Difference between revisions of "Gamma Kappa"

Latest revision as of 15:17, 13 December 2021

Gamma Kappa
ΓK
Founded	February 16, 1923 (1923-02-16) (101 years ago)
College	College of William & Mary
Location	515 Prince George St Williamsburg, VA 23185-3673
Homepage	Gamma Kappa Homepage
Media related to Gamma Kappa Chapter

College of William & Mary established in 1693 in Williamsburg, Virginia

Founded February 16, 1923 - 12 Charter Members

2,325 initiates (as of June 2018)

Charter Members:

Elizabeth Thomas Bland, Katrine van Vliet deWitt, Anna Bell Dennis, Edna Moomaw Gibbons, Frances Louise Gibbons, Caroline Greer Hill, Betty Sue Jessup, Mary Elizabeth Kent, Anita Rucker, Dorothy Louise Terrill, Mildred Vaiden, Dorothy Lamb Zirkle.

Fraternity Council Members:

Cindy Bennett Jarboe, Foundation Treasurer, 2008-2012, Fraternity Treasurer 2008-2012; J. Dale Brubeck, Graduate Counselor, 1970-1971, 1975-1976, Field Secretary, 1971-1972, Fraternity Executive Director, 1987-2000, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation Executive Director, 2000-2008; Dr. Virginia “Gini” Anding La Charitié, Editor of The Key, 1987-1988; Nancy Trbovich (Alexander, Field Secretary, 1979-1981; Barbara Elizabeth Cole (Joynes), Field Secretary, 1982-1984; Megan Warner (McCamey), Traveling Consultant, 1991-1992; Lynn Hozik (Stewart), Traveling Consultant; Kt Moynihan (Gray), Leadership Consultant, 2004-2005; Haley Smith, Leadership Consultant, 2011-2012

Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:

J. Dale Brubeck, 2000

Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients

Dr. Virginia “Gini” Anding La Charitié, 1990, award-winning scholar and author with a focus on French poetry; Elizabeth Louise Anderson, 1974, organic chemist; authority on air pollution from pesticides; government science adviser; Phyllis Galanti, 1974, Chairman of Board of National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia; Sally Ives Gore, 2008, human resources expert; revolutionized employee benefits at W. I. Gore & Associates;

Other Outstanding Gamma Kappa Alumnae:

Karen Thomas (Liske), Graduate Counselor, 1960-1962; Carol Sykes (Dickinson), Graduate Counselor, 1961-1962; Marilyn Knder (Walker) Graduate Counselor, 1964-1966; Suzanne Barnett, Graduate Counselor, 1971-1973; Mary Sue Hogan (Babb), Graduate Counselor, 1977-1979; Sara Black (Heiser), 1978-1980; Cynthia Turner, Graduate Counselor, 1980-1982

The Early Years (From The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma 1870–1976)[edit]

When Gamma Kappa Chapter was installed on February 16, 1923, the state of Virginia was in Beta Province. The General Convention at the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, created Lambda Province to include Maryland, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina.

Upsilon Delta Beta, a local group formed by four William & Mary students in September of 1920 enjoyed a vigorous life of three years, aimed early for a Kappa charter, and achieved it after very little initial encouragement. Success was announced in the form of a telegram that arrived during a college basketball game, and exulting Upsilon Delta Betas sat through it to the end because they didn’t want to be conspicuous. Their last meeting was held on January 22, 1923, and their minutes read: “The meeting closed with the customary ritual and the singing of the Upsilon Delta Beta song, after which the members adjourned to eat apples and to talk of the joys of fraternity life.”

Traditions

The chapter is fortunate in its Williamsburg location. The college is surrounded by interesting 17th- and 18th-century buildings and presents varied programs. Colonial Williamsburg is said to be more an experience than a museum and it presents a variety of subjects for study: history, architecture, gardens, plant material, design, antiques and decorating. Many students work part time in the Williamsburg program, gaining invaluable experience. In October 1931, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the surrender of Cornwallis, a Sesquicentennial celebration was held in which students participated. They helped seat the honored guests, among whom were President Hoover, General Pershing, and Marshal Petain. Students also took part in the entertainment, which included a historical pageant. Campus elections have drawn Kappas into important student government offices, and yearbook and other publication staffs. Some have sung with the choir and glee club, and many have taken part in theatrical productions. The chapter has also had its share of sponsors, beauty queens and May Court members.

In 1950, Gamma Kappa began working with patients at Eastern State Hospital for the mentally ill. Four or five girls go out for an evening, with cookies and drinks, to play games with the children and read to them. Dr. Davis Y. Paschall, William & Mary president, presented in 1964, the first-place scholarship award to Gamma Kappa. The chapter has held first place for ten semesters.

When the National Panhellenic Conference met at the Williamsburg Lodge in October 1966, the entire Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Council was invited to attend. The actives of Gamma Kappa were honored one afternoon when the whole Council came to the house for tea.

The Sesquicentennial of Phi Beta Kappa, the first Greek-letter fraternity (founded by William & Mary students in 1776), was held in Williamsburg in 1926. Up to 1974, 52 members of Gamma Kappa had been elected to Phi Beta Kappa and 73 members to Mortar Board.

World War II Years[edit]

During World War II, a Gamma Kappa alumna organized the Army and Navy Association, a group aiding service men’s wives. Out of this grew one of Kappa’s most important World War II projects, the service women’s centers in 14 cities throughout the United States.

Notable Alumnae and Campus Honors

Five Gamma Kappas have been graduate counselors including former Fraternity Executive Director and Executive Director of the Foundation, J. Dale Brubeck; four have been field secretari, four have served on Associate Council and two helped colonize Epsilon Gamma at the University of North Carolina.

At the time of Gamma Kappa’s founding, there were 72 on the William & Mary faculty; in 1973, there were 426. The 16 buildings of 1923 became 106; and the 854 students 5,558.

50th Anniversary[edit]

On February 17, 1973, nearly 100 Gamma Kappas gathered at the Kappa house to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the chapter’s Installation. Three of the five alumnae who were given 50-year pins were charter members; two had been initiated later that same year. Those honored five recalled interesting, isolated facts of chapter history, such as the year the old Debtors’ Prison in Colonial Williamsburg was used for chapter meetings; the season the dean of women’s office was in the Kappa house, the first chapter home of yellow stone with an old-fashioned porch and a zigzag roof. They must have remembered, too, the thrill of seeing Gertrude Wood (Thatcher), Swarthmore, Kappa’s Fraternity Treasurer, when she came to inspect the local Upsilon Delta Beta—the first live Kappa they had ever seen—and of passing her Kappa key from hand to hand, thinking of the future and a chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at William & Mary.

The previous information was excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, 1870-1976. The information that follows has been gleaned from available resources including Chapter History Reports, chapter meeting minutes, letters and comments from chapter members and alumnae, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives, and The Key. Each chapter is expected to update its history record annually. Contact Fraternity Headquarters at kkghq@kkg.org with questions.

Highlights of the 1970s[edit]

In 1973 100 Gamma Kappas gather to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Gamma Kappa's charter. Gamma Kappa alumna Phyllis Galanti distinguished herself nationally with her Vietnam P.O.W. Cause – including a 1973 Newsweek magazine cover entitled “Free at Last!” (pictured with husband Paul upon release.) Phyllis rose to hero status after leading a national campaign of wives of POWs imprisoned in Vietnam. Husband Paul (Navy Lt. Commander and pilot) was shot down in 1966 and held for almost seven years in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton.” While incarcerated, Phyllis set in motion a national campaign to publicize the plight of POWs and became chair of the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia. In adddition to pressure on U.S. politicians – on up to the President himself – thousands of letters were written to the North Vietnames urging humane treatment and, of course, eventual release.

Gamma Kappas served as “Big Sisters” to the members of Epsilon Sigma at the University of Virginia when that chapter was colonized in Charlottesville. In addition, in 1975 Gamma Kappa worked with Eastern State Hospital making Christmas cards and having an art show for local children.

In 1976, Gamma Kappa spread goodwill among other Greeks as they presented baked goods to fraternities on their respective Founders Days. Kappa also stole the show at Homecoming with three women serving as princesses representing the upper classes. Kappas participated in the 1976Presidential Debate on campus between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. That year recruitment was changed from January to September.

In 1977, Gamma Kappa won the intramural Softball Championship, continued the annual Monmouth Duo dance with Pi Beta Phi, and the annual "Pumpkin Walk" to all sororities. Pledge class activities included helping out at the Kappa house. Sigma Chi started their Derby Days philanthropy that sparked campus-wide involvement. Gamma Kappa always took an interest in other Greek philanthropies and this year was no exception. In addition, Gamma Kappa changed the pledge formal to first semester in 1977. They had always participated in spring rush, but the switch to fall caused the change in the formal. The pledge class stained porch furniture and painted the cloak room in the house. Homecoming traditions were established when the chapter won the homecoming float competition in 1977 and 1979.

Highlights of the 1980s[edit]

A change in policy occurred in 1980 that revoked legacy status to great granddaughters. Two members of the chapter took first place in the Fraternity Education on Founders Day and another Kappa was chosen as a student liaison for the Board of Visitors.

Clue Week had been known as Peanut Week until 1982, where big sisters were revealed as a surprise. Each day was assigned a different color for inspiration, as each word had an associated meaning. This year, it was voted to combine R and W rooms during initiation ceremonies. An amendment was made to the chapter standing rules which would free the membership chairman from living in the chapter house.

On Halloween in 1982 Gamma Kappa delivered carved pumpkins to the other sororities and to President Graves. The chapter vocal group, Fit Your Fancy, performed during Rush and Mother-Daughter Tea. The philanthropy, Kappa Kakes, was revived this year, winning the chapter recognition at the Fraternity Convention with the Pauline Tomlin Award for Outstanding Philanthropic Work. The chapter also won honorable mention for its cultural activities.

Among the highlights of 1983-84 was capturing fourth place in the sorority float division during Homecoming, and having the fall Pledge Dance at the lovely Williamsburg Lodge. Gamma Kappa also sponsored the Best of Rush as a Panhellenic gesture and to show pledges and alumnae the favorite skits of each sorority. In February, Gamma Kappa hosted several Fraternity officers at the annual Celebration of Sisterhood Banquet.

In the spring of 1985 four Gamma Kappas traveled to Blacksburg to serve as big sisters to a new chapter, Zeta Mu at Virginia Tech. The Gamma Kappa chapter presented Zeta Mu with a brass key to commemorate their installation. The highlight was meeting Fraternity President, Marian Klingbeil Williams, Missouri.

Also in 1985 the House Board did a complete renovation of the chapter house with new wallpaper and paint, new furniture and new countertops in the renovated kitchen. Chapter size increased with a record pledge class of 38 young women. In fulfilling the chapter goal of “Commit Yourself,” the chapter saw improvements in scholarship and philanthropy. For philanthropy the chapter supported a foreign foster-child, participated with Theta Delta Chi fraternity in an Easter egg hunt at Eastern State Hospital and with the Sigma Chi Circle K Christmas Party. Kappas won the overall first prize at the Sigma Chi Derby Day balloon sale. The chapter newsletter, The Owlette, reported changes on the campus, such as the departure of President Graves, succeeded by President Verkuil, the opening of a new restaurant, Sakura, a popular Japanese restaurant, and the plans to renovate Ewel Hall and build a new Campus and Recreation Hall behind William & Mary Hall in 1987.

Gamma Kappa consistently had the highest GPA on campus and this year held an Easter Egg Hunt with Theta Delta at Eastern State Hospital.

