2015 12th District Meeting - Founder's Banquet Speech - Presented by Bro. Reginald Hairston (3-BDD-87) - May 30, 2015
Bro. David Forbes, District Marshal (2-BDD-96)
Leading with Courage Integrity and Purpose
Good evening.
It is truly good and pleasant to stand before the massive 12th
District. [Protocol greetings].
Today, we stand on the edge of Omega’s unfolding
story. Yesterday’s testament has already been recorded,
today the purple pen of Omega is completing a new page at this very moment and tomorrow’s
page is blank. TOMMOROW’S PAGE IS BLANK. As we move forward as an organization, and as
a district, we must chart a strategic vision for writing tomorrow’s story. In other words my brothers, we must clearly
understand our purpose going forward? Ensure
the purpose we envision is relevant, and then create a roadmap to the future.
By show of hands, who is under the age of 30? On November 17th, 1911 Brother
Love was 20 years old and Brothers Coleman and Cooper were 21. Look at what they accomplished! Brothers, to remain relevant, we must capitalize
on the talents of our young brothers. We
will learn to see the world through young eyes or watch it slowly become
unrecognizable to our old ones. Young
brothers, it is your obligation to be heard and to help lead us into tomorrow.
With the exception of a handful of Omega men, none of
us can really appreciate the obstacles to success that existed at the beginning
of the 20th century. What we
do know in retrospect is now quite obvious.
Even though our founders faced significant challenges, they were able to
plant a seed that has grown into a mighty forest. They had a strategic plan, and Omega thrived
because their vision was relevant to the times.
When black America needed men of courage who could show the world that
we as a people were capable of greatness, Omega Men led the way. When we as a people were down, Omega men said
“get on your feet,” when some wanted to quit, Omega men said, “Even hope may
seem but futile when with troubles you’re beset.” When the country we loved beat us until our
heads were bloodied, Omega men showed us how to remain unbowed. When people of color were looking for a way
to get over, Omega men built bridges. We
stand on the foundation of perseverance and proudly pay homage to an Army
Colonel who rode his horse from Wilberforce, Ohio to Washington D.C. to show
himself still fit for duty. We speak
with pride of those who preceded us because we have much to be proud of. In fact, the only organization in the world
that holds its past traditions and accomplishments in such high regard, to the
same degree we do, is the United States Marine Corps. Now, I know I’m bias, so before my Army, Navy
and Air Force brothers try to take me to the grass, I humbly beg your
forgiveness.
Ours is a legacy steeped in a tradition of service to humanity. It is unfortunate that we have not shaped the
narrative of our great organization in a fashion that makes politicians,
teachers, judges, clergy and others actively seek out the services of Omega. Too often we hear about the young knucklehead
who made a mistake and in doing so tarnished the name of Omega. Now, my hypocrisy only goes so far, so for
the sake of integrity, I must admit that I was once a young knucklehead. I have just been blessed to live long enough
to see Omega the way I believe the founders envisioned it. A community of friends focused on bringing hope
to others through our unselfish acts of service. Now, most of us don’t see ourselves as young
knuckleheads anymore, or should I just drop the adjective “young?” In any case, we believe in the cause of Omega
or we wouldn’t be here, but it’s time for all the chatter to stop. It’s time to create a strategic roadmap to
the future. It’s time to develop a
strategic communications plan that capitalizes on the age of social media. We need to get in front of CNN and the news
agencies. We need to make our story
known. When we do so, when the world
knows our true nature, they will seek us out.
When young boys see our example, they will aspire to grow up to be just
like you and you, and they will one day stand on the edge of Omega’s history as
we are standing here today. Somebody may
be saying that it is not our nature to serve with the purpose of being
seen. I absolutely agree, but we are
seen! It is now almost impossible not to
be seen, so lets shine the spotlight on what makes us special -- Our love for true
brotherhood and service. We need to
control the narrative! I guarantee you
that when this weekend concludes, you will be able to go to YouTube and find
every public act committed by a brother this weekend. Let’s make sure the social media audience takes
away more than “The Ques love stepping.
The Ques are fanatics when it comes to the song “Atomic Dog! The Ques can party harder than any other Greek
organization.” Why not place a counter
message out there. One that shows how
many service projects the 12th District completes; how much money is
raised for scholarships, how our efforts to mentor young men is paying
dividends. The lists go on and on, so
why not show that we are relevant for the world today and tomorrow. Why not!
A true son of Omega should only be able to form one answer: We are relevant today and will work to ensure
we are relevant tomorrow. It is time to
stand up and charge the future as men focused on improving our lot and the lot
of our nation through educated minds.
Determined to persevere regardless of the costs and committed to uplifting
mankind. I issue the following challenge
to every chapter, graduate and undergraduate:
invite a member of the media to cover at least one event your chapter
sponsors. Collect the positive
narratives and pass them to the District leadership. For the District leadership, I challenge you
to invite the media to spotlight the good works occurring here in the
collective 12th District. Pass
the story to the grand leadership and challenge them to push for national
coverage. Endstate: I want the entire country to hear our story
and say, “I didn’t know…” Brothers, it
is okay for us to tell the good news of Omega. This is our duty and the purpose for which our
God has led us to Omega. If we use the
fraternity as a means for serving and loving mankind, we uphold the second
greatest commandment. Love your neighbor
as yourself.
The question I have for each of you is simple: What will this generation’s legacy be?
