Stepping in a step show as exhibition

[AKA_Monet]

[quote]Originally posted by JayBEE!:

I'm sure we were right in there. This is what I said earlier: "Let me say it like this…. Before Martin Luther King graduated from college in 1958; ….before nine Little Rock, Ark., schoolchildren were escorted to Central High School by federal troops, ending efforts to thwart court-ordered integration in 1957; ….and Before Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, ….Alpha Phi Omega allowed a black campus to have a chapter of a white founded organization in 1947."

But see, you know during the times and dates NPHC was founded. The affiliates have long been fighting Civil Rights before MLK attended Morehouse... There were numerous out-reachings made by caucasian folks toward Black colleges. I still do not understand your logic for saying that. Are you saying, that your organization broke the "color barrier"? Because, my Soror Eleanor Roosevelt became an Honorary member in 1941...

The reason why I can join a NPHC is only because our organization is not apart of the black founded organization group of The National Pan-Hellenic Council. If Alpha Phi Omega, National Service Fraternity did petition itself to join and the NPHC accepted it's petition, dual membership would end. Like most fraternal organizations,
We do have social events. The current state of Alpha Phi Omega, National Service Fraternity overall it acts more like a society or a social club on most predominately white campuses. 95% of those chapters are co-ed. Alpha Phi Omega, National Service Fraternity began to allow chapters to become coed in 1976. After that you saw a big decline in black chapters because none of them voted to allow the female membership.
This is why we are old in tradition but seldom seen. Our chapters, that are in the '25/'52 family are all male and the sorority is all female. But there are both coed chapters in the fraternity and in the sorority. The importance of the '25/'52 family is that it allows who we are to remain alive.

Is your organization a part of ANY National Council such as IFC, NIC, NPC because my Sorority constitution specfically states, must not have pledged to a NPHC or National PanHellenic Conference Sorority. I don't think you guys are under those rules 'cuz pretty much you all sound like you are much like the "Golden Key" or "Soroptimist" or "Boule" groups.

But if I could draw another young man to this organization, it's worth the tribulations.

So, why couldn't you recruit through the NPHC affiliates--or rather, have folks join your organization as a "stepping stone" to a NPHC affiliate? They'd get some prior experience and add your organization for their resume. I aske because the tone that I am getting from your words is that your organization and the NPHC affiliates are "drawing" from the same pool of applicants which makes things a little redundant... As far as the "community service" aspect goes for "young men"--we can never have all those bases covered. But, IMHO, I think a step show given by any ole greek will get tired, very fast...

Some of us are already saying, "I'm too old for that kind of thing..."

So, basically, other than the once or twice a year huge step show, what is the point for another exhibition? I am sure you are not saying you want a "step show" every night?

[Darkyst]

Jaybee you never cease to amaze, you ever get tired of reasoning with brick walls?

[JayBEE!]

But see, you know during the times and dates NPHC was founded. The affiliates have long been fighting Civil Rights before MLK attended Morehouse... There were numerous
out-reachings made by caucasian folks toward Black colleges. I still do not understand
your logic for saying that. Are you saying, that your organization broke the "color barrier"? Because, my in 1941...

Of course not, The race riots was not all in one year. I'm saying that blacks too in this organization should be in history for doing for doing their part. I'm saying that our organization took a bold step in race relations by allowing us to exist as members "just as" your organization took one in allowing your soror Eleanor Roosevelt became an Honorary member 1941. I'll never say anything that isn't written down somewhere, but I'm sure what our organization did during that time should count for something in the black culture. The focus was a color blind focus. It was on young men.

Is your organization a part of ANY National Council such as IFC, NIC, NPC because my
Sorority constitution specfically states, must not have pledged to a NPHC or National
PanHellenic Conference Sorority. I don't think you guys are under those rules 'cuz pretty much you all sound like you are much like the "Golden Key" or "Soroptimist" or "Boule" groups.

No we are not apart of any National Council. Neither organization is.

So, why couldn't you recruit through the NPHC affiliates--or rather, have folks join your organization as a "stepping stone" to a NPHC affiliate? They'd get some prior experience and add your organization for their resume. I aske because the tone that I am getting from your words is that your organization and the NPHC affiliates are "drawing" from the same pool of applicants which makes things a little redundant... As far as the "community service" aspect goes for "young men"--we can never have all those bases covered.

You know that the time at school is a fraction of someone lifetime. We are only talking about 4 to five years. Most NPHC groups don't even pledge freshmen. So the time is even shorter than that. We have an open membership policy. So you can be a freshman and join as long as it's okay with the campus policies. People can look at it a multitude of ways. They might want to get some pledge experience with Gamma Sigma Sigma before they join AKA. Or an AKA may want to get some more service hours as a member of Gamma Sigma Sigma. Or just to add either organization to their list of organizations with membership. Who knows? I don't know what Mae Jamison, the astronaut, did. But she is both and AKA and a Gamma Sigma Sigma.

