The Oklahoma Eagle Newswire
On Thursday March 15 to Sunday, March 18, 2018 over 700 members of the nation’s oldest African American Greek-lettered organization and one of the premier service organizations in the world, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated®, will converge on the City of Tulsa donning their best pink and green cowgirl outfits as they attend the 88th Mid-Western Regional Conference at the Renaissance Hotel & Conference Center.
The members from the region’s eight states of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Oklahoma will be welcomed by the sorority’s host chapters of Cluster E which include Graduate and Undergraduate chapters, Alpha Epsilon Omega – Muskogee, Alpha Chi Omega -Tulsa, Beta Omicron Omega – Okmulgee, Upsilon Theta Omega – Stillwater, Theta Xi – University of Tulsa, and the Pearls of Legacy Interest Group – Broken Arrow. Conference Chairman is Ms. D’Elbie Walker, and Co-Chairmen are Mrs. Katherine Bracy and Dr. Jilda Motley.
The conference theme is “R.O.D.E.O. Showdown at the OK Corral: Representing Our Dimensions of Excellent and Outstanding Sisterhood, Scholarship and Service”, which captures the essence of service this organization has provided to communities across the country and abroad for 110 years. Over the course of the four days, the Mid-Western Regional Conference will have a potential financial impact of well over $500,000 to the Tulsa, Oklahoma community.
“We are excited to come to Tulsa,” says Jan M. Carpenter-Baker, Mid-Western Regional Director. “The conference will not only allow us to provide leadership development for our members and enjoy an array of spectacular activities and events, but it will also give us an opportunity to support nonprofit and educational organizations in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow communities through our service projects that will be conducted during the conference. We give back to the communities where our conferences are held and Tulsa and the Broken Arrow communities will be the beneficiaries of our service and dollars!”
The conference’s major service project consist of members donating backpacks filled with school supplies and non-perishable food items that are to be distributed to select local organizations who serve school aged children. Members will volunteer their service Thursday morning at the Broken Arrow Neighbors in Broken Arrow, Ok. The sorority’s International President Dr. Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, L.H.D. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will be a special guest of the conference and will be fully engaged of the many events and activities during the conference.
There will be a number of events that are open to the public. On Friday, March 16th from 7 p.m.-9 p.m., the organization will host a free public program and reception where local leaders and organizations that have significantly impacted their communities with outstanding community service, will be honored. The award categories mirror the mission of the Sorority’s five international initiatives which include; Educational Enrichment, Health Promotions, Family Strengthening, Environmental Ownership and Global Impact. Later that evening at 10 p.m., motion and passion will fill the room as undergraduate and graduate sorority step teams from around the region take the stage to compete in the Annual Step Show. A special exhibition performance will be done by the over 55 Golden Steppers Team. Entrance to the Step Show/Mixer is $20 and tickets will be sold at the door.
The region’s Annual Formal Gala will be held on Saturday, March 16th at 8:00 p.m. and will feature an all time favorite, Charlie Redd and the Full Flava Kings. The evening will be filled with dinner, dancing, and great music. The attire is “Western Bling” and tickets for this affair are $75 and may be purchased by contacting Patricia Mitchell at patamitchell@gmail.com. Tickets must be purchased no later than Wednesday, March 14. On Sunday, March 17th, there will be an Ecumenical Service 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. and is open to the public. The sorority will top off the conference with a Gospel Brunch Experience featuring Gospel Jazz Artist Vearl Tolbert. Tickets are $45 and may be purchased at the door.
Conference Chairman D’Elbie Walker said “Cluster E is so honored to be hosting this conference, which in addition to the development of our members will be a celebration of the phenomenal leadership that has been bestowed upon us by our Regional Director, Jan M. Carpenter Baker over the past four years.”
The Mid-Western Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. was established in 1924. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ® is an international organization founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, it is one of the world’s leading service organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life for citizens through “service to all mankind.” It is comprised of over 300,000 members in 1013 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Africa and the Middle East. For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., visit www.aka1908.com.
