Brother Joseph K. Byrd
Brother Eric K. Dargan
Byrd Directs Program for the "Forgotten Partner"
Southwestern Regional Convention, Brother Byrd received the Distinguished Service A w a r d . The Greater N e w Orleans Foundation has received $500,000 from the Ford and M a c A r t h u r Foundations to combat teenage pregnancy. Brother Byrd has been named to the foundations steering committee which is charged with setting the criteria for community organizations like Alpha Phi Alpha, to submit grants that will be funded through the foundation. Brother Byrd was also been credited with reestablishing the Greater New Orleans Chapter of the National PanHellenic Council Inc. The Council had been inactive for five years. Brother Byrd w o r k e d with the other Greek Letter Organizations to rebuild the council. For his efforts, he has been unanimously elected as President. Brother Byrd holds the B.S. and M.Ed, degrees from William Carey College in Hattiesburg, M S . He has served as chapter advisor for five undergraduate chapters. He spearheaded the establishment of Alpha chapters at Loyola and Tulane Universities. He has served Sigma Lambda Chapter as secretary, vice-president, and presently serves as Dean of Pledgees.
Brother JOSEPH K. BYRD, in conjunction with the St. Luke's C o m m u n i ty Center, has written a grant and received funding of $49,000 through the City of New Orleans from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund "The Forgotton Partner P r o g r a m " (Project Alpha). This program is directly fashioned after Project Alpha. The funding includes m o n e y for motivational and support staff, several of w h o m are Alpha brothers, overnight accommodations, food, educational materials, and travel. Professionally, Brother Byrd serves as Assistant Dean for Student Services at Xavier University where he has also written a grant and received $50,000 to fund the University's volunteer prog r a m , M . A . X . ( M o b i l i z a t i o n At Xavier). T h e grant provides funds for a staff coordinator, travel, and seed money to encourage other institutions to develop a volunteer program. This grant w a s the only such grant funded b y ACTION in the U . S . A . The program has grown to where over 160 students are involved in volunteerism. The brothers of Beta T a u Chapter at Xavier are actively involved in the program. Brother Byrd has recently reelected as State Director for Louisiana, where he presided over Louisiana's largest state conference, where over 180 brothers registered. During the recent
Dargan Strives for Excellence Beyond College "Knowledge is Power!" is a quote that Brother ERIC KEITH DARGAN deeply believes, as he profusely strives T h e Sphinx/Winter 1989