Highlights of 1987 included chapter involvement in the colonization and installation of Zeta Omicron at the University of Richmond, helping with rush and serving as big sisters during initiation. The chapter philanthropy event raised funds for Multiple Sclerosis and placed third in Sigma Chi's Derby Day raising money for Red Cross and Sigma Chi's Wallace Foundation. The Gamma Kappa float placed fourth in the Homecoming Parade. Eight members attended Province Meeting at the University of West Virginia and for the first time, Gamma Kappa alumnae began an annual drive for funds to help the House Board fund improvements in the chapter house.

The Gamma Kappa alumnae newsletter changes its name in 1988 to the Kolonial Kappa with the news that the chapter won “Outstanding Greek Chapter” award, selected by the Dean of Student Affairs, and at the Fraternity Convention in Boca Raton, won the Fraternity Ritual Award and Honorable Mention for Scholarship. Alumnae contributions to the House Fund continued, making it possible to remodel the upstairs bathroom and purchase new porch furniture. Actives stayed busy on campus and in the community in a variety of philanthropy activities such as Habitat for Humanity, Childfest at Magruder Elementary and the annual Easter Egg Hunt for the children of Eastern State Mental Hospital. Scholarship continued to shine, with the chapter grade point rising from 3.07 to 3.21, and the scholarship committee presenting a program linking working alumnae around the country to seniors in search of careers.

For the second year, Gamma Kappa was named “Outstanding Chapter” at William & Mary. The chapter goal was Keyed up for K(appa) K(ommittee) G(rowth) aiming to increase chapter efficiency and productivity within the committees. On Halloween the chapter carved pumpkins with each of the other sorority's letters and delivered them, singing “Pumpkin Carols,” and hosted a Kappa Kostume Party, inviting fraternities and sororities with “Kappa” in their name to bring canned goods for the Salvation Army. Four Kappas were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa

Housing:

The chapter is housed at 111 Richmond Rd. in Williamsburg. The building is owned by the College, and is operated under the same rules as the dormitories. The Gamma Kappa House Board oversees the upkeep and furnishing of the house, but the College is responsible for repairs, painting, etc.

Philanthropy:

Habitat for Humanity, Childfest at Magruder Elementary School, Eastern State Mental Hospital, Salvation Army.

Chapter Convention Awards:

1982 – Outstanding Philanthropic Work, 1988 Fraternity Ritual Award

=

Highlights of the 1990s[edit]

For the third consecutive year, in 1990, Gamma Kappa was recognized on campus as the “Outstanding Chapter,” and also received the first “William and Mary Scholarship Achievement Award.” With a 3.2 GPA, it was the highest of any Greek organization. At Convention in Dallas, Gamma Kappa won honorable mention for Pledge Programming and Heritage Awards. It was especially memorable to be presented the Heritage Award by Gamma Kappa alumna, Gini Anding LaCharite, Fraternity Historian, who also won the Alumnae Achievement Award at Convention. This year's chapter goal was “RISE-Reaching Out to Someone Else” to increase our philanthropic activities and increased support of community and campus charity projects.

As war broke out in the Middle East with Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the chapter demonstrated its support by launching Operation Desert Heart. At the annual Kite and Key winter dance, both Kappas and Thetas brought Valentine letters to mail to the troops. During the dance a photo was taken of the Gamma Kappas with a large banner reading “We love our troops.” A video camera was rolling, and the sisters were able to sing and talk to the soldiers and send personal messages to friends and relatives . Copies of the video and the Valentines were mailed to the Middle East. At Lambda Province Meeting, Gamma Kappa received the newly created Efficiency Award, as well as Honorable Mention for the pledge and personnel programs, and for the Trendsetters Award. A change for Chapter Council is the addition of a new elected office, the Philanthropy Chair. A poignant moment occurred at the Senior Banquet when a charter member, initiated in 1923, presented her sister's badge to the 1991 Outstanding Athlete.

In 1995 Chapter unity was high due to the chapter goal “Plan to Participate” which encouraged each sister to take some responsibility for work performed by the chapter, no matter how small. Once again the chapter took home the trophy for Sigma Chi Derby Days, maintained an all campus high GPA, and continued the tradition of Rainforest Romp, an annual 5K run/walk to raise money to save the rainforests. An addition to weekly chapter meeting is an award called Character Key, recognizing one sister each week. At the Atlanta Convention the chapter and alumnae together won five awards: Ritual appreciation, Fraternity Appreciation, Rose McGill Foundation Award, Chapter/Alumnae Relations and Chapter Support. The Gamma Kappa Fund allowed the House Board to recarpet the front rooms and redo the kitchen with new teakwood cabinets, floor tile and wallpaper.

Recruitment in 1996 resulted in the largest pledge class ever with the total of 39 new members. Rainforest Romp was so successful, Kappas grossed $3,450 to buy acres of rainforest, and the event was so popular, they had to reorder tee-shirts. The chapter goal “Seek your Sister” had Kappas making an effort to reach out to each other, and attendance was up at sister retreats, date parties and formals. The chapter began working toward plans to host Province Meeting, delegating jobs and fundraising by selling candy and holding raffles.

The chapter goal for 1997, “Direct your Dedication,” was a great aid in the promotion of participation in Gamma Kappa and campus Greek activities. The philanthropy chair broadened the scope of activities to include raising money for UNICEF, helping the chapter to have a global understanding of the effects of famine and poverty, in addition to the successful annual philanthropy of Rainforest Romp. A new program, SEEK (Self Esteem for Every Kappa) was implemented to anonymously pass a small stuffed animal and an inspirational note to sisters facing a particularly difficult week. Also in 1997, Gamma Kappa and the Williamsburg Alumnae Association hosted Province Meeting.

A highlight of late '90s was the celebration, with many alumnae, of Gamma Kappa's 75th anniversary. The chapter also implemented new philanthropies: a “Kappasta” dinner, “Kappachino” night and Kappa Kidsfest, a field day for local children from low income areas. The chapter goal, “Reaffirm your CORE,” which stood for Commitment, Openness, Respect, Education, and coincided with the implementation of the New Member Program, which emphasized Core groups instead of big and little sisters and was one of the year's largest successes.

Housing:

The College of William and Mary owns the sorority houses on campus. The Gamma Kappa House Board sees to the upkeep. A Gamma Kappa Fund funded by alumnae donations helps to pay for new furnishings, etc. About 18 women live in the house.

Philanthropy:

UNICEF, Rainforest Romp to save the Rainforests, Clean the Bay Days event, Kappasta and Kappachino, Kappa Kidfest.

Chapter Convention Awards:

1990 Heritage Award, 1994 Ritual Appreciation, Fraternity Appreciation, Rose McGill Foundation Award, Chapter/Alumnae Relations and Chapter Support.

Highlights of 2000 – 2010:[edit]

The 2005-2006 year was a year of accomplishments and challenges. The chapter participated in many campus and chapter philanthropy events, raising money for tsunami relief, for UNICEF, Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Leadership Academy. For the first time, instead of displaying the archives during the Founders Day Banquet, the archives were displayed on the morning of initiation reminding older sisters of the chapter history and allowing the New Members to see what they were becoming a part of.. Facing a challenge following being put on a focus letter in 2004, the chapter rallied and improved in areas of risk management, standards and communications, and were taken off the focus letter in March as the result of many positive changes.

In April 2006 the chapter raised funds for breast cancer research during Kappasta, the annual all-you-can-eat pasta night and in October raised money during Kappacino for Reading is Fundamental. At Convention Gamma Kappa won awards in standards and honorable mention in recruitment, new member program, advisory board and hospitality. A representative was sent to Leadership Academy. Since so few women took part in fall formal recruitment, the new member chair, recruitment chair and treasurer worked hard to organize and fund a spring recruitment, with an excellent response and the initiation of seven new members.

Continuing to participate in Greek philanthropy events in 2007, several Kappas served on the executive board for Up 'til Dawn, and the team that raised the most money was a group of Gamma Kappas. This year the philanthropy chair and several sisters were invited to Washington to attend a banquet put on by the National Cervical Cancer Coalition for donating the money raised at Kappasta, a great way to see how our philanthropy events really help others.

Besides being active in Greek philanthropy events, Kappas are active on campus in other organizations such as Student Alumni Council, Orientation Aids, ROTC and Honor Council. Currently, in 1988, a Gamma Kappa holds the position of Inter-Sorority (Panhellenic) president. At Convention, Gamma Kappa received the award for Chapter Excellence. College President Gene R. Nichols resigns and Law School Dean W. Taylor Revely III is named interim president.

In 2009, entertainment was added to Kappaccino as two Kappas sang and played guitar for the event. At Province meeting in March, Gamma Kappa won honorable mention for the new member program and received Excellence in Standards and Overall Chapter Excellence. This year the College of William and Mary was ranked by U.S. News and World Report at 6th among all public universities. In answer to some academic challenges during the last semester in 2009, the chapter implemented new ways to encourage girls to improve their GPA and stay motivated. A study hall with small incentives was set up and also a competition for the most improved GPA rather than the highest. W. Taylor Revely III became the College's 27th president, after serving as interim president following the resignation of President Gene Nichol in 2008.

Working hard to overcome academic challenges in a college with very high academic threshold for students, Gamma Kappa instituted new modes of studying, tutoring and academic contests. At the beginning of the year 2010 the chapter ranked ninth among sororities on campus, moving up to third and earning recognition on the Dean's List and winning the award for Most Improved GPA. This year a New Member Program was implemented, increasing the New Member Period from six weeks to eight, allowing the new members to learn more about Kappa and create bonds. Bid Day was changed, and instead of receiving big/little sisters, they were revealed at the end of Clue Week.

Philanthropy:

Kappaccino and Kappasta raise funds for RIF and other causes, Reading Buddies with alumnae read to Head Start Classes in support of RIF, RIF Carnival for Head Start, support of other groups' philanthropies.

Chapter Convention Awards

2006 – Standards, 2008 – Chapter Excellence

Highlights of 2011 –2019:[edit]

In March, 2011, the chapter joined the Williamsburg Alumnae Association in hostessing Province Meeting. The chapter took away honors with Overall Excellence, the Standards Award and honorable mention for the New Member Program. All Kappa chapters began the switch from using Quickbooks to Billhighway to record their chapter finances, allowing members to pay dues online using credit/debit cards or by check. Treasurers no longer accept checks or credit information.

The College of William and Mary, located in Williamsburg, Va., is the second oldest college in the nation. Priding itself on being a close knit community while also being a public university, it has an enrollment of roughly 6,000 undergraduate students. Also named a Public Ivy League college, the low student-to-faculty ratio allows students to receive individual attention and provides for an exceptionally high education. Kiplinger ranked the College fourth as Best Value Among Colleges and Universities in the nation in 2011 while the U.S. News and World Report ranked it sixth among all public universities, 31st overall among the nation's best universities, and fifth nationally among best colleges for commitment to teaching. In addition to academics, students are involved in more than 350 student-interest groups, 27 Greek organizations (roughly 25 % of the student body is in a Greek organization) numerous musical performance groups and 23 intercollegiate athletic teams.

Since 2000, 21 buildings on campus and 5 at VMIS have been built or renovated. The building boom has brought to the campus a new Integrated Science Facility, a new $38 million, 113,000 square foot building for the School of Education on the site of the old Williamsburg Community Hospital, an $11 million Jimmy Laycock Football Center, and a $75 million Mason School of Business. The University Center was renamed the Sadler Center after Vice President of Student Affairs Sam Sadler who served for 44 years. Lake Matoka Amphitheater has been renovated, new Jamestown Road dorms were built and a new wing was added to the Law School, the recreation center and the center for undergraduate admissions.

