| Delta Tau | |
|---|---|
| ΔT | |
 | |
| Founded | November 7, 1947 |
| College | University of Southern California |
| Location | Los Angeles, CA |
| Homepage | Delta Tau Homepage |
| Media related to Delta Tau Chapter | |
University of Southern California, established in 1880, Los Angeles, California
Chapter Founded November 7, 1947
2,862 initiates (as of June 2018)
Charter Members: Barbara Gertrude Braly, Nancy Anne Chaffee, Virginia Louise Dunn, Patricia Anne Eastin, Olive Sue Freeman, Jacqueline Gilbert, Marilyn Elizabeth Hinsch, Dixie Ann Lingle, Martha Mae Moody, Lois Normandin, Nancy Ludlow Phelps, Mary Patricia Preston, Nancy Ann Schmoele, Marjorie Dodge Shaver, Mary Lillian Siegel.
Some of Delta Tau’s Outstanding Alumnae: (If you have chapter alumna who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)
Fraternity Council Officers:
Gretchen Gattmann (Daley), Field Secretary 1971-1973; Leanne Burk (Parry) Field Secretary 1981-1983
Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:
Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:
Contents
The Early Years (From The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma 1870–1976)
Delta Tau was California’s first colonized chapter and the second Kappa chapter established in Los Angeles. The group most affected by the installation was the other chapter, Gamma Xi, University of California at Los Angeles. Friendship and enthusiasm were felt by all the Kappas who gathered in Los Angeles for the initiation of Delta Tau in November, 1947. Marian Howell Tompkins, Penn State, was installation marshal, and the presence of Fraternity President Ruth Kadel Seacrest, Nebraska, and Executive Secretary Clara O. Pierce, Ohio State, added to the excitement.
The University of Southern California campus had been recommended by the Colonization Committee at the 1946 Convention. Alumnae groups and Gamma Xi chapter were enlisted to carry out the project. It was directed by Winifred Martin Horell, UC Berkeley, who also had the assistance of associate members on the Trojan campus.
The Ebell Club on Wilshire Boulevard was the scene of the installation. However, the Fireside service was held at the new chapter house, an old dwelling renovated and redecorated in the manner of 1940. Actually, there was a fireplace in the living room so the service was an authentic “Fireside.”
The banquet was brilliant with luminaries as well as the less luminous: 250 Kappas who had read of the event in 175 neighborhood papers throughout Southern California were on hand to share in the scene. Helen Snyder Andres, Washington, toastmistress, presided over the program. Sister chapters sent telegrams of congratulations and welcome from all over the country. Dean of Women Helen Moreland, an Alpha Phi, spoke on the topic, “Fraternities—1947.” According to Lucy Guild Quirk, Toberman, UCLA, publicity director for the installation, “She outlined in forceful terms the role which fraternities must play in college life if they are to survive . . . She emphasized the responsibilities of fraternity members, and stressed the importance of good health habits such as plenty of sleep and nourishing food as well as good study conditions.” Delta Tau had become the 15th sorority on the Southern California campus. In 1973, 12 sororities were left and Delta Tau, although still the youngest, was one of the strongest.
Traditions and Honors
Tradition and memory are reflected in the chapter archives. The Delta Taudian, chapter newsletter, the collection of The Key and various scrapbooks demonstrate that Delta Tau is constantly changing and improving. There is a great flexibility which gives the chapter the chance to adjust to situations it encounters.
Delta Tau has had varied interests over the years. It became an integral part of “Fraternity-Sorority Row” immediately after being installed as a Kappa chapter. The fraternities along the Row have included Delta Tau in numerous “dream girl” contests. There are Kappa little sisters in both the Sigma Chi and Beta Theta Pi houses.
Highlights in sports have illuminated Delta Tau chapter, also. Nancy Chaffee (Kiner) was the national junior girls’ tennis champion in 1947. Marley Shriver (Tobian) was a member of the 1957 Olympic swim team. Presently, Kappa is represented by girls on the Southern California volley ball and tennis teams.
