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Social events included Kappa CocktailNovember turned quickly into December, Owl-O-Weenwith only one week in between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks for some girls. Hailey Becker (VP Organization) planned a wonderful Leadership Day at a delcicious restaurant, Monmouth Duo where the new and old officers can get together with Pi Beta Phi, Kappa/Tri-Delt Ranch, Parents’ Weekend, Mom their advisors and Dad Weekends, go over the expectations and Junior/Senior Nightgoals for the upcoming year. One evening Our chapter worked hard to get through final exams and the end of the entire chapter attended a sing-semester, with Erin Kreindler (VP Academic Excellance) planning yummy Study Snack events throughout the weeks of finals! The Kappas wrapped up a-long at but fun year. 2016 was a local restaurant. challenging but incredible year for growth for the Beta Xi also continued chapter.Despite challenges from the house renovation, the tradition of hosting a Halloween party political and campus climate, and our own behavioral issues and changes, our chapter grew stronger and trick-or-treating for closer than ever, evolving to become the children of local alumnaebest chapter we can be.We cannot wait to move into our beautiful new home, and we look forward to taking on 2017, equipped with everything we have learned and the goals we plan to accomplish in the next year!
'''HousingCampus climate was tense in 2016, as it was much of the world. Yet another Student Government election occurred on campus in the Spring, this time with a Beta Xi running for office. Racial tensions and a new campus carry law caused protests and fractured our student body. The year culminated in one of the most controversial Presidential Elections ever, occurring in November. Our own chapter faced some of the biggest pitfalls and hardships we have ever faced. We lost loved ones and made mistakes. But through all of this, Beta Xi Kappa persevered together. We stood up for our beliefs and for each other, admitted our faults, and grew into a stronger chapter. Our chapter is well known at the University of Texas for being involved in and well liked by all groups on campus. Kappas are friendly, open-minded, intelligent and active in university life. Kappas are so well integrated and involved in our diverse on-campus commitments, that our main goal in 2016 was to increase Beta Xi chapter unity. In spite of a rocky campus climate and our own troubles within Beta Xi, we hoped to increase the bond of sisterhood in our chapter. Doing so without a home during the house renovations proved to be a challenge, but our chapter did a great job finding ways to unite, around causes like our philanthropy and each other’s successes.Chapter Philanthropy:What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?Wooldrige Elementary, RIF, B+ Foundation (new this year) This year, Berkley Johnson (Philanthropy Chair) completely revamped and re-energized our philanthropic efforts. Kappa adopted another philanthropy in addition to Reading Is Fundamental. The B+ Foundation raises money for cancer research and pairs sororities and fraternities nationwide with a “Hero:''' ” a child battling cancer. We were paired with our Hero, Moriah. She is an eight-year-old girl with cancer, and the newest and youngest Beta Xi Kappa ever! She gets to wear our letters, come to some fun events, and be a part of our Kappa family. Beta Xi continued embraced our newest sister with love and pride. Kappas made visits to her at the hospital, had her over to our apartments, took her to Mozart’s Coffee Shop to see Christmas lights, made her a scrapbook and battled her disease alongside her. And we are thrilled to report that her cancer is in remission! We hoped to occupy be a light in Moriah’s life this year…but it turns out that Moriah remained a shining light for our chapter, uniting us in some of our hardest seasons. We remained passionate about encouraging childhood reading, as well! From profit shares organized by chapter members to a book drive to our annual fundraiser, we definitely did not let our passion for this issue fall by the wayside. We have a great relationship with Wooldridge Elementary where we have our annual RIF event every spring for the whole chapter. This year, Berkley added an event there in the fall, as well! Half the chapter volunteered at the elementary school on a Saturday, while the other half gave their time to Neighborhood Longhorns tutoring program. While we await the opening of our newly renovated house throughout on University Avenue, we have been renting rooms in the UT Union building for chapter meetings and for our chapter lunches. It is usually a large meeting room with screens and dining space in the decadeback. Oral HistoryAre there any current members, alumnae or advisers from your chapter that you recommend for the Fraternity’s oral history project? We are looking for Kappas with stories to tell – funny chapter memories, great professional achievement stories, heartwarming stories of how Kappa has helped them, etc.
'''Philanthropy:'''==Highlights of 2017==
Two new philanthropy traditions began during this decade. In 2009, Beta Xi hosted its first Kappa Cookout, an event that invited community members to join the sisters for delicious catered food. That year, the proceeds from selling tickets to the event, $7,600, went to The Austin Children’s Shelter. The following year, the chapter raised more than $8,000 and donated the proceeds to the RIF (Reading is Fundamental)of Austin, specifically to the Palm Elementary School. Donations were also made to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. The other new philanthropic event was a powder puff football game with Pi Beta Phi. Proceeds from the tickets were donated to the Davis Moon Project, a non-profit organization that collects books to be hand-delivered through organized literacy mission trips in Addis, Ethiopia.
'''Convention Awards:'''
==Highlights of 2011-2019==This year,the Texas Longhorns played a fantastic season and played against the Oklahoma Sooners in theBig 12 Championship at the AT&T Stadium. This was the first year since 2009 that the Longhorns madeit to the Big 12 Championship,and it was the first time since 1903 that the two teams played eachother twice in one season.The Longhorns will go on to play the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day.After a long campaign season and a runoff,Colton Becker and Mehraz Rahman were electedas the new student body president and vice president. Our chapter is known throughout campusfor being very involved in multiple school functions and clubs.The traditional "Kappa"girl is known for being respectable,responsible,and true to herself.Our house is a landmark on campus, and we take pride in welcoming people to see thisspecial place.Our chapter supports Reading Is Fundamental,B+ Foundation
==2011==Our chapter has been raising money and gathering books for RIF over the last few years.In 2011We partner with Wooldridge Elementary to host a RIF event there twice a year, invitingstudents from the school to come play games,eat snacks, Beta Xi focused on strengthened sisterhood and encouraging scholarly achievementget their faces painted. A Each child leaves with books donated by our members. Throughout the year,chapter retreat was held membersvolunteer as mentors for some of the students at the benefit school. We received our B+ Hero,Moriah,a few years ago,along with many other sororities and fraternities on campus.Moriah has become part of the members sisterhood, and she is well loved by everyone in the chapter.We spend lots of time taking her and “get-her friends to participate in things around Austin as wellas hosting them to-know-you” games were played at the Kappa house. Sisterhood activities included Nightmare on 6th Streetto paint,sing, Trior play hide-Delt Ranch, Kappa Cocktail, and Monmouth-go-seek. The Vice President-Academic Excellence stressed Throughout the importance of good grades with year,wealso raise money for the new “Smarty Pants” system at chapter meetingsB+ Foundation through fundraising campaigns. Alumnae members As Moriah grows older,we are often invited so lucky to campus have had the chance to speak get to the chapter about job applications know her and careersher family.
'''Housing:'''Beta Xi is currently one of only two Greek houses on the University of Texas Our chapter meets every Monday at Austin campus 6 pm in which. 60 members are able to live, most usually live what we call the "Great Room" in during their junior or senior yearthe house. Every MondayAt 5pm, the sisters gather for we offer chapter dinner before to the entire chapter meeting. As dinner comes to an end, our HouseBoys assist us in moving the tables and lunch is provided every day for members. Every two weeks, chairs from a delicious Mexican Guest Lunch is held where Kappas can bring dining room setting to more of a guest from outside of the Fraternitypresentation-style setting.
'''Philanthropy:'''Every year,we have multiple girls from our chapter apply to ride for Texas 4000. TexasBeta Xi continued hosting 4000 is a non-profit organization that hosts one of the spring Easter party longest bicycle rides in theworld. The Kappas who apply and the fall Halloween party are accepted raise thousands of dollars, training all year for local elementary students every yeartheir ride from Austin to Alaska. In 2011, the Kappa Cookout was again held Our chapter assists these members by the chapter and raised $7postingon social media,800 for the Davis Moon Projectselling t-shirts, an organization previously supported by Beta Xi’s effortsand helping raise money. Kappa once again faced off in a game Not only are we incrediblyproud of powder puff football against Pi Phiour girls who take on this task, an event that raised approximately $5,000 we also commend our chapter for the Austin Children’s Shelteroutpouringlove and support they provide.Summer 2018 Riders:PeytonBertramandLindaCastranova;Summer 2019 Riders:JulieDeLaRosa
==2012==
The 2012 calendar year started off with the newly elected officers of the Beta Xi chapter making a smooth transition into their new positions. Chapter Council also kicked off the year by hosting the LEAD seminar with Kappas from Texas A&M and Texas Tech. The chapter council, led by President Erin Weitzel, met every Sunday evening to plan upcoming meetings and events throughout the year. Erin implemented pillars of organization and enthusiasm which set the tone for the chapter council officers. This was a very important year for Beta Xi and many improvements were made to better our chapter this past year. The officers worked very hard to better the chapter and efficiently and effectively follow out their duties.