In 2010, William and Mary welcomed a new mascot, a Griffin, although the nickname Tribe remains. A Griffin is a mythical creature with a lion's body and the head of an eagle. The coat of Arms of King William and Queen Mary was adorned with a lion, so the body evokes the historic founding. The Eagle's head represents our national symbol and our presidents who were educated at the College.

Overall nature of the chapter:

Members of Gamma Kappa are involved in almost every facet of college life at William and Mary. Our women are known as leaders; Gamma Kappas hold many of the positions in college organizations such as Student Alumni Council, the Orientation Aide Program, Health Outreach Peer Educators, as well as the Student Assembly. Many women are Resident Assistants, tour guides and Student Ambassadors. Additionally, our women range from Business majors to Chinese majors, so finding a study buddy is never a challenge. We have several varsity athletes and numerous women participating on club and intermural teams. Our chapter is also very musical, with sisters who sing in an a capella group as well as solo concerts. Many Gamma Kappa alumnae have risen to the tops of their fields and do important work on both the national and international level.

William and Mary's placement among the nation's most elite colleges presents a very high academic threshold for its students. Gamma Kappa has overcome the challenges of staying on top academically by instituting new modes of studying, tutoring and academic contests.

The Chapter House Today

Thanks to a generous donation by a Gamma Kappa, a major renovation of the chapter house began to take shape in 2012, remodeling the baths, reconfiguring the living spaces and improving the air flow systems, to bring the 81-year-old house, built in 1930, up to date.

Highlights of 2011-2019:[edit]

Highlights of 2011[edit]

Gamma Kappa had another wonderful year of love, loyalty, and sisterhood. We continue to participate in numerous activities and events on campus. Our sisters are actively involved as Tour Guides, Orientation Aides, Varsity Athletes, Group Fitness Instructors, and Admissions Office Interns. Gamma Kappa women are well represented in various community service opportunities, as well as at numerous Greek philanthropy events. We hosted two of our own philanthropy events this year: Kappasta in the spring and Kappachino in the fall. Both were extremely successful and widely attended by the campus community.

As a chapter, we have received many honors and awards in the past year. At the William & Mary All Greek Awards, Rose Muratore, our current president, won the Outstanding Emerging Leader Award. At Convention over the summer, our chapter won Honorable Mention for Excellence in Recruitment. Gamma Kappa was recognized for being one of the top fundraising chapters in the Convention Challenge for the Kappa Foundation, and our Alumni Association received extensive recognition for their involvement.

In recognition of Sally Ives Gore, who is a Gamma Kappa alumni, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation approved our request to name one of the two scholarships awarded annually in Sally's honor. Dasha Godunova was the first Gamma Kappa to receive this scholarship. Elizabeth Matteson received the second Gamma Kappa Sapphire scholarship awarded this year.

Early this fall we hosted an Open House to honor Sally Gore, for her generous donation to renovate the Kappa House in time for 2012 Fall Recruitment. President Reveley, the president of our college, was in attendance and many alumnus attended in support of Sally's wonderful donation. We celebrated Founder's Day in October with a lovely celebration involving cake and KKG Trivia. We are eager to ring in Gamma Kappa's 90th birthday this spring!

In the fall, Gamma Kappa achieved a very successful Recruitment. Our newest pledge class is filled with many wonderful women who have integrated beautifully into the chapter. We continued with our New Member Program as it has been for the past two years, allowing an extra two weeks between Bid Day and Clue Week. This extra time has enabled new members to learn more about our chapter before Revelation at the end of Clue Week. It also allows for more bonding time between potential bigs and littles.

Gamma Kappa women actively participated in both the Obama and Romney 2012 campaigns. Our 2012 Vice President of Organization, Madelaine Spangler, received the opportunity to become the Romney Campaign Representative on our campus. She passionately supported the campaign, leading call banks and going door to door promoting Governor Romney. Madelaine even had the privilege of meeting Anne Romney herself.

Gamma Kappa hosted two formal events this year, both of which were beautifully planned, exquisite events. Our spring Senior Formal took place in early April, at the Marriot in Williamsburg. It was a delightful event, enjoyed by all, especially our graduating seniors, who are dearly missed. Our fall Pledge Formal took place in November, the weekend of Initiation, at the Crowne Plaza. There was a feeling of celebration in the air, as we welcomed our newly initiated sisters. It was a wonderful end to an amazing year for our chapter.

Campus: The College of William and Mary is a tight-knit community of about 6,171 undergraduates. We are located in the city of Williamsburg, which is a small, but picturesque little village that is home to Colonial Williamsburg, the House of Burgesses, and the historic Governor's Palace. Because of our well established reputation as a challenging place of study, with rigorous academic expectations, we are known as the "public ivy."

We have an eleven to one student-to-faculty ratio that allows each person to get the individual attention desired and allows us to graduate with an excellent education and deep understanding of the subject matter within our majors. Our campus is home to 400 campus clubs and organizations, which each see a great deal of participation. The College of William and Mary is known for being the first college ever to have an organization that referred to itself as a "fraternity."

The honor fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa was founded here in 1776. Acceptance to this fraternity is an extremely prestigious honor and privilege. Since 1776, Greek life has been a great way to get involved and meet new people. Our campus holds 20 fraternities and 12 sororities with approximately 31% of student body involved in Greek life. Other wonderful social opportunities include a capella groups, club sports, intramural sports teams, theater and performance groups, and Alma Mater Productions (AMP), which is responsible for bringing comedy acts, singers, speakers, and new movies to campus for students to enjoy on the weekends. In fact, William and Mary is listed as the fourth highest a cappela involved school, nationwide. As a community, we are service oriented and extremely interested in giving back. This community offers alternative spring breaks that allow students to build homes with Habitat for Humanity, go to Honduras to bring medical relief to those in need, and to go to Belize to build schools, among many other optional spring break service trips. Our most recognized service group is the Alan Buzkin Memorial Bone Marrow Drive, which the largest collegiate bone marrow effort in the nation. William and Mary students are active, outgoing, and happy people who are passionate about their interests, both in and outside of the classroom.

Chapter: The women of Gamma Kappa are involved in nearly every aspect of college life at William and Mary. Our sisters are know for their widespread range of activities and dedication to their interests. Gamma Kappa sisters are heavily involved in the Student Alumni Council, the Bone Marrow Drive, the Tour Guide program, the Orientation Aide program, Varsity Athletics, and various business development clubs. Some members are active members of club and intramural teams, or work for the campus Recreation Center as Group Fitness Instructors or Personal Trainers. The sisters of Gamma Kappa take their academics very seriously as well. This spring we achieved a chapter GPA average of 3.40 and this past fall we achieved an average of 3.23. We wear our letters every Monday, proudly representing Kappa Kappa Gamma as a sorority of leaders, scholars, and good friends.

Highlights of 2012[edit]

Gamma Kappa had another wonderful year of love, loyalty, and sisterhood. We continue to participate in numerous activities and events on campus. Our sisters are actively involved as Tour Guides, Orientation Aides, Varsity Athletes, Group Fitness Instructors, and Admissions Office Interns. Gamma Kappa women are well represented in various community service opportunities, as well as at numerous Greek philanthropy events. We hosted two of our own philanthropy events this year: Kappasta in the spring and Kappachino in the fall. Both were extremely successful and widely attended by the campus community.

As a chapter, we have received many honors and awards in the past year. At the William & Mary All Greek Awards, Rose Muratore, our current president, won the Outstanding Emerging Leader Award. At Convention over the summer, our chapter won Honorable Mention for Excellence in Recruitment. Gamma Kappa was recognized for being one of the top fundraising chapters in the Convention Challenge for the Kappa Foundation, and our Alumni Association received extensive recognition for their involvment.

In recognitiion of Sally Ives Gore, who is a Gamma Kappa alumni, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation approved our request to name one of the two scholarships awarded annually in Sally's honor. Dasha Godunova was the first Gamma Kappa to receive this scholarship. Elizabeth Matteson received the second Gamma Kappa Sapphire scholarship awarded this year.

Early this fall we hosted an Open House to honor Sally Gore, for her generous donation to renovate the Kappa House in time for 2012 Fall Recruitment. President Reveley, the president of our college, was in attendance and many alumnus attended in support of Sally's wonderful donation. We celebrated Founder's Day in October with a lovely celebration involving cake and KKG Trivia. We are eager to ring in Gamma Kappa's 90th birthday this spring!

In the fall, Gamma Kappa achieved a very successful Recruitment. Our newest pledge class is filled with many wonderful women who have integrated beautifully into the chapter. We continued with our New Member Program as it has been for the past two years, allowing an extra two weeks between Bid Day and Clue Week. This extra time has enabled new members to learn more about our chapter before Revelation at the end of Clue Week. It also allows for more bonding time between potential bigs and littles.

Gamma Kappa women actively participated in both the Obama and Romney 2012 campaigns. Our 2012 Vice President of Organization, Madelaine Spangler, received the opportunity to become the Romney Campaign Representative on our campus. She passionately supported the campaign, leading call banks and going door to door promoting Governor Romney. Madelaine even had the privilege of meeting Anne Romney herself.

Gamma Kappa hosted two formal events this year, both of which were beautifully planned, exquisite events. Our spring Senior Formal took place in early April, at the Marriot in Williamsburg. It was a delightful event, enjoyed by all, especially our graduating seniors, who are dearly missed. Our fall Pledge Formal took place in November, the weekend of Initiation, at the Crowne Plaza. There was a feeling of celebration in the air, as we welcomed our newly initiated sisters. It was a wonderful end to an amazing year for our chapter.

Campus: The College of William and Mary is a tight-knit community of about 6,171 undergraduates. We are located in the city of Williamsburg, which is a small, but picturesque little village that is home to Colonial Williamsburg, the House of Burgesses, and the historic Governor's Palace. Because of our well established reputation as a challenging place of study, with rigorous academic expectations, we are known as the "public ivy." We have an eleven to one student-to-faculty ratio that allows each person to get the individual attention desired and allows us to graduate with an excellenet education and deep understanding of the subject matter within our majors. Our campus is home to 400 campus clubs and organizations, which each see a great deal of participation. The College of William and Mary is known for being the first college ever to have an organization that referred to itself as a "fraternity." The honor fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa was founded here in 1776. Acceptance to this fraternity is an extremely prestigeous honor and privilege. Since 1776, Greek life has been a great way to get involved and meet new people. Our campus holds 20 fraternities and 12 sororities with approximately 31% of student body involved in Greek life. Other wonderful social opportunities include a capella groups, club sports, intramural sports teams, theatre and performance groups, and Alma Mater Productions (AMP), which is responsible for bringing comedy acts, singers, speakers, and new movies to campus for students to enjoy on the weekends. In fact, William and Mary is listed as the fourth highest a cappela involved school, nationwide. As a community, we are service oriented and extremely interested in giving back. This community offers alternative spring breaks that allow students to build homes with Habitat for Humanity, go to Honduras to bring medical relief to those in need, and to go to Belize to build schools, among many other optional spring break service trips. Our most recognized service group is the Alan Buzkin Memorial Bone Marrow Drive, which the largest collegiate bone marrow effort in the nation. William and Mary students are active, outgoing, and happy people who are passionate about their interests, both in and outside of the classroom.

