Beta Pi
| Beta Pi | |
|---|---|
| BΠ | |
 | |
| Founded | February 4, 1905 |
| College | University of Washington |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Homepage | Beta Pi Website |
| Media related to Beta Pi Chapter | |
1861 University of Washington established in Seattle, Washington
Beta Pi founded February 4, 1905, by eight members of the local sorority Alpha Kappa Gamma.
2,996 initiates (as of June 2018)
Charter members:
Ottie Armstrong, Marion Rose Blethen, Hazel Bragdon, Ethel Janet Brown, Jessamine Garrett, Edna Tileston Guillixson, Maud McMicken, Celia Dexter Shelton.
Fraternity Council Members:
Catherine Burnside Piper served as Grand Secretary (1920-22); F. Marie Leghorn, Registrar (1922-24); Emily Peirce Sheafe, Editor of The Key (1926-30); Helen Snyder Andres (Steiner), Fraternity Grand President (1935-1936); Lora Harvey George, Director of Chapter Organization (1944-46); Claire Drew Walker, Director of Alumnae (1956-58); Kay Smith Larson, Fraternity President (1988-1992)
Mary Shuford (Johnson), Field Secretary (1965-1967);
Stacy Underwood (Bjarnason), Traveling Consultant (1991-1992);
Laura Cothurst (Kisielius), Traveling Consultant (1994-1995);
Theresa Daluria, Traveling Consultant (1998-1999);
Becky Kinney (Miltenberger), Traveling Consultant (2003-2004);
Jessica Myers, Leadership Consultant (2006-2009);
Loyalty Award recipient:
Helen Snyder Andres Steiner, 1980
Alumnae Achievement Award recipients:
Claire Drew Forbes (Walker), 1956, National “Advertising Woman of the Year;” started Santa Barbara, California’s first advertising agency; Mary Lucas Richardson, 1958, Chief of the Division of Rheumatic Fever, Bureau of Maternal and Child Health for the Pennsylvania Department of Health; Aryness Joy Wickens, 1958, Deputy assistant secretary for employment and manpower in the U.S. Department of Labor; adviser to U.S. delegates to International Labor Conference; Patricia Lang Harris, 1982, First woman elected president of the World Congress of Rehabilitation International; Mary Maxwell Gates, 1986, Gates served 18 years (1975–1993) on the University of Washington board of regents. She was the first female president of King County’s United Way, the first woman to chair the national United Way’s executive committee where she served most notably with IBM's CEO, John Opel, and the first woman on the First Interstate Bank of Washington's board of directors; Mary Maxwell Gates, 1986
Additional Outstanding Beta Pi Alumnae:
Jane Seastrom (Lytle) Ph.D., Graduate Consultant 1966-1968;
Contents
The Early Years (from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma 1870-1976)
The wife of the president of the pioneer university of the northwest, the University of Washington, gathered around her a small group of girls from the student body and began to instill in them the ideals of a national fraternity. She was Helen H. Wadsworth Graves, Boston, and, of course, the aims which she was trying to make these girls understand were Kappa aims and ideals.
The University of that day was a crude, raw, small institution. Sororities at that time were unknown. The girls whom Mrs. Graves selected as seeming to her best suited as material for Kappa formed a local sorority, Alpha Kappa Gamma.
In due course of time, two other UW organizations petitioned national sororities for charters, Delta Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta. The Thetas took the petitioning of their group with sufficient seriousness and sent a delegate to investigate. This group was doomed to disappointment. The delegate, before she left, however, allowed it to become known that if the Alpha Kappa Gammas, who were then striving vainly for some recognition from Kappa Kappa Gamma, would join them, a Theta charter would be granted. But the girls whose eyes were full of keys could not see a kite. They clung to their original hope, undaunted that the nearest Kappa chapters, those in California, were the ones most bitterly opposed to their becoming Kappas. The group of would-be Thetas eventually petitioned Gamma Phi Beta, and a chapter was established in 1903. In the same year, Delta Gamma decided to award a charter to its petitioning group, who seeing the difficulties of the would-be Kappas, offered them a chance to become Delta Gammas before the installing officer arrived.
At last, on February 4, 1905, the Alpha Kappa Gammas saw success crown their efforts and their dreams realized. They were admitted to the Kappa sisterhood. In that year, the 44th year in the age of the university, the university had 811 students enrolled, 250 (12 percent) of whom were women.
To attempt to divorce the history of Beta Pi from that of the university from that time forward is impossible. The growth of the chapter so wholly depended upon the amazing growth of the little outpost of culture which was almost lost among its 352 acres of tangled underbrush and giant firs. The campus had already moved from its original location in downtown Seattle to its current location. At that time, the University of Washington was entirely housed in three buildings, linked together by a footpath through the woods.
It was not until 1909, when the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, a world's fair built on the south end of the UW campus publicizing the development of the Pacific Northwest, took place that the university began to step into its own as a state university. The primary physical legacy of the exposition shaped the University of Washington campus. Rainier Vista and Drumheller Fountain, the focus of the exposition, are today a central axis of the university's overall plan.
Most of the exposition's buildings were designed as temporary structures, intended to last only for the duration of the fair. Some were more permanent and survived for a time, but were subsequently demolished as the university grew. Today, after extensive renovation and restoration, Architecture Hall and Cunningham Hall are campus buildings which remind us of when the world came to Seattle for the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition.
Highlights of the 1910s and 1920s
In the fall of 1912, the problems of a large chapter confronted the amazed members of Beta Pi because before then their chapter had averaged between 20 and 25 girls. But when the rushing season was half finished, they discovered that they wanted an appallingly large freshman class. Consternation reigned. Even with the strictest of “enee-menee-minee-moes” they wanted 16 girls. A special dispensation from the Fraternity was hastily wired for. It arrived, just in time, and for many years after, Beta Pi overflowed the usual chapter limit.
The first UW nickname was changed from Sun Dodgers to Huskies in 1922. It was recommended by a committee of students, coaches, faculty, alumni and businessmen. Washington’s first appearance in the Rose Bowl game played in Pasadena, Calif., was January 1, 1924. The game with Navy ended in a tie.
Highlights of the 1930s
At the 1930 General Convention funding, for a full-time Traveling Secretary was approved. Helen Snyder (Andres, Steiner), a Beta Pi who had been a Graduate Counselor in 1929, received the first appointment. During her three years as Field Secretary, she helped Clara O. Pierce, Ohio State, write the first Pledge Handbook and Instructions for Pledge Training. After serving as Director of Standards, Mrs. Andres became Grand President of the Fraternity for 1935-1936. She continued to serve the Fraternity as Panhellenic Delegate, Director of Chapters and chairman of many committees the rest of her life.
World War II Era
Kappa activities were drastically affected by the start of World War II in 1941. The Christmas party and serenading were cut short by rumors of approaching enemy planes and an impending blackout. Bedlam reigned while the older girls tried to hang blackout curtains. The war threat made the remaining 10 days of Fall Quarter a nightmare.
The Kappas were the recipients of their share of fraternity pranks. A long-standing tradition began in 1916 by the Fijis who climbed onto the roof of the chapter house where they painted “ICE.” After that Beta Pi was known as the “ice house.”
Kappa’s tradition of leadership and scholarship continued in 1937 when the chapter ranked first scholastically for the second consecutive year. Kappas held campus offices and numerous members were pledged to honorees including Mortar Board, Totem Club, Matrix Table and W-Key and drama, art, educational and political science honorees.
An open house for parents and students held on pledge night, nicknamed “Stock Show,” began in the 1940s. The pledges dressed in long dresses stood in a receiving line in the living room and refreshments were served to the guests in the dining room. After the house closed and the pledges were in bed on the sleeping porches, the fraternities came to serenade.
Highlights of the 1950s
For the Kappas, the 1950s were years of strong academic and extra-curricular participation. It was often written by Beta Pi Recording Secretaries, “There is hardly a committee or activity that doesn’t have a Kappa on it.”
Beta Pi began its Golden Jubilee year, 50-year anniversary, in November 1954 with a tea attended by 300 alumnae, actives, mother’s club members, friends and Fraternity president Edith Reese Crabtree, Wooster.
Another eventful date was January 20, 1955, when three generations of Kappas, more than 300 strong, honored their oldest and their 24 newest members at a gala initiation banquet at the Seattle Tennis Club. Forty girls had been initiated the first year of Beta Pi and 14 of these members in addition to four of the charter members were present at the banquet. Attending was Director of Membership Eleanore Goodridge Campbell, Colorado, who spoke on My Fraternity –What Should It Expect From Me?
Fundraising by a Beta Pi alumnae committee raised enough money to endow the Golden Jubilee Scholarship in the University’s Financial Aid office. This endowment continues today. In sports, the Kappas were active, participating in volleyball, badminton, basketball, tennis and swimming. In 1957, the chapter received Panhellenic’s Sportsmanship and Participation Trophy for its effort.
The chapter also received various honors in the academic area: Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board and honoraries for German, education, sociology and speech; highest scholastic average of sorority pledge class (1958-59). The Scholarship Trophy was awarded for three consecutive years and then permanently (1957-60). High credit was given to members in the areas of music and journalism. Social life was well coordinated. A fall pledge dance began social activities. A traditional roller-skating party followed at Christmastime. The formal winter ball was always a highlight. Occasionally a dance and picnic were held during the spring quarter and the year always ended with the senior breakfast.
The Kappas were the recipients of their share of fraternity pranks. A long-standing tradition, which began in 1916 when some Fijis climbed onto the roof of the chapter house where they painted “ICE,” continued. The Fijis let mice loose in the house on a pledge night in the 1940s, and, in 1950 on pledge night, they floured the house. This event resulted in press headlines and large cleaning bills sent to that fraternity, of course. In 1951 was a panty raid. Kappa was the only sorority to have a tape recording of the housemother “defending” the house. To the chuckles of the girls, this recording was broadcast locally and nationally.
Good relations existed between Kappas and the fraternities, as shown by the large number of Sigma Chi Sweethearts, Pi Kappa Alpha Dream Girls and Phi Sigma Kappa Moonlight Girls. The scholastic activities of Beta Pi were matched, if not surpassed by its social life.
Highlights of the 1960s
The 1960s were years marked by many changes at the University of Washington, and Beta Pi Chapter was caught up in the spirit of change. Dress codes were liberalized or eliminated when blue jeans became the uniform of the age. Curfews, too, were liberalized. In fact, with parental consent, it was a girl’s own responsibility to determine what time she arrived home at night. Girls could obtain “21” keys after their first quarter in school. As independence was becoming one of the major goals of students, the change in the rules of the chapter reflected this. There were some changes in house rules such as abolishing study table, campus hours and bed hours for freshmen.
Tradition, however, still remained an important force, uniting the sisters of the chapter. Holidays especially showed this to be true. Halloweens were celebrated by annual parties with the chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta. Every Thanksgiving, Beta Pi joined with the members of Chi Psi fraternity to sponsor a turkey dinner for a group of under-privileged children in the Seattle area.
The 1960 Rose Bowl saw Washington’s first victory over the Big Ten when the Huskies beat Wisconsin, 44-8. The estimated 25,000 people who traveled south from the State of Washington to watch the game in Pasadena was by far the biggest exodus from outside California in the history of the game. Beta Pi collegiates and alumnae were there for this victory.
Though the 1960s seemed to show a “generation gap,” the alumnae and mothers of Beta Pi continued to be welcome advisers and confidants to a group of girls, who, although more independently minded, remained united by Kappa’s ideals and values.
Housing
It was in 1912 that the Kappas laid their first plans for a new home. The most conservative of seniors admitted that not another person could be crowded into the swarming hives on the third floor, and the chapter moved to a new but temporary house as soon as rushing was over. However, when college opened in 1913, the Kappas had moved into their own home. In 1919, they signed the ownership papers for this lovely, white Colonial house. It was paid for by the time it was outgrown.
