Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to Carolina Cares at Scotty BlazeDell along with Hannah Tyler and a vivacious
guest today. You know what,there are some energy in the studio this
morning. You know, we hada chance to meet this individual. We
were doing the tools for school andshe was really a radiant highlight of our
experience. I don't think anybody madeit out of that Walmart with at least

(00:22):
giving her a few dollars in donations. She was on her a game.
That's right. This is desiree bestand she's with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority incorporated.
That's a mouthful. And this isthe Greensborough Okay, you can do
with Scottie, you can do well. Olumni chapter. Yeah, and you
taught me something about that. It'snot alumni or whatever, and tell me

(00:46):
the difference. So it's alumni becausewe are all women in our chapter.
So if you think about your collegewhere you have men and women, you
consider yourselves alumni. But because we'remade up of women, we are alum.
Knee, got it, She's honorit now. Okay, obviously we
know what you were doing there.What in general is the sorority all about?

(01:10):
Well, we are the Greensboro AlumniChapter and we make up one of
more than one thousand chapters under theDelta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated umbrella. We
are a public service organization and wedo great work right here in Guilford County
and in the greater Greensboro area.So we want to just leave our mark

(01:33):
on a community and make it betterthan when we found it. Now,
the chapter in Greensboro SID has beenaround for almost eighty years. Yes,
we had a fantastic celebration this pastFebruary at the Sheraton Hotel. It was
a big deal celebrating eighty years ofproviding service that engages and inspires in our
community, and we hope to bearound for eighty more years. I have

(01:56):
a feeling you will. And now, author you mentioned that your goal with
the chapter here in Greensboro is toembody what they stood for when it started.
What did they stand for and whatdo you guys stand for today.
We had twenty two incredible founders thatstarted this organization back in nineteen thirteen,
and we try to keep their visionalive. We try to embody their tenants

(02:20):
by doing great work in the community, by doing public service by supporting individuals
who are in need, by doinggreat work in the black community and in
the community as a whole. Sowe want to keep their vision alive.
We've been around one hundred and tenyears as Delta Sigma Theta, and we
want to keep that going and continueto do that work. And now we

(02:40):
are international. We have chapters inJapan and the United Kingdom, so we
are spreading that public service. Letme throw this out right near the beginning
and we'll double back on it lateron. Is there a way because I
can't join a sorority, but Ican support this mission and the way that
you're helping our community. How doessomeone do that? So you mentioned earlier,

(03:02):
Scotty that we all met at theWalmart last week for tools for school.
Whenever we are doing a community serviceproject, we'd love to invite the
public to come out and support us, either via donations or monetary contributions,
whatever the need is in that community. We invite the public to come out

(03:23):
and join us in that endeavor.And how do they find out about where
you're going to be? You canfollow us on social media. We have
a Facebook page, we have anX page. I'm trying to get you
to say, I really want tosay Twitter, but I guess that's wrong
now, right, I don't know. I don't know. I was going
to change the name of the nextweek. Probably. Well, we have

(03:43):
a Twitter, slash slash X pageyou want to call it, and Instagram,
so yeah, you can follow uson social media and we have a
website. Now let's talk about yourpersonal connection. How did you get involved
with Delta Sigma thetas well. Igraduated from Winston Salem State University right up
the road, right at forty andwhen I was on that campus, I

(04:06):
remember seeing this organization because I joinedon what we call the collegiate level.
So you have two ways to jointhrough a college or you can come in
through the alumni chapter, which iswhat Greensboro Alumni is. But I joined
on the campus of Winston Salem Stateprimarily because of the work that I saw

(04:27):
those young ladies doing on campus andhow they were trying to make that college
experience better for all students and betterfor the Winston Salem community. Now,
once you graduate from college, youcan transition into an alumni chapter. So
I left Winston Salem moved back toGreensboro, with my parents and I joined

(04:47):
the Greensboro Alumni chapter. And that'sjust a matter of my paying my dues,
you know, to Greensboro Alumni,and I became a member of Greensboro
Alumni and I've been a member eversince. Wow, And what kind of
good works to guys do throughout thecommunity. If someone's walking around the Greensboro
area, how have you helped impact? We have various programs, starting with
our young people. We have programsfor our fifth graders called Projects, which

