St. Mary's County Branch of the NAACP

			Post Office Box 189 Lexington Park, MD 20653 301-863-3011

Serving St. Mary's County Since 1946

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St. Mary's County NAACP Annual Banquet

Featuring Keynote Speaker
Judge Alexander Williams Jr.
U.S. District Court Maryland

Same Crime Different Time,
Injustice for Minorities

Saturday, October 4, 2008
Chancellors Run Recreation Center
Great Mills, Maryland
$40.00 per person
Doors open at 5:30 PM
Buffet dinner at 6:30 PM

For tickets please call Mr. Alonzo Gaskin (301) 872-4626, Ms. Elsie Lawrence (301) 994-2656, Ms. Laurice White (301) 863-5449 or call the office (301) 863-3011 and leave a message.

BRANCH ELECTIONS NOTICE

Dear Branch Member:

Please note the following General Membership meetings of the NAACP St. Mary's County Branch for the purpose of elections of officers (President, Vice Presidents, Secretary,Treasurer) and at-large Members of the Executive Committee.

On September 24, 2008 there will be an election of the Nominating Committee. All members whose memberships are current as of 30 days prior to the meeting date may be elected to the Nominating Committee.
On October 29, 2008 there will be a report of the Nominating Committee, receipt of Nominations By Petition and election of the Election Supervisory Committee. All Members whose membership is current as of April 1st may be nominated for office or as an at-large member of the Executive Committee. In order to sign a nominating petition or be elected to the Election Supervisory Committee, a member must be current as of 30 days prior to the October meeting.
On November 19, 2008 the election of officers and at-large members of the Executive Committee will take place. Polls will be open from 7:15 PM until 7:45 PM. In order to vote in a Branch election, one must be a member in good standing of the Branch 30 days prior to the election. A form of identification is required.

We look forward to your participation in these activities.

ALL MEETINGS WILL BE 7:00 PM AT THE SMECO BUILDING
23365 HOLLYWOOD ROAD, LEONARDTOWN, MARYLAND

Nominating petitions can be obtained by calling the office (301) 863-3011 and requesting one or it can be downloaded here: NominatingPetition.PDF

BRANCH CANDIDATES

Candidates for Branch elections can submit a statement and photograph for publication on the Branch's website. This is not required, but is offered to those who wish to serve as a Branch Officer or At-Large Executive Committee Member.

Only bona-fide, petitioning candidates and Nominating Committee candidates will be offered this service. Submissions will be accepted between October 1, 2008 and November 10, 2008. Digital images should be hi-resolution jpeg format. Include your phone number with your submission. Send your digital materials by email to our webmaster, Bob Lewis, at Bob.Lewis@hughes.net. Every effort will be made to publish your materials within 72 hours of receipt.

For more information or to learn how to submit your materials by US Postal Service, Call Mr. Lewis at (301) 862-3517.

Save the Date!

APRIL 4-5, 2008
Greater Mt. Zion Church

The Southern Maryland Symposium on Race, Justice and Citizenship

Featuring Harvard University Professor
and Civic Activist

Dr. Charles Ogletree

In Memory of the 40th Anniversary of the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

DOWNLOAD FLYER [57 KB PDF]

Includes:

Keynote Speaker
Continental Breakfast and Lunch
Vendors/Exhibitors
Choice of more than 20 Breakout Sessions

Strands:

Strategies for Eliminating the Achievement Gaps/NCLB
Diversity/Human Relations/Cross Cultural
Understanding
Positive School Climate
Parent/Community Involvement

Date: Saturday, April 12, 2008
Time: 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Place: Great Mills High School

DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM

NAACP Wins Heritage Recognitions

On April 5, 2006, the St. Mary's County Board of Education in collaboration with the local Branch of the NAACP held a dedication ceremony in order to recognize significant contributions made by African Americans to the public schools. More Information

UCAC Publishes Book on Segregated Schools

In Relentless Pursuit of an Education: African American Stories from a Century of Segregation 1865-1967, a recently released book featuring local oral history collected by the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions, is a must-read for NAACP members. Not only is the book an important new resource in terms of local African American history in general, but it includes little known history of the local NAACP branch activities as well. In the chapter on desegregation, former NAACP president Theodore Newkirk relates the struggles to integrate the county schools. Information on lawsuits filed against the Board of Education is included along with oral history from Joan Groves Briscoe who, accompanied by her brother Conrad, entered Great Mills High School under court order in 1958. Joan and Conrad were the first African American students to attend a "white" school and the County did not formally end the dual segregated system until 1967. In Relentless Pursuit is available at local libraries and bookstores. More Information

BRANCH MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN BLUE RIBBON TASK FORCE

Non-Asian American students of color all across the nation are, on the average, getting lower grades than white and Asian American students. In fact, by the time African American and Hispanic students graduate from high school, they are achieving at about the same level as white eighth-grade students. That's a four-year difference -- a gap of four years.

Last November, Dr. Martirano convened the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Eliminating the Achievement Gap. Approximately 40 people were appointed to the task force including Branch President Bowman, Branch Treasurer Bob Lewis, Education Chair Janice Walthour, and At-Large Executive Committee Member Alonzo Gaskin, as well as about four other Branch members. The task force was divided into five working sub-committees: Instructional Quality, Quality Workforce, Parent/Community/Business Partnerships, Intervention & Special Programs, and Cultural Diversity. More Information

The Cocoonery, by Merideth Taylor
NAACP Benefit in April 2006

Premiere performance of play set in St. Mary's County poorhouse during the Civil War. Tickets will be available starting in March for the 2:00 PM April 23 benefit performance. Mark your calendars now for this exciting production. All proceeds from this performance will benefit the local branch of the NAACP

After the full length play, Dr. Iris Carter Ford and Ms. Agnes Kane Callum will respond giving the play more meaning within the context of local history. More Information

Public School Officials Appoint Local NAACP Members to New Blue Ribbon Task Force

November 2005: Local members including William "Nace" Bowman, Alonzo Gaskin, Francine Dove Hawkins, Bob Lewis, Elfreda Mathis, and Janice Walthour will serve on a committee tasked with eliminating the racial and economic achievement gap in the local public schools.