A call went out in the Spring of 2004 from Brother Thurmond N. Tillman, to Brothers initiated at the Theta Kappa Chapter who were in the Metro Atlanta area, saying Theta Kappa was in trouble. Seventeen Brothers responded by meeting on the University of West Georgia’s campus to discuss Theta Kappa’s problems. During that meeting they heard from Brother Tillman (Theta Kappa, Spring ’76), Province Chaplain, and Brother Reginald Baldwin (Gamma Phi, Spring ’76), Polemarch of the Alpharetta/Smyrna Alumni Chapter. Their message, in summary, was that the university and the Southeastern Province were in agreement that, if Theta Kappa was to continue to function, there must be an alumni chapter of the fraternity in close proximity to supervise them. The Atlanta Alumni Chapter was determined to be too far away and the LaGrange Alumni Chapter was inactive and/or unwilling to take on the on the responsibility. The Brothers in attendance were asked to consider establishing an alumni chapter to supervise the activities of Theta Kappa.
On August 22, 2004, the first organizational meeting of the Brothers committed to starting a chapter, was held at the Shoney’s Restaurant on Thornton Road in Douglas County. Those attending were Timothy Adams, Bobby Fryer, Larry Turner, Donny North, Sam Clonts, and Darrell Robinson. The focus in this meeting was on expanding the number of brothers participating in the alumni chapter. Given that the brothers present were all initiated at Theta Kappa, the decision was made to reach out to others from Theta Kappa. They also started to focus on structure of the chapter and the funds necessary to get the chapter started. As an interest group, they decided that Bobby Fryer would be President; Timothy Adams – Scribe; Larry Turner – Keeper of Exchequer; Fred O’Neal - Social/Financial Chair; Donny North – Special Advisor to Grand Chapter; and Darrell Robinson – Social Chair. The cost to each brother was determined to be $280. In the second meeting, Sam Clonts was added as Vice-President. The process of gathering the necessary information for establishment of a chapter began. The Brothers worked with and through the Southeastern Province to find eleven brothers to form the Carrollton Alumni Chapter and pay all necessary fees and assessments. One of the pivotal decisions made was to change the name of the chapter to the Carrollton/Douglasville Alumni Chapter, which made it easier to reach out to the large number of brothers residing in the Douglasville, GA area. As they approached the final stages, the Officers for the Alumni interest group were: Polemarch – Sam Clonts (Fall ’76); Vice-Polemarch – Donny North (Spr. ’75); Keeper of Records – Timothy Adams (Spr. ’91); Keeper of Exchequer – Larry Turner (Wtr. ’76); Strategus – Bobby Fryer (Spr. ’89); Lt. Strategus – Andre Kenneybrew (Spr. ’93); Historian – Timothy Adams; Reporter – Timothy Adams; Board of Directors – Darrell Robinson (Spr ’91), Fred O’Neal (Spr. ’80), & Garland Howard (Spr. ’75). In addition to the officers listed, other Charter Members included Bruce Atwater (Spr. ’78) and Andre Hartley (Spr. ’90). Again, all were initiated at Theta Kappa.
After much effort, the Carrollton/Douglasville Alumni Chapter received its charter on Friday June 17, 2005, in a ceremony on the University of West Georgia’s campus. Presiding was Southeastern Province Polemarch Chester Leaks and Province Senior Vice-Polemarch James Freeman. Also in attendance were Grand Chapter Committee Chairman Tony Jarrett, Province Chaplain Thurmond Tillman, Solomon Bradley and Tuqwan Jordan. Polemarch Clonts indicated the chapter would be known as a working chapter, having strong Guide Right and community service programs. Brother Clonts had his son, Darian Clonts, present the selection, “May the Work I’ve Done, Speak for Me,” to add emphasis to his message.
During its first fraternal year, 2005-2006, the Carrollton/Douglasville Alumni Chapter hosted the 30th anniversary of the Theta Kappa Chapter, provided meals for families at Thanksgiving and Christmas, sponsored the Kappa Kuts program, which provided haircuts to boys in the Carrollton Community, and successfully coordinated the initiation of nine new members of the Theta Kappa Chapter. Chapter meetings were held at the South Cobb Recreation Center, in Austell, GA. The chapter grew to 19 members by reclaiming Brothers in the region. Chapter members attended Province activities, including the C. Rodger Wilson Leadership Conference and the Province Council Meeting. The Chapter took its place among the Metropolitan Atlanta Coalition of Kappas (the M.A.C.K.), as its 7th member chapter.
