E got e brother e e e e yeah I just WEA be gesture we got everybody SED away I’m fine way wow I’m El brother there’s some stairs over here okay okay brother okay Brothers I know that you’re interested we will be starting on time give us a couple of seconds to get
Everyone situated those who are in the back pull yourselves up I don’t want you to have any interesting weather conditions back there we we will be starting very shortly oind you everybody who has a spech already been written got all right greetings and farewell I mean greetings and welcome to the farewell to
145 County Street Northwest Washington D.C 200011 and welcome to all of our brothers and guests who are here thank you for coming and for those who are watching this uh virtually and on live stream we we want you to continue to support 58 sigment through our Facebook
Live and this is just another of the Small Things We want to do to show you the benefits of being a fine dues paying member of 58 Fraternity Incorporated my name is Daryl Anderson I am the sixth and eth international executive director of 58 sigment Fraternity Incorporated
And it’s my pleasure to greet you on behalf of the leadership the international president brother Chris e Ray and the general Board of 58 Sigma fraternity Incorporated all of our leaders all of the ihq team the staff members the personnel whether they’re they’re still here now those who have always been family with
Us who’ve always been known as a member of the F uh headquarters team I’m confident that you will enjoy yourself as We Gather to do what only Sigma can do I hope you enjoyed this afternoon’s program and we’re here with the sole purpose of paying uh a memorable moment for our historic
Homesite we’ve been in this building 50 years 50 years and you all need to shout hallelujah about that you didn’t shout loud enough we’ve been here 50 years at this point we’ll continue to go but as always uh with men the S we’ll start with a word that’s going to be
Directed to the Lord so take your heads off all right blessed father we thank you today Lord we thank you in the name of Jesus for another opportunity to come before you as humble servants Lord we humble ourselves before you because all that you’ve given us Lord you gave us
Because you wanted us to have it Lord none of the things that we do are created by us none of the things that happen are ordained by us you order our steps and with each and every step that we take we can’t do anything but say hallelujah thank you Jesus bless each
And every man his guests all of the support factions that have allowed this organization to be in existence for 110 years bless this building Lord that you’ve allowed us to be in for 50 years you’re the Alpha and Omega and this building has come from its beginning and
Now it’s time for the end we thank you for every person who’s walked into this building and every memory that they’re going to leave us with this building and yes Lord we know things were getting a little interesting toward the end but you kept it going long enough for us to
Come and say goodbye so I thank each and every man who has a part of this I bless those who will be coming up to this microphone to tell you their story and how it has impacted 145 Kennedy Street and how we’ve been a Cornerstone of this
Neighborhood for so very long thank you brother president Crystal for having the idea thank you brother Chris Ray for taking it to the finish line but every step that you take we know that Jesus Will with you we’re going to continue to pray for everyone who’s here today as we
Move forth into our new headquarters 1025 Connecticut Street Northwest until we can come back to 145 Ken street because that certainly is a goal thank you bless you and we praise you Jesus this what I to do Lord in your son’s name Lord amen amen greetings everyone I’m brother arnes
Geor sound II Collegiate member at large for 5 b sigment Fraternity Incorporated and as Brother Anderson said we’re very fortunate to have brothers here today from all corners of the nation and I’m honored to recognize some of our distinguished members joining us today are members of the general the international
Board honorable brother Carter D wac 27th and 29th International president honorable brother William E Stanley Jr 28th International president honorable brother Peter M Adams 30th International president honorable brother Arthur M Thomas 31st International president honorable brother Jimmy hamic 33rd International president honorable brother Michael E Crystal 35th and immediate past International president
Honorable brother I mean members of the distinguished service chapter and esteem members of the elain Leroy lock honors chapter life members and local visiting members and attendance thank you and please enjoy today’s program it is now my honor to present to you the international president honorable brother Chris vray JD who will present
The occasion for [Applause] today do we keep it up there don’t touch it speaking to it good afternoon good afternoon why are we here during the period between 1973 and 1976 58 Sigma fraternity was growing by Leaps and Bounds the Brotherhood was expanding on historically at colleges and universities but also at on
Pwis hold on it was an important time for our diversity inclusion in all aspects of Collegiate life this was during the early post Civil Rights era on July 4th 1976 the United States of America celebrated its Bicentennial anniversary it marked the 200th year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence it
Also represented the 50th anniversary of cter G Woodson’s founding of the Negro history week where the nation acknowledged the historical contributions of African-Americans by declaring the month of February African-American Heritage Month commonly referred to as Black History Month and after the fraternity’s three decade search three decade search for national headquarters on
October 22nd 1976 honorable John E Westbury the 23rd International president with the support of the various General board members signed the contract for the purchase of 145 Kennedy Street Northwest Washington DC this building became the permanent home of f Beta Sigma fraternity Incorporated it was heral as a building
Which which every member can be proud so on today we’re here to pay tribute to this edifice that serves as the home of 15 administrations the workplace of seven executive directors and staffs and a treasure Trove of countless memories for the thousands of Brothers of f Beta
