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Greetings!
A tremendous thanks to all of the Brothers, Sisters, family and friends who made the commitment and spent the money to participate in Conclave New Orleans 2009. You helped make the Conclave a huge success!
We congratulate the Honorable Brother Theo Woodard, Chairman, Conclave New Orleans 2009, and extend him a great deal of thanks. He made sure our Conclave was planned and executed with "First Class Service" being his goal. We thank the General Board and Brothers serving on the Conclave Management team for their efforts in the planning. We also thank our Executive Director, Brother Marco McMillian and his dedicated staff for their assistance for working long hours to ensure success. Our Co-chairmen, the Honorable Lynard Carter and Brother Jerry Green are to be commended for their assistance. We also want to thank the President of the local alumni chapter in New Orleans, Theta Beta Sigma Chapter, Brother Wil Harris for his work along with the many other Brothers who worked on the local planning committee.
You will be asked very soon to complete an evaluation form to give us feedback. Upon receipt, please take time to let us know your opinion as the Fraternity prepares for 2011 in Atlanta and 2013 in Philadelphia.
We also want to say congratulations to our elected officers: The Honorable Jimmy Hammock, International President; Brother Jonathan Mason, International First Vice President; Brother Lonnie Walls, International Second Vice President; Brother Larry Mungin, International Treasurer; Brother John Turner, Esq., General Counsel; Brother Dr. Joseph West, International Director of Social Action; Brother William Powell, International Director of Education; Brother Winston O'Neal, International Director of Bigger and Better Business; Brother Christopher Calvin, Collegiate Member-To-The-Board; and Brother Christopher Perry, Collegiate Member-To-The-Board. We wish God's blessing upon each of you during your term of office as you carry on the high ideals of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service, to all of humanity.
We also want to thank our seven Regional Directors for their leadership: Brother Darryl Williams (Eastern), Brother Lezell Lowe (Great Lakes), Brother Thomas Edwards (Gulf Coast), Brother Ray Smith (Southern), Brother Quentin Goodwin (Southeastern), Brother Martin Currie (Southwestern), and Brother Raphael Forbes (Western). A special thanks to The Honorable Brother Arthur Thomas for his 20 years of service to Phi Beta Sigma. He now leaves the General Board after a long tenure of service to Sigma and we wish him all the best.
My Brothers, a lot of business was handled while in New Orleans. However, one item of business that occurred at Conclave New Orleans made news throughout the world. Below, you can read the official press release from the Fraternity regarding this one matter.
Thanks so much for all you do for Sigma. We pray that God continues to bless Phi Beta Sigma as we continue to do his will through service.
Fraternally,
Paul L. Griffin, Jr.
32nd International President
Immediate Past International President
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
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President Clinton Inducted Into
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity
 NEW ORLEANS, July 10, 2009 -- Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., in session at its 95th Anniversary Conclave in New Orleans, LA, voted to induct the Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States of America, as an honorary member of the organization. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity's International President Paul L. Griffin, Jr. commented, "It is a high privilege and a matter of great significance that we the members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. accept and welcome the Honorable William Jefferson Clinton into our wondrous band."
PresidentClinton has been focusing on the activities of the William J. Clinton Foundation since he left the White House. He wanted the Clinton Foundation to address the areas where he could make the most difference as a private citizen. The Foundation has grown into a global non-governmental organization with more than 1,400 staff and volunteers in more than 40 countries and with offices in New York City, Little Rock, Ark., Boston, Mass., and other cities around the world. The Foundation, working in collaboration with governments and other partners, makes a significant impact in the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Phi Beta Sigma's programs, including Bigger and Better Business, Social Action and Education are compatible with the mission of the Clinton Foundation. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a partnership between the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association to help combat childhood obesity, is in alignment with Phi Beta Sigma's partnerships with the March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society. The Clinton HIV/Aids initiative is right on target with Phi Beta Sigma's partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which provides awareness and prevention strategies through its Conversation Among Brothers Series (CABS). Clinton's Economic Opportunity Initiative embraces the same values that have been core to Phi Beta Sigma's Bigger and Better Business program since its inception in 1925.
Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), a long-time member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. responded, "I am so pleased and delighted that President Bill Clinton has accepted membership in my fraternity. As a true servant-leader it is fitting for him to join the ranks of civil rights activist and labor leader A. Philip Randolph, Atlanta businessman Herman Russell, former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, former NAACP Leader James Weldon Johnson and renowned scientist George Washington Carver. My heart is warmed today."
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity is an international organization dedicated to the principles of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service, founded in 1914 at Howard University in Washington, DC, comprised of college and professional men, predominantly of African American origin, open from its inception to men of all race, religion, class and national origin. The Fraternity holds as its motto, "Culture for Service and Service for Humanity." With over 150,000 alumni and collegiate members, located in over 500 chapters throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, the organization has its international headquarters in Washington, DC. It conducts national programs in the areas of Education, Social Action and Bigger & Better Business, a youth mentorship program of Sigma Beta Clubs for young men from 8 to 18, and a Sigma Wellness program in partnership with the American Cancer Society and the March of Dimes. Notable members include James Weldon Johnson, George Washington Carver, Congressman John Lewis (GA), Congressman Edolphus Towns (NY), Former Mayor Harold Washington (Chicago), and African Presidents: Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe (Nigeria) and William Tolbert (Liberia). For more information, visit www.pbs1914.org.
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