Scouting honors presented
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Piedmont I and
Piedmont II Districts of the
Boy Scouts of America. Old
Hickory Council held their
Piedmont District Banquet
on Dec. 4 .
During the event, district
officers were installed for
2009. Several awards were
also presented. Among ttie
district officers for this year
are District Director
Michael Montgomery;
District Executive Jean
Dominique; District
Chairman Fred Patterson;
District Vice-Chairman
Tony Potter; District
Commissioner Keith
Huffstetler; and
Advancement Chairman Bill
Rabil Jr.
The award winners were:
District Award of Merit
Amy Essex ( Co
Commissioner of the Cub
Scout Roundtableh James
Brown, Catherine Stancil
(Co-Commissioner of the
Cub Scout Roundtable) and
Steve Tucker
Shouse Award (given to
a cub scout)
Noah Simmons
Cub Scouter of the Year
Myron Marion
District Cub Scouter of
the Year
Jane Shouse
Boy Scouter of the Year
Paige Russell
. District Boy Scouter of
the Year
David Helms
Venture Scouter of the
Year
Maurice Melton
District Venture
Scouter of the Year
JRobert Cunningham
District Commissioner
of the Year
Pat "O'Doherty
minjin
M^Mld
A cappella concert will benefit
the Ronald McDonald House
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Five collegiate a cappella choirs will per
form a benefit concert for the Ronald
McDonald House of Winston-Salem.
The Saturday, Feb. 7 event will be held at 7
p.m. at Reynolds Auditorium, which is adjacent
to R.J. Reynolds High School. 301 N
Hawthorne Road.
"A Cappella Jam for Hope" will feature
choirs from Appalachian State University
(Another Level). Wake Forest University
(Minor Variation), UNC-Greensboro
(Spartones). Furman University (The FUtones)
and UNC- Wilmington (High Seas). Two a cap
pella groups from Reynolds High (Vox Demoni
and Syncopate) will also perform.
Jeffrey Griffin, a radio personality and the
voice of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, will
emcee the event.
According to organizers, the groups are part
of a burgeoning a cappella movement that has
developed over the past 20 years A book about
this movement. "Pitch Perfect," was released by
Gotham Books last May.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the
door. Proceeds will benefit the Ronald
McDonald House, which is a "home away from
home" for families of children who are receiv
ing medical care at local hospitals.
Excitement building for Omega Mardi Gras
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The nation's tough economic
times have not dampened the
fundraising. spirit of the men of Psi
Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, Inc.. who are planning
another out-of-this-world New '
Orleans-style Mardi Gras experience
on Saturday. Feb. 14. in the
education
Building of the
Dixie Classic
Fa ir ground .
from 9 p.m. - 2
a.m.
The event,
which will fea
ture music pro
vided by . 102
Jain/'s own
D.J. Polo, is
designed to
Tammy Watson
raise scholar
ship dollars to help send male high
school graduates to college and
young boys to summer camp. Last
year, Psi Phi chapter awarded schol
arships to five students. This past
summer, nine boys and an Omega
counselor were sponsored to attend
summer camp at Camp Hanes.
"The dollars we raise are needed
now more than ever especially in
difficult economic times," said
Charlie Bethea. chair of Psi Phi\
Mardi Gras committee. "This pro
gram is another way for our fraterni
ty to do what it can to help children
and families in our community and
have fun at the same time."
Contestants Courtney Jackson (left), Nicole McCollum and Cynthia Russell.
Mardi Gras will feature an explo
sion of color with a costume extrav
aganza. where prizes will be award
ed for best male, best female, and
best gouple costumes. Outstanding
costumes could earn a portion of a
$1,000 prize. There will be a first,
second and third place winner in
each category,
The highlight of the evening will
be the crowning of the Mardi Gras
Queen, and the women who want the
honor that night are currently seek
ing community support to claim the
coveted crown and title of "Queen of
the Mardi Gras."
Each of four queen contestants
represents a - committee named for
the fraternity's four cardinal princi
ples Manhood (Nicole McCollum),
Scholarship (Cynthia Russell),
Perseverance (Tammy Watson) and
Uplift (Courtney Jackson). The
queens and their committees are
competing to determine which group
can raise the most money. The group
that does will have its contestant
named queen.
For ticket and additional infor
mation, call Bethea at 336-896-8638
or email him at omegamardi
gras@bellsouth.net .
Angelou will
kickoff BHM
events at Bennett
SPECIAL TO THE CHROKICLE
Dr. Maya Angelou. who is hailed
as one of the great voices of contem
porary literature, will kick off Black
History Month at Bennett College for
Women on Monday.
Angelou
Feb. 2 at 11 a.m. in D
the Annie Merner '
Pfeiffer Chapel. The
event is free and open
to the ^public.