Sigma we’re also blessed to have with us three sigma men who served among the original search committee as memb in 1976 it was their personal experience to see the doors of 145 Kennedy Street open for the first time and be amongst the first Brothers to step foot into these
Walls Brothers I ask you to receive them now as they share their personal Reflections on the building that ultimately became known as the White House on Kennedy Street please welcome honorable brother William Riley honorable brother Sammy Ford and brother Stephen McDaniel well brother Riley is not here Riley didn’t come
Good afternoon I didn’t know I was going to be able to speak to this body today but uh and I always kind of those of you who know me know that I never really have very much to say uh but I can tell you that when we uh uh took on the task
Of trying to find an international headquarters it was more than a notion uh because we were growing by Leaps and Bounds and we were looking for a permanent home because those of you who don’t know we were uh actually working out of brother billo’s home in Brooklyn
New York for those of you who were around during that time it was a very challenging time in that we only had one full-time employee here and one part-time employee uh our our director was part-time Elaine door his wife was a full-time employee so the idea of getting a permanent facility where that
We could move in and actually have a place to store our our things our wear and what have you was a very big deal we took it very seriously uh in trying to find a home uh Washington DC was not the first choice of many people on the
Committee but as you very well know in Sigma whoever speaks the longest and the loudest typically gets their way things were the same back then uh that thus this is why we had we were in this building because uh it was determined that we had to be in
Washington DC because this is where we were founded uh and thus we got this building here there were other opportunities for us across the country but people just weren’t that bold and and adventurous at that time to do those types of things so this has been the
Home for us for quite a while it’s been through many Renovations uh many of us liked it many of us didn’t but the the thing was is that we did have an opportunity to have something permanent with our name on the front door so so that’s uh that’s what little I have to
Offer in reference to this it wasn’t it wasn’t taken lightly it was a very important uh step that we made because you know we didn’t have the kind of money then that we have today and we still don’t probably have enough but uh we had even less than that
Because during that time we were only hoping that one day we could have a million dollars in the bank so we’ve come a mighty long ways but I think we have a mighty long ways to go and I’m very proud of the fact that I am a sigma
And I have been as of April 17th of this year it will be 54 years for me [Applause] so Steve good afternoon Brothers I want want to take this opportunity to say thank you to The Honorable president Ray and the members of the general board for acknowledging the significance of this
Occasion I was asked to say something about what it was like being a Collegiate member on this committee my relationship with the committee began when I was elected National second vice president in 1972 joining the administration of our 20th National president The Honorable brother Dr Paul call it El Moore brother
Moore’s first communication with me following the 1972 conclave was a letter appointed me to the original original committee for the national headquarters search I believe that I am the only surviving member of the original original committee which was called the National Shrine planning construction and sight committee so I can tell you a
Little something about how we got here this building housed this building housed the storefront real estate office of the co-chair of that committee brother no Moore who was helping the committee find properties in Metro DC I remember one particular day the committee looked at properties all afternoon and returned to this building
Uh unsatisfied with the properties that we saw however we noticed a for sale sign on this building and so the committee asked brother no mo Moore to put together the due diligence to be able to make an offer to the sellers of this building and that is how we found 145 Kennedy
Street this day it has s additional significance for me because in 1976 when five Beta Sigma hired me as the first national deputy executive director I began I became the first full-time executive staff member to work in this building under the supervision of the legendary national executive director The Honorable brother Willam e
Door JR this building is named for brother Willam door Jr brother door and I along with one staff member and many volunteers both Collegiate and Alum Brothers organized the office space and the storage spaces in this building Brother D and I managed the fraternity’s day-to-day operations some of our younger brothers
Will not know that this building did not look like this in 1976 nor that all of the systems work in 1976 when we found the building when we found the building it was not perfect but looking through the lens of the Visionary Committee Member The Honorable brother Charles B
Wright who would go on to become the 23rd National president of f Beta Sigma fraternity we knew the building had the bones to be what F Beta Sigma needed I recall my duties as the national Deputy executive director including going up on the roof to restart the AC Chiller until
We began till we replaced it I remember going into the basement that show show the furnace repair man uh where the furnace was this building has gone through a facelift inside and out since 1976 but I am excited to welcome the next chapter of 145 Kennedy Street and
Again I Thank The Honorable Brother Ray and the members of the general board for allowing me to participate in this historic day thank you thank you Brothers for sharing those amazing times honored and experiences and now it gives me even more pleasure to introduce our senior past president
The Honorable brother Carter D wac the 27th and 29th International president with special remarks y’all can do better than that I know it’s raining we are Sigma men I want to take an opportunity as I start my remarks is for us to recognize the treasurer ameritus brother Charles W Moore who is