Callie Williams, Vice President of Organization, maintained an organized calendar of all the events throughout the year and communicated with officers and the chapter about what events to put on the calendar. Along with Callie the Chapter Council put together a great Leadership Action Plan that highlighted the goals of the Chapter for the upcoming year. Callie also assisted with giving chapter members the ability to fill out a Google Form to indicate which committee they are interested in and would prefer to be in, rather than simply designating members to random committee. This was a big change for our Chapter Committees that made members at large much more dedicated to their committee. Callie also prepared for the Leadership Consultant's visit to the the Beta Xi Chapter and hosted her during her stay.
Laurel Pugliese, Vice President ==Highlights of Standards, worked with her committee to perfect the bus system and make sure members were upholding the standards of the Fraternity policy. Laurel also organized the Chapter retreat at Alamo Draft house in January to encourage chapter-wide bonding. All of Beta Xi attended for singing and dancing to 90's music. Laurel also planned many events for the Chapter to increase bonding such as movies at the house or profit shares at Red Mango. 2019==
Ady Wetegrove, Vice President Academic Excellence, helped our Chapter improve our overall GPA to be above Several members of Kappa are a part of the peer buddy in Best Buddies. They ar epaired with an adult with an intellectual disability and he’s their"buddy"at all the All Sorority Average events for the Spring rest of 2012the school year.It is a great way for our members to stay involved in the community as well as make an impact in someone's life. She and her committee held individuals I would say that all our members involved in Best Buddies have learned more accountable for from the program than they expected. Our members are also involved in our philanthropy,Reading is Fundamental. There is an event at Wooldridge Elementary School where members go hang out with the children at the school, paint their individual grades while providing them assistancefaces, make bracelets, draw pictures, play basketball and everyone's favorite, play musical chairs. She There are also incorporated “office hours” other events we are involved in such as an online fundraiser for B+ Foundation, Girls Academy (middle school girls retreat on leadership, service, and respect), book drives, participated in Phi Psi Stuff the Truck, DG Desserts, Alpha Phi's Mac N' Phis, Pi Phi's Pi Burger's & Phries, ADPi's PiHop, won SDT EAT your way around competition, Kappa Pi Phi carnival, fundraising for New Members Texas4000, donated menstrual products to PERIOD.Each of our members are dedicated to their success and any other have achieved incredible things while at the University of Texas. One of our members needing further guidance during registration was awarded a $1500 grant for thesis research, she is the Spring 2013 semester. She co-president of Plan II student association, was also organized study snacks at awarded the house AJ and Lynda Hare Scribante Scholarship for $3000, and is a counselor for Dell Medical Summer Science Camp. We have a lot going on Tuesday but we are all there to support each other and continued the "Smarty Pants" system from last yearhelp out when someone could use another hand.
Philanthropy Chairman Margaret Smith Our members are involved in certain programs and Assistant Philanthropy Chairs Ellen Perkins clubs on campus and Courtney Catalani a majority hold officer positions in those organizations. A few of the things they have worked together to plan all chapter-wide philanthropy events. Margaret made some changes this year accomplish include improved transition for freshman Plan II students by creating new activities and opportunities for involvement, contributed to our program with the national philanthropyenrichment and closeness of Greek community, Reading is Fundamental. She planned a Reading Festival for the whole chapter donated 300 books to attend Wooldridge Elementary, and provided support, education, and leadership to teach kids Wooldridge students, B+ hero, and spend the day working with them and having fun with summer camp kids. She also planned a book drive so that each kid could take home a book. Margaret also helped plan Kappa Cookout in the FallWe support Reading is Fundamental, Pi Phi vs. Kappa Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation We chose RIF because it is our national philanthropy powder puff game and we want to participate in the spring, core values of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Hosting RIF events and got members involved book drives connects us with our sisters within the Wonderball where we went dressed up as princesses chapter and helped with face paint and costumesthroughout the nation. Margaret provided We chose the chapter B+ Foundation because it is a local philanthropy that we can participate in with many other volunteer activities such as Kisses from Kappa sororities and fraternities on Valentines Day where we took valentine goodies to a retirement homethe University of Texas campus.
Sara Beth Tunnel, Event Chairman, worked hard to plan and schedule all of the social events for the year. She worked very closely with Risk Management to plan events that would be safe and uphold the Fraternity standards. She found fun and unique venues to host events with other sororities or parents of Kappas. In 2012 she planned Kappa Pi Phi Monmouth, Kappa Mom's Weekend, Kappa Dad's Weekend, Kappa Date Dash, Kappa Chi O Owloween, Kappa Tri Delt Ranch, Kappa Parent's Weekend, Kappa Kidnap, and Kappa Cocktail. These events were fun, safe, organized, and help brought the chapter closer together.
Kelsey Koentges, Pubic Relations Chairman, did a great job ==Highlights of helping keep members active and bridged the gap between the chapter, university, parents, and alums. She created a monthy newsletter to send out to parents of Kappas and the Beta Xi chapter. She also planned the Easter and Halloween party, both were held at the house for alumni and their children. She helped organize the babysitting list and the Kappa Chirstmas card which was sent out to other UT sororities and families of Beta Xi members. Kelsey also kept the system of the "Round Up Newsletter which summarized the year and sent it out to the Chapter. 2020==
Kathryn Uecker, Beta Xi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma had a great year! Multiple members were awarded KKG foundation academic scholarships. Ashley Duester (PC ’17) was awarded the UT Sorority and Fraternity Education ChairmanLife Office Outstanding Member of 2020 award. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, was we were lucky enough host a sisterhood basketball game in charge of planning program nights at February and the houseMonmouth date event on March 2nd, 2020. She provided After life started to change, sisterhood events began to look more socially distant. On November 10th, 2020 we held a sisterhood ice cream event at Zilker Park and a hot chocolate event in the chapter with fun speakers and programs such as Zumbakey garden during finals week in December. Another large improvement was made We continued to stay philanthropically involved by Kathryn by rehosting a chapter drive-implement Senior Programming – a once a month program night in donation to EJI in Spring 2020. Because of the pandemic, we created operation plans for Seniors managing chapter facilities in place the midst of meetingCOVID-19. We conducted a virtual work week, recruitment, and bid day. Kathryn also planned Founders Day in October where the Beta Xi All new member meetings, formal and reverse pledging ceremonies, and formal chapter meetings were held virtually through zoom (informal chapter recognizes meetings consisted of a PowerPoint made by the founding members of chapter council and hosts an event for alumni in sent out to the Austin areaentire chapter). Further, initiation was completely virtual and combined into one ceremony.
Mary Beth Burgher, Membership Chairman, assisted by Sullivan Franklin-Mitchell, Isabel Dann, Molly Henson and Kat Schindler succesfully prepared for Recruitment. They held 3 recruitment workshops in The Chapter celebrated Founders Day with a brunch at the spring to plan for recruitment in the fallBeta Xi KKG House. They also implemented new fun ways Kappa Alumni were invited to come celebrate recruitment such as having members talk about their favorite parts the exciting day and share with each other the power of recruitment during chapter meetingsKappa women. They set up different committes There was a speaker who presented a little bit about Kappa and helped implement new change. Beta Xi greeted the largest pledge class in Kappa history of it and we celebrated the new members on Bid Day by taking them to Abel's on the Lake for everyone had a fun dinnergreat time in each others company.
Katie Satterwhite, New Member Chairman, worked hard alongside Avery Walker The chapter began to integrate the new members into the chaptercelebrate Kappa’s 150th anniversary with Founders Day. They organized many different activities Customized cups and napkins were made for the new members and helped bring them together guests of Founders Day as a pledge class and well as a chapter. They taught for the new active members the traditions and history of Kappa. They worked alongside Caroline Cooper our Marshall to teach the New members the rituals of Kappa after Initiation. They made Inspiration week fun for use throughout the new members and helped Caroline with Initationyear.
Kelly BowmanFor our philanthropy we support B+ Foundation, House ChairmanReading is Fundamental, served as a liason between the and various COVID relief organizations: Fuel Our Heroes, Communities in house girls, staffSchools of Central Texas, Boys and Miss JudiGirls Club. She helped organize RIF is our Kappa affiliate philanthropy and clarify B+ supports children battling cancer. As for COVID relief participation, we felt that the house points system and selecting 60 members pandemic was one of the chapter to live in the house. She met with the staff greatest crisis of our lifetime and Miss Judi we needed to make sure the house was running smoothly and attended house board meetings. Kelly provided gifts for the staff throughout the year. She also organized Sunday dinners for help in house girls that were provided from local Austin restaurantsany way possible.