We are drawing from the same pool of applicants and if you know the effects of the NPHC on individuals, its harder for a non-NPHC group to exist. The effects: Some don't understand a organization outside the
NPHC. Some individuals inside the NPHC degrade organizations outside the NPHC, to individuals not in any organization. Dillard University had an old chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma. They were just about to blow up on campus because they had a line that started out with 39 in the spring of 1998. We've had numbers like this before but this was the largest recently. But I knew the hold that the NPHC had on that campus. I visited the campus one time and sisters of Gamma Sigma Sigma didn't even speak to me for fear they would not be selected in an NHPC organization. So with the size of that pledge line, I knew they were in trouble. The president of GSS was pledging Delta Sigma Theta. I even went so far as to try to schedule a national event on their campus in the fall of 1998, so that they would get the support for being in Gamma Sigma Sigma. By the end of the pledge period there were 28 pledges that crossed. The numbers started dwindling. In the Fall they had only 9 members coming to meetings. The new president of GSS was pledging Zeta Phi Beta. And by the end of the spring 1999, GSS national declared that chapter inactive. That hurt me because that was a great sister chapter.

But, IMHO, I think a step show given by any ole greek will get tired, very
fast... I am sure you are not saying you want a "step show" every night?

No I think that every night is just too much. Every week is too! But what you are beginning to get is NPHC organizations with their weeks. We have weeks as well. Both of us are having step show during that week. So you may have as many step shows as your semester has Saturdays. It only makes sense to get the organizations that can take part in the step show at that time. And if there is a huge step show that is already large, and it's a NPHC sponsored event, as long as it not an event that is apart of the schools events, then we shouldn't be allowed. I hate 3 hour long step shows! Now in the case of a school sponsored event, as in a night of a classic weekend, any organization that steps on a represented campus should be able to audition and participate in the contest. I think it should be considered even unfair, to have a step show during a classic weekend and know that other organizations on that campus have a history of stepping. That's like not allowing some organizations to have floats in a homecoming parade.


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JayBEE!

Ay-Phi-Que!
Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter
Alcorn State Unversity
Fall, October 18th 1980
President, Brothers of the Rising Sun, Atlanta Alumni Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega
JayBEE's State Of Mind
The AyPhiQueGammaSig Family Homepage

[JayBEE!]

Originally posted by Darkyst:
Jaybee you never cease to amaze, you ever get tired of reasoning with brick walls?

It just take one brick, and when that one goes then you know for sure that there is a possiblity of another and another. I'm not doing this for me as much as I'm doing it for the students that are in college faced with what I was faced with during my time in college.

A simple conversation can go a long way. But you have to listen as well as speak. All these organizations have great people in them. And if that is true, then you will find one that chooses to listen as well as give you some knowledge.




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JayBEE!

Ay-Phi-Que!
Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter
Alcorn State Unversity
Fall, October 18th 1980
President, Brothers of the Rising Sun, Atlanta Alumni Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega
JayBEE's State Of Mind
The AyPhiQueGammaSig Family Homepage

[VctoriasSecrt]

Originally posted by Exquisite5:
The only problem I have with non-NPHC groups stepping is that they so often are not aware of the history behind the act. Very often in America aspects of African-American culture are shared with other cultures as a bridge of communication, yet as time goes on the receiving cultures fails to give credit where credit is due. We are then faced with a situation where ten years down the road the receiving (majority) culture is claiming the act as their own with no thought to its African/African-American origins. If non-NPHC groups steps, they need to learn the history and properly respect and acknowledge stepping's origins.

ditto...give credit where credit is due...and ALWAYS remember where you came from...and give proper attribution to the VARIOUS origins of stepping...which combined...have made it the strong and creative art it is today...


[This message has been edited by VctoriasSecrt (edited May 07, 2001).]

[JayBEE!]

Originally posted by VctoriasSecrt:
ditto...give credit where credit is due...and ALWAYS remember where you came from or the various origins of stepping...

So because it is apparent that only two organizations began this stepping origin, just from what I've read on "one page" Phi Beta Sigma And Omega Psi Phi began stepping at a conference or something like that. Are you stating that every step show ought to mention who the founding stepping organizations are? Or are you saying tha every step show needs to place the origins of stepping, as military drills and dance acts of the 50's and 60's. If so I have been to many step shows but I have never experience this. I think that before any history is mentionable it should be accepted by all greeks as the history. And if it is to be spoken a every step show then let it be done at "every" step show.