In its second fraternal year, 2006-2007, despite a drop to 11 members at the beginning of the year, the chapter provided toys to a family at Christmas and began its first major Guide Right project, the Shadow the Leader mentorship program. This program matched young men from the Carrollton School System with local political leaders in Carrollton, including the Mayor, the City Manager, and the heads of all major city departments. The program climaxed with a luncheon at Mia Bella, a local Italian restaurant. The Shadow the Leader program received a substantial front-page article in the local Carroll County newspaper and was featured in the Southeastern Khronical. In the Spring of 2007, the chapter had its first group of men initiated as members of the Fraternity. There were seven men initiated: David Foxwell, Erik Hawkins, Marquez Holmes, Hugh Humphrey, Cornelius Pope, Derek Valentine, and Melvin Wrightsil. During the year, the Chapter moved meetings to a larger room at the South Cobb Recreation Center and closed the year with 18 active members.
In its third year, the chapter showed signs of coming of age. Through intake and reclamation efforts we grew to 27 financial members, although two brothers relocated. In the Fall of 2007, the chapter had its second group initiated, who were Ronald Graham, Mario Knox, Saul Strain, and Derrick Thomas. Chapter meetings were moved to the Ramada Inn on Cherokee Blvd. in Douglasville. The chapter held its first Christmas Social at Sam and Roscoe’s Italian Restaurant in Douglasville. The chapter’s Guide Right Program began in earnest, as we established a partnership with the Douglas County Boys and Girls Club and worked with a group of young men in Carrollton. Community Service projects included the distribution of Thanksgiving food baskets to nine families and participation in the national Sunday of Hope project in partnership with First Baptist Church in Carrollton. The Sunday of Hope project raised over $1,400, which was donated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. The speaker for the occasion was State Senator Brother Emanuel Jones, of the Stockbridge/Jonesboro Alumni Chapter. The chapter had articles about its activities published in the Southeastern Khronical and the Kappa Alpha Psi Journal. Seventeen brothers attended the MACK Founders’ Day, where they heard and met Grand Polemarch Dwayne Murray. Brother Clonts represented CDAC well, in giving a rousing presentation of the occasion. In February 2008, the chapter hosted its first Valentines Social. The brothers sang the Sweetheart Song and made presentations to their wives and significant others. Reclamation efforts were ongoing. On April 18, 2008, the chapter lost its first member to the Chapter Invisible, as Brother David Bembry Foxwell transitioned. In May of 2008, CDAC experienced its first change in leadership. Brother Lionel Lewis (Gamma Alpha ’85), was elected as Polemarch and Brother Gerald Cameron was elected as Vice-Polemarch. These brothers entered office filled with energy and ideas. Their first official act was to establish chapter awards. They established the Samuel R. Clonts Leadership Award, named for the chapter’s first Polemarch; the Brother of the Year; and the Senior Brother of the Year, among others. The chapter closed fraternal year 2008 with 25 financial members.
To begin their first fraternal year, 2008-2009, Brother Lewis and his administration organized the first CDAC chapter planning retreat, which was held on August 16, 2008. The agenda included the purpose of our chapter, a mission for the chapter, establishing a signature event each year for our chapter, Kappa League participation from chapter brothers, committee calendars to inform brothers of events in a timely manner, increasing chapter unity (stronger bond among chapter brothers), taking care of fundamentals to stabilize membership, and assigning a subcommittee to research on the purchase of a chapter house. In the Fall of 2008, six men were initiated: Rishard Booker, Malik Bostic, Reginald Gibson, Reginald Johnson, Jonathan Pettigrew, and Christopher Thomas. Efforts continued towards starting a CDAC website, starting a foundation, and reclaiming inactive brothers in the service area. Past-Polemarch Sam Clonts, a former photographer picked up his camera again, and volunteered to try and create a more consistent pictorial record of the chapter’s activities. The Chapter by-laws were amended to limit officers’ terms to two consecutive years, to add the immediate past Polemarch to the Board of Directors, and to provide for a more structured election process, among other things. The chapter website was established, as was the chapter’s foundation, the Community Diamonds Foundation, Inc. Also, for the first time, the chapter added the Office of Chaplain. The chapter continued its established program of activities: School Supplies Giveaway, Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway, Christmas Toy Giveaway, Christmas Social, MACK Founders’ Day, Valentines Social, School Year Closeout, and the Chapter Anniversary. The chapter also participated in its first Thomas Dorsey Festival, held in Mr. Dorsey’s hometown of Villa Rica, Georgia. Finally, the chapter ended the year with more than 30 members, moving from a small chapter to a medium chapter.