As a poet, educa
tor, historian, best
selling author;
actress, playwright,
civil-richts activist.
producer and director. Dr Angelou
continues to travel the world, spread
ing her legendary wisdom. Angelou
is the Reynolds Professor of
American Studies at Wake Forest
University. Her best-sellers include,
"I Knovy Why the Caged Bird Sings"
and her latest book, "Letter to my
Daughter."
Bennett President Julianne
Malveaux says that she is over
whelmed at being able to open Black
History Month with Dr. Angelou.
"Dr. Angelou, my friend, mentor
and member of the Bennett College
Board of Trustees, is a living inspira
tion. Her Wisdom and words should
inspire all of us to bring our 'highest
and best' to every situation. Our stu
dents and the Greensboro community
will benefit from the time shared with
her."
? >
' Photo by l.ay la Farmer
4 large crowd listens to author Tyson speak.
Green Street
from page A4
unfold. Tyson later returned to
Oxford to revisit the case through the
eyes of those who had witnessed its
destructive manifestation, even the
accused. A movie based on "Blood
Done Sign My Name." published in
2004, is slated for release later this
year.
"I felt like if I could understand
what happened in Oxford, then I
could understand much more than
that," Tyson said of his motivation to
pen the book, which includes pieces
of his own familial history. "I want
ed to know what had happened. I
was thirsty and hungry to understand
it."
For the better part of an hour,
Tyson fielded questions about the
book critics have hailed as "a primer
for understanding the currents and
undercurrents of the Civil Rights
Movement."
Audience members peppered him
with inquiries on everything from his
thoughts during certain moments in
his journey, to the reactions of his
parents and other residents of Oxford
to "Blood Done Sign My Name."
"People will not forgive you for
speaking ill of their grandparents ...
some people are just going to be
mad, but a lot of them are not."
Tyson said of the reaction in his
hometown. "(The book) has broken
a poisonous silence and conversation
has been good. I've been very
impressed and pleased, astounded
and a little shocked (by the outpour
ing of support)."
Many members of the audience
also thanked Tyson for being coura
geous enough to write the book.
"It was an awesome read." com
mented one man who said he ternem
bered the racial tensions of the era
well. "You really opened up a lot of
Band-Aids with that book."
Despite providing the catalyst
that has sparked candid racial discus
sions across the nation. Tyson said
talking about race doesn't get any
easier. His advice to those who dare
to brave the uncertainty of such a
dialogue? "Lean into it. There's no
way to have a comfortable conversa
tion about race in a mixed race set
ting in 2009," he said. "Most of us
long for something soothing and
magically redemptive. I think it's
best not to look for that."
Tyson's session was followed by
a book signing and a concert featur
ing singer Mary Williams and mem
bers of her family. Tyson referred to
the gifted singers as "the heavenly
voices."
Williams belted out resounding
renditions of spirituals in a manner
that made her microphone seem like
a mere accessory, pausing between
ringing performances to offer her
own commentary on the songs.
Green Street's own Sabbath
Indigo, opened the concert.
For more information about the
IDR. email willard.bass?gmail.com
or call Green Street, at (336) 722
H37 9.
Applications
sought
for Yquth
Legisthtive
Assembly
SPECIAL TO THIi C HRONICLE
The Youth Advocacy and
Involvement Office of the
N.C. Department of
Administration will accept
applications through Feb. 12
for the 39th annual Youth
Legislative Assembly
(YLA), t<t be held March 13
15 in Raleigh.
YLA is an opportunity
'or North Carolina high
school students to write,
debate and vote on bills and
share their views with legis
lators and other state gov
ernment officials. General
Sessions will be held at the
Legislative Office Building.
Room 643, with other activ
ities at the Sheraton Raleigh
Hotel.
Following procedures
used by members of the
N.C. General Assembly, par
ticipants will work in one of
10 committees before gath
ering for general sessions.
Among the items to be con
sidered are bills to: legalize
the institution of civil
unions; require every North
Carolina public school sys
tem to offer a foreign lan
guage program in primary
schools; require a minimum
refundable deposit on recy
clable, individually-sealed
beverage containers; reform
the gun show loophole; and
institute a syringe exchange
program. A YLA final report
will be sent to the Governor
members of the General
Assembly and other key
state leaders.
Presiding over this year's
YLA will be tri-speakers
Seth Morris, a senior at
Salisbury High School in
Salisbury; David Freifeld. a
senior at Enloe High School
in Raleigh; and Elgin Giles,
a junior at West Johnson
High School in Benson.
The per-student fee of
$125 (four students in one
room) or $165 (two students
in one room) covers hotel
accommodations for two
nights, five meals, a T-shirt
and conference materials.
Fees must be included with
the application and will
increase after Feb. 12.
Written notice of acceptance
or denial of registration will
be provided by March 2.
To download registration
forms, visit the Youth
Advocacy and Involvement
Office web site at
http://www.doa .state .nc.us/v
aio/ylaconf.htm . For more
information, contact YLA
Coordinator Cynthia Giles
at , VI 9-789-5880 or
Cynthia.Giles@doa.nc.gov.