Difference between pages "Epsilon Lambda" and "Delta Lambda"

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{{Infobox Fraternity
 
{{Infobox Fraternity
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|Name= Epsilon Lambda
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|Name= Delta Lambda
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|GreekSymbol= EΛ
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|GreekSymbol= ΔΛ
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|Image= [[File:Epsilon_Lambda.jpg|200px]]
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|Image= [[File:Delta_Lambda.jpeg|200px]]
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|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1967|02|25}}
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|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1940|11|09}}
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|College= [http://www.utk.edu/ University of Tennessee]
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|College= [https://www.miami.muohio.edu/ Miami University]
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|Location= Knoxville, Tennessee
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|Location= Oxford, OH
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|Homepage= [http://chapters.kappakappagamma.org/epsilonlambda/ Epsilon Lambda Homepage]
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|Homepage= [https://muohio.kappa.org/ Delta Lambda Homepage]
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|Media= [http://wiki.kappakappagamma.org/index.php?title=Category:Epsilon_Lambda Media related to Epsilon Lambda Chapter]}}
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|Media= [https://wiki.kkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Delta_Lambda Media related to Delta Lambda Chapter]}}
 
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'''University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, Established 1794'''
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'''Miami University established in 1809, Oxford, Ohio'''
  
  
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'''Epsilon Lambda founded February 25, 1967'''
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'''Delta Lambda founded November 9, 1940'''
  
  
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'''1,942 initiates (as of June 2018)'''
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'''2,858 initiates (as of June 2018)'''
  
  
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'''Charter Members:'''
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Cary Vaughan Axhbaucher, Donna Lee Buchanan, Kay Marie Burns, Virginia Susan Cameron, Catherine Cotton, Kay Dyer Edwards, Mary Emily Evans, Mary Katherine Faucette, Patricia Lee Fillers, Margaret Lynn Harris, Cynthia Hart, Kathryn Ann Hibbs, Nora Margaret Hopkins, Patsy Ann Hughes, Jan Carol Jones, Sandra Rayburn Jones, Lillie Kay Mitchell, Diana Lea Murray, Nancy Olivia Nelson, Rebecca Rita O'Connor, Teresa Pentecost, Betty Jo Proffitt, Patricia Ann Schlemmer, Anna Celeste Thompson.
 
  
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==The Early Years (Excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity: 1870-1976)==
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'''Charter Members:'''
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Louise Cora Bath, Nancy Grey Biltz, Helen Elizabeth Cavangh, Shirley Haughton Cordes, Anna Louise Elwell, Harriet Sheldon Hall, Jane Kathryn Hart, Ruth Leona Heuer, Marion Bruce Hubach, Ruth Mary Hughey, Dorothy Elizabeth McCoy, Shirley Leona Parker, Ruthanna Jeane Rudolph, Jane Elizabeth Storer, Betty von Schrenk, Virginia Elizabeth Wolfe.
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'''Some of Chapter’s Outstanding Alumnae:'''
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'''Fraternity Council Officers:'''
  
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Discussion of the establishment of a Kappa chapter on the University of Tennessee campus began in 1946.
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Jean Schmidt, Treasurer 1978-1982; Susan Pile, Director of Membership 2012-2016; Vice President 2016 -
  
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Knoxville area Kappas organized in 1948 and their president, Mary Hamilton Ewing, Delta Xi- Carnegie Tech, Province Director of Alumnae, worked four years with the campus Panhellenic. By 1962 Tennessee was seen as a possible extension choice, and in 1964 an extension team endorsed the campus for colonization.
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'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''
  
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In September, 1966, Epsilon Lambda colony was formed and within a few weeks 34 members had been pledged. It was an outstanding group, and Susan Ward (Cline) with her title of "Miss Tennessee Engineer" brought the chapter its first trophy.
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Jean Schmidt, 2008
  
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"We can never compete with the established sororities," was thought more than once. The challenge was accepted by three Kappa actives: D. Jane Humphrey (Henegar), Epsilon Alpha- Texas Christian, graduate counselor, "a Kappa lady through and through"; Betsy Rule (Marcum), Beta Upsilon- West Virginia, pledge chairman, "with her sweet demure manner"; and Leslie Hughes (Mier), Epsilon Eta- Auburn, song leader, "our devoted musical transfer."
 
  
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Installation was scheduled February 24,25, and 26, 1967. Special guests were national officers Frances Fatout Alexander, Iota- DePauw, Ruth Hoehle Lane, Phi- Boston, and Clara O. Pierce, Beta Nu- Ohio State, as well as the Beta Chi Kappas who were in Knoxville to see the colony become the first Kappa chapter in the state. Twenty-four girls became charter members on February 25 at a service in the Panhellenic Building where the spacious Kappa suite is located. The Passing of the Light Ceremony saw the heirloom Charlotte Barrell Ware candlesticks passed from Betty Davis Van Fleet, Alpha Deuteron- Monmouth College, to Rebecca O'Connor (Greene), the colony president.
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'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''
  
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Tennessee President Dr. Andrew Holt and Mrs. Holt were guests at the banquet that night and Dean of Women Jane McCormick, Delta Alpha- Penn State, brought the university's and her own greetings. Anna Thompson (Parker), Epsilon Lambda's first president, received the charter.
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Ruth Owens, 1976, director of pediatric endocrinology and assistant professor of pediatrics at Western Reserve University; Nancy Lou Paterson, 2006, international lawyer, promoter of social justice;
  
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Margaret Lynn Harris was awarded a scholarship by the Austin, Texas, Alumnae; Kay Marie Burns (Kendall) received the scholarship award; and Becky O'Connor (Greene), as outstanding contributor to the colony, was given an antique key sent by Beta Nu actives and the Columbus, Ohio, Alumnae Association.
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'''Additional Outstanding Delta Lambda Alumnae:'''
  
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The first rush was "wild," with fun-filled practices, work sessions, mistakes, aggravating moments, tears, and extreme joy. Mrs. Louise Little Barbeck, Gamma Phi- Southern Methodist, then national vice president, helped keep spirit up with her kind advice and perpetual calmness. On "squeal night," when 30 pledges walked through the door, there could not have been a prouder group of actives.
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==The Early Years (Excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity: 1870-1976)==
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An earlier history of Delta Lambda was written by Ethel Russell Wickenden, Gamma Omega- Denison, who had been instrumental in establishing the chapter. For 22 years she was a devoted and enthusiastic worker and adviser.
  
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The Kappa "Pumpkin Walk," now a tradition, began that fall when jack-o-lanterns with Kappa eyes, Gamma noses, and key mouths were delivered on fraternity row. Initiation, parties, the chapter's first birthday, and honors filled the term.
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The Wickenden history opened with a statement about the university, the second oldest collegiate institution west of the Alleghenies. It was established under Land Grant provisions made in the Northwest Territory Act of 1787, incorporated in 1809, achieved collegiate standing in 1824, and grew until the outbreak of the Civil War when financial and enrollment problems caused it to be closed.
  
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Twenty-nine pledges found their big sisters in the fall of 1968 by following a maze of yarn ending in 29 wooden keys. That began an active schedule focusing on a cultural program and scholarship that resulted in the chapter earning second place among 18 sororities, with a difference of only one-five-hundreth of a point!
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The college reopened in 1885. Women were admitted in the 1890s.
  
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Rushing in 1969 was a great success with an icewater party, Kappa Karnival, South Pacific party, and preference party when each Kappa told what KKG meant to her personally. On October 13, 32 coeds were officially pledged before the Centennial Founders Day program and introduced to the Knoxville alumnae. At Christmas, members enjoyed buying dresses, sweaters, and bellbottoms for an 11-year-old underprivileged girl. During that school year the chapter gave a dance at the old L&N (Louisville and Nashville) railroad station, started a volunteer program for hospital aides, and formed a basketball team. They captured the Panhellenic All-Sports Trophy, and ranked third in the list of sororities in scholarship.  
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The Miami Triad of fraternities was founded here. Delta Zeta and Delta Sigma Epsilon were founded on the Miami campus in 1902 and 1914. Kappa interest began when a local group wanted to petition and Fraternity officers visited them in 1935.  
  
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In 1970, 28 top coeds were pledged, and 24 initiated...the first initiation ceremony in the Kappa room. Pledges worked hard on a new initiation song. They papered the kitchen and painted blue and green flowers on the cabinet doors.  
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"A local Kappa alumna, " writes Ethel modestly, "made illustrative charts to go to the convention along with information about the university."
  
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The fifth birthday of the chapter was celebrated. At the alumnae picnic in the spring of 1972, Knoxville and Nashville Kappas presented the chapter with a beautiful Revere punchbowl; the Memphis Alumnae Association gave a round silver tray; and a silver ladle was also received.
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Eight nearby alumnae signed a petition in the spring of 1939, which was presented by Frances Kimbrough, Beta Chi- Kentucky, a Miami faculty member. A group of Fraternity officers, actives, and alumnae from a number of Ohio cities met on November 18, 1939. Ethel and Frances were there, of course. The situation was "canvassed," and it was suggested that these two women organize a group for colonization with Harriet S. Hall (Bennett), niece of a Beta Nu, and two others as nucleus. Later a letter from a Lambda introduced her freshman granddaughter, Marian Huback (Workman). This was followed by their recommendations, and so the foundations of Delta Lambda were laid.  
  
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Looking back over Epsilon Lambda's growth, each member's contribution is appreciated, and it is certain that these same attributes will make them valuable members of alumnae groups for years to come.
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An important tea was given January 14, 1940, for actives and alumnae from Cincinnati. About 30 Miami faculty, administration including the president's wife, members from Ohio State, Denison, and Ohio Wesleyan were invited to meet the dozen Delta Lambda Colony girls. Weekly meetings followed. The group was already active on campus and would have won the scholarship cup but was not eligible to compete. Material and credentials were shown at the Sun Valley Convention. By unanimous vote Delta Lambda's petition was accepted.
  
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==Highlights of 1980's==
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Installation was November 9, 1940, with Fraternity President Elizabeth Bogert Schofield, Mu- Butler, presiding, and Beta Rho Deuteron the installing chapter. Assisting were Elizabeth Kimbrough Park, Beta Chi- Kentucky; Edith Reese Crabtree, Beta Gamma- Wooster; Clara O. Pierce, Beta Nu- Ohio State; Martha Combs Kennedy, Omega- Kansas; Nora Wilson Tomkinson, Lambda- Akron; Gem Craig Reasoner, Upsilon- Northwestern. There were 16 charter  members and two other initiates. Mrs. Harry Williams, a Pi Beta Phi, is listed as financial adviser on the first advisory board.
  
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Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity is one of the oldest women's fraternities with a total membership of more than 260,000 women and 140 collegiate chapters in the United States and Canada. At the University of Tennessee, Kappa Kappa Gamma prides itself on the tradition of leadership. The chapter strives in every aspect to uphold the fraternity's national mission statement: "Kappa Kappa Gamma is an organization of women, which seeks for every member throughout her life bonds of friendship, mutual support, opportunities for self-growth, respect for intellectual development, and an understanding of and an allegiance to positive ethical principles." Being a member of Kappa is really about opportunity: to grow, to connect, to serve, to befriend, to aspire. History Reports, chapter meeting minutes, letters and comments from chapter members and alumnae, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives, and The Key.
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At the time of installation Miami enrollment was a little over 3,000, with 240 faculty members and 44 buildings. By 1973, Miami was a three-campus institution, with 16,591 students on all three campuses (13,208 at Oxford alone), 782 faculty (many teaching on two or more campuses), and 110 buildings (96 on the Oxford campus.)
  
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The 1980’s found Epsilon Lambda very busy trying to establish themselves on campus. Their goal of campus participation continued throughout the 80’s and it began to pay off with all of the Campus events like All-Sing, Homecoming and helping each with the Helen Ross McNabb Therapeutic nursey.  All the while working to keep up their grades. At the 1987 Nu Province meeting the chapter was awarded the Scholarship Award.  They were very successful with the recruitment process and each year pledged a quota of girls for their chapter.
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"Old Harrison Hall," where the Kappas held many early meetings, was torn down in 1957 and "new" Harrison Hall is on the site. The suite, decorated for the chapter's use in 1940, was soon outgrown and meetings took place in Wells Hall as well as Harrison. In February, 1952, a move was made to a larger suite in Richard Hall- and word was awaited for permission to move to a larger suite. It was almost impossible to have rush parties, even with all the furniture removed.
  
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==Highlights of 1990's==
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At one time men's fraternity houses were used for parties, allocation determined by a drawing. In the fall of 1965 the Delta Lambdas drew the Delta Kappa Epsilon house, one known for unconventional behavior. A pet iguana was let loose, and Dr. Susan Rockwood, Beta Rho Deuteron- Cincinnati, chapter council adviser, saved the evening by holding the creature at bay with a broom. Her report to Panhellenic read in part: "The specific episode in question concerns the deliberate unleashing of a living lizard (very closely resembling an iguana) of light green and yellow coloration, measuring approximately 18 to 20 inches in length with a girth of nearly six inches..."
  
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The 1990’s started with a Letter of Concern which the chapter received well and worked hard to be removed and they did.  But, lack of scholarship caused great hardship with several officers being replaced because of grade problems.  This taught the chapter the importance of time management.  This period of the 90’s also initiated the beginning of the bus policy when the chapter traveled to an event off campus. After a little period of adjustment, they wondered why they hadn’t done it before!  Each year the chapter participated in All-Sing, Sapphire Ball , Derby Week ,Helen McNabb Center and in 1992 adopted a barn owl at the Knoxville Zoo. Hurricane Andrew gave the chapter an opportunity to raise money to help those in need along with all other Greeks on campus. Each year the chapter worked to help each member to improve their grades. Through must hard work on behalf of the members as well as the chapter Council this was achieved many years. In 1994, Epsilon Lambda was assigned a whole floor in Massey Hall in which 39 girls could live together.  This proved to be a great sisterhood enhancement.
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For this and other reasons the campuses sororities voted to rush in their own suites...For Homecoming that year the Dekes entitled their huge lizard-like construction "The Night of the Iguana."
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Philanthropy was a big part of the chapter and in 1998 they teamed with Aids Response Knoxville to implement the first annual AIDS Walk and it was an overwhelming success.  By the end of the 90’s they had become a more recognized name on the UT campus for their campus philanthropic events, community philanthropies as well as campus leadership in student organizations all the while maintaining grades and getting outstanding pledge classes to make their chapter strong.
 
  
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==Highlights of 2000-2010==
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The Fraternity has recognized Delta Lambda often: 1950- honorable mention, Standards; 1956- Gracious Living; 1964- Efficiency for Unhoused Chapter; 1968- Outstanding Pledge Program...twice the Fraternity Scholarship Cup. More awards: 1960- second place, Standards; also 1960- honorable mention for Efficiency (Unhoused). A pewter pitcher for Gamma Province efficiency, the Toledo Alumnae Award, was retired by the chapter in 1971- it had won the award every year but one.
  
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From 2000-2010, Epsilon Lambda participated in many campus events like All Sing, Greek Week, Kappa-Lympics and often won or placed in these events.  In 2004, they adopted the March of Dimes as their philanthropy.  Also raised $8,702.63 at the Dance Marathon benefiting the Tennessee Children’s Hospital.  The chapter continued to support March of Dimes and was the National Collegiate Award for raising the most money of any college in the country.  They also teamed up with a Kappa designer and sold hundreds of designer jeans at a discounted price with 15% goes to March of Dimes. Princess for a day was another meaningful event where members went to hospitals and played one on one with the children.  During these years they celebrated their 40th anniversary with many alumnae who shared stories of the chapter. 
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The pages of Delta Lambda's history are full of accounts of rushing, initiation, Dads' Day, Mothers' Tea, Pumpkin Walks, Sigma Chi Melon Mess, Greek Week, Homecoming, Founders Day, Miss Miami Pageant, May Day retreats at Camp Hook, Pi Phi cozy, Monmouth Duo, Christmas parties, New Year parties, spaghetti-bean dinners (For scholarship), and Powder Puff Bowls (football between sororities).
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Many new pledges acme to Epsilon Lambda during this time who help make the chapter strong even in times of chapter issues.  But, these issues made the chapter wiser, closer and in the end made the chapter so much stronger than it had been in years.  They learned the value of good communication, respecting the alumnae and each other.
 
  
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There are also pages filled with campus honors: Cwens, Spurs, Mortar Board, Phi Beta Kappa, Air Force Angels, dormitory counselors, queens, outstanding junior, senior, etc. With all the activities, scholarship is maintained and the campus trophy has been won 19 times during the chapter's first 23 years.
  
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==Highlights of 2011==
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To celebrate the 20th year, funds for an annual scholarship award were deposited in 1960. In 1967, plans were begun for a circular bench to commemorate the Kappa Centennial, an idea initiated by Dr. Susan Rockwood. The arrangement is on Slant Walk, the middle oval bench surrounded by smaller curved benches. A large bronze plaque with the Kappa crest is embedded in the stone seat, and the whole area is complete with paving and landscaping, making a lovely addition to Miami's campus.
  
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The year 2011 began with the installment of a new chapter council, with Maggie Wallace as the new president of Epsilon Lambda. Each member of the new chapter council is committed to the improvement of the chapter. Throughout the year, Epsilon Lambda chapter participated in many campus and philanthropic events. They continue to strive for success every year. At the beginning of February, the ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma held a continuous open bidding event and gave out bids to seven young women.  
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There was often discussion of scholarship and grades during early chapter meetings. A bylaw of February 25, 1942, states, "Girls in the semi-professional course will definitely not be considered for pledgeship. If pledges enter (this) course after being pledged their pledgeship will be automatically broken, and they will not be initiated on the basis of grades made in the semi-professional course. No exceptions..." Later on it is recorded that lowering of initiation requirements caused a great discussion. Reasons pro: the stress of war, the amount of time required for war work, and the fact that "scholarship is not necessarily indicative of character and ability" were balance with the reasons con: Kappa stands for high scholarship, the importance in wartime of getting as much as possible out of academic work, and the dangerous precedent which might weaken the chapter and lead to laxness...Initiation requirement remained at 2.3...Later it was lowered to 2.1 but now has returned to 2.3.
  
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The night was very casual and allowed chapter members to engage in light conversation with the new ladies. The following month, the Leadership Consultant visited Knoxville and met with each chapter council member. Her visit was very helpful and was much appreciated by the chapter council due to her excellent suggestions. In addition, the ladies of Epsilon Lambda participated in a Reading is Fundamental event at Bearden Elementary school. This event allowed us to have a more "hands on" experience with our national philanthropy. In the spring, Epsilon Lambda initiated seven new members into the chapter on April 2nd, 2011. The following day our chapter held the annual philanthropy event "Kappalympics," in which twenty teams of sororities and fraternities participated in a series of field games to raise money for the March of Dimes organization. The event was sponsored by Red Bull, Krispy Kreme, and Firehous subs. We raised over $1,600 through the team entrance fees and the "cream a kappa" booth.
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During the formative years there were special programs for strengthening scholarship: in 1941, no dates for pledges on week nights; 1942, actives below 2.3 to keep time charts and no dates on week nights; 1943, "all with a 2.0 and below must spend all free time Monday-Friday in the library..." Standards must have been an issue in 1945: "On May 14, 1945, at a regular meeting...Mrs. Wickenden spoke to us...of the moral tone of the campus...It was decided that a large scale show of public opinion against it would be helpful and it was suggested that AMI, the fraternities, and Panhellenic take action..."
  
