J.C. Hines Bus Tour Committee
Committee Officers
| Noble Gerald Alston | President |
| Noble Harold Foster | Vice President |
| Daughter Erica Bowman | Vice Chair of Planning Recruitment & Records Management |
| Daughter Annette Megargel | Associate Recruiter |
| Noble Eric Livsey | Publicity |
| George Pate | Vice Chair of Events |
| Professor Hugh Snow | Consultant/Advisor |
| Noble J. C. Hines | Ex officio Executive |
Mission Statement
We will embrace our children, families, communities with love and positive change, so that our children will reach their highest potential. We believe that education is the key to success in life and we commit ourselves and our efforts to make that opportunity possible for our children.
Our organizational goal is to equip, inspire, push, guide and encourage our children with love to complete their college education in order that their dreams and goals may be achieved This will also enable our communities to grow and prosper. To this end the J.C. Hines College Bus Tour Committee Stand as one!
History
In July 2007, Golconda Temple No. 24 Centennial Class Abdul - Mateen was challenged by Imperial Deputy of the Desert of New Jersey, Noble James C. Hines to do something that would give back to the community. Noble Gerald Alston, Class President and Noble Harold Foster, Vice President decided to work on a program that take inner - city youth to visit Historically Black Colleges.
Two and a half years later the idea became a reality. March 24th, 2010, 25 of our local kids successfully completed our first college tour to Princeton and Rutgers University's. Encouraged by the positive results, our committee developed a strategic plan to extend our tour. Our planning and excitement was heighten by the results of our hard working fund-raisers and the donations from so many well wishers
On February 23rd 2011 our second tour was launched from the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Newark, NJ. We visited the following campuses:
- Morgan State University Baltimore, MD
- Georgetown University Washington, DC
- Howard University Washington, DC
We were able to take 35 prospective students, 10 chaperons, and several mentors. Several students carried their high school transcripts and several were admitted to Morgan State University. Their acceptance was a tremendous inspiration to everyone involved in the tour. So much so it caused the committee to recommend and approve a new name for the tour. "The J. C. Hines College Bus Tour," in Honor of Noble J.C. Hines.
The J. C. Hines College Bus tour Committee co - sponsored a College Fair with the College Ministry staff at Metropolitan Baptist Church Newark, NJ on November 12th 2011.
Past College Bus Tours
April 4-7, 2012
- Delaware State University, Dover, DE
- Hampton University, Hampton, VA
- Maryland Eastern Shore University, Princess Anne, MD
- Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA
November 6-8, 2013
- Howard University Washington, DC
- Morgan State University Baltimore, MD
- Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA
- Virginia Union University, Richmond, VA
It is the J. C. Hines College Tour Committee's belief that education is the key to success in life. We commit ourselves and our efforts to presenting this opportunity to every interested high school student in the 10th - 12th grade from Essex, Hudson and Bergen counties of New Jersey. It is only through donations and other sponsorships that we are able to keep the cost of a quality college tour experience at a minimum cost to the students.