Washington, DC Florida A&M University Alumni






			ARCHIVED ACTIVITIES (2002 - 2005) November 2005 Color Purple Trip to New York Smashing success as 100 plus rattlers hopped on the bus for a day in New York September 2005 Midnight Cruise on the Potomac With around 200 people, the boat was rocking and the dancing was non-stop. The food gave us some taste, the cash bar kept us refreshed and the stepping, dancing and moving kept going until we docked and the bright lights came back on!! August 2005 Gwen Coffield Crab Fish Fry 200 plus Rattlers felt like some good old fashioned fish with hot sauce and some finger licking crabs assorted with tasty rice, vegetables and desserts. The card tables came out and spades, bid whist and other games flourished . June 2005 FAMU Picnic/Cook-Out 2005!! We hung out at Joseph Hensley Park in Alexandria as close to 300 rattlers came out to eat, profile, play games, see old friends and meet new ones in our annual meet and greet. DJ Khari played the cool tunes, the fish was fried, the chicken was grilled, the raffle was run and the crowd enjoyed time with fellow rattlers. It was a who’s who of the people in the area from class of ’53 to current students. May 2005 Annual Scholarship Gala – Washington Navy Yard Almost 500 Rattlers rocked the yard to the live band that kept us grooving, the tasty food that fed us, the silent and live auctions and the styling rattlers that came in droves to the Yard!! January 2005 FAMU Winter Meeting 2004 November 2004 Rattler Round-up Round 2 in Waldorf & Kick-off Membership Drive for 2005 hosted by Sandra McDuffie. We drove out to meet and eat in Waldorf. Plenty of card playing with the spades and rummy. We welcomed new rattlers and new financial rattlers as the group was hanging with Rattler fun and spirit as we ate and drank into the evening. June 2004 FAMU DC's 2K4 Annual BBQ & Picnic @ Hensley Park - Alexandria, VA - Once again, FAMU D.C. has come to the top the hill. This time we came to Alexandria, VA. There were 250 plus rattlers jamming to the sounds of DJ Khari, eating the fried fish/chicken/hot-dogs and other great food. The games were off the hook as we competed for the coveted trophy. 2004 was another dose of FAMU food, hospitality and fun… May 2004 PLAY NIGHT “Senor Discretion Himself” @ Arena Stage – Set in a Mexican Hamlet and talks about how a community grows and changes. It included singing, dancing and a great theatrical performance. Since this was also the season finale, we had the pleasure to meet the African American director, Charles Randolph-Wright. It was a worthwhile event with great costumes, singing and performance. April 2004 SPRING FLING aka Rattler Round-up @ Ced and Davina Carrington’s Home in Alexandria, VA . Plenty of new members, lots of games, good food, great drinks and FAMU hospitality. DJ Khari rocked the house as we danced to old school base, smooth hip-hop, go-go and relaxed R&B music. The gathering lasted almost until the sun came up. It was a highly memorable event. March 2004 PLAY Yellowman @ Arena Stage 22 people came out to see this Pulitzer Prize about racism within race, love and the experiences of two growing African Americans. All attendees had a great time and look forward to the next play. February 2004 PLAY CROWNS @ Arena Stage This event started at the Anacostia Museum viewing the Crowns exhibit and the other exhibits at this Museum, which is dedicated to African American History. The second part of this was going to the Channel Inn's Pier 7 restaurant for food, discussion and hanging prior to the play. The capstone for the evening was seeing Crowns, the electrifying and uplifting play centered on the hats that African American Women wear in correlation with the African American experiences. The play had great acting, energy and spirit as we clapped, sang and enjoyed hearing and seeing our story. January 2004 The year opening Rattler Round-up at William and Alwilter Wilson’s in D.C. FAMU Rattlers came out during the snow storm and packed the house. They ate the food, played cards, talked trash, met new/old rattlers and had to be escorted out when the event was over. Rattlers came to hang out and start of the new year right. 2003 December 2003 Holiday Gathering celebrated the season with holiday food, cheer and prizes. In addition, the chapter had its annual collection of Toys to be donated to Toys for Tots. November 2003 Counselors Workshop The chapter in conjunction with the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund Inter-Alumni Council sponsored the Counselors Workshop on Wednesday morning, November 12 at the Altria rotunda in Washington, DC. The objectives of this activity were two-fold: to inform area counselors about the outstanding offerings of historically black colleges and to help counselors assist students in identifying and applying for scholarships. Fifteen counselors from area schools attended. The HBCUs that participated were FAMU, Howard University, North Carolina A&T State University, Virginia State University and North Carolina Central University. Marianne Ragins, founder of The Scholarship Workshop and FAMU alumna was the keynote speaker. Marianne was the recipient of over $400,000 in scholarship offers and has written a how-to book on the subject. This activity was coordinated by Marianne Ragins, Rufus Little and Kristina Arnwine. Football Trip Claire Taylor, Fundraising Chair, coordinated an excursion to Hampton, VA where the Rattlers defeated the Hampton Pirates. An after game social was held at the home of Adrienne Thomas (FAMU alumna) and her husband Anthony Crosby in Hampton, VA. October 2003 Founders Week 2003 The chapter celebrated the founding of FAMU (October 3, 1887) with a week of activities that commenced with worship services at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Washington, DC (Pastor-Rev. Clinton Austin, FAMU alumnus).Tuesday was a happy hour set with FAMUans and missing in action Howard graduates at Club Daedalus. This activity was coordinated by alumnus Reggie Campbell. Friday, the chapter kicked off the party in the hospitality suite at the Holiday Inn Smithsonian and