Another busy year for Beta Sigma Phi

Beta Sigma Phi is an international women’s organization that was founded in1931 during the Great Depression by Walter W. Ross. Its mission then was to provide women with a sense of purpose through social, cultural, civic and service activities. Though times have changed for women, the mission and purpose are still basically the same. It is a noncollegiate sorority with over 200,000 members in chapters around the world, Beta Sigma Phi is dedicated to helping women build lasting friendships, develop their leadership skills, and make a positive impact in their communities. The organization operates on the principles of Life, Learning, and Friendship. Members are encouraged to pursue personal growth and education through various cultural programs and social events. Service is also a key component of Beta Sigma Phi, with members participating in charitable activities and fundraising events to support causes that are important to them. More often than not the Xi Delta Psi chapter here in Emanuel County includes community service projects and fundraising as two of its primary activities. All monies donated are put before a vote by the club members. If a motion is made and passed, Beta Sigma Phi will make these donations. The Xi Delta Psi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi was founded in Emanuel County in 1978 and currently has 30 members. The local chapter is quite fortunate to still have several members that were instrumental in the chartering of the Xi Delta Psi Chapter in its beginnings. In our community the chapter focuses on reaching out to and seeking local organizations and institutions that receive minimal financial assistance from local, state and even federal funding and rely heavily on local donations to keep themselves up and running. Several of those will be mentioned subsequently in this write-up. The chapter has several recurring projects each year and often find additional needs that come up during the year. The Xi Delta Psi Chapter spans 9 months of each year with a few projects that span the entire year. Like all years, the chapter stays quite busy and the 2023-2024 year has been no different. The following summary of activities will give an example of what a typical year is like. In September of 2023 made a donation of $250 to the Sudie Fulford Community Learning Center, a part of East Georgia State College. This donation is multi-faceted. The Learning Center is generous enough to allow Beta Sigma Phi the use of the facility for one of its two monthly meetings. The Center offers an educational library and reading room and a large classroom type area that can accommodate 50+ participants among many other things. They often offer activities in the summer for children while they are out of school. This is just a small part of all the things that the Learning Center can and/or does provide.In October, 2023, the club made a donation of $150 to His Fellowship Ministries. This was introduced to the Twin City area by Windy Durden. His Truth Fellowship Center is located in Twin City. His Truth Fellowship Center aims to create a warm and welcoming space for all people, encouraging spiritual growth and genuine connections with God and each other. Mrs. Durden has also brought to the Twin City area a project called His House. His House has a very unique approach to aiding women with addiction issues. His House recognizes that every addiction and mental health struggle is unique. They offer personalized treatment, from intervention to sober living, to help individuals forge a path to health and recovery. Their approach combines spirituality, patient education, and individualized treatment. Qualified staff create a safe space where patients learn about the effects of addiction on the mind, body, and spirit. Together, they develop effective treatment plans tailored to each person’s needs. His House focuses on the underlying struggles within the mind, body, and spirit that contribute to addiction. Their comprehensive approach aims to prevent relapse and provide lasting freedom from addiction. His House began with three residents and has grown to eighteen. These are both very worthy and much needed causes. Beta Sigma Phi was pleased to be able to help in any way possible and applauds Windy Durden for her taking on these projects and bringing them to our community.November of 2023 led the club to Herrington Homestead, one of the Georgia Sheriffs Youth Homes that is located in Nunez. There are five Sherriff’s Youth Homes in the state of Georgia. Most everyone knows that Herrington Homestead is a great asset to our community. The mission of the youth homes is giving disadvantaged boys and girls an opportunity to free themselves from abuse, neglect or abandonment. The children range in age from quite young to high school age students. The residences are a sanctuary of structure, love and care. The Youth Homes provide a place for children to call home, where they can feel comfortable and safe, a place where they have a chance to thrive. Without Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes, many of these children would still be living in turmoil and chaos. Since Christmas was nearing, the club made a $300 donation to help Herrington Homestead provide Christmas gifts for their residents and/or to be used in whatever way it was best needed.

The clubs service project for December of 2023 was a donation to The Sunshine House Regional Children’s Advocacy Center. Beta Sigma Phi learned The Sunshine House had suffered severe cuts in funding and grants from both the state and federal levels. Without the help of donations, they were in jeopardy of possibly having to cut back on personnel and other important necessities. At that time the club made a $300 donation to what all sisters felt was a very worthy cause. Most of the club’s members are mothers and/or grandmothers, so the well-being of children is a very important to all of the Xi Delta Psi Chapter, Beta Sigma Phi sisterhood.

In January of 2024 a bit of an out of the ordinary project was discussed by club members. It came to the attention of the members that an individual in our area had some very special needs. Due to medical and privacy issues no name nor details will be discussed. The club can say that between personal donations from the sisters and a donation from the club a fairly sizeable monetary donation was made to this individual in an effort to help offset expenses associated with their condition. The chapter elected to call it a Love Offering Project. Situations like this do not occur often but all of the sisters were in favor in this particular case.

