A Marine and a

retired Army

sergeant. One of

the first students of the

Head Start program. A

grandmother and a great-

grandmother.

Nine ladies answered

the call to serve their

community when they

were inducted into the Prince George’s County

Chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. on

August 22, 2015 in Clinton, MD. Before TLOD

founder Lady Ozell M. Dean and National Area II

Director Lady Helena L. Dodson, the “Divine 9” pledged to support the TLOD

mission and were happily welcomed by other Top

Ladies.

The induction of the Divine 9 was followed that

night by the TLOD Prince George’s County

Chapter’s signature event, the 6th Annual

Empowerment in P.I.N.K. (Purposeful-Involvement-

Necessary-Keeping Community Service First!), held

at Martin’s Camelot in Upper Marlboro, MD. The

fundraiser, which has raised over $23,000 for the

chapter over the years, affords the opportunity for

Divine ...

TOP LADIES OF DISTINCTION, INC.

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY CHAPTER “On the Road to Make a Difference”

Fall 2015 Issue

Greetings Top Ladies, Family and

Friends!

The Prince George’s County Chapter is

“On the Road to Make a Difference with

Enthusiasm, Energy and Excitement!” this

program year. We have a lot to be thankful for as we enter into the holiday season

spending time with family and friends. 1

Peter 4:10 states, “As each has received a

gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied

grace.” We all have gifts and talents and I’m grateful that our Top

Ladies and Top Teens use their gifts and talents to serve Prince

George’s County! However, there is more work to be done, so if

you’re interested in joining Top Ladies, please join us on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at the South Bowie Library at 11:00am to learn

more about Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

We had a great time at our 1st Parliamen-Top with the new

Investing Team Administration under the leadership of our new

National President, Lady Drema Lee Woldman. It was held on

October 1-4, 2015 in St. Louis, MO. Lady Drema laid out her

vision for the next two years along with streamlining the program resource guide for the major thrusts and programs. She highlighted

a few of our new national partnerships with St. Jude Hospital and

the Balm in Gilead organizations. She emphasized the need to

develop comprehensive programs that focus on servicing the needs

of the community. Her new national theme is “Investing in

V.A.L.U.E.S that Support, Enhance and Sustain.” In observance of

Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we had a “Celebration of Life”

luncheon that celebrated the Top Ladies who are survivors of the disease that disproportionately kills African American women.

I believe the African proverb “It Takes a Village to Raise a

Child” as our Top Teens are extraordinary and have displayed

their gifts and talents as singers, painters, poets, writers and

leaders, but that is just the tip of the iceberg as they reach their full

potential. At Parliamen-Top, the TTA Executive Board participated

in the Literacy Café and what a wonderful time we had with the performances via dance, song, spoken word and readings. Our Top

Teens are truly gifted and talented! Likewise, the Prince George’s

County Chapter TTA was rewarded and recognized by the March

of Dimes organization for their donation of $3,517.65!

As we enter the holiday season, I’m excited about what the

Lord has done and what He continues to do. We would love to

see you at our 4th Annual MLK Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, January 16, 2016 at Martin’s Camelot. For additional information,

please visit our website at www.tlodpgcc.org. What a privilege and

an honor to serve the Prince George’s County community

alongside the other Area ll chapters under the dynamic leadership

of our National Area ll Director, Lady Helena Dodson. Please

enjoy the newsletter as you discover the projects, programs and

activities the chapter is executing under the Investing Team. Pay

special attention to the TTA Spotlight! The Prince George’s County Chapter is “On the Road to Make a Difference” with

Enthusiasm, Energy and Excitement!

My pleasure to serve, Lady Hope Ruffin

Lady Hope Ruffin, President

Prince George’s County Chapter

President’s Corner

THE

SAPPHIRE TM

Meet the Divine 9.

Page 4

… and Empowered

Continued on page 5

S A P P H I R E T H E 2

Armed with trash bags and litter

picker tools, the Prince George’s

County Top Teens and Top Ladies

marched down Oxon Hill Road in

Oxon Hill, MD picking up debris as

part of TLOD’s “Keep America

Beautiful” program on September 26,

2015.

Approximately 20 Top Teens and

Top Ladies scoured the chapter’s

adopted road, which stretches between

Dallas Drive and Livingston Road,

collecting bottles, papers and other

litter. The Adopt-A-Road cleanup is a

quarterly event for the Prince George’s

County Chapter of TLOD, Inc.

