In the late seventies to the mid-eighties, a group of like-minded sorors residing in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, began to lay the foundation for a local chapter on the island. By 1986, with the assistance of Soror Mildred Parrish of Wisconsin, a winter resident of the island, the Freeport Interest Group was ready. Pi Upsilon Omega was chartered on May 23, 1987 by Supreme Basileus Janet Ballard who at the time also served as Regional Director of the International Region. Pi Upsilon Omega immersed itself quickly into realizing the Sorority’s motto of service to all mankind. It formed the Twenty Pearls mentoring program for high school young women, many of whom became Alpha Kappa Alpha women upon attending colleges and universities. Many of them are serving members of Pi Upsilon Omega. Tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships has been awarded over the years by Pi Upsilon Omega to worthy members of the Twenty Pearls Program. This program is now in its thirty-first year and has grown from strength to strength into a mentorship program of which AKA can be proud.

 

Two short years after its chartering, in 1989, Pi Upsilon Omega co-hosted its first International Regional Conference in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas. It was the first conference of the International Region, though it was referred to as non-legislative because the Boule had not yet voted on conferences for the Region. Pi Upsilon Omega went on to successfully play solo host to the 1999 International Regional Conference in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas and has done its share of hosting when asked over the years. In July 2018, Pi Upsilon Omega hosted the International Regional Conference in Houston, Texas just before the 68th Boule. By special request of the Regional Director, this chapter also assumed responsibility for Psi Delta Omega of Toronto, Canada for a brief period at its inception in 2006. Pi Upsilon Omega has made its mark over the years with the Sorority’s signature programs, sponsoring three winning entries in the Sorority’s Young Authors Program of Supreme Basileus Linda White’s Administration (two in 2004 and another in 2006).

 

Sorors of Pi Upsilon Omega have served on international committees and continue to oversee Membership Intake Programs to assist in the building of our sisterhood. Pi Upsilon Omega has grown from eighteen active charter members to sustaining sixty member in 2022.