Petersburg (VA) Silhouettes

The Petersburg (VA) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. was charted on April 18, 1941, with a group of gentlemen who were affiliated with the Virginia State College (now University) and Fort Lee Military Base. The wives of these Kappa men would meet occasionally with the men for the purpose of fellowship or holiday celebrations. The Kappa men would meet in the homes of members and the wives would serve as the hostess.

In 1987, the women decided to become a locally organized body and paid dues. Officers were elected and a banking account was organized. While the names of the officers are not readily available, the Treasurer was Silhouette Hattierene J. Brickhouse, the wife of Kappa Frasier Brickhouse. The Silhouettes would meet at the same times as the Kappas, usually on the second Saturday evening in the home of a Kappa. As time went on, meetings were moved to Virginia State University in Foster Hall or other places in the community. The wives continued to serve as the hostesses for the meetings and would exchange recipes for the specialty dishes served. Fellowship was established among the wives. The wife of the Polemarch was the usual coordinator of the hostesses.

In the fall of 2008, as the Petersburg (VA) Alumni Chapter learned that they were hosting the Eastern Province meeting in Richmond, Virginia, the Silhouettes organized to unite with the National Silhouettes. Silhouette Shirley Pinkney, the Eastern Province Coordinator, visited with a group of Silhouettes to assist us in establishing a chapter of the Silhouettes of the Eastern Provinces. We elected officers, established by-laws, and begin planning to host the Silhouettes of the Eastern Province in Richmond, Virginia at the Marriott Hotel in Spring 2009.