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Shortly after Kappalympics, the chapter participated in Carnicus with the ladies of Delta Delta Delta. The title of the performance was "The Wizard of Knox" and was directed by Mary Carter Kniffen and Hailey Wood. The award for best actress was given to Stephanie Thrasher who played Dorothy. Soon after, the ladies of Epsilon Lambda participated in Greek week with the gentlemen of Phi Sigma Kappa. Greek week began on April 10th and chapter members participated in a habitat for humanity build, blood drive, and all other events throughout the week. Following Greek Week, Relay for life and March for Babies were both held on April 16th, 2011. Both events were a success and the ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma enjoyed helping out their community by volunteering.  
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By the end of 1972 Delta Lambda had initiated 800 members. An item of December 11, 1946, reads, "It was announced that a 50 cent fine will be imposed on those members who do not attend initiation or who do not help in setting up and taking down the frameworks. To avoid extra expense, it was decided to collect greenery for decorations from the surrounding countryside."
  
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After summer break, the ladies returned to Knoxville to prepare for formal Fall Recruitment. Recruitment was very successful and we obtained a new member pledge class of 56 ladies. Soon after, the ladies of Epsilon Lambda took part in Vol Challenge, a week of volunteering run by the university. We also held our annual designer blue jeans sale called Blue Jeans for Babies for the March of Dimes foundation. On October 8th , 2011 we initiated 55 lovely women in to Epsilon Lambda. Following initiation, the new members participated in the Junior Panhellenic event called "lip sync" that all of the new pledge classes participate in. They were assigned the letter "K" and created a dance to go with all of the artists with that letter. They performed in front of a huge audience and did a fantastic job. During homecoming week, the ladies of Kappa paired up with the gentlemen of Sigma Phi Epsilon and prepared a banner and homecoming float. We were finalists in Smokey's Howl, winning third place overall. Kappa also reached out to the community by volunteering for Chef's Auction, a local event in Knoxville. In November we held our chapter elections and nominated a new chapter council for the following year.  
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Following the Kent State Tragedy may 1970, the university closed for 10 days when students were sent home because of administration apprehension about riots. At province convention in April, 1971, an Undergraduate Council was formed by the Fraternity Council in an attempt to give undergraduate Kappas more voice in the Fraternity. Delta Lambda's Lynda Green (McDermott), who represented Gamma Province, was selected to be first president of the Undergraduate Council.
  
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'''Campus:''' The University of Tennessee was founded in 1794 and is based around the pride of their lasting traditions. The university has an undergraduate program with over 21,000 students and over 5,000 graduate students. It remains a flagship campus for Tennessee in undergraduate, graduate, professional programs, research, and community service. The campus has 550 acres in which 220 university buildings reside. A new branding campaign was recently launched called "Big Orange, Big Ideas" to create a new image for the university and it's students. The University of Tennessee continues to build and create leaders for the future through academics, athletics, and campus involvement. Go Vols!
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Ethel Wickenden's 1943 history at Delta Lambda ended on a high note of optimism about the three-year-old chapter's future. Her feelings have been substantiated throughout Delta Lambda's first 35 years. The chapter shares Ethel Wickenden's optimism as it anticipates its next 35 years.
  
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'''Chapter:''' Epsilon Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity was founded on February 25, 1967 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Kappa Kappa Gamma is proud to be a part of the Greek system and remains one of the strongest chapters. The sisters of Epsilon Lambda exemplify the ideals of leadership and the development of women. We are dedicated to each other and our sisterhood while also remaining involved in our academics, campus events, and community service. Many members are involved in other organizations on campus and even hold leadership positions in them. Epsilon Lambda strives to uphold the highest ideals of sisterhood while keeping the traditions of Kappa Kappa Gamma alive throughout our daily lives.
 
  
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The main challenge that Epsilon Lambda faced in the year 2011 was honoring the suggestions sent to the chapter through the focus letter. Our academics have not been our primary focus in recent years, but this past year our chapter council did a great job of changing that. We were placed on academic probation and were told that our chapter could not hold more than two mandatory chapter events during one given week. The academic adviser communicated well with our VPAE to make sure that the grade point average of the chapter improved.
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==Highlights from the 1980s==
  
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Our goal was to have grades that were above the all sorority average of panhellenic. The VPAE instituted mandatory study hours starting in the fall and the chapter logged their individual study hours for the week. In addition, she updated the test files and held more study hours to suit every chapter member's needs. The chapter continues to strive for the improvement of our grades and study habits. Another problem that Epsilon Lambda chapter wanted to improve was chapter member accountability. Chapter participation in events such as philanthropy, meetings, recruitment have been low in recent semesters. Chapter council has done a great job of improving the standards committee to hold members that miss required events responsible for their actions. Chapter morale has also improved lately due to the efforts of chapter council to reward chapter members for their good attendance at Kappa functions. Epsilon Lambda continues to work towards a more united, strong chapter for the future.
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Kappa Klamour continued to be Delta Lambda’s yearly newsletter. It highlighted pledge classes, officers, as well as philanthropy and social events throughout the year. Delta Lambda alumnae were also featured about happenings in their lives.
  
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==Highlights of 2012==
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Kappas participated in events such as rush, Greek Week, Kappa Kanoe Date Party, Founders Day, Kappa-FIJI Ultimate Frisbee tournament, Parents’ Weekend, clothing drives, and visits to local nursing homes. 
  
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Scholarship
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Money raised from philanthropy events went to Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, The Fund for the Mentally Disable of Bulter County. 
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Several programs implemented
 
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* Test Fairy
 
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* Academic Conference
 
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* Study Logs/Study Files
 
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* Smart Cookie of the Week
 
  
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Greek Awards Banquet - Spring 2012
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In the late 1980s, the Kappa suite in Hamilton Hall was redecorated. 
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* Panhellenic's Circle of Sisterhood Award
 
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* Volunteer Level Achievement in Greek Excellence
 
  
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Kappa Convention Awards
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Kappa goes computerized with Delta Lambda being a pilot chapter for using an IBM-PC that was purchased by the House Board.  The computer was used to implement a computerized treasury system to handle all of the chapter budgeting.  After the pilot period, the computer was available to members for scholastic use. 
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* Honorable Mention for Finance
 
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* Honorable Mention for Advisory Board  
 
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* Finalist for the Most Outstanding Association Award
 
  
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Chapter Goals
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In the 1980s, many Kappas lived at the Hut-Hut house.  This was a house shared by 8 women and became a gathering place outside of the Kappa Suite at Hamilton Hall.  The Hut-Hut house held study nights, tie-dye parties, as well as big/little sister outings. 
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Intellectual Development
 
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* Academic Development by creating incentives, educating, and closely monitoring
 
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Interpersonal Development
 
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* Chapter Involvement by creating a reward system and boosting sisterhood events
 
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Leadership and Skill Building
 
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* Chapter Leadership Programming by using committees and increasing involvement
 
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Understanding & Appreciation of Kappa
 
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* Chapter Knowledge, and Chapter Heritage by emphasizing importance of ritual
 
  
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Philanthropic Events
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Scholarship continued to be a goal of the Delta Lambda chapter.  Decisions during rush included reviewing high school GPA. “Save Our Scholarship” or “SOS” push allowed Delta Lambda to move up their scholarship ranking on campus to number seven. 
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* March for Babies benefiting March of Dimes
 
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* Kappalympics benefiting March of Dime
 
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* Chef's Auction benefiting March of Dimes
 
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* SOAR benefiting Knoxville education
 
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* March of Dimes Golf Tournament
 
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* Pi Beta Phi's Kisses for Soldiers
 
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* Phi Mu Model for a Miracle
 
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* Kappa Sigma South Seas
 
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* ATO's OcTAUberfest
 
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* Lambda Chi Alpha's Watermelon Bust
 
  
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World/Local Events
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Members were involved with many campus organizations and clubs including Business Affairs, Student Government, Varsity Cross Country, Varsity Track, Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Delta Lambda (freshman honoraries), SPERS (junior honorary), Miami College Democrats, Pi Sigma (physics honorary), Greek Week Committee, Miami University Student Foundation, Ohio Fellows Honorary, Homecoming Committee and Homecoming Court.
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* Hurricane Sandy - collected toiletries, clothing items, non-perishables, etc. 
 
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* Sandy Hook Shooting - members donated money and material needed to be sent through a  member of Phi Mu whose hometown was Newtown, CT
 
  
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Traditions
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The Delta Lambda chapter began hosting Mud Tug during Greek Week in 1984, the sorority version of Puddle Pull. For the first few years, it was a standing competition, but sororities eventually adopted the seated style that the men used. Kappas continued hosting Mud Tug until 1997 or 1998 when it was merged into just Puddle Pull.
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* Blue and Blue Banquet
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'''Request''': Is there any information about the start of sorority [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tug_of_war#Miami_University Puddle Pull]/Kappa Mud Tug?  [http://digital.lib.miamioh.edu/cdm/ref/collection/student/id/4646 Miami Student with Mud Tug Ad] - A. Cramer (crameraj@miamioh.edu)
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* Parent's Weekend Dinner
 
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* Senior Night
 
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* More to come with the house!
 
  
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The University of Tennessee is an ever evolving campus with changes being implemented both by the administration and the students. As a general body, the University is seeking acknowlegement as a Top 25 Public University, and changes are being made steadily in that direction. Some of these changes are being felt more than others. Standards for the Greek community are increasing both in academics and social consciousness.
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==Highlights from the 1990s==
  
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The University wants to redevelop the Greek community as a force of social change and community support. Panhellenic works very closely with the University to champion and instill these values back into the chapters and also to unite the other Greek councils (MGC, IFC, NPHC) into one cohesive force. Kappa has a large presence on the Panhellenic council and we hope to continue the emphasis we have always had. One very obvious change on campus is that the Panhellenic sororities are in the midst of moving into the houses of Sorority Village. Kappa Kappa Gamma is seeking resident move in into the house on February 23rd, 2013. This is of great excitement for our chapter members who have long anticipated this day, and have worked very hard to get there.  
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The 1990s started off with Delta Lambda receiving local and national awards such as first place in Chapter Publications and Public Relations, and Honorable mention for Chapter Finance at the 1990 General Convention. Panhellenic also awarded Delta Lambda most outstanding sorority on campus.
  
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Epsilon Lambda as a chapter has several core strengths and a few weaknesses, as well. One of our greatest strengths as a chapter is that we are very well united and have a way of using our unique differences to make us a complete chapter. We find things in common and make strides out of them. We are also very stringent about our ritual practices and take it very seriously. This makes our chapter more cohesive and efficient in all the things we do.  
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Social and philanthropic events included Kappa Klassic Golf Tournament, celebrating Delta Lambda’s 50th anniversary where charter members attended, Greek Week, Parents’ Weekend, Sisterhood Retreat, Crush Party with Chi Omega, Spring Formal, Kite and Key Date Party, 70’s Date Party, Sisterhood events (ice skating, movie nights, tie-dye, visit to Kappa Headquarters at 530 E. Town, Columbus, Progressive Dinner, Kappa Kore Olympics), Dad’s Weekend, Mom’s Weekend, Chapter Council Retreat, Halloween Date Party and Bingo with Senior Citizens.
  
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Some of our weaknesses include lack of accountability as far as participation and attendance goes. We have a hard time getting members to attend events they pay for. It is difficult to understand why this is, but it is our most difficult challenge to deal with because it affects overall chapter morale, as well. The council's officers project that the presence of the house alone will increase morale, participation, and general attendance by our members for at least the next couple of semesters. This comes at a key time for our chapter as we work to implement rewards systems and find a way to keep members involved and thriving. Our hope is that this will create a new standard in the chapter through the house that will last for years in the future. We are excited to see what changes the house brings and we will have much to share in the next Chapter History Report!
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Money raised from philanthropic events went to Kappa Kidney Kamp, Can Count, and Miami Service Network. The chapter also focused on planning service projects that gave time rather than money.  
  
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==Highlights of 2013==
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Campus safety became an area of focus for Miami University.  Miami Metro was implemented and safety programs were offered to increase awareness of surroundings.  Speakers did workshops on drugs, alcohol, AIDS, date rape and KEEPSAFE Program.
  
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Scholarship: Several programs implemented
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Goals in the 1990s included: Academics, Accountability and Outstanding Attitudes, increase attendance, increase pride and morale, increase the number of sisterhood events, increase chapter involvement, respect and respect of ideals through positive, support and flexible leadership. 
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* Test Fairy
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* Academic Conferences
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In the 1990s, Miami University switched to a deferred rush program.  Rather than having rush in August, the University moved it to January. The sororities had to adjust for officers, weather, outfits and change the focus of getting to know campus to getting to know Kappa. 
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* Study Logs/Study Files
 
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* No Skippy Jar
 
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* 4.0 presentation each semester
 
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* Academic Presentation status to chapter each semester
 
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* Wise Owl Jar
 
  
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Province Awards:
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Members were involved in Miami Correspondence, Campus Crusade for Christ, MUSF, SPERS, Adopt-a-School, International Business Designers, Business School Advisory Council, Zoology Club, Student Dietetic Association, Pre-Vet Club, club soccer, Order of Omega, St. Mary’s Eucharistic Minister, Equestrian Team, Dance Theater, Varsity Swim Team, Academic Peer Mentor, Miami Service Network, Crew Team, Panhellenic Council, Pre-Law Society, Hearing and Language Association, Golden Key National Honor Society, LuxClub, Tutor, Hall Government, Greek Leadership Officer, waterski team, Student Council for Exceptional Children, Praise Choir, Microbiology Club, club tennis, Habitat for Humanity, WMSR Radio, sailing team and broomball team.
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* Standards Award
 
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* Panhellenic Involvement Award
 
  
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Chapter Goals: Intellectual Development
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Delta Lambda found themselves a bit over programmed in the mid-1990s which allowed them to look at their academic and social calendar and focus on programming using the Fraternity MAP program.  National and local alumnae offered much support and guidance.  The chapter started ‘freezing’ the calendar to be sure no additional events were added.  This increased attendance as well as awareness of scholarship and risk management.
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* Academic Development by creating incentives, educating, and closely monitoring
 
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* Kappa Brand emphasis Interpersonal Development
 
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* Chapter Involvement by using our new reward system Leadership and Skill Building
 
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* Leadership presentation at Leadership Day, using committees and encouraging participation by setting examples and Rewards Celebration
 
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Understanding & Appreciation of Kappa
 
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* Increasing Chapter knowledge, and Chapter Heritage by reiterating Importance of ritual:
 
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* Each formal meeting we rehearse/review at least one part of our ritual with the whole chapter.
 
  
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Philanthropic Events:
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In the late 1990s, Delta Lambda was selected by the fraternity to pilot a New Member Orientation Program.  This six-week program was much different than an entire semester of being a pledge.  Sisterhood events included outings to Chuck E. Cheese, getting facials, playing games, and learning Kappa songs.
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* Breakfast for Babies
 
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* March for Babies benefiting March of Dimes
 
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* Kappalympics benefiting March of Dimes
 
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* Chef's Auction benefiting March of Dimes
 
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* SOAR benefiting Knoxville education
 
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* March of Dimes Golf Tournament
 
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* Phi Sig March Madness
 
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* Kappa Sigma South Seas
 
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* Sig Ep's Hurricane Week
 
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* AGR’s Water Wars
 
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* ATO’s OctauberFest
 
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* SAE’s Santa Alpha Eplison
 
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* BYX’s Island Week
 
  
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World/Local Events: We had a clothing drive for a sister’s friend’s house that burned down.
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The Kappa suite was redecorated with overstuffed gingham print couches, chairs, fleur-di-lis walls, an award case and new art.  The suite has a more comfortable atmosphere for sisters to gather, hangout and study.  The kitchen is due for the next renovation.
  
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Overcoming Challenges: Our Philanthropy Chair had to step down due to applying to Nursing school, so we had to find a replacement, which ended up turning out very well. Our new philanthropy chair even had the brilliant idea of a new philanthropy event called Breakfast for Babies. Panhellenic wanting to release Judicial Affairs statistics about all of the Chapters, but through meetings and discussions, Pan decided to table release of the information at this time.
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The 1990s ended with Delta Lambda feeling proud of their award case showing Best New Member Program Award, Most Improved Chapter, Honorable mentions in Public Relations, Advisory Board and Finance, Andrew Herman Chapter Excellence Award, Honorable mention in Ritual and New Member Programs, Challenge to Excellence Award and other awards.
  
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New Traditions:
 
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* Sapphire Banquet
 
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* Mother/Daughter Tea
 
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* Breakfast For Babies
 
  
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Special Events: We had the dedication/opening of our new chapter house.
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==Highlights from the early 2000s==
  
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Group Honors/Awards: We placed 3rd in Carnicus, an all campus event.
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Delta Lambda continued with philanthropic, social and sisterhood events that were well attended and fun including Greek Week, Kappa Klassic Golf Tournament, Kappa and FIJI Dog Night, Tutoring, visits to Adult Day Care, Four-way socials, Rollerskating, Crush Party with Delta Gamma, Puttin’ on the Hits, Pledge Puddle Pull, Bump It Thump It, Kite and Key Date Party, Dad’s Weekend, Mom’s Weekend, Halloween Party, Cincinnati Reds Game, Kappa Kore, Formals, Kappa Kappacino the Founders Day brunch, progressive dinners, holiday gatherings in the suite, movie nights, visiting Kappa Headquarters in Columbus and chapter council retreats.
  
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The University of Tennessee is an ever-changing campus. Two initiatives continue to be priorities for the University of Tennessee – new dorm construction and the focus to become a Top 25 University.  A significant change, which has impacted our chapter, has been the development of Sorority Village. Sorority Village has been in the planning and development stage for the past 8-10 years; however, the actual construction of the individual sorority houses was negative impacted by the recession in 2008 and many houses were delayed in breaking ground until 2010/2011. Our chapter moved into our new house in February 2013 and it has been such a positive change. Ever since Sorority Village has opened, the whole Greek community has benefited from it. Not only do Sorority Women have a new home to live in, but it has also created a wonderful cohesive area for Panhellenic women to interact and hold social functions with each other. Our social functions vary from “Pan Pal” events that our Panhellenic Council and Pan Delegates put on, to simply getting to talk to each other while walking through the Village on the way to the bus stop. Yet another bonus to Sorority Village is that Recruitment is so much more fun and exciting for potential new members now that we no longer have to have recruitment in the Panhellenic building. Our Chapter has thoroughly enjoyed our new home here in Sorority Village and eagerly look forward to the memories our members will make while living in our new home.
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The increase in scholarship focus proved to be a reachable goal as Delta Lambda strived toward excelling academically.  At each meeting members were honored for outstanding scholarship. Members who had a 4.0 were recognized at the Founders Day brunch.
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Our chapter continues to emphasize Academics, Sisterhood and Participation. We support these concepts by our intense focus on Academic performance throughout the semester, creative Sisterhood events and a new Participation Celebration we implemented Fall 2013 to encourage participation in mandatory events, academic success and participation on campus and in the community.
 
  
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They also saw an increase in members who studied abroad as well as program offerings at Miami’s fourth campus, located in Luxemburg, France. 
  
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==Highlights of 2014==
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Delta Lambda continued to review calendar events and fill out appropriate risk management forms as they created their annual calendar.  As attendance went up and down for events, the chapter was able to assess which events draw members and which ones don’t.  The chapter council officers really worked on using committee members so that each member of Delta Lambda had a specific duty.  By 2010, the university saw an increase in reckless consumption of alcohol by the greek community and enacted a requirement of non-alcoholic event for every social Delta Lambda held.  This was based on a point system.
  
