Greetings, I am honored to serve as the President of the Washington DC Chapter of The Society, Incorporated, Supporting the Arts. As the founding chapter of an illustrious organization dedicated to the support of youth in the arts, The Washington DC chapter was founded by four women who conceived the idea of organizing a group of professional women of color who shared the goals of friendship and service. The outcome of their efforts was the establishment of The Society, Incorporated as an organization to promote friendship among members and serve as a resource in the arts for young people. The members of the Washington, DC chapter are committed to developing and advancing youth in the arts as demonstrated by our programs centered around the creative areas of literary, visual, performing and instrumental Arts. For 40 years we have dedicated our time and talents to transforming the lives and social conditions of youth in underserved communities by providing opportunities for their exposure and advancement in the arts. We have developed and implemented programs in the to include a Master’s Class Series, the Youth Arts Showcase and the Annual Awards Tea. Through our support of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, the Jones Haywood School of Ballet and Davey Yarborough’s Washington Jazz Institute, we have impacted the lives of countless youth in their pursuit of improving their talents in the arts. Our Master’s Class Series provides an opportunity for young people to hone their artistic skills through exposure to professional artists who provide technical training, advice and artistic direction for young people to continue to develop as artists. Annually, we produce a Youth Performing Arts Showcase in collaboration with the Reston Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. This event, which has been held at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and has provided exposure to many young people with a passion in the arts and, as a part of this program, we have awarded scholarships for students to further their training on collegiate level. Our Annual Awards Tea has served as an opportunity to celebrate and honor adults who have dedicated their lives to uplifting and pouring their talents into the lives of young people who are pursuing artistic endeavors. Past honorees include Davie Yarborough of the Washington Jazz Institute and Sandra Fortune Greene of the Jones Haywood School of Ballet. The Washington, DC Chapter of The Society, Incorporated is a non-profit national organization of women dedicated to enhancing, exposing, and promoting youth in the arts for the betterment of our communities. We are bonded in friendship and service to encourage and support youth who are talented in the arts. With a focus on under-served children, we provide support for young literary, visual, and performing artists.