TOP TEENS OF AMERICA

Gorgeous Prince George’s

Where Are They Now: Bria Williams Congratulations to Bria Williams

for graduating from Marymount

Manhattan College! Bria is a charter

member of the Prince George's

County Chapter of Top Teens of

America and served as its first March

of Dimes chair. She’s currently in

Germany performing in the musical

After Midnight on the Norwegian

Escape cruise ship.

The November 8, 2015 meeting for

the Prince George’s County Top Teens

was awash in shades of purple as the

Teens and the Top Ladies donned the

color of royalty in recognition of March

of Dimes Prematurity Awareness

Month. Premature birth is the No. 1

killer of babies in the United States,

according to the March of Dimes.

The Top Teens’ “Purple Out” event

is just one of the ways the Teens

support the March of Dimes. They also

are regular fundraisers for the March

for Babies – this year they raised more

than $3,000 for the event and over

$12,000 in the past six years. In

October, the March of Dimes

presented the Top Teens with a plaque

in recognition of all their help.

TTA Spotlight Teen Stedman Cook

accepted a $24,500 track and

field scholarship in November

from the University of

Connecticut. He was also

inducted into the National

Honor Society at Archbishop

Carroll High School.

Teen Zoe Hayes and Teen

Marley Smith served as

award presenters at the Edith

P. Wright Foundation, Inc.'s

Breast Cancer Awareness

Month kickoff concert at the

Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper

Club in October.

Purple Reigns

Photos by Jake Prater Photography

Teen Stedman Cook with parents Lady Kim Cook and

Lord Dean Cook

Former Teen Jasmyne Smith, Teen Marley Smith, former

Teen Jasmine Hayes and Teen Zoe Hayes

S A P P H I R E T H E 3

London’s Bridge Is Rising Up London Nickols could not fly to

Disney World with her family this

summer because she has sickle cell

disease. She told her aunt, Frances

Dolby, that for her 8th birthday she

wanted a sickle cell walk to raise money

to find a cure. In a fortunate turn of

events, The Prince George’s County

Chapter of TLOD was participating in

the 9th Annual Stomp OutSickleCell

(SOS) on the National Mall on

September 12, 2015, and it was there

that London’s aunt met Lady Roslynn

Garvin, the Sickle Cell Disease

Awareness Chair for the chapter. Lady

Roslynn and the chapter immediately

agreed to help London, and on October

17, 2015, the 1st Annual London’s Bridge

Walk was held at Walker Mill Park in

District Heights, MD. Several Top Ladies

and a Top Teen walked for the cause, as

well as distributed water and bananas

that the chapter donated to the walk.

The opportunity to help London

could not have come had nearly 20 Top

Ladies and Top Teens once again not

answered the call to raise funds for the

Howard University Center for Sickle

Cell Disease and Faces of Our Children

through the SOS Walk. TLOD also

worked behind the scenes to help line up

sponsors for the event. In all, the Prince

George’s County Chapter raised $1,980

for Sickle Cell Disease Awareness during

the month of September. This year,

though, participating in the SOS Walk

held an added bonus for the Top Ladies

and Top Teens: the opportunity to help

a little girl with sickle cell disease fulfill

her dream to raise funds to find a cure.

Healthy Seniors There was no bingo, but plenty of learning

took place for the residents of the Forestville

Health and Rehabilitation Center on October

25, 2015, when the Prince George’s Chapter

of TLOD, Inc. visited during Breast Cancer

Awareness Month. TLOD brought guest

speaker Dr. Sharon Ottey to talk to the

seniors about breast cancer awareness. The

session afforded the 20 residents the chance

to ask questions about their health, and each

resident received a breast cancer ribbon.

Of course, there was still time for fun and

games. The 17 Top Ladies and 5 Top Teens

helped the residents do crossword puzzles

and word

searches, then

passed out prizes.

Residents

celebrating

birthdays that

month also

received birthday

cards.

High Bridge Elementary School in Bowie, MD

needed a little sprucing up, so the Prince George’s

County Chapter of TLOD, Inc. swung into action on

October 17, 2015 through the county’s Clean Up

Green Up beautification project.

Under the watchful eye of High Bridge Principal

William J. Kelly, a team of Top Ladies,

Top Teens and Lords transplanted and

removed flowers and bushes at the

front entrance of the school and added

mulch around seven trees located on

the front lawn.