With us Brother Moore just just just stand up and wave Brother Moore come on now this is Brother Moore Brother Moore celebrated 100 years in November so Brother Moore we know of your dedication and your commitment to F bet Sigma over the years as our international national local Treasurer
But Brother Moore we love you we appreciate you for all that you have done and continue to do to represent F bet Sigma Brother Moore and and he wrote the check so for those you may take a seat for those brothers who don’t know when John E Westbury the 21st International
President of the fraternity signed this building and we bought it it was a funeral home it was a funeral home ghost are still walking around as I told some brothers they see us coming in and they said oh y’all gonna tear us down but we just GNA move
Around and when the new building come up we coming home to the new apartments okay so know what the commitment was from those Brothers on that committee and just imagine Abram Langston Taylor Charles I brown and lyard Francis moris moris as they visualized a fraternity in 193 that came through isan in
1914 can you imagine im a 15-year-old Aon Taylor visualizing a fraternity and going to college at 15 so I can say that he visualized us having our own headquarters Steve used the word edifus what it was steeve so the idea is that F Beta Sigma bought a headquarters on the backs of
Those brothers who came into this organization with the vision of greatness I told some collegians at the Ohio State University recently who are going through the intake process I said the fraternity you see now was not the fraternity that it was I said imagine those Brothers back then in the 1914s
And Beyond and in between who were driving from City to City to go to a Regional Conference or when we create States and go to a conclave they could not stay in hotels black people could not stay in hotels these brothers drove in the midnight they stayed in other
Brothers homes they stayed in the homes of Alphas kaas cues they had their Regional conferences in churches and brothers slept in their cars at night so we cannot take F bet Sigma for granted cuz all those men from 1913 and in between gave their life
Their blood for f Sigma so we are here today in celebration of all those brothers who put this fraternity where we are now when we start launching campaigns to raise money for the headquarters and we said that everybody was going to have to pay some money guess who they jumped on
Me cuz we said everybody’s going to pay $100 the first year we launched that brother membership went down they Brothers jumped at me and said brother W membership going down cuz you charged $100 said well too bad it will come back we are now at 17,44 Brothers at the end of
2023 so fa8 sment continues to grow and brother president under your leadership and under the leadership of brother Crystal the vision of this building not just being a headquarters but being a place where we can help people who need help with housing with other support mechanisms we are growing and brothers
And all of you are here and those of you who have more than 50 years in fraternity to raise your hand if you have more than 50 years in the fraternity raise your hand more than SE are those with 75 years raise your hand 40 years in anybody got 40 years
For between 4 40 years 35 30 25 20 15 in between 10 between 1 and Seven Brothers you know I I I want to thank the president for this opportunity but uh someone said that bill door opened his home to run this building to run our fraternity it was in his garage
And throughout his house that he and Mrs door really dedicated their lives for this organization and Mrs door is still living so we are we are blessed to be here and we had men that came before us and those that will come after us that will continue to move F bet Sigma to
Greatness culture for service and service for Humanity may God continue to bless you thank you brother wack for those stirring words as always all right Brothers before we uh leave this place I want to say to each and every one of you who Brave the elements to
Come out today to say uh farewell to 145 Kennedy Street first of all thank you thank you for this historic moment once again in our fraternity’s history there’s a lot of hard work that has gone into this moment and where we are going as a fraternity uh brother Stephen McDaniel
Talked about how hard the committee worked and I can assure this fraternity that the community that we have today is working even harder because we understand the intricacies of the next chapter of where we’re going 5B the Sigma fraternity this will not be the only affordable housing complex that we
Have in America we will have more and we will have more because we are the men of Sigma and we will start this off the right way and we will replicate it from City to city and the world will know and see the work that we are capable of we
Are more than just an organization of brothers that cook out we are more than an organization of Brothers who step we are men who understand that we have an obligation and a responsibility to make sure that we expand our brand around the world in doing things that are bigger
And better than the others because we are the men of Sigma so Brothers I ask you to please if you have not have an opportunity to go into the building to please go one more time touch the walls take a picture and and and and relish this moment don’t touch the walls don’t
Touch the walls don’t touch the walls well just take a picture don’t touch the walls it might fall in now we Ain ready for that take a picture take a picture take a picture of this moment and then come on out on the back end and I look
Forward to welcoming each and every one of you when we cut the ribbon on the new international headquarters here at 145 Kennedy Street very very soon God bless you all and may God continue to bless F Beta Sigma fraternity Incorporated Take Brothers before we go I think it’s appropriate one more time if we could sing the fraternity’s hymn on these grounds one more time if we could just just stand where you are but if we can sing the fraternity hymn one more time on these grounds let our Founders let
Our ancestors hear us and hear us loud and clear left Oners of Our on HS power On our dear Lord we thank you for this day we thank you for this fraternity we ask that as we move into this next chapter that you will move with us Bless the people that we continue to work with continue to bless this fraternity in God name we pray amen along the L
Our there first what boy come here okay did
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