Other aspects of Delta Tau’s interests are its involvements in many university activities. Lucinda Brassell (Schag) was president of the YWCA on campus in 1953. She is known nationally for her work in this area. Delta Tau’s president Starla Coffee (Warburton) was also a Phi Beta Kappa in 1955. The chapter was host to Kappa Province Convention in 1963 where opera star Elfreda Tanner Jacobson, Utah, sang for the meeting.
A New Chapter House
Early in 1965 the chapter house was sold to Phi Gamma Delta and construction for a new house was immediately begun on a former Kappa Delta property. The Hoover House, a three-story apartment building, just off the Row, served for a year as temporary chapter house while the new house was being built.
With the new house came new scholastic excellence. Kappa ranker third on the Row in overall grade point average in 1961 and by 1973 was number one. In the same year the American Red Cross Blood Drive awarded a plaque to Delta Tau for the largest contribution of any fraternity or sorority.
The final pledge test at Delta Tau gives each new member the opportunity to write down what she hopes to achieve through her Kappa affiliation. These cards are never read but writing them gives each pledge a chance to organize in her own mind the direction she wishes to go in her years of college life.
These cards hold the true message of Kappa—the invisible bond that makes girls want to stay together and give of themselves to a chapter for four years. They are the years of transition from adolescence to maturity. For every member Kappa is something different and something very special. All agree that Kappa has made it possible for girls to get to know one another and become closest friends. Even more than that, Kappa has given the girls the opportunity to get to know themselves.
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 1980s:
From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:
In 1986, a newsletter was sent to all Delta Tau alumnae in an effort to reconnect with chapter graduates. This was successful and resulted in three new advisors for the chapter. During this school year, members of Delta Tau assisted with the installation of the Kappa chapter at UC San Diego.
Also during this time, the chapter successfully worked to improved chapter leadership, morale and efficiency. The motto for this effort was Keep Kappa Growing, and one measure of it’s success is evident in Delta Tau having it’s largest ever pledge class (to date) in 1986 (56 pledges).
In the late 80’s, the chapter worked hard to improve their knowledge and use of ritual. The chapter reports that the attitude of faulty and university administration towards Greeks was mixed during this time. Delta Tau worked to overcome this by inviting members of the University faculty and administration to their semester scholarship dinners.
Fraternity President Kay Smith Larson, Washington, was the guest speaker at Delta Tau’s Founders Day celebration in 1989. The Gamma Xi chapter from UCLA was also a part of the festivities. Housing: In the mid 80’s the house recreation room was redecorated and new carpets were installed in the house. Planning for updates to the study rooms began. An intercom system was also installed.
Philanthropy:
During the 1985-86 school year, the chapter participated in three philanthropy events centered around children and students. Two of the events were projects to help abused children and the third was the chapter’s annual Swim-With-Mike event to benefit handicapped students at USC.
Chapter Convention Awards: 1982 House Board Award Honorable Mention 1988 Fraternity Appreciation Honorable Mention 1988 House Board Award Honorable Mention
Highlights of the 1990s
From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:
The chapter continued to work on strengthening their knowledge of Kappa ritual in the early 90’s and they were assisted in this by a visit from former Fraternity President, Marian Klingbell Williams, Missouri.
In the fall of 1991, the university put new guidelines in place that limited chapter exchanges to three a year, and also one four-way party with three other Greek groups per year. This ended many chapter traditions, but also started some new ones. Other changes in the early 90’s included smaller pledge classes of about 25-35, versus in the mid-50’s during the mid 1980’s.
Even so, Delta Tau’s presence and strength on campus and on the Greek Row continued to grow. A point of pride for the chapter, per the 1991 Delta Taudian, was the intense loyalty, contagious enthusiasm and deep respect that the chapter members had for one another and the Fraternity. During this time, the chaper strengthened their committee system and focused on scholarship.
In 1991, Fern Crane, a devoted housemother of 17 years to Delta Tau, passed away. Beginning with the Winter 1994-5 edition of the Delta Taudian, all sisters of Delta Tau (past and present) received each issue of the newsletter. The primary goal of this change was to bring alumnae into closer contact with the chapter. Additionally, the format of the newsletter was changed to include an Alumnae Keynotes section to report on the accomplishments, lifestyles, views and comments of Delta Tau alumna.