So far as written history, All I have found is speculative comments. This is probably because it wasn't a forseen need. I think as long as it is is written down somewhere, it doesn't need to be lectured before a step show.



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JayBEE!

Ay-Phi-Que!
Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter
Alcorn State Unversity
Fall, October 18th 1980
President, Brothers of the Rising Sun, Atlanta Alumni Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega
JayBEE's State Of Mind
The AyPhiQueGammaSig Family Homepage

[VctoriasSecrt]

"who the founding stepping organizations are?"...interesting...the things they don't teach you in mbt...anyhoo...i wasn't saying anything more than what i wrote...proper attribution is necessary...whether written or simply orally agreed upon...stepping has MANY origins...all deserve highlighting...


[This message has been edited by VctoriasSecrt (edited May 07, 2001).]

[Darkyst]

Originally posted by JayBEE!:
It just take one brick, and when that one goes then you know for sure that there is a possiblity of another and another. I'm not doing this for me as much as I'm doing it for the students that are in college faced with what I was faced with during my time in college.

A simple conversation can go a long way. But you have to listen as well as speak. All these organizations have great people in them. And if that is true, then you will find one that chooses to listen as well as give you some knowledge.

Sure these orgs have great people in them. But you know most of those cool ones belong to us as well. I have learned that those that hate and holler about it are usually at campuses where GSS and all male APQ does not exist. But i see your point. As i read some of these post i see that people still have some serious misconceptions about alot of things. Hopefully somebody will learn something.

[VctoriasSecrt]

huh, what? i thought this was about stepping? but hey, whateva...we could ALL learn a bit or two from each other...NO ONE is ALL KNOWING but the all knowing herself...so take a step down sometimes, listen, and then step back up...it does wonders for the soul...

i think that is wonderful that non-nphc orgs step...but don't do it if you really don't understand the meaning behind it...and the years of history that are recounted and celebrated through the act...i think that is what is offensive...you cannot claim that something is original to you just because you jazz it up a bit...that is like sampling portions of a song and claiming that you wrote the entire thing...once more...give credit where credit is due...

peace and blessings...



[This message has been edited by VctoriasSecrt (edited May 08, 2001).]

[JayBEE!]

Originally posted by VctoriasSecrt:
Stepping has MANY origins...all deserve highlighting.

ahhh! Speculatively stating all the MANY stepping origins before each and every step show will not happen. While I feel it is okay to let your members know the history of how it came to be, I also feel that if the audience wanted to know they can do the research. Dang!


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JayBEE!

Ay-Phi-Que!
Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter
Alcorn State Unversity
Fall, October 18th 1980
President, Brothers of the Rising Sun, Atlanta Alumni Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega
JayBEE's State Of Mind
The AyPhiQueGammaSig Family Homepage

[VctoriasSecrt]

Originally posted by JayBEE!:

ahhh! Speculatively stating all the MANY stepping origins before each and every step show will not happen. While I feel it is okay to let your members know the history of how it came to be, I also feel that if the audience wanted to know they can do the research. Dang!

i never said anything about 'speculatively stating the many origins of stepping before shows'...i am speaking of common knowledge amongst those that step...not those that watch...i have never seen or heard any history of stepping gone over at a step show...and i don't see any reason to...that would be like explaining the history of jazz and hip hop before allowing a neo-classical soul performer to come on stage and perform...by then...i'm ready to go...not ready to see a performance...entertainment...there is a place and time for everything...and in my opinion...as a non-greek...but affiliated with one of the many origins of stepping...i don't see the point in breaking down the origins before each performance...please do not put words in my mouth...i mean no offense by that...but i said nothing to that effect...

peace and blessings...


[This message has been edited by VctoriasSecrt (edited May 08, 2001).]

[straightBOS]

Originally posted by JayBEE!:

ahhh! Speculatively stating all the MANY stepping origins before each and every step show will not happen. While I feel it is okay to let your members know the history of how it came to be, I also feel that if the audience wanted to know they can do the research. Dang!

I think you may be speaking for a collective group of people without having asked their opinion first. I am the "audience". And yes, I would like to know where stepping began at the start of the show. I have been to several shows where they explain their interpretation of the origin.

Stepping is not a huge part of my life so I like other members of the audience may be interested in it, but may not be so moved that we want to search all over to find out about it. A statement by the MC is usually enough to satisfy the curiousity.

[JayBEE!]

hehehehe Okay whatever.

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JayBEE!

Ay-Phi-Que!
Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter
Alcorn State Unversity
Fall, October 18th 1980
President, Brothers of the Rising Sun, Atlanta Alumni Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega
JayBEE's State Of Mind
The AyPhiQueGammaSig Family Homepage