Local nurse sorority celebrates 44 years of service

Time to CELEBRATE was the word for Chi Chi Chapter of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Incorporated! On Saturday, Sept. 17, approximately 20 members of ours met at Roar’s Restaurant, 633 Liberty Street here in the city, to celebrate 44 years of our local chapter.. We celebrated with gifts, games, food and sisterly fellowship with one another in our beautiful colors, green and yellow. 

We were honored to have in our presence five of the charter members. Elleton McCullough, a charter member and historian, reminded us about the history of our chapter. On Sept. 23, 1978, 18 registered nurses were inducted as charter members at Emmanuel Baptist Church. The Rev. Sir Walter Mack was then the pastor. With the idea of our organizer/founder, Yetta Clark, (the first African-American to graduate from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine Nursing Anesthesiology program in 1972), Chi Chi was chartered. Other members included: Clementine Shaw, Robbie Irvin, Mary Isom, Gloria Millner, Myrna Hughes, Ernestine Westbrook, Mary B. Thompson, Kanzenner Wilks, Virginia Adams, Mildred Smith, Helen Watkins, Betty Harvey, Virginia Thombs, Maybelle Hedgley, Ann Moore and Carolyn Jones.

The charter officers were Peola McCaskill, Supreme Basileus; WarrenaTurpin, regional director; and Hattie Opher, property manager. On March 15, 1991, we chartered 14 student nurses as charter members into the undergraduate chapter of Chi Chi Beta at Winston-Salem State University. 

Since organized, we have continued to be dedicated to our theme, “Service for Humanity.” Down through the years, we have served our communities, local and national, with health screenings, workshops on various health issues and provided food, clothing and other family needs. This year we raised money for scholarships for our future nurses attending WSSU by planning and implementing our first golf tournament, held on April 9 at the beautiful  Winston Lake Golf Course. It was very successful and we appreciate everyone who made it possible. 

Also, we partnered with the WSSU H.O.W bus for health screenings and the Novant Mobile Cruiser at St. Peter’s World Outreach Church. On July 30 we participated in blood pressure screenings at the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church for the Rooted in Wellness Statewide Health Fair. This year we were especially glad to serve as volunteers as Medical Nightingales Aug. !-6 for the National Black Theatre Festival. This was a conceived and coordinated project by our deceased member, Annie Alexander. Gloria Millner was coordinator for 2022. 

We look forward to being the “vision” in our community to continue our “service for humanity.” 

We thank God for our current leaders: President Panissa Caldwell; Vice President Barbara Crumb and all our officers that make this organization one to be proud to be a member.

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