President’s Welcome
I am honored and enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve you in the role of chapter president. I am committed to upholding the esteemed legacy of leadership set by my predecessors. I extend my sincere gratitude to the members of the Mu Beta Lambda Chapter for placing their special trust and confidence in me to lead us in the upcoming year.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., is the first African American intercollegiate Greek organization in the U.S. Our members, past and present, have excelled in academia, politics, social activism, sports, and entertainment. Notable figures include Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., W.E.B. DuBois, Thurgood Marshall, Jesse Owens, Lionel Richie, Stewart Scott, and Dr. Cornel West, reflecting our commitment to leadership across diverse fields.
Since our establishment on July 7, 1975, the Mu Beta Lambda Chapter has been a beacon of excellence in the Great Pacific. Despite our modest size, our impact on the community is substantial. Over the years, Hawaii has been home to distinguished Alpha brothers, contributing to our chapter's affiliation with notable military, civic leaders, and esteemed personalities like Dr. Ernest J. Harris, a renowned entomologist and pioneer in eradicating crop-destroying fruit flies. Many of our chapter brothers have served, or currently serve, on state and national organizations and commissions, upholding the esteemed name of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
My vision for Mu Beta Lambda, encapsulated in 'Empower our Future Through Strategic Planning for Greater Community Impact,' signifies a commitment to strategically plan and organize efforts for a significant, positive impact. This forward-looking approach emphasizes empowerment and the pursuit of enduring, meaningful change through thoughtful initiatives, detailed below.
(1) Strategic Planning – Deliberately chart the course for the upcoming two years, affording the chapter and its subsequent administrations the opportunity to formulate a comprehensive plan while executing the final year of the preceding administration's strategy. This approach ensures that the chapter avoids hastily organizing events without adequate resources.
(2) Financial Sustainability – Entrust the fiscal health of the chapter with ample funds and strategic plans to facilitate seamless operations throughout the upcoming fiscal year. The goal is to accomplish this without overcommitting the chapter, ensuring a balanced and sustainable approach to our financial endeavors.
(3) Cultivate Leadership Skills – Elevating our capacity to lead is pivotal to our ongoing progress and advancement. To this end, we will construct a structured framework aimed at instituting leadership workshops, spearheaded by members both within and outside the chapter.
(4) Membership Reclamation – We are dedicated to reclaiming a minimum of seven inactive brothers on the islands, emphasizing our commitment to strengthening and reconnecting with our members.
(5) Strategic Chapter Growth – While our aim is to expand the chapter, effective accomplishment of this goal hinges on ensuring that all members are well-versed in the prerequisites our chapter must fulfill before initiating the induction process for new members. We must emphasize a commitment to quality over quantity through a process of Alpha excellence.
(6) Promoting Civic Participation - Leveraging Civic Engagement, the Alpha men in Hawaii will actively engage with our community, underscoring the significance of voting and its profound impact on issues within our local, state, and national spheres.
(7) Revitalizing Charitable Initiatives – We commit to reinstating our charitable outreach program, conducting a monthly feeding program for the homeless at the Institute for Human Services (IHS). Following this, a comprehensive evaluation will be undertaken to pinpoint areas where we can channel our efforts more strategically, maximizing our impact within the broader community.
(8) Alpha Foundation Revitalization – We are dedicated to reinstating the foundation's 501(c)(3) status and formulating a strategic plan to actively support its initiatives. This comprehensive plan will also incorporate efforts to secure backing from corporate sponsors, enhancing the foundation's capacity to make a meaningful impact.
We take immense pride in our strategic partnerships with local and national organizations operating in the islands, many aligning with our national programs and initiatives. Collaboratively, we have genuinely impacted the lives of people in Hawaii. As we emerge from two and a half years of the global pandemic and successfully navigated our first post-pandemic year, our focus in this second year is to return to our pre-pandemic levels of civic engagement and community outreach.
I am unwaveringly committed to fortifying our brotherhood and delivering impactful advocacy within our community. Despite being primarily a military chapter with continuous turnover and geographical isolation, our presence and influence transcend these challenges.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve you as president, and I look forward to another successful year with the brothers achieving even greater community impact here in Paradise.
Sincerely,
Joseph Guillory
President
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Mu Beta Lambda Chapter