Birth of the Cornerstone Ques
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Founded April 20, 1923, the first graduate chapter chartered in the Sixth District. In the early years and because those involved were primarily employees of South Carolina State University, many of the chartering activities took place on the campus.
The charter members of the chapter were J. H. Holmes, E. B. McTeer, J. A. Mason, J. A. Robinson, and F. M. Sheffield.
Frank M. Staley, Sr., Miller F. Whittaker and Robert S. Wilkinson, Sr. petitioned at the Conclave in Philadelphia to approve the charter.
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S. C. Disher, Sr., Norman Peterson and Robert S. Wilkinson, Sr. served as sponsors of the chapter.
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Over the course of its history, the chapter has grown from five charter members to about eighty financial members today. Occasionally, the chapter membership has grown to as many as one hundred financial members.
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Since its charter in 1923, Epsilon Omega has been responsible for initiating more than six hundred members into the Fraternity. From 1992 to 2001, an average of thirteen men were initiated into the Fraternity through Epsilon Omega. The vast majority of these brothers continue to live in and around the Orangeburg area and these brothers still maintain their loyalty to the Fraternity and to Epsilon Omega. Others have moved away and have made their niche in their respective communities in the name of Omega. And sadly, others have entered Omega Chapter.
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Being the first Greek lettered organization chartered in Orangeburg, Epsilon Omega soon became the premier organization to offer the community service and social programs that would become the hallmark of its existence. Many of the programs and projects left such a tremendous impression on the Orangeburg community that they are still talked about even today. The chapter has been responsible for a number of outstanding and successful social events. In its early years, the chapters sponsored fabulous Christmas, Valentine and Spring formals. The Spring Outing was social program specifically developed for the Quettes of the chapter. This was the time the brothers treated the ladies in a special, loving way. The brothers and community also enjoyed the Biennial Affair, a formal gala to raise scholarship dollars. In the early years of this decade, the chapter has teamed with the Orangeburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to put on a spring formal as means of fundraising. From time to time, the chapter has had its version of Mardi Gras. In 2009, the chapter inaugurated a car and bike show, which it hopes will be used as a fundraiser. Through this event, the chapter hopes to bring the Orangeburg closer together by attracting a diverse attendance. As a part of the annual planning process, the chapter organizes a retreat solely for brothers, to give brothers a time to reflect and strengthen the bonds between and among the brethren. At a solemn part of the retreat, brothers rededicate themselves to Omega by retaking the Oath and pledging themselves to greater service to the Fraternity.
The chapter has been visited by such great Omega men as J. Alston Atkins, John E. Potts, Ellis Corbett, Benjamin E. Mays, Moses C. Norman, C. Tyrone Gilmore, and others. These men were invited to Orangeburg to participate in many of the social activities sponsored by Epsilon Omega. Others like George Grace and most recently Lewis Anderson stopped into the community on their way to other destinations. Because of the position the chapter had etched for itself in the community and in the Fraternity, all of these men thought it special to be invited by a stalwart chapter like Epsilon Omega.
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The chapter has provided several Sixth District Representatives, namely, Bing Miller, J. Herbert Nelson, T. J. Crawford, Lewie C. Roache, Walter L. Funderburk, Sr.,Octavio Miro and most recently the 40th District Representative Howard Jackson. Of the six DRs the chapter has produced, Brothers Roache and Miro are still very active and continue their membership in the chapter. The others now reside in Omega Chapter. Also, Harold A. Jenkins, Sr. (deceased) served as Sixth District Keeper of Records and Seal during the decade of the sixties. Brother Octavio Miro served ten years as Sixth District Assistant Keeper of Records and Seal. In 2002, he was elected District Keeper of Records and Seal. Brother Eugene A. Patterson also served as the Sixth District Keeper of Peace under two District Representatives, Brother Charles “Sid” Holmes of Charleston, SC and Brother Walter L. Funderburk, Sr., of Orangeburg. In recent history, a number of chapter brothers, like Andrew Hugine, Carl Carpenter, Allen H. Fleming, and John L. Rice, Jr., have served as chairmen and members of a number of district committees thereby keeping the chapter connected to the district’s administration.