Elected to a second term, for fraternal year 2009-2010, Brother Lewis’s administration was joined by Brother Fred Holmes (Gamma Pi ’87), who was elected as Vice-Polemarch. In the Summer of 2009, two new men, Ernest Sessoms and Michael Williams, were initiated. Brother Lewis became the first Polemarch from CDAC to serve as the Chairman of the M.A.C.K. Along with that came the role of coordinating the MACK’s annual Founders’ Day Observance. Brother Cornelius Pope was assigned to Chair the effort and did an outstanding job. Focus was placed on maintaining ongoing chapter programs, such as the School Supplies Giveaway, Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway, Valentine Social, MACK Founders’ Day, and Chapter Anniversary. The Chapter’s signature event was established as “Wine and Whispers,” an event centered on a Valentine’s Day theme and scheduled so that it could be used as a Valentines outing. The first “Wine and Whispers” was held at the Geisha House in Atlantic Station. The event, conceived by and spearheaded by Brothers Raja Antone and Christopher Thomas, was very memorable and showed great promise as a signature event going forward. In the Spring of 2010, Jermaine Cameron, Shawn Hadley, and Jason Ross were initiated through CDAC.
Additional CDAC highlights in 2009-2010 included recognition of Brothers Fred Pinkston (Alpha Gamma, Fall ’53) and Ralph Jenkins (Beta Kappa, Spring ’58), as 50-year Brothers; establishment of the CDAC Senior Kappa Affairs Committee; membership in the Metro Atlanta Pan-Hellenic Council; establishment of a Kappa League program at South Paulding High School and a Jr. Kappa League program at the Factory Shoals Middle School; establishment of the CDAC Adopt-A-Mile service project; CDAC’s first involvement in the Douglas County Relay for Life, to raise money to fight cancer; and receiving proclamations honoring CDAC for its work in Carroll, Douglas, and Paulding Counties. The singular highlight of the year was the National Boys & Girls Award received by the Douglas County Boys & Girls Club, based on the work done in CDAC’s Guide Right Program. At the close of the year, Brother Lionel Lewis received the Samuel R. Clonts Leadership Award and Brother Waymon Bryant (Theta Kappa, Spring ’82) was elected as Polemarch for 2010-2011.
For the fraternal year 2010-2011, the focus was on increasing membership by reclamation, as well as intake. As a result, chapter membership increased by 53%. In the Fall of 2010, CDAC ushered in a new class of initiates: Cameron Daniel, Demetrius Davis, Joseph Ducksworth, and, Patrick Sutton. Joseph Ducksworth became CDAC’s first MOIP class Valedictorian. During the year, CDAC created partnerships with the local alumnae chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta. CDAC established its first Silhouettes affiliate and successful efforts were made to have a presence in every edition of the Kappa Alpha Psi Journal and the Southeastern Province Khronical. These highlights were in addition to maintaining the established CDAC programs, including: Thanksgiving baskets; Christmas adopt-a-family; school supplies for back-to-school; the second annual “Wine & Whispers” at the Wimbish House in mid-town Atlanta; Leisure-for-Ladies at My Sister’s House in Atlanta; and the Relay for Life. In the Spring of 2011, CDAC received its first Provincial awards, as it received the Southeastern Province awards for Reclamation, both highest percentage increase and highest number reclaimed. In addition, CDAC received the 2010-2011 Jay Crosby Award for its Outstanding Guide Right Program. Brother Waymon Bryant was re-elected as the chapter’s Polemarch and CDAC prepared to send delegates and members to the Centennial Conclave in Indianapolis, IN.
In the middle of the joyous celebration of the Fraternity’s Centennial, the chapter received the news that Brother Bryant would need to relocate because of his job and that newly-elected Vice-Polemarch Christopher Thomas would take his place as chapter Polemarch. This unexpected turn-of-events was met with an equally unexpected reaction from chapter members. As a result of the turmoil that followed, CDAC was left with approximately half of the members from the previous year. However, the new Polemarch was undeterred. He set about ensuring that the established programs continued and that the chapter continued its upward growth, if not in the number of members, in the quality of its programs.
