The Poodle Post: November 2008

VOTE!!!!!

Do your civic due and vote. It is your right.

Welcome to the another edition to the of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.,

Delta Omicron Sigma Poodle Post.

Poodle of the Month: Soror Brenda Sloan Johnson

Rest in Peace Soror Brenda Sloan Johnson
November 5, 1945 - October 24, 2008
God called home our beloved Syntaktes, Soror Brenda Sloan Johnson, on Friday, October 24, 2008 at 11:55 pm. She may have lost the battle to cancer but she has won the glory and has gone home to walk those streets of gold.
Let us take time to reflect on her administration’s theme of "The Journey Begins and Ends With Us" and how it embodied her spirit. Let us not be saddened by her homegoing but rather let us be inspired by the energy she possessed and the love she had for our great sisterhood and most importantly the love she had for her fellow Sister.




In Sisterhood, Southwest Region Executive Board

National News: Message from International Grand Basileus

TO: All Sorors, Philos, Rhoers and Guests:
RE: TIME IS RUNNING OUT … Are YOU Registered to Vote?


The last day to register to vote in the 2008 presidential election for many states is as early
as Monday, Oct. 6! Never in our nation’s history has the African-American vote been
more crucially needed …



This officer has been encouraged to hear how many of our chapters, members and philos
have been hosting and/or partnering with other organizations in voter registration drives
across the nation. However, there’s an old adage that often times it is the plumber who is
most prone to have leaky faucets. Let’s ensure that the same is not true about Sigma
Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. I’m charging every alumnae and undergraduate chapter
basileus to query your chapters to ensure 100 percent of our own membership and
affiliates ages 18 years and above are both registered and making plans to VOTE!!
Begin now setting up schedules for transporting the elderly among us and beyond us
(and anyone else needing it, including students) to the polls.


Ensure that all undergraduates are aware that they do not have to go home to vote! College
students have two options for voting from their college or university: (1) cast absentee
ballots to vote as residents of their home town as long as the completed absentee form is
received by Oct. 31 (most states) or (2) register as residents in the location of their college
or university by the state’s voter registration deadline. If you live on campus and receive
your mail through a post office box, you may need to sign an affidavit or get a letter from
your college’s Residential Life Officer verifying that you live in your dorm. The link
below provides valuable information students need to be aware of concerning individual
state requirements:
http://www.brennancenter.org/studentvoting?gclid=CN29iKTPkJYCFQhMGgodVmfvEg
Don’t Vote Blindly … Know Who and For What You’re Voting


The Washington Post hosts an online database that allows you to view every vote in the
United States Congress since the 102nd Congress (1991). You can browse votes in a
variety of ways -- both in aggregate and for individual members of Congress. You can visit
this site (see link below) and many others as part of your own personal due diligence test:
watch the televised debates and candidate interviews; read the newspapers; Google
candidates; and host, support and/or attend candidate forums in your local community.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/



Last But Certainly Not Least …
As a 501c-7 organization, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. is strictly prohibited by
the IRS from supporting any individual candidate in any manner! That means no
wearing T-shirts, buttons or any other paraphernalia of any kind in support of an individual
candidate while you are wearing sorority paraphernalia or representing Sigma Gamma Rho
Sorority Inc. in any manner. While this officer certainly understands your passion for the
candidate of your personal choice, it must remain just that, a personal choice. Individual
candidate endorsements by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. will result in our
nonprofit status being revoked. A recent CNN story last week highlighted IRS plans to
investigate and possibly prosecute churches whose pastors have made statements from their
pulpits supporting individual candidates. Click on the link below, locate the “search all
videos” option and type in “Pastors’ Politics Illegal” to view the CNN segment.
http://www.cnn.com/video/



This year’s Election Day will be a pivotal point in our history for our nation and the world.
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. has a responsibility to be a major part of determining the
outcome through our individual and collective participation as active voters and by doing
our part to educate the masses on the all the choices before them and getting them to the
polls. Don’t let yourself or our Sisterhood down!



Sisterly,
Joann Loveless
22nd International Grand Basileus





Are you interested in community service? Are you interested in working with others? Would you like more information about Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc? Contact us at dos1922@yahoo.com.

Chapter News: Founder's Day Celebration

The chapters annual Founder's Day celebration will take place on Sunday November 9, 2008 at the Thompson Recreation Center. Sorors will be sharing their talents from art creations to poems to their over all "Sigmattuide". For more information, please contact us at dos1922@yahoo.com. Hope to see you there.

Sigma Style: How to Cope with Holiday Stress

With the holidays coming up, your emotions can be stirred up as well.Sadness is a personal feeling, what makes one person feel sad may not affect another person. Typical sources of holiday stresses include, financial stress, the inability to be with one's family and friends among others. Being unable to balance the demands of it all may cause you to be overwhelmed. We should choice not to be alone, if possible, during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. To reduce of the this stress, you can do some of the following;

• Don't expect to much from others. They are on their own schedules to they may let you down.





• Set real goals for yourself. Don't take on to much.





• Do not put all your energy into just one day ex. Thanksgiving Day, Christmas or New year's Eve. The holiday cheer can be spread around.





• If you are lonely try volunteering some of your time to help others.





• Please limit your alcohol, it can only pull you down more.





• Let others share the responsibilities of the holiday task with you. If your plan a family gathering don't do it all yourself.
  
  
  
  
  

In doing all of these things, make sure that you have some sort of support system if it is a friend or two, a counselor, pastor or just someone that you can confident in. Sometimes just talking it out can help you feel better.

For more resources you can check:

• The National Association of Social Workers





• Medicine Net





• Your local physician or psychologist

Sigma Sizzles: Holiday Celebration Punch (non-alcoholic version)

1/2 cup Ocean Spray® Ruby™ Tangerine Grapefruit Juice Drink, chilled
2 cups Ocean Spray® Cran-Raspberry® Raspberry Cranberry Juice Drink, chilled
1/2 cup green or red grapes, sliced in half
1/4 cup Ocean Spray® Fresh Cranberries, rinsed
1 lemon, sliced
1 orange, sliced
1 apple, sliced
1 cup sparkling water or club soda

DIRECTIONS
Combine first 5 ingredients in a punch bowl. Add fruit. Add sparkling water just before serving.

(recipe from Allrecipes)

Sigmannouncements

• Happy birthday to all sorors who celebrate in the month of November.



• Happy anniversary to all sorors who celebrate in the month of October.



• November 4 is the last day to vote.



• Please check the side of the blog for upcoming events.



• If you have any questions or comments please contact us here or click comments below.



• Welcome to all sorors who have reactivated with the chapter. EE-Yip!!!