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Throughout its history, Epsilon Omega has been blessed with great leaders, men who have made their mark on the rich tradition for which this chapter is known. Brothers like Charles P. Austin, former Chief of Police and City Manager of the City of Columbia; Thomas J. Crawford (deceased) taught biology and served in many other capacities at South Carolina State University and in Omega; M. Maceo Nance (deceased) was president for eighteen years and after his retirement was named President Emeritus of South Carolina State University; Robert E. Howard is a retired educator and community leader who, among others, was responsible for the smooth integration of public schools in Orangeburg; Lewie C. Roache is a former DR and Dean Emeritus of South Carolina State University; Andrew Hugine, Jr. was professor, Assistant Vice President, Special Assistant to the President and President of South Carolina State University and now serves as President of Alabama A&M University and for a number of years served as Chairman of the Sixth District Scholarship Committee; Timothy J. Autry, Jr. is former Vice President of Student Affairs at Voorhees College and form Athletics Director at South Carolina State University and currently serves as the Director of Athletics at Claflin University; Octavio Miro, current Sixth District Representative, is a former principal and currently serves as Assistant Director of Athletics at South Carolina State. These and other great Omega men served as basileus of the chapter.
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Epsilon Omega has always been known for its community service programs and projects. Among them are the chapter’s Scholarship program, which awards scholarship to worthy high school students and college men; the Achievement Week program, which features the chapter’s Omega Man of the Year and Citizen of the Year; the Social Action program, through which the chapter participates in support of the UNCF, the NAACP, the Orangeburg Area Development Center, the Orangeburg City Youth Basketball program, the Felton Laboratory, the Adopt-A-Highway Project, the Sixth District Boys Summer Camp Program; the High School Essay Contest, which gives high school students an opportunity to compete for monetary awards for their writing, just to name a few. However, very noteworthy of the more community projects the chapter sponsors is the Chapter’s Boys Summer Camp, consisting of a week-long of activities, including career exploration, anger management, working at the local fish hatchery, and two trip to Charleston, SC to visit a number of historical sites. The chapter is very proud of this community service it renders to the young boys. From these young men, a number are chosen to participate in the Sixth District Boys Camp.
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The Chapter also has a very vigorous on-going Reclamation program. There are about seventy-five or more identified non-financial/non-active brothers in the area. The Reclamation Program continuously communicates with these brothers in an effort to reclaim them back to Omega.
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The brothers of Epsilon Omega have served and continue to serve as the role model for the area’s undergraduate chapters. In collaboration with Xi Psi at South Carolina State University, Lambda Sigma at Claflin University and Sigma Theta at Voorhees College, the chapter stands prepared to assist the young brothers in the Fraternity at these chapters. Often the three undergraduate chapters will have joint activities to enhance the bond between the undergraduates and the graduates and to nurture the true spirit of brotherhood, a spirit that Epsilon Omega and the undergraduate chapters continue to maintain.
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Epsilon Omega saw the need to do more in this community, in terms of education and social service. For that reason and to attract resources outside of itself, the chapter formed an educational foundation, call the Men Of Epsilon Omega (MOEO), Inc., a state chartered and federally approved 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. MOEO, Inc., was founded as an arm of the chapter to carry on many of the chapter’s community based activities, serving the most in need among us. In 2001, MOEO, Inc. purchased property in the Orangeburg area to give the organization presence and to provide a place in which to carry out the goals of the organization. Epsilon Omega also enjoyed the benefits of the purchase, as many of its activities were held at the MOEO Foundation Center, as at is called. In 2006, the organization sold the property and is currently exploring other real estate options.
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The history of Epsilon Omega continues to be dynamic. Many opportunities present themselves for the chapter and its members to be a viable force in the Orangeburg community. As time moves on, Epsilon Omega will continue to produce leaders, have more programs and projects for the community and it will continue to grow.
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Long live the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Epsilon Omega Chapter.