The board of directors of the Beta Pi Association announced in 1925 that when it had accumulated $10,000 in cash, definite plans for a new house could be made. All of the various branches of Beta Pi—the long-suffering house board, actives, alumnae, mothers and fathers clubs—having duly struggled and saved, brought about the realization of Beta Pi’s fond hopes. The house that had been the pride of 1913 was uprooted from its corner lot and deposited a few blocks away, while a beautiful brick building of the Norman-English type rose in its place. This chapter house has been remodeled through the years and still houses Beta Pi chapter members at 4504 18th Avenue NE. Some new ideas were introduced in the early 1930s to improve the chapter. The Mothers Club and the house girls redecorated the Town Girls’ Room. Attractive furnishings were provided by the Beta Pi House Board. Another change was brought about when it was decided to have the freshmen live in the house for three days during their first quarter. The purpose of this experiment was to build unity.
The chapter was particularly popular in the 1950s. The smallest pledge class was 24 (1954), while the largest numbered 32 (1950 and 1957). At that time, the out-of-town girls lived in the chapter house and the “townies” lived at home. All members ate lunch at the house during the week and dinner on Monday night after chapter meeting.
Pledges living in the house in the 1950s were expected to attend study table in the dining room Sunday through Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. and be in bed by 11 p.m. If a pledge didn’t want to go to study table, she had to be in bed.
In the 1960’s, with the main house full, Kappa decided that it needed to expand. It approached the owner of the property right next door to the main house to see if he was willing to sell. Ideally, Kappa hoped to connect his building to the main house and use it as a new wing. The owner was not willing to sell at that time but he did give Kappa an option to be the first people to purchase the property upon his death. As a Plan B, Kappa purchased the property on the other side of the next-door property and converted the existing house into an annex for the main house, capable of housing approximately 15 members. This property’s address is 4514 18th Avenue
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
The 1970s brought increased involvement in politics, community projects and extra-curricular activities. A dozen members participated in STAY/Neighborhood House Tutors, and one girl was in an educational project, the Renton Intern Program. One chapter member was a Republican Convention delegate, and seven studied abroad in university programs.
Congress enacted Title IX in 1972. This amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal assistance.” This amendment was designed to bring about gender equity in athletics. Many Kappas have been active members of various Husky sports since Title IX was adopted.
During the 1970s, a general trend of the Beta Pis was their involvement in numerous community and Greek events. They were very active in several philanthropies, participated in countless social events, sorority events and fraternity exchanges. Members of the chapter were crowned queens of different fraternities including Alpha Sigma Epsilon Rose Queen in 1977 and 1978 and Lambda Chi Crescent Queen in 1978. Homecoming was a major activity each year. At that time, the entire Greek community decorated their respective houses, and some members competed for the Homecoming Court.
Some new programs introduced in the 1970s included the popular Kappa Aunt Project, through which the Mothers’ Club and eastside alumnae provided the freshmen with “foster aunts.” To help meet the costs of living in the house, chapter members could work in the kitchen. During the fall quarter of 1971, the senior live-out policy came into effect, allowing seniors the opportunity to move out for a quarter.
The chapter members were assigned phone duty during specific times in the afternoon and evening. During their assigned times, the member on duty was responsible for taking messages and notifying the women in the house if they received a phone call. The intercom was used at that time to let the women know if they had a phone call or a visitor on the main floor. The Kappas ate their meals in a family-style buffet, and they had special steak dinners several times a month. Smoking was allowed in the dining room. Etiquette and presentation was also very important to Beta Pi women. The chapter hosted a Nordstrom fashion coordinator and cosmetics team who spoke about the importance of personal presentation. Some of these clothing styles that they spoke about included skinny jeans (preferably by Guess), Keds sneakers, over-sized sweaters, leotard aerobic wear, Ray Bans, bobbed hair, leather bomber jackets, Levi’s and clogs. The number of girls participating in rush increased in 1972. Panhellenic started an uphill trend striving for more positive publicity and showing its relevant place in society.
In 1975, Karla Graue was crowned Miss Seafair for the annual festival held in Seattle during August. The festival includes different events and activities such as a Blue Angels Air Show, hydroplane boat racing, a milk-carton derby and a torchlight parade. Along with her title of Miss Seafair, Karla received a scholarship for her leadership qualities and academic ambitions. In March 1977, Beta Pi hosted more than 50 Kappas from the other chapters in the province for the 27th Biennial Iota Province Meeting. During the weekend, the delegates and members of Beta Pi participated in a number of workshops and seminars during which challenges, successes and the progress of chapters in the province were discussed. The Province Meeting also hosted distinguished guest speakers such as Mary Maxwell Gates, Beta Pi 1950. Beta Pi was recognized for achieving the highest scholarship in the province during the 1975-1977 biennium.
In 1978, the women of Beta Pi took a road trip down to Pasadena to see the Husky football team defeat the University of Michigan, 27-20, in the Rose Bowl. This was a very memorable event for the Kappas, the entire university and the greater Seattle community, as it was the Huskies first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1964. The Husky football success did not end there. They continued what fans considered “the Purple Reign” for several years, participating in many other bowl games. Many students wore “Purple Reign” sweatshirts every day.
The chapter was excited when the Seattle Sonics won the NBA Championship in 1979 and the release of Saturday Night Fever in 1977
Housing
As membership of Beta Pi chapter increased, it was a challenge to find enough space to house the growing numbers of women pledging the chapter. One attempt to solve this issue was allowing the “townies” to sleep a certain number of nights each week in the house and the rest of the week live at home. This allowed membership to stay consistent and allowed the chapter to house more members while still staying within the house capacity as set by the fire code.
Sadly, that solution did not completely fix the problem, so in 1975 the house board purchased the single-family home two doors from the Kappa house on 18th Avenue NE, and the first Kappa Annex was created. The annex allowed more women to join the Fraternity and live consistently on Kappa property. As a bonus, it offered more freedom of choice for housing options for the older chapter members.
Highlights of the 1980s
Challenges faced by the women of Beta Pi in the early ‘80s were alcohol at fraternity exchanges and women sleeping overnight at fraternities. If a member committed either of these offenses, she was sent to the Standards Committee. In an attempt to change the drinking/party culture at the University and to be an example for the rest of the Greek System, the chapter held the first “dry” exchange in the Greek System to promote socializing without alcohol involvement. These “dry” exchanges have continued and are very popular among the current Greek System chapters. Significant events going on in Washington and in the country that affected the chapter along with the University and surrounding community were the eruption of Mount St. Helens in May 1980, Ronald Reagan’s presidency and his surviving an assassination attempt in 1981 to name a few. All were important milestones of this decade for the chapter.
A tradition which began in the early 1980s and has continued is the fraternity men gathering campaign signs the day after city or national elections and dumping them on the front lawn of the Kappa house. Who started this tradition is unknown.
Members did not have personal computers, although most had IBM electric typewriters. They completed all of their assignments by typewriter or wrote them out by hand.
At this time there was a major recession in the United States. It caused a lot of anxiety for the graduating members because of the uncertainty in the job market and economy. There was no Microsoft, Starbucks or Amazon and Boeing was hard hit, so the options for new and recent graduates were limited. This, combined with the struggle for women to have equality in the workplace, had a big effect on the chapter members trying to graduate and find jobs. One member having trouble with a math class went to her university counselor for help. The counselor advised her to switch to communications and wondered why she, a female student, was even considering graduating with a math degree. It is hard to believe that this sort of discrimination was so pervasive.
UW yell leader Robb Weller came up with the idea for The Wave on October 31, 1981, at a football game at Husky Stadium. It immediately caught on and has continued as a staple in sports stadiums worldwide.
Members of the pledge classes of 1983 and 1984 remember popular music of Steve Winwood, Sinead O’Connor, Tracy Chapman and Madonna. They also remember frequent visits to the Northlake Tavern and Pizza House and China First for lunch or late-night snacks.
In February, 1985, the chapter celebrated Beta Pi’s 80th Anniversary with a brunch, open house and a gala dinner dance at the Westin Hotel. There was a strong participation by actives and alumnae. Added to the excitement of this anniversary the new furniture for the living room and the study arrived. There was definitely an added feeling of pride in the house. The chapter size increased in the fall, 44 new initiates and three affiliates were added to the chapter.
Each member set a goal of raising her individual G.P.A.5 per quarter. The chapter’s G.P.A. ranked sixth among the 19 sororities.
The University administration worked hard to develop a new system in an effort to curb the alcohol consumption in the Greek System. The chapter focused on keeping high school students from attending the open parties.
A new house director was hired spring quarter. She was Sunny Hagstrom, a native of Seattle who retired in 1983 from a position at Mercer Island High School she’d held for 20 years. In 1985, Honey Castro was named Miss Moses Lake. She went on to win Miss Washington and was third runner-up for Miss America. In addition, she also was the recipient of the Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship for her talent and intelligence in the field of medicine.
The chapter had a strong participation at Song Fest, a competition organized by Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. The members spent hours practicing songs and getting matching outfits together. In addition, Laurie Liebel won Sweetheart of Sigma Chi and Kris Rumpf won Lambda Chi Crescent Queen. Beta Pi’s 1985 rush was a huge success with almost 100 percent returns for every party and the pledge class. The chapter welcomed 42 pledges and it was strengthened because of the closeness and enthusiasm of these women. With 140 members, Beta Pi was the largest chapter of the 19 sororities on campus in 1987.
The chapter’s challenge in 1987 was to improve chapter participation in Greek and campus events and activities. One of the main themes was to motivate the members and it worked well. One of the goals was to have at least 85 percent participation in each event.
Activities this year included a Father/Daughter Weekend, Mother/Daughter Weekend, a tea in honor of the new initiates, a Christmas Tea where Mothers and daughters exchanged little gifts and cards and the Paint the Town Red pledge dance in the fall.
Several activity-centered exchanges were held in 1987. It was a great way to getting more appas involved and a change of pace from previous years. A ski exchange was held with Alpha Delta Phi at Ski Acres. The men chartered two buses and off we went.
Greek Weekend was winter quarter and eight high school girls stayed with the chapter. One of these girls pledged Kappa in September 1987.
Father/Daughter weekend was fall quarter. The Fathers enjoyed the USC football game and a dinner dance at the Sheraton on Saturday. Sunday began with a Fathers/Kappas football game. Chapter members were involved in many activities: the women’s basketball team, one of the Outstanding College Students of America, Delta Chi Calendar, Alpha Sig Rose Queen.
The biggest challenge for the chapter in 1988 was to improve morale through action and respect. This attitude was felt and seen in the chapter. Participation at events and chapter attendance improved. Respecting quiet hours also improved.
The year started really great by fulfilling the chapter goal of “action now.” The women worked to provide pride and participation as well as good campus PR. The chapter was proud of the girls who participated in the Pike football tournament because Beta Pi was the winner.
With 120 members the chapter had one of the largest memberships of any sorority at the UW even though eight members resigned. At the beginning of the year 33 girls pledged Kappa.
In addition to the activities enjoyed in 1987, this year the chapter held a Mother/Daughter weekend. Due to snow, it had to be rescheduled to a later date. It was lots of fun with a Mother/Father auction Saturday night and a brunch Sunday morning.
Chapter members participated in the ASUW Student Assembly, basketball, lacrosse, tennis and crew and Brenna Pierce served as Panhellenic Rush Chairman.
Five actives attended Convention in Boca Raton, Fla. where Beta Pi Kay Smith Larson was elected Fraternity president. They came back with many ideas for the chapter. Their experiences and enthusiasm helped raise the chapter morale. Songs and the South Pacific party for rush were changed.
Even though the upper deck on the north side of Husky Stadium collapsed during its construction in February 1987, the stadium was completed by fall. The Huskies beat Stanford in the newly expanded stadium.
The chapter challenge in 1989 was to improve participation in Kappa and non-Kappa activities. One of the goals was to improve participation in exchanges and chapter to at least 80 percent. This goal motivated the members to participate in Kappa and UW events to promote good PR with the entire campus and community. It also motivated the chapter to promote pride in the chapter. The chapter pledged 27 girls bringing the chapter total to 110 members.
Traditional chapter activities continued: Father/Daughter weekend, Mother/Daughter weekend, pledge Christmas party, pledge dance, formal kite/key dance and spring dance. Chapter members were active on campus in lacrosse, basketball, tennis, tapped for Mortar Board. Kappas were members of the Sigma Chi court and Delta Chi calendar girls.
Convention Awards:
At the 1984 Convention, Beta Pi received an Honorable Mention Award for Panhellenic and the Chapter Publications Award.