Delta Tau numbers declined somewhat in the mid-90’s, so to help with this, the chapter had its first ever Spring Rush in 1994. The chapter report for this year states that the decline in numbers was felt all along the Greek Row at USC.
Delta Tau’s focus on scholarship in the early 90’s paid off. In 1991, they were tied for 3rd for the highest GPA on the Row. In 1995 they were pleased to achieve the second highest GPA on the Greek Row. In 1997 and 1998, they had the highest GPA on the Greek Row at USC.
By the end of the 90’s, the pledge class size was back up in the mid-40’s. The chapter closed the decade with a goal to improve Fraternity knowledge and attendance at chapter events. Housing: In 1995, the chapter had 90 members, 60 of whom lived in the chapter house. By 1998, the chapter had 136 members, and 75 lived in the house. In the summer of 1998, the House Board remodeled the second and third floor bathrooms in the chapter house from floor to ceiling. In 1999, the chapter had 145 members, 84 of whom lived in the house.
Philanthropy: In the early 90’s, the chapter successfully challenged itself to increase chapter participation in philanthropy events to 65%. As a result, the chapter began to look forward to philanthropy events as a way to help the community and to bring the chapter closer together. During the early part of this decade, Delta Tau philanthropy activities included: making valentines for hospital patients, the annual Swim-With-Mike benefit, and blood drives. The chapter was also an active participant in the philanthropy events of other greek groups on campus. In addition, they raised money for the Sunshine mission, a center for battered women, throughout the 1990’s.
In 1997, Delta Tau began having an annual putt putt golf tournament, Kappa Kappa Greens, to raise money for Rose McGill Fund.
Chapter Convention Awards: 1990 Greatest Improvement Award Honorable Mention 1990 Panhellenic Award Honorable Mention 1992 House Board Award 1996 House Board Award Honorable Mention
Highlights of 2000-2010
From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:
Members gathered with families for barbeques before football games in the Fall. Activities with Fathers included a trip to Catalina Island, and horse races at Santa Anita racetrack. Activities with Mothers included tea, shopping on Rodeo Drive, and a luncheon in Pasadena. Delta Tau hosted a Panhellenic movie screening on the lawn and participated in a yearly Panhellenic activity, Songfest.
Some of the immediate responses to the tragedies of September 11, 2001 were the cancellation or postponement of any meetings or activities. The university made classes optional for that particular week. Since the chapter is so close to downtown Los Angeles, people were concerned about the possibility of terrorist acts occurring there. People packed bags in case there was a need to evacuate and officers remained in contact with the local policemen and firemen.
Everybody remained in the Kappa house and remained glued to the news. A speaker who handles tramautic situations came and talked with the chapter on how to deal with some of the emotions the members were having. They had a fireside instead of a regular chapter meeting so that they could support each other. The university had a memorial service on campus, which many members attended.
The 2008 chapter history reported that the challenge that was most detrimental to Greek life for that year was the increase of Internet blogging sites that depict fraternities and sororities in a negative light at USC and elsewhere. The creators of such websites criticized particular sororities and sorority members, and they allowed anyone to comment anonymously, resulting in hateful and harmful sentiments.
Philanthropy:
Delta Tau supported many organizations, including the Red Cross, the Rose McGill Fund, Troy Camp, and the Ashlyn Dyer Foundation (supporting Traumatic Brain Injury research.) Following Hurricane Katrina, books were collected and sent to New Orleans, and sisters were welcomed from Tulane and other schools that were shut down for the semester.
Chapter Convention Awards:
2000 Greatest Improvement Award 2002 Greatest Scholarship Improvement Award (15 or more Panhellenic groups) 2008 Risk Management Award
Highlights of 2011
The Delta Tau chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has had another successful year filled with sisterhoods, philanthropies, and other various events. This past fall we hosted our first ever "Kappa Kickball" philanthropy, which was a huge success. Our wonderful philanthropy chair, Meredith Martinuzzi, led our chapter to raise thousands of dollars for charity and dominate fraternity philanthropy competitions.