Chapter year 2011-2012 started with a very productive Chapter Retreat, during which the Polemarch took the brothers through an exercise to identify the chapter’s strengths, weaknesses, obstacles, and threats. In the Fall of 2011, one new member was initiated, Jermaine Kimble. Jermaine became the second candidate from CDAC to finish as the Southeastern Province MOIP Class Valedictorian. The Guide Right Program had a banner year, as Brother Jason Ross took the young men through the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Teens,” and the group took a trip to the Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham, AL. Other highlights of the year included CDAC’s annual Thanksgiving and Christmas giving; the Divine 9 Skate Jam; church visits with various brothers; hosting a reception for newly appointed Southeastern Province Polemarch Lawrence Davis, who is a member of CDAC; the annual Leisure for Ladies; and the Relay for Life. In the Spring of 2012, CDAC initiated three new members: Curtis Coleman, William Judson, and Clark Payne. William Judson continued the new CDAC tradition of having the valedictorian in the Southeastern Province MOIP class. The most vivid highlight of the year was when CDAC was awarded the J. Michael Graves Award as the Southeastern Province Small Chapter of the Year!! The award was a testament to the perseverance of a determined Polemarch and brothers who placed brotherhood and chapter loyalty above any individual differences. Brother Christopher Thomas was elected as Chapter Polemarch for the 2012-2013 fraternal year. To close out the year, CDAC celebrated at the Douglas County Boys & Girls Club and awarded its first scholarship, in the amount of $500, to David Mahone, an honor student who was accepted to Savannah State University.
Fraternal year 2012-2013 began with the CDAC’s annual retreat, during which the chapter set its goals for the coming year. The Retreat was followed by a flurry of activity. The chapter decided to skip MOIP in the Fall and concentrate on reclamation. Towards that end, there were a number of reclamation social events held at a local establishment, which resulted in 9 new chapter members. Other activities included the “Ohhhhhh So Pretty” Spades Tournament with the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha; a Senior Kappas-sponsored event, in which chapter members raked leaves for residents in a Carrollton, GA community; and its annual Thanksgiving and Christmas events. In the new year, the chapter attended the annual MACK Founders Day event, sponsored an outstanding “Wine & Whispers” event, and held its annual Leisure for Ladies event. Leisure for Ladies is CDAC’s signature service event and it was conceived by Brother Raja Antone as a way to show the ladies and children at the center what it is like to interact with men who respect and appreciate them. A major highlight of fraternal year 2012-2013 is the appointment of CDAC Chapter and Southeastern Province Parliamentarian, Dr. Charles Washington, as the Parliamentarian for the Grand Chapter. He is the first CDAC member to receive a Grand Chapter appointment, aside from Brother Davis as the Province Polemarch.
Another major highlight of the 2012-2013 fraternal year was the first annual scholarship banquet, during which the chapter honored Brother Frederick N. Pinkston for 60 years in the Bond. During the banquet, it was announced that an annual scholarship was named in his honor. The first Frederick N. Pinkston Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000, was awarded to Evan Wood, a Senior at Robert S. Alexander High School, who had a 4.0 GPA and was the starting quarterback for his high school team. During the event a second scholarship, in the amount of $500, was awarded to a deserving student. Revenue from the sale of tickets to the event went towards funding future scholarships.
At the 2013 Southeastern Province Council, it was announced that the Carrollton/Douglasville Alumni chapter was awarded its second J. Michael Graves Alumni Chapter of the Year Award, the Province’s Reclamation Award, for the Chapter’s reclamation efforts, and the Province’s Website of the Year Award. In the midst of celebrating its success at the Province level, news came that the Chapter was recognized by the Grand Chapter as the Paul Waymond Caine International Small Chapter of the Year! This was CDAC’s first recognition on the Grand Chapter level. As icing on the cake, CDAC’s website was selected as the Grand Chapter’s Website of the Year. By any measure, fraternal year 2012-2013 will be considered as the most successful for the chapter, to that point in its history.
To close fraternal year 2012-2013, Polemarch Christopher Thomas was elected to a 3rd term. Dr. Joseph Ducksworth was elected Vice-Polemarch, with succession planning in mind. The year closed with the chapter fellowshipping during a bowling event and the M.A.C.K.’s annual cookout.
