The word "sorority" generally conjures up images and memories of social activities and sisterhood under the banner of Greek letters on a college campus.
But for the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha, their commitment lasts well beyond graduation.
"The people who join Alpha Kappa Alpha recognize that it's a lifetime commitment and it's more than just what happens on a college campus," explains Melanie A. Hillard, president of the Beta Pi Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha. "It goes beyond that. It's about what you can give ... ."
Laura Martin, a member of Beta Pi Omega chapter, agrees.
"I think the thing about Alpha Kappa Alpha is that we provide services to all mankind."
The services they provide at the local level are funded to a large extent through their big annual fundraiser, the Ivy Ball, coming up this Saturday.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., was founded at Howard University in Washington in 1908. A Little Rock chapter, Beta Pi Omega, was chartered in 1937 and now has undergraduate chapters at Philander Smith College and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Commitment to the sorority continues long after those college years. In fact, many, including Ivy Foundation President Edna Ricks and Martin, don't join until after they've graduated.
"As an organization, we're comprised of quite a few women who are very accomplished women in their respective fields, who have made service a part of their lives," Hillard says.
They have several famous honorary members, including Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King and Eleanor Roosevelt, and membership is not limited to black women. It is, in fact, an international organization, with new charter groups in South Africa and Dubai.
Hillard explains that every four years, the organization as a whole elects a new president, who then creates a sororitywide program. The current program, Launching New Dimensions of Service, has five targets: education, health, family, environmentalism and global impact.
Under those imperatives they develop a variety of activities including health fairs, feeding the homeless, backpack collections, Model UN sessions, scholarships and Beta Pi Omega's signature college-prep program for high school students, ASCEND (Achievement, Self-Awareness, Communication, Engagement, Networking, Developmental Skills).
Hillard says, "Most programs that you find that are geared to high school students kind of pick the cream of the crop that don't necessarily need help. This program is geared toward the average C student, the ones that could have potential but need just a little bit extra."
They also supply scholarships to graduating high school students and to selected undergraduate members of the sorority.
The foundation hosts a jazz brunch and other fundraising activities, but the big annual bash is the Ivy Ball. This is the 21st year for the ball and, as Ivy Ball chairman Martin says, "We try to make the ball every year an extremely elegant event."
The ball started as a dinner-dance held between big events in the spring but it has since grown, more than doubling in size to more than 400 attendees and becoming an event highlight in its own right.
Every ball has a theme. One year it was a masquerade. Last year was the 20th anniversary, "A Platinum Affair," and had lots of silver. This year's theme is "Pink, Pearls and Lace: A Vintage Affair," and they hope the theme will give partygoers some inspiration.
The sorority colors are salmon pink and apple green, which always manage to work their way into the decorations, and Martin says "this year, our hope is that some of the attendees will feel free to dress in vintage wear if they so choose."
They're also giving their ASCEND students the chance to attend, "which could very well be some of the students' first time attending a formal event. So there is always teaching with every event that the Ivy Foundation and Beta Pi Omega sponsors."
They'll have a silent auction and music by Stagger Entertainment featuring William Staggers.
"The addition to the ball this year will be to bring an awareness to all the attendees of the five targets because you can see it ranges from health to environment to education. So, in having that information disseminated to the public, then they will know that the Ivy Foundation and the Beta Pi Omega chapter is a resource for them."
To that end, one of the centerpieces of this year's ball will be a short educational video.
"Ultimately I see it as an elegant affair that's offered to the community, allowing them to come, enjoy live entertainment, participate in the silent auction, but still have a purpose and that's to help us uplift the rest of our community through the many programs that we offer and by giving scholarships to deserving students."
The Ivy Ball: Pink, Pearls and Lace: A Vintage Affair is 7 p.m. Saturday at the Embassy Suites Grand Ballroom, 11301 Financial Centre Pkwy., Little Rock. Tickets are $50. Call (501) 837-7558 or visit betapiomega.com.
High Profile on 02/07/2016