This year we also held a Kappa Krepes fundraiser . A crepe truck came to the row and sold crepes to students and the money raised went to one of Delta Tau’s local beneficiaries the Story Project. This event managed to raise over 200 dollars. For the ninth time out of the past eleven years, we won Sigma Chi’s philanthropy Derby Days. Our chapter alone raised over 9,500 dollars to donate to Children’s Miracle Network for Sigma Chi.
In March of 2011, we organized and put on a RIF event. Meredith worked with the Kappa Alumnae Association in Pasadena and the Boys and Girls Club in Pasadena to organize the event. Fifty children of the Boys and Girls Club attended the event and Kappa actives read the children the book Horton Hears a Hoo.
Kappa actives also painted rocks with them similar to at the Kappa Convention in June 2010. We participated in several philanthropies including Pi Kapp Winter Wars, AGO 4square, Sigma Nu's Winter Wars, Pike's Fire Fighter Challenge (which we won!) and many more. This fall we initiated 57 new members into Kappa and filled our schedules with intramural volleyball and soccer games, USC football "Game Days,", and a fun-filled Parents’ Weekend that included a New Member reception, a picnic on our front lawn, and a memorable Presents ceremony.
This semester we also had a successful Founder's Day with a meaningful ceremony to follow. We also had fun-filled invites with our most recent one being our semi-formal, Sapphire Ball. We had a father daughter event called, "dads, daughters and derbys" which was a day at the santa anita horse races and our mother daughter was "cooking with kappa" where the moms and daughters cooked a bunch of dishes at larchmont grill Our chapter's academic performance was outstanding this past year.
In the Spring of 2011 the overall house GPA was a 3.40 with thirteen girls earning 4.0s. In the Fall of 2011 our house GPA was a 3.39 and seventy-seven girls had GPAs between 3.5-3.9. This is an astounding accomplishment for our chapter considering many girls balance rigorous school schedules, internships, jobs and Kappa events during the semester.
Campus: University of Southern California: This year the Greek community worked to improve it's relationship with the University. Last year, USC elected a new president Nikias who was not accustomed to Greek life. Since, then the Greek community has tried to show him the benefits of being part of our community. We have made large strides improving our relationship with the University this past year.
Highlights of 2013
2013 has been an amazing year for the Delta Tau chapter, filled with exciting events, proud accomplishments, and growing sisterhood bonds. After being selected as one of only six chapters to participate in GIRLS Academy, we were finally able to realize all of our hard work, pioneered by senior Krysta Levy, as it culminated in a philanthropy event that far exceeded any expectations. By working with the girls of 32nd Street School and spending time with them, the women of Delta Tau were able to make a profound impact on their lives, and they did just the same for us. GIRLS Academy has been a fantastic experience for Delta Tau to grow as a sisterhood and philanthropic organization, all while giving back to the girls in our community.
In addition to GIRLS Academy, Delta Tau also hosted “Kappa Krepes,” a crepe truck that helps us to raise money for Reading is Fundamental (RIF), and worked with the Kappa Alumnae Association of Pasadena and the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena to put on yet another successful RIF event.
Delta Tau is already looking forward to hosting our first annual “Kappa Kapture the Flag” philanthropy event in the spring! Our chapter also participated in many fraternity philanthropies including Sigma Chi’s Derby Days, ATO’s Laser Tag, and Kappa Sigma’s Bootkamp just to name a few. After completing a very successful recruitment, Delta Tau was thrilled to initiate a pledge class of 71 wonderful members this fall.
We have all been packing our calendars with our favorite events including Kappa Kabana and Sapphire Ball, amazing sisterhood events such as the Hollywood hike and even going to Disneyland together, and of course, we’ve all had a blast watching the USC Trojan Football team. Our chapter’s success is not just felt from within, but rather we received several awards at the 2013 Kappa Province Meeting.
