1 South Carolina General Assembly 2 120th Session, 2013-2014 3 4 S. 668 5 6 STATUS INFORMATION 7 8 Senate Resolution 9 Sponsors: Senators McGill and Cleary 10 Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\29723sd13.docx 11 Companion/Similar bill(s): 4056, 4991 12 13 Introduced in the Senate on April 30, 2013 14 Adopted by the Senate on April 30, 2013 15 16 Summary: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority 17 18 19 HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 20 21 Date Body Action Description with journal page number 22 4/30/2013 Senate Introduced and adopted ( Senate Journalpage 5) 23 24 25 VERSIONS OF THIS BILL 26 27 4/30/2013 28 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A SENATE RESOLUTION 10 11 TO COMMEND AND PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE DELTA 12 SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INC., FOR MEANINGFUL 13 CONTRIBUTIONS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES 14 WORLDWIDE, TO HONOR THE GEORGETOWN ALUMNAE 15 CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA FOR ALMOST FIFTY 16 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AND 17 PUBLIC OUTREACH ACTIVITIES, AND TO 18 CONGRATULATE THE MEMBERS UPON THE NATIONAL 19 ORGANIZATION’S ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY. 20 21 Whereas, on January 13, 1913, twentytwo collegiate women at 22 Howard University founded Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., and for the 23 last century, the sorority has combined the collective strength of its 24 members to promote academic excellence and provide assistance 25 to persons in need. Shortly, thereafter, the Delta Sigma Theta 26 founders in March of 1913 participated in the Women’s Suffrage 27 March in Washington, D. C.; and 28 29 Whereas, incorporated in 1930, Delta Sigma Theta now has more 30 than two hundred thousand predominately black collegeeducated 31 women in the sorority’s membership and over nine hundred 32 chapters located in the United States, England, Japan, Germany, 33 and in other parts of the world, that provide assistance and support 34 through established programs in local communities throughout the 35 world; and 36 37 Whereas, having distinguished itself as a public service 38 organization, Delta Sigma Theta boldly confronts the challenges of 39 African Americans, and thereby all Americans, through a wide 40 range of programs that address education, health, and international 41 development and that strengthen the AfricanAmerican family; and 42

[668] 2 1 Whereas, Delta Sigma Theta’s FivePoint Program Thrust 2 emphasizes economic development, educational development, 3 international awareness and involvement, physical and mental 4 health, and political awareness and involvement in the sorority’s 5 numerous public service initiatives; and 6 7 Whereas, purposing to make a difference in the lives of other 8 women and in their respective communities, twelve women met in 9 Georgetown in 1968 under the guidance of Mrs. Thelma Gilliard 10 to discuss their desire to start a chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. 11 Their desire was fulfilled when the Georgetown Alumnae Chapter 12 was incorporated in 1969 under the able direction of the South 13 Atlantic Regional Director Barbara Jenkins Williams; and 14 15 Whereas, a group of young Voorhees College graduates contacted 16 the chapter’s president, Mary Ella W. Greene, after a short period 17 during which the chapter had been inactive, with aspirations of 18 reactivating the Georgetown Chapter; and 19 20 Whereas, in 1980, the chapter resumed its mission with Nancy 21 Hudson serving as president, and now in its fortyfourth year, the 22 sorority has provided public service to the community through 23 numerous programs and local partnerships under the direction of 24 five more successive presidents: Mary Davis, Lillie Johnson, Alma 25 White, Ethel Blake Bellamy, and Eunice Brown; and 26 27 Whereas, the members of South Carolina Senate are grateful for 28 the significant work of the eightynine members of Georgetown 29 Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta in the Georgetown 30 community and wish them continued success as they celebrate the 31 sorority’s centennial anniversary on May 4, 2013. Now, therefore, 32 33 Be it resolved by the Senate: 34 35 That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, 36 commend and publicly recognize Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., 37 for meaningful contributions to local communities worldwide, 38 honor the Georgetown Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta for 39 almost fifty years of outstanding community service and public 40 outreach activities, and congratulate the members upon the 41 national organization’s one hundredth anniversary. 42

[668] 3 1 Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to 2 the Georgetown Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. 3 XX 4

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