At the 1986 Convention, Beta Pi was the winner of the Personnel Award and runner-up for the Efficiency Award Housed Chapters.
Housing:
The redecorating project to return to the blue and blue continued in 1986, new carpeting in the dining room, up the stairs and down the halls was completed. A new blue Oriental area rug was added to the entry.
An efficient new telephone system was installed. New grates on the basement and first-floor windows and additional lighting on the exterior of both the main house and the annex were installed.
The owner of the home next to the chapter house passed away and Beta Pi purchased the property in February of 1988. Finally after hoping to purchase Gus’s house for more than 40 years, the single-family home between the Kappa house and the original annex, 4508 18th Avenue NE, belonged to the Beta Pi Corporation.
At that time, the Kappa membership numbered 160 members. The main house and annex were full and the seniors had to live out since there was no capacity to house them.
The corporation had enough funds to avoid selling the original annex at 4514 18th Avenue NE to finance the purchase.
Philanthropy:
This year the philanthropy changed to support for Camp Goodtimes. This is a camp for kids suffering from cancer. Beta Pi raised money to send children to camp and many chapter members were counselors at the camp during the summer.
The philanthropic project in 1985 were a Halloween Party for the children at the Seattle Day Nursery. In 1987 the philanthropy project was to sell Entertainment ’88 books and the pledges worked at a haunted house.
Highlights of the 1990s
The chapter goal in 1990 promoted respect and pride toward Beta Pi through positively supporting one another in the chapter and non-chapter events. This was achieved through increasing the philanthropy hours and focused on areas within the chapter that needed improvement. The chapter goal promoted improving Beta Pi through observance of rules, respect for others, their property, Ritual and ourselves.
After pledging 36 great women, the chapter total grew to 120 members. Chapter members were involved in various campus activities: Panhellenic Treasurer, lacrosse and basketball. Six members attended Convention in Dallas. They had a great time and brought back ideas for improving initiation and recruitment.
Stacy Underwood was selected to serve as a Traveling Consultant for 1991-1992.
Rush parties were revitalized. The chapter had the best returns ever and 35 women pledged. These pledges participated in Sigma Chi Derby Days and Kappa took first place. The chapter had 116 members.
Founders Day with the local alumnae was held on a cruise boat, The Spirit of Puget Sound, which sailed on Elliott Bay. It was the chapter’s honor to have Beta Pi and Fraternity President Kay Smith Larson and the Fraternity Director of Alumnae Vera Lewis Marine, Colorado College, attend the luncheon.
The chapter worked on answering the phones courtesly and taking accurate messages. Quiet hours were enforced out of respect for the members.
The chapter held the traditional Father/daughter weekend and Mother/daughter outing to La Conner for a day of shopping. The Christmas Party and four dances were held.
The University of Washington opened campuses in Tacoma and Bothell in 1990. The Husky football team went undefeated and won the 1991 national championship.
The chapter goal in 1996 was, “to raise Beta Pi’s participation from 50 percent to 70 percent attending all activities and events.” Members attending events received awards which recognized the members for getting involved. These awards greatly improved the morale of the chapter members.
Beta Pi had 95 members this year. The chapter house was completely full and many seniors lived out and in the annex. 31 new members were pledged in the fall.
The UW expected 4,400 freshmen in the fall of 1997, breaking the record of 4,373 set in 1965. Signs of the "baby boom echo" began to impact the campus.
The chapter goal in 1998 was to strive for excellence in all measurable areas including attendance, G.P.A. and turning reports in on time. Academically the chapter’s G.P.A. was fourth out of the 15 sororities.
The chapter pledged 30 New Members. This meant that the house was filled to capacity. Although the chapter is one of the larger ones on the campus, like every other sorority it was decided to participate in informal rush.
In 1999, the chapter received a focus letter from the Fraternity Council. The letter was extremely helpful in terms of organization. The letter told the officers exactly what their jobs entailed and when their reports were due.
Chapter members were on the Panhellenic Executive Board, Husky Hostesses, representatives on ASUW committees, Student Activities Office, the Daily the campus newspaper, Husky Marching Band, varsity soccer, track, cross country and the water ski team. Several chapter members participated in the UW Alumni Association’s Dawg Dash, Jingle Bell Run and Race for the cure.
As the 21st Century approached, the Fraternity replaced some terms: “rush” became “Recruitment,” “pledges” are “New Members,” “recommendations” are “references” and “rushees” are “Potential New Members.”
Recruitment 1999 was a success for Beta Pi, 28 women were pledged making quota with one quota addition.
The chapter’s favorite day during Recruitment Week used the barn theme which was highlighted by the Kappa Pickers. During the traditional preference party the seniors sang The Toast, a song written in 1950 by chapter member Sharon Callison. In March 1999, 12 officers attended the Iota Province Meeting hosted by Epsilon Iota at the University of Puget Sound. The chapter was extremely proud to be recognized for meeting the Challenge to Excellence.
There were 91 members in the chapter. The UW Greek system had 16 sororities. The chapter ranked within the top five sororities and above the all-sorority average for all three quarters of 1999. The MAP process helped determine the chapter’s three main goals: “To fulfill the terms outlined in the Letter of Concern by increasing chapter morale, participation and involvement by having at least 80 percent of the chapter attend chapter meetings and Key Events; by ranking in the top three sororities for academic achievement; increasing member financial responsibility by having 90 percent of all house bills paid by the first day of each quarter.
Chapter morale improved drastically as each member was challenged to uphold the ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma. The chapter attendance goal was met by having an average 85 percent attendance at chapter and Key Events. The financial status was also much improved. The finance committee began sending out the house bill much earlier which allowed more time for members and their parents to discuss family financial matters. The Treasurer made great strides in establishing payment plans. Chapter members participated in activities such as swimming, water polo team, lacrosse; Husky Hostesses; President of Panhellenic and wrote for the Daily writer. Convention Award:
Beta Pi received the Housed Chapter Finance Award at the 1990 Dallas Convention.
The Challenge to Excellence Award was received at the 2000 Convention in Palm Desert, Calif.
Housing:
During the summer of 1991, actives, alumnae and parents spent two weekends painting the inside of the house. Improvements were also made to the bathrooms, pledge sleeping porch and the living room furniture.
The corporation board spent long hours redecorating the lounge and living room in the main house and the missing “K” on the front door was replaced. New carpet was installed in the living room and den and newly upholstered chairs added. The lounge was completely redone with new carpet and furniture.
The house was completely full and the seniors had to be asked to live out even though many wished to live in the house.
In the annex, some rooms were painted, carpet throughout the house and a track lighting system were installed. Four new parking spaces were created behind the annex.
In 1995, the house corporation determined that it didn’t have the membership necessary to support three properties and it needed to sell one - either 4514 or 4508. The preference was to sell 4514 and use the money to remodel 4508 as well as pay down the mortgage on that property. There were several reasons for this decision: 1) 4508 is right next door to the main house and it was hoped to eventually attach the two residences. 2) 4508 is 1000 square feet larger than 4514 and could hold more occupants. 3) The architectural style of 4508 is much more distinctive than 4514.
All the bedrooms and the living room were repainted. New carpet was installed in the living room and new wooden bunk beds were added to all the sleeping porches.
Spring quarter 1997, 30 to 40 actives gathered in front of the house in their work clothes. A few Sigma Chi members joined them and everyone dug and planted. The trees and bushes came down and plants and flowers were planted. The new annex got a new lawn.
Once Gus’s house was purchased in 1987, it was rented to various groups of individuals during the next 10 years while the corporation raised the money to remodel it. The City of Seattle approved a request to change the zoning for this house from single-family housing to a congregate residence
The Corporation Board then sold the original annex at 4514 18th Avenue NE. After many months of renovation, the annex opened its doors. The new annex housed most of the junior class and a few seniors. The Parent’s Club surprised the chapter with a new big screen television for the annex.
The Corporation Board had the main house tuckpointed. All the bricks were power washed and the mortar between them was replaced. A new bathroom on the second floor, twice the size of the previous bathroom, was added. This was a great selling point for potential new members during house tours. A cloudy blue carpet was installed in the living room. It looks great with the dark wood on the first floor.
This year new furniture for the living room and lounge was purchased. The annex received new carpet.
Philanthropy:
Volunteering to work with children of various ages was another way the chapter enjoyed getting involved in the surrounding community and organizations. The Kappas helped the Ronald McDonald House by taking children who had cancer ice skating. The chapter supported the Wallingford Boys and Girls Club by participating in their “Teen Late Nights.” This meant spending time with teenagers and participating in activities such as basketball, watching movies and playing games. During this decade the chapter’s first annual Extreme Games was held. This was a week-long competition among fraternity members. The men competed in activities such as ultimate Frisbee and rock climbing. T-shirts and raffle tickets were also sold. Income from these activities was given to Childhaven, the chapter’s main philanthropy.
Chapter members volunteered at Children’s Hospital; Committee Organizing Rape Education; University Church of Christ; AIDS care; UW sports medicine clinic and PONCHO. Many members volunteered at the UW Medical Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and elementary schools in the Seattle Public Schools.
The Extreme Games competition raised more than $2,400 for Childhaven, an organization which supports battered women and their children ages one-month to five-years and have been abused, neglected or impacted by a parent’s substance abuse.
During Greek Week the chapter raised money for the John Stanford Endowment Fund. It also supported other fraternity philanthropies, Sigma Chi Derby Days and Lambda Chi Alpha’s Watermelon bust benefiting Northwest Harvest.
A Father/daughter golf tournament which benefited The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was held. The chapter members participated in the Greek system’s clean-up around the University area. The members made valentines for children who were in the hospital. The girls boxed food to take to a battered women clinic in Seattle
The chapter was involved in the March of Dines Hunger Awareness program. It had a dime drive and donated 858 meals to people in need. The chapter also raised money for Camp Goodtimes by sponsoring a car wash, wrote letters to servicemen stationed in Saudi Arabia and donated 200 books to a children’s book drive. Beta Pis picked up aluminum cans and litter on campus and around the Greek system. They recycled the most cans of all UW chapters.
The chapter won an award for the most donations from a chapter to the Giving Tree, a donation center which received new items for children in need. The chapter also contributed a number of Christmas stockings to servicemen aboard a ship who would not be able to be at home with their families during the holidays.
Spring quarter the chapter sold tickets for a Sonics game to earn money to send children to Camp Goodtimes.
Highlights of the 2000-2010
In October, 2005, Beta Pi celebrated its Centennial. More than 300 Kappas attended a special luncheon at Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle. Several classes held reunions, the annual Doris Bronson Morril, Mary Maxwell Gates and Fleur-de-Lis awards were presented to deserving alumnae and a video celebrating 100 Years of Beta Pi was shown. Fraternity Director of Alumnae Carol George Sanders, Cal State Northridge attended.
At chapter dinner, Carol presented a $1,000 check from the Fraternity to UW president Mark Emmert to commemorate Beta Pi’s 100 years on the campus. This money went into the UW’s general scholarship fund.
Beta Pi continued its tradition of success in Recruitment by pledging 33 dedicated, intelligent and beautiful women. The pledge class included seven legacies.
The chapter excelled academically this year. Its G.P.A. placed was second among the UW sororities in the fall of 2005 and winter 2006. The chapter finished the year in a tie for first place with a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.41.
Beta Pi welcomed a Kappa from Tulane who left her campus in the wake of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast. She lived in the chapter house fall quarter and attended classes at the UW. In January, she returned to school in New Orleans to continue the year at Tulane.
As part of the 2008 archives display, the chapter watched the video from the Centennial celebration, 100 Years of Beta Pi. This was really meaningful for the freshmen because they had the opportunity to see how Kappa had affected the lives of so many women for so many years. After watching the video, art materials and stacks of photos were set out on tables. The women at each table created a page for the Kappa scrapbook. It allowed all the women to come together, use their creativity to celebrate Kappa and reminded the members of all the fun times they had shared during the past year. By the end of the evening, three new scrapbooks had been created.