This year, Allison Gersten, MJ Massar, Arianna Pane, and Christina Nelson attended to accept awards for our philanthropy, highest GPA in our province, and our awesome house board director Kathy Creagan. The Delta Tau chapter had a fantastic 2013, and we are all looking forward to making 2014 just as successful.
In 2013, Ainsley Carry replaced Michael Jackson as Vice Provost for Student Affairs. Carry has made a strong effort to form a relationship with the Greek community in hopes of improving Greek-University relations. Delta Tau, along with the other chapters at USC have been continuing to make positive contributions to the University and demonstrate that the Greek community is one of its many assets. We hope to continue to make strides towards a better relationship with the University in 2014.
Highlights of 2014
2014 has been an amazing year for the Delta Tau chapter, filled with exciting events, proud accomplishments, and growing sisterhood bonds. First of all, it seems as though philanthropy has been the theme of our year. Just last week, we held our Mother Daughter Luncheon in downtown Los Angeles raising money for Girl Academy and Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, a philanthropic initiative working to improve neighborhoods in our own backyards. We had over 170 guests, with mothers flying in from around the country. It was truly a special day for all of our mothers to come together and bond with our mothers and as a chapter!
On top of this, earlier in October, we held our first Kappa Karnival, organized by our philanthropy chair, Kendall Deighan. With food trucks, "Dunk a Kappa" and rides, we attracted over 800 students that came to help us raise money for Reading is Fundamental. We were so proud of this sucessful event and look forward to continuing this new tradition in the future! And last but not least, we are holding our "Kappa Kickball" philanthropy next week and are extremely excited to bring everyone together to help us raise money! Along with that, this year, we have made it our mission to be meticulously on top of getting information for our events our early and planning ahead so that we can get as many people involved with helping as possible, as so far that has been working to our advantage! Our chapter has also been very involved on the row and participated in many fraternity philanthropies including Sigma Chi’s Derby Days, Lambda Chi Alpha's powderpuff, Pi Kappa Phi's Winter Wars and Kappa Sigma’s Bootkamp just to name a few.
In November, we held our scholarship dinner, where we hosted professors from many diverse departments to present to them the values of Kappa Kappa Gamma, and the importance of our studies. With a very motivational speech by Rick Caruso, everyone walked away extremely impressed and newly motivated to continue working hard! We have been packing our calendars with our favorite events including going to amazing sisterhood events such as apple picking, midnight movie premieres and even going to Disneyland together, along with our invites Kappa Kabana and Sapphire Ball, and of course, we’ve all had a blast watching the USC Trojan Football team. This year, Allison Gersten, Kate Fullenweider, and Chloe Heyman went to the Houston Conference and had a blast meeting all the Kappas from around the country and learning so many new things they didn’t know about Kappa! The Delta Tau chapter had a fantastic 2014, and we are all looking forward to making 2015 just as successful. With our new class of leaders coming into their positions, especially with Allie Gersten as our very involved President, we are all very excited to make a difference in our house. We are more motivated than ever to show our house Delta Tau's true potential and see how amazing we can be as a chapter, as a part of a Kappa nationally, and as a part of our community around us!
University of Southern California: This year the Greek community has made major strides in improving relationships with the University. There has been a strong effort from chapters to show the University the positive attributes associated with having a greek system on campus. We are very proud of Kappa's involvement on the panhellenic board and feel as though that has given us a better relationship with the school. Lindsay Barlow, Cat Brackett and Katie Fell, all have played a critical roll on the panhellenic board and we are so impressed with their dedication and so thankful for all the work they are doing to help the Greek system and Kappa! Also there has been an increase in community involvement including work with local elementary schools. All of these steps are helping to diffuse tension with a previously anti-greek university administration.
Our Delta Tau chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma holds meetings in our house's chapter room. The chapter is a owned facility. We built our current house on 929 West 28th Street in 1965, and the sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma moved into the house in 1966 and we have lived in that house ever since then. This house can hold up to 80 girls and we make sure that everyone who wants to live in gets an opportunity to experience living in the house. Before our most current house, our chapter lived just down the street on 716 West 28th Street.
