s Tony Johnson and Shawn Curwen.

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Film Director and Producer Lawrence Page enjoyed the evening with a few friends.

Guests sipped the refreshing Far East liqueur poured by sponsor TyKu.

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Artist Kerry James Marshall displayed his ‘Black Romantic’ themed work and spoke about the need to support the work of Black artists.

Tamara Gardellis with K’orus wines kept guests glasses full all night long.

Benefactor sponsor Brad Kaufman (Pryor Cashman) and fellow law Partners found no better way to unwind after a long day at the office than coming to mingle with the Wall Street Brothers.

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2008-2009 Chapter Officers and Board Members Executive Board President:

Brother Jioha Amatokwu

Vice President:

Brother Damon Culcleasure

Recording Secretary:

Brother Christopher Hunt

Corresponding Secretary:

Brother Tony Thompson

Treasurer:

Brother Brandon Ray

Financial Secretary:

Brother Allen Moton

Chaplain:

Brother Wiky Toussaint

Historian:

Brother Sean Gayle

Coordinator of Intake:

Brother Nicolas Rosello, Jr.

Sergeant-at-Arms:

Brother David Williams

Parliamentarian:

Brother Esu Ma’at

Dir. of Educational Activity:

Brother Plemmie Lawson

Assoc. Editor to the Sphinx:

Brother Corey A. McDougle

Wall Street Alphas Charitable Foundation Board of Directors President & Chairman:

Brother Shawn A. Curwen

Secretary:

Brother Tony Johnson

Treasurer:

Brother Roy A. Williams

Assistant Treasurer:

Brother Brent Cohen

Fundraising/Sponsorship Chair: Brother Brandon V. Ray Board Member:

Brother Gerard Brogdon

Board Member:

Brother Derrick Crawford

Board Member:

Brother Elvin Dowling

Board Member:

Brother Samuel Parker

Newsletter Committee Editor in Chief:

Brother Brian Pruitt

Assistant Editor:

Brother Chris Hunt

Contributors:

Brother Corey A. McDougle Brother Lino Solis

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Alpha G.E.N.T.S. Continued from page 1 these young men, guiding them towards excellence in every facet of their lives.

On July 14th 2008, the Educational Committee gathered our Alpha G.E.N.T.S at The National Urban League to conduct the year’s first workshop on financial management entitled, “Paper Touchin 101”. Brother Dwight Tindall, a VP & Branch Manger for JP Morgan Chase facilitated the workshop to more than a dozen eagerly awaited teens that car-pooled, rode trains, or walked to meet up with us on a beautiful Saturday morning.

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”

-Franklin D. Roosevelt 32nd president of US (1882 1945)

The topics covered included understanding basic financial terms, how to create a budget, opening a savings account and common pitfalls to avoid for establishing wealth. The workshop proved to be a huge success due large in part to a great turnout, Bro. Tindall’s expertise, and the high levels of engagement amongst the attendees. (I’m sure the OJ & Dunkin Donuts served also played a factor--smile.)

Some of our attendees opened new savings accounts (with Chase) that very morning! What was most rewarding was the number of GENTS who later confessed to sharing what they learned with their parents…who also learned something new.

If you have any comments on the Newsletter or would like to submit content, reply to WSANews@gmail.com Visit us at www.wallstreetalphas.com

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**NYC GREEK NEWS**

The Primary Election is Tuesday, September 9 “Over the years Kevin has been a compassionate activist for those who most need a voice. Like my son, Kevin feels the struggle of single mothers, our young people, and the “underdog.” He is not afraid to stand up for what is fair. Kevin is intelligent and will be a voice in Congress that will make a positive difference for us all. He has proven to be reliable, thoughtful, undeterred, and honest. Thank you Kevin for offering yourself as a servant to the Brooklyn community and this nation.”

AFENI SHAKUR, Mother of Tupac Shakur To support Bro. Kevin Powell visit his website at www.kevinpowellforcongress.org

Award winning novelist and poet, Soror Dr. Maya Angelou will be coming to Pace University in NYC on Friday, October 10, 2008 8:30 PM. This is a great opportunity to come out and show a strong Alpha presence and support the brothers of Zeta Eta. President of ZH, Bro. Giovanni Gallaread is leading the effort to promote this event for the university.