A highlight from 2008 was the wonderful time Beta Pi had during Greek Weekend. Greek This is a Panhellenic-sponsored event, and its main purpose is to get high school seniors interested in Greek life at the UW. Beta Pi hosted approximately 25 girls for two days. It was fun to set up activites such as walking around the local neighborhood for coffee and giving campus tours to introduce the girls to the UW. It gave all the members a great opportunity to get to know the girls who might pledge Kappa.
With Panhellenic’s approval, a mock Recruitment was held. It was very helpful in familiarizing the girls with the Recruitment. Recruitment can be overwhelming to girls who are not familiar with it. Greek Weekend helps to ease their anxiety because they get to know some girls already in the chapter. Greek Weekend was an exceedingly helpful tool in not only promoting interest in the Greek system at the UW in high school seniors but also in preparing the sophomores for the upcoming formal Recruitment.
Founders Day 2008 was very special. Alumnae were honored by giving them their fifty, sixty-five- or seventy-five year pins. It was very emotional as these women were brought to tears by the fact that they were still friends with women from their pledge class. It even caused some of the active members to tear up as the older women received their pins and awards. It turned out to be especially beneficial for the New Members because they learned about Kappa Kappa Gamma history and experienced how far Kappa can reach.
This was an amazing year for Beta Pi. The chapter was successful in all areas of chapter life. From philanthropy participation to social activities, Beta Pi had a year to remember.
The University of Washington is truly one of the best universities in the country. With the number-one Nursing School in the country, as well as an amazing medical school, law school and business school. The UW is located in the heart of Seattle and has a great core group of sports fans of all ages as well as intellectuals. The average G.P.A. of students accepted at the UW was 3.7.
In 2008, the Seattle campus had more than 26,000 undergraduate students, and students could study or learn just about anything their heart desired. The study abroad program provided options to travel to many countries which gave students a chance to learn about the cultures of others. With such a big campus, the University is lucky to have 16 sororities and 30 fraternities, which helped give the large campus a smaller feeling.
Even though the football team did not do as well as everyone had hoped for in 2008, it had an extremely promising future. New head coach Steve Sarkisian developed a positive and optimistic attitude in the team and fans.
Beta Pi had more than 100 active members, and constantly had girls studying abroad. While it was fun to have all the girls in the house, Beta Pi recognizes what an amazing experience it is for our women to study abroad, therefore it was highly encouraged. Several women in the house were involved in intramural sports, and three members of Beta Pi were on the UW women's soccer team.
Starting the 2009 school year included welcoming new UW interim president, Phyllis Wise. The previous president, Mark Emmert, resigned to become the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) president. What a great fall sports season to be a part of the NCAA.
One of the great accomplishments of Beta Pi was maintaining a G.P.A. of 3.35 for spring quarter 2009. Thanks to our Vice President of Academic Excellence, the members have continued to constantly promote scholarship in the chapter and they were encouraged to maintain high grades each quarter. Parents’ weekend was held. It included a great father-daughter barbeque and baseball game, and a mother-daughter tea hosted by the Parents Club at the Seattle Golf Club.
Fall 2009 began with another outstanding Recruitment. The pledge class consisted of 31 New Members including one junior and one sophomore. Everyone really came together, and Recruitment ran smoothly with no infractions or major problems. Bid Week followed and was filled with many fun events such as trips to Green Lake, barbeques and campfires, an all-house bowling party and an ice cream social. The members were very proud of our New Member class.
After 2009 Recruitment came Founders Day which was a very special event. It was held at the Seattle Yacht Club and the entire Kappa council and new pledge class attended.
In November 2009, Beta Pi welcomed an ambitious new council and the Leadership Consultant visited the chapter. It was a very pleasant week and provided the chapter with excellent feedback and ideas for improvement.
The ladies of Beta Pi had opportunities to attend some exciting social events during the year. These events included the annual Sapphire Ball, a Mariners game grab-a-date and a two-of-a-kind dance. Some Kappas were lucky enough to travel abroad to several countries.
The UW continued to be rated one of the top 100 universities in the country. It attracts a very diverse group of students including many international students. It had many opportunities to offer both academically and in terms of life experiences. The UW offers a wide range of programs and electives taught by intelligent and inspiring professors. It is a great place to learn and prepare for life after college.
In addition to classes, the UW offers endless options for involvement in different students clubs and organizations as well as intramural sports teams. The UW Seattle campus currently has approximately 28,000 undergraduate students. In 2010, the university has 16 sororities and 30 fraternities.
Beta Pi is was a strong chapter with many amazing young women. It had more than 100 active members each with outstanding qualities. The chapter members excelled in many areas including leadership and philanthropy and did their best to uphold the ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
In 2010 chapter received the Panhellenic Association’s Excellence in Social Award and the Katie Treichel Award. Many of the women in the chapter elected to study abroad. These experiences only help to add to the diversity of the chapter.
The chapter had four members on the UW women's soccer team, one member of the UW cheerleading team and two members in the ROTC program. Several of the members were enrolled in the Honors College.
Although the chapter had many successes in 2010, it was lucky not to encounter any major issues; however it did run into a few challenges.
Unfortunately, with good news often comes bad news, and the chapter did face some challenges in 2010. Only reaching the All-Sorority Average, the chapter ranked ninth out of 17 chapters in the Sorority Academic Rankings for winter quarter with an all-house average of 3.36. The chapter was, however, still above the UW average and the UW Greek average. It was definitely a disappointment to the members because they knew they were capable of much stronger academic achievements and the G.P.A. did not reflect the hard-earned reputation of being a chapter focused on academics.
As a result, the Vice President of Academic Excellence put a lot of effort into creative ideas to encourage each member to raise her grades. With a Dress Like Your Major-themed dinner, Starbucks gift cards for most improved and highest G.P.A. awards and individual meetings to brainstorm ways in which the chapter could help anyone struggling, all contributed to the spring success. After spring quarter, the chapter went from ninth to third, with an all-chapter average of 3.43 - an illustration of what hard work and strong sisterhood can accomplish.
Another challenge faced in 2010 was the loss of several great members. Many of our seniors resigned because they didn’t want to pay the live-out fees. It was sad to see them go, but chapter members continued to keep in regular contact with them.
2010 was definitely a year for the books for the women of Beta Pi. Beginning in January, the chapter hosted its Regional Director of Chapters and Coordinator of Chapter Support for a long weekend. They were really fabulous, and it was a great chance for the members to get to know women who have continued to uphold Kappa Kappa Gamma traditions and values. Numerous coffee dates, lunch dates, gym visits and other fun, quintessential Seattle activities were scheduled for them with actives, giving the members the opportunity to learn more about and get involved with the Fraternity.
Unfortunately, following their visit, the tragic 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, killing more than 250,000 people and injuring many. The chapter and a majority of the Greek community raised money to donate to support relief efforts through the Red Cross in Haiti.
Throughout the final winter months, January and February, in Seattle, Hunter boots and “puffy” Northface jackets were the rage. Other trends that started 2010 and continued on campus, especially in the chapter, include Ugg boots, Lululemon apparel, leggings, boots, scarves of all types, Nike apparel and the occasional crop tops paired with a bandage skirt when attending social functions at fraternities.
The warmer trends were shown in full stride, when several of our women carpooled up to Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, for the Winter Olympic Games in February 2010. Team USA did very well and won a multitude of medals. It was very exciting for those who were there and o for the nation as a whole.
Spring quarter 2010 was action-packed for the chapter. It kicked off with the UW’s men’s basketball team making it to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament. Although they eventually lost to West Virginia, many women in the chapter appreciate and follow the university’s athletics, which made this showing in the tournament very thrilling.
The highlight of the fantastic spring quarter was placing third in the Panhellenic academic rankings, with a house average of 3.43. It is always an exceptional quarter when everyone performs so well in class. The All-Sorority Average was a 3.36, and the junior class helped immensely to raise the all-house average, finishing with a 3.52 as its pledge class average. This achievement did not only boost the house morale, but also helped during Greek Weekend and in fall 2010 Recruitment.
In September, the chapter upheld its outstanding reputation of being a strong chapter by recruiting a phenomenal new freshman class of 32. Immediately, they all formed bonds with women in their pledge class and intermixed with the older girls. It was such a delight to have them in the chapter. The pledges were fabulous and brought a fun spirit into the chapter.
The Husky women’s soccer team made it all the way to the Elite Eight for only the second time in school history. After a few rough football seasons, UW quarterback Jake Locker, who stayed for his senior year instead of entering the NFL draft early, led the team to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, Calif. and the Huskies beat Nebraska. It was unbelievable after the rocky season they’d had, but an amazing achievement for the entire university. Several Beta Pi’s attended the game together, and made it into a pledge class vacation. The Holiday Bowl win helped ring in the New Year for the chapter!
Unfortunately, the country was dealing with some very difficult issues. The job market was extremely limited, it was fighting two wars, one in Afghanistan and another in Iraq, the economy was in crisis and there was a very significant and transformative election in the fall of 2010. In addition, the university had to deal with major budget reductions because of the state legislature’s cuts and the recession.
Of all the universities in the nation, the University of Washington was ranked 41st and has consistently been ranked in the top 50 for the last couple of years. Continuing to improve its staff, research, resources and campus atmosphere, the University of Washington strives to be the best for its students. The Foster School of Business opened its new building on campus, PACCAR Hall. At least 25 of the actives were enrolled in the business school, making PACCAR a very popular study spot and a prime location for class. A major bonus about having classes in PACCAR is that it has a Starbucks in the building.
The UW athletic department and administration announced plans for a Husky Stadium renovation. Construction will begin immediately after the 2011 football season. For one year, the home games will be played at the Seahawks’ Century Link Field downtown, in order to rebuild the stadium from the ground up. Once completed, the successful football program with Coach Steve “Sark” Sarkisian will have a brand- new, state-of-the-art-stadium.
After a very successful Recruitment, with a Willy-Wonka-themed Bid Day, Beta Pi gained a fabulous class of new members. These women brought a lot of energy to the chapter, especially during our Inspiration Week. At the end of Inspiration Week, on November 13th, 32 new Kappa Kappa Gammas were initiated.
Every new pledge class struggles with adjusting to college and transitioning into its new home, but the upperclassmen worked hard to make that transition as smooth as possible for the New Members. In 2010, the freshmen’s favorite New Member event was their sleepover with the sophomores at one of the sophomore’s homes, where they played games, had dinner and watched a movie. These events provided special bonding time immediately after the freshmen were welcomed into the house and also became memorable moments for the upperclassmen.
Historically, the majority of Beta Pi’s members have been Washington residents with most coming from nearby cities and towns. However, during the last few years, the chapter welcomed many more women from other areas including California, Oregon and Chicago. It has been awesome way to diversify the chapter and also makes for some great Kappa vacations.
A notable event that occurred in our chapter in 2010 was welcoming back about ten members who had been abroad all fall. They told incredible stories about their adventures. Many of the stories influenced other members of the chapter to take advantage of the many highly respected programs through the UW and partnering organizations.
Junior Meredith Stager was selected Vice President of Public Relations on the Panhellenic Council. The chapter had not had a member serve on this council in a very long time so it was exciting that the chapter would now be represented in a leadership role of the UW Greek System. It was hoped that that her new position would encourage other chapter members to become more involved in Panhellenic in the years to come.
A challenge faced this year was maintaining high morale and Kappa spirit in the annex. The annex house director didn’t fill the role of what the annex needed as a house director. The strong sisterhood and morale in the main house was really lacking in the annex in large part because of the annex house director. A new house director for the annex was hired and she did wonderful job getting to know all of the women living in the annex. She had a much stronger presence and created a more cohesive feeling among the 25 members who live in the annex.
All these activities plus more were accomplished by many young, enthusiastic and outgoing women. Kappa’s contributions to the University of Washington and to the community are worthy of praise and have been remembered through the years. Convention Award:
Convention 2006 proved to be a wonderful affirmation of Beta Pi’s successes and tradition of excellence.
The chapter received the 2004-2006 Recruitment Award for a chapter on a campus with 15 or more sororities, honorable mention for the Heritage Award, honorable mention for the Greatest Improvement in Scholarship Award and honorable mention for the Panhellenic Award.
The chapter also received recognition at the Foundation banquet for donating $2,500 to the Kappa Foundation.
Housing:
The House Corporation focused on maintaining the annex and main house rather than decorating. The biggest project was painting the exterior of the Annex.