Highlights of 2015
2015 has been an amazing year for the Delta Tau chapter, filled with exciting events, proud accomplishments, and growing sisterhood bonds. The 2015 Chapter Council members’ hard work throughout the year brought our house to new exciting heights and we are looking forward to the new 2016 Chapter Council continuing on that trend. As we sat down last January as a Chapter, we decided our goals for 2015 would be to emphasize our sisterhood, make sure our chapter was on top of our organization, and most importantly, emphasize our rituals and our heritage.
As I asked around the house what the girls’ most memorable moments of 2015 were, most of the girls said our sisterhoods, which made warmed our hearts. From our annual Disneyland event (which was last Monday), to pumpkin carving, to Stella and Dot Trunkshows (and many many other trunkshows with matching sister bracelets to prove it!), to Bridesmaids movie nights in the TV room, to ice cream socials with our sister sorority Theta and then AGD, to everyone’s favorite, our USC game-day sisterhood, complete with face-painting, USC spirited food and dance parties., we were so proud of the way our chapter has bonded together. Our Chapter Council felt that the increased number of sisterhoods truly brought our house a little bit closer together and emphasized the value of sisterhood and friendship within our house, which was so important to us, especially for the new members to see. Lastly, we emphasized ritual in everything we did this year. From our daily ritual reviews during Inspiration Week, to our frequent ritual events throughout the semester, we made sure that every member understood Kappa Kappa Gamma’s rituals, definitions, and history. Our Founder’s Day complete with a new schedule was a success and we were especially pleased to have local alumni come celebrate our founders! We had one of our highest attendances to date, and everyone enjoyed the night especially since we ended the night with a sweet surprise of Kappa themed cake and cupcakes!
Along with that, this year, we have made it our mission to be meticulously on top of organization for our chapter. Due to our chapter increasing our organization, from our President’s weekly fliers with all the important dates, to our Vice President of Organization’s superior calendar, we have felt that our chapter has been more aware and therefore, more involved. Also, we have been packing our calendars with our favorite events such as fraternity philanthropies, our Father Daughter tailgate and racing event in September, and our sister sorority socials! Our chapter has been very involved on the row and participated in many fraternity philanthropies including Lambda Chi Alpha's powderpuff, Pi Kappa Phi's Winter Wars and Kappa Sigma’s Bootkamp just to name a few. In November, we held our scholarship dinner, where we hosted professors from many diverse departments to present to them the values of Kappa Kappa Gamma, and the importance of our studies. With a very motivational speech by Heidi Johnson, the founder of Charity Matters, everyone walked away extremely impressed and newly motivated to incorporate charity into their daily lives! Apparently, the professors were so impressed and because of that Heidi has received an outpour of emails asking her to come speak in their own classes to continue to share her inspiring story. We were so happy that Heidi Johnson was able to show USC what Kappa Kappa Gamma emphasizes and how important our philanthropies are to us.
The Delta Tau chapter had a fantastic 2015, and we are all looking forward to making 2016 just as successful. With our new class of leaders coming into their positions, especially with Meg Jenson, who was previously our Vice President of Standards, we are all very excited to make a difference in our house and continue on this amazing upward trend we experienced in 2016. We are more motivated than ever to continue showing Delta Tau's true potential to prove how amazing we can be as a chapter, as a part of a Kappa nationally, and as a part of our community around us!
University of Southern California: This year the Greek community has made major strides in improving relationships with the University. There has been a strong effort from chapters to show the University the positive attributes associated with having a greek system on campus. We are very proud of Kappa's involvement on the panhellenic board and feel as though that has given us a better relationship with the school. Cat Brackett and Katie Fell, all have played a critical roll on the Panhellenic board and we are so impressed with their dedication and so thankful for all the work they are doing to help the Greek system and Kappa! Also there has been an increase in community involvement including work with local elementary schools. All of these steps are helping to diffuse tension with a previously anti-greek university administration.
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?
