PsiAA - 2018 Achievement Week Banquet

~2018 Achievement Week Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter

On November 17, 2018 the brothers of the Psi Alpha Alpha (PsiAA) chapter, Third District, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in conjunction with the Bernie L. Bates Foundation gathered to celebrate our individual and collective accomplishments from the 2017 to 2018 Omega Year. The banquet was held at the elegant Waterford at Springfield where two hundred and ten brothers, family members, guests and friends were treated to an afternoon of elegance, fine dining and the acknowledgement of excellence. Brother Marvin Chisolm served as the Achievement Week Committee Chairman and coordinated an afternoon of elegance and excellence. As his last official event the PsiAA Immediate Past Basileus, Brother Craig M. Spraggins hosted the lunch banquet. The current PsiAA Basileus Brother Eric W. Kelly, Sr. closed out the banquet with words of thanks and an empationed-plea for continued financial support of the Bernie L. Bates Foundation. Brother James Cherry expertly served as the Master of Ceremonies and Brother (Major General-Retired) Barrye L. Price treated the audience with inspiring words on the Achievement Week theme: “Omega Men: Effecting Positive Change In Communities Worldwide”.

The lunch event gave all in attendance the opportunity to formally recognize and celebrate the following awardees: Omega Man of the Year, Brother Tony A. Wells; The Founders Lifetime Achievement Awardee, Brother Marion L. Barnwell; The Superior Service Awardee, Brother Hector Sheppard Jr.; the Colonel Charles Young Military Leadership Awardee, Brother Chester B. Keller and the Citizen of the year Mr. Roane Harris. Special recognition was also afforded to several brothers celebrating a fraternity service anniversary:

Years	Name
65	Brother John L. Peoples, Sr.
60	Brother James T. George
50	Brother Joe D. Howze
35	Brother Gilbert McManus
35	Brother Norris Middleton
35	Brother James C. Smith
25	Brother Gene A. Hudson

As always, we used this elegant opportunity to highlight the youth in our community. The audience was treated to a piano recital from our 2018 Talent Hunt winner Miss Kayla Anthony. As a special treat, our high school essay contest winner Miss Taveona Rosemond-Francis presented her thought-provoking and winning essay.

The Fairfax County Ques kicked off our Achievement Week activities on Election Day by supporting the Grand Basileus’ voter registration, education and mobilization call to duty by supporting the polling station at the Walt Whitman Middle school in the Mount Vernon area of Alexandria (click here). On November 9^th, the chapter co-hosted the 2^nd annual Northern Virginia and DC area Ques Pre-Achievement Week happy hour with the Brothers of the Kappa Psi, Omicron Kappa Kappa and Pi Lambda Lambda chapters (click here). On November 11^th, we continued to fellowship by worshiping together and supporting the Mount Calvary Baptist Church’s Veterans Day Program. We also conducted our first “Reading for Success” program event of the year at the Riverside elementary school; reading one book and providing twenty-five books to every 3^rd grade student (click here). After the banquet more than thirty brothers car pooled down to Howard University to participate in the annual rededication ceremony. The 2018 PsiAA Chapter Achievement Week events were a resounding success due to the effort of the committee and but more important due to the participation from the Fairfax County Ques, their families and friends.