Sarah SnellingThe chapter fund raised for the Equal Justice Initiative, Treasurerstarted a summer anti-racism book club, was in charge on handling the chapters finances. She worked extremely hard to make sure that the new Bill Highway system was working well established a Diversity and that members could understand how to use it. She was in charge Inclusion position of the dues, budget chapter council and committee for Chapter Counci, and any other charges that needed to be maderecruitment. She also worked to reinburse members All Diversity and offiers Inclusion positions and worked with favors to bill members through bill highwaycommittees were made permanent.
Ksenia Kolesnikova, Panhellenic DelegateTo celebrate 150 years of Kappa, served as the liason between Panhellenic and Beta Xi. She represented the chapter by voting for Panhellenic initatives. She also attended meetings each week our education chair made gift packages and reported back sent them to the Chapter about new policies set by Panhellenic. This was a big year in the Nation's history. President Obama was reelected as President all of the United States and Kappas gathered in the living room to watch the events unfold and watch the weekly debates between candidatesalumnae being honored. Many Kappas donated to the different campaigns In these gift packs were personalized Yeti cups and almost every Kappa participated in voting. Another big event in 2012 was the London Olympics. A few Beta Xi members actually attended events at the Olympics. Beta Xi members were involved in many different organizations worldwide from volunteering in South Africa to traveling to South America for mission worknotes.
Campus: Beta Xi Here is very involved with the University of Texasa link to our Instagram that was run by our PR chair. We try to promote members of It features pictures posted following public health guidelines and how we handled the chapter to be involved in different organizations on campus. Many Kappas are members social media aspect of honors societies such as the Dean's list or Order of Omegapandemic. A few Kappas participate in Student Government and the Texas Athletic programhttps://www. There were a few changes that were made to our campus in 2012 such as adding new buildings, banning smoking on campus, and having the library open 24 hours a dayinstagram. com/texaskkg/?hl=en
Chapter: The Beta Xi chapter has many strengths and some weaknesses that we improved on in 2012. As a chapter we are extremely unified. Throughout all grades girls are friends and spend lots of time together. Every day you can see many girls across campus wearing Kappa shirts. We are extremely proud of our Chapter and members are very dedicated to Beta Xi. We lacked in communication between the Chapter and Chapter Council and we worked very hard to fix that and now have clarity between the two.
==Highlights of 2020s:==
(From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)
'''Housing:'''
In 2021, the Beta Xi chapter continued to thrive despite the complex environment of the evolving pandemic, and the chapter was a place of refuge for its members. In the early spring, chapter members stayed connected through virtual chapters and outdoor sisterhood events including a coffee bar in the KKG courtyard and a profit share with a delicious ice cream sandwich truck to raise money for our philanthropies. Later in the semester, the chapter had its first semi-formal in over a year. The event was split up by grade level and members and their dates were COVID tested prior to the event. 87 members had 4.0s in the spring semester, and the chapter raised thousands of dollars for philanthropies including RIF, B+, Allies Against Slavery, and National Coalition against human trafficking. In the summer, Recruitment week was an exciting time for the chapter. It was the first time the entire chapter was able to be together since early 2020, and new bonds were formed while old bonds were strengthened. In the fall, chapter events and meetings were once again in-person. The return of Kappa lunch was welcomed by the chapter, as members were once again able to spend time together eating and studying at the Kappa house.
'''Philanthropy:'''
'''Convention Awards:'''
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'''Note to Chapter Registrar:'''
Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of The Key to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance.
Your efforts will ensure Operating in a complete PandemicHow did your chapter operations change due to COVID-19 (e.g., how did it affect recruitment, initiation, etc. Were events/activities held virtually?). Share what you have done this year. Chapter operations were impacted by COVID-19. During the spring, chapter and chapter council meetings were held virtually, and sisterhood and philanthropy events were usually outside in smaller groups. Work week and recruitment were a hybrid environment. Many work week activities were in-person, wearing masks. Recruitment was virtual until the preference round, which was split into two days, socially distanced, and accurate history masked. In the fall, the chapter saw a return to many more in-person events. The initiation ceremonies were once again in-person, although Fireside was split into two groups to facilitate social distancing. The chapter also elected to use the combined service for initiation, per the recommendation of your chapter Kappa nationals, to limit close contact between initiates and alumnae. The white room had less draping to allow for future generations better ventilation, and seniors were not required to enjoy!attend so that the room was less crowded than it would have been in a pre-pandemic initiation.
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|Image= [[File:Beta_Xi.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1902|05|12}}
|College= [httphttps://www.utexas.edu/ University of Texas at Austin]
|Location= Austin, TX
|Homepage= [https://chaptersutexas.kappakappagammakappa.org/betaxi/ Beta Xi Homepage]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Beta_Xi Media related to Beta Xi Chapter]}}
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'''4,448 817 initiates (as of June 20132018)'''
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'''Some of Beta Xi’s Outstanding MembersCharter members:''' (If you have chapter alumnae who have received recognition in any of these three categories Olatia Crane, please list them with the date(s) of recognitionHelen Olive Devine, Fanny West Harris, Alma Keturah Jones, Minnie Avelyn Petty, Marian Leigh Rather, Katherine Andrews Searcy, Eva Miriam Sodekson, Josephine Lucile Wathen.)
'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''
Helen Knox, 1952, banker, author, Red Cross volunteer;
Prudence Mahaffey Mackintosh, 1988, author of books and magazines;
Miley Tucker Busiek (Frost), 1990, sculptor whose work appears on the $50gold bullion coin;Sunny Hare Scribante, 2012, philanthropist;Dorothy Slator Paterson, 2014, international volunteer, breast health awareness advocate; Rosemary Dunaway Trible, 2014, TV host, author, foounder Fear2Freedom Foundation; '''Additional Outstanding Beta Xi Alumnae:'''
Ann Haun (Barlow), Graduate Counselor 1961-1962;
Nancy Haun (Dozier), Graduate Counselor 1959-1960;
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==The Early Years==
==Highlights of 2000-2010==
Beta Xi welcomed the new millenium millennium with a variety of new chapter activities. Each year, the sisters gathered at a chapter retreat in the fall to build and restore relationships within the chapter. New sisterhood programs included television nights, a makeover with a make-up artist, a cooking class, a yoga class, manicures, and a ceramics class. To prepare for Recruitment, a Work Week was held in which the entire chapter learned new skits, practiced old songs, and perfected Recruitment strategies. A leadership workshop for the outgoing and incoming officers, and their advisers, to aid in the transition process. The Vice President-Academic Excellence work ==Highlights of 2016== 2016 was a year characterized by strength, endurance, and evolution for Beta Xi. Still without our beloved house, the Kappas faced new challenges, bound together by friendship instead of the walls of the house itself. The campus climate was tumultuous. The chapter itself stumbled and fell on a few occasions. But as the year comes to a close, we can look back and say that in spite of all of that, we learned and we grew. We are finishing 2016 stronger, more unified, and better than when we began it. We are excited to move into our house come January! But before we transition into 2017, we want to look back and reflect on all we learned. In January, the new Beta Xi Chapter Council was eager to continue the legacy of great leadership of past officers, as well as accomplishing new goals for out chapter. For President, Ellen Crowe served; For Vice President Standards, Anna Wittenmeyer served; For Vice President Organization, Hailey Becker served; For Vice President Academic Excellence, Erin Kreindler served; For Recording Secretary, Ali Purnell served; For Corresponding Secretary, Charlotte Paine served; For Treasurer, Payton Scott served; For Assistant Treasurer, Camille Szelc served; For Registrar, Avery Travis served; For Marshal, Hannah Love served; For Education Chairman, Caroline Smyrl served; For House Chairman, Sara Shaw served; For Membership Chairman, Riley Longtain served; For New Member Chairman, Tai Massimilian served; For Panhellenic Delegate, Alex Page served; For Philanthropy Chairman, Berkley Johnson served; For Public Relations Chairman, Kathryn Stouffer served; For Risk Management Chairman, Grace Winston served; and For Event Chairman, Mallory Morris served. Without our trusty senior girls to guide us and without a house to meet in, Chapter Council braved the unknown and began to meet. Ellen Crowe (President) began the year with efficiency and care, planning and leading Chapter Council meetings. They finalized edits on the chapter bylaws and standing rules, educated themselves on how to use the Kappa drive and webinars, and reviewed the expectations and responsibilities of Chapter Council members with the help of Hailey Becker (VP Organization). She went over goals for the year, including chapter unity, continuing to revamp philanthropy, and getting the chapter on board with the Risk Management policies, as well as the rules and goals of Standards Committee. Chapter council discussed some ways to hold the chapter accountable for their actions at events and to reinforce new standards for behavior for everyone. We decided to change our buddy system from “bigs” and “littles,” to a “pick-a-buddy” system, where the girls signed up with a friend before events to be their accountability partner. Grace