An outside security system was installed. The security lighting was expanded outside and the wiring to support this system was updated.
An ongoing project was to plan to update the chapter house for the second 100 years of Beta Pi members.
During the summer of 2007, several major repairs and improvements were made to the chapter house. First and most critically, the boiler, which was nearly as old as the house, was replaced. It had been on its last legs for quite a while, so the replacement ensures that there will be hot water and heat for a long time to come. In addition, the radiators in each bedroom was updated with new heat control valves. The result is that members will be able to actually control the heat in their rooms, which will come in handy during the cold winter months.
The third floor sleeping porch and 'library' bedroom have received new carpet that was much needed. A new sliding glass door will also be installed, leading up to the sun porch on the roof.
The major renovation was the remodeling of the basement and chapter room. This project entailed new paint, carpet, and flooring, along with all new lighting and ceiling fans. The new design features an art room which could be used for projects and poster making and most importantly, all new freshman study spaces. Each desk includes built-in upper and lower cabinet storage as well as personal lighting.
These come at a crucial time, considering that for the past couple of years there have not been enough study spaces for the new member class. The beautiful basement remodel adds a lot to the house overall, and will make chapter meetings and late night studying more comfortable for everyone. The chapter appreciated the wonderful house board and all of the many contractors and other people who made this possible. The updates were much appreciated and everyone looked forward to seeing how the house would continue to improve in the coming years.
Philanthropy:
Beta Pi maintained involvement in the community by continuing to help the children in the Ronald McDonald House. The chapter raised $6,000 from its third annual Klassic Golf Tournament to donate to the Ronald McDonald House. This year’s tournament was held at the Echo Falls Golf and Country Club. More than 100 players participated.
In 2007, members of Beta Pi hosted the first annual Kappa Fling Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. The event took place at Denny Field on the UW campus from Monday, April 23, through Thursday, April 26. Through registration fees, sponsorships and tee shirt and Frisbee sales, Beta Pi raised $4,000 for our local charity, Ronald McDonald House.
Following the final championship game, all participants were invited back to the Kappa House for a barbecue to celebrate a week of fun, hard work, and philanthropy. The winners of the tournament, the men of Pi Kappa Alpha, received a trophy and recognition at the barbecue as well The second place Phi Tau team members were so grateful for the sincerity and support of their Kappa coaches that at the end of the tournament they gave each of them a bouquet of flowers.
In the past, the chapter hosted the Kappa Klassic Golf Tournament, which has been great, but this year the members wanted to try something different that focused more on involving the University of Washington's campus community. Ultimate Frisbee is an extremely popular sport, and the chapter was thrilled to have fifteen teams participating that consisted of fraternity men as well as other UW students. Not only did the participants have a great time, but all of the undergraduate members had an outstanding time coaching and cheering on all of the teams!
Because of the low cost of the tournament, Beta Pi was also able to make a $1,000 donation to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation with the remaining portion of the philanthropy budget. The money raised from t-shirt sales and participation fees was donated to Ronald McDonald House, where the children could benefit directly from the chapter’s efforts. The members participated in many fraternity-sponsored events and won our brother fraternity's philanthropy, Derby Days, which supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Beta Pi continues to cultivate social responsibility by giving time, talent and treasure to serve the greater good. The chapter looks forward to the future of Kappa Fling, and hopes that it remains a Beta Pi tradition for many years to come!
During 2008, active members of Beta Pi reached out to the community. Visiting Ronald McDonald House was one of the most rewarding aspects of our philanthropy. A trip to the Ronald McDonald House was scheduled once a quarter where members participated in fun activities with the children. In 2008, the chapter went a few days before Halloween and decorated Halloween cookies with the kids. It was amazing to see how much such an activity can affect the children.
The winter and spring quarters proved to be very social for the girls of Beta Pi who participated in more philanthropic events, including an all-night volleyball tournament, a soccer tournament and a basketball tournament. It was great to see the members participating and helping others in the Greek community. Many grab-a-dates and exchanges gave the Beta Pi’s the chance to interact with friends and others both inside and outside of the Greek Community. During fall quarter 2010, the annual book drive for Reading is Fundamental began. More than 100 books were collected.
Spring quarter 2010, the chapter’s annual philanthropy event was held, Kappa Fling. It was a weeklong ultimate Frisbee tournament for both fraternities and sororities. Not only did everyone have a lot of fun, the event also raised a whopping $3,300 for the Ronald McDonald House, the chapter’s local philanthropy. In the spirit of philanthropy, the members also participated in Lambda Chi’s philanthropy event, Watermelon Bust, in support of The Jamie Moyer Foundation.
Monthly visits to the Ronald McDonald House were part of the chapter’s philanthropy calendar. During the visits, they often engaged the children who stayed at the house in activities such as decorating cookies, making bookmarks and various board or card games. The chapter does a great job of keeping philanthropic participation a top priority. The more everyone gives back, the higher the morale in the chapter.
School started in October, rather late, but with the start of school came Sigma Chi Derby Days which raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Theta Chi Stampede Week, supporting The Kyle Charvat Foundation. Everyone looks forward to both events all year, and always give a strong performance. It is a great chance for the whole chapter to rally behind something together and really bond.
Highlights 2011-2019:
(From chapter history reports, 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.)
Highlights of 2011
2011 was an exciting year for the active members of Kappa Kappa Gamma. We hosted our first ever intersorority philanthropy, titled UFC, the Ultimate Fraternity Competition. This was held in March with the women of Gamma Phi Beta. UFC consisted of an Ultimate Frisbee competition which supported our local philanthropy, the Ronald McDonald House. Beta Pi has been working on promoting panhellenic relations within the chapter, and partnering with Gamma Phi Beta was a huge step in fostering new intersorority relationships. Later in Spring Quarter, we took the championship title of Lambda Chi’s Watermelon Bust philanthropy week, our neighboring fraternity. However, our most important accomplishment was coming out of Spring quarter second in grades! We set a high standard for ourselves and will really stand out during Formal Fall Recruitment.
As members returned from summer in September, we were eager to recruit a new class of wonderful Kappas. Recruitment resulted in a class of 37 young women, our biggest pledge class in history! 25 of our new members are from the state of Washington, 11 from California and 2 from Oregon. Bid Day, themed “Red, White, and True Blue” was as exciting as ever! The new members are an amazing addition to our chapter. This year marks the 150th class to enter the University of Washington, so it is a great year to be a freshman. As school began, our first fraternity philanthropy we chose to participate in was Sigma Chi Derby Days, which we ended up winning! It was a great bonding experience for the freshmen and the rest of the chapter showered them with immense support. Husky football games proved to be a standout social event as always, the Huskies finished with a 7-5 record, and participation in the Valero Alamo Bowl!
Autumn of 2011 was a beautiful time for Seattle, as the leaves were bursting with color for months. Fall Quarter marked the start of our intense fundraising effots to benefit GIRLS Academy. Beta Pi was selected to host the 3rd ever Kappa GIRLS Academy, and our chapter is anxious and excited! The program focuses on mentoring middle school-aged girls to learn the benefits of staying in school and the qualities of leadership. Our actives raised over $600 in babysitting and another $600 in a bake sale with all proceeds dedicated to the GIRLS Academy retreat occuring March 3rd and 4th As we transitioned into Winter, Beta Pi welcomed a transfer student from the Gamma Mu chapter of Oregon State University. Lindsey Anderson has been a joy to have at Beta Pi and we have loved hearing about the similiarities and differences between the chapters. More in local news; Yogurtland, a popular frozen yogurt shop, opened up on University Way! This is one of the year's trendiest hotspots. Kappas are often seen walking down to get their froyo fix! Northface jackets, lululemon pants and Ugg boots continued to be a typical outfit for busy UW students, Kappas included. We also love knee length boots paired with leggies and a long sweater. Scarves, bags, bangles, and jewelry are often exchanged throughout the chapter, Beta Pi is full of fashionistas! We can expect new trends, new activities and more accomplishments for the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma in 2012!
Campus: The University of Washington continues to be growing in popularity amongst the nation. This year was the first time that one-third of all accepted students were from out-of-state, making the University more difficult to get in to for in-state students. The University's competitiveness is on the rise and we can only expect it to continue in the coming years. Husky Stadium has begun its renovation and will be completed by the 2013 season. Construction disrupts the ambiance of Montlake and the Arboretum, two beautiful areas surrounding our campus. Students are looking forward to a new stadium where Husky pride is sure to surge. In the mean time, we will have football games at the Century Link Field in downtown Seattle where the Seahawks currently play.
Chapter: Beta Pi actives are constantly wanting to get involved. Whether it is with the University, the chapter specifically or our community at large, the young women are eager to participate. A couple notable Kappas are: sophomore Jillian Cellich sits on ASUW working as a senator, she hopes to run on an all Greek ticket for ASUW next year. Freshman Kate Sibley was just selected to sit on Panhellenic Standards Board. Sophomore Haley Erickson was recently elected as our chapters first Fundraising Chair, Haley sits on council and is working to set precedent and draft a formal leadership guide for the position in the future. Numerous members have internships and jobs working in retail, accounting, microbiology labs, nannying, marketing, and finance.
One difficult challenge of the year was accommodating for a pledge class of 37 women. University of Washington’s Greek Community is growing in popularity, and in size. Chapter’s quotas are raising yearly. There is a committee currently working on the idea of expansion at the University and the possibility of opening our Greek doors to another chapter. Our previous president, Maggie Pool, and Advisory Board Chair, Lauren Lukjanowicz, sit on that committee. All of that said, our 37 new members are assimilating wonderingly into our Kappa community. Another challenge we’ve been dealing with is fostering original, creative social events. As seniors have experienced some of the same events year after year, we are trying new things! To kick off the school year we had our traditional Mariners grab-a-date, followed by a newly themed Fall Dance, Kappa Gam Space Gam! Both events were well attended and appreciated by our members. The event chairman, Megan Mayer, is working hard to plan creative intersorority and fraternity exchanges at the chapter house. Just last month we made canvas art by gluing crayons to canvas and melting them with hairdryers, an art project we discovered on a newly popular website called Pinterest! No matter what challenges present themselves, the Beta Pi actives are always ready to take them on to better our chapter in any way we can!
Highlights of 2012
Philanthropy 2012 was a big year for Philanthropy at Beta Pi. The chapter chose to apply to host Girl’s Academy in 2011 and was selected by the Fraternity as one of two chapters to participate in the program in February of 2012. The program is comprised of small and large group activities and discussions, which are geared toward inspiring and instilling leadership qualities in young girls who may not otherwise have role models to do so. Washington Middle School, where the event took place, had such receptive and excited participants; every Kappa who was involved in Girl’s Academy was appreciative of and enthusiastic about the opportunity. With such a positive response, the chapter decided to apply for a second year of hosting Girl’s Academy, which we were again chosen for, and will host in February 2013.
We also continued our second year of “Ultimate Fraternity Competition” with Gamma Phi Beta. The week-long competition is a fun way to get fraternities involved with our fundraising efforts; the money raised is split between the two sorority philanthropy’s, our portion going to The Ronald McDonald House. It is a really great way to increase positive inter-sorority relations, as we are the only joint sorority philanthropy on campus.
As always, we continue in our efforts to give to the National Fraternity philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, and again collected books to donate to the organization.
Chapter Council We added two new Council positions this last year, a Fundraising Chair and an Exchange Chair. Both were successful positions, and we decided to continue both for the current Council.
Biennial Convention: Beta Pi was lucky enough to send 5 active members to Convention in Jacksonville this year: Ali Smith, Bryn Smith, Bryn Wensley, Haley Erikson, and Kaylie Gray accompanied Chapter Council Advisor, Molly Boyajian to Convention and accepted the Technology Award for Beta Pi.
Greek Awards We were also honored by our own Greek Community at the Greek Awards banquet with the Excellence in Academic Programming Award.
Panhellenic Involvement Two Kappa sisters were elected to Panhellenic Council this year, a very exciting thing as it has been a few years since we have had Kappa’s represent Panhellenic. Kate Sibley, a sophomore, is Vice President of Service and Philanthropy, and junior Jillian Celich is Vice President of Risk Management.