For information and tickets to what will be an historic speaking engagement, please visit the Pace University website.

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My Weekend at L.D.I.

By Bro. Plemmie Lawson

On the morning of Thursday July 24th, 2008, I packed up my car, kissed and hugged the family, filled up the tank (dreadfully watching each gallon pumped) and left New Jersey, headed in the direction of Alphabet City (Lower East Side).

My first stop was to pick up our Alpha GENT, Garfield Burke. GENTS is an acronym for Gaining Essential Networking Tools for Success. Garfield and I were headed to St. John’s University to serve as Kappa Xi Lambda’s chosen “Ambassador teen” and “Mentor/Chaperone” for the multi-day retreat known as LDI (Leadership Development Institute)-North. This year’s retreat was particularly important because the previous year’s was canceled.

As mentioned on the website, “the Leadership Development Institute is a leadership program designed to prepare African American male high school leaders for leadership and success in the real world. Participants gain world class training over a four day intensive setting from the best and brightest facilitators who help them understand how to use their skills and capabilities to affect the world.”

On the way over, Garfield admitted to being both eager and reluctant to leave home for so long, but his reluctance quickly disappeared once we reached St. John’s University. It was his first time participating in a program that included staying on campus. Despite his desire to showcase the numerous pair of Air Jordans he’d brought (in their original boxes), he quickly learned that the bulk of the time we’d be there, business casual was the enforced dress code.

So began Day 1: It included dorm check-in, campus registration, formal welcome, a luncheon, a dynamic keynote address by Bro. Kevin Powell, workshops on leadership and team building, and dinner.

Garfield quickly established himself as one of the most outspoken Ambassadors of the 35 that attended. He also made friends rather quickly with his peers who included teens from New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New England, Virginia and Bermuda.

By the end of the day, all of the Ambassadors were organized into seven groups of five, with each group named after one of our founding Jewels. Each group was given a “flag” with an image of their Jewel and instructed not to misplace or allow another group to confiscate their flag. If the flag was misplaced or confiscated, the group missing their Jewel would have to perform a humorous skit for others to watch.

After a full day of moderating, facilitating, counseling, administrating (and some babysitting), I along with the other 7 Mentor/Chaperones, were all exhausted.

“LIGHTS OUT GENTLEMEN!”

Bro. Powell addresses the young men on Day 1.

6AM early rise! Following breakfast, Day 2 was a workshop extravaganza! Some of the workshop topics included leadership, conflict resolution, goal setting/mentor selection, dining Continued on page 10

An early Day 2 at LDI. 9

A Weekend at L.D.I. Continued from page 9 etiquette, financial management, and effective communication. We took breaks only to eat and walk from building to building. This would be our most aggressive working day imparting knowledge and leadership skills to our teen Ambassadors.

Each workshop, with the exception of one, was taught by a Brother of Alpha Phi Alpha who was considered an SME (subject-matter-expert) on the topic. Whether a banker, lawyer, counselor, or doctor, each Brother that facilitated was well prepared and led intelligent discussions with the Ambassadors. It was cool watching friendships develop between the Ambassadors as they expressed their opinions on gang violence, “codes of the street”, hip-hop, and an assortment of topics that came up during the workshops. They didn’t let their respective backgrounds, ethnicities, home towns, or even accents deter their ability to see how much they had in common.

The Ambassadors were most enthused during the Parliamentary Procedures, Dressing for Success, and Dining Etiquette workshops. The latter was actually taught by a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Mrs. Wilma Tootle, as we dined on a 3-course meal.

By 9pm we concluded all workshops for the weekend and gave the Ambassadors some much deserved free time on the campus. Most of them played basketball, football, conducted free-style sessions, toured the campus or talked to young women also staying on campus for summer programs. Garfield somehow managed to do all of the above before the 11:30pm curfew. I managed to leave around midnight to visit my family (only to return at 5AM). Between the twin-sized bunk beds and corralling the Ambassadors all day, I was definitely homesick.

Like Day 2, Day 3 also started very early. To everyone’s delight, none of our plans included sitting in a classroom. We wore LDI T-shirts to show our solidarity. After having breakfast at 8AM, we boarded a charter bus to visit Harlem. By now, I knew many of the Ambassadors by name and established pretty good rapport with most of them. On the short ride from St. John’s to Harlem, we joked, debated Top 5 rappers, recited lyrics, and talked sports. I felt like I gained 34 new little brothers or nephews and would try to relate to each depending on a common area of interest.