Fraternal year 2013-14 began with the annual chapter planning retreat, where attendees completed a mentoring course required by the Douglas County Board of Education. The chapter completed its usual array of programming activities: providing school supplies, providing meals for Thanksgiving, adopting a family for Christmas, attending the M.A.C.K. Founders’ Day, Wine & Whispers, holding the annual Leisure for Ladies event, and observing its anniversary. There were several highlights during the course of the year, two of which involved our Senior Kappas. CDAC held a grand affair to celebrate Brother Freddie Jones’ fifty years in the bond. The event was attended by Brother Jones’ family, friends, and others whose lives he influenced over the years. A highlight of the event was the awarding of a $1,000 scholarship in Brother Jones’ name, to young scholar Herschel Kirkland, III.
The other Senior Kappa highlight is the Senior Kappa Committee itself. It is our opinion that the CDAC Senior Kappas are exceptional men. Headed by Brothers Fred Pinkston and J. Frank Payne, our Senior Kappa events are very active. In response to a Southeastern Province initiative that required all chapters to hold an event during Senior Kappa Week, our Senior Kappas located a gentleman in our service area who had faced a number of challenges to his health and overall well-being. As a result of his challenges, he was unable to maintain his rather sizeable yard. Our Senior Kappas lead the effort to give his yard a thorough cleaning. The chapter descended on this yard and cut the grass, trimmed the hedges, removed weeds from around the shrubbery, and raked the leaves.
Another highlight of the 2013-14 fraternal year was the chapter’s Kappa League Program which, under leadership of Polemarch Christopher Thomas, took a huge leap forward. Kappa League activities included a trip to Birmingham, Alabama, to attend a “Classic” football game featuring two HBCU teams; a career fair; and a session with Atlanta Police Officer, Brother Andre Hartley, called “The Po Po and Me”. The highlight of the Kappa League year was a segment called Romeo and Juliet, which instructed our Kappa Leaguers and a group of young ladies on dating and dining etiquette. This was followed by an event called “Klassy Ristoranté,” which was designed to allow the young men and young ladies to utilize the instructions they received in the Romeo and Juliet session. The Douglas County Boys and Girls Club was remodeled for the night into a restaurant and CDAC chapter members served as waiters for the night. The event was a rousing success!!!
Unfortunately, not all events of fraternal year 2013-14 were rosy. After the joy of welcoming newly initiated members Aquino Charles, Bakari Allen, and Stacy Alston, the chapter was eagerly anticipating the upcoming Southeastern Province Council, where CDAC was hoping for its third consecutive J. Michael Graves Small Chapter of the Year Award, along with at least two other awards. However, due to the ill-advised choice of a picture to be placed on a party flyer, the chapter was placed on Cease and Desist by the Province Polemarch, which made CDAC ineligible for any awards and barred its representatives from attending the Southeastern Province Council. The rumor was that the Province had have our chapter name removed from the award. After an investigation, the chapter was exonerated of any wrongdoing and returned to business as usual. Damage done and lesson learned. The sad event did not overshadow all of the great work done during the fraternal year. It made us remember our stated philosophy that says we do not work for recognition…we work because there is work to be done.
In our final meeting of the 2013-14 fraternal year, Dr. Joseph Ducksworth was installed as the fifth Polemarch of the Carrollton-Douglasville Alumni Chapter. Brother Harold Lawson was elected as Vice-Polemarch. The year ended with members fellowshipping at a chapter cookout and attending the annual M.A.C.K. Picnic.
Fraternal year 2014-2015 began the same as many others, with a chapter planning retreat. The chapter completed its usual array of programming activities: providing school supplies, providing meals for Thanksgiving, adopting a family for Christmas, attending the M.A.C.K. Founders’ Day, Wine & Whispers, and holding the annual Leisure for Ladies event. The 2015 Leisure for Ladies event was the first held in our service area. Instead of My Sisters House in Atlanta, it was held at the Share House in Douglasville. While My Sister’s House serves women facing a variety of adverse circumstances, the Share House is solely for women and children fleeing domestic violence. As a social/fundraising/reclamation effort, CDAC gathered at Buffalo Wild Wings each Thursday night during football season to watch the weekly Thursday Night NFL game.
A highlight of 2015 was our first Bowling Tournament. It was great as a fundraiser and much fellowship and fun was enjoyed by all in attendance. The tournament was organized by Brother George Miles. Brother Miles has a talent for such events, as he showed in coordinating CDAC’s first solo Spades Tournament, also a very successful effort. A highlight of the Spades Tournament was the participation of Ronnie DeVoe of the groups “New Edition” and “Bell, Biv, DeVoe.”
During the 2014-15 fraternal year, our Kappa League program also had its share of highlights. The young men were taken on a visit to the University of Georgia’s campus in Athens, Georgia. They also attended an Atlanta Hawks game and the Honda Battle of the Bands.