Chapter: The women of Gamma Kappa are involved in nearly every aspect of college life at William and Mary. Our sisters are know for their widespread range of activities and dedication to their interests. Gamma Kappa sisters are heavily involved in the Student Alumni Council, the Bone Marrow Drive, the Tour Guide program, the Orientation Aide program, Varsity Athletics, and various business development clubs. Some members are active members of club and intramural teams, or work for the campus Recreation Center as Group Fitness Instructors or Personal Trainers. The sisters of Gamma Kappa take their academics very seriously as well. This spring we achieved a chapter GPA average of 3.40 and this past fall we achieved an average of 3.23. We wear our letters every Monday, proudly representing Kappa Kappa Gamma as a sorority of leaders, scholars, and good friends.

Highlights of 2013[edit]

Gamma Kappa had another wonderful year of love, loyalty, and sisterhood. We continue to participate in numerous activities and events on campus. Our sisters are actively involved as Tour Guides, Orientation Aides, Varsity Athletes, Group Fitness Instructors, and Admissions Office Interns. Gamma Kappa women are well represented in various community service opportunities, as well as at numerous Greek philanthropy events. We hosted two of our own philanthropy events this year: an inaugural Kappa Kourtside in the spring wherein all proceeds were given to the Autism Research Institute, and our traditional Kappaccino in the fall wherein all proceeds were given to Reading is Fundamental. Both were extremely successful and widely attended by the campus community. Many sisters traveled abroad to explore the exciting wonders of the world each semester, carrying the values and spirit of Kappa Kappa Gamma everywhere they went.

Our chapter received many honors and awards in the past year. At the STARS Banquet, Gamma Kappa won Outstanding Organization from the Williamsburg Community Foundation. Our chapter was recognized by the Williamsburg James-City County Community Action Agency for our work with the Head Start program. The chapter’s philanthropic efforts with the program was further honored at the March 2013 Province Meeting. Both our chapter Advisory Board and Williamsburg Alumnae Association were recognized with top honors at this Province Meeting as well. Additionally, Gamma Kappa was recognized for being one of the top fundraising chapters in the Convention Challenge for the Kappa Foundation.

In October 2001 Gamma Kappa alumnae and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation launched a campaign to raise $100,000 to establish the Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarship. Each year two Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarships are awarded to a deserving undergraduate and/or graduate Gamma Kappa member. Since 2001, Gamma Kappa alumnae and the Gamma Kappa chapter have donated $136,000 to the scholarship fund, and twenty Gamma Kappas have received the $3,000 scholarship. In 2012 one of the two Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarships was renamed in honor of Sally Ives Gore, Gamma Kappa alumna, ’56. Sally was an initial supporter of the Scholarship campaign and in 2012 funded a major renovation of the Gamma Kappa house. In 2013, one of the Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarships was awarded to Brianna Buch. Hester Shipp Mathes is the second scholarship recipient. She is a GK grad student studying for the ministry.

In the fall, Gamma Kappa achieved a very successful Recruitment. We had a record-breaking number of girls, roughly 458, who visited the Gamma Kappa house during Open House Rounds. Our chapter implemented many changes to its formal recruitment, including a new skit, “Kappas of Oz,” which was a huge success. Our newest pledge class is filled with many wonderful women who have integrated beautifully into the chapter. We were happy on Bid Day with the unprecedented pledge class size of 39 beautiful new members! Of the 39 members, we welcomed 23 freshmen, 12 sophomores, 4 juniors, and 5 legacies We continued out three year-old New Member Program, allowing an extra two weeks between Bid Day and Clue Week. This extra time has enabled new members to learn more about our chapter before Revelation at the end of Clue Week. It also allows for more bonding time between potential Bigs and Littles.

Gamma Kappa celebrated 90 years at William and Mary last winter with a party for alumnae and active members on February 16th, at the Kappa house. In commemoration of this founding, alumnae were challenged to make $90 donations to the Gamma Kappa House Fund. Sisters responded, with over $8,000 raised! Additionally, we celebrated Kappa’s Founder’s Day with a banquet on October 8th, with a small ceremony and a lot of food.

Gamma Kappa hosted two formal events this year, one in the spring and one in the fall at the William and Mary Alumni House, both of which were beautifully planned, exquisite events. Our spring Senior Formal took place in early April. It was a delightful event, enjoyed by all, especially our graduating seniors, who are dearly missed. Our fall Pledge Formal took place in November. There was a feeling of celebration in the air, as we welcomed our newly initiated sisters. It was a wonderful end to an amazing year for our chapter.

Campus: The College of William and Mary is a tight-knit community of about 6,000 undergraduates. We are located in the city of Williamsburg, which is a small, but picturesque little village that is home to Colonial Williamsburg. Among its prime attractions are the Capitol Building and the historic Governor's Palace. Because of our well established reputation as a challenging place of study, with rigorous academic expectations, we are known as a "public ivy." We have an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio that allows students to get the individual attention desired to graduate with an excellent education and deep understanding of the subject matter within our majors.

Our campus is home to over 400 campus clubs and organizations, each of which enjoys a high level of participation. The College of William and Mary is known for being the first college ever to have an organization that referred to itself as a "fraternity." This honor fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded here in 1776. Acceptance to this fraternity is an extremely prestigious honor and privilege. Since 1776, Greek life has been a great way to get involved and meet new people. Our campus houses 16 fraternities and 9 sororities with approximately 31% of student body involved in Greek life. Other wonderful social opportunities include a capella groups, club sports, intramural sports teams, theatre and performance groups, and Alma Mater Productions (AMP), which is responsible for bringing comedy acts, singers, speakers, and new movies to campus for students to enjoy on the weekends. In fact, William and Mary is listed as the 4th highest a cappella involved school, nationwide.

As a community, we are service oriented and extremely interested in giving back. This community offers an array of popular alternative spring breaks that allow students to build homes with Habitat for Humanity, go to Honduras to bring medical relief to those in need, and go to Belize to build schools, among other options. Our most recognized service group is the Alan Buzkin Memorial Bone Marrow Drive, which the largest collegiate bone marrow effort in the nation. William and Mary students are active, outgoing, and happy people who are passionate about their interests, both in and outside the classroom.

In 2013, the College of William and Mary continued to be honored and recognized by major media publications:

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: - 4th among public colleges and universities that combine “outstanding education and economic value.”

U.S. News & World Report: -3rd in committment to undergraduate teaching, surpassed only by Dartmouth & Princeton (and thus 1st among public universities) - 32nd among the nation’s best universities, both private and public - 6th best public institution in the country - 1st in efficiency -29th in alumnae giving (up from 33rd one year ago); among the best in the country for a public university Graduate: -32nd ranking for School of Education, leaping 11 spots from the previous year -33rd ranking for Marshall Wythe School of Law (up two spots) -70th ranking for Mason School of Business -4th ranking for U.S.Colonia History doctoral program

Washington Monthly: - 36th among all national universities.

Forbes -44th ranking overall, and 6th among public universities, excluding military academies

Princeton Review: - 4th “best value” public institution in the country. This ranking was also acknowledged by Gov. Bob McDonnell and was featured on NBC’s Today show.

Business Week Best Undergraduate B-Schools ranking: -27th overall in nation -1st in nation for Marketing -2nd in nation for sustainability The “Sustainability Inspired Design” Course won the Page Prize for Sustainability Issues in Business from the University of South Carolina Moore School for Mason Marketing Professor Michael Luchs.

Finally: Data from the National Science Foundation reveals that W&M has the highest percentage of students who have gone on to earn doctorates of any public university in the nation.

Aside from our new rankings, the College took on many renovation and construction projects during 2013. The second oldest building at the College of William & Mary is the Brafferton, located on “Ancient Campus.” Today it houses the offices of the President and Provost, and just underwent a major renovation. Tucker Hall, located across the Wren Yard, was also renovated and modernized. One of the main campus dining halls, the Sadler Center, was renovated and expanded, adding 300 seats and increasing the available space to prepare meals (both necessary due to the growing number of students attending William and Mary). Lastly and most related to the Greek community, new Fraternity housing was built. The 187 bed complex consists of ten 17-bed fraternity houses and a community building available to all of the Greek community.

Chapter: The women of Gamma Kappa are involved in nearly every aspect of college life at William and Mary. Our sisters are known for their widespread range of activities and dedication to their interests. Gamma Kappa sisters are heavily involved in the Student Alumni Council, the Bone Marrow Drive, the Tour Guide program, the Orientation Aide program, Varsity Athletics, and various business development clubs. A Gamma Kappa sister was elected Panhellenic VP Community Service. Some members are active members of club and intramural teams, or work for the campus Recreation Center as Group Fitness Instructors or Personal Trainers. Many sisters are also extremely involved in community service projects. Gamma Kappa elected two class presidents, for both the senior and junior classes. Several girls helped spearhead and run William and Mary’s inaugural year of Camp Kesem. Led by the passionate volunteer efforts of students at the College (and others), Camp Kesem is a free, week-long summer camp that gives kids facing a parent’s cancer critical support, while empowering these students with life and leadership skills. Finally, many are in charge of various Branch Out International Trips, such as Students for Belize Education, Kenya Sustainability Village Project, and AIDSTanzania.

The sisters of Gamma Kappa take their academics very seriously as well. We have achieved a chapter GPA average of 3.457, rising from a 9th place campus ranking to 4th in the process. Nine girls earned a perfect GPA! We had 18 girls make Dean’s List with a GPA of 3.60 or higher and had 12 girls earn scholarship pearls with a GPA of 3.85 or higher. We wear our letters every Monday, proudly representing Kappa Kappa Gamma as a sorority of leaders, scholars, and good friends.

Highlights of 2014[edit]

Gamma Kappa had another wonderful year of love, loyalty, and sisterhood. We continue to participate in numerous activities and events on campus. Our sisters are actively involved as Tour Guides, Orientation Aides, Varsity Athletes, Group Fitness Instructors, and Admissions Office Interns. Gamma Kappa women are well represented in various community service opportunities, as well as at numerous Greek philanthropy events. We hosted two philanthropy events this year. We hosted our second Kappa Kourtside in the spring, and the chapter as a whole elected to donate the proceeds to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In the fall we once again hosted Kappaccino as our annual fall philanthropy, wherein all proceeds were given to Reading is Fundamental. Both were extremely successful and brought both our sisterhood and the wider campus community closer together for philanthropy and fun. Many sisters traveled abroad to explore the exciting wonders of the world each semester and over the summer, carrying the values and spirit of Kappa Kappa Gamma everywhere they went. We had girls studying in Budapest, Jordan, London, and Prague, to name a few cities.

At convention this year, Gamma Kappa was one of two chapters with 12 or more groups on campus to receive the Panhellenic Award. The award acknowledged our positive relationships with other on-campus groups, particularly citing our chapters commitment to reconstructing events so that they are empowering for women. In October 2001 Gamma Kappa alumnae and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation launched a campaign to raise $100,000 to establish the Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarship. Each year two Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarships are awarded to a deserving undergraduate and/or graduate Gamma Kappa member. Since 2001, Gamma Kappa alumnae and the Gamma Kappa chapter have donated $136,000 to the scholarship fund, and twenty Gamma Kappas have received the $3,000 scholarship. In 2012 one of the two Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarships was renamed in honor of Sally Ives Gore, Gamma Kappa alumna, ’56. Sally was an initial supporter of the Scholarship campaign and in 2012 funded a major renovation of the Gamma Kappa house. In 2014, one of the Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarships was awarded to Sarah Nicholas, a member of the class of 2015.