The first stop was a 1-hour walking tour of Harlem.

Our tour guide was a Columbia student working towards her doctorate in history. She was extremely knowledgeable about Harlem’s rich history. We visited historic buildings, famous streets, and worldfamous landmarks. One of the most memorable experiences was our tour of the Apollo Theater.

Continued on page 11 10

A Weekend at L.D.I. Continued from page 10 Inside we got a chance to go backstage and rub the “Tree of Hope”. Some of the more brave Ambassadors decided to perform on stage for their peers. There was spoken word, a step performance, and our own Garfield took a stab at stand-up comedy. In some cases, we had to restrain some of the Ambassadors from making siren noises and doing impersonations of “Sandman” as their peers performed. This portion of our trip proved to be one of the major highlights of LDI. The next stop was lunch at the Alpha Gamma Lambda (the Harlem graduate chapter) frat house. Everyone enjoyed sandwiches, pizza, fruit, and other snacks. The hospitality AGL extended was fantastic. It was great getting to know some of our “Uptown” Brothers and the aspirants looking to join their chapter. We quickly reboarded the bus to hit mid-town Manhattan. We were scheduled to see the 2008 Tony Award winning play, In The Heights. Most of the Ambassadors had never seen a Broadway play, let alone one so popular. Everyone loved the show, though some admitted to falling asleep here and there.

Our fun-filled day came to a close with dinner at BBQ’s in Chelsea. The Ambassadors temporarily suspended their newly learned dining etiquette once the barbecued chicken and ribs arrived. It was hard to blame them.

Once back on campus, some of the groups had to perform skits for letting their flags get confiscated. Funny stuff…

Our final day of LDI was one of reflection and recognition. I spent much of the morning helping the Ambassadors press their shirts, tie their ties, and look sharp for our closing ceremony. They all cleaned up pretty well.

Not only were Alphas from the surrounding area invited, but so were the Ambassadors’ parents. The room was nearly packed. During the Ecumenical and Awards Program, each of the seven groups designated a group leader to come to the podium, discuss what they learned and express what attending LDI meant for them.

The Ambassadors were recognized for successfully completing the workshops during the awards program.

This portion of the program was particularly touching because many of the Ambassadors feared public speaking and were very nervous. Some read prepared speeches written as a group; others spoke from the heart. Garfield gave arguably the most heartfelt speech as he spoke of his father’s absence in his

If you want to plan for a year, sow a seed. If you want to plan for a decade, plant a tree. But if you want to plan for a century, educate the people.

-Old Chinese Proverb

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A Weekend at L.D.I. Continued from page 11

life, his determination to complete high school and desire to attend college. He spoke of the friends he gained during LDI and how the workshops would aid his overall development. He also thanked me for being his mentor, the Wall St. Alphas for believing in him, and his mother. Many of the parents in attendance were moved by his words and gave him a huge applause as he accepted his Certificate of Achievement. I told him I was proud of him. In fact, I was proud of all of the Ambassadors. Each Ambassador represented his sponsoring chapter, his family, and most importantly himself well. Looking across the room, I felt a sense of accomplishment. Although the Leadership Development Institute lasted just 4 days, I believe the positive impression it left for the young men in attendance was much greater. It’s something I hope to be a part of for years to come.

Director of Education Activities Bro. Plemmie Lawson gets stylish with Ambassador Garfield Burke.

LDI – Class of 2008 12

A Medical Minute

by Bro. Dr. Brian A. Stone, MD Prostate Cancer: A Major Threat To Men of African Descent African American men are faced with a multitude of hostile forces as we enter into a new millennium.

None is more insidious, silent, and deadly as prostate cancer. Just ask Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Marion Barry, Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmicheal) or Les Brown, all of whom have been affected by this disease! Prostate cancer was detected in over 200,000 American men and associated with the deaths of 40,000 American men in 1999. Despite advances in early detection and treatment, African American men continue to have the highest incidence and mortality from this disease in the world. Prostate cancer continues to affect black men in the prime of their lives, between the ages of 40 and 70 years. Although recent data from a Canadian study on prostate cancer early detection (screening) has shown a positive affect on survival, African American men continue to die at alarming rates from this disease and are much less likely to participate in early detection efforts. The war against this silent killer requires the involvement of all concerned family members of men at risk for this disease to affect positive change in the health maintenance behavior of the stubborn black male!

