Gamma Theta
| Gamma Theta | |
|---|---|
| ΓΘ | |
 | |
| Founded | September 10, 1921 |
| College | Drake University |
| Location | Des Moines, IA |
| Homepage | Gamma Theta Homepage |
| Media related to Gamma Theta Chapter | |
Drake University established in 1881 in Des Moines, Iowa
Founded April 30, 1921
2,309 initiates (as of June 2018)
Charter Members:
Bernice Bramhall, Agnes Buchanan, Isobel Helen Carothers, Isabel Childs, Anna Laura Clark, Margaret O. Clark, Anna Laura Copeland, Marian E. Kerr Devine, Doris Dickinson, Agnes Flach, Agnes Henderson, Dorothy Rosemary Kirk, Eleanor MacRae, Mary Martin, Eleanor Morning, Elizabeth Morning, Maxine Van Meter, Gretchn Winterrowd.
Fraternity Council Members:
Florence Tomlinson Myers (Wallace), Grand President (1930-1932), National Registrar (1928-1930; Marjorie Kyes Amend, Director of Membership (1946-1948); Mary Pat Rooney, Vice President (2018-2020), Academic Excellence Director (2015-2018)
Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:
Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:
Mary Elizabeth Kelly, 1966, Lieutenant colonel and deputy director of the Women’s Army Corps, fiscal officer; Karen Kolbe Goodenow, 1998, Longtime leader within the National Association of the State Boards of Education; June Braun Bent, 2010, World War II WASP pilot, awarded Congressional Gold Medal;
Additional Outstanding Gamma Theta Alumnae
Margaret Miller (Brucker), Graduate Counselor 1961-1963; Penne Longhibler (Prigge) Graduate Counselor 1966-1967; Michele Starzyk, Chapter Consultant 1999-2000; Katy Stovall, Province Director of Chapters (2011-2014), Regional Director of Chapters (2014-2016), District Director (2016-2018)Technology Chairman (2018-)
Contents
The Early Years
The foundations of Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, were laid by men of broad vision and liberal culture. When General Francis Marion Drake was appealed to for an initial gift of $20,000, he replied that he could and would do it and to go ahead with the building. A modest frame building was erected, followed immediately by Old Main, which stood at the center of the group of first buildings.
The day Gamma Theta Chapter was installed at Drake University by Sarah B. Harris (Rowe), Northwestern, Grand President of Kappa Kappa Gamma, was one of the most momentous days in the annals of Fraternity history. The date was April 30, 1921. On that day the chapters of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Delta Gamma and Chi Omega were established on the Drake campus. Epsilon Tau Sigma, the petitioning local sorority which had been organized at Drake in February, 1903, was the first of the petitioning groups at the school to receive an answer to its petition. Word had been received on March 14, 1921, that Kappa Kappa Gamma had granted it a charter. Inasmuch as charters were soon granted to the other three local sororities, the national councils of the four fraternities conferred and decided to enter the university on the same day, thereby giving each group an equal start on the campus. This decision doubtless accomplished much in promoting congeniality and a true Panhellenic spirit.
When one looks through the archives and reads through the reports of each year’s activities and the honors won by the chapter and by individual members, it is difficult to decide whether Gamma Thetas are athletes, beauties, activity girls, or bookworms.
In its first year, Gamma Theta won first place in scholarship, and since then the scholarship trophy has often been at the Kappa house.
The Kappas have had, perhaps, more than their share of the homecoming queens, princesses, queen’s attendants, D Club sweethearts and Quax beauties.
When outstanding representative Drake women are elected, Kappas again are winners. In 1924, out of the three girls chosen as Representative Drakes, two were Kappas. In 1943, a member was elected Miss Drake and then caused a great sensation on campus when she was chosen Drake Relays Queen—the first time a Drake woman had been given the honor. Gamma Theta contributed a winner to the Miss Iowa contest in 1953. Fraternity sweethearts, too, were common in the chapter. The athletic awards captured by the chapter read like something from the sports pages. They are good sports and good at sports also.
Each year many Gamma Thetas were elected to the honorary organizations on the campus in recognition of their abilities. Long lists of Kappas’ names were on the membership rolls of Sieve and Shears, Margaret Fuller Club, Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, Who’s Who Among Colleges and Universities, as well as music, drama, education and other such organizations.
