EMBRACING OUR FRATERNAL LEGACIES

EMBRACING OUR FRATERNAL LEGACIES IN HOMAGE TO THEIR FATHERS: WHY IT IS AN ESSENTIAL PRACTISE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY?

Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. In Pittsburgh circa 1918.    Alpha Phi Alpha was the first Black Fraternity Founded in 1906.

The Historic, Black, Greek Letter Fraternal Organizations represent one of the most important links in the continuum of intellectual and social achievement in The Black Community.  These Fraternal Organizations have established the foundations upon which Black American men have cultivated themselves; without them the strategic social, political and economic advances of The Civil Rights Era could not have been achieved.  In fact, the long, illustrious list of Black Civil Rights Leaders reads like a roll call from the seven primary Black male secret societies: Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma, Iota Phi Theta, Groove Phi Groove and The Fraternal Order of Black Masons.  Black Fraternities have been the fountainhead of cultural evolution in America, allowing Black men to pass down traditions of manhood from father unto son and from our Elders to youth.  Fraternal Legacies are clear evidence of successful Black families, they are catalysts for the next generation of luminaries.  Every Black Fraternity should make a special, complementary gesture to reach out to the sons of its fraternity brothers when they enroll in any College or University in The United States to close the circle of family and community for each generation.  In homage to the beautiful and arduous task of fatherhood Black Fraternities should graciously entreat the sons of their brethren to continue the brilliant legacy of service and example, in fact it is a gentlemanly duty that should always be performed as a matter of utmost respect. 

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. including it's founders circa 1911.

Whenever a black man fathers a son, guiding him to manhood, passing on to him instructions for manhood, teaching the hallowed traditions of his fraternity through example his efforts should be celebrated and acknowledged by his fraternity. The proper way for a fraternity to recognize the fruit of a brothers labor is with a gracious offering of brotherhood extended to his son.  There simply is no more gentlemanly way of showing appreciation to a father and fellow fraternity brother than to open the doors of his hallowed fraternity to his son.  Our Black Fraternities should be right on top of this practise.  Fraternity Chapters should always be aware of the progress of their brother’s sons so that they can immediately offer scholarships and other support when the time comes for them to send their boys off to college.  In many cases they will be able to offer valuable assistance to the sons that was not available to their fathers when they first stepped on campus years ago.

The Founders of Phi Beta Sigma circa 1913

Whether the son intends to actually pledge his father’s fraternity should be of no concern; as a matter of courtesy a neutral solicitation should be made.  This offering should be sent in the following manner. Two formal letters of invitation must be prepared and addressed separately; one for the father and one for the son and decidedly before the son begins his freshman year and prior to the beginning of his classes; also immediately after a transfer from one college or university to another.  This correspondence written on the formal chapter stationery bearing the official letterhead should contain: a simple greeting, an invitation to the next smoker or interest meeting and a contact list all of the undergraduate brothers including their proper names, phone numbers and email addresses. Within the body of this correspondence all of the officers and graduate assistants should be identified. This correspondence should not be considered complete unless it contains a brief biography of the father’s history of service in his respective undergraduate and graduate chapters even if they are not the same chapter as the host or if they are not local ones. This letter should be prepared by the chapter secretary in collaboration with the chapter historian.  Even if the father is no longer active this formality must be extended as a sign of gentlemanly courtesy and as a hallmark of the high standards of the Fraternity.  Please take note that it would be highly improper and discourteous for a fraternity to send this invitation via email.  If a formal response is not received within one week the chapter secretary should attempt to contact the father by phone as a courtesy.  Likewise, the father and son should send a prompt and courteous reply acknowledging the invitation within the first week of receipt and if they find they have not replied after one weeks’ time they should also follow-up with a phone call in addition to forwarding a written reply immediately. 

The Founders of Omega Psi Phi circa 19ll

Once the son is on campus and has established his place of residence a second formal letter of welcome should be sent to him at his new address at school or wherever his place of residence may be.  If the son is living away from home and on campus housing then one of the fraternity brothers should call on him at his dormitory to make a formal introduction.  This introduction should be brief as it is intended merely as a courtesy.  If the prospective pledge lives off-campus in a private residence or at home with his parents it would be inappropriate to call on him there unless invited by his father who is the master of the family house or by the son if he is living in private, off-campus accommodations.  Under no circumstances should any fraternal correspondence be administered to a woman with the possible exception that she is a widowed mother and only with the utmost discretion as all fraternal business should be kept within the fraternity. 

The Founders of Groove Phi Groove circa 1962.

Prior to the son’s induction into the fraternity interest group or pledge club regular correspondence should be sent to him apprising him of upcoming fraternity functions.  All private fraternity business and operations should be kept private.  If a prospective pledge is inducted into the interest group of another fraternity mail correspondence of general public activities should be forwarded to him but once he has been inducted formally into the pledge club of another fraternal organization all correspondence should cease unless it is of a nature relevant to or in honor of the sons father. 

It is with great sincerity that I apologize for every instance in which a Fraternal Legacy was not treated with the utmost courtesy and honor by the home chapter of his college or university.  Over the years much of the greatness and politeness that characterized the founders of these hallowed institutions has been lost.  Were it not for the fathers of our Fraternal Legacies we would have no Fraternity at all, we owe them this courtesy if for nothing else, to mark how the Grand Old Fraternity has succeeded in its mission to uplift the Black man by properly raising our boys and shaping them into great men!  To a great extent the return of Fraternal Legacies is a strong measure of the success of our Black families.  The great mission of our fraternal organization is the edification of Black men achieved by opening established traditions of manhood to new brothers and by deepening and enriching these traditions by passing them on from father unto son thereby revitalizing and solidifying the centuries old tradition of fathering and family values so essential to the development of civilized existence.

Written By. D. Vollin

www.forthebrothas.blogspot.com