The prostate gland is the size of a small lime and is located beneath the urinary bladder in the male.

It surrounds the male urethra, much like an apple with a straw through its core. This gland provides much of the fluid that is found in semen. The secretions of the prostate gland, which have the highest concentration of zinc in the body, also protect the male urinary tract from bacteria. Enlargement of the prostate gland is a normal process of aging. This gradual increase in size begins at the age of 30 in response to the male hormone testosterone and is called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Men will typically become symptomatic as they approach the age of fifty. Symptoms of “bladder outlet obstruction” are typically a decrease in the force of the urinary stream, hesitancy, frequent urination (in the day and night), urgent urination, post-void dripping and straining to void. These symptoms are not the usual indicators of prostate cancer.

The typical response of most high-risk males (African Americans and men with a family history) is that they “feel fine” or “I work out every day!” or “I don’t have any problems passing my water!” or “It could never happen to me!” An unpublished review of over 400 cases of men presenting to Harlem Hospital Center in 1988 with prostate cancer provided an alarming view of this disease in our community.

Over 57% of these men presented with advanced, incurable cancer. Furthermore, 60% of these men had been under the care of a non-urologist that had not detected the cancer! These are very alarming facts particularly when you consider recent data published by the National Cancer Institute reviewing survival trends over the past forty years from all cancers amongst black and white American males and females. The mortality rate has remained relatively constant for African American males when all other groups, including black women, have shown significantly improved survival. Clearly, the time has come for us to draw a line in the sand and choose quality survival over suffering and death!

Urologists are experts in the evaluation of the prostate and should be consulted annually if you are in the age at risk for this cancer. The treatment of this cancer has evolved exponentially over the past 20 years. We are now able to surgically remove the prostate with a robot without a major surgical incision. Patients can go home in one day with minimal pain and are able to get erections normally. No one should fear knowing what is going on in their bodies. Knowledge is power and in this case survival!

For more information on prostate cancer, visit www.prostatecancerfoundation.org 13

7 Questions…. with Bro. Willard C. Hall, Jr., AΦΑ Executive Director

By Bros. Brian Pruitt and Corey A. McDougle

As Executive Director of the fraternity, Bro. Willard C. Hall Jr. has the great responsibility to manage the day to day operations at the national headquarters. Per the Constitution he is contracted and under the supervision of the Board of Directors and is responsible for the administration and operation of the corporate office, and legal matters.

His background as a Senior NCO in the United States Air Force, a professor at Keller Graduate School of Management and National-Louis University, and President of Hall Management Corporation has helped forge his leadership skills and problem solving acumen. Brothers who know him have described him as task-oriented with great attention to detail. But aside from dealing with obligations in Baltimore, he is not above reaching out to Brothers who express concerns about fraternity issues through listserves such as AlphaEast. Bro. Hall recently took some time to answer a few questions about the fraternity and issues of the day.

WSA Report: As the chief administrative officer, we understand that your office is responsible for the administration and the operation of the national office. Can you describe your role in the fraternity and how you and Bro. President Matthews interact to conduct the business of Alpha? What has been your proudest moment thus far in your role as Executive Director?

Bro. Hall: As the Executive Director and Chief Operations Officer I am charged with the “execution” and “implementation” of the constitutional mandates and strategic objectives as established by the General Convention and Board of Directors. I implement processes, I don’t create policy. I understand the vision and mission embedded within our strategic plan, and I understand the will of the brotherhood. I weave these components as I lead the staff at the General Office. I communicate daily with Brother General President, we agree on a concept of shared leadership, strategic and tactical are intertwined in the daily aspects of that leadership, and are both critical components. We know each others roles, and we respect them, we also trust these aspects. To be the Executive Director of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, at any time is tremendous, to be the ED as we celebrated our centennial and to know the role I had is a great source of personal, fraternal and professional pride. I am also proud of my role and participation in the development of the 2006 – 2011 Strategic Plan. I am currently operating under a four year contractual relationship which concludes in September 2009, prior to that time-frame the Board of Directors will make decisions with regard to renewal options.