Gamma Theta leadership was shown through the work done on the campus publications. The Quax was at times been edited by Kappas, and other Gamma Thetas served as business managers. The weekly edition of the Times-Delphic had Kappas on the staff nearly every year. Kappawise, Gamma Theta’s chapter news publication won the award for the best mimeographed paper at the KKG General Convention in 1958, when Julia Brower (Lyon) was editor.
All years have not been a round of social activities mixed in with the academic endeavors. The war years found the Kappas at Drake doing their share of war work and going without. To read their accounts, they went without almost everything—including men. Social activities were limited to small house dances and inter-sorority exchanges. Kappas won some degree of fame, however, through serenades to Army Air-Corps students.
During the 1942–43 school year, the chapter voted to donate all but their three most recently won trophy cups to the metal salvage drive. That was the year that Gamma Theta had the honor of having Miss Drake, the Relays Queen and the Editor of the Quax.
A French student from Algeria entered Drake as a Kappa exchange student in 1939. Europe’s war and the Atlantic’s submarine peril prevented an active from being Drake’s exchange student to the University of Toulouse, France.
Gamma Theta claimed “Mrs. America of 1960,” Margaret King Priebe of Des Moines.
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
From chapter’s History Report: During the 1970’s Gamma Theta emerged on campus as one of the leading sororities. The had the most improved G.P.A.( exceeding 3.0) as well as being honored for most involved chapter with Honorable Mention at Province in 1976. Gamma Theta’s sisterly bonds grew as it met quota for each fall rush and created bonds of sisterhood that would never be forgotten. Through these years the ladies of the Gamma Theta chapter also participated in the Bulldog Olympics making the Kappa name on campus great.
Housing:
During the 1970’s chapters of other Greek organizations were closing on campus, but Kappa thrived and gained steam through successful Recruitment and an increased emphasis on academics.
Philanthropy:
In 1971, the Revitalization Corps in Des Moines, Iowa had 11-12 Gamma Thetas volunteer to work with the underprivileged of Des Moines by tutoring, serving free meals, counseling former mental patients and supervising youth recreation.
Chapter Convention Awards:
Highlights of the 1980s:
Philanthropy:
Gamma Theta participated in and hosted philanthropic activities that benefited Drake and the Des Moines community. Some events that the chapter held were dance-marathons and a Halloween party for underprivileged first graders in a local school. A favorite event to be involved in was the Iowa Lung Walk-a-thon for the American Lung Association, but the most well know event was the Drake Relays. This is an annual, nationally recognized track-and-field event. During the week leading to the event there are activities and competitions between many campus organizations. Gamma Theta members created floats to proudly show off Kappa to the Drake community!
Chapter Convention Awards:
Highlights of the 1990s
Panhellenic constantly changed the schedule for rush (now called Recruitment) during the 1990’s. By the the end of the decade it was condensed into a three day event. Like Panhellenic, the chapter also had a tradition of frequently changing the themes from year-to-year for their various rush parties. This helped keep the members excited for membership recruitment.
Housing:
In 1991, the Gamma Theta house was renovated which generated a lot of excitement among the actives. There 128 women in the chapter after pledging 34 new members. During the nineties, members of Gamma Theta were the beneficiary of a robust House Board and were the recipients of constant updating and decorating. In the summer of 1998, the House Board restored the house to what it originally looked like when the chapter was founded in 1921.
Philanthropy:
Gamma Theta excelled in their philanthropic spirit and by the end of the 1998 school year they had fulfilled their goal of raising $10,000 for Project 2000. They enjoyed hosting their annual Chili Kook-off to benefit the recipients of Rose McGill and also participated in several other community and Panhellenic philanthropic events.
Chapter Convention Awards:
Highlights of 2000-2010
At Province meeting Gamma Theta received the following awards: Most Improved Chapter, Honorable Mention for Outstanding Achievement in Programming, and Honorable Mention for Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship and Programming. The chapter was also recognized during Greek Week with the Dean of Students Award.
In 2007, the chapter welcomed an incredibly large pledge class. Gamma Theta members were active in other campus organizations such as; Student Senate, American Marketing Association, Drake Magazine, and fraternities of business and pharmacy. Taking it one step further, many of the members also held leadership positions in other campus organizations.
When Gamma Theta incurred standards and financial reporting hurdles, the members quickly took action and developed plans which increased chapter morale and accountability.