Winstonbus-riding attendance at events, while AnnaWittenmyer (VP Standards) streamlined the way we approach standards decisions. Sara Shaw (House Chair) worked tirelessly alongside our House Board, as renovations plowed on. Kathryn Stouffer (Public Relations Chairman) continued to educate members about the GIN system and published yet another great issue of “Round Up”, the annual Kappa newsletter. The new leaders conducted the first few chapter meetings with thoroughness and efficiency, growing more comfortable meeting in the Student Union and in their new positions. The year started off with a bang, with an organized Chapter Council and an excited group of Kappas. In February, Kappas were getting settled in with their classes, and the officers were beginning to get the hang of their new responsibilities: planning events, running meetings, and fulfilling their duties more easily. Berkley Johnson (Philanthropy Chair) took it upon herself to completely revamp Beta Xi’s philanthropic efforts. She continued the new partnership with the B+ Foundation that the last philanthropy chair began, combining Kappa’s passion for reading with our love of kids.We adopted a B+ Hero named Moriah, who is battling cancer, and made her an honorary “sister.” Kappas began visiting Moriah at the hospital, playing games, doing puzzles, and when she felt up to it, even having dance parties with our newest little Kappa. Mallory Morris (Event Chairman) and Grace Winston (Risk Management) pulled off a great Monmouth formal at Brazos Hall, and everyone had a wonderful time with their dates and Pi Phi friends. Riley Longtain (Membership Chairman) held a very successful first recruitment workshop with the freshman, teaching them the in’s and out’s of rush and the importance of the spring semester for recruiting. While Kappa prepared for recruitment, so did Alex Page (Panhellenic Delegate) and Grace Anne McGinnis, a Kappa who served as Vice President of UT’s Panhellenic Council. They began a wonderful year of working together and representing Kappa well to other sororities and to UPC. We rounded out the month with a visit from our moms, with fun shopping events and a brunch at The Grove downtown to celebrate Mom’s Weekend. Then came March, another great month for Beta Xi, as the spring semester was in full swing. Hannah Love (Marshal) led a successful and efficient ritual workshop to refresh the chapter on the ritual and history of our organization. Erin Kreindler (VP Academic Excellence) continued to encourage the girls to study hard, with fun Study Snacks events like pizza catering and coffee after chapter! Riley continued to hold Rush Workshops with the freshman and the older girls to prepare for recruitment and develop a strategy to show girls what Kappa is all about, despite our lack of a house. Hailey Becker (VP Organization) worked hard to plan for the leadership consultant’s upcoming visit in April. April was a busy month as usual for Beta Xi. Our leadership consultant, Kate Burton, came and brought some amazing ideas for our chapter with her. She hung out with our members, doing fun things around Austin and helped our officers grow in their leadership abilities. Hailey Becker (VP Organization) did an amazing job making Kate feel at home. Berkley Johnson (Philanthropy Chair) helped plan our fundraiser, Kappa Pi-Phi Carnival, complete with snow cones and live music, raising money for our philanthropy. We love joining forces with another sorority who also cares about supporting literacy, and the event was a blast as usual. She also held a successful RIF event at Wooldridge Elementary. The entire chapter came together and set up stations at the school to play games, read, decorate bookmarks, and get their faces painted. At the end of the laughter-filled event, each child took home a book (or two!). Mallory Morris (Event Chairman) planned an awesome Dad’s Weekend, with food catered on a fun rooftop venue and the chapter attending the Spring football game with their dads. She and Grace Winston (Risk Management) also planned another successful event with our friends in Theta, called Kite & Key. The event was held at a venue downtown and everyone had a wonderful time. A senior Kappa, Kallen Dimitroff ran for Student Body President of the University of Texas, and despite her campaign’s loss, it wasincredible to see the whole chapter gather around her and support her with pride. Kappa events slowed and finals approached, as May rolled around. Caroline Smyrl (Education Chairman) conducted Senior Sendoff, a fun event after chapter where we recognize the seniors and hear funny memories from years past, including poems and “twinkies” from some seniors’ parents. These very seniors then became alums after graduation celebrations, and it was made official in Key Reports. Some of them got into top graduate schools to continue their studies, while others headed off to work in cities around the country. They were off into the world! Payton Scott (Treasurer) worked hard to set up the budget for the upcoming school year, and held budget meetings with all of the Chapter Council officers. Tai Massimilian (New Member Chairman) and Riley Longtain (Membership Chairman) both worked hard to prepare for recruitment and the new pledge class coming in August, with the added challenge of finding a home for Spirit and Recruitment weeks without our house. We talked to event halls and fraternity houses, and we finally found a place to hold the events and welcome our new members…stay tuned below! Riley also held the last recruitment workshop and began planning for the summer with her incredible team. The girls in dorms, apartments, and houses packed their bags and headed out of Austin, waving goodbye to this school year. Over the summer, Kappa sisters spread out across the globe for internships, jobs, and study abroad programs. From Spain, to New York, to Paris, to Dallas and Houston and Galveston, to all the way in Australia, Kappas took the world by storm. But the months flew by, as summer always does, and came to a close. By August, everyone was ready to get back to their Kappa friends, to Austin, and to the University of Texas. But unlike years past, when Kappas ran into our house on University Avenue to improve prepare for recruitment, this year we ran into…the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house, another temporary home! The SAE fraternity boys kindly let us borrow their conveniently located house for a few weeks. And as we did with the Union, we turned the SAE house into a home. Kappa seems to have an uncanny knack of making anywhere feel like a loving home. It could be a room in the Student Union, a study abroad dorm, a cramped apartment full of Kappas working in New York city, or a fraternity house, but if Kappas are together, it feels like home. It is definitely a skill we are proud of! Riley Longtain (Recruitment Chair) and her team’s hard work over the past semester culminated at the end of August. Spirit week was a blast, and the chapter’s Ghard work during a long week of recruiting paid off when 68 awesome new members came running to the Littlefield fountain on campus, to be welcomed by our chapter with open arms.PThe stresses of a long Recruitment and being without a real home took a toll on the chapter, however.A Our chapter stumbled on Bid Night with some behavioral issues that we know are unacceptable. Ellen Crowe (President) and the Chapter Council quickly jumped into action, taking ownership of our mistakes and trying to get the chapter back on track. We would have been lost without the fearless leadership of Ellen, the patience of Anna Wittenmyer (VP Standards), the planning of Hailey Becker (VP Organization), and the maturity of Tai Massimillian (New Member Chairman). We knew there would be consequences and this would be a long road ahead, but we also knew that changes that needed to occur. We were nervous but excited for how our chapter would evolve because of this challenge. In spite of the chaos, September rolled around, and the Kappas were back. With a crazy Longhorn football win against Notre Dame, we began our classes with excitement and our horns up high! We continued holding chapter meetings in the Student Union, our temporary home. The first meeting ran smoothly as chapter council got back in the swing of things, and the new members learned the ins and outs of their new chapter. Following the events of Bid Day, we were visited by implementing Emily Murdock and Illiana Garcia, our Theta District director and specialist. They helped our Chapter Council remember the “why?” of our chapter, as well as realign the goals of Beta Xi with that of the “Owl Jar” national organization. They inspired our leaders to be better and to lead our chapter out of this slump. They began helping us build a strategic plan to improve our chapter and help us rectify the mistakes of the weeks prior. Weeks passed, with the first formal meeting held by Hannah Love (Marshal) and programnights like the one featuring Shannon Moody, which recognized where we learned about the Jeremiah Project, a center for single mothers, organized by Caroline Smyrl (Fraternity Education Chairman). Hailey Becker (VP Organization) revamped committee nights, helping each committee set goals for the semester. We also had an exciting visit from the Fraternity President Beth Black, held at an alumni’s house in Austin. It was incredible for some of our officers to meet such an inspiring leader of the organization that we love so much. Erin Kreindler (VP Academic Excellence) was happy to report that 13 of our chapter members received 4.0 GPA’s in the spring, and the chapter’s cumulative GPA was 3.47, as the grade report came in. Kappa competed in the second annual Greek Get Down dance competition—and though we didn’t place like we did last year, we had so much fun dancing! Much of the team was made up of our new members , so it was a great way for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors to all get to know one another. Mallory Morris (Event Chairman) organized our first fun event, Kappa Kidnap, at a dance hall outside of Austin. With cowboy boots and dresses on, the Kappas danced the night away to country music from a live band. Soon enough the semester was in full swing. October was yet another busy month for Beta Xi. The TX-OU football game was a blast, even though our beloved Longhorns lost. Mallory Morris (Event Chairman) planned a fun date event with Tri-Delt, and ended the month with our traditional Halloween dance, called Owl-o-ween, with Chi Omega. We absolutely love doing events with our friends in other sororities! But double the girls, means double the amount of people trying to safely get home. Despite some bumps in the road in our risk management policies in the past, Grace Winston (Risk Management Chair) and