When you walk into the YMCA on Walzem Road, you will see 10 beautiful young ladies sitting discussing everything from the betterment of the community to the hottest guys at their respective schools. It is what girls do.

The Archonettes are a group of young ladies that strive for the highest ideals of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, such as community service, scholarship, finer womanhood and sisterhood.

“The Archonettes sounded like an all-girl school to me, so I was scared at first to given give it a chance,” Chrissy Magee said.

These young ladies demonstrate the potential for good leadership and willingness to be a part of a successful, young group of women. The Archonette Program is open to young ladies of all races and cultural backgrounds between 14 and 18 years old. The program focuses on the young ladies from not only the Judson community, but all around San Antonio.

The youth arm of the sorority was implemented in the 1950s.  However, the Alpha Pi Zeta (the San Antonio branch) of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. implemented their youth organization in 1980s. The Archonette Program is sponsored by the Alpha Pi Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.  The President of the Alpha Pi Zeta chapter is Marguerite Sapp.  The Youth Sponsor is Gaynell Brown.

“Being an Archonette isn`t just focusing on being a better women, but also helping those around us become better people, and helping the community around me,” Alyah Rose said.

Recently, the ladies visited the San Antonio Food Bank. The ladies were split into groups to create care packages for the Thanksgiving weekend. In addition, $151 was raised and 250 pounds of food was collected for the SAFB. The visit not only helped the Food Bank, but showed the girls that when we should be thankful for the things that we are given. It was a bonding experience for the ladies.

“Visiting the Food Bank was a wonderful experience,” Brown said. “Not only did it give the Archonettes an opportunity to give back to the community in which they live.”

Brown, the head youth sponsor of the Archonette program, and takes care of organizing the service all the girls do around the community. Having a positive community organization for young black women is vital in order to protect what is important in the community. The Archonettes have proven to be positive contributors to the community.

Hopefully we will get to do more stories on this amazing program. Keep up the good work Archonnettes.