Philanthropy:
In the spring and fall of 2005 Gamma Theta won Alpha Phi and Delta Gamma's philanthropy events and placed second in both Sigma Chi Derby Days and the Sig Ep's philanthropy. Kappa Kasino, had the best turn-out in its history during 2007 and raised approximately $3,700 that went directly to the Heart Connection.
Chapter Convention Awards:
6/30/08 Standards Honorable Mention 6/30/06 New Member Program Honorable Mention 6/30/06 Sally Moore Nitschke Lifelong Education Honorable Mention 6/30/06 Standards Honorable Mention 6/30/00 Panhellenic Honorable Mention
Highlights of 2011-2019
From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:
Highlights of 2012
2012 was a year of growth for the women of the Gamma Theta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Not only did our chapter grow as a whole, but individually as well. This personal growth as a chapter lead us to win the "Overall Most Improved Chapter" at the National Convention. We also received the Greek Gala award "Outstanding Chapter President" for our previous president Jessica Reisig. We tremendously increased our participation in greek life. We did the best we could to become more involved in other Fraternities' philanthropies. This increase in participation resulted in us taking first place in Delta Gamma's "anchor splash." We were noted for having many women in our chapter participate in Sigma Phi Epsilon's philanthropy. We ended up placing second for their "queen of hearts" softball tournament. We also took second place in Alpha Phi's "Fast Phi't" and FIJI's "FIJI Island."
Our switch of philanthropy from Kappa Kasino to Kappa Klassic was a huge success. We had a great turn out and raised over $4,000 for our local philanthropy and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. This fall we had a very memorable sisterhood event. All the women in our chapter were invited to unite in the kitchen where we watched the inspiring documentary "Finding Kind." This sisterhood was such a bonding experience for us and encouraged everyone to look deep within themselves. This sisterhood was one that made a lasting impression on the women. I foresee it being talked about years from now.
We also started a new tradition of creating scrapbook pages for every big sister and little sister. We are very excited to be able to look back at these pages and remember all the fond moments. As well as being involved within our chapter, many of our members are involved with different organizations on campus. This year we had 4 members who served as a PMAC on campus and 2 members who served as student ambassadors on campus. We also have a member who is the president of the finance club and a member who is the Editor-in-Chief of Man Up Magazine.
In addition to on-campus involvement we have also stayed involved with different things off-campus. This semester alone members of Gamma Theta donated over 600 hours of service to our local community. All of our chapter members took part in the Belize Dance Marathon this year, which raised money for building primary schools in Belize. The leader of this foundation, James Albert, was extremely thankful that the Gamma Theta chapter partook in this and was especially fond of the women of Kappa. Additionally we keep improving our GPA and our academics even though the street is hard competition. During the spring we participated heavenly in the Drake Relays with street painting which dozens of girls participated in to make a painted square devoted to Kappa. Overall 2012 was a year to remember for Gamma Theta. It will be a year to look back on and feel proud of all the improvement we made. We are looking forward to what 2013 will bring.
Campus: Small, private university that has an enormous amount of opportunities for students to get involved on and around campus. It is typically known as a liberal arts school.
Chapter: A well-rounded group of individuals that come together as young women who excel in many areas (academically, athletically, socially), and hold leadership positions both on campus and within the chapter.
Chapter Convention Awards: 2012- Most Improved Chapter
Highlights of 2013
Not only was 2013 a year of growth for the women of the Gamma Theta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, but individually as well. Since winning the award of the “Overall Most Improved Chapter” at the National Convention, and also receiving the Greek Gala award “Outstanding Chapter President,” I feel that we have held ourselves to a very high and positive standard. Since then, we tremendously increased our participation in greek life and with Drake University as a whole.
This year, our chapter had very high participation with all chapters philanthropies. We did the best we could to win in each by helping everyone raise money, and also by having fun! This competitive fun and participation resulted in us taking first place in Alpha Phi’s “Fast Phi’t” and Phi Gamma Delta’s “Fiji Island.” This year we have taken high placement in all Sororities and Fraternities philanthropies and our participation was nearly doubled since last year. This year with Kappa Klassic, not only did we have wonderful weather, but we raised over $5,000 for the Children’s Cancer Connection, Rose McGill fund and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. This amount raised was absolutely amazing and was the best we have ever done. Not only was Kappa Klassic the only thing we did this year to raise money for a foundation, but we were involved in the Belize Dance Marathon. This was a very memorable and touching sisterhood event experience. We had one hundred percent participation and we raised nearly $2,000. The money went to the James Arthur Albert foundation which provided money for Belize children to go to high school. This was an amazing bonding experience for us and we are involving ourselves to continue to do it annually.