CDAC participated in an All-Male Forum, organized by the ladies of Douglas, Carroll, Paulding Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The Deltas invited local alumni chapters of Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, and Phi Beta Sigma, to speak with young men on various topics. CDAC’s presentation was on how to respectfully communicate with young ladies while on a date. We also discussed acceptable behavior on a date and how to respond appropriately when there is a conflict with a female.
During the latter months of the fraternal year, rumor started to circulate that former CDAC Polemarch, Waymon Bryant was back in town. Although he had been in Florida since 2011 and become a member of alumni chapters there, Waymon had remained a financial member of CDAC during his absence. We soon discovered that the rumor was true when Brother Bryant showed up to chapter meeting and announced that he was, indeed, back in town and ready to resume activities with CDAC. He hit the ground running and became the fundraising, reclamation dynamo he had been before leaving.
The Southeastern Province Council was held in Atlanta, Georgia in March, 2015. CDAC got back on track by being awarded its third J. Michael Graves Small Chapter of the Year Award in four years. In addition, CDAC received the Southeastern Province Website of the Year Award, which was not tied to the size of the chapter. CDAC will represent the Southeastern Province in both of these categories at the 82nd Grand Chapter Meeting in New Orleans. New Orleans brought the exciting news that CDAC had won its 2nd consecutive Paul W. Caine Award, as International Small Chapter of the Year!!
At the close of the year, Dr. Joseph Ducksworth was again elected Polemarch. Brother Waymon Bryant was elected Vice-Polemarch. We closed out the fraternal year, our 10th, with a gala banquet/awards/anniversary celebration and attended the annual M.A.C.K. Cookout. By any measure, 2014-15 was an outstanding year for CDAC!!!
Fraternal year 2015-16 was the year of challenge. Polemarch Ducksworth began the annual chapter retreat by challenging the chapter to meet some very specific and very ambitious goals: #1 - reclaim 10 brothers; #2 - establish 5 achievement scholarships; #3 - re-establish the undergraduate chapter at the University of West Georgia; #4 - re-brand our signature event; #5 - coordinate a well-planned and well-attended M.A.C.K. Picnic; and #6 - to be the 2015-16 Southeastern Province Medium Chapter of the Year. With the exception of reclamation and the signature event, all of the goals were in addition to the usual activities of the chapter. On top of everything else, Kappa League Director Christopher Thomas announced that this would be the year that the chapter would hold its long-anticipated inaugural Beautillion.
CDAC did the only thing we know to do: we went to work. Primarily due to the efforts of Vice-Polemarch Waymon Bryant, during the course of the year, the chapter reclaimed 15 brothers, exceeding the Polemarch’s goal #1! Former Polemarch Sam Clonts and an advisory team volunteered for the task of re-starting the Theta Kappa Chapter, after it had been inactive for 5 years. Efforts were successful and 11 new members were initiated into the Theta Kappa Chapter. Goal #3 accomplished! Since its inception, our signature event had been “Wine and Whispers.” Chris Thomas and his team reimagined it as “Diamonds in the Sky,” an event among the rooftops of downtown Atlanta. The site was the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce building, overlooking Centennial Olympic Park. It was our best-attended event yet and everyone had a great time. Goal #4 accomplished!
The M.A.C.K. Picnic turned out to be more of a challenge than originally thought. Grand Polemarch, Thomas Battles, asked the M.A.C.K. to host a cookout for the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha, who were scheduled to have their Boulé in Atlanta in July, 2016. The M.A.C.K. chapters determined that it was impractical to have the annual picnic and host an AKA cookout. The decision was made to have the M.A.C.K. Picnic in July and invite interested AKAs to attend. The event was held at Grant Park and was one of the best planned and attended picnics the M.A.C.K. ever held! Goal #5 accomplished!
In 2015-16, Kappa League had a remarkable year! It began with the induction of 44 young men. After induction, the first session was called “The Po Po and Me,” which gave them pointers on interactions with the police. Approximately 20 young men went on a college tour, visiting the University of Georgia. The Inaugural Beautillion was a rousing success. Douglasville Mayor Rochelle Martin-Robinson was the speaker for the occasion. We had eight beaus and their escorts, dressed in their best formal attire. The beaus earned five scholarships, totaling more than $11,000. Goal #2 accomplished!