another group of alumni got things started at Club Bossa Nova. The Rattlers suffered a controversial defeat by the Howard Bisons on the football field, but the orange and green was well represented in the stands. The week was concluded by a group attending the critically acclaimed play "Top Dog Under Dog". Special thanks to Orlan Wilson, Barbara Love and Henry Allen for coordinating the various events. September 2003 Football Trip The Chapter sponsored an excursion to the inaugural Detroit Football Classic on Labor Day weekend. FAMU was defeated by Alabama State University on the football field, but the Marching 100 rocked the house. A good time was had by all as we enjoyed the sounds of Chaka Khan after the game at the annual Detroit Jazz Festival. Kudos to Claire Taylor for a job well done. August 2003 Freshmen Send-Off The scholarship and parents group committees sponsored a student/parent send off at the home of Barbara and Sam Love. This event attracted over 60 people and it was very informative for incoming freshmen and parents. Click here to view pictures of the event. June 2003 Annual Picnic The annual picnic was held on June 21, 2003 at Maryland. The theme was “Famuans supporting Famuans”. It was a huge success with over 100 members in attendance. There were games, music and fun for everyone. Click here to view pictures of the event. May 2003 Bowling Party The chapter under the leadership of Alex McCants sponsored a bowling party on May 17, 2003 at AMF bowling lanes in Hyattsville, Maryland. This activity was well attended with a DJ spinning the latest tunes and a cash prize was given to the best bowling team. We raised funds while having fun. March 2003 Scholarship Dance The annual scholarship dance was held on March 15, 2003 at the University of Maryland Inn and Conference Center. The theme was "Bridging our Future through our Past". Over 450 people attended the affair and danced the night away to the tunes of Touche'. U.S. House of Representative's member Kendrick Meek (a FAMU alumnus) was awarded the Carrie Meek Award. Carolyn Collins, FAMU National Alumni Association President and James Jones, Executive Director, FAMU Office of Alumni Affairs, addressed the gathering. Penelope Jones received the chapter's "Excellence in Caring" Award. This event, along with donations, raised over $12,000 for scholarships. A special thank you to our chairs, Cheron Reed and A. Nicole McDade. Click here to view pictures of the event. Student Preview Trip The student preview trip to the university was held on March 20-23, 2003. There were 12 area high school students and 3 chaperones that participated in the 3 day tour of the university. Attendees heard information regarding admissions at FAMU, as well as, had the opportunity to personally meet professors and coaches. Vice President Rufus Little coordinated the trip on behalf of the chapter. February 2003 Scholarship Workshop The chapter sponsored a scholarship workshop on Saturday, February 23, 2003 at Gaithersburg High School. It was well attended and Marianne Ragins conducted the workshop for local students and parents on how to find and apply for scholarships. This activity was coordinated by Marianne Ragins. Basketball Reception The chapter hosted its annual basketball reception after the FAMU vs. Howard basketball game. After being delayed one day by snow a good time was had by all as we fellowshipped with the team and recapped the high points to the game. The team was very appreciative of a home-cooked meal. This activity was coordinated by Beres Muschett, Henry Allen and Barbara Love. Rattler Round-up The chapter held a Rattler Round-up at the home of Liz (FAMU alumna) and David McElveen on Saturday evening, February 8 in Ft. Washington, MD. Fifty FAMUans came out and shared good times on the hill, played cards, ate and drank. This activity is a membership activity of the chapter and was coordinated by the membership and entertainment committees. 2002 December 2002 Holiday Dessert Reception The chapter sponsored a holiday dessert social at the home of President Carolyn Jones on December 28, 2002 for students, parents and alumni. There were approximately 70 guests in attendance and it was a success! Toys for Tots A holiday celebration was also held at the December Chapter meeting. The hospitality committee provided great food and fifty toys were collected for donation to the Toys for Tots program. The Holiday activity was spearheaded by the entertainment committee under the leadership of Orlan Wilson. November 2002 Sports Night The chapter hosted sports night at the MCI Center on November 12, 2002. The Wizards played the Seattle Supersonics who have FAMU alumnus Jerome James as their Center. Although he was injured and did not play, many Rattlers attended the game in support. This activity was coordinated by Orlan Wilson. October 2002 Happy Hour A networking mixer/happy hour that was coordinated by the membership and entertainment committees was held at the Chi-Cha Lounge in Washington, D.C. It was well attended and a success. September 2002 Presidential Reception A Presidential Reception was held in honor of the new President Dr. Fred Gainous on Thursday, September 19, 2002 at the Cada Vez Restaurant in Washington, DC. Over 75 alumni were in attendance to greet the new president who shared his vision of "One FAMU" at this wonderful event planned by the entertainment committee. College Fairs Under the direction of Jackie Sellman, the chapter has participated in several college fairs around the DC metro area. They were held at the following locations: Metropolitan AME Church, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, T.C. Williams High School and Albert Wynn financial workshop held at Largo High School. August 2002 Freshmen Send-Off The scholarship and parents group committees sponsored a student/parent send off at the home of Janine Batie-Derricotte. This event attracted over 50 people and it was very informative for incoming freshmen and parents. FAMU WASHINGTON, DC ALUMNI CHAPTER - P.O. BOX 90306 – WASHINGTON, DC 20090-0306 Copyright 2007, FAMU DC ALUMNI CHAPTER – Email the Webmaster.