In the fall, Gamma Kappa had a very successful Recruitment season. We had about 431 potential new members visit the Gamma Kappa house during Open House Rounds. Prior to the start of formal recruitment the chapter worked together to establish values that we wanted to look for in potential new members of our sisterhood. We performed our skit “Kappas of Oz,” for the second year and it was very successful once again. Our newest pledge class is filled with many wonderful women who have integrated beautifully into the chapter. We were happy on Bid Day to welcome 41 beautiful new members to Kappa! Of the 41 members, we welcomed 27 freshmen, 12 sophomores, 2 juniors. We had 4 legacies pledge our chapter this year. We continued our New Member Program for a fourth year, which allows for more time for new members to learn about our chapter, and for potential Bigs and Littles to bond before Revelation at the end of Clue Week.

This year we celebrated Kappa’s Founder’s Day with a banquet on October 7th, with a small ceremony and a lot of food.

The chapter organized several sisterhood events throughout the year where we bonded as a chapter and had the chance to interact with sisters we might not know as well. Some of these sisterhood events included nail painting at the house before formals, and “Fried Chicken Friday”, where girls could hang out and eat dinner together before a date party.

Gamma Kappa hosted two formal events this year. Our Senior Formal was in early April at the Yorktown freight shed. It was a beautiful venue on the water and everyone in attendance had an amazing time. It was a well-planned, lovely send-off for our graduating seniors who we miss greatly. Our fall Pledge Formal took place in November the weekend after initiation at the Two Rivers Country Club. We were thrilled to celebrate our new members into our sisterhood.

Campus: The College of William and Mary is a tight-knit community of about 6,000 undergraduates. We are located in the city of Williamsburg, which is a small, but picturesque little village that is home to Colonial Williamsburg. Among its prime attractions are the Capitol Building and the historic Governor's Palace. Because of our well-established reputation as a challenging place of study, with rigorous academic expectations, we are known as a "public ivy." We have an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio that allows students to get the individual attention desired to graduate with an excellent education and deep understanding of the subject matter within our majors.

Our campus is home to over 400 campus clubs and organizations, each of which enjoys a high level of participation. The College of William and Mary is known for being the first college ever to have an organization that referred to itself as a "fraternity." This honor fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded here in 1776. Acceptance to this fraternity is an extremely prestigious honor and privilege. Since 1776, Greek life has been a great way to get involved and meet new people. Our campus houses 16 fraternities and 9 sororities with approximately 31% of student body involved in Greek life. Other wonderful social opportunities include a capella groups, club sports, intramural sports teams, theatre and performance groups, and Alma Mater Productions (AMP), which is responsible for bringing comedy acts, singers, speakers, and new movies to campus for students to enjoy on the weekends. In fact, William and Mary is listed as the 4th highest a cappella involved school, nationwide.

As a community, we are service oriented and extremely interested in giving back. This community offers an array of popular alternative spring breaks that allow students to build homes with Habitat for Humanity, go to Honduras to bring medical relief to those in need, and go to Belize to build schools, among other options. Our most recognized service group is the Alan Buzkin Memorial Bone Marrow Drive, which the largest collegiate bone marrow effort in the nation. William and Mary students are active, outgoing, and happy people who are passionate about their interests, both in and outside the classroom.

Some accolades that the College of William and Mary received in 2014 by major publications: Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: Ranks 5th for out-of-state and 7th for in-state for top values U.S. News & World Report: -#2 in Best Undergraduate Teaching, behind only Princeton University (first public school) -#33 of National Universities -#6 Best Public Schools Forbes: 41st ranking overall Princeton Review: - 8th “best value” public institution in the country Business Week: 22nd Best Undergraduate Business School for Mason School of Business, up from 2nd in 2013 In Fall 2014 the College began a renovation project of Tyler Hall on Old Campus, which is intended to modernize the building that has not been upgraded since 1980. Additionally the College is continuing its ISC Phase 3 construction of a scientific research facility on campus. This construction began late spring of this past year and it is expected it will be completed by June 2016. Furthermore, Chandler Hall, a residential building is also being renovated and is expected to be completed by July 2015.

Chapter: The women of Gamma Kappa are involved in nearly every aspect of college life at William and Mary. Our sisters are known for their widespread range of activities and dedication to their interests. Gamma Kappa sisters are heavily involved in the Student Alumni Council, Tribe Ambassadors, the Bone Marrow Drive, the Tour Guide program, the Orientation Aide program, Varsity Athletics, and various business development clubs. Many Gamma Kappa members stay healthy and active through club and intramural teams, including gymnastics, field hockey, soccer, equestrian, and Orchesis dance, just to name a few. Other members work for the campus Recreation Center as Group Fitness Instructors or Personal Trainers. Several members of our chapter continue to be involved in philanthropic organizations outside of Kappa, including Camp Kesem which is in its second year at William and Mary. Camp Kesem is a free, week-long summer camp run by volunteers – many from the College – that gives kids facing a parent’s cancer critical support, while empowering these students with life and leadership skills. Finally, many others are in charge of various Branch Out International Trips, such as Students for Belize Education, Kenya Sustainability Village Project, and AIDSTanzania.

The sisters of Gamma Kappa take their academics very seriously as well. We have achieved a chapter GPA average of 3.476, ranking us 2nd out of 12 sorority chapters and overall 4th out of 30 Greek organizations. Eight girls earned a perfect 4.0. We had an incredible 44 girls make Dean’s List with a GPA of 3.60 or higher and 21 girls earn scholarship pearls with a GPA of 3.85 or higher. We wear our letters every Monday, proudly representing Kappa Kappa Gamma as a sorority of leaders, scholars, and good friends.

Chapter meetings are held in a designated meeting area in university-owned academic buildings or campus center. The meeting place changes each semester. Our chapter has a house that is university owned in William and Mary's sorority court. We have had the same house since sorority court was constructed. Each year 20 girls live in the house.

Highlights of 2015[edit]

Gamma Kappa had another wonderful year of love, loyalty, and sisterhood. We continue to participate in numerous activities and events on campus. Our sisters are actively involved as Tour Guides, Orientation Aides, Varsity Athletes, Group Fitness Instructors, and Admissions Office Interns. Gamma Kappa women are well represented in various community service opportunities, as well as at numerous Greek philanthropy events. We hosted two philanthropy events this year. We hosted our inaugural Kappa Kapture the Flag event in the spring, the chapter voted to donate the proceeds the Wounded Warriors Project. Since there were so many worthy causes suggested before the chapter, we also donated some of the money collected from Kapture the Flag to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Both charities are very important to our sisters. In the fall we once again hosted Kappaccino as our longstanding, annual fall philanthropy, wherein all proceeds were given to Reading is Fundamental and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. Both events were extremely successful and brought both our sisterhood and the wider campus community closer together for philanthropy and fun. Kappa Kappa Gamma also won Sigma Chi’s Derby Days this year. We therefore received a portion of the donations they collected for our philanthropy.

Many sisters traveled abroad to explore the exciting wonders of the world each semester and over the summer, carrying the values and spirit of Kappa Kappa Gamma everywhere they went. We had girls studying in Paris, Florence, London, and Prague, just to name a few cities. In October 2001 Gamma Kappa alumnae and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation launched a campaign to raise $100,000 to establish the Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarship. Each year two Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarships are awarded to a deserving undergraduate and/or graduate Gamma Kappa member. Since 2001, Gamma Kappa alumnae and the Gamma Kappa chapter have donated $136,000 to the scholarship fund, and twenty Gamma Kappas have received the $3,000 scholarship. In 2012 one of the two Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarships was renamed in honor of Sally Ives Gore, Gamma Kappa alumna, ’56. Sally was an initial supporter of the Scholarship campaign and in 2012 funded a major renovation of the Gamma Kappa house. In 2015 the Gamma Kappa Sapphire Scholarships were awarded to Laura Beaudry and Ariana Talaie, both members of the Class of 2016.

In the fall, Gamma Kappa had a very successful Recruitment season. We had around 500 potential new members visit the Gamma Kappa house during Open House Rounds. Prior to the start of formal recruitment the chapter worked together to establish values that we wanted to look for in potential new members of our sisterhood. We performed our skit “Kappas of Oz,” for the third year and it was very successful once again. Our newest pledge class is filled with many wonderful women who have integrated beautifully into the chapter. We were happy on Bid Day to welcome 41 beautiful new members to Kappa! Of the 41 members, we welcomed 24 freshmen, 13 sophomores, and 4 juniors. We had 3 legacies pledge our chapter this year. We continued our extended New Member Program for a fifth year, which allows for more time for new members to learn about our chapter, and for potential Bigs and Littles to bond before Revelation at the end of Clue Week.

This year we celebrated Kappa’s Founder’s Day with a banquet on October 19th, with a small ceremony and a lot of food. It was a slightly delayed celebration this year as Founder’s Day fell over our Fall Break this year.

The chapter organized several sisterhood events throughout the year where we bonded as a chapter and had the chance to interact with sisters we might not know as well. Some of these sisterhood events included nail painting at the house before formals, and “Fried Chicken Friday”, where girls could hang out and eat dinner together before a date party. On Valentine’s Day we had girls come eat candy, decorate cookies, and take pictures with fun Valentine’s themed props. Standards also organized for cupcakes at the house for all members during finals period.

Gamma Kappa hosted two formal events this year. Our Senior Formal was in mid-April this year. It was a beautiful venue on the water and everyone in attendance had an amazing time. It was a well-planned, lovely send-off for our graduating seniors who we miss greatly. Our fall Pledge Formal took place in November the weekend after initiation at the Alumni House, right on campus. We were thrilled to celebrate our new members into our sisterhood.

Campus: The College of William and Mary is a tight-knit community of about 6,000 undergraduates. We are located in the city of Williamsburg, which is a small, but picturesque little village that is home to Colonial Williamsburg. Among its prime attractions are the Capitol Building and the historic Governor's Palace. Because of our well-established reputation as a challenging place of study, with rigorous academic expectations, we are known as a "public ivy." We have an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio that allows students to get the individual attention desired to graduate with an excellent education and deep understanding of the subject matter within our majors.

Our campus is home to over 400 campus clubs and organizations, each of which enjoys a high level of participation. The College of William and Mary is known for being the first college ever to have an organization that referred to itself as a "fraternity." This honor fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded here in 1776. Acceptance to this fraternity is an extremely prestigious honor and privilege. Since 1776, Greek life has been a great way to get involved and meet new people. Our campus houses 16 fraternities and 9 sororities, with approximately 31% of student body involved in Greek life. Other wonderful social opportunities include a capella groups, club sports, intramural sports teams, theatre and performance groups, and Alma Mater Productions (AMP), which is responsible for bringing comedy acts, singers, speakers, and new movies to campus for students to enjoy on the weekends. In fact, William and Mary is listed as the 4th highest a cappella involved school, nationwide.

As a community, we are service oriented and extremely interested in giving back. This community offers an array of popular alternative spring breaks that allow students to build homes with Habitat for Humanity, go to Honduras to bring medical relief to those in need, and go to Belize to build schools, among other options. Our most recognized service group is the Alan Buzkin Memorial Bone Marrow Drive, which the largest collegiate bone marrow effort in the nation. William and Mary students are active, outgoing, and happy people who are passionate about their interests, both in and outside the classroom.

Some accolades that the College of William and Mary received in 2015 by major publications: Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: Ranks 5th for out-of-state and 7th for in-state for top values U.S. News & World Report: #1 for the Best Undergraduate Teaching in a Public University. #33 of National Universities, #6 Best Public Schools, Forbes: 39th ranking overall, Princeton Review: 7th “best value” public institution in the country. The campus has continued to improve through renovations and construction. Work has continued throughout 2015 on the College’s renovation project of Tyler Hall on Old Campus. The plan is ito modernize the building that has not been upgraded since 1980. Additionally the College is continuing its ISC Phase 3 construction of a scientific research facility on campus. This construction began late spring of this past year and it is expected it will be completed by June 2016.