Fraternal Year 2015-16 was CDAC’s first year as a medium chapter. There was much conversation about the difficulty of winning medium chapter of the year in the Southeastern Province because there was much more competition than at the small chapter level. Undeterred, the chapter continued working and at the 2016 Province Council, was awarded the Southeastern Province’s J. Michael Graves Award as its Medium Chapter of the Year!! Goal #6 accomplished!!! As a bonus, former Southeastern Province Polemarch Lawrence Davis, Jr. became the first CDAC member voted to receive the Southeastern Province’s highest individual honor, the Joseph R. Jenkins Award!! To close out the year, Vice-Polemarch Waymon Bryant was elected as Polemarch for the 2016-17 Fraternal Year. He became the Chapter’s only Past-Polemarch to be re-elected to a non-consecutive term, having been the 3rd Polemarch and becoming the 6th Polemarch! Harold Lawson was elected Vice-Polemarch. The 2016-17 chapter awards winners were: Samuel R. Clonts Leadership Award – Waymon Bryant; Brother of the Year – Christopher Thomas, Sr.; Senior Brother of the Year – J. Frank Payne; and Committee Chairman of the Year – Raja Antone and Christopher Thomas, Sr. (tie).
The 2016-17 Fraternal Year started with a challenge: the new Polemarch challenged himself to have at least 50 brothers at the planning retreat to begin the year. While we fell 2 brothers short, the result was still a record number of brothers at the Retreat!! Goals outlined for the year included reclaiming 15 Brothers, increase balances in the chapter’s exchequer and the Foundation treasury; maintain strong ties with the Theta Kappa Chapter; maintain strong Guide Right and Kappa League programs; and be recognized as the Southeastern Province Medium Chapter of the Year. During the course of the fraternal year, CDAC reclaimed 21 Brothers and we voted to participate in MTA to initiate new members! In November 2016, new members Walter Banks, Franklin Dillard, Darrell Harris, Donald Pollard, and Shaheen Solomon were initiated. To demonstrate our commitment to the Theta Kappa Chapter, the Planning Retreat was held at the University of West Georgia. Further, the undergrads were invited to present at all alumni chapter meetings and the Supervisory Team oversaw the initiation of seven (7) additional members of the undergraduate chapter. The Guide Right/Kappa League Program was recognized as the medium chapter program of the year in the Southeastern Province and CDAC received the Website of the Year Award. We also met the financial goals that were set. At the 2017 Southeastern Province Council, the Carrollton-Douglasville Alumni Chapter received the medium chapter Reclamation Award and was recognized as the Southeastern Province Medium Chapter of the Year!!! To close out the year. Brothers Waymon Bryant and Harold Lawson re-elected as Polemarch and Vice-Polemarch for the 2017-2018 fraternal year.
The 2017-18 Planning Retreat was held at the West Georgia Technical College. Highlights for the year included a Christmas social, a golf tournament, observing the 50-year Kappaversary of Brother Frank Payne, the 2nd Biennial Beautillion, initiation of eight (8) new members. The new members were André Archer, Leonard Bohanon, Marion Clark, Paul Dawson, John Herring, Kelton Hill, George Mitchell, and Christopher Strozier. To facilitate their transition into the Bond, Brother Fred O’Neal was tasked with developing a new-member orientation called “Kappa Onboard,” designed to provide more in-depth instruction in fraternity and chapter customs and operations. At the 2018 Province Council, CDAC was selected to be Host Chapter for the 2019 Southeastern Province Council. In addition, CDAC was recognized as the 2017-18 Southeastern Province Medium Chapter of the Year, the sixth time that CDAC was recognized as Chapter of the Year. The last event for fraternal year 2017-18 was the formal dinner celebrating Brother J. Frank Payne’s fifty (50) years as a member of Kappa Alpha Psi. During the event we awarded 2-$1,000 scholarships and one $500 scholarship to deserving young men. We also used that event as an opportunity to present commemorative blazers to our four 50-year members: Fred Pinkston, George Hall, Fred Jones, and J. Frank Payne; and to present chapter awards, as voted on by chapter members. The Samuel R. Clonts Leadership Award was presented to Randall Sherrell; the Brother of the Year Award was presented to Randall Sherrell, the Senior Brother of the Year Award was presented to J. Frank Payne; and the Committee Chairman of the Year Award was presented to Randall Sherrell. At the end of the year, Brothers Harold Lawson (Miami Alumni, Fall ‘82) and Bobby Fryer were elected to lead the chapter as Polemarch and Vice-Polemarch for the 2018-19 Fraternal Year.
