EKO NEWS
Eko Club International Host Vibrant 2024 1st Quarterly Meeting In Dallas
Eko Hot Blog reports that the hallways of the downtown Hyatt Regency Dallas were abuzz as Eko Club International (ECI), a prominent Nigerian socio-cultural organization, descended upon the city for its highly anticipated 1st quarterly meeting of 2024.
Hosted by the local Eko Club Dallas-Fort Worth chapter, the three-day event drew hundreds of members from across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for a whirlwind of festivities, community service initiatives, and organizational updates.
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The weekend’s activities kicked off in high style on Friday night with an all-white disco party that had members decked out in their finest attire. “We started the night with an opening prayer as usual, and then I called anyone to the floor to kick off the evening,” recounted Yeye Bisi Rokosu Lawal, ECI’s Social Secretary and a member of the New Jersey chapter. “During this process, people were free to go to the food bar to get drinks and eat their food.”
A undisputed highlight was the annual Mr. and Mrs. Eko competition, a beloved tradition dating back decades. Through a lively question-and-answer session, members were quizzed on their knowledge of Eko Club International’s logos, history and leadership. “Since March is Women’s Month, one question was ‘How many women chapters do we currently have with women as their presidents?'” explained Rokosu-Lawal, herself the reigning 2023 Mrs. Eko. “Another question was to name the women presidents and their chapters. They also had to know how long their tenure was.”
After a fierce but friendly battle of wits, Honorable Toyin Alowonle from the Detroit chapter emerged victorious as the new Mrs. Eko 2024, while Honorable Phipps from Austin took the Mr. Eko crown. “Shortly after that, we opened the floor again for everybody to dance, and we had a very good DJ,” Rokosu-Lawal said.
The lively dance floor then gave way to raucous games hosted by Eko Club International’s social secretaries, with members competing for cash prizes. “The first game we had was ‘Pick Money.’ I had $100 in singles spread on the table, and we had a spatula on a plate. While their faces were covered, they had to pick the money,” described Rokosu-Lawal. “Whoever picked the most money for the night would win.”
Saturday brought a shift in tone to community service as members kicked off the day with the annual “Walk for Life” event. Rokosu-Lawal, who has spearheaded the initiative since 2019, meticulously coordinated the morning’s activities. “As the organizer, I have to be down before 6:30 AM. Prior to that, starting at 5:00 AM, I’ll begin sending out messages on the platform to remind people and wake them up.”
At 6:45 AM, participants sporting neon t-shirts sponsored by Alhaji Giwa of the Dallas chapter set out on a mile-long walk around the hotel vicinity before returning for stretches and a commemorative group photo. “Upon returning, we engage in stretching exercises, with someone leading the group through various stretches and short exercises,” Rokosu-Lawal said.
The day’s marquee event was the official quarterly membership meeting from 11 AM to 2 PM, attended by chapter representatives from across ECI’s regions. The agenda was packed with chapter reports, financial updates, and words from prestigious guest speakers including Jermaine Sanwo-Olu and a nursing director from the Dallas chapter.
“They usually have guest speakers. They had two guest speakers that Saturday in Dallas,” noted Rokosu-Lawal. “Jermaine Sanwo-Olu was also there, as well as one of the matrons of the Dallas chapter, who is also a nursing director. She talked about women’s health, couples, and related topics.”
A key focus was ECI’s upcoming medical mission to Lagos, Nigeria slated for November. “We discussed how we can impact people in Lagos prior to our medical mission,” Rokosu-Lawal said. Members enthusiastically voted to organize a large-scale food palliative program in the coming months, with dozens contributing to an impromptu fundraising drive during the meeting.
As the evening fell, members reunited one final time for a lively banquet celebration to cap off the Dallas festivities. While the weekend represented the culmination of months of planning, for Rokosu-Lawal and her ECI colleagues, it also marked the start of preparations for the organization’s next quarterly meeting already on the horizon in Pennsylvania later this year.
“One thing about the Friday event is that it’s usually packed with fun, and it’s all members at the event, except for one or two guests,” Rokosu-Lawal said. “That Friday night is usually for all members from all over, from London, Canada, everywhere in the US. It was a successful night.”
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With its robust agenga of cultural advocacy, philanthropic outreach and organizational stewardship, ECI’s action-packed Dallas gathering demonstrated the enduring vibrancy of the Nigerian diaspora community. As the group’s far-flung members now make their way home, the strong bonds of friendship and shared purpose forged over the three-day event will undoubtedly fuel ECI’s mission until members reunite again in Pennsylvania.
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