The leader of this foundation, James Albert, was extremely thankful that the Gamma Theta chapter partook in this and was especially fond of the women of Kappa. As well as being involved within our chapter, many of our members are involved with different organizations on campus. This year we had many members who served as a PMAC on campus and also 3 members were elected to sit on Panhel, one being the new Panhel President.
We have a member who is the Editor-in-Chief of the new Drake Honors Magazine, The Annual. In addition to on-campus involvement we have also stayed involved with different things off-campus. This semester alone members of Gamma Theta donated over 600 hours of service to our local community. Additionally we keep improving our GPA and our academics even though the street is hard competition. During the spring we participated heavily in the Drake Relays with street painting which dozens of girls participated in to make a painted square devoted to Kappa. Overall 2013 was a year to remember for Gamma Theta. It will be a year to look back on and feel proud of all the improvement we made. We are looking forward to what 2014 will have in store.
Campus:Small, private university that has an enormous amount of opportunities for students to get involved on and around campus. It is typically known as a liberal arts school.
Chapter:'A well-rounded group of individuals that come together as young women who excel in many areas (academically, athletically, socially), and hold leadership positions both on campus and within the chapter.
Highlights of 2014
2014 was a great year for the Gamma Theta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Members were not only actively involved within the Gamma Theta chapter, Drake Greek life, and campus organizations, but they were also able to excel academically.
One of the most important aspects of creating a strong chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is having a successful recruitment. Our chapter was honored to have received an honorable mention Kappa Kappa Gamma Recruitment Award at Convention in the summer of 2014. Gamma Theta proved to be deserving of this award in the spring of 2014 when we initiated 4 members after informal recruitment, and in the fall, when we initiated 36 members after formal recruitment. Our newly initiated members have been exceptionally involved within the chapter, as well as on Greek street and in campus organizations. They have proved to be role models to the rest of the chapter, and ensure that the future of Gamma Theta will be in good hands.
Gamma Theta became more philanthropic in 2014 through the incorporation of sisterhood and service. One member of our chapter created Little Ladies Leading; a sisterhood event focused on empowering young girls in Des Moines public elementary schools. Members of the chapter spent the duration of the event partnered with the a "little lady," and led by example what a strong woman leader looks like. Gamma Theta also became actively involved with Graham's Gift; a non-profit organization founded by the brother of one of our members. We spent sisterhoods making rainbow loom bracelets to be sold to raise money for childhood cancer research. This aligned closely with our local philanthropy, Children's Cancer Connection. Gamma Theta also had the privilege of being nominated for the ALS Bucket Challenge. We willingly participated and donated, as well as nominated the Kappa Kappa Gamma chapters at Iowa State, the University of Iowa, and Simpson College.
As for involvement in philanthropies within Drake University Greek life, Gamma Theta proved to be actively engaged. In the fall of 2014, we won Theta Chi's philanthropy week, as well as Kappa Alpha Theta's serenades. Not only did this prove to encourage participation among the chapter, it also proved to be a great way to unite as sisters. Sisterhood also flourished during our chapter's philanthropy week for Kappa Klassic, when we raised $3,500 for our local philanthropy and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. There were several new aspects to Kappa Klassic in 2014 that enhanced the week. We sold cups and mason jar mugs that sold remarkably well. We also had a book drive that collected 300 books to be given to the children battling cancer at Blank Children's hospital. Gamma Theta is continually adapting to make sure that we are hosting the best possible philanthropy that we can.
Gamma Theta also spent 2014 focused on making improvements to our academics. In 2014 alone, we improved our GPA by .1, had 25 women obtain 4.0s, and had 56% of our returning members improve their GPA from the spring to fall semester. We also had 3 women receive their white coats as they were inducted into the Drake University pharmacy program.