Anna Wittenmyer (VP Standards) did an amazing job encouraging everyone to follow our policies. The buddy system became more successful as the semester went on, and as well as bus riding attendance. Hannah Love (Marshal) did a stellar job planning and executing Initiation, in our second year without a house. Initiation was held in a different church than the year before, but Hannah was calm in the face of chaos, and the event ran as smoothly as ever. The newly initiated members had a wonderful morning, and afterwards joined their parents and friends for a fun brunch at Hotel Ella near campus. Caroline Smyrl (Fraternity Education Chairman) did an outstanding job planning Founder’s Day. The event was held at AT&T Conference Center. Actives and alumnae alike enjoyed stories from alums, songs from the Kappa pickers, and a presentation by the House Board, who has worked so hard workon the house renovations. Hannah Love (Marshal), Kaki Miller (Key Sis Chair), and introducing Tai Massimilian (New Member Chairman) worked together to organize a “Big Sis, Little Sis” event with photos by the “Study FairyUniversity Tower,then on to fun event at a trampoline park! Avery Travis (Registrar) planned composites, and the Kappas “smiled pretty” for their photos. Avery coordinated with the same company from the year before to have composites taken in the Union. Our temporary home at the Union was really starting to feel like ours own—we had taken over! Many chapter members said they will actually miss our makeshift Union “house.” In November the semester was quickly wrapping up. Mallory Morris (Event Chairman) did a great job planning a fun parent’s weekend and a Kappa Kasual, our last event of the semester. The event was held at Cedar Street Courtyard downtown, with a magical being who rewarded fun live band. Then came the tumultuous 2016 Presidential Election that divided our campus. Kappas found studying went out and voted for their choice, but our nation was not the only thing that was struggling to unify in the face of adversity. Ellen and theofficers continued to edit and work on campusthe Strategic Plan for upcoming year. With Ellen’s great vision and the help of the national organization itself, our specialists and the chapter members, we were able to construct a plan that would allow Kappa to grow in the coming years. Avery Travis (Registrar) was elected slate chairman, and worked extremely hard to conduct meetings with her dedicated and passionate slate committee to nominate the officers for next year. This year was tougher than ever, with so many great candidates stepping up for officer positions. The Slate Committee knew how important these choices were, considering the issues from Bid Day, the strategic plan, and the new trajectory that Kappa was on—in order to improve and come back stronger. The committee worked hard to pick the best possible girls for the chapter council of 2017. The committee gave the slate presentation at meeting in November, and officer transitions began quickly after, and the new and old Chapter Councils began working together. As usual, Kappas were able to come together to create a unified group of sisterhood and friendship.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
Kathryn Stouffer, current member, outgoing PR Chair Sarah Shaw, current member, outgoing House
Chair Tricia Cury, former president and recent alum Chandler Foster, recent alum
Hannah Meehan, Beta Xi Chapter Council advisor
The Beta Xi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma had an excellent year of growth and bonding in2017. In January, a new group of Chapter Council members began meeting and carrying on thelegacy of excellent, cooperative leadership our chapter has had in recent years. Hannah Love wasPresident, Tai Massimilian was VP Standards, Kaki Miller was VP Organization, Payton Scott wasVP Academic Excellence, Lauren Fisher was Recording Secretary, Emily Parnell wasCorresponding Secretary, Cameron Shepherd was Membership Chairman, Sarah Gregory was NewMember Chairman, Camille Szelc was Treasurer, Jennifer Harbour was Assistant Treasurer,Emma Riddle was Philanthropy Chairman, Hallie Smith was Event Chairman, Caroline Smyrl wasRegistrar, Grace Winston was House Chairman, Charlotte Fitzpatrick was Marshal, AudreyHalbrook was Risk Management Chairman, Regan Ewing was Panhellenic Delegate, TessaLauritzen was the Public Relations Chairman, and Allison Ainsworth was Education Chairman.2017’s Chapter Council has worked tremendously hard to implement our strategic plan to get ourchapter back in good standing with both Kappa nationals and the university.By far the most exciting thing for our chapter in 2017 has been being able to be back in our newlyremodeled house! We have been so grateful for the Beta Xi House Board and all the time, money,energy, and thought that they put into the plans to remodel our historic chapter house. Before thebeginning of school, the House Board hosted an open house for alumnae, donors, families, andmembers to view the amazing changes to the house. It was such a priority special time for Beta Xi members of all ages to come together and share in the excitement of the opening. The very nextday, active members moved in, and the house immediately sprang to life. It has been such ablessing for the chapter to have a common meeting grounds again and to share meals together,study together, and have our meetings as a chapter in the house.Also in January, Hannah (President) began Chapter Council meetings by having all of ChapterCouncil read the twentyStrategic Plan for our chapter’s Warning of Probation and review the goals andcalendar we had set for the semester. Some of our goals included improvement in chaptermanagement, recruitment, new member experience and programming, standards and riskmanagement, and panhellenic leadership. Hannah also scheduled and coordinated a meetingbetween Chapter Council and Katherine Latta, our Leadership Development specialist, for aStrategic Plan workshop and a discussion over Start With Why , a book that all of Chapter Councilhad read over Christmas break. During our first Chapter meeting of the semester, Hannah wentover the strategic plan, emphasizing its importance for all members, and reading our ChapterMission Statement. Tai (VPS) also went over standards behavioral expectations during the firstmeeting and also held elections for the new Standards Committee members. Grace (House Chair)organized an Orientation for the in-house girls from House Board to explain the rules andorganization of the house. Grace and Tai also gave a presentation to the chapter during the first centurymeeting about respecting our newly remodeled house. Cameron (Membership Chair) also held aworkshop for the freshmen on a Sunday at the end of the month to teach them the ins and outs ofrecruitment on the other side and to emphasize the importance of our strategic goals for therecruitment process.February began with a visit from our Leadership Consultant, Maddy. Kaki (VPO) organized agreat week in Austin for her, and chapter council enjoyed spending time with her at the house andmeeting with her individually to discuss ways to improve each office. Hallie (Event Chair) andAudrey (Risk Management) planned a great Monmouth formal with the Pi Phis at Palm Door.Everyone had a great night with their dates, dancing with the band all night and taking pictures inthe photo booth. Emily (Corresponding Secretary) also gave a presentation to the chapter on theGIN system, which the officers have been using more effectively throughout the year tocommunicate information to the chapter. Sarah (New Member) also finalized the plans for the newmember bid day retreat in the Fall, which was something that our chapter had never done before.She did an excellent job planning and communicating to Chapter Council, and Reagan(Panhellenic) discussed our exciting plans with other chapters, who followed Kappas lead inimplementing an off-campus retreat in their bid day plans rather than releasing the girls aftermidnight. The March was another exciting month for Beta Xi with lots of events and activities for our actives to allbond. Cameron (Membership) hosted another recruitment workshop for the freshmen where shebegan to teach them the songs and dances. Her and her team began to familiarize the freshmenwith more details of recruitment week. They also met with the newly appointed area assistant todevelop strategies. In the middle of the month, the doors of Kappa locked and the chapter maintained traditions such dispersed across the country and the world for a fun-filled Spring Break! As soon as everyonereturned from their trips, Emma (Philanthropy) began getting everyone excited for the upcomingphilanthropy opportunities. In the week after Spring Break, she encouraged the entire chapter toget their families and friends to participate in the B+ Campaign. The campaign was acampus-wide competition before the Round Up weekend, and Kappa Klassic Pool Tournamentproudly raised around$4,000. Emma also planned our annual Pi Phi Kappa Karnival event, hosted at the Pi Phi housewith live music, snow cones, face painting, which and a petting zoo. Beta Xi raised almost $56,000 from Karnival todonate to RIF! During April, we said goodbye to our house mom, Ms. Judi. We are so grateful forthe years she spent making sure the Beta Xi house felt like a home for all the members. Hallie(Events) wrapped up the month by planning an awesome Dad’s Weekend. The chapter enjoyeddinner with their dad’s at Dirty Martin’s on Friday, and the next day everyone got to enjoy a tour ofthe Kappa house and a private tour of the Darrell K. Royal Memorial Football Stadium! We alsohad very productive chapter meetings during March. In fulfillment of our probation terms with theUniversity, we had an informative and interactive alcohol awareness presentation from UniversityHealth Services. Although it was a required program, the entire chapter found it interesting andhelpful to understand the best way to socialize responsible in a college environment. Kaki (VPO)also continued to work on making Committee Chapter Meetings a fun way for every member tofeel like they contribute to our chapter. She restructured the Committee Night schedule to makesure that committees completed their agendas.In April, the semester was in full swing and we had another great month for Beta Xi. At thebeginning of the month, we welcomed our new house mom, Ms. Sherri to the Beta Xi house! Wehave loved the life, love and warmth she has brought to her house with her constant cheeriness andfamous shortbread. Nicole Covert, our Recruitment Advisor, received the award for OutstandingAdvisor from University Fraternity and Sorority Life. Nicole is more than deserving of this award.Not only does she put in countless hours of work for our chapter, but she is