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==Highlights of 2011==
  
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Scholarship:
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The past year held a number of proud moments and achievements for the Delta Lambda Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. The year began with a fabulous pledge class of 51 young women, who were brought closer together by the participation in two annual philanthropic events on campus. Bump It Thump It, put on by Kappa Alpha Order is a volleyball tournament that takes place in early February and benefits Muscular Dystrophy. The second event that the new members participated in was Putting on the Hits, put on by Delta Zeta, which benefits deaf children. The new members choreographed their own dance and practiced day in and day out. Their hard work paid off and they won 1st place in the competition, which is a huge accomplishment. The year also included a wonderful Mom’s weekend were members and their mothers participated in a silent auction at Brickstreet that raised $2,907 for the Kappa Foundation.
  
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Epsilon Lambda has done a wonderful job this year of continuing to emphasize the importance of chapter academic success. We are proud to announce that for Fall semester 2014, we had an average chapter GPA of 3.16, which placed us above the all-sorority average of 3.12.  
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In April we sold hotdogs at out annual Kappa Dog Night fundraiser, which rose $401.70 for Reading is Fundamental. The semester also included themed socials, pledge class firesides, and a lovely formal at The Elms. These events were a great way for the new members to get involved with the chapter and learn to love it just as much as all of the active members do. We started the 2011 school year of just right! Our first major event was Dad’s weekend, which is always a personal favorite of the Chapters. Dad’s weekend events included a tailgate and a football game as well as appetizers at Decibel. The next weekend we held our annual philanthropy, Kappa Klassic. This event takes place at a local golf course, Hueston Woods, during this event our very own members caddy for the groups of golfers. We were blessed with a warm and sunny day and a full course, we ended up raising $4,200 for Kappa Kamp Kidney.  
  
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Here are some programs we have implemented to encourage members to excel in academics:
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Members also continued active participation in Opening Minds Through Art, which is a program that helps senior citizens with dementia express themselves through art. Greek Week was another event that gets the whole Greek community excited, especially our chapter. Members participated in activities such as football, soccer, swimming, and even a blood drive. We had a lovely Founders Day Brunch on campus at the Marcum Inn, where we had Gretchen Thomas, a former Miami University Kappa (1978) speak with us and share some of her fond memories of our chapter. The chapter loved hearing her stories, especially her daughter Chelsea Thomas (2012). The semester wrapped up with many sisterhoods, a trip to Butterfield farms, and a wonderful semi-formal at Brickstreet. The year ended with elections, where a new Chapter Council was elected, eager to make changes.  
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- KKG Test Fairy twitter account
 
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- Academic Conferences for members on an academic status
 
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- Study Hour Log
 
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- Wise Owl Jar, which allows members to be rewarded for their good grades throughout the week.
 
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- Study Hours
 
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- DropBox used for test files
 
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- Rewards for Members who make above a 3.50 GPA
 
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- All New Members must have at or above a 3.0 high school GPA
 
  
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Awards:
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'''Campus:''' This past semester the Westboro Baptist Church picketed at Miami University. The Westboro Baptist Church is an Independent Baptist church known for its extreme stance against homosexuality and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals of American servicemen and desecrating the American flag. When the Greek Community found out about the picket, all of the chapters decided to do something to distract the Oxford Community from the racial and hateful slurs that would be heard. The Greek Community put on a “carnival” type event that took place the same time as the picket. This counter activity was a great way to foster unity and tolerance, Kappa Kappa Gamma had a booth at the event were participants could write notes to soldiers, thanking them for all they have done for our country. As well as the carnival that took place the community asked students to sign a pledge to avoid the Westboro Baptist Church protest. This event put a positive spotlight on the Greek Community and brought all of the chapters closer together.  
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- At the 2014 Convention, Epsilon Lambda won the Finance Award for a housed chapter.  
 
  
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Philanthropic Events:
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'''Chapter:''' The members of Delta Lambda hold themselves to the highest standard of scholarship with a cumulative GPA average of 3.40. We had 4 members who achieved a 4.0 GPA this past semester; these ladies were honored at Founders Day Brunch. Several of our members were abroad last semester in Prague, Rome, China, and France. As well as traveling the globe, many of our members are also actively involved in various campus activities and service organizations including Campus Activities Council, Adopt-A-School, Best Buddies, Miami University Women in Business, Opening Minds Through Art, and the Women’s Club Lacrosse Team. We are very proud of our sisters’ involvement throughout the Miami and Oxford community, and the positive representation that they bring to Kappa.  
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- Epsilon Lambda participated in and won Beta Upsilon Chi's Island week, whose proceeds went to Tiva Water.
 
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- Participated in Kappa Sigma's South Seas Week, whose proceeds benefitted the Fisher House Foundation.  
 
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- Participated in and won Delta Tau Delta's Battle of the Bands, whose proceeds benefitted the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
 
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- Participated in and won Chi Omega's Flag Football Tournament, benefitting Dream Connection.
 
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- March for Babies, benefitting March of Dimes
 
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- Chef's Auction, benefitting March of Dimes
 
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- March of Dimes Golf Tournament
 
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- Reading to children at Thrive for Lonsdale Elementary, benefitting underprivileged youth in the Knoxville area
 
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- Relay for Life (campus-wide event that Epsilon Lambda participated in)
 
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- Habitat for Humanity (campus-wide event that Epsilon Lambda participated in)
 
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- 1st annual Kappa Kolor Wars, benefitting March of Dimes.  
 
  
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We are so proud of the success of our 1st annual Kappa Kolor Wars. Below is a summary of this event:
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One of our biggest problems was our chapters’ lack of knowledge and awareness of Kappa history. We have addressed this problem by placing a larger emphasis on our history; we have increased ritual and song review as well as implemented other important Kappa facts. Once a month our Marshall will provide the chapter with “Kappa Fun Facts”. This has been a great way to teach out chapter fun and interesting things about Kappa that they will remember, and want to learn. Our chapter was also concerned with the lack of commitment in committees that every girl is assigned to. In order to increase committee involvement, each committee has sub-leaders, and committee nights are held twice a semester after chapter. We continue to pass around a box for suggestions for improvement where people can give their personal feedback.
  
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On September 24, 2014 Epsilon Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma hosted its newest philanthropy event, Kappa Kolor Wars, benefitting March of Dimes. Kolor Wars is a paint-filled water balloon dodgeball tournament, mixing elements of the color run with dodgeball. The tournament was bracket-style with separate girl’s and boy’s brackets. Each sorority and fraternity team consisted of five players, each receiving a Kappa Kolor Wars t-shirt to participate in. The winners of each bracket received a trophy, as well as a $100 donation to their philanthropy.
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==Highlights of 2012==
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A total of 19 teams participated, 9 sororities: Delta Zeta, Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Kappa, Kappa Delta, Zeta Tau Alpha, Delta Delta Delta, Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, and Alpha Chi Omega; and 10 fraternities: Delta Tau Delta, Alpha Gamma Rho, Phi Delta Gamma, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Sigma Nu, Beta Upsilon Chi, Sigma Chi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Kappa Sigma, and Phi Sigma Kappa. The ladies of Tri Delta won the girl’s bracket, and the gentleman of Sigma Chi were the champions of the boy’s.
 
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All of the proceeds from Kappa Kolor Wars went to Kappa Kappa Gamma’s local philanthropy, March of Dimes. March of Dimes is a non-profit organization promoting the health of babies and their families, along with preventing infant mortality and premature birth. Kappa is excited to announce that a total of $3,110 was raised for the Knoxville chapter of March of Dimes! Everyone in the chapter really enjoyed participating and had a great time raising money for a great cause!
 
  
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2012 has been a successful year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We started off the year by welcoming 53 new members that had an immediate connection with our existing members. Within their first week as new members, they participated in Bump It Thump it, a philanthropy volleyball tournament benefiting muscular dystrophy facilitated by Kappa Alpha Order. Building on their new found friendships, the new member class continued to work in collaboration to prepare for Delta Zeta’s philanthropy, Putting on the Hits. 10 new members choreographed the dance and taught the rest of the pledge class, as the props team worked hard to create props that would support their “KKG Overseas” theme. They rehearsed everyday until it was perfect and created a fantastic end result as well as amazing bonds with their new sisters. After working to help other chapter’s philanthropies, we focused to put on our own spring philanthropy events. First, the chapter put on its annual Kappa Dog Night fundraiser, where the girls sold hot dogs in collaboration with Beta Theta Pi. At the end of the night, we raised $800 to benefit Reading is Fundamental. We also raised $4000 for the Kappa Foundation through our Mom’s weekend silent auction, which turned out to be a wonderful chance for the moms and daughters to get to know each other, complete with brunch at Brickstreet. Our members also spent time with the Opening Minds through Art program, in which we paint with dementia patients to help them stay in touch with their inner feelings.
  
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Chapter Goals:
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After a summer away from Oxford, fall of 2012 brought excitement for our chapter as we continued to create stronger bonds with our sisters. We began with a fantastic Dad’s weekend including appetizers at skybox and bowling. We continued our philanthropic endeavors by putting on our annual Kappa Klassic, a golf tournament benefiting Kappa Kamp Kidney. Despite the freezing cold weather and rain, we raised $6000 for the kids and had a great afternoon caddying for our golfers. Our chapter got especially excited for this year’s greek week, attending all of the events to cheer and participate in a competition that engages the entire greek community. This was a great week for chapter bonding between pledge classes and created great memories and successful teams. We continued chapter bonding with a trip to Butterfield farms for s’mores and a hayride. Founder’s Day brunch was held in Dayton this year  was a great way to be reminded of the legacy that we carry as Kappa Kappa Gammas. Towards the end of the year, we enjoyed a wonderful semi formal at Brickstreet, and then focused on chapter elections, to choose our next batch of eager leaders.
  
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- Academic Development:
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Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, a charming little town secluded from big cities. Miami has about 500 student organizations including over 50 Greek organizations. This allows about a third of the students to be involved in Greek life, which creates a powerful group of people that can make a huge difference. Although these Greek organizations strive to make a positive impact on and off campus through philanthropies and interaction with the Oxford community, the organizations can sometimes get a negative reputation due to association with underage drinking. Many Greek organizations continue to fight this stereotype by emphasizing the philanthropic event and history behind our chapters, reminding ourselves and the community what we really stand for.
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* Maintain chapter GPA above the all-Panhellenic average
 
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* Continue to monitor members with grades below 3.0
 
  
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- Chapter Involvement
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More specifically, the Delta Lambda chapter is proud to have the second highest GPA on campus, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.39 including 16 members with a 4.0 gpa. We are continuing to encourage scholarship this year by organizing dinners where each major can meet to exchange advice and information to help their sisters in similar majors. Besides our schoolwork and our involvement in Kappa, our members are involved in all kinds of organizations including Campus Activities Council, Women in Business, Panhellic Council as well as several publications. Kappas are active on campus, but also have a large presence internationally, as we have members studying in places like Italy, France and Australia.
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* Chapter council members should respect time of chapter members
 
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* Continue to educate the chapter about the attendance reward program
 
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* Emphasize and promote opportunities to the chapter to help members become more involved and gain leadership experience.
 
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- Chapter Leadership Programming
 
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* Chapter council should utilize committees to encourage member involvement in chapter decision making
 
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* Increase chapter participation throughout Panhellenic and always promote Kappa ideals and values
 
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- Chapter Knowledge and Chapter Heritage
 
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* Continue exposing new members to ritual thoroughly and immediately after initiation
 
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* Increase enthusiasm for ritual, and emphasize the importance of Initiation and respecting Kappa values during Inspiration Week
 
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* Educate the members on the importance and uniqueness of our ritual.
 
  
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Traditions:
 
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- Sapphire Rewards Banquet
 
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- Mother Daughter Tea during the Spring semester
 
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- Annual Parents Weekend during the Fall semester
 
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- Father-Daughter Baseball Game during the Spring semester
 
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- Recruitment Traditions, including the Tennessee Kappa Rap and Kappa Kozy during Recruitment Retreat.
 
  
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Overcoming Challenges:
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==Highlights of 2013==
  
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For the past several years, Epsilon Lambda has been on an academic focus letter due to our chapter semester GPA falling below the all-sorority average semester GPA for multiple, consecutive semesters. We are proud to announce, that for Fall 2014, Epsilon Lambda placed 5th overall for Panhellenic GPAs. Our chapter had an overall GPA of 3.16, placing us above the all sorority average of 3.12. This is the first time we have been above the average in many semesters. Our VPAE and her committee continues to work diligently to ensure we remain above the all-sorority average again for Spring 2015.  
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The year of 2013 was very successful for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We started off the year by welcoming 57 new members that had an instant connection with our chapter. Within their first week as new members they participated in Bump It Thump It, a philanthropy volleyball tournament benefiting muscular dystrophy facilitated by Kappa Alpha Order. As the girls continued to get know one another within their new pledge class they continued to be a helping hand to other Greek Community events. The New Members participated in the Delta Zeta event Putting on the Hits. A dance competition between the Greek Life on Miami’s campus. As the girls choreographed their own dance and practiced it to perfection there was a great turnout. Despite the music stopping in the middle of their dance, the new members were able to show their spirit by winning us the Team Spirit Award.  
  
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Also, one concern that Epsilon Lambda has had for some time is overall chapter appearance at informal meetings. Many members were wearing athletic clothes, baggy t-shirts, and other non-professional attire. Chapter Council members decided that Members should look more presentable and professional, even for informal meetings, so under the leadership of President Whitney Robinson, Epsilon Lambda created a new Standing Rule that banned athletic clothes, leggings, and baggy t-shirts from informal meetings. This is to ensure that members look presentable for all guests coming into chapter meetings.
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After helping out our Greek Communities philanthropic events, we aimed towards our events for the spring semester. Our first even being the Kappa Dog Night, we had a fantastic turnout by raising $300 with the help of Phi Gamma Delta. We continued to raise $4,000 for the Kappa Foundation through our Mom’s weekend silent auction. This was held as a brunch for the mothers and daughters as they bonded with one another. It also allowed the new members to further their relationships with their new class. We then had a fantastic formal, which was held at the Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. Many of the girls enjoyed traveling to the big city for this event. Our members also participate in a local program called Opening Minds through Art, which works with elderly dementia patients to further their imaginations by creating art. It is a great opportunity for many of our members to make a strong connection with our community.  
  
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Another challenge Epsilon Lambda continues to battle is lack of participation by a large portion of our membership. Attendance at major philanthropic events has been a recent issue for Epsilon Lambda, but we are taking strides to eradicate this problem. One such stride is the implementation of the Sapphire Rewards program in Fall 2013, which keeps track of member involvement throughout the semester. At the end of the semester, members who have obtained all required points for mandatory events as well as those who have the most points, will be invited to a Sapphire Rewards Banquet, which includes dinner and some sort of tangible reward, like a new and trendy clothing item or other gift. So far, this system seems to be encouraging more attendance, but we are still working through this challenge. We are excited to see all the benefits this system brings to the chapter in the coming semesters.
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After returning back from the summer break, our chapter was ready to get back together and create brand new memories. We began the semester festivities with our Dad’s weekend, which included bowling and a cook out. Our girls enjoyed bonding with their fathers at the many different events such as the hockey game. We continued our philanthropic events by hosting our Kappa Klassic golf tournament. Although it was a rainy day, our chapter had an absolute blast raising money and caddying for the golfers. We raised an astounding $6,000 for the kids, which was just as successful as previous years. We then participated in many events during our Greek Week competitions, coming close to winning. This was a great way for the girls to build stronger relationships between each of the pledge classes and even develop bonds with our fellow Greek community. One of the biggest chapter bonding events we had this fall was the Butterfield’s Farm event. While we made s’mores, held a hayride, and sat by a campfire with our sisters, we made many memories. We then held Founder’s Day Brunch on campus, which was a great way to appreciate the history and legacy behind Kappa.  
  
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The University of Tennessee is a very dynamic campus- constantly changing and working to improve. Similarly, Epsilon Lambda is an ever-evolving chapter as well. As a chapter, we work hard to overcome challenges and better our chapter in any way possible. As our university changes, we work hard to stay at the forefront of new reforms, thus promoting university standards and ideals while upholding the reputation of an influential and beneficial organization on this campus.
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The Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is located in Oxford, Ohio at the historical school of The Miami University. Being a college town, the University offers an array of more than 500 different student organizations, including 50 Greek organizations. Many students of Miami University participate in Greek Life, which makes a strong community among campus. The Greek community strives to go above and beyond the expectations asked of us but know there are some negative reputations of our campus, such as underage drinking. Our Greek life aims to abolish that stereotype by emphasizing the philanthropy events and history behind our chapters. In hopes of reminding our community and ourselves what Greek Life really stands for.  
  
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In 2010, the University of Tennessee announced its goal to become a Top 25 university. Since then, many strides have been taken in this direction. With increased focus on academics campus-wide, Epsilon Lambda is proud to announce our recent accomplishment of obtaining a chapter cumulative GPA above the all-sorority average. Just as the university has increased focus on academics, so have we placed more emphasis on this vital aspect of the college experience. We believe in creating a supportive environment in which Epsilon Lambda members can succeed academically. With the new programs and rewards in place, we encourage all members to contribute not only to Kappa Kappa Gamma's academic standards, but also the academic standards and goals of the University of Tennessee.
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The members of Delta Lambda hold themselves to the highest scholarship with a cumulative GPA of 3.34.We had 7 members who achieved a 4.0 GPA this past semester. We honored these girls accomplishments at our Founders Day Brunch. We also had several members who studied abroad this last year, that included places such as Spain, Luxembourg, and Paris. As well as traveling abroad many of our girls participate in student organizations around campus, such as Women in Business, Women’s Club Soccer and Lacrosse Teams, Best Buddies, Panhellenic Council, and many more. We are proud of our sisters’ and the accomplishments they have strived to make in the past year.
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In the past year, the University of Tennessee has also increased its standards for the Greek community. As members of Kappa Kappa Gamma, we believe that we must be leaders in the Greek community, embodying university ideals at all times. We acknowledge that we are wearing our letters at all times, and we realize that our behavior inside and outside of the classroom will reflect on the reputation of our chapter. As the university looks with more scrutiny at the Greek chapters on campus, Epsilon Lambda is committed to proving to our university that Greek life is beneficial to our campus in many ways, not detrimental. To do this, we are uniting with more Panhellenic sororities and enacting reforms within the Panhellenic community. Our Panhellenic delegate is doing a wonderful job at communicating Panhellenic decisions to the chapter and at communicating Kappa values to the Panhellenic community.
 
  
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In conclusion, with the changes implemented on the University of Tennessee's campus, Epsilon Lambda's goal is to remain a model organization on campus, embracing all university ideals and fostering the development of young women into successful, proud alumni of both Epsilon Lambda and the University of Tennessee. 
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==Highlights of 2014==
  
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All Epsilon Lambda meetings are held in the Chapter Room of our beautiful house located in the new Sorority Village on the University of Tennessee's campus. Once per month, a chapter meal is held at the house before a chapter meeting to foster deeper relationships between all members in all pledge classes. On February 23, 2013, Epsilon Lambda opened the doors to its first house, located in the beautiful Sorority Village on the University of Tennessee's campus, where all 13 sororities now have a house. Our house sleeps 33 girls, mostly members of the Sophomore pledge class. This house has been a wonderful opportunity for members to become closer to each other and develop relationships that they otherwise would not have without this wonderful house.
+
2014 was a busy year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Recruitment brought in 61 new members. They were immediately bonding at dance practices for Delta Zeta's philanthropy, Putting On The Hits. The event is dance competition between Greek life where all the contestants choreograph and preform a dance. Kappa chose a patriotic theme of Red, White, Blue and Blue. Keeping the philanthropic spirit alive, the new members also supported Kappa Alpha Order by participating in their annual volleyball competition Bump It Thump It. They were able to bond by cheering on their team of new sisters. With all this excitement, it was nice to be able to relax on Mom's Weekend. A silent auction was held during a brunch while the mothers got to experience a bit of Kappa's sisterhood. With moms in town, it was a perfect time to go shopping for a dress for formal. Next up was initiation. The new members could finally call themselves members of Kappa Kappa Gamma. They were surprised by their families awaiting them at a brunch at The Marcum. A few weeks later, the busses were off to formal at Longworth's in Mount Adams. A night out in Cincinnati was a fun change of pace, but anything in Oxford is fun with your sisters. Kappa Dog Night especially! Together with Phi Delta Theta, we raised $1,000 for Reading is Fundamental.
  
