BY JAMES HARPER
DAYTONA TIMES

An "Evening of Elegance" took place Feb. 10 at the Halifax River Yacht Club.

The event was a fundraiser sponsored by the Daytona Beach Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority shown above are Trineca Huger, Sadie McConner,  Maureen Taylor, Dianne Ross, Carla Lester, Carolyn Martin, Cathy Washington, Juanita Collins, Donna Tucker and Teresa Morgan. (PHOTOS BY JAMES HARPER/DAYTONA TIMES)

This was the first time such an event was held at the Yacht Club and during the evening the more than 200 guests were welcomed by Commodore Wayne Stewart and his wife, Eloise.

Attendees were entertained by the band Darnel Butler & the Expressions as well as a deejay.

Future events planned

Donna Tucker, one of the organizers of Friday’s event was pleased it had sold out and said they are working on their next fundraiser, in which the proceeds will go to scholarships and Delta programs.

Tucker said the next event scheduled is the 2012 Jabberwock, which will be at the Museum of Arts and Science tentatively scheduled on April 28.

The Jabberwock will once again feature the Mr. and Miss Jabberwock Contest as well as a talent contest featuring locals.

Tucker said there are still openings for children interested in competing for Jabberwock titles.

On tap after the Jabberwock will be the White Party, which is tentatively scheduled for June 9 with a location to be announced. All those attending will be urged to dress in all white, said Tucker, adding this will be the second year the sorority has had this affair modeled after rapper Sean Combs’ New York White party.

Delta sorors were called to the dance floor to do the

Current officers of the local chapter are President Maureen Taylor, Vice President Juanita Collins, Treasurer Lillie B. Wiggins, Financial Secretary Argentina Thompson, Assistant Financial Secretary Dianne Ross, Recording Secretary Lashan Mallory and Corresponding Secretary Donna Tucker who is also fundraising chair and was the MC for Friday’s event.

Charter history

The Daytona Beach Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was chartered as the Gamma Zeta Sigma Chapter in Daytona Beach in 1946. Sorors responsible for forming this chapter were professors at Bethune-Cookman College and instructors in the public school system of Volusia County. The five charter members were: Martha Marie Berhel, Wilhelmena White Colston, Gertrude Middleton, Ellise Regulus Reed, and Marion M. Speight.

Of the original charter members, Marion M. Speight remained in active service for 59 years until her death in 2005.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world.

A sisterhood of more than 200,000 predominately Black college educated women, the Sorority currently has over 900 chapters located in the United States, England, Japan (Tokyo and Okinawa), Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Republic of Korea.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on Jan. 13, 1913 by 22 collegiate women at Howard University.