LAKELAND, FL (WFLA) – One hundred and ninety members of one of the oldest African-American Greek letter fraternities gathered in Lakeland for their annual statewide conference. Members of Phi Beta Sigma will spend the day at Polk State College conducting business sessions for the organization.
The group is comprised of both collegiate and alumni members. Among the highlights, the fraternity’s emphasis on education. The organization is dedicated to adopting schools throughout the state… with an emphasis on reading.
Also a part of the conference, roughly 60 young men ages 13-18 who are part of the Sigma Beta Club, the youth auxiliary of the organization. As part of their participation, they are meeting with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They are learning archery and fishing, even in this weekend’s cold and blustery weather.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The Founders, A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I. Brown, wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would truly exemplify the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service.
The conference wraps up late Saturday.