 +
The summer months were long, and everyone was excited to return to campus. After a few weeks back, the dads were just as excited to come visit for Dad's Weekend. Kappas and their fathers cheered on Miami University's football team as they won their first game of the season. We were in the sporty state of mind and ready to caddy in Kappa Klassic. The golf tournament raised $7,000 for Kappa Kidney Camp, making it more successful than the previous year. Unfortunately, golf wasn't a category in Greek Week. It was neck and neck, but in the end, Kappa came in second place. After all the fun and games, we took a short drive to Butterfield Farm. We embraced fall in Ohio and ate s'mores and hot dogs, went on a hayride, fed cows, and got to meet some Kappas from the University of Cincinnati. Next, Founder's Day Brunch took us to Dayton. We got to meet women who had been in Kappa for over 50 years, which was a great way to appreciate our history and legacy. To wrap up the year, the sophomores had a secret Santa gift exchange with cookies in the suite. A lot of memories were made in 2014.                     
  
−
==Highlights of 2015==
+
Miami University has a lot to offer the students. There are over 500 student organizations, and over 50 Greek organizations. Most girls participate in a variety of organizations on campus. Business fraternities, club sports, Best Buddies, PRSSA and Women in Business are just a few. Greek life has a strong presence on campus, and members strives to go above and beyond. Kappas hold themselves to a high standard, including their GPA's. We have one of the highest GPA's on campus, even members with a 4.0. Many of our sisters chose to challenge themselves academically and study abroad all over the world. Delta Lambda Kappas are well-rounded girls and hold a great reputation on campus. We create our best memories at philanthropy events, and always have a positive attitude.
  
−
This year, we continued the use of our Wise Owl Jar to reward members who excelled on tests and assignments. We also continued to hold academic conferences and encouraged members to log their study hours and contribute to the study files. Our chapter GPA in Spring 2015 was 3.18, which was higher than the all-women average on our university’s campus but lower than the all-sorority average.
+
Chapter is held at an academic building that is university owned, Hughes Hall.  The sophomores lived in a corridor of Hamilton Hall in Sorority Quad for the spring semester. In the fall, Kappas moved into a corridor of MacCracken Hall. The Kappa suite is also in Hamilton Hall. It has a living room, dining table, office and kitchen. The suite is rented from Miami University. Juniors and seniors have the opportunity to live off campus in homes or apartments, usually with other girls in their pledge class.
  
−
For the Fall of 2015, we were above the All-Sorority Average.  Also, our freshman new member class had the 3rd highest GPA out of all the sororities on campus.
 
  
−
Chapter Goals:
+
==Highlights of 2015==
 +
2015 has been a busy and fun year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Miami University. Recruitment brought in 65 wonderful new members to our chapter. They immediately got involved with a dance competition for Delta Zeta’s philanthropic event, POTH-Putting On The Hits. This event includes all Miami Greek Life, where sororities and fraternities choreograph and perform a dance. For this year, our theme was Kappa Kandyland that was filled with candy themed songs and colorful decorations, giving everyone a sweet taste of Kappa! Kappa also enjoyed socials such as a country themed date party, Kappa Korral, and a crush party paired with another sorority, Delta Gamma. With all of this new excitement, it was nice to be able to relax and spend a great weekend with the Moms. During Mom’s weekend, moms and daughters took part in a silent auction and brunch uptown while meeting all of the new Kappa Moms! After this fun filled weekend, came initiation. The new members were finally able to call themselves Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters and could wear their letters!  Kappa sisters participated in another philanthropic event as our semester came to a close. Kappa Dog night was paired with Phi Gamma Delta. The event raised money for Reading is Fundamental.
  
−
Academic Development
+
After the long summer months a part, the Kappa sisters were excited to return to campus. The new members all live together in a corridor of Hamilton Hall in Sorority Quad. After a few weeks, all of the Kappa dads were excited to come visit the university for Dad’s Weekend. Kappas and their fathers did many activities together ranging from playing golf and broomball as well as kicking back at a barbecue. This fun filled and sporty weekend got all the Kappas ready to caddie for Kappa Klassic. All of the Kappas caddied for numerous people who signed up for the golf tournament. Our philanthropy raised $9,369 for Kappa Kidney camp, making it more successful than the previous year! Keeping the competitive vibe alive, our chapter took place in the Groovy themed Greek Week. It was a competitive ride, but Kappa finished in third place overall! After all of the fun and games, we took a short drive to Butterfield farms where all of the Kappas bonded and got to hang out by the fire making s’mores and feeding the cows! Next, was the 75th Anniversary event held at Miami of the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. This was a great way to show our appreciation of the legacy, traditions and history of our chapter. We were able to chat with alumni one on one in the suite, looking through old scrapbooks and sharing memories with each other! To close out the year, we had a sisterhood-bonding event with a candlelight ritual, where all the newest members were able to get closer together!
  
−
- Work towards the all-Panhellenic GPA average and continue to monitor girls with
+
Miami University has a lot of opportunities for students to get involved. There are over 500 different student organizations and over 50 Greek organizations. Majority of our chapter participates and are very active in these organizations on campus. Some are involved in Business fraternities, club sports, PRSSA, Tour guides and Women in Business; the list goes on and on. Greek Life has a strong presence on campus and members hold themselves to the highest standard. Kappas are determined to get involved whether that is through different organizations, philanthropies, or  working on campus. Kappas are determined to keep their GPA’s up. We make sure that everyone is able to maintain their academics, by having some of the upperclassmen tutor girls and making sure we have study rooms available. Delta Lambda Kappas are well-rounded girls that hold a great reputation on campus.
−
grades below 3.0.
+
 +
Chapter Philanthropy:
  
−
Chapter Involvement
+
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?   
  
−
- Respect time of chapter members, continue to educate the chapter about the reward
+
The Delta Lambda Chapter gets involved with many different events to help raise and donate money to various organizations. The chapter holds many philanthropic events like Kappa Dog Night, Haven House, Kappa Klassic, and OMA. We also raised money for the KKG foundation through a silent auction we had over Mom’s Weekend. For Kappa Dog Night all of the proceeds go to Reading is Fundamental. The girls sold hot dogs with a fraternity in the spring at a popular location on campus. For Haven House, the Kappas made cookies and brought donated books to read to the children and spent the day with them. In the Fall, our chapter hosted Kappa Klassic, which is a golf tournament that the girls caddy for and all of the proceeds go to Kappa Kidney Camp. This year we raised over $9,000. For OMA: Opening Minds through Art, we send a group of about ten girls to a local retirement home every Wednesday for about two hours. Girls are paired with an elder who is suffering from dementia and spends time with them through painting.  
−
system, and emphasize and promote opportunities within the chapter to help
 
−
members become more involved and develop leadership qualities.
 
  
−
Chapter Leadership Programming
+
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
 +
 +
Our chapter enjoys getting involved and helping raise money and giving of our time to help these organizations. We are involved with RIF: Reading is Fundamental because we have been working with them for years and it is so rewarding knowing that the children love the books! We enjoy working with Kappa Kidney Camp because it’s in Ohio and every Ohio chapter helps them because they rely on our donations and it is very fulfilling. Our chapter, in the end, loves to get involved and help out any organization!
  
−
- Utilize committees/motivate the middle, increase chapter participation throughout
 
−
Panhellenic and promote the Kappa “brand”, and emphasize and promote
 
−
opportunities within the chapter to encourage members to become more involved
 
−
and develop leadership qualities.
 
  
−
Chapter Knoweldge and Chapter Heritage
+
==Highlights of 2016==
 +
2016 has been a busy year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In February, we brought in 64 new members through recruitment. The new members participated in Delta Zeta's philanthropy, Putting on the Hits. This is a dance competiton that different Greek chapters particate in, choreographing a dance for new members to perform. This year, Delta Lambda did KKG P.D., a police theme. Many new members also participated in Tri Delta's puddle pull event and the FTK (for the kids) dance marathon. This was a great bonding moment for new members and actives. They also participated in CAP events with other fraternities and sororities on campus about transitioning into careers and advice. With all the excitement of these events, it was a nice break for Kappas to have mom's weekend. We hosted a brunch with a silent auction of several prizes that different members could bid on. Next, the new members were initiated and finally able to call themselves sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma. After initiation, they were surprised by their families at Left Field Tavern for brunch.  A few weeks later, people filed onto buses to go to Cincinnati for spring formal in Mount Adams. A night in Cincinnati made formal especially fun for our sisters! Later in the semester, we had our philanthropy event, Kappa Dog Night, where we sold hot dogs for Reading is Fundamental. We hosted the event with Sigma Phi Epsilon and raised $1000.
  
−
- Continue exposing new members to ritual immediately after initiation, increase the
+
Over the summer, at the 2016 Kappa Convention, the Delta Lambda chapter was proud to receive the award for most improved academic excellence award. This was an honor for Delta Lambda to receive and members were excited to receive the news!
−
enthusiasm and emphasize the importance of initiation during inspiration week, and
 
−
educate the members on the importance and uniqueness of our ritual by utilizing
 
−
spare meeting time and chapter events to practice ritual.
 
  
−
Philanthropic Events:
+
After a long and fun-filled summer, things are in full swing for the girls of Delta Lambda. First, we participated in Greek Week with a plethora of Greek chapters in sports like swimming, volleyball, etc. Many girls participated in events, while others came out to cheer their sisters on. Dads were excited to come in for dad's weekend, where they tailgated, played friendly games of football and went bowling. With the great fall weather and the other athletic events happening, Kappa Klassic came at the perfect time. Our annual golf tournament for our philanthropy had many teams signed up and was a succcess. Though the weather wasn't to our advantage, we still raised $12,000 for Kappa Kidney camp. With the fun fall weather in full swing, we took a trip as a chapter to Butterfield farms for a tractor ride, s'mores and an overall fun, bonding sisterhood event. Next, we had our Founders' Day event in Dayton. We met women who were Kappas for fifty years and had us appreciate the legacy and history of Kappa. To wrap up the year, we had Kappa study rooms booked to prepare for finals and our annual Kite & Key christmas party with Theta. Overall, Delta Lambda had a exciting year and a lot of memories were made. 
  
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March for Babies benefiting March of Dimes
 
  
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Kappa Kolor Wars benefiting March of Dimes
+
Miami University has several organizations on campus for students to join and over 50 Greek organizations. Most girls in Delta Lambda participate in a variety of these organizations on campus. Business fraternities, OMA, Best Buddies, club sports, MedLife and Women in Business are only a few of many of these organizations with a Kappa presence. Kappas hold themselves to a high standard, including their GPAs. Many of the members within the Delta Lambda chapter are challenged with tough course loads and study abroad all around the world. In fact, the Kappa has one of the highest GPAs for a sorority on campus. In essence, Delta Lambdas are very well-rounded girls with a great reputation on campus. We continue to uphold this positive presence through our philanthropy and sisterhood events. 
  
−
Chef's Auction benefiting March of Dimes
 
  
−
Major League Breakfast benefiting March of Dimes
+
The Delta Lambda chapter gets involved in many events throughout campus, donates money to other organizations and hosts events to raise money for organizations we support. The chapter hosts many events throughout the year such as Kappa Dog Night, Kappa Klassic and OMA. The girls also donated books to read to kids at Booker T. Washington Community Center. For Kappa Dog Night, all proceeds go to Reading is Fundamental. The girls sold hot dogs with another frat at a popular location on campus to raise the money. This year, we raised around $1000. In the fall, Delta Lambda hosted Kappa Klassic, which is a popular golf tournament where two kappas will caddy for a group of boys and all proceeds go to Kappa Kidney Camp. This year, we raised about $12,000. For OMA: Opening Minds through Art, we send a group of about ten girls to a local retirement home every Wednesday to spend time with the patients. Every girl is paired up with an elder who is suffering from dementia and they paint with them.
  
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THRIVE benefiting Knoxville education and children’s literacy
+
==Highlights of 2017==
 +
 
 +
2017 has been a busy year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In February, we brought in 61 new members through recruitment. Shortly after, the new members participated in Delta Zeta's philanthropy, Putting on the Hits. This is a dance competition that different Greek chapters participate in, choreographing a dance for new members to perform. This year, Delta Lambda did an army/cadet theme. Many new members also participated in Tri Delta's puddle pull event and the FTK (for the kids) dance marathon. This was a great bonding moment for new members and actives. Additionally, members also participated in a series of workshops for philanthropy, standards, academic excellence, finance, chapter history, etc. for them to become more familiar with Kappa. With all the excitement of these events, it was a nice break for Kappas to have mom's weekend, which was hosted on the first weekend of March. We hosted a brunch with a silent auction of several prizes that different members could bid on. Next, the new members were initiated and finally able to call themselves sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma. After initiation, they were surprised by their families at Left Field Tavern for brunch.  A few weeks later, people filed onto buses to go to Dave & Busters for spring formal located roughly a half hour outside of Oxford. A night at a new venue made formal especially fun for our sisters! Later in the semester, we had our philanthropy event, Kappa Dog Night, where we sold hot dogs for Reading is Fundamental. We hosted the event with Sigma Phi Epsilon and raised $249. To end the semester with a bang, our VPAE hosted a finals brunch for the girls of Kappa and everyone studied hard for finals.
  
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Kappa Sigma’s South Seas benefiting the Fisher House Foundation
+
After a long and fun-filled summer, things are in full swing for the girls of Delta Lambda. First, we participated in Greek Week with a plethora of Greek chapters in sports like swimming, volleyball, etc. Many girls participated in events, while others came out to cheer their sisters on. Dads were excited to come in for dad's weekend, where they tailgated, played friendly games of football and went bowling. With the great fall weather and the other athletic events happening, Kappa Klassic came at the perfect time. Our annual golf tournament for our philanthropy had many teams signed up and was a success. The weather was perfect for a day of golfing and we  raised $1422 for Kappa Kidney camp. With the fun fall weather in full swing, we had fun sisterhood events with bonfires and a big/little movie night in the suite for Kappas to enjoy. Next, we had our Founders' Day event located in the Shriver Center on campus. We met women who were Kappas for many years and had us appreciate the legacy and history of Kappa. To wrap up the year, we had Kappa study rooms booked to prepare for finals, a finals brunch and our annual Kite & Key christmas party with Theta. Overall, Delta Lambda had a exciting year and a lot of memories were made.   "
  
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Delta Tau Delta’s Battle of the Bands benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
+
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
 +
Miami University has several organizations on campus for students to join and over 50 Greek organizations. Most girls in Delta Lambda participate in a variety of these organizations on campus. Business fraternities, OMA, Best Buddies, club sports, MedLife and Women in Business are only a few of many of these organizations with a Kappa presence. Kappas hold themselves to a high standard, including their GPAs. Many of the members within the Delta Lambda chapter are challenged with tough course loads and study abroad all around the world. In fact, the Kappa has moved up in the ranks and is now placed as the chapter with the 3rd highest GPA of all Greek chapters. In essence, Delta Lambdas are very well-rounded girls with a great reputation on campus. We continue to uphold this positive presence through our philanthropy and sisterhood events.  
  
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Lambda Chi Alpha’s Watermelon Bust benefiting St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital
+
Chapter Philanthropy:
 +
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?
 +
The Delta Lambda chapter gets involved in many events throughout campus, donates money to other organizations and hosts events to raise money for organizations we support. The chapter hosts many events throughout the year such as Kappa Dog Night, Kappa Klassic, Booker T. Washington and OMA. The girls donated books to read to kids at Booker T. Washington Community Center. For Kappa Dog Night, all proceeds go to Reading is Fundamental. The girls sold hot dogs with another frat at a popular location on campus to raise money. This year, we raised around $249. In the fall, Delta Lambda hosted Kappa Klassic, which is a popular golf tournament where two kappas will caddy for a group of boys and all proceeds go to Kappa Kidney Camp. This year, we raised about $1422. For OMA: Opening Minds through Art, we send a group of about ten girls to a local retirement home every Wednesday to spend time with the patients. Every girl is paired up with an elder who is suffering from dementia and they paint with them.
  
−
Sigma Chi’s Derby Days benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network
+
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
 +
Our chapter enjoys raising money and getting involved with different organizations through philanthropy. We are involved with Reading is Fundamental because it has been a traditional philanthropy we have been involved with for years and Delta Lambda loves expanding childrens' knowledge and creativity through reading with them and donating books. In addition, we enjoy working with Kappa Kidney Camp because it is located in Ohio and the other Ohio Kappa chapters raise money for this organization, as well. It is very fulfilling to raise money for kids, who cannot have the typical summer camp experience due to an illness. In being involved with these organizations, we are helping others and making a difference, an overall fulfilling experience for the Delta Lambda chapter as a whole.
  
−
Alpha Tau Omega’s OcTAUberfest
+
Chapter Facility:
 +
We hold chapter in an academic building on campus that is university owned, Hughes Hall.
  
−
Beta Upsilon Chi’s Island Party benefiting TIVA water
+
https://miamioh.edu/cas/_files/images/chemistry/facilities/hughes.jpg"
  
 +
Oral History
 +
Are 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.
 +
Barbara Quilling 
  
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Overcoming Challenges:
+
Photographs
 +
Are there any interesting photos in your chapter’s archives that you would like to share with us?
 +
"http://kkgmiamiu.tumblr.com/
  
−
In the past years, our officers and advisors have noticed that our chapter has been over programming
+
==Highlights of 2018==
−
the members. However, this year, we worked on the challenge of being over programmed
 
−
by increasing communication among officers to facilitate more efficient planning.
 
−
With this improvement in communication, we were able to decrease needless programming in
 
−
order to foster an environment that both encourages member involvement and enables members to
 
−
remain focused on academics.
 
  
−
In previous years, our chapter struggled to meet quota for new member recruitment.
+
2018 has been an eventful year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In
−
However, this year we overcame this challenge and easily exceeded quota thanks to an amazing
+
February, we brought in 58 new members through recruitment. Shortly after, the new members
−
recruitment process. Our Membership Chairman, Anna Taylor, worked tirelessly to facilitate a
+
participated in Delta Zeta's philanthropy, Putting on the Hits (known across campus as POTH).
−
positive, informative, and empowering recruitment workshop in order to successfully recruit 69
+
This is a dance competition that many different Greek chapters, both fraternities and sororities,
−
new members.
+
participate in. Kappa especially enjoys this event every year as members of the Sophomore and
 +
Junior pledge classes help the incoming pledge class choreograph their routine. This year our
 +
theme was circus! Many new members also participated in Tri Delta's puddle pull event and the
 +
FTK (for the kids) dance marathon. This was a great bonding moment for new members and
 +
actives. Additionally, members participated in a series of workshops for philanthropy, standards,
 +
academic excellence, finance, chapter history, etc. for them to become more familiar with
 +
Kappa. With all the excitement of these events, it was a nice break for Kappas to have mom's
 +
weekend, which was hosted on the first weekend of March. We hosted a brunch with a silent
 +
auction of several prizes that different members could bid on. Next, the new members were
 +
initiated and finally able to call themselves sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma. After initiation, they
 +
were surprised by their families at Left Field Tavern for brunch, a favorite tradition of the Delta
 +
Lambda chapter. A few weeks later, people filed onto buses to go to the Newport Aquarium for
 +
formal. A night at a new venue made formal especially fun for our sisters! Later in the semester,
 +
we had our philanthropy event, Kappa Dog Night, where we sold hot dogs for Reading is
 +
Fundamental. We hosted the event with Tau Kappa Epsilon this year and raised over $500! We
 +
also participated in Sigma Chi’s week long philanthropy event, Derby Days. To end the
 +
semester with a bang, our VPAE hosted a finals brunch for the girls of Kappa and everyone
 +
studied hard while enjoying delicious Panera bagels!
  