an outstanding mom,friend, and volunteer. We are so proud and thankful to have her as part of our amazing advisoryboard! Tessa (PR) also planned an Easter Party at the Kappa house, with an Easter egg hunt,cookie decorating, pictures, and more fun. Hallie (Event Chair) planned two great events duringApril. We had another fun semi-formal, Kite and Key, with Theta at the Summit. She also plannedan awesome Mom’s Weekend, with a shopping event at Adelante on Friday, a dinner at Max’s, andbrunch at the house on Saturday. Cameron (Membership) closed out the month with achapter-wide recruitment workshop, the last workshop of the semester. In accordance with ourStrategic Plan, the recruitment team updated the members on Panhellenic and Kappa NationalsrulesIn May, things at the Beta Xi house started to quiet down as all the members began to prepare fortheir finals and the semester came to an end. Before everyone dispersed for the summer. Allison(Education) conducted the Senior Sendoff, a charity humorous and sentimental event where the seniorsget to share funny memories from their college years and share what their next chapter has in 2006storefor them as they leave UT and Kappa. Other philanthropic activities included holding The Alumnae Board also gave a presentation to the seniorsto tell them about the opportunities the Kappa alumnae network has for them. Caroline (Registrar)also put them on alumnae status on Key Reports. Chapter Council ended the spring by settinggoals and preparing for the upcoming semester. Grace (House) worked with the Sophomores toget roommate requests for the upcoming year. Sarah (New Member) and Cameron (Membership)continued to make plans for recruiting new members and making their experience in Kappa thebest ever.Over the summer, the members of Beta Xi parted ways for summer school, internships, and studyabroad experiences. Tessa (PR) collected photos from all the different adventures to post on ourchapter’s Tumblr, Instagram, and other social media accounts. Cameron, her team, and the areaassistants worked extremely hard all summer to prepare for recruitment week, and all of their effortpaid off. We had a fun and successful work week and recruitment week in August. We happilywelcomed 73 new members to their home at 2001 University Avenue on Bid Day! Sarah’s plan forthe new member bid day retreat at Camp Balcones Springs was very well received, and all the newKappas had an enjoyable and safe time playing games and getting to know their new sisters intheir pledge class.In September, school came in full swing, and the chapter enjoyed spending time together, eatingmeals at the house, studying together, and attending football games. Chapter Council worked tomake sure that the New Members really felt that the Beta Xi house was their home on campus.Grace (House) got all of their fingerprints in our lock system, and Emily (CorrespondingSecretary) and Caroline (Registrar) entered their contact information into Key Reports and the GinSystem to make sure they received all chapter correspondence. After a post-recruitment meetingwith Panhellenic, Tai was happy to report to the chapter that we had significantly reduced ourfines from previous years! Before the first date event, Tai also gave a presentation to the entirechapter during meeting to lay out expectations and the standards that we hold each other to insocial settings. Hallie and Audrey planned our fun destination date event, Kappa Kasual, at theOasis. Although the event was cut short by the event staff for behavioral problems, ChapterCouncil took the opportunity as an experience to make a better Risk Management plan for themembers before date functions. Tai, Hannah, and Hallie gave a presentation at chapter meetingthe following week to re-emphasize the importance of safety during social events and the privilegeit is for us to be able to have these functions. We also used our Committee Night to to get feedbackfrom the entire chapter and brainstorm ideas about how we can improve our date events to makethem as safe and enjoyable as possible! It was an excellent way for our members to come togetherand resolve a chapter-wide problem. Payton (VPAE) recognized the members who had received a4.0 GPA the previous semester during chapter and gave them a goody bag. Her and her committeealso decided to give goody bags to members who had made a 3.8, deciding that their hard workshould also be noted. Caroline (Registrar) also scheduled the composite photos for the chapter atthe end of the month.October was a Chili Cookoff busy month with many exciting chapter events to celebrate our heritage and history!Tai (VPS) and Audrey (Risk Management) continued to work on Risk Management policies forthe Trichapter and gave presentations before TX-OU Football weekend and our Owl-O-DeltsWeen Dateevent on safety and behavior. The members had a fun weekend in Dallas for the football game, volunteering spending time with each other and rocking all of their new Kappa t-shirts and gear made byFavors. Allison (Education) also planned a wonderful Founder’s Day dinner. The event was hostedat AT&T Conference center, and it was a great time for the chapter and Austin alumnae tocelebrate the history of our fraternity. We enjoyed a wonderful meal together, presentations fromthe advisors and house board, and music from Pickers. Charlotte (Marshal) and Emma(Philanthropy) rallied a group of our members to participate in Greek Get Down, a dancecompetition fundraiser hosted by AEPhi to support the B+ Foundation. The members whoparticipated had so much fun getting to know each other and representing Kappa at the event.Charlotte (Marshal) did an amazing job planning and coordinating Inspiration Week at the end ofOctober. The new members were put in their new Kappa families on big-little on Tuesday, Fridaywas Fireside, and on Saturday we happily initiated all of our new members as actives! Sarahplanned a brunch for the SPCA new actives and their families at AT&T following the Highland Park Elementary ceremony. Beforeour Owl-O-Ween date event with Chi-O, Audrey put a new wristband process and bus buddysystem into place to make sure that we did not repeat the same problems we had at Kasual. Hallie(Events) planned the event at Clearport and the night was a huge success. Tessa also planned aHalloween carnivalTrick-Or-Treat party at the house for alumnae to bring their kids. The in-house girlsdecorated their rooms, decorating put out candy, played with all of the kids, and had a great time!Nothing slowed down in November, with many events and lots of time together for the chapter tobond! Kaki hosted the Leadership Consultant, Casey, at the Kappa house and all of the officersenjoyed meeting her and hearing the ways that she thought we had improved within the last year.Hallie organized a fun Parent’s Weekend, with desserts on Friday night at Concrete Cowboy andBar-B-Que at the house before the football game on Saturday! Hallie finished her term as EventsChairman with a bang by planning our last semi-formal of the semester, Kappa Klassic, atSpeakeasy, and the chapter danced all night to the jazz band. Regan (Panhellenic) continued tomeet with Panhellenic to discuss changes to the bylaws and did an outstanding job of respectfullypresenting our chapter’s stance on the proposals. Our chapter also elected Riley Longtain as SlateChairman at the beginning of the month, and her and her committee put in so many hours pouringover applications and nominating officers for 2018. Elections were held, and we are so proud of andexcited for the upcoming Chapter Council! We know they will carry on the Children’s Hospital legacy of hard work andthoughtfulness that Beta Xi officers are known for various holidays!In December, hosting Easter the semester began to wrap up as the weather changed and Halloween parties finals approached. Kakiplanned a leadership brunch at the house for local childrenthe old Chapter Council, the new Chapter Council,and making Christmas cookies their advisors. It was a wonderful time to share all of the accomplishments of the past year andto transition the new officers into their positions. Emma also planned the final Philanthropy eventfor RIF at Wooldridge Elementary. The upperclassmen contributed to a book drive that Kappadonated to the school. The underclassmen got to spend a Saturday morning at Wooldridge,playing basketball with the kids, painting their faces, and getting them excited about their newbooks. 2017 has been a great year of unity and growth for hospitalized childrenBeta Xi. Children We have always so enjoyed being ableto spend time in our beautifully newly-renovated house, and we are excited for all the memoriesthat will come there in 2018!Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.We welcomed a new football coach, Tom Herman, in 2017, and it has been a major focus an exciting time for ourteam as they continue to improve. There were also several emergency incidents on campus thisyear, causing the campus to unify and rally around support for mental health and campus safety.Our chapter is known on campus for being a well-rounded and open minded groupof youngladies. We are proud to have so many members involved in other organizations and makingimportant changes on our campus and in Austin. Beta Xi allows its members to be the bestversions of themselves, and we love that those things are reflected in our house as well as on ourcampus!Chapter Philanthropy:What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in 2008your community? Wooldridge Elementary, B+ FoundationWhy did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?We have had a great relationship with Wooldridge Elementary School throughout the years. Severalof our members enjoy our RIF events so much at Wooldridge that they volunteer independentlythere as mentors. Our chapter even received an award from the Wooldridge Elementary School forour outstanding volunteer work with their school.Several sororities and fraternities on campus have also adopted B+ heroes, who are kids battlingcancer. Beta Xi has adopted a sweet little girl, named Moriah, who comes to the house about oncea week. We feel like Moriah is one of our sisters provided free winter coats , and it has been such a joy for our chapter to children support her and her family as she goes through Coats her journey. Moriah is one of the reasons ourchapter has been so passionate about fundraising for Kidsthe B+ Foundation, and we are proud of themoney we have raised for such an awesome organization!Chapter Facility:In what kind of a facility does your chapter meet? Please attach a clear photo of where you typically holdchapter meetings – whether in a classroom, chapter house or elsewhere.We have a beautiful newly renovated house. We use our main dining room as the chapter room,where hold meetings throughout the year.