This year, Delta Tau raised money for Reading is Fundamental, Girl’s Academy, The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust. In February we held our “Kappa Kickball Philanthropy” created by our philanthropy chair Christina Rouse. The anticipation of the competitive kickball matches brought out more attendees than we have ever had all to support Delta Tau. We raised money for our philanthropy from the houses signing up to compete and from the additional sale of shirts. We are extremely proud of this successful event. Additionally, we have raised over two thousand dollars for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation through all of our sisterhood trunkshows, which was very unexpected, so we are extremely happy about all of our efforts!
Also in February , we held our Mother Daughter Luncheon in downtown Los Angeles raising money for Girl Academy and Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, a philanthropic initiative working to improve neighborhoods in our own backyards. We had over 170 guests, with mothers flying in from around the country. It was truly a special day for all of our mothers to come together and bond with our mothers and as a chapter! We loved taking the initiative to make a difference within our own community and seeing how our efforts paid off within their garden they created only a few miles from campus!
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?
We continued our tradition of supporting Reading is Fundamental and Girls Academy, since they are both two organizations we strongly believe in supporting. Additionally, we chose to support Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, through our mother-daughter event, since improving our community around us and improving life for Los Angeles citizens is near and dear to our hearts.
Highlights of 2016
The Delta Tau chapter has had an outstanding 2016. The year was filled with an amazing new pledge class, academic achievements and growing sisterhood bonds. The 2016 chapter council worked hard throughout the year to plan an effective Kamp Kappa and recruitment, motivational sisterhoods and fun social events. This February we had another successful Kappa Kickball, led by Philanthropy Chair Morgan Buckley. Fun was had by all that day, and it was extremely successful. The fundraiser raised approximately $5,500 for the Reading is Fundamental Organization. In April, we had a fundraiser raising money for WIJABA (The World is Just a Book Away). The organization opened its first US library in Los Angeles and the women at Delta Tau raised money to buy books to donate. Throughout the year, Kappas participated in various fraternity fundraisers such as the Lambda Chi Alpha Friendship Circle in November. This year was our first annual “Kappa Kappa Gamma: Grabba Grabba Donut” fundraiser. Delta Tau members sold donuts outside of the chapter house and raised over $2,000 for the KKG Foundation!
Delta Tau had an amazing recruitment week led by Rush Chair Sarah McMullen and her assistant Maggie Hill. We could not be happier with our new pledge class. The new members are an amazing asset to Delta Tau and we cannot wait to see what they accomplish during their time at USC. Marshal Andie Fezell led an inspiring initiation for the new members. The girls bonded during their sleepover in the chapter room with fun games and treats. During inspiration week, Lauren Meredith and Paige Eller organized multiple sisterhoods that were extremely moving. We learned about mental health, received recipes for healthy meals, and were taught the dangers of abusive relationships. Every member felt inspired and motivated after this special week.
As always, our social chairman Natalie Eggers did not disappoint this year with the many fun events. Our formals include Kappa Krush, Senior Sendoff, and Kappa Kabana. They were all big successes! Aside from formals, we enjoyed multiple exchanges with different fraternities. The girls also enjoyed many trunk shows this year with Love Lola, San Lorenzo and 12th Tribe.
Members were very diligent with attendance at chapter council meetings, formal and informal chapters, committee nights and sisterhoods. Our Recording Secretary, Raleigh Scharre, did a great job keeping track of our members.
With a very busy and exhilarating 2016, we cannot wait to continue the success of the Delta Tau chapter in 2017. Our newly elected president, Nicole Remy is extremely motivated and a natural leader. Our new chapter council had a productive Leadership Day and are ready to take on their roles.
In continuation with 2015, The Greek Community has been working to improve relationships with the university. Our very own Delta Tau member, Kylie Burdsall, has been chosen to serve on the Panhellenic board. She also devoted a substantial amount of time for the Panhellenic Food Drive. Kappa brought in the most cans out of every sorority and raised $2,000 for our chapter!
This year, Delta Tau raised money for Reading is Fundamental, The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and WIJABA. In February we held Kappa Kickball and in November we hosted Grabba Grabba Donut. We also raised money for the WIJABA Book Drive and donated canned goods for the Panhellenic Food Drive.