Alumnae Relations Alumnae relations have been as great in 2012, as we always strive to keep them high. We started the year off with our first ever Career Fair in which professional women from the Seattle Alumna Association came to help us edit our resumes, talk about career options, and offer mock interview sessions. It was helpful and exciting to see so many successful and professional women who started their careers in the same place we are today. In late October, we also held a ‘Trick or Treat’ afternoon for local alumnae with young children to go from room to room to collect candy from dressed-up actives. We were able to couple this event with a Halloween Bake Sale, for which proceeds went to Girls Academy.
Recruitment This year Beta Pi had a more challenging recruitment, but we finished strong with a new member class of 33 incredible women! We initiated 32 in the fall, and will be initiating another this February. Our Chapter is getting really excited and working hard with our advisers to ensure that we have yet another successful recruitment this fall!
Current Events 2012 Election this year, there was a lot of talk about the upcoming elections and people were excited about watching the debates and overall process of election, since this was most actives’ first time voting in a Presidential Election. We had a sisterhood in our first-floor lounge for one of the final debates, girls gathered downstairs to eat snacks, watch, and discuss details of the debate.
Changes Husky Games this year took place at Qwest field in downtown Seattle, as our home stadium is now under construction, but will be reopening next year upon the first game of the season. The Huskies also made it to the Maaco Bowl this year in Las Vegas where we took on Boise State, but came up short. Next year for sure—GO DAWGS!
The University of Washington has been taking on more and more students in the last few years, although places to live are not increasing at a comparable rate. Therefore, we have had more Potential New Member’s come through Recruitment than in years previous. In apprehension of another year of large pledge classes, many rising Juniors found places to live outside the chapter house for the 2012-2013 school year. Traditionally, Beta Pi has never had more than a few special circumstance juniors live out, so it has been a new challenge for our chapter. The junior class and house as a whole has handled it extremely well, keeping morale and participation high this year. We have also instituted a meal plan this year, in an effort to keep live outs at the chapter house and in contact with those who live in. It has worked out greatly and all parties have been grateful for the option to eat lunches at Kappa.
One of the biggest issues on campus this year has been the idea of differential tuition. Many students, especially the student government, ASUW, are opposed to the idea and will travel to Olympia in early 2013 to fight the legislation.
“From its humble beginnings as a frontier university, the UW, now three campuses strong, has risen to take its place as one of the 20 best universities on the planet. Unquestionably, we are the global gateway envisioned by its founders…” Michael K. Young, new University of Washington president, 2011.
Highlights of 2013
Philanthropy 2013 was a very year exciting for Philanthropy at Beta Pi. The chapter hosted GIRLS academy for the second time in February 2012 and then reapplied to be eagerly hosting again for the third time in February of 2014. GIRLS academy stands for Girls Inspiring Respect Leadership and Service. The program is comprised of small and large group activities and discussions, which are geared toward inspiring and instilling leadership qualities and positive body image in young girls. It is a great chance for women in our chapter to be role models and leaders in our community. The event takes place at Washington Middle School, and every year the participants are so excited and receptive to the program, making it easy for Kappas to be appreciative and enthusiastic about the opportunity to volunteer with GIRLS academy.
To raise money for GIRLS academy, Beta Pi hosted their first annual Kappa Kappa Kickball tournament. The tournament was a 3‐day event made up of a double elimination kickball tournament, hot dog eating contest and serenade competition. To advertise the tournament a Facebook event was created and invitations were went to fraternity men in the UW Greek community along with physical letters. 12 fraternities participated in the event donating a $100 entry fee each. Overall, $1200 was donated to support GIRLS Academy programming. We also raised money through holiday bake sales, which was a great way to get Beta Pi involved in the Greek community and utilize our public relations/fundraising teams to get our philanthropy more publicized.
As always, we continue in our efforts to give to the National Fraternity philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental, and have a book drive to donate books to the organization. We also have a chapter competition between members in different rooms to see which room could donate the most books. It runs through the month of February and is a great way to get roommates involved in philanthropy. We additionally have bi-quarterly visits to the Ronald McDonald house. We have fun arts and crafts projects with the kids, which is a great way to get involved with our community and connect with local families.
Province Beta Pi was lucky enough to send 8 active members to Province this year. At Province, Beta Pi was honored to win best active-adviser relations award and most improved chapter.
Greek Awards We were honored by our Greek Community at the Greek Awards banquet for being finalists for the Excellence in Academic Programming Award.
Panhellenic Involvement Two Kappa sisters have served on Panhellenic Council this past year. Kate Sibley, a sophomore, is Vice President of Service and Philanthropy, and junior Jillian Celich is Vice President of Risk Management. We also have a junior panhellenic representative who goes to weekly meetings. They are very involved with Panhellenic and keep up Beta Pi relations with Panhellenic throughout the year.
Alumnae Relations Alumnae relations have been great this year. We had another successful Career Fair in which professional women from the Seattle Alumna Association came to help us edit our resumes, talk about career options, and offer mock interview sessions. It was helpful and exciting to see so many successful and professional women who started their careers in the same place we are today. In late October, we also held a ‘Trick or Treat’ afternoon for local alumnae with young children to go from room to room to collect candy from dressed-up actives. Our alumnae also helped throughout the year with recruitment and did a mock House Tours’ event with the chapter. We also won best active-adviser award at Province.
Recruitment Recruitment was a huge success this year. Throughout the year, our chapter executed various workshops to enhance our Recruitment skills. These workshops began in winter quarter in order to prepare for Greek Preview and continued throughout the spring. The workshops were focused on values based recruiting and identifying values in Potential New Members. In the weeks preceding Recruitment, Beta Pi also practiced Open House Round and House Tours Round of Recruitment with other sororities in the Greek community. This gave our chapter valuable insight into how we could improve our Recruitment skills. The success of these events was made evident by our chapter not receiving a single violation or infraction during all of recruitment.
Academics Beta Pi has improved greatly this past year in grades. In the Spring of 2013, Beta Pi was ranked 14th out of all the sororities in the Greek community, with a 3.30 GPA. Academics were a huge challenge for our chapter and major changes were made. A sophomore/freshman study buddy group was created, where each week they had an academic related assignment to complete. We increased academic morale with our scholarship dinners, pledge class GPA/test file competition, Geek of the Week jar, and Kappa Kompliments Facebook page. All of these activities are aimed at recognizing members of the chapter for their academic endeavors and accomplishments. The success of these programs was very apparent when Beta Pi tied for 1st in grades in fall of 2014 with a GPA of 3.48. The improvement is academic excellence was amazing and has created a lot of momentum for the rest of the year to do well in grades.
Current Events In October of 2013, the government shutdown for over two weeks. During this time flu vaccinations were put on hold with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unable to support its seasonal influenza program. Beta Pi however had already invited Walgreens to come to our chapter during the shutdown and give out flu shots. We opened up their services to the whole community and helped numerous people get vaccinated and stay healthy during the flu season.
One of the biggest issues on campus is the prospect of differential tuition which would change tuition rates for different majors. Although differential tuition could increase educational funding and overall program expansion, it would also place a huge burden on students who are already faced with inflated tuition bills and loans. In March of 2013, University of Washington students were joined by campus union representatives and members of the community in s statewide coordinated day of action in opposition to differential tuition. They marched in Olympia to promote House Bill 1043, which is legislation that limits public universities ability to set differential tuition. If differential tuition became a reality, it would not only affect every member of our chapter but also Potential New Members. The cost of college is a huge issue for most incoming freshman and increasing tuition rates could make the University of Washington less desirable and have a detrimental effect on the whole Greek Community.
Another big change that happened in the Greek Community was the changes made on Recruitment. There was a “no frills” policy created which stated that chapters had to focus more on engaging in conversations with Potential New Members rather than impressing them with their looks, decorations, or any other superficial aspect of Recruitment. The goal is to make the Recruitment process a more genuine experience that is based off of the morals and philanthropic endeavors of the chapter. This affected Philanthropy day for many chapters and also changed a lot of the rules on door chants.
The campus has also started a Husky Nightwalk to be hosted on February 12 in conjunction with UWPD and Seattle PD to clean up the Greek Community. Beta Pi will attend the event and help clean up the streets, identify deficiencies in lighting, and help better the safety of our community overall.
Highlights of 2014
-In February 2014 , Beta Pi and the Seattle Alumni Association hosted Girls Academy for the 3rd time at Washington Middle School.
- Also in February, at the University of Washington Greek Awards, Beta Pi won awards for Chapter Management, Outstanding New Member Programming, Excellence in Academic Programming, and the Katie Treichel Spirit Award for a stellar 2013 Recruitment.
- Also related to awards, in June at Kappa Kappa Gamma Convention in Houston, Texas, Beta Pi won the award for Philanthropy and received Honorable Mention for the House Board Award, Heritage Award (in honor of the Lake Washington Alumni Association), the award for Gracious Living, Alumni Philanthropy, and Chapter Management. The Seattle Alumni Association was awarded the Membership Reference Award and the Lake Washington Alumni Association also won the Lifelong Education Award. Beta Pi sent four representatives and our delegate, Kristin Hummel (2014 Marshal) had the honor of introducing former Kappa Kappa Gamma President Julie.
- Scholarship was a great high point for Beta Pi in 2014. In the Fall we tied for first in academics, with a overall GPA of _3.39__ and quarterly GPA of _3.47___. Winter we were ranked 5th and Spring ranked 8th . We hope to continue to succeed in our academics in 2015.
- First Reading is Fundamental event at Lowell Middle School in May and we donated over 500 books in honor of Reading is Fundamental.
- In April Beta Pi hosted its second annual Kappa Kickball tournament on campus. We chose to rename the tournament "Kristy's Kickball" in honor of a PC 07 Beta Pi Alum, Kristy LeMond, who passed away from sarcoma in 2012. 17 fraternities participated in the daily kickball tournaments, as well as a hot dog eating competition and serenade sing-off, which helped us raise over $2,000 which went directly to the Kristy LeMond Scholarship, created by The Seattle Alumni Association who started the fund to give out three $2,000 scholarships to Beta Pi actives during their time at UW.
- In May 2014, Beta Pi was very busy from having Parents Weekend (including a rainy Seattle Sounders game and a brunch at the Seattle Golf club) the first weekend of the month to hosting a terrific Greek Preview day to potential PNM's (and their parents for a parents house tour round) on May 10. The following week we celebrated PC '10 for their Senior Week, which we capped off with "Kore Day" on May 11, a day to celebrate our "kore families" with an all-house picnic at Golden Gardens beach in Seattle.
- September was a busy month for Beta Pi, filled with a fun "work week" to kick off an excellent week of Recruitment that culminated in a Bid Day theme of "We Go Together" (a nod to the carnival scene in the movie "Grease") and welcoming 39 new members to Beta Pi. The following week of welcome for our New Members included fun bonding activities with each pledge class, including a New Member-Senior brunch, a fun New Member/Sophomore sleepover at a nearby active's house, and all-house activities as well, such as celebrating PC 14's first "Dawg Saurday" football game by walking down to the game all together, and going to Skate King for a 90's-themed roller skating sisterhood.
-Socially Beta Pi was very busy in 2014: We had a "Keys on Main" formal grab-a-date at a local dueling piano bar, a spring formal at Aquabar in downtown Seattle (complete with face painting and a photo booth), and two fall events: an informal grab-a-date to a Mariner's game in September and an informal "Two of a kind" dance at a nearby Seattle venue in November.
- In October we celebrated Founders Day with a lovely brunch hosted by the Lake Washington Alumni Association at the University Women's Club in downtown Seattle. In addition to the highest academic achievers of spring quarter, each of our 39 new members were able to attend, mingle with the alums, and sing Kappa songs. Additionally in October we hosted local alumni and their children for the annual Alum trick or treat. Actives dressed up in fun Halloween costumes and gave out candy to the alums and their young children as the kids went from room to room. Additionally the children decorated mini pumpkins and listened to some Halloween tunes. Additionally, thanks to our vast local alumni network, Beta Pi worked with the alums to start a "Coffee with a Kappa" mentorship/meet and greet program in which actives were paired up with local alums to ask about career advice, post-graduate plans, and get to know one another in an informal setting. It has become an invaluable resource for both undergrads and graduating seniors and is a tradition we hope to continue in 2015!