==Highlights of 2018==
The 2018-19 school year began with a new Beta Xi Chapter Council ready to work hard and
continue the amazing work of the previous council. The new Chapter Council was comprised
of many new members, as well as some returning faces. Camille Szelc advanced from the role
of Treasurer to President, and Jennifer Harbour took her place, moving up from Assistant
Treasurer. Helen Williams took over the role as Assistant Treasurer, the only sophomore
position on Chapter Council. Emma Riddle and Tessa Lauritzen returned to their respective
positions of Philanthropy Chairman and Public Relations Chairman for the second year in a
row. Carter Pittman was VP Standards, Charlotte Fitzpatrick was VP Organization,Peyton
Travis was VPAE, Emily Parnell was Recording Secretary, Linda Castranova was Corresponding
Secretary, Caroline Cannan was Membership Chairman, Cameron Crawford was New Member
Chairman, Madison Rigby was Event Chairman, Cameron Shepherd was Registrar, Katie Bell
was House Chairman, Lexie Alexander was Marshal, Sarah Boatwright was Risk Management
Chairman, Kate Kaiser was Panhellenic Delegate, and Paige Nelson was Education Chair.
As the year began, Camille (President) got the Chapter Council in order by determining a set
time for weekly meetings. She efficiently created an easy way for all Council members to
communicate, set up a Google Drive folder for notes and forms, and reviewed the necessary
expectations and responsibilities of Chapter Council officers. The Council discussed their
personal and group goals for the semester, focusing mostly on encouraging attendance and
bolstering chapter morale throughout the year. To build a stronger community within the
chapter, Carter (VP Standards) created a Kappa Kompliments box where members could leave
encouraging notes to fellow Kappas to be read out at chapter. Cameron (Registrar) made sure
Key Reports was in order and allowed access to the new officers. Jennifer (Treasurer) worked
with the Chapter Council to set budgets for the 2018 spring semester and continued with
billing of the chapter for the new semester. Linda (Corresponding Secretary) introduced her
goal of moving everything over from the ListServe system to GinSystem and began the switch.
Peyton (VPAE) started off the year by creating a consistent schedule of study snacks, available
every Tuesday as a place for chapter members to take a mental break and grab a cookie or two. At
the first chapter of the year, Camille (President) did a great job of welcoming everyone
back and introduced transfers. The chapter voted on a new Standards Committee and AE
Committee. To begin the process of recruitment, Caroline (Membership) sent out Are
a Rush Captain Applications to be due at the end of the month. Sophomores are encouraged to apply
to be an Area Rush Captain as a fun way to get more involved in recruitment and assist the rush team in
the busy months to come.
In early February, the first formal chapter of the year was held. Camille (President) and four
other officers attended Ladder of Risk, a workshop designed to introduce the FIGP policy and
build a community between fellow sorority and fraternity leaders. Emma (Philanthropy) began
the application for GIRLS Academy, an opportunity for Kappa chapters to partner with and
mentor young girls from a local middle school. As a chapter, Beta Xi raised over $1,000 for RIF
at an event held by Outdoor Voices and was named one of the 20 highest donating KKG
chapters. Charlotte (VPO) did a great job of placing chapter members into their respective
committees, based off of their requests and needs of the officers. Kate (Panhellenic Delegate)
sought to build better relationships between the Beta Xi chapter and Panhellenic by
encouraging members to apply to be a Rho Gam for the following year’s recruitment.
Cameron (Registrar) planned “Rom Com of the Month” around Valentine’s Day, featuring a
night with popcorn, candy, and cheesy movies. The Kappas joined Pi Beta Phi for Monmouth,
a wonderful formal event held at The Belmont. Everyone had a blast at the Masquerade
themed party, spending the night dancing to the band, posing for photo booth pictures, or
coming up with a crazy design to request from the face painters. Paige (Education) planned an
interesting and informative program night about self-defense, focusing on what we can do as
women if we are placed in a threatening situation. The past two years of rush teams met with
Caroline (Membership) and her rush team at a triplicate meeting, allowing them to impart
their advice and wisdom. Caroline (Membership) also began meeting with Panhellenic at
bimonthly Recruitment Roundtables as a way to learn the rules and routines of recruitment
and led her first rush workshop with PC’ 17. On the last chapter of February, Alumnae
Relations Specialist for Theta District, Amy Sutton, visited to announce to the chapter that the
Warning of Probation had been lifted. The month ended with a Ritual Workshop held by Lexie
(Marshall) as a way to refresh the chapter’s memory of important Kappa history.
March came and went quickly with the nice week of Spring Break to give everyone a break
from school. Emma (Philanthropy) invited the founders of the B+ Foundation to come speak
to the chapter. They educated the chapter about their mission and main goals, while also
introducing their Roundup fundraising campaign. Peyton (VPAE) held a wonderful Professor
Dinner at the Kappa house, giving the members of our chapter a chance to get to know their
esteemed professors in a more intimate setting. She designed coffee cups as a party favor so
that each professor would remember the hospitality displayed by each girl. Before Spring
Break, the Not On My Campus committee gave a brief but informative presentation on staying
safe and watching out for your sisters during the break. The next week, Kappas set off all over
the country, exploring new places, relaxing at home, or visiting friends studying abroad in
foreign countries. After Spring Break, the chapter nominated Avery Campbell as the new
Nominating Committee Chair Representative. Emma (Philanthropy) also joined forces with Pi
Phi to throw Kappa Pi Phi Karnival. The event was held in the front yard of the
Pi Phi house with cotton candy, face paint, and even a mechanical bull! Chapter members sold wristbands
to their friends, encouraging them to stop by as a kickoff party for Roundup Weekend. Tessa
(PR) invited alumni and friends to the house that Sunday for a fun Easter party. Alumni were
welcome to bring their children for a fun afternoon of cookie decorating and egg hunting.
Cameron (New Member) began discussing Bid Day with Chapter Council, throwing around
ideas and asking for the opinions of the chapter. Madison (Event) planned a completely new event, naming
the party “Kappa Krush”. Chapter members secretly invited dates for their
friends, but the girls did not find out until their date found them wearing their tie at the party!
Everyone was excited to try something new, and the event held Vulcan was a huge success.
April was another busy month for the Beta Xi chapter as the school year began wrapping up.
Camille (President) and Kate (Panhellenic Delegate) presented the new Diversity and Inclusion
Statement written by Panhellenic to the chapter and encouraged members to apply for the
new Diversity and Inclusion committee. Katie (House) sent out new room assignments to the
sophomores eagerly awaiting their year living in the house. To continue boosting morale,
Carter (VP Standards) and the standards committee planned a night at the baseball park for
fun sisterhood event in early April. The Kappas took over the stands, eating hot dogs and
cheering on the UT baseball team as they took on the Baylor Bears. Peyton (VPAE) recognized
girls in the chapter who received a 4.0 in the fall and also announced that the chapter had
moved up in the UPC GPA rankings to the 7th position! The new members advanced even
higher, ranking 3rd. Chapter members visited Wooldridge Elementary for their biannual
Reading is Key event, engaging the students through basketball, bracelet making, and of
course, dance parties! Each student got to leave with a few books donated by the members of
our chapter. Cameron (Registrar) planned this month’s “Rom Com of the Month” around The
Bachelor, having a fun night of snacks and gossip as chapter members gathered together to
watch the finale. Caroline (Membership) held two recruitment workshops this month, re-
familiarizing the entire chapter with the songs, chants, and strategies soon to be used. The
recruitment team spent endless amounts of time meeting with the ARCs and taking on their
respective roles to prepare for the summer months. They did a great job of introducing new
changes and getting the chapter excited about a new season of recruitment!
Paige (Education) planned a final wrap up event for the seniors at Painting With a Twist. The seniors
got to visit a studio to recreate their own painting to take home, and they had a blast!
Madison (Event) was busy this month, planning both the last date event of the
year, Kite and Key, with Kappa Alpha Theta and Parent’s Weekend. The date event featured a fun band
Cedar Street Courtyard. Instead of doing separate Mom’s and Dad’s weekends, Madison
combined the two into one big Parent’s Weekend at the end of April. On
Friday, chapter members attended a joint shopping event and Happy Hour between Adelante and Santa Rita.
To show off the new house, Kappa hosted a brunch for all parents before the UT baseball
game. Towards the end of the month, the chapter welcomed back Casey, a Kappa Leadership
Consultant. Each Chapter Council officer met with Casey to get advice and set goals for the
next semester. Charlotte (VPO) did a great job in planning activities for Casey to introduce her
to more of Austin. As a whole, the chapter was so grateful that Casey was able to make time
to come back and visit again. The school year came to an end in May as Kappas began making their summer plans.