Fraternal year 2018-19 saw the chapter execute its usual program of activities, i.e. Back-to-School, Thanksgiving and Christmas giving, and Kappa League/Guide Right. However, the primary focus of the chapter was on its responsibility for hosting the 2019 Southeastern Province Council. The host committee was chaired by Charter Polemarch Sam Clonts. The committee did an outstanding job and, as a result CDAC was the first chapter to realize a profit from its hosting activities. Praise for the event’s organization and content was universal among attendees. The Silhouettes deserve special recognition for their outstanding efforts and programs geared toward Silhouettes and family members in attendance. Their program of activities created a model for other Silhouette chapters to follow. At the close of the year, Harold Lawson and Bobby Fryer were re-elected as Polemarch and Vice-Polemarch, respectively, for the 2019-20 Fraternal year; the Samuel R. Clonts Leadership Award was presented to George Miles; the Brother of the Year Award was presented to George Miles; the Committee Chairman of the Year Award was presented to George Miles; and the David B. Foxwell Neophyte of the Year Award was presented to Christopher Strozier.
Fraternal year 2019-20 started like any other, but little did we know that it would be anything but ordinary. The Chapter Retreat was held in Carrollton, GA. We had a Spades Tournament fundraiser, Kappa League Induction, and the traditional Senior Kappa Thanksgiving gathering. The chapter purchased customized canopy for use during chapter outings and secured storage space for the canopy and other chapter property. In November 2019, we partnered with Crossroads for Life Ministries and their Vision 21 Concepts Foundation to deliver Thanksgiving meals to families in need. CDAC donated the turkeys for the food baskets that were provided. In addition, we worked with a men’s shelter in Carrollton, providing a fully cooked meal for facility residents, prepared by Brother Shaheen Solomon and served by CDAC members. We also donated suits that residents might use for job interviews. We gave away toys at Christmas and moved into 2020 by observing Founders’ Day and attending the annual MACK Founders’ Day event. In February, we conducted a highway cleanup and in March we had representatives at the annual Kappa Day at the Georgia Capitol. Soon afterwards, we got word that, due to a Coronavirus called COVID-19, all chapters were to cease activities until further notice. Starting in April, we were allowed to have virtual chapter meetings, but Province Council and many other planned activities were cancelled. The Grand Chapter instructed that all chapter elections were to be put on hold. In the midst of all of the uncertainty, there was good news when we learned that the Senior Kappa Committee had received a grant in the amount of $850 from the IHQ Senior Kappa Endowment Fund. When we were allowed to hold elections, Harold Lawson and Bobby Fryer were re-elected as Polemarch and Vice-Polemarch for the 2020-21 fraternal year.
During fraternal year 2020-21, operations continued to be disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, as the chapter continued meeting virtually, using Zoom. Traditional activities such as back-to-school, Thanksgiving fellowships and giveaways, and Christmas activities were all cancelled. Unsuccessful efforts were made to hold online gaming tournaments. The chapter began working with St. James United Methodist Church to assist them in distributing food to families in need. Much of the chapter’s focus was on political activity, as there were some very critical elections in the State of Georgia. While remaining neutral, the chapter encouraged more voter participation. In January 2021, a written Memorandum of Understanding between the chapter and the Community Diamonds Foundation (CDF) went into effect. To facilitate early planning for scholarships, Guide Right/Kappa League, and Civic Action, CDF made $20,000 available for use by these three programs. The Senior Kappa Committee used the funds from the IHQ Senior Kappa Endowment Fund to assist a family in Carrollton get furniture for their new Habitat for Humanity Home. A highlight of the year was the Double Good Popcorn fundraiser. Thanks to the efforts of chapter members, the chapter sold over $34,000 worth of popcorn, which netted the chapter more than $17,000. This made it the biggest single fundraiser in chapter history. At the close of the year charter members Bobby X. Fryer and Fred O’Neal were elected as Polemarch and Vice-Polemarch, respectively. Jamal Jessie received the Samuel R. Clonts Leadership Award, the Brother of the Year Award, and the Committee Chairman of the Year Award. Michael Lewis received the Senior Brother of the Year Award. Also, during the awards ceremony Larry Ellis received his 50-Year Members white jacket.
The Carrollton/Douglasville Alumni Chapter continues to embody the charge issued by its first Polemarch: to be known as a working chapter. We don’t work to be recognized. We work because there is work to be done. So, it’s on to the next project and on to the next challenge. It’s all in PHI NU PI!!