This past fraternal year has been one filled with a number of significant civil rights events in the AfricanAmerican community (i.e. the Jena 6, the steps taken by the NAACP to abolish the N-word, the fall and return of Don Imus, the Sean Bell incident with NYC police, etc.). These issues of racial injustice periodically strike a cord in the community provoking a grassroots reaction to the injustice. We understand that you and Bro. Matthews were active in one of the Jena 6 rallies. Do you foresee the fraternity becoming more vocal in the media speaking out on these modern day civil rights issues? Further, do you foresee the fraternity being more active in issues of civil rights than solely speaking out (i.e. national programming efforts)?

Continued on page 15

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7 Questions…. with Bro. Willard C. Hall, Jr., AΦΑ Executive Director Continued from page 14 Brother General President Matthews and myself have criss-crossed the country over the past three years with a focus on enhancing Alpha visibility and presence, to be in the forefront on civil rights and social justice issues. On each of the issues you mentioned and more, with the exception of the Bell situation, a National Statement from Brother General President was issued. On the ground in Jena, Louisiana, he and I were the only leadership of an NPHC Group present; during that rally he spoke to the crowd of thousands. Our mission statement says we provide service and advocacy to our communities. In the past three years we have been at the national conventions of the NAACP and National Urban League in addition to various other organizations. This year I attended the State of the Black Union conference where five of the primary panelists were Alpha Brothers. We have visited Capital Hill on numerous occasions and have direct contact with Alpha Brothers who are members of Congress and Congressional staffers. Our programmatic thrusts are already focused on the issues you ask about, and we continue to dedicate efforts to educate our Brothers on these roles so they can indeed engage. The Brothers of Kappa Xi Lambda as Brothers in all chapters, “are” the Fraternity, and should be fully engaged on issues of civil rights and social justice.

The Wall Street Alphas held programming in April to observe the 40th Anniversary of Bro. Dr. King's assassination. What are your personal thoughts on where we stand today in America as far as the successes and failures in respect to his message?

Brother King is one of my personal, almost lifelong heroes. His life’s works are as motivational to me in 2008 as they were when I was a teenager in the 1960s. By any analysis we have made tremendous progress as a result of his efforts. We stand on the verge of electing an African-American Male (a bi-racial child) President of the United States.

Brother King died to advance the cause of Human Rights, Senator Obama is a beneficiary of the Civil Rights Movement which Brother King is credited with leading. Three individuals (Obama, Clinton, McCain) “hopefully” judged by the content of their character and not the color of skin, gender or age. Yet, and sadly, this is still a nation with tremendous racial hatred and bigotry. So there is still room for progress in respect to his mission and dream. This however is a failure of American society to accept the vision of this humanitarian, it is not a failure of Brother King. The “dreamer” was murdered, however his dream is still very much alive.

The Intake Process has historically been one of contention between Brothers who have gained membership into the fraternity via different Continued on page 16

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7 Questions…. with Bro. Willard C. Hall, Jr., AΦΑ Executive Director Continued on page 15 processes. An example of a violation of the fraternity's anti-hazing stance are the events at Oklahoma State that took place not too long ago. There was a workshop/discussion on the intake process at the National Convention. What are your thoughts for restoring some of the "old school" tradition back to the intake process while leaving the hazing aspect out?

If someone would ever clearly define what they mean by “old school” tradition, I might be able to accurately respond to this question. All jokes aside, historically speaking our Founding Jewels, were the real “old school” traditionalists; they founded, solidified and grew the organization without hazing. I believe they would be ashamed of what many want to do within the Brotherhood today under a banner of “old school” traditions. What I have generally found is that many of the Brothers who call for “old school” processes are simply self titled as old school and they truly do simply want to haze and have “School Daze” aspects thought of as Alpha Traditions. Within the current Membership Intake Process, there exist a truly rich development and learning experience, when and if Brothers follow it, most often they don’t. New Brothers of various ages complain about missing something, because they have heard so many embellished stories, too often stories from Brothers with no basis for the stories. We currently have a Membership Intake Task Force gathering data on this issue, in Kansas City during the 2008 General Convention, The Task Force presented data to the Brotherhood and conducted two sessions to gather additional data which will be finalized and presented with recommendations. However, I must be clear, the leadership is clear, the risk in unavoidable, we will not haze, or pledge as a part of any official process. So if that’s “old school” it should be considered “gone” school.