In February 2024, the organization learned about fascinating and very informative and important educational project called, “Ag to Classroom”. Ag to Classroom refers to Agriculture in the Classroom, an educational initiative that aims to increase agricultural literacy among K-12 students. Here are some key points about what this program does. The National Agriculture in the Classroom provides K-12 educators with engaging resources related to agriculture. This helps students understand the source and value of agriculture in people’s daily lives. The program also offers materials, lesson plans, and activities for integrating agriculture into the classroom. Students at all levels had to opportunity to do things such as planting seeds and watching them grow into plants that provide food both for people and animals included in agricultural work. Many students got to see farm and agricultural animals such as cattle, pigs, chickens and the like. These are just a few instances of what Ag to Classroom does. Beta Sigma Phi made a donation of $200 to David Emanuel Academy to assist them in keeping the program in place in their school. All schools in Emanuel County received donations from other local civic organizations. No school in the county was left behind. It is a very notable project in bringing awareness about the hard work involved and the importance of agriculture in so many different ways. Beta Sigma Phi was proud to be able to be a part of this program through this donation.

In March of each year, the Chapter does all that it can to help with the extreme needs of the Emanuel County Humane Society and the Animal Shelter. It is well known that there is overwhelming number of stray dogs in the community. The animal shelter is always full and, in many instances, beyond capacity. The shelter does all that it can to find homes for these strays. Often, they partner with various networks in other states in an attempt to find home for these animals. Fortunately, some of the animals have found homes as far away as New England and other areas around the country. Having large and loving hearts, the volunteers at the shelter work diligently to avoid the necessity to euthanize any of the animals housed at the shelter. Unfortunately, euthanization is at times, the only alternative. Beta Sigma Phi was pleased to be able to make a $100 donation. They also donated dog and puppy food “doggy toys “, gently used blankets, towels, and rugs for the animals at the shelter. The sisterhood of the chapter join the Humane Society in urging all pet owners to spay and neuter their pets, thus reducing the number of strays in the county. At times, local veterinarians provide these procedures at reduced costs. They are to be commended for their help in assisting The Humane Society and The Animal Shelter as are those who do adopt pets for the shelter.

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April is the time that The Xi Delta Psi Chapter dedicates it’s time to celebrating the founding date of Beta Sigma Phi International. A formal gathering is organized by the club. This year The Founder’s Day celebration was held at The Sudie Fulford Community Learning Center. The celebration includes a catered sit-down dinner for all members, and a several others. It is a time of observing all Beta Sigma Phi directives and bylaw requirements as well as reflecting on the past years’ activities and accomplishments. The local chapter covers the costs of securing the location for the gathering as well and all the fundamental necessities that accompany the occasion. This is also the time that the club usually announces its choice of a woman in our community who goes above and beyond the call of duty by way of her good deeds, her philanthropy and contributions to her community. Unfortunately, this year there was a conflict in timing and the announcement was made at a later date. This year’s Lady of the Year is Mrs. Carolyn Durden. A celebration for her was held at a later date and details of that event will be coming soon. Former Ladies of the Year are also invited to attend Founder’ Day. This year the sisters were grateful to be joined by, Ann Peebles (2000), Bobbie Daughtry (2009), Mary Ann Smith (2015) representing herself and Missy Elder (2015), the first and only to date Co-Ladies of the Year, Juanita Porter (2019), Lisa Bertoch (2021) and Teresa Smith (2023). It was truly an honor to have these women with the Chapter’s members to celebrate this special time.

In May the Chapter makes a donation to The Franklin Memorial Library. This donation also honors sisters that have become grandmothers during the year. This donation is made expressly for the purchase of children’s books and is $10 for each new grandchild. As time has passed the number of grandchildren has become fewer. Several years ago, a motion was made that when the number of grandchildren born during the year is less than five that the club would make a continuous donation of $50. The motion passed unanimously. This year there was one new grandchild added to the Beta Sigma Phi family. Kim Hooks was blessed with a granddaughter, her first grandchild. The minimum $50 donation was made to the library in honor of this wonderful event. The library is kind enough to put a bookplate inside the cover of the new book(s) purchased with the name of the honoree and her new grandchild.

Most club business is done during the nine active months of the Beta Sigma Phi year. However, the organization is please for the past five years to be involved in the hosting of the year-round meetings of Emanuel County members of The Veterans of Foreign Wars. Their meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at Franklin Memorial Library. The chapter divides into small groups of two to four sisters and provides an array of breakfast items as well as juices, paper products, utensils etc. The library provides coffee at each meeting. When we began participating in this project there were only about 10-12 members of the veterans group. The number now has grown to between 50-60 members. Beta Sigma Phi is very proud to be a part of this endeavor. It is a wonderful way to show our appreciation and to honor these men and women who bravely fought for all the freedoms that we here in Emanuel County and all Americans enjoy to this day.

As one can see, The Xi Delta Psi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi stays very active. Most things are done more behind the scenes but still, many projects are tackled and accomplished. Hopefully this will allow the public to have a better idea of what Beta Sigma Phi signifies and what these women do. The Xi Delta Psi Chapter members and are all proud of their accomplishments and truly enjoy being able to enjoy doing things that benefit our community.

Now the club is just weeks away from beginning its 46th year since the chapter was chartered. All the members gather at the beginning of the new Beta Sigma Phi year for a social event to enjoy reminiscing about their summer and reuniting for another year. At this time, they also discuss the recurring projects and brainstorm about new projects they may add to the list for the coming year. All of the sisterhood look forward to another busy and rewarding upcoming 2024/2025 year.