−
Finally, we have, in the past, been faced with the challenge of losing new members. However,
+
After a long summer filled with fun and friends, things were back in full swing for the girls of
−
this year, our new member retention rate increased due to the wonderful new member education
+
Delta Lambda. First, we participated in Greek Week with multiple Greek chapters in sports like
−
program directed by our New Member Chairman, Haley Hancock.
+
swimming, volleyball, etc. Many girls participated in events while others came out to cheer their
 +
sisters on. Dads were excited to come in for dad's weekend, where they tailgated, played
 +
friendly games of football and went bowling. This is always a great weekend in the Delta
 +
Lambda chapter! With the great fall weather and the other athletic events happening, Kappa
 +
Klassic came at the perfect time. Our annual golf tournament for our philanthropy had many
 +
teams signed up and was a success. The weather was perfect for a day of golfing and we
 +
raised over $8,000 for Kappa Kidney camp. Next, we had our Founders' Day event located in
 +
Dayton. We met women who were Kappas for many years and had us appreciate the legacy
 +
and history of Kappa. To wrap up the year, we had Kappa study rooms booked to prepare for
 +
finals and a finals brunch, this time with McDonald’s hash browns! This new addition to the
 +
finals brunch menu is one that everyone hopes will stick around. Overall, Delta Lambda had a
 +
exciting year and so many amazing memories were made!
  
−
Traditions:
+
Miami University has several organizations on campus for students to join and over 50 Greek
 +
organizations. Most girls in Delta Lambda participate in a variety of these organizations on
 +
campus. Business fraternities, Best Buddies, varsity and club sports, MedLife and Women in
 +
Business are only a few of many of these organizations with a Kappa presence. Kappas hold
 +
themselves to a high standard, including their GPAs. Many of the members within the Delta
 +
Lambda chapter are challenged with tough course loads and study abroad all around the world.
 +
In essence, Delta Lambdas are very well-rounded girls with a great reputation on campus. We
 +
continue to uphold this positive presence through our philanthropy and sisterhood events.
 +
The Delta Lambda chapter gets involved in many events throughout campus, donates money to
 +
other organizations and hosts events to raise money for organizations we support. Our most
 +
prominent events Kappa Dog Night during the spring semester and Kappa Klassic in the fall. In
 +
addition to this annual philanthropy events, many members of the Delta Lambda chapter also
 +
participate in weekly philanthropies in the Oxford and Hamilton communities. Monday through
 +
Thursdays Kappas can be found at the Booker T. Washington Center in Hamilton, Ohio tutoring
 +
elementary and middle school students during an after school program. On Mondays, Kappas
 +
can be found at Adult Day Services, located near campus, participating in OMA. OMA stands for
 +
Opening Minds through Art and each week Kappas and their partners, adults with Alzheimer's
 +
and Dementia, work together to create beautiful pieces of abstract art. The Delta Lambda
 +
chapter is proud to support local philanthropies in addition to Kappa’s national philanthropies.
 +
Our chapter enjoys raising money and getting involved with different organizations through
 +
philanthropy. We are involved with Reading is Fundamental because it has been a traditional
 +
philanthropy we have been involved with for years and Delta Lambda loves expanding
 +
children's' knowledge and creativity through reading with them and donating books. In addition,
 +
we enjoy working with Kappa Kidney Camp because it is located in Ohio and the other Ohio
 +
Kappa chapters raise money for this organization, as well. It is very fulfilling to raise money for
 +
kids, who cannot have the typical summer camp experience due to an illness. In being involved
 +
with these organizations, we are helping others and making a difference, an overall fulfilling
 +
experience for the Delta Lambda chapter as a whole.
  
−
Sapphire Reward System
+
Our chapter meetings were held in classrooms or meeting rooms on campus. Starting in the fall
 +
semester, a few chapter meetings were held in the Shriver Center or Armstrong Student Center
 +
instead of our usual location in Hughes Hall. Prior to these chapter meetings, Kappas enjoyed a
 +
dinner together sometimes as a whole chapter and other times between specific pledge classes.
 +
This was a great way for the Delta Lambda chapter to get to spend some quality time together
 +
despite not having a house. Chapter dinners were a great way to bring pledge classes and the
 +
chapter together as a whole.
  
−
Mother Daughter Tea
+
Overall, 2018 was a fun and eventful year for the Delta Lambda chapter. It was filled with old
 +
traditions as well as the introduction of new ideas that someday may become traditions of their
 +
own. It is clear that the women of Delta Lambda continue to be dedicated to their studies, their
 +
philanthropy, and their sisters!
  
−
Major League Breakfast
+
==Highlights of 2019==
  
−
In the past year, the University of Tennessee has worked tirelessly to create a campus environment
+
In the previous year we have made numerous strides to become a well functioning chapter council that allows for open communication and innovative ideas. This has been successful due to our efforts to the implementation of strategies learned at KLC (Kappa Leadership Conference) in Atlanta, TWIK (This Week in Kappa) newsletter, and transparency with the chapter. We have revamped and implemented stronger standards by correctly using probation and terms. As a chapter this year we have held members more accountable for their service hours and as a result we have completed over 1,500 hours of service. Along with community service, we hosted philanthropy events both semesters helping us to donate $500 towards Reading is Fundamental and $5,500 toward Kappa Kidney Camp. Holding one of the top GPAs on campus, we currently have a 3.5 average and 14 girls with 4.0s. In the previous year we have devised an incentive program to recognize the scholar of the week and ran our first ever Career Fair workshop. In order to strengthen our sisterhood we held a number of new events including a yoga sisterhood, Camp Kappa, and a Reds baseball game. Because of the recent strides made toward mental awareness, we have implemented a new mental health initiative Kappa Kares which aims to spread awareness and support our members. To better prepare for recruitment and initiation we have had a Marshal Melody each chapter as we practice our ritual songs. We have also held recruitment and sprite day workshops earlier to best prepare both our members and the 58 new initiates in the spring.
−
that is inclusive of all persons regardless of cultural, racial, sexual, religious, or socioeconomic
 
−
background. The University of Tennessee seeks to gain student participation in ongoing diversity
 
−
inclusion campaigns in order to spread the message of acceptance to all corners of campus. The
 
−
University of Tennessee especially looks to members of the Greek community to be a force of
 
−
social change and community support. One of the most prominent strengths of the Epsilon
 
−
Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is that we are composed of a very unique, diverse, and
 
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accepting body of members. Our member involvement extends far beyond the walls of our chapter
 
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room and the Greek community. In addition to having a large presence on Panhellenic council,
 
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Kappa Kappa Gamma has several members involved in Student Government Association (SGA),
 
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with one of our members being the Vice President of SGA. With this heavy involvement on
 
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campus, members of Kappa Kappa Gamma are able to serve as role models to other students and
 
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are able to provide a strong and unifying voice regarding student opinions of social and academic
 
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changes being implemented by campus administration.
 
  
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As a chapter, Epsilon Lambda has several core strengths as well as some weaknesses on which we
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Recently our campus has been striving to focus on balancing the activities of greek organizations. The idea behind this is that there should be a nice balance of social, ritual, and sisterhood events in efforts to strengthen the bond between sorority sisters. There has also been a push on campus to normalize mental health and ensure that members are looking out for each other and feel comfortable and safe to speak out.
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strive to improve. One of our greatest strengths is the uniqueness of our members. Each member
 
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brings something special to the table, which helps to complete the chapter. Our members work
 
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together to unify each person’s unique qualities to foster a positive, supportive, and empowering
 
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environment in which members can wholly express themselves as well as learn new and different
 
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things from other members. Another strength of this chapter is the commitment to our ritual.
 
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Thanks to a well-organized new member education program, our new members are exposed to and
 
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encouraged to learn our ritual immediately after initiation in a manner that is both fun and
 
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informative. All members understand and appreciate the importance and uniqueness of our ritual,
 
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which further unifies our chapter. Despite these strengths, our chapter recognizes that there is
 
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always room for improvement. We recognize that one of our weaknesses is lack of member
 
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participation in Kappa-sponsored events. This year’s chapter council paid special attention to this
 
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weakness in order to discover the root of the problem. With the help of our advisors, we decided
 
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that lack of member participation might be due to over-programming. Therefore, we carefully
 
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planned all chapter events this year in an attempt to boost chapter interest and maximize
 
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participation. While we have not yet been able to determine if more careful programming has made
 
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a difference, we hope that the next council will continue to program carefully, maintain
 
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transparency and flexibility, and work to improve member participation in all events.
 
  
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Chapter Philanthropy:
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Our chapter supports:
  
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What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in
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• Reading is Fundamental
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your community?
 
  
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THRIVE and March of Dimes.
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• Kappa Kidney Camp
  
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Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
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• Opening Minds Through Art
  
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Since Reading is Fundamental is Kappa’s national philanthropy, we chose to donate our time and
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• Booker T Washington
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efforts to a local organization that also promotes literacy in young children. THRIVE at Lonsdale
 
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elementary is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating inner-city children who come from
 
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minority families or families below the poverty line. THRIVE recognizes that children have
 
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educational, physical, and spiritual needs, and in order to break the cycle of poverty, these needs
 
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must be met. Therefore, as members of the Epsilon Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, we
 
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spend one day a week reading to and tutoring the children of this after-school program in order to
 
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promote literacy and education.
 
  
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We also donate much of our time and money to March of Dimes, our local philanthropy that
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We choose to support Booker T Washington because it related to Reading is Fundamental as it is a tutoring center for young children from lower income areas. By teaming with Booker T Washington, we have had the opportunity to work with students on a weekly basis and help children with homework who may not have as much support at home. Opening Minds Through Art originally started with just a few girls volunteering and as word spread more and more girls wanted to join the organization that works to engage young adults and patients with dementia in art making.
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supports research regarding premature births and also aids parents of premature children. Each
 
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year we participate in March for Babies, a walk put on by March of Dimes. During this event, we
 
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are able to interact with many of the children and parents who have benefitted from this incredible
 
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organization. We truly enjoy the opportunity to see where our money is going and how much of an
 
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impact is has on the people we are helping. We have several fundraisers during the year that we
 
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organize to raise money for this organization. In the fall, we have Kappa Kolor Wars, and in the
 
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spring, we have Breakfast for Babies or Major League Breakfast. All proceeds from these events are
 
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donated directly to March of Dimes.
 
  
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==Highlights of 2016==
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------------------
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==Highlights of 2020==
  
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This year Epsilon Lambda continued to grow with the addition of over fifty beautiful ladies and really strived to implement and uphold our chapter's values and goals. With such an outstanding group of ladies in our chapter, our goals and standards were easily met. We received the Panhellenic Award at national convention for exemplifying true Panhellenic leadership and support at our university. We also received an Honorable Mention for our New Member Program and we were recognized as an Adelphe Society Member for raising $10,000 for the Kappa Kappa Gamma foundation.  
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In 2020, the Delta Lambda chapter was eager to continue and improve on previously implemented approaches to create a strong chapter council that led the chapter with unity, direction, and new visions for Kappa’s future. Significantly, the chapter dealt with the effects of COVID-19 and worked together to maintain the bonds of sisterhood throughout a pandemic. The chapter worked hard to maintain connection and keep all women motivated to be apart of the bond that Kappa offers.  
  
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We also received the Sisterhood Program of the Year award from Panhellenic at the University of Tennessee and were one of two Panhellenic sororities featured in UT's Admissions viewbook for high school seniors. We also completed the most SOFE requirements during the pilot year out of all Panhellenic sororities. Regarding academics, we continued to push our members to work hard and stay above the All-sorority average. Our VPAE, Abbey Rosanski, really went above and beyond to make sure each and every member had the resources and support they needed to meet their academic goals. We also participated in many philanthropic events including Kappa Kolor Wars, Breakfast for Babies, March for Babies at the Knoxville Zoo, and Chef's Auction, which all benefited March of Dimes raising over $5000 in total donations in 2016.  
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When the new chapter council was installed, the year ahead was filled with new ideas. As a chapter, we wanted to balance the number of sisterhood activities and social events. We were also ambitious about continuing our work with our four philanthropies, Reading is Fundamental, Kappa Kidney Camp, Opening Minds Through Art, and Booker T Washington.  
  
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We also participated in THRIVE at Lonsdale Elementary School, Lemonade for Literacy, Project Elevates Hero Day, Boys and Girls Club Easter Egg Hunt, the Gatlinburg Wildfire Relief, Relay for Life, and many other Greek organization's philanthropy events as well. We placed first overall in Greek Beat and was the top fundraising team for For The Kids (FTK) at UT. We received the Miss Congeniality award at Panhellenic's Lip Sync competition as well. Epsilon Lambda really strived to get involved and make a difference in the lives of our own members and those around us, whether that be local or national. We put in a lot of hard work this year and it definitely paid off to see all of those who have benefitted from it.  
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When COVID-19 hit in March, Miami University students were sent home and our members were spread across different states. CC met to discuss chapter issues and ideas for how to keep members optimistic. Each position uniquely changed and each member had to be flexible in dealing with the effects of COVID.  
  
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The University of Tennessee always seems to be changing and implementing new standards for its students to meet. Epsilon Lambda really strives to uphold our universities standards to become not only proud, successful women of Kappa, but also of the University of Tennessee. One of the biggest issues we saw this year on campus was regarding diversity. Epsilon Lambda sees every member of our chapter as unique and we welcome and embrace any and all diversity that comes our way.
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Our focus was to keep members as involved as possible while still not having any in-person events. We encouraged members to meet with their sisters over zoom calls and keep in touch with their kappa families to place importance on sisterhood and the bond we all share.  
  
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We wanted to continue with the ideas of Kappa's national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, and help to promote literacy in children. THRIVE at Lonsdale Elementary school provides us the opportunity to do this, as well as interact with some of the most kind-hearted and fun-loving children. This year, we expanded our involvement with THRIVE, now going twice a week to help students read and work on homework.
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Checking on members to ensure that they felt supported during this time was also an important task that was mostly led by our recently formed Kappa Kares committee, the mental health initiative that aims to assist and educate members. This was especially appreciated by our women during quarantine and the pandemic. A monthly calendar was created and sent to members to remind them to focus on their mental health during this time. Fun activities were included to help inspire members to take care of themselves and others, including their kappa sisters!
  
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We also donate as much time and money as we can to March of Dimes, our local philanthropy that supports research regarding premature birth and helps families dealing with this issue. This year, we found an amazing family to sponsor and absolutely love working with them to help raise awareness about premature birth. All proceeds from our fall philanthropy, Kappa Kolor Wars, and our spring philanthropy, Breakfast for Babies, were donated to March of Dimes.  
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Prior to COVID, we all worked together in sprite date and recruitment workshops to prepare for the new members that we would welcome in the spring semester. We successfully educated new members through in-person and then online meetings to transition them into being kappa sisters. We then initiated new members in March through a zoom call that was facilitated by Kappa national leaders. This ceremony combined the initiation process into a shorter ceremony that all of the new members would still appreciate and cherish.  
  
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All Epsilon Lambda meetings are held in the Chapter Room of our beautiful house.
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In the fall semester, zoom chapters resumed and we kept in contact with our members to offer them information about how COVID would continue to change how we operated as a chapter. We wanted to maintain normalcy and routine through an unprecedented time in Kappa.  
  
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==Highlights of 2017==
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We participated in virtual sprite dates and virtual reverse recruitment put on my Panhellenic to focus and identify our values as a chapter.
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Finally, we are working on moving into a new suite that will better accommodate our chapter and the number of sisters we have. We will be moving to the new space during the spring semester that will be beautifully decorated with all things kappa!
  
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This year Epsilon Lambda continued to grow with the addition of over 60 new ladies who shared our values and have helped us reach our chapter's goals. We were able to meet these goals with the help of our hardworking, dedicated members. We won the award of Chapter of the Year from Panhellenic at the University of Tennessee and Whitney Padgett, the previous president, won President of the Year. We also completed the SOFEE requirements this year. While we were not able to stay above the All-Sorority average in the Spring, Cait Berosh, our VPAE, worked hard to motivate all of our members to do the best they can in classes. The University of Tennessee always seems to be changing and setting new rules and standards for its students to meet. Epsilon Lamda aims to follow our university standards to become proud and successful women of Kappa Kappa Gamma and the the University of Tennessee. One of the biggest issues we saw this year on campus was still having to do with diversity. Epsilon Lambda knows that we have all unique but wonderful members as a part of our chapter and we welcome them all and the diversity that comes our way.
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Throughout the year, each member stayed positive and we worked to support each other through the difficult circumstances that were placed on our chapter and sorority women. We made the best of our time and we found strength in dealing with the effects of COVID together. It showed that we are passionate about the bond and sisterhood that Kappa has given us and we are hopeful and optimistic about the future. We are looking forward to what we will continue to accomplish as Kappa women.
  
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[[File:Epsilon Lambda chapter room.jpg|thumb|Epsilon Lambda's chapter room]]
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==Highlights of 2021==
  
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We also participated in many philanthropic events including Kappa Kolor Wars, Breakfast for Babies, March for Babies at the Knoxville Zoo, and the Chef's Auction supporting the March of Dimes. We also volunteered at THRIVE Lonsdale Elementary School, Relay for Life, and For the Kids. We received the Miss Congeniality award at Panhellenic's Lip Sync competition again this year. Epsilon Lambda worked hard to be involved and make a difference this year on and off campus and with our own members but also members of the community. We have put in a lot of hard work this year and it has paid off by getting to see all the lives we have impacted and helped.
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It is unequivocal that the Delta Lambda Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has unprecedentedly experienced a change within 2021 that has holistically affected our members. Yet, we have persisted through the tedious challenges of life and continued in our ambitions to celebrate the formation of the lifelong sisterhood that bonds every single one of us. The dedication of our members, especially those on Chapter Council, cannot go unnoticed in the events and goals that have been accomplished this year. We have continued to implement the defining rituals and traditions in all of our efforts, whether that be visible in our formal chapter meetings, recruitment, virtual pledge pinning, and initiation ceremonies, or Founders Day Brunch. Despite the many challenges we have faced this year, we have continued to grow and strengthen the bonds of sisterhood within the chapter. Each member of Delta Lambda never fails to show what it is to be a true Kappa woman, and that is visible every day in our unity, strength, and endless dedication to the chapter and its efforts
  
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'''Philanthropy'''
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Delta Lambda has continued to support two local organizations, Opening Minds Through Art and Booker T. Washington. As a chapter, we have decided to serve and support these two philanthropies because it is critical to give back to our community, despite COVID-19 hindering the ability to participate in serving these two organizations in-person. 
  