(05:13):
is science and everyday experiences and that'snormally held on the campus of an elementary
school. We have committee co chairswho do that great work and they get
the kids to sign up and theydo various scientific projects and experiments and just
learn various things related to STEM.Then we have a Delta Academy program,

(05:33):
which is a program for middle schoolgirls where they learn, they learn skills
and activities where they can just betterthemselves as individuals. Then we have a
Delta Gems program growing and empowering myselfsuccessfully for our high school girls. And
of course they learned etiquette and Ilove that that's such a lost art these

(05:55):
days, it is, and wehave you know, how to set the
table. And I know it maysound arcade, but these are just little
things that even if you don't useit, if you're going out to Flemings
or Roots, Chris, that's howyour table is going to be set.
So little things like knowing which forkyou know to use when you go out
to a restaurant of that nature isvery, very helpful for our young people
because you, like you said,it's a lost art, So just things

(06:18):
they don't know. Technology getting theminvolved in all types of things because that's
the world they live in now.Technology. So we have all kinds of
programs, activities. We bring speakersin who can educate them about different things.
We bring college advisors in to talkto them about that aspect. Whatever
the need is, we try tofeel that. And we have a program

(06:41):
for our young men called Embody Wellthey can pretty much learn those same skills
that they need to transition onto thenext phase of their lives. And then
we don't just target the young people, we also target the adults the community
as a whole. We have aSocial Action Committee and Economic Development Committee.
What we have people come in totalk to individuals about wills and estate planning,

(07:04):
just all whatever the need is GrainsboroughAlumni is here to fill that need.
I know Hannah and I have discussedso often the fact that life skills,
like a lot of times, isthe missing element for people. They
know what they know, but beyondthat, where do you get that education?

(07:26):
And the schools aren't necessarily stepping inand taking care of it. Absolutely,
and our Physical and Mental Health committeehad a fall prevention workshop. Now
I have two elderly parents. Mydad is ninety two, my mom is
ninety one. I said, I'mgoing to this workshop so I can learn
some things too, because they areprone to falls. So sometimes things that
you don't really think about that youmight need more information about. We try

(07:51):
to target and provide that by havinga needs assessment. We have a Program
Planning and Development Committee that's chaired byReverend Vicky McCain and so she gets her
committee together and conducts and needs assessmentto say what we need to target in
the community, and then we tryto build our programs around that. By

(08:13):
the way, we're talking to DesireeBest Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, and
she's part of the Greensboro Alumni chapteractually start not just part of it,
she's the president, the queen ofit. Throw that out there. So
you're talking about all these programs youoffer in such niche things. Where did

(08:33):
these ideas spark? Like use theexample of estate planning in wills, which
so many people don't realize they needthat until it's too late. So it's
just all of y'all thrown ideas outthere and going, oh, that's great,
Like it's just fascinating how you coverall these little things. The women
in the Greensboro Alumni chapter are trulyphenomenal. They come from all backgrounds,

(08:54):
all careers, and so they gettogether as a committee and talk about what
the gaps are, what they seeperhaps in the workplace, what they see
in the communities where they live.And then they come together as a committee
and say, I think this wouldbe beneficial in our area. And so
they just planned the event. Anda lot of times we will partner with

(09:15):
another chapter. For example, theWheels and estate Planning. We partnered with
the Winston Salem Alumni chapter. Itwas a zoom webinar, which is great
because you could just bring in peoplefrom everywhere. So that was a partnership
that we did. And of coursein doing that you can reach more people.
Yeah, I love putting a spotlighton organizations that maybe working and not

(09:41):
being seen by our community. Andit sounds like there's a lot of that
going on that I was not awareof. That is really cool. And
you mentioned someone in the ministry helpingout. What was your background or your
profession professional experience. I am aretired educator right here in Guilford County.
I retired in two thousand thirteen.Well, I'll thank you for your service.