- In addition to officially welcoming in our 39 New Members to Beta Pi and membership in Kappa Kappa Gamma on November 8, we also affiliated a member formerly of University of Colorado: Boulder on November 3. Inspiration Week for the New Members was a very fun-filled week of sisterhoods, Kore family bonding time, and reflection for all members of Beta Pi, as we decorated the house for each day of the week (Sincerity, Growth, Love, Friendship, and Loyalty), and gave each new member cards to welcome them to Kappa Kappa Gamma officially.
- Beta Pi had two Leadership Consultant visits in 2014: Emilie Blake in the spring and Hana Johnson in the fall. Both were excellent visits and excellent opportunities for our Chapter to learn more about how we can continue to progress in our success as a Chapter and as sisters. Hana visited in October and was able to attend our joint Advisory Board/House Board Appreciation event on October 5. In addition to the AB/HB joint meeting, the Chapter Council Officers chose to write cards to their advisors and members of house board and give them flowers as signs of our appreciation for all of their hard work and help throughout 2014. Light dessert was served and it was a great opportunity to spend more time with the alums.
-Mariners GAD: The Beta Pi Chapter planned a fun grab-a-date during September 2014 to go watch a Mariners game. We were all able to sit with each other and enjoy a fun night of baseball while wearing our brand new baseball tees. Overall it was a very successful event and we hope to continue with it the next fall as well.
-The Beta Pi chapter held its annual trick or treating for alumni and their children. We decorated the house and put on costumes to host a very fun trick or treating event. We all bought candy and had each child visit the rooms in the main house to receive some candy for Halloween.
-In the spring of 2014 the Beta Pi chapter held its annual parents weekend. Each pledge class held its own get-together on Friday night to kick of the fun weekend. Saturday we all took our dads and/or moms to the Sounders Game to enjoy an exciting game of soccer. The next day was the mothers' day which included a brunch and a senior recognition ceremony.
-Every quarter the Beta Pi chapter schedules scholarship dinner to recognize the hard work and dedication that the chapter members put into their school work. The dinner includes a small ceremony in which the VP of Academics gives shout outs and treats to deans' list members and then more gifts to members with the highest top grades. Some highs of this year include being top ten in academic standing and remaining above the all sorority average.
-A couple times a quarter during the year of 2014, Kappa Kappa Gamma members have the privilege to visit and volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House just near the university. For a couple of hours, volunteers get to hang out and play fun games with the children.
-Risk Night - Alcohol, Check your Boobies, SARVA, UWPD: The Beta Pi Chapter hosted several risk nights which were very insightful and interactive. We all were able to learn more details about breast cancer, alcohol abuse, violence abuse, and UW safety. All the information provided by the guests was extremely useful and relevant especially while at college.
-New Chef with a blog: This fall we hired a new chef and he is wonderful. He started a blog called http://kkgkitchen.blogspot.com which shows the meals for the week and also includes announcements. Sometimes he will explain how he made a certain meal and also will answer our requests. He is a great asset to the kitchen staff and we are very grateful for his delicious food.
-Several chapter members joined a group in early 2014 called the INN. The INN is a weekly service of celebration and a worship service for anyone seeking Christian beliefs. Several Kappas have weekly meetings at the house or they will go to a church close to the UW.
-IMA basketball champs: In the Fall of 2014, chapter members created a intramural basketball team that included members from all pledge classes. This was a great way for all of them to interact more and get a good work out. They dominated the division they were in and eventually won the championship shirt. They received free t-shirts for their win and their picture is placed on the wall at the IMA gym.
-The UW recently increased its tuition in 2014.
-The 2014 recruitment had a high number of women and therefore each chapter was able to receive a higher number in their new pledge classes. Kappa Kappa Gamma received a big PC 14 which includes 39 members. We are very fortunate for all of them and glad we had the room to fit them all in the main house.
-Kappa Kappa Gamma has been recognized for its high retention especially for our PC 11s. They have remained the same number since freshmen year and we are so thrilled.
-Security updates- 2014 brought a lot of security scares especially in the Greek community. Several fraternities and sororities were broken into. The Beta Pi Chapter decided to inform each member of these concerns and remind them to walk with people at night. We also updated our security systems and even hired a security guard for several nights to ensure our safety.
-Chapter is held at the Kappa Kappa Gamma on the university campus. The chapter is an owned facility. Our chapter housing includes one main house and one annex (next to the main house). The main house holds 70 and the annex holds 24.
Highlights of 2015
• In February 2015, Kappa Kappa Gamma hosted its four year annual Icehouse Dance at a local venue in downtown Seattle. The week of Icehouse consisted of events such as serenading the fraternities with a Kappa rap.
• Risk Night – Alcohol Awareness, Check Your Boobies, SARVA, UWPD: The Beta Pi chapter hosted several risk nights which were very insightful and interactive. We were all able to learn more details about breast cancer, alcohol abuse, violence abuse, and UW safety. All the information provided by the guests were extremely useful and relevant especially while in college.
• New Chef with a blog: We have a new kitchen staff and chef that uses a blog to show the meals of the week and in addition includes announcements
• Several chapter members joined a group called the INN. The INN is weekly service celebration and a worship service for anyone seeking Christian beliefs. Several Kappas host weekly meetings at the chapter house or they will attend a church close to the UW
• September was a busy month for Beta Pi, filled with a fun “work week” to kick off an excellent week of Recruitment that culminated in a Bid Day Theme of “The Journey” which included a Washington and its well-known accolades. We welcomed 40 new members to Beta Pi. The following week of welcome for our New Members included fun bonding activities with each pledge class, including a New Member-Senior day, a fun New Member/Sophomore sleepover at a nearby active’s house, and all-house activities as well, such as celebrating PC 15’s first “Dawg Saturday” football game by walking down to the game all together
• Socially Beta Pi was very busy, with two Grab-a-Dates in Fall such as the Mariners game and one at a local bar near the University that was themed “mai tai”
• In October we celebrated Founders Day with a lovely brunch hosted by the Lake Washington Alumni Association at the University Women’s Club in downtown Seattle. In addition to the highest academic achievers of spring quarter, each of our new members were able to attend, mingle with alums, and sing Kappa songs. Additionally in October we hosted local alumni and their children for the annual Alum trick or treat. Actives dressed up in fun Halloween costumes and gave out candy to the alums and their young children as the kids went from room to room.
• On top of our successful Recruitment, we were able to extend our list of new members through continuous open bidding. This was the first time the chapter has participated in COB and we welcomed three new women into the chapter. Their official initiation will take place in January.
• In the spring of 2015 the Beta Pi Chapter held its annual parents weekend. Each pledge class held its own get-together on Friday night to kick of the fun weekend. Saturday we all took our dads and/or moms to the Husky Baseball Game to enjoy an exciting game of baseball. The next day was the mothers’ day which included a brunch and a senior recognition ceremony.
• Every quarter the Beta Pi Chapter schedules scholarship dinner to recognize the hard work and dedication that the chapter members put into their school work. The dinner includes a small ceremony in which the VP of academics gives shoutouts and treats to deans’ list members and then more gifts to members with the highest top grades. Some highs of this year including being top ten in academic standing and remaining above the all sorority average
• A couple times a quarter during the year of 2015, Kappa Kappa Gamma members had the privilege to visit and volunteer at the Ronald Mcdonald House just near the university. For a couple of hours, volunteers get to hang out and play fun games with the children
• The Beta Pi Chapter gained a new and wonderful house mother. Shelley has taken over her mother’s position as the all house house-mom. We are very excited for her and knew that the transition would be very easy. So far, she has been doing a great job keeping all the women and the house organized.
• In November, our lovely member, Casey Richard, was elected as Panhellenic VP of Recruitment Management. This will be great with continuing a close relationship with the UW Panhellenic and she will be a great liaison between the chapter, Panhellenic, and new members coming through recruitment.
• In the Fall of 2015, the Beta Pi Chapter contracted with a new composite company called Vantine. They were very easy to work with and affordable for our new composite picture.
• Francis Paoli, a member in PC 14, won Sigma Chi Sweetheart in Spring of 2015. This is a philanthropy week put on by the Sigma Chi Fraternity and winners are selected through a series of events.
• In the Fall of 2015, The Beta Pi Chapter completed a new system of promoting more participation in Kappa events, community events, volunteering and Panhellenic events. Points are award by submitting photo proof of involvement and each member is expected to submit at least six throughout the quarter. Involvement ties into standings for rooms for the next quarter.
• The Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter won Sigma Chi’s philanthropy week in the Fall of 2015. All proceeds go to Make-a-Wish and Kappas were able to raise the most money compared to the other sororities participating in the philanthropy week.
• Kappa Kappa Gamma downloaded a new application for phones called GIN. It will send text message reminders to all members for instance, there is a new study hour feature that will be used when telling all members when study hours will be taking place
• During Initiation week in early November, the LC Whitney Robinson visited the Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter. It was an excellent visit and a great opportunity for our Chapter to learn more about how we can continue to progress in our success as a Chapter and as sisters.
• Over the Summer of 2015, the chapter has was remodeled. The formal on the main floor was completely remodeled, hardwood floor was put in, new couches, tables, and chairs. In addition, the lounge room on the second floor and the lounge room in the annex received new furniture and tables.
Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.
• The UW increased its tuition in 2015
• The 2015 recruitment had a high number of women and therefore each chapter was able to receive a higher number in their new pledge classes. Kappa Kappa Gamma received a big PC 15 which includes 40 members. We are very fortunate for all of them and glad we had the room to fit them all in the main chapter house
• Security updates- 2015 brought a lot of security scares especially in the Greek community. Several fraternities and sororities were broken into. The Beta Pi Chapter decided to inform each member of these concerns and remind them to be careful especially at night. We also updated our security systems to ensure our safety.
Highlights of 2016
Philanthropy We made some very exciting changes to our Kappa Kickball Tournament this year. Since the tournament honors former Beta Pi PC ’07 Philanthropy Chair, Kristy Lemond, we wanted to really bring the focus back to her. Our shirts this year read Kristy’s Kappa Kickball, and we had her parents come speak to the chapter on the message she left behind after her battle with Sarcoma cancer: Wake up and Live. We included this motto on decorations and our t-shirts. During the Philanthropy Round of Formal Fall Recruitment, we told Kristy’s story to the PNM’s and wrote something that made us happy on a sunflower, Kristy’s favorite flower.
Some highlights of the kickball tournament itself include a lip-syncing competition and a pie-eating contest. The fraternities got super involved, and the spirit of the whole week was uplifting and exciting! We split the money we raised between our national philanthropy called Reading is Fundamental and the Northwest Sarcoma Foundation.
Convention At convention this year won 1st Place for Philanthropy Signature Event! We also received Honorable Mention for Greatest Improvement Award. Our members that attended had a wonderful time.
Panhellenic Involvement Our very own PC ’13 Casey Richards served as Vice President of Recruitment Management this year! We loved watching Casey do work she was so passionate about, and we were very proud of how well she pulled off an awesome Greek Preview and Formal Fall Recruitment. We also are looking forward to having a Beta Pi on the Panhellenic Executive Board in 2017 as well. PC ’15 Danielle Carrasquero was elected Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion.
We attended a few fun Panhellenic events over the year as well. Panhellenic hosted a study slam during finals week where members of all sororities got to spend a night studying and snacking together. During Formal Fall Recruitment there was another all-Panhellenic sisterhood in the Quad with games and food to relieve the stress of recruitment and come together as one. What can we say- food really brings girls together!
Alumnae Relations Alumnae relations remain strong here at Beta Pi. We have an awesome team of advisors and enjoyed an end-of-the-year celebration at the home of an advisor. It was holiday themed, and a variety of appetizers were provided. It was a great way to kick of the holiday season!
Our New Members attended our Founders Day Brunch put on by alumni in the fall. Everyone dressed their best and enjoyed a fun morning of celebrating Kappa!
Alumni brought their kids to the chapter house for a Halloween event. Members dressed up, passed out candy from their rooms, and made crafts with the kids and the alumni.