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We also participated in many philanthropic events including Kappa Kolor Wars, Breakfast for Babies, March for Babies at the Knoxville Zoo, and the Chef's Auction supporting the March of Dimes. We also volunteered at THRIVE Lonsdale Elementary School, Relay for Life, and For the Kids.We received the Miss Congeniality award at Panhellenic's Lip Sync competition again this year. Epsilon Lambda worked hard to be involved and make a difference this year on and off campus and with our own members but also members of the community. We have put in a lot of hard work this year and it has paid off by getting to see all the lives we have impacted and helped.
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Whether that be through writing and decorating cards to send to nursing home patients with dementia through OMA, or hosting a successful Kappa Dog Night following COVID guidelines and safety procedures, Delta Lambda, as a whole, has persisted in its efforts to support Kappa’s philanthropy no matter the significant impacts we have faced due to COVID-19.
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This year, Delta Lambda adopted a new national organization to philanthropically support. The JED Foundation is a non-profit organization that encourages and protects mental health and suicide prevention for teenagers and young adults by providing the resources and skills they need to strengthen themselves and continue to thrive healthily. Our annual Kappa Klassic golf tournament was dedicated to promoting and supporting the JED Foundation by donating all proceeds made from the event.
  
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We chose to support THRIVE Lonsdale because of Kappa's national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental. THRIVE at Lonsdale Elementary school provides us with the opportunity to go and help children with their homework and give them someone they can read to. This year we are still able to continue going twice a week to help the students. We also donate time and money to the March of Dimes, our local philanthropy, that supports research with premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality. We volunteer at fundraisers that they have hear in Knoxville and have formed a very close relationship with the Ambassador Family. All the money we are able to raise from our fall philanthropy, Kappa Kolor Wars, and our spring philanthropy, Breakfast for Babies, were donated to the March of Dimes.
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Within the past year, Delta Lambda has prioritized the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion programming. We began this process by adding a DEI officer to our Chapter Council in 2020. Through chapter training events, such as cultural appropriation presentations and proper social media usage, we have continued to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion and educate chapter members on the importance of these initiatives.  
  
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All Epsilon Lambda meetings are held in the Chapter Room of our beautiful house.
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The beginning of 2021 was still a time of virtual trial and error, and the spring semester of your school year was heavily operated on virtually-held events and activities and chapter and formal chapter meetings. Though recruitment, pledge pinning, and initiation were all virtually held, Delta Lambda prioritized the history of Kappa through all events and expanded the connection of sisterhood to more members. We were able to host a number of virtual sisterhood events to encourage chapter-wide participation to include and familiarize the new member class of 2021. Fun and memorable events, such as bid day and big/little reveal, were all held virtually, but still contained the strong Kappa spirit at all times. We were still able to host social events consistent with Kappa and school COVID safety guidelines, as well as philanthropy events, such as our Kappa Dog Night.
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The latter half of 2021 within our fall semester school year was a fortunate transition from virtual to in-person programming. Chapter and formal chapter meetings were held in-person while members were required to wear masks and socially distance throughout the entirety of the meeting. Our annual philanthropy event, Kappa Klassic, was able to be hosted in-person at a local golf course, as well as our Founders Day Brunch operated in-person this year. Similarly, with our social events, we have been able to operate them successfully in-person, still coinciding with local mask and social distancing ordinances.

Latest revision as of 13:56, 12 March 2023

 

Delta Lambda
ΔΛ
Delta Lambda.jpeg
FoundedNovember 9, 1940 (1940-11-09) (85 years ago)
CollegeMiami University
LocationOxford, OH
HomepageDelta Lambda Homepage
Media related to Delta Lambda Chapter

Miami University established in 1809, Oxford, Ohio


Delta Lambda founded November 9, 1940


2,858 initiates (as of June 2018)


Charter Members:

Louise Cora Bath, Nancy Grey Biltz, Helen Elizabeth Cavangh, Shirley Haughton Cordes, Anna Louise Elwell, Harriet Sheldon Hall, Jane Kathryn Hart, Ruth Leona Heuer, Marion Bruce Hubach, Ruth Mary Hughey, Dorothy Elizabeth McCoy, Shirley Leona Parker, Ruthanna Jeane Rudolph, Jane Elizabeth Storer, Betty von Schrenk, Virginia Elizabeth Wolfe.


Some of Chapter’s Outstanding Alumnae:


Fraternity Council Officers:

Jean Schmidt, Treasurer 1978-1982; Susan Pile, Director of Membership 2012-2016; Vice President 2016 -

Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:

Jean Schmidt, 2008


Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:

Ruth Owens, 1976, director of pediatric endocrinology and assistant professor of pediatrics at Western Reserve University; Nancy Lou Paterson, 2006, international lawyer, promoter of social justice;

Additional Outstanding Delta Lambda Alumnae:

The Early Years (Excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity: 1870-1976)[edit]

An earlier history of Delta Lambda was written by Ethel Russell Wickenden, Gamma Omega- Denison, who had been instrumental in establishing the chapter. For 22 years she was a devoted and enthusiastic worker and adviser.

The Wickenden history opened with a statement about the university, the second oldest collegiate institution west of the Alleghenies. It was established under Land Grant provisions made in the Northwest Territory Act of 1787, incorporated in 1809, achieved collegiate standing in 1824, and grew until the outbreak of the Civil War when financial and enrollment problems caused it to be closed.

The college reopened in 1885. Women were admitted in the 1890s.

The Miami Triad of fraternities was founded here. Delta Zeta and Delta Sigma Epsilon were founded on the Miami campus in 1902 and 1914. Kappa interest began when a local group wanted to petition and Fraternity officers visited them in 1935.

"A local Kappa alumna, " writes Ethel modestly, "made illustrative charts to go to the convention along with information about the university."

Eight nearby alumnae signed a petition in the spring of 1939, which was presented by Frances Kimbrough, Beta Chi- Kentucky, a Miami faculty member. A group of Fraternity officers, actives, and alumnae from a number of Ohio cities met on November 18, 1939. Ethel and Frances were there, of course. The situation was "canvassed," and it was suggested that these two women organize a group for colonization with Harriet S. Hall (Bennett), niece of a Beta Nu, and two others as nucleus. Later a letter from a Lambda introduced her freshman granddaughter, Marian Huback (Workman). This was followed by their recommendations, and so the foundations of Delta Lambda were laid.

An important tea was given January 14, 1940, for actives and alumnae from Cincinnati. About 30 Miami faculty, administration including the president's wife, members from Ohio State, Denison, and Ohio Wesleyan were invited to meet the dozen Delta Lambda Colony girls. Weekly meetings followed. The group was already active on campus and would have won the scholarship cup but was not eligible to compete. Material and credentials were shown at the Sun Valley Convention. By unanimous vote Delta Lambda's petition was accepted.

Installation was November 9, 1940, with Fraternity President Elizabeth Bogert Schofield, Mu- Butler, presiding, and Beta Rho Deuteron the installing chapter. Assisting were Elizabeth Kimbrough Park, Beta Chi- Kentucky; Edith Reese Crabtree, Beta Gamma- Wooster; Clara O. Pierce, Beta Nu- Ohio State; Martha Combs Kennedy, Omega- Kansas; Nora Wilson Tomkinson, Lambda- Akron; Gem Craig Reasoner, Upsilon- Northwestern. There were 16 charter members and two other initiates. Mrs. Harry Williams, a Pi Beta Phi, is listed as financial adviser on the first advisory board.

At the time of installation Miami enrollment was a little over 3,000, with 240 faculty members and 44 buildings. By 1973, Miami was a three-campus institution, with 16,591 students on all three campuses (13,208 at Oxford alone), 782 faculty (many teaching on two or more campuses), and 110 buildings (96 on the Oxford campus.)

"Old Harrison Hall," where the Kappas held many early meetings, was torn down in 1957 and "new" Harrison Hall is on the site. The suite, decorated for the chapter's use in 1940, was soon outgrown and meetings took place in Wells Hall as well as Harrison. In February, 1952, a move was made to a larger suite in Richard Hall- and word was awaited for permission to move to a larger suite. It was almost impossible to have rush parties, even with all the furniture removed.

At one time men's fraternity houses were used for parties, allocation determined by a drawing. In the fall of 1965 the Delta Lambdas drew the Delta Kappa Epsilon house, one known for unconventional behavior. A pet iguana was let loose, and Dr. Susan Rockwood, Beta Rho Deuteron- Cincinnati, chapter council adviser, saved the evening by holding the creature at bay with a broom. Her report to Panhellenic read in part: "The specific episode in question concerns the deliberate unleashing of a living lizard (very closely resembling an iguana) of light green and yellow coloration, measuring approximately 18 to 20 inches in length with a girth of nearly six inches..."

For this and other reasons the campuses sororities voted to rush in their own suites...For Homecoming that year the Dekes entitled their huge lizard-like construction "The Night of the Iguana."

The Fraternity has recognized Delta Lambda often: 1950- honorable mention, Standards; 1956- Gracious Living; 1964- Efficiency for Unhoused Chapter; 1968- Outstanding Pledge Program...twice the Fraternity Scholarship Cup. More awards: 1960- second place, Standards; also 1960- honorable mention for Efficiency (Unhoused). A pewter pitcher for Gamma Province efficiency, the Toledo Alumnae Award, was retired by the chapter in 1971- it had won the award every year but one.

The pages of Delta Lambda's history are full of accounts of rushing, initiation, Dads' Day, Mothers' Tea, Pumpkin Walks, Sigma Chi Melon Mess, Greek Week, Homecoming, Founders Day, Miss Miami Pageant, May Day retreats at Camp Hook, Pi Phi cozy, Monmouth Duo, Christmas parties, New Year parties, spaghetti-bean dinners (For scholarship), and Powder Puff Bowls (football between sororities).

There are also pages filled with campus honors: Cwens, Spurs, Mortar Board, Phi Beta Kappa, Air Force Angels, dormitory counselors, queens, outstanding junior, senior, etc. With all the activities, scholarship is maintained and the campus trophy has been won 19 times during the chapter's first 23 years.

To celebrate the 20th year, funds for an annual scholarship award were deposited in 1960. In 1967, plans were begun for a circular bench to commemorate the Kappa Centennial, an idea initiated by Dr. Susan Rockwood. The arrangement is on Slant Walk, the middle oval bench surrounded by smaller curved benches. A large bronze plaque with the Kappa crest is embedded in the stone seat, and the whole area is complete with paving and landscaping, making a lovely addition to Miami's campus.

There was often discussion of scholarship and grades during early chapter meetings. A bylaw of February 25, 1942, states, "Girls in the semi-professional course will definitely not be considered for pledgeship. If pledges enter (this) course after being pledged their pledgeship will be automatically broken, and they will not be initiated on the basis of grades made in the semi-professional course. No exceptions..." Later on it is recorded that lowering of initiation requirements caused a great discussion. Reasons pro: the stress of war, the amount of time required for war work, and the fact that "scholarship is not necessarily indicative of character and ability" were balance with the reasons con: Kappa stands for high scholarship, the importance in wartime of getting as much as possible out of academic work, and the dangerous precedent which might weaken the chapter and lead to laxness...Initiation requirement remained at 2.3...Later it was lowered to 2.1 but now has returned to 2.3.

During the formative years there were special programs for strengthening scholarship: in 1941, no dates for pledges on week nights; 1942, actives below 2.3 to keep time charts and no dates on week nights; 1943, "all with a 2.0 and below must spend all free time Monday-Friday in the library..." Standards must have been an issue in 1945: "On May 14, 1945, at a regular meeting...Mrs. Wickenden spoke to us...of the moral tone of the campus...It was decided that a large scale show of public opinion against it would be helpful and it was suggested that AMI, the fraternities, and Panhellenic take action..."

By the end of 1972 Delta Lambda had initiated 800 members. An item of December 11, 1946, reads, "It was announced that a 50 cent fine will be imposed on those members who do not attend initiation or who do not help in setting up and taking down the frameworks. To avoid extra expense, it was decided to collect greenery for decorations from the surrounding countryside."

Following the Kent State Tragedy may 1970, the university closed for 10 days when students were sent home because of administration apprehension about riots. At province convention in April, 1971, an Undergraduate Council was formed by the Fraternity Council in an attempt to give undergraduate Kappas more voice in the Fraternity. Delta Lambda's Lynda Green (McDermott), who represented Gamma Province, was selected to be first president of the Undergraduate Council.

Ethel Wickenden's 1943 history at Delta Lambda ended on a high note of optimism about the three-year-old chapter's future. Her feelings have been substantiated throughout Delta Lambda's first 35 years. The chapter shares Ethel Wickenden's optimism as it anticipates its next 35 years.


Highlights from the 1980s[edit]

Kappa Klamour continued to be Delta Lambda’s yearly newsletter. It highlighted pledge classes, officers, as well as philanthropy and social events throughout the year. Delta Lambda alumnae were also featured about happenings in their lives.

Kappas participated in events such as rush, Greek Week, Kappa Kanoe Date Party, Founders Day, Kappa-FIJI Ultimate Frisbee tournament, Parents’ Weekend, clothing drives, and visits to local nursing homes.

Money raised from philanthropy events went to Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, The Fund for the Mentally Disable of Bulter County.

In the late 1980s, the Kappa suite in Hamilton Hall was redecorated.

Kappa goes computerized with Delta Lambda being a pilot chapter for using an IBM-PC that was purchased by the House Board. The computer was used to implement a computerized treasury system to handle all of the chapter budgeting. After the pilot period, the computer was available to members for scholastic use.

In the 1980s, many Kappas lived at the Hut-Hut house. This was a house shared by 8 women and became a gathering place outside of the Kappa Suite at Hamilton Hall. The Hut-Hut house held study nights, tie-dye parties, as well as big/little sister outings.

Scholarship continued to be a goal of the Delta Lambda chapter. Decisions during rush included reviewing high school GPA. “Save Our Scholarship” or “SOS” push allowed Delta Lambda to move up their scholarship ranking on campus to number seven.

Members were involved with many campus organizations and clubs including Business Affairs, Student Government, Varsity Cross Country, Varsity Track, Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Delta Lambda (freshman honoraries), SPERS (junior honorary), Miami College Democrats, Pi Sigma (physics honorary), Greek Week Committee, Miami University Student Foundation, Ohio Fellows Honorary, Homecoming Committee and Homecoming Court.

The Delta Lambda chapter began hosting Mud Tug during Greek Week in 1984, the sorority version of Puddle Pull. For the first few years, it was a standing competition, but sororities eventually adopted the seated style that the men used. Kappas continued hosting Mud Tug until 1997 or 1998 when it was merged into just Puddle Pull. Request: Is there any information about the start of sorority Puddle Pull/Kappa Mud Tug? Miami Student with Mud Tug Ad - A. Cramer (crameraj@miamioh.edu)

Highlights from the 1990s[edit]

The 1990s started off with Delta Lambda receiving local and national awards such as first place in Chapter Publications and Public Relations, and Honorable mention for Chapter Finance at the 1990 General Convention. Panhellenic also awarded Delta Lambda most outstanding sorority on campus.

Social and philanthropic events included Kappa Klassic Golf Tournament, celebrating Delta Lambda’s 50th anniversary where charter members attended, Greek Week, Parents’ Weekend, Sisterhood Retreat, Crush Party with Chi Omega, Spring Formal, Kite and Key Date Party, 70’s Date Party, Sisterhood events (ice skating, movie nights, tie-dye, visit to Kappa Headquarters at 530 E. Town, Columbus, Progressive Dinner, Kappa Kore Olympics), Dad’s Weekend, Mom’s Weekend, Chapter Council Retreat, Halloween Date Party and Bingo with Senior Citizens.

Money raised from philanthropic events went to Kappa Kidney Kamp, Can Count, and Miami Service Network. The chapter also focused on planning service projects that gave time rather than money.

Campus safety became an area of focus for Miami University. Miami Metro was implemented and safety programs were offered to increase awareness of surroundings. Speakers did workshops on drugs, alcohol, AIDS, date rape and KEEPSAFE Program.

Goals in the 1990s included: Academics, Accountability and Outstanding Attitudes, increase attendance, increase pride and morale, increase the number of sisterhood events, increase chapter involvement, respect and respect of ideals through positive, support and flexible leadership.

In the 1990s, Miami University switched to a deferred rush program. Rather than having rush in August, the University moved it to January. The sororities had to adjust for officers, weather, outfits and change the focus of getting to know campus to getting to know Kappa.

Members were involved in Miami Correspondence, Campus Crusade for Christ, MUSF, SPERS, Adopt-a-School, International Business Designers, Business School Advisory Council, Zoology Club, Student Dietetic Association, Pre-Vet Club, club soccer, Order of Omega, St. Mary’s Eucharistic Minister, Equestrian Team, Dance Theater, Varsity Swim Team, Academic Peer Mentor, Miami Service Network, Crew Team, Panhellenic Council, Pre-Law Society, Hearing and Language Association, Golden Key National Honor Society, LuxClub, Tutor, Hall Government, Greek Leadership Officer, waterski team, Student Council for Exceptional Children, Praise Choir, Microbiology Club, club tennis, Habitat for Humanity, WMSR Radio, sailing team and broomball team.

Delta Lambda found themselves a bit over programmed in the mid-1990s which allowed them to look at their academic and social calendar and focus on programming using the Fraternity MAP program. National and local alumnae offered much support and guidance. The chapter started ‘freezing’ the calendar to be sure no additional events were added. This increased attendance as well as awareness of scholarship and risk management.

In the late 1990s, Delta Lambda was selected by the fraternity to pilot a New Member Orientation Program. This six-week program was much different than an entire semester of being a pledge. Sisterhood events included outings to Chuck E. Cheese, getting facials, playing games, and learning Kappa songs.

The Kappa suite was redecorated with overstuffed gingham print couches, chairs, fleur-di-lis walls, an award case and new art. The suite has a more comfortable atmosphere for sisters to gather, hangout and study. The kitchen is due for the next renovation.

The 1990s ended with Delta Lambda feeling proud of their award case showing Best New Member Program Award, Most Improved Chapter, Honorable mentions in Public Relations, Advisory Board and Finance, Andrew Herman Chapter Excellence Award, Honorable mention in Ritual and New Member Programs, Challenge to Excellence Award and other awards.


Highlights from the early 2000s[edit]

Delta Lambda continued with philanthropic, social and sisterhood events that were well attended and fun including Greek Week, Kappa Klassic Golf Tournament, Kappa and FIJI Dog Night, Tutoring, visits to Adult Day Care, Four-way socials, Rollerskating, Crush Party with Delta Gamma, Puttin’ on the Hits, Pledge Puddle Pull, Bump It Thump It, Kite and Key Date Party, Dad’s Weekend, Mom’s Weekend, Halloween Party, Cincinnati Reds Game, Kappa Kore, Formals, Kappa Kappacino the Founders Day brunch, progressive dinners, holiday gatherings in the suite, movie nights, visiting Kappa Headquarters in Columbus and chapter council retreats.

The increase in scholarship focus proved to be a reachable goal as Delta Lambda strived toward excelling academically. At each meeting members were honored for outstanding scholarship. Members who had a 4.0 were recognized at the Founders Day brunch.

They also saw an increase in members who studied abroad as well as program offerings at Miami’s fourth campus, located in Luxemburg, France.

Delta Lambda continued to review calendar events and fill out appropriate risk management forms as they created their annual calendar. As attendance went up and down for events, the chapter was able to assess which events draw members and which ones don’t. The chapter council officers really worked on using committee members so that each member of Delta Lambda had a specific duty. By 2010, the university saw an increase in reckless consumption of alcohol by the greek community and enacted a requirement of non-alcoholic event for every social Delta Lambda held. This was based on a point system.