Many of our readers were college Brothers in the 1990's and can recall how receiving a Sphinx in the mail was a rare occurrence. This past year, Kappa Xi Lambda had major difficulties getting monies sent to the National office for Grand Tax and other similar payments recognized, and our membership roster updated in a timely manner. We know that other Chapters may have similar stories. Can you comment on the perceived infrastructure disconnect that seems to exist in Baltimore? Any plans in the near future or guidance for Brothers to address those issues?

Brothers have wants and expectations which too often we have failed collectively to provide the resources to provide. Whether it is a Sphinx magazine on a quarterly basis or adequate (or better than adequate) staffing, the General Convention authorizes the annual budget which governs my daily operational capacity to implement any action. This budget is created by the Budget and Finance Committee with my input, based on our current and projected fiscal solvency, that hasn’t always been the case. As Brother General President and I briefed in Orlando last year, across the country this Spring, and at the recently concluded 87th General Convention, our fiscal posture is “vastly improved” after careful and “tight” budget leadership and management. The areas you mention in your question are undergoing a careful analysis to determine current staff needs and the potential to outsource aspects to improve customer service. We are continually looking at methods to improve services; however, more can never be done with less. When we complete the true cost analysis, we will need KXL Brothers and all others to be prepared and willing to pay the true cost to meet these wants and expectations.

As a chapter that prides itself in a large number of its members working in the financial services industry, we note that the fraternity recently entered into a partnership with Wells Fargo to create the College Life to Corporate Life (C2C) "Champions of Change" internship program in the Midwestern states with eventual Continued on page 17

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7 Questions…. with Bro. Willard C. Hall, Jr., AΦΑ Executive Director Continued from page 16 plans to expand nationally. Can you expound on the program's significance? Also, how do you see chapters like the Wall Street Alphas playing a role in developing a local component of such a program and encouraging maximum continued development for long-term careers and possible active membership in the fraternity for the program's participants?

First I believe we must have a clarification of terms and scope. The College Life to Corporate Life (C2C) Initiative has been in place since January 2005. This initiative is geared towards the ongoing professional career development of our members. It is of value to the 20 year old Brother and the 40 year old Brother, and others. The new strategic alliance with Wells Fargo as a funding source for the Champions of Change internship component was brought to the table by Zeta Kappa Lambda, a Midwest chapter; it is not restricted to the Midwest. The implementations of all aspects of C2C are nationwide. You can visit the national website to learn more about this program, and look forward to exciting new announcements coming soon. Brothers of KXL and any other chapter can bring new alliance partners to the table to participate in C2C and the Champions of Change Internship. We encourage increased participation.

Alpha is now almost 102 years old. What are your thoughts on the General Election and the transition of leadership? What are your expectations for the Brothers of Alpha (both active and inactive)?

How does Alpha remain relevant?

As we celebrate our 102nd year of existence we can be proud of our legacy and our longevity. The creation, development and execution of a Strategic Plan has provided a road map towards our ongoing sustainability. The election of Bro. Skip Mason as the new General President is critical to the continual progress of viability and sustainability of structure. The transition process should flow quite smoothly between administrations in the final six months of 2008. My expectations for my Alpha Brothers, new or senior, young or old is the same: “Be Alpha”! If we are true to our mission statement: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities. If every Brother individually and collectively does this, no one can or should question our relevancy.

ΚΞΛ BROTHER NEWS On Friday, September 5th and Saturday, September 6th, Bro. Tony Thompson has a small role in “Solitary Confinement”, a play at the Producer’s Club Crowne Theater on 44th Street. The story is about a young man who kills his stepfather after years of being sexually abused by him. Several years later he writes a book about it and brings back terrible memories for his family. Tony plays a news reporter turned talk show host in the play.

The performances are at 8 PM and tickets are only $20. As the theater is small, please let Bro. Thompson know if you’ll be able to come out and support him and the rest of the incredible cast so that he can set aside a ticket for you.

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ΑΦΑ - A Century of Leadership - ΑΦΑ

Brothers celebrated another successful KXL event. SIP4 was truly hot. Stay tuned for the coolness of Think Black 2, coming Fall ’08.

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

Contact us at WSANews@gmail.com

Visit us at www.wallstreetalphas.com