Going Green

London’s Walk Stomp Out Sickle Cell Walk

S A P P H I R E T H E 4

Lady Joanne Smith

Lady Trishana Ellis Lady Erica James Lady Dorene McKnight

Lady Robin Barber Lady Kimberly Cook Lady Nikki De Vignes

Lady Marlo Paige

The Prince George’s County

Chapter of Top Ladies of

Distinction, Inc. celebrated six years

of service with an anniversary

brunch at SoBe Restaurant and

Lounge in Lanham, MD on August

30, 2015.

The chapter has completed over

100 community service projects

consisting of thousands of

volunteer hours since it was

chartered on August 30, 2009

and will continue to serve the

community with enthusiasm,

energy, and excitement!

Six Years Of Service

Lady Paula Porter

The Divine 9

Inducted on August 22, 2015

S A P P H I R E T H E 5

A Divine Day of Empowerment

The Prince George's

County chapter voted to

rename the chapter Top

Lady of Year

Award to the

Lady

Jacqueline L.

Wilcher Top

Lady of the

Year Award

based on her

numerous

contributions

to chapter to

include

organizing the chapter. At

the Chapter, Area and

National level, the Top

Lady of the Year award is

presented to a Top Lady

that has demonstrated

extraordinary service to

TLOD and within the

community. This year's

chapter award

was presented to

Lady Katina

Robinson-Wright

for her

outstanding

dedication,

passion and

service as the

chapter Top

Teens of America

Advisor. She led

the program as the chapter

inducted 23 Top Teens, the

largest induction group to

date, and attends Area II

and SYN-Lod conferences

with the Top Teens.

Award-Winning Service Loaded down with 360

non-perishable items, the

Prince George’s County

Chapter of Top Ladies of

Distinction, Inc. headed to

the WHUR-FM (96.3) radio

station in Washington, D.C.

to donate to the station’s

Food to Feed drive.

The Top Ladies have

been participating in the annual

drive since the chapter was

chartered in 2009. The food goes

to the Capital Area Food Bank

and Shabach Ministries to feed

families for the holiday season.

The Top Ladies’ and Top

Teens’ donation earned the

chapter an on-air shout-out from

the radio station and gave the

ladies a chance to meet gospel

recording artist and Sunday Best

host Kirk Franklin.

An Appetite to Help

Continued from Page 1

the new Top Ladies to be presented to the community and to thank

those inside and outside the chapter for their service.

This year, the featured P.I.N.K. Crown Award was given to the

Prince George's County Section of the National Council of Negro

Women for all the outstanding service NCNW has performed in the

county. The award was accepted by NCNW Prince George's County

President Dolores Tilghman.

Ladies within the chapter were honored as well. Lady Katina

Robinson-Wright, the Top Teens of America Advisor, received

the Jacqueline L. Wilcher Top Lady of the Year Award for her

work with the Top Teens. Crown Awards went to Lady Renee

Carter, who was the chapter's Senior Citizen Committee Chair

and is the chapter's decorator extraordinaire, and Lady Sheila

Ball, who was the Assistant Top Teens of America Advisor.

S A P P H I R E T H E 6

On October 1-4,

2015, over 285

members of the TLOD

family came to the St.

Louis Renaissance

Airport Hotel for

Parliamen-Top 2015

with Enthusiasm!

Energy! Excitement!

This Parliamen-Top

presented the new

administration’s programs offering institutes

and workshops for officers, aspiring officers,

committee chairs, or aspiring committee

chairs, and for any member who just wanted

to be kept well-informed. Institutes included

Area Directors, Presidents, Top Teens of

America Advisors, and Financial Fitness.

Workshops included Membership Strategies,

Duties/Responsibilities of Officers/

Committee Chairmen, Protocol, and

Parliamentary Procedures.

Our newly “crowned” TLOD National

President, Lady Drema Lee Woldman

provided an inspiring message during the

Plenary Session as she communicated the

State of TLOD. “Investing in V.A.L.U.E.S.

that Support, Enhance and Sustain” is the

theme for this administration as we "Invest"

in our communities to make positive change.

V – Volunteerism representing quality

service, relevant programs, accountability,

documentation, and enhancing our presence.

A – Advocacy representing accountability,

aligning causes,

incorporate into program,

having a seat at the table,

and building partnerships.

L – Leadership

representing training,

succession planning,

increased participation,

membership growth, and

successful chapters.

U – Unity representing

collaboration, advocacy, networking, and

inclusion.

E – Engagement representing

empowerment, calls to action, and raising our

voices.

S – Social Responsibility representing

sisterly concern, traditional programming,

relationship building, and diversity.