Highlights of 2011[edit]

The past year held a number of proud moments and achievements for the Delta Lambda Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. The year began with a fabulous pledge class of 51 young women, who were brought closer together by the participation in two annual philanthropic events on campus. Bump It Thump It, put on by Kappa Alpha Order is a volleyball tournament that takes place in early February and benefits Muscular Dystrophy. The second event that the new members participated in was Putting on the Hits, put on by Delta Zeta, which benefits deaf children. The new members choreographed their own dance and practiced day in and day out. Their hard work paid off and they won 1st place in the competition, which is a huge accomplishment. The year also included a wonderful Mom’s weekend were members and their mothers participated in a silent auction at Brickstreet that raised $2,907 for the Kappa Foundation.

In April we sold hotdogs at out annual Kappa Dog Night fundraiser, which rose $401.70 for Reading is Fundamental. The semester also included themed socials, pledge class firesides, and a lovely formal at The Elms. These events were a great way for the new members to get involved with the chapter and learn to love it just as much as all of the active members do. We started the 2011 school year of just right! Our first major event was Dad’s weekend, which is always a personal favorite of the Chapters. Dad’s weekend events included a tailgate and a football game as well as appetizers at Decibel. The next weekend we held our annual philanthropy, Kappa Klassic. This event takes place at a local golf course, Hueston Woods, during this event our very own members caddy for the groups of golfers. We were blessed with a warm and sunny day and a full course, we ended up raising $4,200 for Kappa Kamp Kidney.

Members also continued active participation in Opening Minds Through Art, which is a program that helps senior citizens with dementia express themselves through art. Greek Week was another event that gets the whole Greek community excited, especially our chapter. Members participated in activities such as football, soccer, swimming, and even a blood drive. We had a lovely Founders Day Brunch on campus at the Marcum Inn, where we had Gretchen Thomas, a former Miami University Kappa (1978) speak with us and share some of her fond memories of our chapter. The chapter loved hearing her stories, especially her daughter Chelsea Thomas (2012). The semester wrapped up with many sisterhoods, a trip to Butterfield farms, and a wonderful semi-formal at Brickstreet. The year ended with elections, where a new Chapter Council was elected, eager to make changes.

Campus: This past semester the Westboro Baptist Church picketed at Miami University. The Westboro Baptist Church is an Independent Baptist church known for its extreme stance against homosexuality and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals of American servicemen and desecrating the American flag. When the Greek Community found out about the picket, all of the chapters decided to do something to distract the Oxford Community from the racial and hateful slurs that would be heard. The Greek Community put on a “carnival” type event that took place the same time as the picket. This counter activity was a great way to foster unity and tolerance, Kappa Kappa Gamma had a booth at the event were participants could write notes to soldiers, thanking them for all they have done for our country. As well as the carnival that took place the community asked students to sign a pledge to avoid the Westboro Baptist Church protest. This event put a positive spotlight on the Greek Community and brought all of the chapters closer together.

Chapter: The members of Delta Lambda hold themselves to the highest standard of scholarship with a cumulative GPA average of 3.40. We had 4 members who achieved a 4.0 GPA this past semester; these ladies were honored at Founders Day Brunch. Several of our members were abroad last semester in Prague, Rome, China, and France. As well as traveling the globe, many of our members are also actively involved in various campus activities and service organizations including Campus Activities Council, Adopt-A-School, Best Buddies, Miami University Women in Business, Opening Minds Through Art, and the Women’s Club Lacrosse Team. We are very proud of our sisters’ involvement throughout the Miami and Oxford community, and the positive representation that they bring to Kappa.

One of our biggest problems was our chapters’ lack of knowledge and awareness of Kappa history. We have addressed this problem by placing a larger emphasis on our history; we have increased ritual and song review as well as implemented other important Kappa facts. Once a month our Marshall will provide the chapter with “Kappa Fun Facts”. This has been a great way to teach out chapter fun and interesting things about Kappa that they will remember, and want to learn. Our chapter was also concerned with the lack of commitment in committees that every girl is assigned to. In order to increase committee involvement, each committee has sub-leaders, and committee nights are held twice a semester after chapter. We continue to pass around a box for suggestions for improvement where people can give their personal feedback.

Highlights of 2012[edit]

2012 has been a successful year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We started off the year by welcoming 53 new members that had an immediate connection with our existing members. Within their first week as new members, they participated in Bump It Thump it, a philanthropy volleyball tournament benefiting muscular dystrophy facilitated by Kappa Alpha Order. Building on their new found friendships, the new member class continued to work in collaboration to prepare for Delta Zeta’s philanthropy, Putting on the Hits. 10 new members choreographed the dance and taught the rest of the pledge class, as the props team worked hard to create props that would support their “KKG Overseas” theme. They rehearsed everyday until it was perfect and created a fantastic end result as well as amazing bonds with their new sisters. After working to help other chapter’s philanthropies, we focused to put on our own spring philanthropy events. First, the chapter put on its annual Kappa Dog Night fundraiser, where the girls sold hot dogs in collaboration with Beta Theta Pi. At the end of the night, we raised $800 to benefit Reading is Fundamental. We also raised $4000 for the Kappa Foundation through our Mom’s weekend silent auction, which turned out to be a wonderful chance for the moms and daughters to get to know each other, complete with brunch at Brickstreet. Our members also spent time with the Opening Minds through Art program, in which we paint with dementia patients to help them stay in touch with their inner feelings.

After a summer away from Oxford, fall of 2012 brought excitement for our chapter as we continued to create stronger bonds with our sisters. We began with a fantastic Dad’s weekend including appetizers at skybox and bowling. We continued our philanthropic endeavors by putting on our annual Kappa Klassic, a golf tournament benefiting Kappa Kamp Kidney. Despite the freezing cold weather and rain, we raised $6000 for the kids and had a great afternoon caddying for our golfers. Our chapter got especially excited for this year’s greek week, attending all of the events to cheer and participate in a competition that engages the entire greek community. This was a great week for chapter bonding between pledge classes and created great memories and successful teams. We continued chapter bonding with a trip to Butterfield farms for s’mores and a hayride. Founder’s Day brunch was held in Dayton this year was a great way to be reminded of the legacy that we carry as Kappa Kappa Gammas. Towards the end of the year, we enjoyed a wonderful semi formal at Brickstreet, and then focused on chapter elections, to choose our next batch of eager leaders.

Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, a charming little town secluded from big cities. Miami has about 500 student organizations including over 50 Greek organizations. This allows about a third of the students to be involved in Greek life, which creates a powerful group of people that can make a huge difference. Although these Greek organizations strive to make a positive impact on and off campus through philanthropies and interaction with the Oxford community, the organizations can sometimes get a negative reputation due to association with underage drinking. Many Greek organizations continue to fight this stereotype by emphasizing the philanthropic event and history behind our chapters, reminding ourselves and the community what we really stand for.

More specifically, the Delta Lambda chapter is proud to have the second highest GPA on campus, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.39 including 16 members with a 4.0 gpa. We are continuing to encourage scholarship this year by organizing dinners where each major can meet to exchange advice and information to help their sisters in similar majors. Besides our schoolwork and our involvement in Kappa, our members are involved in all kinds of organizations including Campus Activities Council, Women in Business, Panhellic Council as well as several publications. Kappas are active on campus, but also have a large presence internationally, as we have members studying in places like Italy, France and Australia.


Highlights of 2013[edit]

The year of 2013 was very successful for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We started off the year by welcoming 57 new members that had an instant connection with our chapter. Within their first week as new members they participated in Bump It Thump It, a philanthropy volleyball tournament benefiting muscular dystrophy facilitated by Kappa Alpha Order. As the girls continued to get know one another within their new pledge class they continued to be a helping hand to other Greek Community events. The New Members participated in the Delta Zeta event Putting on the Hits. A dance competition between the Greek Life on Miami’s campus. As the girls choreographed their own dance and practiced it to perfection there was a great turnout. Despite the music stopping in the middle of their dance, the new members were able to show their spirit by winning us the Team Spirit Award.

After helping out our Greek Communities philanthropic events, we aimed towards our events for the spring semester. Our first even being the Kappa Dog Night, we had a fantastic turnout by raising $300 with the help of Phi Gamma Delta. We continued to raise $4,000 for the Kappa Foundation through our Mom’s weekend silent auction. This was held as a brunch for the mothers and daughters as they bonded with one another. It also allowed the new members to further their relationships with their new class. We then had a fantastic formal, which was held at the Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. Many of the girls enjoyed traveling to the big city for this event. Our members also participate in a local program called Opening Minds through Art, which works with elderly dementia patients to further their imaginations by creating art. It is a great opportunity for many of our members to make a strong connection with our community.

After returning back from the summer break, our chapter was ready to get back together and create brand new memories. We began the semester festivities with our Dad’s weekend, which included bowling and a cook out. Our girls enjoyed bonding with their fathers at the many different events such as the hockey game. We continued our philanthropic events by hosting our Kappa Klassic golf tournament. Although it was a rainy day, our chapter had an absolute blast raising money and caddying for the golfers. We raised an astounding $6,000 for the kids, which was just as successful as previous years. We then participated in many events during our Greek Week competitions, coming close to winning. This was a great way for the girls to build stronger relationships between each of the pledge classes and even develop bonds with our fellow Greek community. One of the biggest chapter bonding events we had this fall was the Butterfield’s Farm event. While we made s’mores, held a hayride, and sat by a campfire with our sisters, we made many memories. We then held Founder’s Day Brunch on campus, which was a great way to appreciate the history and legacy behind Kappa.

The Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is located in Oxford, Ohio at the historical school of The Miami University. Being a college town, the University offers an array of more than 500 different student organizations, including 50 Greek organizations. Many students of Miami University participate in Greek Life, which makes a strong community among campus. The Greek community strives to go above and beyond the expectations asked of us but know there are some negative reputations of our campus, such as underage drinking. Our Greek life aims to abolish that stereotype by emphasizing the philanthropy events and history behind our chapters. In hopes of reminding our community and ourselves what Greek Life really stands for.

The members of Delta Lambda hold themselves to the highest scholarship with a cumulative GPA of 3.34.We had 7 members who achieved a 4.0 GPA this past semester. We honored these girls accomplishments at our Founders Day Brunch. We also had several members who studied abroad this last year, that included places such as Spain, Luxembourg, and Paris. As well as traveling abroad many of our girls participate in student organizations around campus, such as Women in Business, Women’s Club Soccer and Lacrosse Teams, Best Buddies, Panhellenic Council, and many more. We are proud of our sisters’ and the accomplishments they have strived to make in the past year.

Highlights of 2014[edit]

2014 was a busy year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Recruitment brought in 61 new members. They were immediately bonding at dance practices for Delta Zeta's philanthropy, Putting On The Hits. The event is dance competition between Greek life where all the contestants choreograph and preform a dance. Kappa chose a patriotic theme of Red, White, Blue and Blue. Keeping the philanthropic spirit alive, the new members also supported Kappa Alpha Order by participating in their annual volleyball competition Bump It Thump It. They were able to bond by cheering on their team of new sisters. With all this excitement, it was nice to be able to relax on Mom's Weekend. A silent auction was held during a brunch while the mothers got to experience a bit of Kappa's sisterhood. With moms in town, it was a perfect time to go shopping for a dress for formal. Next up was initiation. The new members could finally call themselves members of Kappa Kappa Gamma. They were surprised by their families awaiting them at a brunch at The Marcum. A few weeks later, the busses were off to formal at Longworth's in Mount Adams. A night out in Cincinnati was a fun change of pace, but anything in Oxford is fun with your sisters. Kappa Dog Night especially! Together with Phi Delta Theta, we raised $1,000 for Reading is Fundamental.

The summer months were long, and everyone was excited to return to campus. After a few weeks back, the dads were just as excited to come visit for Dad's Weekend. Kappas and their fathers cheered on Miami University's football team as they won their first game of the season. We were in the sporty state of mind and ready to caddy in Kappa Klassic. The golf tournament raised $7,000 for Kappa Kidney Camp, making it more successful than the previous year. Unfortunately, golf wasn't a category in Greek Week. It was neck and neck, but in the end, Kappa came in second place. After all the fun and games, we took a short drive to Butterfield Farm. We embraced fall in Ohio and ate s'mores and hot dogs, went on a hayride, fed cows, and got to meet some Kappas from the University of Cincinnati. Next, Founder's Day Brunch took us to Dayton. We got to meet women who had been in Kappa for over 50 years, which was a great way to appreciate our history and legacy. To wrap up the year, the sophomores had a secret Santa gift exchange with cookies in the suite. A lot of memories were made in 2014.

Miami University has a lot to offer the students. There are over 500 student organizations, and over 50 Greek organizations. Most girls participate in a variety of organizations on campus. Business fraternities, club sports, Best Buddies, PRSSA and Women in Business are just a few. Greek life has a strong presence on campus, and members strives to go above and beyond. Kappas hold themselves to a high standard, including their GPA's. We have one of the highest GPA's on campus, even members with a 4.0. Many of our sisters chose to challenge themselves academically and study abroad all over the world. Delta Lambda Kappas are well-rounded girls and hold a great reputation on campus. We create our best memories at philanthropy events, and always have a positive attitude.

Chapter is held at an academic building that is university owned, Hughes Hall. The sophomores lived in a corridor of Hamilton Hall in Sorority Quad for the spring semester. In the fall, Kappas moved into a corridor of MacCracken Hall. The Kappa suite is also in Hamilton Hall. It has a living room, dining table, office and kitchen. The suite is rented from Miami University. Juniors and seniors have the opportunity to live off campus in homes or apartments, usually with other girls in their pledge class.


Highlights of 2015[edit]

2015 has been a busy and fun year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Miami University. Recruitment brought in 65 wonderful new members to our chapter. They immediately got involved with a dance competition for Delta Zeta’s philanthropic event, POTH-Putting On The Hits. This event includes all Miami Greek Life, where sororities and fraternities choreograph and perform a dance. For this year, our theme was Kappa Kandyland that was filled with candy themed songs and colorful decorations, giving everyone a sweet taste of Kappa! Kappa also enjoyed socials such as a country themed date party, Kappa Korral, and a crush party paired with another sorority, Delta Gamma. With all of this new excitement, it was nice to be able to relax and spend a great weekend with the Moms. During Mom’s weekend, moms and daughters took part in a silent auction and brunch uptown while meeting all of the new Kappa Moms! After this fun filled weekend, came initiation. The new members were finally able to call themselves Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters and could wear their letters! Kappa sisters participated in another philanthropic event as our semester came to a close. Kappa Dog night was paired with Phi Gamma Delta. The event raised money for Reading is Fundamental.

After the long summer months a part, the Kappa sisters were excited to return to campus. The new members all live together in a corridor of Hamilton Hall in Sorority Quad. After a few weeks, all of the Kappa dads were excited to come visit the university for Dad’s Weekend. Kappas and their fathers did many activities together ranging from playing golf and broomball as well as kicking back at a barbecue. This fun filled and sporty weekend got all the Kappas ready to caddie for Kappa Klassic. All of the Kappas caddied for numerous people who signed up for the golf tournament. Our philanthropy raised $9,369 for Kappa Kidney camp, making it more successful than the previous year! Keeping the competitive vibe alive, our chapter took place in the Groovy themed Greek Week. It was a competitive ride, but Kappa finished in third place overall! After all of the fun and games, we took a short drive to Butterfield farms where all of the Kappas bonded and got to hang out by the fire making s’mores and feeding the cows! Next, was the 75th Anniversary event held at Miami of the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. This was a great way to show our appreciation of the legacy, traditions and history of our chapter. We were able to chat with alumni one on one in the suite, looking through old scrapbooks and sharing memories with each other! To close out the year, we had a sisterhood-bonding event with a candlelight ritual, where all the newest members were able to get closer together!

Miami University has a lot of opportunities for students to get involved. There are over 500 different student organizations and over 50 Greek organizations. Majority of our chapter participates and are very active in these organizations on campus. Some are involved in Business fraternities, club sports, PRSSA, Tour guides and Women in Business; the list goes on and on. Greek Life has a strong presence on campus and members hold themselves to the highest standard. Kappas are determined to get involved whether that is through different organizations, philanthropies, or working on campus. Kappas are determined to keep their GPA’s up. We make sure that everyone is able to maintain their academics, by having some of the upperclassmen tutor girls and making sure we have study rooms available. Delta Lambda Kappas are well-rounded girls that hold a great reputation on campus.

Chapter Philanthropy:

What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?

The Delta Lambda Chapter gets involved with many different events to help raise and donate money to various organizations. The chapter holds many philanthropic events like Kappa Dog Night, Haven House, Kappa Klassic, and OMA. We also raised money for the KKG foundation through a silent auction we had over Mom’s Weekend. For Kappa Dog Night all of the proceeds go to Reading is Fundamental. The girls sold hot dogs with a fraternity in the spring at a popular location on campus. For Haven House, the Kappas made cookies and brought donated books to read to the children and spent the day with them. In the Fall, our chapter hosted Kappa Klassic, which is a golf tournament that the girls caddy for and all of the proceeds go to Kappa Kidney Camp. This year we raised over $9,000. For OMA: Opening Minds through Art, we send a group of about ten girls to a local retirement home every Wednesday for about two hours. Girls are paired with an elder who is suffering from dementia and spends time with them through painting.

Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?

Our chapter enjoys getting involved and helping raise money and giving of our time to help these organizations. We are involved with RIF: Reading is Fundamental because we have been working with them for years and it is so rewarding knowing that the children love the books! We enjoy working with Kappa Kidney Camp because it’s in Ohio and every Ohio chapter helps them because they rely on our donations and it is very fulfilling. Our chapter, in the end, loves to get involved and help out any organization!


Highlights of 2016[edit]

2016 has been a busy year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In February, we brought in 64 new members through recruitment. The new members participated in Delta Zeta's philanthropy, Putting on the Hits. This is a dance competiton that different Greek chapters particate in, choreographing a dance for new members to perform. This year, Delta Lambda did KKG P.D., a police theme. Many new members also participated in Tri Delta's puddle pull event and the FTK (for the kids) dance marathon. This was a great bonding moment for new members and actives. They also participated in CAP events with other fraternities and sororities on campus about transitioning into careers and advice. With all the excitement of these events, it was a nice break for Kappas to have mom's weekend. We hosted a brunch with a silent auction of several prizes that different members could bid on. Next, the new members were initiated and finally able to call themselves sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma. After initiation, they were surprised by their families at Left Field Tavern for brunch. A few weeks later, people filed onto buses to go to Cincinnati for spring formal in Mount Adams. A night in Cincinnati made formal especially fun for our sisters! Later in the semester, we had our philanthropy event, Kappa Dog Night, where we sold hot dogs for Reading is Fundamental. We hosted the event with Sigma Phi Epsilon and raised $1000.

Over the summer, at the 2016 Kappa Convention, the Delta Lambda chapter was proud to receive the award for most improved academic excellence award. This was an honor for Delta Lambda to receive and members were excited to receive the news!

After a long and fun-filled summer, things are in full swing for the girls of Delta Lambda. First, we participated in Greek Week with a plethora of Greek chapters in sports like swimming, volleyball, etc. Many girls participated in events, while others came out to cheer their sisters on. Dads were excited to come in for dad's weekend, where they tailgated, played friendly games of football and went bowling. With the great fall weather and the other athletic events happening, Kappa Klassic came at the perfect time. Our annual golf tournament for our philanthropy had many teams signed up and was a succcess. Though the weather wasn't to our advantage, we still raised $12,000 for Kappa Kidney camp. With the fun fall weather in full swing, we took a trip as a chapter to Butterfield farms for a tractor ride, s'mores and an overall fun, bonding sisterhood event. Next, we had our Founders' Day event in Dayton. We met women who were Kappas for fifty years and had us appreciate the legacy and history of Kappa. To wrap up the year, we had Kappa study rooms booked to prepare for finals and our annual Kite & Key christmas party with Theta. Overall, Delta Lambda had a exciting year and a lot of memories were made.


