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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois Chapters of the Phi Beta Sigma
3 Fraternity and the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority are sponsoring their
4 second annual legislative visit to the State Capitol; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. was founded at
6 Howard University in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 1914 by 3
7 young African-American male students, celebrated as the
8 Honorable A. Langston Taylor, the Honorable Leonard F. Morse,
9 and the Honorable Charles I. Brown; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. was founded on
11 January 16, 1920 by 5 young women, celebrated as the Honorable
12 Arizona Cleaver Stemons, the Honorable Pearl A. Neal, the
13 Honorable Myrtle Tyler Faithful, the Honorable Viola Tyler
14 Goings, and the Honorable Fannie Pettie Watts; the 5 women,
15 respectfully known as the Five Pearls, founded the sorority at
16 Howard University in Washington, D.C.; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta are the only
18 historically Greek-lettered organizations in the National
19 Pan-Hellenic Council to be constitutionally bound; and
 
20     WHEREAS, From its inception, Phi Beta Sigma was conceived
21 by its founders as a mechanism to deliver services to the

 

 

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1 general community, rather than gaining skills to be utilized
2 exclusively for themselves or their immediate families; this
3 deep conviction is mirrored in the fraternity's motto, "Culture
4 for Service and Service for Humanity"; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Since its inception, Zeta Phi Beta has chronicled
6 a number of firsts; Zeta Phi Beta was the first Greek-letter
7 organization to charter a chapter in Africa in 1948; the
8 sorority was also the first to form adult and youth auxiliary
9 groups and centralize its operations in a national
10 headquarters; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Both the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and the Zeta
12 Phi Beta sorority are honored to have formed many wonderful,
13 community-based partnerships with the March of Dimes, the
14 American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Research, the
15 NAACP, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and the Urban League;
16 therefore, be it
 
17     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
19 we, in recognition of the achievements of the members of Phi
20 Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.,
21 and the values for which they strive, designate May 20, 2009 as
22 the Second Annual Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta Day in the
23 State of Illinois; and be it further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2 presented to the International President of Phi Beta Sigma
3 Fraternity, Inc., Paul L. Griffin, Jr., the International
4 President of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Illinoisan Sheryl
5 Underwood, and the Great Lakes Regional Director and Illinois
6 State Director of both the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and Zeta
7 Phi Beta Sorority.