Paige (Education) brought back the tradition of Chapter Awards, much to the surprise and
excitement of the chapter. Outstanding Freshman went to Gigi Hanna, Outstanding
Sophomore went to Risk Management Chair Sarah Boatwright, Outstanding Junior went to
Peyton Bertram, and Outstanding Senior went to Hannah Love. Hannah was also presented
the Eleanor Niggli-Tyler Award for outstanding contributions to Beta Xi Chapter Kappa Kappa
Gamma. Kristen Graham won Lillian Lurker, a comedic award presented to a house girl who
spent hours in the Lillian, our beloved living room. For outstanding contribution to the
University of Texas and Kappa Kappa Gamma, senior Riley Longtain received the Braun-
Maynard Award. Last, Sally Cisarik won the Heather Lynn Dealy Award, nicknamed the
“Sunshine Award”. Paige (Education) also planned Senior Sendoff to honor those leaving us.
Each senior received a small present from the chapter and announced their future plans.
Jennifer (Treasurer) explained payment plans to the chapter, as she would begin billing for
the Fall semester in August. During the summer months, Beta Xi Kappas set off to do wonderful things all over the world.
Several members studied abroad, becoming familiar with the lifestyles in Spain, Italy, Croatia,
and more. Older Kappas began internships and summer jobs, hoping to gain experience and
make connections. Other members entered summer school or attended summer camps. To
keep in touch, Tessa (PR) kept up the chapter’s various social media accounts, gathering
pictures from everyone’s exciting summer experiences. Camille (President) and Emily
(Corresponding Secretary) took off to Denver to attend the Kappa Convention. They had an
incredible time getting to know Kappa chapters from all over the country and developing
stronger relations with the advisors who attended as well. Beta Xi was lucky enough to win
the advisory board of the year award for the chapter connections with the advisors. The most
notable part of their trip was the presentation by Lawrence Ross, who came to UT this past
Fall as well to discuss race relations in Sororities and Fraternities. Caroline (Recruitment) and
her rush team stayed busy reviewing letters of recommendation, planning out the fun days of
work week, and creating a strategy to use in the upcoming weeks. Chapter members moved
back to Austin in early August to participate in a week of preparing for recruitment. Caroline
(Recruitment) and her team even surprised the chapter with a swimming barge as a way to
cool off in the hot summer heat. A great work week led into an even better recruitment week.
Beta Xi was proud to show off the their unique personalities, and on Bid Day, we welcomed 68
amazing new girls into our chapter! The festivities planned by Cameron (New Member)
included dinner at Matt’s El Rancho, a dance party, and a sleepover at the house for all new
members. The girls loved getting to know their future sisters in a more intimate setting.
The school year started up again in September. Kappas welcomed the fall semester with open
arms, entering new classes and cheering on the Longhorns football team. Chapter Council
gathered together again on Sundays to communicate their semester goals and plan for how to
achieve them. After an orientation put on by Katie (House), PC’ 16 moved into the house,
enjoying the comfort of living so close to campus. The New Members eagerly explored
their new home, eating meals together, studying in the basement, and showing off the house to
their friends during guest lunches. They attended a New Member Orientation put on by
Panhellenic to learn all of the policies and responsibilities expected of new
members. Within Kappa,Cameron (Registrar) and Linda (Corresponding Secretary) worked with Cameron (New
Member) to gather all of the New Member information to input them into the various
systems. Linda (Corresponding Secretary) also gave a presentation on Ginsystem as the
chapter officially moved over from ListServe. Carter (Standards) elected a new member to the
Standards committee to replace the senior who graduated in May. Once again, Charlotte
(VPO) worked on organizing committees in time for the first committee night. Peyton (VPAE)
proudly announced that our chapter moved from 8th place to 4th place out of 14 sororities in
the UPC GPA rankings with an average GPA of 3.5581. Cameron (New Member) began the
New Member meetings before chapter each week to educate the New Members on various
aspects of Kappa, introduce them to the Chapter Council officers, and answer any questions
they had. The Kappas attended their first date event in late September, a fun, ranch
style joint date event with Tri Delta. Our chapter was approved for GIRLS Academy, so Emma
(Philanthropy) began working on those details. Tessa (PR) gathered pictures and stories from
the summer to publish the summer newsletter.
As October came around, energy in the house was at an all time high with the excitement of
Halloween, the Texas-OU game, and our date event with Chi Omega. The month began with
chapter composites planned by Cameron (Registrar). Avery Steen worked closely to pair the
sophomores and New Members for Key Sis dates, giving the newer members a chance to
spend time with their older sisters. Emma (Philanthropy) scheduled a bat tour for girls in the
chapter to spend time with Moriah, our B+ Hero. In preparation for the big game in Dallas,
Sarah (Risk Management) worked with the NOMC leaders to give a helpful presentation on
the risks of party weekends and how to stay safe. She also organized a list of girls going to the
game by fraternity so that all Kappas knew who to turn to if they needed help. On Friday,
Kappas loaded up buses and cars to head to the Red River Rivalry. After a nerve-wracking game,
the Longhorns came out on top with a 48-45 win. To celebrate Halloween, Madison
(Event) planned our annual Owl-o-ween with Chi O. From Ghostbusters to movie stars,
everyone enjoyed dressing up with their date. Tessa (PR) hosted a Halloween party at the
house for alumni and their children. In-house girls participated by handing out candy in a
mock trick-or-treat activity. Towards the end of the month, Kappas went back to Wooldridge
Elementary to host their fall Reading is Key event. Everyone loved seeing the children again,
and we even saw some returning faces! The month culminated with a sisterhood hangout
with Kappa Delta. Kate (Panhellenic) invited the KDs into our house to build ice c
ream sundaes and socialize.
November kicked off with a fun-filled Parent’s Weekend, featuring a great brunch at the
house before a big football game against West Virginia. The following week was an amazing
Inspiration Week planned by Lexie (Marshal). Casey the Leadership Consultant returned that
week to act as a guide and mentor through all of the Initiation rituals. Chapter Council was so
fortunate to have someone who knew our chapter so well to be there during this special
week. The week began with Big-Little reveal as the new members were welcomed into their
new families, dressing up and eating Amy’s ice cream. On Friday, Fireside was held at the
house. After bonding all night, the new members were finally initiated early Saturday
morning. To celebrate, Cameron (New Member) planned a wonderful brunch for the new
actives and their families. The weekend culminated with Founder’s Day, a special event held
each year to embrace our Kappa history and celebrate our esteemed alumni. This year, Paige
(Education) planned Founder’s Day at the Kappa House as a way to show off our beautiful
home and make the event more intimate. Kappa also participated in Greek Get Down, a
dance competition put on by AEPhi to raise money for their philanthropy. Peyton (VPAE) held
another Professor Dinner, giving the new actives a chance to talk to the people who led their
classes each day. On the last Thursday in November, Kappas attended Kappa Klassic, a semi-
formal held at Summit. Everyone had a blast, and Kappa commends Madison (Event) for the
wonderful job she did planning events all year. The Slate committee worked endless hours,
pouring over Chapter Council applications and debating who would be the next leaders of
Kappa. After long nights, they presented their nominations to the chapter, which were warmly
received. Kappa thanks Slate for the wonderful job they did, and we are all very excited for
the new Chapter Council to lead us into next year.
As the year came to a close, December was an important time for transitioning. New Chapter
Council members met with those who held their positions currently to learn the ins and outs
of each job. As a wrap-up and official transition day, Charlotte (VPO) planned the Leadership
brunch at the house. Old and new Chapter Council members gathered with their advisors to
celebrate everything that has been accomplished in the past year and discuss goals for the
semester to come. Chapter Council members also attended the State of Panhellenic dinner to
present what Kappa achieved in the last year. As a treat, Carter (VP Standards) and the
Standards committee replaced the last chapter with a sisterhood party. The house
transformed into a Winter Wonderland as chapter members took a break from studying to
enjoy free massages, cookie decorating, and a chocolate fountain. Overall, 2018 was a
remarkable year for Kappa as we transitioned off of a Warning of Probation, introduced a
wonderful new pledge class, and grew stronger together. We are very fortunate to have had
such an exciting year, and we anticipate that 2019 will be even better!
==Highlights of 2021==
Chapter Philanthropy
In the spring, the Beta Xi chapter raised money to help Austin’s homeless during the winter storms and raised $20,000 for two organizations that combat human trafficking. Throughout the year, our chapter supported the B+ Foundation, which supports the families of children who are fighting cancer. This fall, Christiane, an honorary Kappa who has Batten disease, joined our chapter. She frequently visits the Beta Xi house for Kappa lunch where she eats and socializes with chapter members. The chapter also had several canned food drives.
The chapter had a walk to raise money for NEDA and fundraised for the Jed Foundation.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
2021 was the first full year of the Beta Xi chapter having a DEI chair on chapter council. She promoted university-wide diversity and inclusion seminars, speeches, and student organizations. DEI presentations were given during chapter meetings that included promoting national heritage holidays. The DEI chair also gave a DEI presentation during work week to promote inclusivity during recruitment.