Miami University has several organizations on campus for students to join and over 50 Greek organizations. Most girls in Delta Lambda participate in a variety of these organizations on campus. Business fraternities, OMA, Best Buddies, club sports, MedLife and Women in Business are only a few of many of these organizations with a Kappa presence. Kappas hold themselves to a high standard, including their GPAs. Many of the members within the Delta Lambda chapter are challenged with tough course loads and study abroad all around the world. In fact, the Kappa has one of the highest GPAs for a sorority on campus. In essence, Delta Lambdas are very well-rounded girls with a great reputation on campus. We continue to uphold this positive presence through our philanthropy and sisterhood events.


The Delta Lambda chapter gets involved in many events throughout campus, donates money to other organizations and hosts events to raise money for organizations we support. The chapter hosts many events throughout the year such as Kappa Dog Night, Kappa Klassic and OMA. The girls also donated books to read to kids at Booker T. Washington Community Center. For Kappa Dog Night, all proceeds go to Reading is Fundamental. The girls sold hot dogs with another frat at a popular location on campus to raise the money. This year, we raised around $1000. In the fall, Delta Lambda hosted Kappa Klassic, which is a popular golf tournament where two kappas will caddy for a group of boys and all proceeds go to Kappa Kidney Camp. This year, we raised about $12,000. For OMA: Opening Minds through Art, we send a group of about ten girls to a local retirement home every Wednesday to spend time with the patients. Every girl is paired up with an elder who is suffering from dementia and they paint with them.

Highlights of 2017[edit]

2017 has been a busy year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In February, we brought in 61 new members through recruitment. Shortly after, the new members participated in Delta Zeta's philanthropy, Putting on the Hits. This is a dance competition that different Greek chapters participate in, choreographing a dance for new members to perform. This year, Delta Lambda did an army/cadet theme. Many new members also participated in Tri Delta's puddle pull event and the FTK (for the kids) dance marathon. This was a great bonding moment for new members and actives. Additionally, members also participated in a series of workshops for philanthropy, standards, academic excellence, finance, chapter history, etc. for them to become more familiar with Kappa. With all the excitement of these events, it was a nice break for Kappas to have mom's weekend, which was hosted on the first weekend of March. We hosted a brunch with a silent auction of several prizes that different members could bid on. Next, the new members were initiated and finally able to call themselves sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma. After initiation, they were surprised by their families at Left Field Tavern for brunch. A few weeks later, people filed onto buses to go to Dave & Busters for spring formal located roughly a half hour outside of Oxford. A night at a new venue made formal especially fun for our sisters! Later in the semester, we had our philanthropy event, Kappa Dog Night, where we sold hot dogs for Reading is Fundamental. We hosted the event with Sigma Phi Epsilon and raised $249. To end the semester with a bang, our VPAE hosted a finals brunch for the girls of Kappa and everyone studied hard for finals.

After a long and fun-filled summer, things are in full swing for the girls of Delta Lambda. First, we participated in Greek Week with a plethora of Greek chapters in sports like swimming, volleyball, etc. Many girls participated in events, while others came out to cheer their sisters on. Dads were excited to come in for dad's weekend, where they tailgated, played friendly games of football and went bowling. With the great fall weather and the other athletic events happening, Kappa Klassic came at the perfect time. Our annual golf tournament for our philanthropy had many teams signed up and was a success. The weather was perfect for a day of golfing and we raised $1422 for Kappa Kidney camp. With the fun fall weather in full swing, we had fun sisterhood events with bonfires and a big/little movie night in the suite for Kappas to enjoy. Next, we had our Founders' Day event located in the Shriver Center on campus. We met women who were Kappas for many years and had us appreciate the legacy and history of Kappa. To wrap up the year, we had Kappa study rooms booked to prepare for finals, a finals brunch and our annual Kite & Key christmas party with Theta. Overall, Delta Lambda had a exciting year and a lot of memories were made.  "

Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter. Miami University has several organizations on campus for students to join and over 50 Greek organizations. Most girls in Delta Lambda participate in a variety of these organizations on campus. Business fraternities, OMA, Best Buddies, club sports, MedLife and Women in Business are only a few of many of these organizations with a Kappa presence. Kappas hold themselves to a high standard, including their GPAs. Many of the members within the Delta Lambda chapter are challenged with tough course loads and study abroad all around the world. In fact, the Kappa has moved up in the ranks and is now placed as the chapter with the 3rd highest GPA of all Greek chapters. In essence, Delta Lambdas are very well-rounded girls with a great reputation on campus. We continue to uphold this positive presence through our philanthropy and sisterhood events.  

Chapter Philanthropy: What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community? The Delta Lambda chapter gets involved in many events throughout campus, donates money to other organizations and hosts events to raise money for organizations we support. The chapter hosts many events throughout the year such as Kappa Dog Night, Kappa Klassic, Booker T. Washington and OMA. The girls donated books to read to kids at Booker T. Washington Community Center. For Kappa Dog Night, all proceeds go to Reading is Fundamental. The girls sold hot dogs with another frat at a popular location on campus to raise money. This year, we raised around $249. In the fall, Delta Lambda hosted Kappa Klassic, which is a popular golf tournament where two kappas will caddy for a group of boys and all proceeds go to Kappa Kidney Camp. This year, we raised about $1422. For OMA: Opening Minds through Art, we send a group of about ten girls to a local retirement home every Wednesday to spend time with the patients. Every girl is paired up with an elder who is suffering from dementia and they paint with them.

Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support? Our chapter enjoys raising money and getting involved with different organizations through philanthropy. We are involved with Reading is Fundamental because it has been a traditional philanthropy we have been involved with for years and Delta Lambda loves expanding childrens' knowledge and creativity through reading with them and donating books. In addition, we enjoy working with Kappa Kidney Camp because it is located in Ohio and the other Ohio Kappa chapters raise money for this organization, as well. It is very fulfilling to raise money for kids, who cannot have the typical summer camp experience due to an illness. In being involved with these organizations, we are helping others and making a difference, an overall fulfilling experience for the Delta Lambda chapter as a whole.

Chapter Facility: We hold chapter in an academic building on campus that is university owned, Hughes Hall.

https://miamioh.edu/cas/_files/images/chemistry/facilities/hughes.jpg"

Oral History Are 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. Barbara Quilling 

Photographs Are there any interesting photos in your chapter’s archives that you would like to share with us? "http://kkgmiamiu.tumblr.com/

Highlights of 2018[edit]

2018 has been an eventful year for the Delta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In February, we brought in 58 new members through recruitment. Shortly after, the new members participated in Delta Zeta's philanthropy, Putting on the Hits (known across campus as POTH). This is a dance competition that many different Greek chapters, both fraternities and sororities, participate in. Kappa especially enjoys this event every year as members of the Sophomore and Junior pledge classes help the incoming pledge class choreograph their routine. This year our theme was circus! Many new members also participated in Tri Delta's puddle pull event and the FTK (for the kids) dance marathon. This was a great bonding moment for new members and actives. Additionally, members participated in a series of workshops for philanthropy, standards, academic excellence, finance, chapter history, etc. for them to become more familiar with Kappa. With all the excitement of these events, it was a nice break for Kappas to have mom's weekend, which was hosted on the first weekend of March. We hosted a brunch with a silent auction of several prizes that different members could bid on. Next, the new members were initiated and finally able to call themselves sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma. After initiation, they were surprised by their families at Left Field Tavern for brunch, a favorite tradition of the Delta Lambda chapter. A few weeks later, people filed onto buses to go to the Newport Aquarium for formal. A night at a new venue made formal especially fun for our sisters! Later in the semester, we had our philanthropy event, Kappa Dog Night, where we sold hot dogs for Reading is Fundamental. We hosted the event with Tau Kappa Epsilon this year and raised over $500! We also participated in Sigma Chi’s week long philanthropy event, Derby Days. To end the semester with a bang, our VPAE hosted a finals brunch for the girls of Kappa and everyone studied hard while enjoying delicious Panera bagels!

After a long summer filled with fun and friends, things were back in full swing for the girls of Delta Lambda. First, we participated in Greek Week with multiple Greek chapters in sports like swimming, volleyball, etc. Many girls participated in events while others came out to cheer their sisters on. Dads were excited to come in for dad's weekend, where they tailgated, played friendly games of football and went bowling. This is always a great weekend in the Delta Lambda chapter! With the great fall weather and the other athletic events happening, Kappa Klassic came at the perfect time. Our annual golf tournament for our philanthropy had many teams signed up and was a success. The weather was perfect for a day of golfing and we raised over $8,000 for Kappa Kidney camp. Next, we had our Founders' Day event located in Dayton. We met women who were Kappas for many years and had us appreciate the legacy and history of Kappa. To wrap up the year, we had Kappa study rooms booked to prepare for finals and a finals brunch, this time with McDonald’s hash browns! This new addition to the finals brunch menu is one that everyone hopes will stick around. Overall, Delta Lambda had a exciting year and so many amazing memories were made!

Miami University has several organizations on campus for students to join and over 50 Greek organizations. Most girls in Delta Lambda participate in a variety of these organizations on campus. Business fraternities, Best Buddies, varsity and club sports, MedLife and Women in Business are only a few of many of these organizations with a Kappa presence. Kappas hold themselves to a high standard, including their GPAs. Many of the members within the Delta Lambda chapter are challenged with tough course loads and study abroad all around the world. In essence, Delta Lambdas are very well-rounded girls with a great reputation on campus. We continue to uphold this positive presence through our philanthropy and sisterhood events. The Delta Lambda chapter gets involved in many events throughout campus, donates money to other organizations and hosts events to raise money for organizations we support. Our most prominent events Kappa Dog Night during the spring semester and Kappa Klassic in the fall. In addition to this annual philanthropy events, many members of the Delta Lambda chapter also participate in weekly philanthropies in the Oxford and Hamilton communities. Monday through Thursdays Kappas can be found at the Booker T. Washington Center in Hamilton, Ohio tutoring elementary and middle school students during an after school program. On Mondays, Kappas can be found at Adult Day Services, located near campus, participating in OMA. OMA stands for Opening Minds through Art and each week Kappas and their partners, adults with Alzheimer's and Dementia, work together to create beautiful pieces of abstract art. The Delta Lambda chapter is proud to support local philanthropies in addition to Kappa’s national philanthropies. Our chapter enjoys raising money and getting involved with different organizations through philanthropy. We are involved with Reading is Fundamental because it has been a traditional philanthropy we have been involved with for years and Delta Lambda loves expanding children's' knowledge and creativity through reading with them and donating books. In addition, we enjoy working with Kappa Kidney Camp because it is located in Ohio and the other Ohio Kappa chapters raise money for this organization, as well. It is very fulfilling to raise money for kids, who cannot have the typical summer camp experience due to an illness. In being involved with these organizations, we are helping others and making a difference, an overall fulfilling experience for the Delta Lambda chapter as a whole.

Our chapter meetings were held in classrooms or meeting rooms on campus. Starting in the fall semester, a few chapter meetings were held in the Shriver Center or Armstrong Student Center instead of our usual location in Hughes Hall. Prior to these chapter meetings, Kappas enjoyed a dinner together sometimes as a whole chapter and other times between specific pledge classes. This was a great way for the Delta Lambda chapter to get to spend some quality time together despite not having a house. Chapter dinners were a great way to bring pledge classes and the chapter together as a whole.

Overall, 2018 was a fun and eventful year for the Delta Lambda chapter. It was filled with old traditions as well as the introduction of new ideas that someday may become traditions of their own. It is clear that the women of Delta Lambda continue to be dedicated to their studies, their philanthropy, and their sisters!

Highlights of 2019[edit]

In the previous year we have made numerous strides to become a well functioning chapter council that allows for open communication and innovative ideas. This has been successful due to our efforts to the implementation of strategies learned at KLC (Kappa Leadership Conference) in Atlanta, TWIK (This Week in Kappa) newsletter, and transparency with the chapter. We have revamped and implemented stronger standards by correctly using probation and terms. As a chapter this year we have held members more accountable for their service hours and as a result we have completed over 1,500 hours of service. Along with community service, we hosted philanthropy events both semesters helping us to donate $500 towards Reading is Fundamental and $5,500 toward Kappa Kidney Camp. Holding one of the top GPAs on campus, we currently have a 3.5 average and 14 girls with 4.0s. In the previous year we have devised an incentive program to recognize the scholar of the week and ran our first ever Career Fair workshop. In order to strengthen our sisterhood we held a number of new events including a yoga sisterhood, Camp Kappa, and a Reds baseball game. Because of the recent strides made toward mental awareness, we have implemented a new mental health initiative Kappa Kares which aims to spread awareness and support our members. To better prepare for recruitment and initiation we have had a Marshal Melody each chapter as we practice our ritual songs. We have also held recruitment and sprite day workshops earlier to best prepare both our members and the 58 new initiates in the spring.

Recently our campus has been striving to focus on balancing the activities of greek organizations. The idea behind this is that there should be a nice balance of social, ritual, and sisterhood events in efforts to strengthen the bond between sorority sisters. There has also been a push on campus to normalize mental health and ensure that members are looking out for each other and feel comfortable and safe to speak out.

Our chapter supports:

• Reading is Fundamental

• Kappa Kidney Camp

• Opening Minds Through Art

• Booker T Washington

We choose to support Booker T Washington because it related to Reading is Fundamental as it is a tutoring center for young children from lower income areas. By teaming with Booker T Washington, we have had the opportunity to work with students on a weekly basis and help children with homework who may not have as much support at home. Opening Minds Through Art originally started with just a few girls volunteering and as word spread more and more girls wanted to join the organization that works to engage young adults and patients with dementia in art making.

Highlights of 2020[edit]

In 2020, the Delta Lambda chapter was eager to continue and improve on previously implemented approaches to create a strong chapter council that led the chapter with unity, direction, and new visions for Kappa’s future. Significantly, the chapter dealt with the effects of COVID-19 and worked together to maintain the bonds of sisterhood throughout a pandemic. The chapter worked hard to maintain connection and keep all women motivated to be apart of the bond that Kappa offers.

When the new chapter council was installed, the year ahead was filled with new ideas. As a chapter, we wanted to balance the number of sisterhood activities and social events. We were also ambitious about continuing our work with our four philanthropies, Reading is Fundamental, Kappa Kidney Camp, Opening Minds Through Art, and Booker T Washington.

When COVID-19 hit in March, Miami University students were sent home and our members were spread across different states. CC met to discuss chapter issues and ideas for how to keep members optimistic. Each position uniquely changed and each member had to be flexible in dealing with the effects of COVID.

Our focus was to keep members as involved as possible while still not having any in-person events. We encouraged members to meet with their sisters over zoom calls and keep in touch with their kappa families to place importance on sisterhood and the bond we all share.

Checking on members to ensure that they felt supported during this time was also an important task that was mostly led by our recently formed Kappa Kares committee, the mental health initiative that aims to assist and educate members. This was especially appreciated by our women during quarantine and the pandemic. A monthly calendar was created and sent to members to remind them to focus on their mental health during this time. Fun activities were included to help inspire members to take care of themselves and others, including their kappa sisters!

Prior to COVID, we all worked together in sprite date and recruitment workshops to prepare for the new members that we would welcome in the spring semester. We successfully educated new members through in-person and then online meetings to transition them into being kappa sisters. We then initiated new members in March through a zoom call that was facilitated by Kappa national leaders. This ceremony combined the initiation process into a shorter ceremony that all of the new members would still appreciate and cherish.

In the fall semester, zoom chapters resumed and we kept in contact with our members to offer them information about how COVID would continue to change how we operated as a chapter. We wanted to maintain normalcy and routine through an unprecedented time in Kappa.

We participated in virtual sprite dates and virtual reverse recruitment put on my Panhellenic to focus and identify our values as a chapter. Finally, we are working on moving into a new suite that will better accommodate our chapter and the number of sisters we have. We will be moving to the new space during the spring semester that will be beautifully decorated with all things kappa!

Throughout the year, each member stayed positive and we worked to support each other through the difficult circumstances that were placed on our chapter and sorority women. We made the best of our time and we found strength in dealing with the effects of COVID together. It showed that we are passionate about the bond and sisterhood that Kappa has given us and we are hopeful and optimistic about the future. We are looking forward to what we will continue to accomplish as Kappa women.

Highlights of 2021[edit]

It is unequivocal that the Delta Lambda Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has unprecedentedly experienced a change within 2021 that has holistically affected our members. Yet, we have persisted through the tedious challenges of life and continued in our ambitions to celebrate the formation of the lifelong sisterhood that bonds every single one of us. The dedication of our members, especially those on Chapter Council, cannot go unnoticed in the events and goals that have been accomplished this year. We have continued to implement the defining rituals and traditions in all of our efforts, whether that be visible in our formal chapter meetings, recruitment, virtual pledge pinning, and initiation ceremonies, or Founders Day Brunch. Despite the many challenges we have faced this year, we have continued to grow and strengthen the bonds of sisterhood within the chapter. Each member of Delta Lambda never fails to show what it is to be a true Kappa woman, and that is visible every day in our unity, strength, and endless dedication to the chapter and its efforts

Delta Lambda has continued to support two local organizations, Opening Minds Through Art and Booker T. Washington. As a chapter, we have decided to serve and support these two philanthropies because it is critical to give back to our community, despite COVID-19 hindering the ability to participate in serving these two organizations in-person.

Whether that be through writing and decorating cards to send to nursing home patients with dementia through OMA, or hosting a successful Kappa Dog Night following COVID guidelines and safety procedures, Delta Lambda, as a whole, has persisted in its efforts to support Kappa’s philanthropy no matter the significant impacts we have faced due to COVID-19. This year, Delta Lambda adopted a new national organization to philanthropically support. The JED Foundation is a non-profit organization that encourages and protects mental health and suicide prevention for teenagers and young adults by providing the resources and skills they need to strengthen themselves and continue to thrive healthily. Our annual Kappa Klassic golf tournament was dedicated to promoting and supporting the JED Foundation by donating all proceeds made from the event.

Within the past year, Delta Lambda has prioritized the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion programming. We began this process by adding a DEI officer to our Chapter Council in 2020. Through chapter training events, such as cultural appropriation presentations and proper social media usage, we have continued to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion and educate chapter members on the importance of these initiatives.

The beginning of 2021 was still a time of virtual trial and error, and the spring semester of your school year was heavily operated on virtually-held events and activities and chapter and formal chapter meetings. Though recruitment, pledge pinning, and initiation were all virtually held, Delta Lambda prioritized the history of Kappa through all events and expanded the connection of sisterhood to more members. We were able to host a number of virtual sisterhood events to encourage chapter-wide participation to include and familiarize the new member class of 2021. Fun and memorable events, such as bid day and big/little reveal, were all held virtually, but still contained the strong Kappa spirit at all times. We were still able to host social events consistent with Kappa and school COVID safety guidelines, as well as philanthropy events, such as our Kappa Dog Night. The latter half of 2021 within our fall semester school year was a fortunate transition from virtual to in-person programming. Chapter and formal chapter meetings were held in-person while members were required to wear masks and socially distance throughout the entirety of the meeting. Our annual philanthropy event, Kappa Klassic, was able to be hosted in-person at a local golf course, as well as our Founders Day Brunch operated in-person this year. Similarly, with our social events, we have been able to operate them successfully in-person, still coinciding with local mask and social distancing ordinances.

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