In the spring of 2006, early in the month of May, Brother Don Basilio approached Brother Orlando Lilly, then Maryland State Area Deputy Director, with the idea of establishing a new alumni chapter for the Greater Baltimore Metropolitan area. After an extensive conversation, the two agreed that the idea was worth investigating and decided to pursue further. An initial call was made to Brother Greville French, then Eastern Regional Director, who was receptive to the new chapter chartering idea and granted the go ahead to move forward with the effort.

 

Subsequent conversations were made between Brother Basilio, Brother Duane Johnson and Ronald Hawkins to gage their interest in being part of the chartering effort. They too expressed a strong interest in the undertaking, and their full assistance was solicited for the cause. They soon became active parties and were later instrumental in the development of the new chartering movement.

 

Brother Lilly later contacted Brother William Powell, a former International Director of Education and past Eastern Regional Director, about the idea and inquired if he would be interested in being a part of the effort. Brother Powell conveyed that he was very interested and elected to come on board. His knowledge of the chartering procedures was very helpful during the course of the chartering process.

 

The five fraternity members agreed to work together to execute the necessary chartering requirements for the region and national fraternity; create mission and vision statements; construct a chapter constitution; discuss the expectations of the chapter/members; develop the chapter’s programming and make recommendations for the chapter’s first leadership. Over the course of a six-month period, the members worked diligently, laying the ground work and foundation for the new chapter.

 

They first met as a group on June 5, 2006 at the residence of Brother Johnson and subsequently held several meetings over the period of the next six months at various locations. The progress of the group was highlighted at each meeting and additional potential charter members were identified. They completed all of the cornerstone tasks and action items that were agreed upon and a professional chartering package, inclusive of the financial obligations were submitted to the Eastern Regional Director for review and approval.

 

The early meetings and agendas were organized by Brother Basilio and were later relinquished to Brother Hawkins as the group would identify him as the first chapter president.

 

In December of 2006, Brother Lilly received confirmation from the Eastern Regional Director that he would approve the application for the new alumni chapter. The great news was passed to the other four members the same day.

 

On Sunday, February 18, 2007, an Open House and Chartering Ceremony was hosted by the Nu Sigma Sigma Alumni Chapter at the Cibo Restaurant in Owings Mills, Maryland.  Approximately one hundred people attended, in support of the newly chartered chapter’s first public event. Also, in attendance were Brother Donald Jemison, then International Executive Director of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, who presented the chapter’s charter; Brother Darryl Williams, Associate Regional Director of the Eastern Region; representatives of area Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. chapters; and a host of family members and friends. The chapter’s first public event was a grand success.

 

The Nu Sigma Sigma Alumni Chapter's inception was born out of the burning desire of five dynamic brothers to localize an alumni chapter that would be reflective of the fraternity’s true principles and values, along with the ever-growing need for a strong local based organization that would focus on youth and community service related programming.

 

Since then, Nu Sigma Sigma Alumni Chapter has provided on-going programming to serve the community with a special enthusiasm on youth programming. The chapter has established a male youth group that it mentors, the Sigma Beta Club, and continues to provide vital community service programming to uphold the fraternity’s motto, “Culture for Service and Service for Humanity.”