Recruitment In the spring we taught our freshmen the recruitment process before we all were able to get some good practice during Greek Preview. It went off without a hitch, and the practice made us very prepared for when Formal Fall Recruitment came around. We welcomed 36 new members into our home in September! PC ’16 is a group of bright, genuine women who already seem to love Kappa as much as the rest of us! We couldn’t be happier with how easily they have acclimated and are excited to see each of them continue to shine as Beta Pis over the rest of their time here.
Academics In the winter we ranked 3rd out of all sororities in grades with an average GPA of 3.52. The all-sorority average was 3.43, and the all-undergraduate average was 3.29. In the spring we ranked 2nd with a 3.51. The all-sorority average was 3.42, and the all-undergraduate was a 3.29. We love the friendly competition of these rankings, and are working hard to get 1st for fall quarter! Most importantly, however, our members understand the importance of grades and try to utilize all available resources to do the best we can.
Social We kicked off winter quarter with a formal at The Pacific Science Center. Members and their dates got to walk around the butterfly exhibit and dance the night away (or eat the night away at the yummy popcorn bar). This event was pretty pricey, so we had to find a cheaper venue for our spring formal. We held the formal at Tyee Yacht Club, and it ended up being a huge hit. Many members said it was their favorite formal thus far. In the fall we did our annual Seattle Mariner’s Baseball Game grab-a-date. Overall, the event went well, and our members enjoyed watching the poor Mariner’s lose another game for themselves. It was actually the Mariner’s last chance at being the wildcard, but the garlic fries and cotton candy were enough to ease the pain of the loss.
Parent’s Weekend We had our annual Parent’s Weekend in the spring. On Friday night, parents and members mingled and dined at a member of their PC’s home. It was so fun to see all of our parents hit it off. On Saturday we went to a Mariner’s game, and on Sunday morning we had the annual Mothers’ Brunch.
UW NEWS GO DAWGS!!! What a year for the huskies. We won the Pac-12 Championship and play #1 Alabama on December 31st. Our members were at every home game, cheering on our beloved team at “The Greatest Setting in College Football.” A few members even traveled to San Jose to watch the huskies win the Pac-12 championship at Levi Stadium.
Highlights of 2018
This year was our most successful philanthropy yet, raising $14,283 for Reading is Fundamental. In comparison to the previous year, we have tripled the amount of money raised. We hosted our first annual Fleur de Lis Fundraiser, a Kappa silent auction. It featured various gift baskets including spa gift certificates, tailgating gear, marathon tickets, a Glassy Baby raffle, and much more. The event was open to all friends, family, and alumni and was hosted during Kappa parents weekend. We hosted our annual Kristy's Kickball tournament and a talent show for all fraternities and sororities participating. We also hosted a Beechers Mac'N'Cheese feed at the Kappa house that was a huge success, selling out within a few hours.
This year we hosted our annual Trick or Treat alumni event. The Sunday before Halloween, we host the children of Kappa alumnae. The children go from room to room trick or treating and we have festive Halloween crafts in the dining room that active members help with. There was a lovely Alumnae Brunch hosted at the Woodmark Hotel that our newest New Member Class '18 was honored to attend.
We had the honor of recruiting a fantastic new member class and we initiated 38 ! Wr are very proud of them and cannot wait to see all that they accomplished in the next few years at Kappa.
We really pride ourselves as always falling in the highest standings for academics among the sororities at UW. This year we tied for first in grades winter quarter. The following quarter we were ranked 6th. Academically, we pride ourselves on our dedication and success.
Our winter formal this year was quite the event. We hosted the event in a yacht and designed t-shirts to commemorate the formal. Our spring formal was hosted at a local venue, Fred's Wildlife Refuge, where we had a fun photo booth, snacks, and cotton candy. This fall we had a Kappa tailgate GAD before one of the home football games. This GAD featured catered breakfast food and Kappa tailgate sweatshirts. We also had numerous sisterhoods. One was held at a yoga studio and another at a fun tie dying sisterhood.
Kappa parents weekend was an absolute blast. Each new member class had an appetizers social at some of the local parents' houses.There was a brewery tour at the local Pike Place Brewery the following day. On the tour, the families learned and saw the process of making beer. All parents were invited to attend the first annual Fleur de Lis Fundraiser in which all proceeds go to Reading is Fundamental. As usual we had our annual Mother's Brunch hosted at the Woodmark Hotel. We celebrated our mothers and honored the senior Kappas.
In UW news, our football team had a successful season 9-3. At the Apple Cup, we beat WSU. On an academic note, CNBC published an article ranking UW as one of the top best universities in the world.
Philanthropy Throughout the year our chapter as a whole participated in over 3000 hours of campus service projects and community service projects. One of our main objectives was to raise money for Reading is Fundamental, Kappa Kappa Gamma's national philanthropy and a non-profit that helps provide books and resources to schools to help promote literacy in America. Through our week long philanthropy tournament, Kristy's Kickball, we were able to raise and donate $2000 to RIF and purchase 600 books to be given to local elementary schools in the fall. We were also able to raise and donate almost $1200 to the Northwest Sarcoma Foundation in honor of Kristy LeMond and to help aid others in their fight with soft tissue sarcoma.
Our chapter also regularly participated in local service projects throughout the year. Some of these included providing materials for and leading arts and crafts activities at the nearby Ronald McDonald House. We also hosted activities for our B+ partner, Madeline, as a means of providing support and a fun outlet for her as she battles cancer at a young age. Overall, our chapter was able to give back to our community both on campus and nationally by donating our time and fundraising efforts.
Convention' At the Panhellenic awards ceremony, received an award for highest new member GPA of Fall quarter. We were very proud of our newest pledge class and the leadership they have shown academically.
Panhellenic Involvement Our own Danielle Carrasquero became Vice President of Diversity & inclusion on the Panhellenic board. We also have our junior member Margaret Downer attend weekly meetings to keep Beta Pi involved in Panhellenic throughout the year.
Alumnae Relations We hosted a lovely trick-or-treat event at Kappa, open to all alumni and their families. The families of alumni were invited to attend in costume. There were tons of fun activities like coloring and art projects and room-to-room trick-or-treating in which current members had the opportunity to engage with alumni and their families!
Academics We received second in grades for the whole year out of 18 sororities. This was a great accomplishment showing off our hard work.
Social This past year we had a couple sisterhoods that allowed everyone to get a break from the craziness of school and bond with Kappas across each PC. We did an in-house Easter egg hunt in which we hid hundreds of eggs for everyone to find. There were 5 bigger eggs that if found had fun prizes like succulents, gift cards, and water bottles! Another sisterhood (which was my personal favorite) was an activity where we put brown paper bags with every member's name on it and we all went outside on a sunny day with notecards and pens to write compliments for our sisters and put them in their brown paper bags.
Senior Sendoff Their senior send-off began with a night with alumnae where they learned what life as a kappa after UW might look like. We then celebrated the seniors throughout the sendoff week with coffee and donuts in the AM, a special chapter, cards from their kappa fam as well as their families, little treats, and a sisterhood to wrap up the week. The senior sendoff was a special time for the entire house as it allowed us to reflect on the women that have come before us and contributed to making kappa what it is today. Additionally, we enjoyed celebrating our graduates and getting to spend time with them during their busy senior spring quarter.
UW News
The Huskies were ranked 2nd inPAC-12 North. With one of our favorite victors being beating Washington St. 41 to 14 in the Apple cup. The Women’s basketball team also got 2nd in PAC-12 in the winter. GO DAWGS!
Highlights of 2021
Philanthropy Kappa Kappa Gamma went through a lot of changes in their philanthropic goals this year! Kappa Kappa Gamma changed their central philanthropy from Reading is Fundamental to now focusing on different areas of mental health. Nationals selected 6 charitable organizations for each individual chapter to collectively choose to support, and Beta Pi chose the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA). To support our new philanthropy, some of our members attended a NEDA fundraiser walk in Seattle this fall. We also remain supporting the Northwest Sarcoma Foundation as our local philanthropy. We support the Northwest Sarcoma Foundation in honor of PC 07 Kristy Lemond and PC 20 Kylie Rodgers. Our main philanthropy event this year was our infamous KKG Grilled Cheese Feed in the fall. All of our members did amazing advertising in the days leading up to the event, and as a result we had the biggest turnout we’ve seen in years! People were lining up down the block to get some our famous Beecher’s grilled cheese and french fries, and we sold out before the night was over. The combination of the food, music and dancing made for an amazing night of raising money for our philanthropies. We also had shirts made for the feed which we sold to raise money in contribution to both of our philanthropic organizations, with cool graphics designed by PC 20 Ava Razavi. In total, we raised over 2500 dollars from the grilled cheese feed! Beta Pi’s annual Philanthropy week, including Kristy’s Kickball and our Fleur-de-lis auction, remained on hold for this year due to health and safety concerns in the community. Panhellenic Involvement Two of our PC 20’s, Leah Weiser and Madison Powell, served as this year’s representatives on UW Panhellenic’s Leadership Council! Leah and Madison went to meetings every other week with two members from every other UW sorority where they would represent the voices of their member class, foster leadership development skills, and learn about how to get further involved in either Panhellenic or the University of Washington as a whole. It is an amazing community of strong women and leaders that want to be change makers in our community. Every year Kappa’s have loved this opportunity to network with new people and play a larger part in the Panhellenic community. Our very own PC 19 Chloe Bieraugel was a representative for her PC last year, and this year she was our Panhellenic Delegate on Council as she loves the network of unique and independent women that these positions provide. During Formal Fall Recruitment there was another all-Panhellenic sisterhood with games and food to relieve the stress of recruitment and come together as one. Social This past year we had a couple sisterhoods that allowed everyone to get a break from the craziness of school and bond with Kappas across each PC. We had an ice cream sundae sisterhood in the spring, a pumpkin decorating sisterhood in the fall, and a bracelet-making sisterhood during Inspiration week to bond with PC 21 before Initiation in November. Alumnae Relations Direct alumnae relations with Beta Pi have been put on a brief pause due to health and safety concerns in the community, but our nearby alumni networks in Seattle and Bellevue remain active! We have an amazing team of advisors and enjoyed an end-of-the-year holiday celebration at Kappa with our advisors and succeeding council members to celebrate another successful year of Council. A variety of appetizers, gingerbread houses, and other holiday treats were provided. It was a great way to kick of the holiday season! In the fall, our New Members attended a virtual Founders Day ceremony where active members did traditional readings about our original founding members. It was a great way to celebrate the founding of Kappa and its original sisters! Recruitment In the spring we taught our PC 20’s the basics of the recruitment process, including acknowledgement of both in-person and virtual components of recruitment that were adopted by UW Panhellenic this year. It went off without a hitch, and the practice made us very prepared for when Formal Fall Recruitment came around. We welcomed 24 new members into our home in September who were then initiated in November, and we couldn’t love them more! PC 21 is a group of unique, genuine and supportive women who have already brought so much life and love into Kappa! We couldn’t be happier with how seamlessly they have situated into life at UW and we can’t wait to watch each of them grow and thrive, both as students at UW and as Beta Pis. This year Beta Pi is also participating in Continuous Open Bidding! So far, we have recruited two additional members who have already moved into the house and seem to love it as much as the rest of us! Academics UW Panhellenic recently made the decision to stop sorority grade rankings, but that didn’t stop the Kappas from trying their best and having outstanding academic performance all year long! In the spring Kappa had an average GPA of 3.49. In the fall we had an impressive average of 3.52, with an all-sorority average of 3.44 and an all undergraduate women average of 3.4. Our members love the friendly competition of grade tracking, but more importantly, they understand the importance of academics and try to utilize all available resources in order to succeed. Parent’s Weekend We had our unofficial Parent’s Weekend in the fall on the weekend of the homecoming football game against UCLA. On Saturday morning we had a casual Parent’s Weekend brunch at Kappa where families could eat and mingle before tailgating for the big game. UW NEWS GO DAWGS!!! What an interesting year for the Huskies. Our football team is in a rebuilding phase with some new coaching staff and bright hopes for the future. Regardless, our members were at every home game cheering on our beloved team at “The Greatest Setting in College Football.” Our men’s soccer team, however, has had a wildly successful year as they came as close as they have ever come to a national championship! They recently competed in the College Cup finals and unfortunately fell 0-2 to Clemson, but we couldn’t be more proud of our Huskies!!