The women of Gamma Kappa are involved in nearly every aspect of college life at William and Mary. Our sisters are known for their widespread range of activities and dedication to their interests. Gamma Kappa sisters are heavily involved in the Student Alumni Council, Tribe Ambassadors, the Bone Marrow Drive, the Tour Guide program, the Orientation Aide program, Varsity Athletics, and various business development clubs. Many Gamma Kappa members stay healthy and active through club and intramural teams, including gymnastics, field hockey, soccer, equestrian, and Orchesis dance, just to name a few. Other members work for the campus Recreation Center as Group Fitness Instructors or Personal Trainers. Several members of our chapter continue to be involved in philanthropic organizations outside of Kappa, including Camp Kesem which is in its second year at William and Mary. Camp Kesem is a free, week-long summer camp run by volunteers – many from the College – that gives kids facing a parent’s cancer critical support, while empowering these students with life and leadership skills. Finally, many others are in charge of various Branch Out International Trips, such as Students for Belize Education, Kenya Sustainability Village Project, and AIDSTanzania.

The sisters of Gamma Kappa take their academics very seriously as well. Most recently, we achieved a chapter GPA average of 3.463 for Spring 2015, which is well above both the all-sorority and all-women averages. Academically, we are ranked 4th out of 12 sororities on campus and 5th out of 30 total Greek organizations. Two girls earned a perfect 4.0. We had an incredible 48 girls make Dean’s List with a GPA of 3.60 or higher and 10 girls earn scholarship pearls with a GPA of 3.85 or higher. We wear our letters every Monday, proudly representing Kappa Kappa Gamma as a sorority of leaders, scholars, and good friends.

Chapter Philanthropy:

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

Reading is Fundamental (RIF), The Wounded Warriors Project, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Junior Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)

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

For our spring philanthropy event each year we give members of our chapter an opportunity to talk for a few minutes about a cause that is close to their hearts that they would like the chapter to support. Then, the chapter votes to choose which organizations to support that year. In spring of 2014 we chose JDRF to support our sister who has diabetes. In spring of 2015 we donated to both the Wounded Warriors Project and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, because we have a sister whose brother currently serves in the armed forces, and another sister who’s mother had been touched by Pancreatic Cancer.

Woman Behind the Badge:

As we look ahead to the Fraternity’s Sesquicentennial celebration in 2020, please tell us the story of any historic badge being worn by a member of your chapter. Such a badge might be worn by your chapter’s president, another officer or a member who is recognized for her high scholarship. We are compiling information about the fantastic women who have brought us to this point in our history, the Women Behind the Badge.

Do any of your chapter officers wear historical badges? YesX No

If yes, please attach a photo of the front and the back of the badge to this report.

What is inscribed on the back of the badge? Marilyn L. Koch, 4-27-67

Highlight 2016[edit]

Gamma Kappa had another wonderful year of love, loyalty, and sisterhood. We continue to participate in numerous activities and events on campus making us well represented in various community service opportunities, as well as at numerous Greek philanthropy events. We hosted two philanthropy events this year - Kappature the Flag, for the second year in the spring, as well as our longstanding, annual fall philanthropy, Kappaccino. Both events were extremely successful and brought both our sisterhood and the wider campus community closer together for philanthropy and fun. Many sisters traveled abroad to explore the exciting wonders of the world each semester and over the summer, carrying the values and spirit of Kappa Kappa Gamma everywhere they went. The Gamma Kappa chapter has worked towards our goal of becoming more present in the Panhellenic community this year. A sister was elected to be the Panhellenic Philanthropy chair, a handful of sisters were selected for panhellenic committees, and seven sisters served as Recruitment Counselors. At convention we were awarded with Honorable Mentions for our Philanthropy and New Member Program. Within the W&M community we were also awarded with Outstanding Service and Outstanding Chapter Adviser.

Campus: The College of William and Mary is a tight-knit community of about 6,000 undergraduates. We are located in the city of Williamsburg, which is a small, but picturesque little village that is home to Colonial Williamsburg. Among its prime attractions are the Capitol Building and the historic Governor's Palace. Because of our well-established reputation as a challenging place of study, with rigorous academic expectations, we are known as a "public ivy." We have an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio that allows students to get the individual attention desired to graduate with an excellent education and deep understanding of the subject matter within our majors.

Some accolades that the College of William and Mary received in 2015 by major publications: Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: Ranks 7th for out-of-state and 10th for in-state for top values. U.S. News & World Report: #32 of National Universities and #6 Best Public School. W&M is also ranked 2nd for Highest Graduation Rate and Highest Study Abroad Participation of public schools. The campus has continued to improve through renovations and construction. Work on the renovation of Tyler Hall and construction of the science center’s 3rd phase continued through and was completed in 2016. In a long term plan to modernize the campus Millington Hall and smaller houses “the lodges” were removed to make room for the fourth phase of the science center, an arts quad, and an integrated wellness center.

Our campus is home to over 400 campus clubs and organizations, each of which enjoys a high level of participation. The College of William and Mary is known for being the first college ever to have an organization that referred to itself as a "fraternity." This honor fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded here in 1776. Acceptance to this fraternity is an extremely prestigious honor and privilege. Since 1776, Greek life has been a great way to get involved and meet new people. Our campus

houses 16 fraternities and 10 sororities, with approximately 30.68% of student body involved in Greek life. Other wonderful social opportunities include a capella groups, club sports, intramural sports teams, theatre and performance groups, and Alma Mater Productions (AMP), which is responsible for bringing comedy acts, singers, speakers, and new movies to campus for students to enjoy on the weekends. In fact, William and Mary is listed as the 4th highest a cappella involved school, nationwide. The women of Gamma Kappa are involved in nearly every aspect of college life at William and Mary. Our sisters are known for their widespread range of activities and dedication to their interests. We had sisters studying in Paris, Florence, London, and Prague, just to name a few cities. Gamma Kappa sisters are heavily involved in the Student Alumni Council, Tribe Ambassadors, the Bone Marrow Drive, the Tour Guide program, the Orientation Aide program, and various business development clubs. Sisters are also involved in various cultural groups, ROTC, Student Assembly, the college’s Muscarelle Art Museum, and The Undergraduate Honor Council. Various sisters are on Varsity athletic teams such as golf, soccer lacrosse, volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, and track. Many Gamma Kappa members stay healthy and active through club and intramural teams, including sailing, field hockey, soccer, equestrian, and three campus dance groups, just to name a few. Other members work for the campus Recreation Center as Group Fitness Instructors, Personal Trainers, and Rock Wall Instructors. Several members of our chapter continue to be involved in philanthropic organizations outside of Kappa, including Buddy Art - a weekly art group for differentially abled children and adults and Camp Kesem - a free, week-long summer camp to support children whose parents have or have had cancer. Finally, many others are in charge of various local and international Branch Out trips, such as Students for Belize Education, Kenya Sustainability Village Project, and AIDSTanzania. Gamma Kappas take pride in the meaningful involvements of other sisters and support each other’s organizations in any way possible.

In the fall, Gamma Kappa had a very successful Recruitment season. We had around 500 potential new members visit the Gamma Kappa house during Open House Rounds. Prior to the start of formal recruitment the chapter worked together to establish values that we wanted to look for in potential new members of our sisterhood. This year Skit Night was replaced with Sisterhood Day where we discussed values most important to our chapter: sociability, involvement, love and loyalty. On a Disney themed Bid Day, we were happy to welcome 37 beautiful new members to Kappa! Of the 37 members, we welcomed 17 freshmen, 16 sophomores, and 4 juniors. We had 6 legacies pledge our chapter this year. Our newest pledge class is filled with many wonderful women who have integrated beautifully into the chapter. We continued our extended New Member Program for a sixth year, which allows for more time for new members to learn about our chapter, and for potential Bigs and Littles to bond before Revelation at the end of Clue Week.

This year we celebrated Kappa’s Founder’s Day with a banquet on October 17th, with a small ceremony and a lot of food. It was a slightly delayed celebration this year as Founder’s Day fell over our Fall Break this year. Our Education Chairman presented on the history of Kappa Kappa Gamma and our Registrar presented on Gamma Kappa history. The chapter organized several sisterhood events throughout the year where we bonded as a chapter and had the chance to interact with sisters we might not know as well. Some of these sisterhood events included nail painting at the house before formals, and “Fried Chicken Friday”, where girls could hang out and eat dinner together before a date party. On Valentine’s Day we had girls come eat candy, decorate cookies, and take pictures with fun Valentine’s themed props. Standards also organized for cupcakes at the house for all members during both finals periods.

Gamma Kappa hosted two formal events this year. Our Senior Formal was in early-April and at a beautiful venue on the York river. It was a well-planned, lovely send-off for our graduating seniors. Our fall Pledge Formal took place in November the weekend after initiation at the Alumni House, right on campus. We were thrilled to celebrate initiating our new members into our sisterhood.

As a community, we are service oriented and extremely interested in giving back. This community offers an array of popular alternative spring breaks that allow students to build homes with Habitat for Humanity, go to Honduras to bring medical relief to those in need, and go to Belize to build schools, among other options. Our most recognized service group is the Alan Buzkin Memorial Bone Marrow Drive, which the largest collegiate bone marrow effort in the nation. William and Mary students are active, outgoing, and happy people who are passionate about their interests, both in and outside the classroom. Yearly, we support Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation through our fall philanthropy event, Kappaccino. Kappaccino was a great success this year with over 400 tickets sold! ¾ of the chapter baked treats for the event and helped distribute them throughout the house during the event. Overall we went through almost thirty gallons of cider, coffee, and hot chocolate. In addition to Kappaccino, we also organize a RIF Carnival, HeadStart childcare services, and book buddies. In recent years we have also supported The Wounded Warriors Project, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and Junior Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) through our spring philanthropy event. Each year our spring philanthropy event, Kappature the Flag, is held to support a different organization. Upon returning from winter break we ask sisters to think about sharing organizations to potentially benefit. At chapter, sisters have the opportunity to talk for a few minutes about a cause that is close to their hearts. Then, the chapter votes to choose which organizations to support that year. This spring we chose to support Avalon, a local women and children’s shelter that aides survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. Avalon is an amazing organization that many students, including sisters, work closely with. They not only provide shelter, but also work to end the cycle of abuse through prevention, education, and support services. Avalon serves some 600 people in the local area each year. This past Spring Gamma Kappa was asked to host an event for Fear2Freedom. Fear2Freedom is a nonprofit group, founded by Kappa alumna Rosemary Trible in 2011. The group works with colleges and universities to assemble sexual assault survivor aftercare kits that are then distributed to hospitals and community organizations. In the last five years F2F has provided over 13,000 kits. The Gamma Kappa chapter is proud to be involved in this organization and has been asked to host another event this coming spring.

Once again, the sisters of Gamma Kappa have taken their academics very seriously. This year we achieved a chapter GPA average of 3.473 for Spring 2016, which is well above both the all-sorority and all-women averages. Not only was this a higher GPA for Gamma Kappa than the last, but academically ranked us 3rd out of 12 sororities on campus and 5th out of 30 total Greek organizations. Six girls earned a perfect 4.0. We had an incredible 50 girls make Dean’s List with a GPA of 3.60 or higher ​and 12 girls earn scholarship pearls with a GPA of 3.85 or higher. ​We wear our letters every Monday, proudly representing Kappa Kappa Gamma as a sorority of leaders, scholars, and good friends.