Lady Drema also discussed

accomplishments from her first 90 days to

include TLOD partnerships with St. June

Children’s Research Hospital (Walks and

Galas), National Institutes of Health (Bullying

and Clinical Trials), AARP (Because We

Care), Keep America Beautiful, The Balm in

Gilead, Sickle Cell Disease Association of

America and Pfizer Corporation.

Other highlights included discussions of

the 2015-2017 National Program Resource

Guide, Induction Ceremony for 2 ladies of

the Miami Chapter (Area IV), Casino Outing,

Silent/Buy It Now Auction where over

$1,200 was raised, Welcome Reception,

Celebration of Life Luncheon, Literacy Café

and a Bon Voyage 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's party

where Top Ladies, Top Teens, and Lords

adorned their favorite era attire and danced

the night away!

TLOD, Inc. is also “Stepping Up with

Technology.” Lady Natasha Goode, National

Director of Technology, presented

information for relevant and cost-effective

technology solutions to support the vision

and enable the phenomenal growth of Top

Ladies of Distinction, Inc. Please like TLOD

on Facebook at TLOD Inc. National,

Instagram @TLODinc1964, YouTube Top

Ladies of Distinction, Inc., and Twitter

@TLODinc1964. The Facebook page will be

updated regularly with new information as it

unfolds. So be sure to check it often. Also,

the new TLOD National website will launch

in December 2015.

If you missed all of the “Energy,

Excitement, and Enthusiasm” of Parliamen-

Top 2015, no worries! All of the information

can be found by visiting www.regonline.com/

ptop2015 and selecting the tabs for

Presentations & Reports and Institutes &

Workshops. Also, save the date for

Parliamen-Top 2016 that will be held in

Glenview, IL on September 29 through

October 2, 2016 at the Wyndham Glenview

Suites. Until then, as envisioned by our

National President, continue "Investing in

V.A.L.U.E.S. that Support, Enhance, and

Sustain."

Parliamen-Top 2015

Answering the CBC’s Call The Top Ladies of Prince George’s County

continue to support the Congressional Black

Caucus’s Annual Legislative Conference held in

Washington, D.C. each year. This year’s

conference awarded the Top Ladies the

opportunity to attend orientation as well as

registration on September 12, 2015 to stuff

souvenir bags that were issued to the guests. In

addition, the Ladies supported efforts for the

Prayer Breakfast, which featured keynote

speaker Reverend Dr. Otis Moss, III, Senior

Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in

Chicago, IL and Stellar Award-winning gospel

singer VaShawn Mitchell (“Nobody

Greater”). Vice President Joe Biden was also in

attendance.

Lady Jackie

TLOD, Inc. National Presidents and Founder.

Area II Parliamen-Top 2015 attendees.

Top Teens of America National Officers.

INVESTING IN V.A.L.U.E.S. THAT SUPPORT, ENHANCE AND SUSTAIN

December 27, 2015

Kwanzaa Celebration

Forestville, MD

January 9-10, 2016

NBC Health Fair

Washington, DC

January 16, 2016

4th Annual Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

Prayer Breakfast

Upper Marlboro, MD

January 30, 2016

Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

Interest Meeting

South Bowie Library

March 5, 2016

Adopt-a-Road

Oxon Hill Library

March 19, 2016

Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

Interest Meeting

April 7-10, 2016

Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

34th Annual Area II Leadership Conference

Wilmington, DE

SAVE THE DATE

Lady Crystal Davis, who was named National Assistant Director of Technology for Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

Lady Janet Rawls-Tull, who

celebrated 30 years of federal

service in August.

Lady Hope Ruffin, who was named National Logistics Chair for Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

Lady Joanne Smith, whose great-granddaughter, Karter Noelle Davis, was baptized and celebrated her first birthday in September. Lady Jacqueline Wilcher, who was named National Director of Operations for Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

Prince George’s County Chapter

Chapter Organizer

Lady Jacqueline Wilcher

President

Lady Hope Ruffin

1st Vice President

Lady Kym Elder

2nd Vice President

Lady Dawna Dilworth

Top Teens of America Advisor

Lady Katina Robinson-Wright

P.O. Box 639

Temple Hills, MD 20748

www.tlodpgcc.org

pgcc.tlodinc@yahoo.com

Facebook.com/tlodpgcc

Facebook.com/ttapgcc

Twitter.com/tlodpgcc

Sapphire Newsletter Editor

Lady Crystal Davis

Chief Information Officer

Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

Prince George’s County Chapter

Congratulations To ...