During the weekend of December 4, the Brothers of Xi Nu Lambda joined Brothers from the Beta Sigma, Beta Iota Lambda, Kappa Nu and Nu Psi chapters in celebration of the 104th Founders' Day of Alpha Phi Alpha with a slate of special events & activities around the Baton Rouge area.

Founders' Day Weekend began with a Brother's Keeper service project. XNL Brothers joined Brothers from Beta Sigma, Nu Psi, and Beta Iota Lambda at the homes of Brother Paul Poydras and Brother William Turner.

Brothers helped them with general lawn work and other household duties by cutting grass, raking & bagging leaves, and removing yard debris from the lawns of Brothers we affectionately call SAM (Senior Alpha Men) Brothers.

The Brother's Keeper initiative is one the newest national programs of the fraternity. The program seeks to assist older Brothers or the families of Brothers who have departed us with general chores and other household needs.
 

On Saturday evening, Brothers gathered together for our "Founders' Day Celebration" at the Southern University Fieldhouse. The reception provided an excellent brotherhood opportunity with a strong representation from all local chapters.

Brothers like Emmet Bashful and Huel Perkins provided reflections about the legacy of the fraternity in Baton Rouge and the importance of preserving the name and reputation of Alpha Phi Alpha. Their wise and relevant words resonated with many of those in attendance.  
On Sunday morning, several Brothers attended worship services at New Gideon Baptist Church, pastored by Rev. Thomas N. Bessix, a brother of the Xi Nu Lambda chapter. Rev. Bessix delivered a powerful and sprit-filled sermon and recognized the visiting brothers from the pulpit. The service was a spiritual and moving conclusion to the weekend of activities.

In all, Founders' Day Weekend was an excellent opportunity for the Brothers of the "X" to serve our fellow brothers, strengthen fraternal bonds and celebrate the legacy, impact and importance of our Seven Jewels. 

Click here to view more pictures from Founder's Day 2010.

XNL Brothers Give Polk Elementary Students A Christmas Surprise

On December 21, the brothers of Xi Nu Lambda provided the students of Polk Elementary with an early Christmas surprise and a day of fun. In conjunction with the Baton Rouge Fire Department and the Louisiana State Fire Marshal, XNL sponsored a Christmas Toy and Fun Day for the local elementary students.

Several brothers delivered and passed out toys, dolls and games to the excited students of Polk Elementary. The toys were collected by the chapter during its year end toy drive campaign.    

The Baton Rouge Fire Department brought out fire trucks and their mobile command unit for the students to tour and ride. In addition, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal provided entertaining and informative fire safety education.   

The Fire Marshal also provided parents of Polk students with free smoke detectors as part of the Fire Marshal's new statewide fire safety program, Operation: Save-A-Life.

Since good deeds make for good news, local TV news station NBC33 and local newspaper, The Advocate ran news stories about the event and praised the chapter for its community efforts.  

Click the image below to view a video of the NBC33 News story. 

Polk Elementary Principal Cheryl Matthews was so pleased with the event's outcome that she has asked Xi Nu Lambda to partner with the school for future events. Also, the Fire Marshal's office saw a significant increase in phone calls from citizens about the Operation: Save A Life.

On December 11, Xi Nu Lambda brothers assisted St. Paul Catholic Church with its Annual Christmas Toy Sale. During the toy sale, parents in a low-income area of Baton Rouge were given the opportunity to purchase new or slightly used toys at greatly reduced prices.

The toys, donated through St. Paul's toy drive campaign, provided area children with high end toys and games they might not otherwise have received.

Brothers helped with organizing toys, assisting patrons with delivering purchases to their vehicles, and setting up and cleaning up the event.

"The toy event with St. Paul Catholic Church was a great service opportunity for Xi Nu Lambda and the look of appreciation on the faces of parents who purchased toys was truly inspiring," said Michael McKnight, Chapter Vice President and project coordinator. 

In appreciation of XNL's continued support, St. Paul graciously donated a large amount of its unsold toys to the chapter's Adopt-A-Family Christmas Campaign.

Brother Mark Anthony Perry is a Fall 2005 initiate of the Xi Nu Lambda Chapter. A native of Grenada, Mississippi, Brother Perry received his Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Southern University in the spring of 2001.

Brother Perry also holds a Masters of Public Administration/Healthcare Administration from Southern University, received in the Summer of 2004.

Brother Perry currently works for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals as the Program Director for the Louisiana Asthma Management and Prevention Program.

In Xi Nu Lambda, Brother Perry currently serves as the Director of Education. In this role, he has established in-school programs at Belaire High School, Mentor Learning Academy & Istrouma High School.  Brother Perry is also a member of the Beautillion, Service, and Housing committees, and facilitator of the Strategic Planning Taskforce.

In 2009, Brother Perry was elected Brother of the Year by the Xi Nu Lambda chapter. 

He is a faithful and active member of the Living Faith Christian Center and involved in a number of community organizations. 

Brother Perry is a devoted father and married to the lovely, Candace Oliver-Perry.

In the Xi Nu Lambda chapter, the development of its neophytes takes center stage. To start the Fall 2010 neophytes on the right foot, the chapter designed a unique neophyte training curriculum.

The training, broken into two (2) three-hour sessions, provided the neophytes with in-depth information on chapter operations, the chapter's by-laws and constitution and chapter committee structures. The new initiates meet with each committee chair and gained clarity on how each committee performs and how all committees work together.

In addition, neophytes received relevant training in financial literacy and budgeting, dinner etiquette, social manners, and more

"We see much potential in our neophytes and this training program seeks to provide them with the tools to begin a successful journey in Alpha Phi Alpha and Xi Nu Lambda, "said Jermaine Watson, Chapter President. 

Each neophyte is paired with two "Pins" who help guide the young brothers through their walk within the fraternity.  Moreover, the education is designed to be a two-way learning process so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and grow.

Learn more about the Neophytes and all XNL brothers at our website, www.xnlalphas.org/new.

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The Mission:

Developing Leaders, Promoting Brotherhood and Academic Excellence, While Providing Service and Advocacy for our Communities

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