Highlights of 2017[edit]

The College of William and Mary is a tight-knit community of about 6,000 undergraduates. We are located in the city of Williamsburg, which is a small, but picturesque little village that is home to Colonial Williamsburg. Among its prime attractions are the Capitol Building and the historic Governor's Palace. Because of our well-established reputation as a challenging place of study, with rigorous academic expectations, we are known as a "public ivy." We have an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio that allows students to get the individual attention desired to graduate with an excellent education and deep understanding of the subject matter within our majors.

The College of William & Mary again received outstanding accolades by the U.S. News & World Report 2017 ranking it sixth among public universities in the nation. Overall, William & Mary ranks 32nd. Additionally, the U.S. News & World Report ranked William & Mary as the top public university for alumni giving back. In December 2016, Kiplinger ranked William & Mary 4th as a top value college for instate students and 6th for out of state students. Work on the renovation of Tyler Hall and construction of the science center’s 3rd phase continued through and was completed in 2016. In a long term plan to modernize the campus Millington Hall and smaller houses “the lodges” were removed to make room for the fourth phase of the science center, an arts quad, and an integrated wellness center.

Our campus is home to over 400 campus clubs and organizations, each of which enjoys a high level of participation. The College of William and Mary is known for being the first college ever to have an organization that referred to itself as a "fraternity." This honor fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded here in 1776. Acceptance to this fraternity is an extremely prestigious honor and privilege. Since 1776, Greek life has been a great way to get involved and meet new people. Our campus houses 16 fraternities and 10 sororities, with approximately 30.68% of student body involved in Greek life. Other social opportunities include a cappella groups, club sports, intramural sports teams, theatre and performance groups, and Alma Mater Productions (AMP), which is responsible for bringing comedy acts, singers, speakers, and new movies to campus for students to enjoy on the weekends. In fact, William and Mary is listed as the 4th highest a cappella involved school, nationwide.

The women of Gamma Kappa are involved in nearly every aspect of college life at William and Mary. Our sisters are known for their widespread range of activities and dedication to their interests. We had sisters studying in Spain, South Korea, London, Russia, Argentina, just to name a few countries. Gamma Kappa sisters are heavily involved in the Student Alumni Council, Tribe Ambassadors, the Bone Marrow Drive, the Tour Guide program, the Orientation Aide program, and various business development clubs. Sisters are also involved in different cultural groups, ROTC, Student Assembly, the college’s Muscarelle Art Museum, and The Undergraduate Honor Council. Various sisters are on Varsity athletic teams such as golf, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, cheerleading and track. Many Gamma Kappa members stay healthy and active through club and intramural teams, including sailing, field hockey, soccer, equestrian, and three campus dance groups, just to name a few.

Other members work for the campus Recreation Center as Group Fitness Instructors, Personal Trainers, and Rock Wall Instructors. Several members of our chapter continue to be involved in philanthropic organizations outside of Kappa, including Buddy Art - a weekly art group for differentially abled children and adults and Camp Kesem - a free, week-long summer camp to support children whose parents have or have had cancer. Finally, many others are in charge of various local and international Branch Out trips, such as Students for Belize Education, Kenya Sustainability Village Project, and AIDSTanzania. Gamma Kappas take pride in the meaningful involvements of other sisters and support each other’s organizations in any way possible.

We had another successful season of recruitment. We had nearly 300 women visit our house during open house rounds. Our returns for both sisterhood and preference night rounds were at record highs (increased by over 10% from previous years), our returns for philanthropy and open house rounds were at 100%. As part of our values-based recruitment, the sisters of Gamma Kappa settled on the three following values that we would search for in newest members: compassion, drive, and confidence. On our mermaid themed bid day we welcomed 30 new members, including 7 legacies, 19 freshmen, 9 sophomores, 1 junior and 1 senior.

Over the course of the 2017 year, our education committee has worked especially hard to organize various programs and events. We’ve honored our seniors by hosting a celebration banquet during formal meeting and through our “Senior Spotlight” presentations, where five seniors presented to the chapter on a topic of their choice, usually their majors or past internship experiences. The committee has also had different speakers talk to the chapter including Gamma Kappa alum Cindy Jarboe (who gave sisters great tips about success) and Roxie Patton, who is the Associate Director of the Center for Student Diversity at William and Mary. We have also had several sisters who are trained in gender and sexual violence conduct a presentation and workshop targeted toward women in the greek community.

Gamma Kappa remains committed to service and has again had great success with Kappature the Flag and Kappaccino. Kappature the flag is our signature philanthropy event where we host a capture the flag tournament for the William & Mary community. People sign up in teams of 6-10 and a Kappa sister acts as their coach. We also hosted a raffle to bring in additional funds. Over 200 people attended the event and we sold around 150 raffle tickets. The event was held on April 9, 2017. This year we raised $2,249.20 for the American Diabetes Association. Kappaccino, where we turn our house into a coffee house with live music, hot drinks, and baked goods, raised money this year for our local chapter of Head Start Community Action Agency, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and the Sapphire Scholarship. For Reading is Fundamental, we partner with our local Head Start chapter and help them run 2 booths during their annual carnival. Local alumni help out at the book distribution booth, and sisters run a backpack decorating station at the event so that the children have their own bag in which they can take home their brand new book. It is held on April 21 at the Head Start Community Action Agency near us, and about 13 sisters participate and 150 children are served. Additionally, every other Friday a group of sisters does “Book Buddies” at Head Start, where we get to spend about a half hour reading with preschoolers. There are also 2 more Head Start locations in our area, and local alumni do Book Buddies at those two locations twice a month during the school year as well.

For the past four years, Gamma Kappa has been involved in with an organization called Fear 2 Freedom, which was spearheaded by another Kappa sister, Rosemary Trible. We hosted an event where members of the campus community came together to make care packages for survivors of sexual assault. The packages were delivered to local hospitals, so that survivors would receive comforting items after being admitted to the hospital. Additionally, this year we have started doing monthly cooking shifts with an on-campus soup kitchen, which delivers nutritious meals to families in need across Williamsburg. Sisters have really enjoyed that new opportunity to participate in philanthropy in our community. Finally, this year at one of our fall date parties, we conducted a toy drive for children at a local hospital. We donated around 500$ worth of toys to the Inova Fairfax Children’s Hospital.

In the spring of 2017, we had 11 sisters with 4.0 grade point averages and 60 on dean’s list.

Highlights of 2018[edit]

The College of William and Mary is a tight-knit community of about 6,000 undergraduates. We are located in the city of Williamsburg, which is a small, but picturesque little village that is home to Colonial Williamsburg. Among its prime attractions are the Capitol Building and the historic Governor's Palace. Because of our well-established reputation as a challenging institution, with rigorous academic expectations, we are known as a "public ivy." We have an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio that allows students to get the individual attention desired to graduate with an excellent education and deep understanding of the subject matter within our majors.

President Reveley retired and on July 1, 2018 President Katherine A. Rowe became William & Mary's 28th president, and the first woman president of the College. She was previously provost and dean of faculty at Smith College in Massachusetts. She did an incredible job during her first year here, and many of our sisters got the privilege of meeting her this year!

In 2018 William & Mary also celebrated 100 years of women and many of the halls that were named after some of our esteemed women alumni received new signs,that includes the first names of the women they were named after. In 2018 William & Mary also celebrated 50 years of African American students in residence.

The College of William and Mary again received outstanding accolades by the U.S. News & World Report 2018 ranking it tenth among public universities in the nation. Overall, William & Mary ranks 38th. Additionally, the U.S. News & World Report ranked William & Mary 5th in best undergraduate teaching and Princeton Review ranked William & Mary 1st in happiest students. We continue to have the highest percentage of students that study abroad at any public school in the nation. Construction began on Phi Beta Kappa Hall, and the new Tyler Mcleod Integrated Wellness Center was completed and opened. Chic-fil-A came to campus, and the Landrum Hall renovation was completed and the dorm was reopened. Next year, it will be a freshman dorm and Jefferson Hall will become an upperclassmen dorm. Work began on the Alumni House, which meant that our sisters were unable to have fall formal there like we had in past years.

Our campus is home to over 400 campus clubs and organizations, each of which enjoys a high level of participation. The College of William and Mary is known for being the first college ever to have an organization that referred to itself as a "fraternity." This honor fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded here in 1776. Acceptance to this fraternity is an extremely prestigious honor and privilege. Since 1776, Greek life has been a great way to get involved and meet new people. Our campus houses 16 fraternities and 10 sororities, with approximately 30.68% of student body involved in Greek life. Other social opportunities include a cappella groups, club sports, intramural sports teams, theatre and performance groups, and Alma Mater Productions (AMP), which is responsible for bringing comedy acts, singers, speakers, and new movies to campus for students to enjoy on the weekends. In fact, William and Mary is listed as the 4th highest a cappella involved school, nationwide.

The women of Gamma Kappa are involved in nearly every aspect of college life at William and Mary. Our sisters are known for their widespread range of activities and dedication to their interests. We had sisters studying in Spain, France, Amsterdam, the Czech Republic, England, Ireland and more. Gamma Kappa sisters are heavily involved in the Student Alumni Council, Tribe Ambassadors, the Bone Marrow Drive, the Tour Guide program, the Orientation Aide program, and various business development clubs. Sisters are also involved in different cultural groups, Student Assembly, the college’s Muscarelle Art Museum, and The Undergraduate Honor Council. Various sisters are on Varsity athletic teams such as golf, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, cheerleading and track. Many Gamma Kappa members stay healthy and active through club and intramural teams, including sailing, field hockey, soccer, equestrian, and three campus dance groups, just to name a few.

Other members work for the campus Recreation Center as Group Fitness Instructors, Personal Trainers, and Rock Wall Instructors. Several members of our chapter continue to be involved in philanthropic organizations outside of Kappa, including Best Buddies - an organization that pairs members with differently abled children and adults and Camp Kesem - a free, week-long summer camp to support children whose parents have or have had cancer. Finally, many others are in charge of various local and international Branch Out trips, such as Students for Belize Education, Kenya Sustainability Village Project, and AIDSTanzania. Gamma Kappas take pride in the meaningful involvements of other sisters and support each other’s organizations in any way possible.

We had another successful season of recruitment. We had nearly 430 women visit our house during open house rounds. Our returns for both sisterhood and preference night rounds were exceptionally high as were our returns for philanthropy and open house rounds. As part of our values-based recruitment, the sisters of Gamma Kappa settled on the three following values that we would search for in newest members: authentic, respectful and empowered. On our Space Jam themed bid day we welcomed 34 new members, including 3 legacies, 23 freshmen, 7 sophomores, 4 junior and 0 seniors. Over the course of the 2018 year, our education committee has worked especially hard to organize various programs and events. We’ve honored our seniors by hosting a celebration banquet during formal meeting and through our “Senior Spotlight” presentations, where five seniors presented to the chapter on a topic of their choice, usually their majors or past internship experiences. We have also had several sisters who are trained in gender and sexual violence conduct a presentation and workshop targeted toward women in the greek community.