(10:03):
And you know, once an educator, always an educator. So I
am still working. I tutor atJackson Middle School. I've been there since
twenty sixteen and I enjoy that verymuch. And what other kind of professions
are represented by the members of yourorganization. We have former Superintendent sharonk and
Travers is a member of our chapter. We have the vice chair of the

(10:24):
Guildford County Board of Education, BettyJenkins, is a member of our chapter.
And remember I said they are fourhundred and thirty four hundred and fifty.
I can't name them all, butthe professions range, you know,
from education up to the District Attorney. Raby Crump is a member of our
chapter, and everything in between.We have principles. We have teachers,

(10:48):
lawyears, doctors, nurse les.I love we are a powerhouse chapter.
When you get those minds together comingup with these ideas, it must be
such an exciting vibe. It experienced. It is because we all have that
one goal. We are one GACone Greensboro Alumni, four to five in

(11:09):
unity, moving forward with fortitude sothat we can see the vision to provide
service that engages and inspires. Well, are you sure you're not the minister?
Because preach it and what I loveis you are women in power,
putting young women in power, andyou have a scholarship program and a big
pageant. Can you tell us aboutthat? Yes. On September sixteenth,

(11:33):
we are having our Miss Jabberwock InterestMeeting twenty twenty four for any female high
school senior in our service area,the Greater Greensboro in Guildford County, part
of Guilford County service area, becausethere is a chapter in high Point,
the high Point Alumni chapter, sowe'd like to stick within our service area,
but there will be an interest meetinghappening on September sixteenth. That information

(11:56):
has been shared with the counselors inGuildford County schools and it's also available on
the chapter's website www dot DSTGAC dotorg and young ladies and their parents can
come out and get more information aboutthe paget that will be held in April
of twenty twenty four. And it'sa beautiful event with the white ball gowns

(12:20):
and they have escores and there's afather daughter dance and it's just so amazing
and a big deal and we areproud of that program every single year.
And the young ladies can raise moneyfor their post secondary education opportunities. Wow.
And so you need to be there, you need to be yes.
And the scholarship is supported by well, the young ladies raise money, they

(12:46):
create a brochure that they give totheir friends and family members and these people
make donations and so the young ladywho raises the most money is crowned Miss
Jabbrawalk. And that's the name that'staken from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderlands
title. And this pageant happens,you know, all over Greensboro is not

(13:09):
the only Delta chapter sponsoring that isall over some chapters call it something else,
but it's primarily the same. Soit's not one winner, all these
yes, and we treat them assuch because they are so talented, and
you get to see them not onlytheir musical or vocal talents, but just
their academic expertise and how they engagewith each other and how they engage in

(13:35):
the community. You could already seethat work. Many of our Jabbrawa participants
as well as winners, have goneon and are now members of Delta Sigma
Theta, and some right here inthe Greensboro Alumni Chapter. You ladies are
amazing, amazing. The legacy justcontinues, and it's such a wonderful opportunity

(13:58):
and we are so proud that weare able to continue that vision that our
twenty two founders started. So it'sa big deal. Let's get that website
one more time. Double you,Double you, Double you. Dot DST
for Delta Stigma Theta g AC forGreensboro Alumni Chapter dot org o RG gotcha.

(14:20):
Wow. And she's a teacher too, you can just tell. I
could listen to her talk all day. I love it. And you brought
such energy and so did all thefolks that we met there. Is such
great representatives of your organization. That'swhat drew us to you, and that's
why we wanted to have you endtoday because I love to see that interaction
and there was it was it wasconfident, but it was approachable. There's

(14:43):
a you wanted to give her ahug the parking lot. You're like pink
or they excuse me, they werered heart shaped some class and you were
just like, I like this lady, She's cool. That's right. You
will notice when Desiree is in thebuilding, Desiree Best. It's Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority Incorporated. It's the GreensboroAlumni chapter of learned what alumni is today

(15:07):
on the show. It was worthwhile. Thanks so much for being here.
Thank you very much for having me, and I hope that I can come
back again soon, please do.And that is going to wrap it up
for this edition of Carolina Cares.