Notes and News from Beta Gamma Omega


 Short History of Beta Gama Omega

    Don't you like stories that begin with "Once upon a time". Well, once upon a time, there was Sister Expecting-to-be who had great expectations of chartering an Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter in the heart of the Blue Grass Region in Lexington, Kentucky.
    As the time approached for the delivery, Sister Expecting-to-be,who had the utmost faith in mid-wifery, would have no other than Soror Carolyn Blanton, our Regional Director, who lived in Louisville, Kentucky. Our Supreme Basileus at that time was Soror
Ida L. Jackson.
    So on a beautiful evening, March 30, 1934, there was a great commotion at the old Dunbar High School Annex, which was a very, very old building that once housed white orphans. ( That site is the present location of the Russell Elementary School.) How surprised was Soror Carolyn Blanton to bring forth not only one cute little sister but four sisters! They were as follows: Alberta Robinson, a plump one who became basileus. She really possessed executive ability and taught English at Douglas High School. Ollie Davis Miller was then as skinny as canary bird and had such a beautiful powerful soprano
voice. She was a social worker and was our anti-basileus. Myrtle Hummons Jones was the grammateus Perhaps she held that office because she had to write legible for her first, second and third graders at the old Booker T. Washington School. Irene Hawkins, our
tamiouchos, was a quiet one was taught at Russell School. Zelma Fuller Weaver, the chapter reporter, was then another skinny one who taught many things at the old Russell School on Fourth Street at Dunbar.
    Soror Blanton chose the beautiful name of Beta Gamma Omega for Alpha Kappa Alpha's new chapter in Lexington. Lyedia White Holly was our first initiate into Beta Gamma Omega and Evelyn Baily Sallee was the second one.
    I'm trying to think of some of our projects in those early years. Jewel Manche and her dolls from Louisville, Kentucky danced their way into our hearts. Eta Moten, the beautiful singer, appeared on stage at our invitation. Marva Louis, Joe Louis's first wife was
presented in a style show at the Lyric Theater, located on the corner of
Deweese and Third Streets.
    We supplied milk to each of the five black elementary schools for the children of our community. Beta Gamma Omega operated a kindergarten for several years at the old 2nd Street Y.M.C.A. We completely furnished room at the old Y.M.C.A. Branch for the
community's use as well as for ours.
    Contributions have been made to the following: The Mound Bayou Health Project in Mississippi, the N.A.A.C.P.; the United Negro College Fund, the Urban League; March of Dimes; International Book Project; Cardinal Hill Hospital; the Women's Neighborly Organization and others.
    We organized chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha at the University of Kentucky, (Iota Sigma) Soror Katye Jenkins, Graduate Advisor, Eastern Kentucky University (Zeta Nu) Soror Emma Butler, Graduate advisor, and Morehead State University (Eta Rho), Soror Mary Murray, Graduate Advisor.
     The Hamilton Vogue and Ebony Fashion Shows and other distinguished artists have also been a source of our raising funds for scholarships for some worth high school girl.  In our December 1940 Ivy Leaf, there was this bit of news: Beta Gamma Omega ended the year with the awarding of their sixth annual scholarship of fifty dollars to Miss Helen Porter, a 1940 graduate of Dunbar High School. Miss Porter has matriculated at West Virginia State College.
     At the present time, under the leadership of Soror Ida Nell Finch and her supportive forty-three sorors, Beta Gamma Omega has started,January 1, 1984, a tutorial program for group and individualized tutoring from kindergarten to the twelfth grade. The clinic is held at Shiloh Baptist Church every Saturday from 10:00 to  12:30 p.m.    I saw this poem by Soror Anges Berry in the 1930 Ivy Leaf:
Give me the strength to make me kinder
To my sister's fault be blinder
Let me think less of myself and what's my due
Send me strength to smile at sorrow
Doubt not; fear not, for the morrow.
To the best that is within, O keep me true
Help me to raise my fallen neighbor
Spare not cheer, not that or labor
If I smooth the path of only just a few.
For this old world will be brighter
If we keep our thoughts from me
And think of you.

I also wish to express my thanks to Sorors Teresa Searcy, Katherine Rollins and Emma Butler for the help they gave me in remembering our early history.

                                                Soror Zelma Smith Weaver
                                                March 24, 1984



 
 

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