Gamma Kappa remains committed to service and has again had great success with Kamp Kappa, and Kappaccino. This year, we switched our spring philanthropy event from Kappature the flag to Kamp Kappa. At Kamp Kappa we had food, music, and different camp games like cornhole, a water balloon toss and tug-of-war. The event was held on April 6, 2018. This year we raised $2523, a very high amount for us, for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Association which sisters voted for and decided upon. Kappaccino, where we turn our house into a coffee house with live music, hot drinks, and baked goods, raised $2545 this year for our local chapter of Head Start Community Action Agency, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and the Sapphire Scholarship. For Reading is Fundamental, we partner with our local Head Start chapter and help them run 2 booths during their annual carnival. Local alumni help out at the book distribution booth, and sisters run a backpack decorating station at the event so that the children have their own bag in which they can take home their brand new book. It is held on April 21 at the Head Start Community Action Agency near us, and about 13 sisters participate and 150 children are served. Additionally, every other Friday a group of sisters does “Book Buddies” at Head Start, where we get to spend about a half hour reading with preschoolers. There are also 2 more Head Start locations in our area, and local alumni do Book Buddies at those two locations twice a month during the school year as well.

In the spring of 2018, we had 5 sisters with 4.0 grade point averages and 48 on dean’s list. The chapter GPA was 3.397 while the all sorority average was 3.433.

Highlights of 2019[edit]

The College of William and Mary is a tight-knit community of about 6,000 undergraduates. We are located in the city of Williamsburg, which is a small, but picturesque little village that is home to Colonial Williamsburg. Among its prime attractions are the Capitol Building and the historic Governor's Palace. Because of our well-established reputation as a challenging institution, with rigorous academic expectations, we are known as a "public ivy." We have a 12.1 student to faculty ration that allows students to get the individual attention desired to graduate with an excellent education and a deep understanding of the subject matter within our majors. It is President Katherine A. Rowe's second year as the first female president of the College, and she continues to do an incredible job. William and Mary adopted a new vision and mission statement this year after many hours and careful consideration.

The College of William and Mary again received outstanding accolades bt the U.S. News & World Report ranking it 12th among public universities in the nation. Overall William and Mary ranks 40th. Additionally, the U.S. News & World Report ranked William and Mary 5th in best undergraduate teaching and Princeton Review ranked William and Mary 6th in happiest students. We continue to have the highest percentage of students that study abroad at any public school in the nation. Construction continues on Phi Beta Kappa Hall. The Daily Grind was bought by Aromas, and a new innovation center opened where Crust used to be. Lemon became a freshman dorm and Jefferson Hall returned to being an upperclassmen dorm. Work continues on the Al;muni House, which meant that our sisters were unable to have all formal there like we had in past years. One Tribe Place was also under renovation this year. Commons and Sadler continue to get better.

Our campus is home to over 470 campus clubs and organizations, each of which enjoys a high level of participation. The College of William and Mary is known for being the first college ever to have an organization that referred to itself as a "fraternity." This honor fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded here in 1776. Acceptance to this fraternity is an extremely prestigious honor and privilege. Since 1776, Fraternity and Sorority life has been a great way to get involved and meet new people. Our campus houses 15 IFC fraternities, 10 Panhellenic sororities, and 6 NPHC fraternities and sororities with approximately 30.68% of student body involved in fraternity and sorority life. Other social opportunities include club sports, intramural sports teams, theatre and performance groups, and Alma Mater Productions (AMP), which is responsible for bringing comedy acts, singers, speakers, and new movies to campus for students to enjoy on the weekends, in addition to a cappella groups. Williams and Mary is listed as the 4th highest a cappella involved school nationwide.

The women of Gamma Kappa are involved in nearly every aspect of college life at William and Mary. Our sisters are known for their widespread range of activities and dedication to their interests. We had sisters studying in Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, England, Ireland, and more. Gamma Kappa sisters are heavily involved in Tribe Ambassadors, the Bone Marrow Drive, the Tour Guide program, the Orientation Aide program, and various business development clubs. Sisters are also involved in different cultural groups, Student Assembly, the college's Muscarelle Art Museum, and Undergraduate Conduct Council. Various sisters are on Varsity athletic teams such as golf, lacrosse, and swimming. Many Gamma Kappas stay healthy and active through club and intramural teams including field hockey, ultimate frisbee, soccer, rowing, tennis, equestrian, and three campus dance groups, just to name a few.

Other members work for the Campus Recreation Center as Group Fitness Instructors and swim instructors. Several members continue to be involved in philanthropic organizations outside of Kappa, including Best Buddies which was founded by a Gamma Kappa, an organization that pairs members with differently abled children and adults and Camp Kesey, a free, weeklong summer camp to support children whose parents have or have had cancer. Gamma Kappas are also active participants with Griffin School Partnerships, Merrimack Mentors, Tribethon and Building Tomorrow. Gamma Kappas take pride in the meaningful involvements of other sisters and support each others organizations in any way possible.

We had another successful season of recruitment. We had nearly 420 women visit our house during the open house rounds. Our returns for open house, philanthropy day and sisterhood night were all exceptionally high with over a 95% return rate. Our return for preference night was also very high at 78%. On our Spice Girls themed bid day we welcomed 30 new members, including 2 legacies, 18 freshmen, 11 sophomores, and 1 junior. We initiated our new sisters on November 16th in the Wren Hall.

Over the course of 2019, our education committee has worked hard to organize various programs and events. We've honored our seniors by hosting a celebration banquet and through our "Senior Spotlight" presentations, where seniors presented to the chapter on a topic of their choice, ranging from their majors or past internship experiences, to wine tasting and more. We have also had several sisters who are trained in gender and sexual violence conduct a presentation and workshop targeted toward women in the greek community. We also hosted Fear to Freedom, an event where we made over 1200 care packages for sexual assault victims and President Rowe attended as well.

Gamma Kappa remains committed to service and has again had great success with Kamp Kappa, and Cappuccino. This year in the Spring was the 2nd ever Kamp Kappa. We had food, music, and different camp games like corn hole, a water balloon toss and tug-of-war. This year we raised $2,333 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation which sisters voted for and decided upon. Cappuccino, where we turn our house into a coffee house with live music, hot drinks, and baked goods, raised $2,956 this year for Reading is Fundamental, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and the Sapphire Scholarship. Every other Friday a group of sisters does "Book Buddies" now at James River Elementary School, where we get to spend an hour reading with elementary schoolers.

In the Spring of 2019, we had 5 sisters with 4.0 grade point averages and 48 on the dean's list. The chapter GPA was 3.49, which was a significant increase from the previous Fall of 3.397. During the course of the year and the summer, sisters interned at a variety of places, including Capitol Hill, NASA, different labs, consulting agencies and so much more.

Highlights of 2020[edit]

=Chapter Summary= The 2020 school year began with a date party that was themed "Black & White" where sisters and their dates dressed in black and/or white attire. This event was held at the College Delly and it was unknown at the time that this would be the only event that would be held by the chapter for the entire 2020 calendar year. The COVID-19 pandemic altered everything in the world, but more closely on our campus and within our chapter. William & Mary students went home for spring break completely unaware of the fact that they would not be returning to campus anytime soon but only to pick up their belongings and head home for the summer. Students finished out the school year through online classes at home and separated from their friends at school. Kappa Kappa Gamma held its first ever virtual initiation in Spring 2020 where we initiated one of our members during a ceremony shared with several other chapters. Chapter meetings, Chapter Council meetings, and pretty much any other contact regarding chapter operations were switched to online and held through Zoom. Since our normal Spring Semester philanthropy event was unable to be held in person, an online fundraiser was arranged by our philanthropy chair. The fundraiser raised $4,175 for the Center for Disaster COVID-19 Response Fund. When students returned to campus for the Fall 2020 hybrid semester, the college implemented a rule that only allowed for a maximum of 10 students to be gathered at a time, in addition to abiding by the state mandated social distancing rules. Masks were required to be worn at all times while on campus and COVID-19 tests were mandatory for students to take every few weeks to ensure the number of cases was maintained. The Fall 2020 semester was definitely bizarre and uncanny, but many students were glad to be back in Williamsburg despite the circumstances. We went through a virtual recruitment and they were initiated over Zoom on Saturday, November 7th. The philanthropy that Gamma Kappa chose to support for the Fall semester is the Equal Justice Initiative, an organization that works to end mass incarceration and racial inequality. The chapter raised $6,001.25 through virtual fundraising. Another initiative that the chapter, as well as other sororities on campus, initiated to fight racial inequality was the implementation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair. This new position was established to educate the chapter on racial injustices and ensure that within Gamma Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma diversity is both a top priority and actively promoted in order to certify the inclusion among all members and those seeking to join the chapter. With the increase awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement across our nation, both Williamsburg and the sisters of the Gamma Kappas chapter have taken action to address the issues we face as a nation. Every Saturday there is a peaceful protest held on Confusion Corner where many students and Gamma Kappa gather, socially distanced, to have their voices heard on social justice issues affecting the black community. On October 12th, Kappa Kappa Gamma's Founders Day was celebrated over a Zoom meeting where the Sesquicentennial was also celebrated. Several advisors were present and many facts about the history of Gamma Kappa were shared as well as information regarding our national organization. On November 3rd, the 2020 presidential election occurred where it took several days to acquire the results due to the delay of the mail-in ballots that were at a record high which offered another obstacle due to the ongoing global pandemic. Joe Biden defeated the incumbent, Donald Trump, and was declared the 46t president elect. The semester of Spring 2021 is looking like it is going to be very similar to the Fall seamster due to the pandemic, but we are optimistic that a vaccine will become available soon and the health of our nation and globe will be restored. We miss being able to gather as a whole, but understand the necessary precautions in place to ensure our health and safety.

=Chapter History Report= When students returned on campus for the Fall 2020 hybrid semester, the college implemented a rule that only allowed for a maximum of 10 students to be gathered at a time, in addition to abiding by the state mandated social distancing rules. Masks were required to be worn at all times while on campus and COVID-19 tests were mandatory for students to take every few weeks to ensure the number of cases was maintained. Another initiative that the chapter, as well as other sororities campus, initiated to fight racial inequality was the implementation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair. This new position was established to educate the chapter on racial injustices and ensure that within the Gamma Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma diversity is both a top priority and actively promoted in order to certify the inclusion among all members and those seeking to join the chapter. On November 3rd, the 2020 presidential election occurred where it took several days to acquire the results due to the delay of the mail-in ballots that were at a record high which offered another obstacle due to the ongoing global pandemic. Joe Biden defeated in incumbent, Donald Trump, ad was declared the 46ty presidential elect.

The COVID-19 pandemic altered everything in the world, but more closely on our campus and within our chapter. Williams & Mary students went home for spring break completely unaware of the fact that they would not be returning to campus anytime soon but only to pick up their belongings and head home for the summer. Students finished out the school year through online classes at home and separated from their friends at school. Kappa Kappa Gamma held the first ever virtual initiation in Spring 2020 where we initiated one of our members during a ceremony shared with other chapters. Chapter meetings, Chapter Council meetings, and pretty much any other contact regarding chapter operations were switched to online and held through Zoom.

=Chapter Philanthropy= Since our normal Spring Semester philanthropy event was unable to be held in person, an online fundraiser was arranged by our philanthropy chair. The fundraiser raised raised $4,175 for the Center for Disaster COVID-19 Response Fund. The philanthropy that Gamma Kappa chose to support for the Fall semester is the Equal Justice Initiative, an organization that works to end mass incarceration and racial inequality. The chapter raised $6,00125 through virtual fundraising.

=Sesquicentennial Celebration= On October 12th, Kappa Kappa Gamma's Founders Day was celebrated over a Zoom meeting where the Sesquicentennial was also celebrated. Several advisors were present and many facts about the history of Gamma Kappa were shared as well as information regarding our national organization.

Highlights of 2021[edit]

Note to Chapter Registrar:

Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of The Key to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance.

Your efforts will ensure a complete and accurate history of your chapter for future generations to enjoy!