10 Years of Sisterhood: Phi Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Sunday started off with church as usual at 8:30 a.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran followed by breakfast with the breakfast bunch. I finally remembered to take my camera and get some pictures of them, though not everyone was there. As a rule, we tend to eat at one of several places and that morning it was Sunset Grill, a wonderful family owned restaurant on 412 in Springdale. If you’ve followed the blog for a while, you know that my friend Dean Jim Chen University of Louisville Law School, had breakfast there, with us.

Sunday afternoon I attended a very special event. As many of you know, I am a member of the Phi Alpha Omega graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Our chapter was chartered in 1998 making this our 10 year anniversary. When we were chartered, there were 15 members and we have more 50 members of the chapter. Our sorors planned an anniversary event to celebrate the chartering and to honor the chartering members. It was a lovely affair that was held at Compton Gardens in Bentonville, a beautiful setting that also hosts the Benton County bar meetings.

It was wonderful to see again a number of the chartering members who we hadn’t in a long time. We were all gathered together and the South Central Regional Director for the sorority, at the time the chapter was chartered, flew in to join us from the Houston, Texas area. It was wonderful to be with her again too. Her name is Dr. Polly Sparks-Turner. She is an amazing, warm, accomplished woman. A pharmacist by training, she has endowed a scholarship in her name. The scholarship, the Dr. Paulie Sparks Turner Endowed Scholarship, is given to an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in the allied health profession. Those of us who were chartering members of the chapter have very strong, warm feelings for Dr. Turner. Though she has faced many challenges since we came to know and love her, including the storms that swept through Houston, and health challenges, she has weathered it all with dignity and grace. Soror Polly is a terrific lady; a wonderful role model, a warm friend, and a kind sister. It was wonderful to welcome her back to Northwest Arkansas.

The program was terrific. Dr. Margaret Clark, an Emeritus Prof. of the University of Arkansas, and Phi Alpha Omega’s first President, talked about how we came to charter the chapter. She shared our arduous route to the chapter’s chartering and how we celebrated on that day. She also highlighted some of the many programs of Phi Alpha Omega over the years. Soror Margaret is a Golden Soror, which means she’s been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha for 50 years.

Soror Elecia Smith, another founding member us towards to move gracefully towards the future and reminded us what true sisterhood is all about. Soror Stacie Lambey graced us with a wonderful solo. There was a great deal of warmth and love in the room. Thanks very much to the program planners, in particular Soror Nikkela Tucker. For the foodies out there, both a wonderfully prepared and beautiful spread of hors d’oeuvres. We very much enjoyed the sisterhood, the program and the meal. Thanks again to my sorors of Phi Alpha Omega. It was a wonderful celebration of 10 years of sisterhood and love in Northwest Arkansas. I’m looking forward to what the chapter will achieve in the next 10 years. I know we will continue to serve Northwest Arkansas. What a full day and a blessed one.