We continued our tradition of supporting Reading Is Fundamental because of the large impact they have in teaching and motivating children to read. We were very excited that WIJABA opened up their first US library at the Los Angeles Leadership Academy. Delta Tau raised over $1,000 for the library. Our chapter takes great pride in seeing how our efforts help many children from all around the world.
Our chapter meets in the chapter room in the basement of our chapter house. The room can fit our entire chapter and this is where we hold all of our formal chapter events such as recruitment meetings and weekly chapter meetings.
Highlights of 2017
The Delta Tau Chapter has had an outstanding 2017. The year was filled with an amazing new pledge class, academic achievements and growing sisterhood bonds. The 2017 chapter council worked hard throughout the year to plan an effective Kamp Kappa and recruitment, motivational sisterhoods and fun social events. This March we had another successful Kappa Kickball, led by Philanthropy Chair Hannah Wing. Fun was had by all that day, and it was extremely successful. The fundraiser raised over 7,000 dollars for the Reading is Fundamental Organization. In October, we collected children’s books from each pledge class and handed them out on Halloween to the kids of the surrounding community. Approximately 300 books were passed out, along with candy and other sweet treats. Throughout the year, Kappas participated in various fraternity fundraisers such as the Lambda Chi Alpha Friendship Circle in November. This year was our second annual “Kappa Kappa Gamma: Grabba Grabba Donut” fundraiser. Delta Tau members sold donuts outside of the chapter house and raised over $2,000 for the KKG Foundation!
Delta Tau had an amazing recruitment week led by Rush Chair Lauren Meredith and her assistant Andie Fezell. We could not be happier with our new pledge class. The new members are an amazing asset to Delta Tau and we cannot wait to see what they accomplish during their time at USC. Marshal Mackenzie Bressie led an inspiring initiation for the new members. The girls bonded during their sleepover in the chapter room with fun games and treats led by Savanah Sheehy and Gabriella Carderelli. During inspiration week, Grace Hennemuth organized multiple sisterhoods that were extremely bonding. We learned about mental health, received recipes for healthy meals, and shared our struggles. Every member felt inspired and motivated after this special week.
As always, our social chairman Caroline Raeder did not disappoint this year with the many fun events. Our formals include Kappa Krush, Senior Sendoff, and Kappa Kabana. They were all big successes! Aside from formals, we enjoyed multiple exchanges with different fraternities. The girls also enjoyed many trunk shows this year with San Lorenzo as well as a Kappa store with Kappa apparel, organized by our VPO, Lexie Hill.
Members were very diligent with attendance at Chapter Council meetings, formal and informal chapters, committee nights and sisterhoods. Our Recording Secretary, Kristen Bednarek, did a great job keeping track of our members.
With a very busy and exhilarating 2017, we cannot wait to continue the success of the Delta Tau chapter in 2018. Our newly elected president, Sophie DiFilippo is extremely motivated and a natural leader. Our new chapter council had a productive Leadership Day and are ready to take on their roles.
In 2017, USC has changed their recruitment policy. The new rules instill that all those who participate in Recruitment must have a USC GPA. Because of this change, the Greek community has bonded together, along with the university officials to come up with the most strategic way to go about this new requirement. Overall, the nature of our chapter is a bonded sisterhood and with genuine friendship.
This year, Delta Tau raised money for Reading is Fundamental and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and donated books to the children in the surrounding area. In March we held Kappa Kickball and in November we hosted Grabba Grabba Donut. We also donated book to children who came to trick or treat on the Greek Row.
We continued our tradition of supporting Reading Is Fundamental because of the large impact they have in teaching and motivating children to read. Along with that goal, we felt that donating children's books during Halloween would be another great opportunity. Our chapter takes great pride in seeing how our efforts help many children from all around the world.
Our chapter meets in the chapter room in the basement of our chapter house. The room can fit our entire chapter and this is where we hold all of our formal chapter events such as recruitment meetings and weekly chapter meetings.
Highlights of 2020s:
From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.: Housing: Philanthropy: Chapter Convention Awards:
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.
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