Sigmas celebrate charter day

ST. PETERSBURG- The members of the St. Petersburg Alumni (Delta Omicron Sigma) Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. held their Inaugural Charter Day Gospel Jubilee Saturday, Nov. 12.

The St. Pete Sigma’s gathered to celebrate 53 years of service to the Greater Pinellas County area.

The Blue & White Evening of Gospel took place at Bethel Community Baptist Church. Brother Corey Givens, Jr. served as Master of Ceremony.

Entertainment for the evening incuded some of Tampa Bay’s finest Gospel groups:

Rev. Fleming Tarver & the Original Florida Spiritualaires, The Mighty Sons of Zion and Chosen.

The Mighty Sons of Zion paid tribute to their band member, 72-year old David Roundtree, who was hit and killed by a drunk driver the week before.

Fraternity members also honored individuals in the community that have made significant achievements in line with the fraternity’s international principles: Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service.

• Brotherhood: Toriano Parker, owner of Parker Financial Services & Earnest Crumbley Sr., head men’s basketball coach at St. Petersburg College

• Scholarship: Rene Flowers, Pinellas County School Board member

• Service: Howard and Lucinda Johnston, executive directors of Chart 411, Inc.

The Sigmas also presented their Fall 2016 line of brothers to the community, all of whom are African-American male educators in Pinellas County schools: Alvin Shirley, Tamariay Gordon, Elton Scott and Javaris Green.

The day prior to the Gospel Jubilee, new initiates along with other chapter members distributed over 200 turkeys to families in need at the Pinellas Technical Education Center as part of their service project.

The St. Pete Sigmas recently established the Fred G. Minnis & Louis Brown Sr. Academic Scholarship to benefit eligible graduating high school seniors. In 1963, Minnis, Brown and nine other professional men, chartered the Delta Omicron Sigma Chapter.

Concert ticket proceeds benefited the scholastic efforts of the chapter’s 501(c)(3), the D.O.S. Crescent Foundation, which is a philanthropic organization within the St. Pete Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. The foundation aims to promote programs that educate the community about economic growth, community development, physical and mental health and international awareness in Pinellas County.

The chapter’s last living charter member, Samuel Kicklighter, was presented with a City Proclamation on behalf of Mayor Rick Kriseman.

Sigma Frater, Kendrick Scott and Heavy’s Food Truck catered the meals for the evening.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. was founded on January 9, 1914, at Howard University in Washington D.C. Led by International President Jonathan A. Mason, Sr.; the organization equips college-educated men with the tools necessary to improve the social and economic conditions of communities worldwide.