Gamma Theta has also been actively involved in organizations outside of Kappa Kappa Gamma. This year, we had three members serve on the Panhellenic Council (one as president), as well as have two women elected into Panhellenic positions for the 2015 year. Additionally, we had 5 members act as recruitment counselors for formal recruitment in the fall of 2014. Our involvement, however, branches into other aspects of campus life as well. We have 7 student-athletes, Drake University's College of Arts and Sciences senator, the editor-in-chief of our university news paper, the Times Delphic, and have 70 women involved in clubs, organizations, and business fraternities. Some of our accomplishments on campus include getting first place in "Yell Like Hell," (a Drake homecoming tradition), and being intramural soccer champions. We are very proud to have women that excel within the classroom, on Drake campus, and of course, within Kappa.
Campus: Small, private university that has an enormous amount of opportunities for students to get involved on and around campus. It is typically known as a liberal arts school.
Chapter: A well-rounded group of individuals that come together as young women who excel in many areas (academically, athletically, socially), and hold leadership positions both on campus and within the chapter.
Gamma Theta holds chapter meetings in the dining room of our chapter house. The women of Gamma Theta reside in the Millie Y. and Frank P. Mattes House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1910, this building was originally a farm house, and was converted to a sorority house in 1959, when it was purchased by the Gamma Theta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Since its purchase, the house has undergone two expansions to accommodate for the growing chapter. Our house has 19 sleeping rooms and can hold 50 women, and has been the home of Kappa Kappa Gamma women since its purchase.
Highlights of 2015
2015 was a positive year for the Gamma Theta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Through academic and philanthropic success, as well as active involvement on campus and within Kappa, 2015 proved to be an influential year for Gamma Theta.
It is important, as a chapter, to place an emphasis on recruiting women to uphold the ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In 2015, Gamma Theta initiated 2 women following informal recruitment, and 28 women following formal recruitment. The new actives have proven to be actively involved within the chapter and on campus. We are excited to see where these women will take Gamma Theta throughout the upcoming years.
In 2015, Gamma Theta worked hard to create a successful philanthropy week for our local philanthropy, Children’s Cancer Connection, and for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. As a result, our chapter was able to raise $5,500. This year, our philanthropy week included new additions and some traditions. In addition to Kappa Klassic, our fundraising golf tournament where 120 golfers participated, Gamma Theta sold 300 t-shirts, held a mini putt-putt competition, and arranged a Graham’s Gift bracelet making event where chapters of Drake’s Greek life community produced 2,000 bracelets to be donated and sold for childhood cancer research. Graham’s Gift is a non-profit organization founded by the brother of one of our members. Although Graham’s Gift is not our traditional philanthropy, we find that the mission of the organization is relevant to our mission of supporting childhood cancer research, and in addition, is supporting one of our sisters and her family.
Gamma Theta is proud to have our passion for philanthropy expand beyond our philanthropy week. In addition to Kappa Klassic, we had sisters create a Love Your Melon campus crew and MEDLIFE chapter at Drake University in 2015. We are proud to have these organizations led by Gamma Theta women, and to have them actively advocating for our philanthropy and the overall healthcare of individuals outside of our chapter and in the Des Moines community. Also, our chapter continues to work with Little Ladies Leading, an event founded by one of our members, where women of our chapter focus on empowering elementary aged girls in the Des Moines community. Gamma Theta was proud to win the Outstanding Community Service Award in 2015 at the Drake Greek Gala as a result of our active involvement.
Scholarship continues to be a focus for Gamma Theta. We are proud of the improvements that we have made regarding our academics, but continue to strive for excellence. In 2015, the academic committee was proactive in creating a positive learning environment for Gamma Theta. They implemented a Scholarly Sister of the Week, weekly Nerd Herds, Owl Pals (academic mentors for new members), and continuous support for all members, regardless of GPA or personal situation. As a result, 22% of our chapter held 4.0s in the Spring of 2015. We also had 10 women study abroad throughout the calendar year, and 2 women receive their white coats as they were inducted into the Drake University pharmacy program.
To support a high morale within the chapter, Chapter Council implemented a positive incentive program called Kappa Kash. Women in the chapter received Kappa currency throughout each semester for exhibiting behaviors that go above and beyond what is expected of them. For example, women received Kappa Kash for attending intramural events, supporting sisters at presentations and concerts, getting exemplary grades, and holding leadership positions in campus organizations. At the close of each semester, Gamma Theta holds an auction, where Kappa gear and gift cards are auctioned off. So far, Gamma Theta is proud of how well the program is being received, and is excited to see how it will develop over the coming years.
Although Gamma Theta is always proud of our members’ involvement within Kappa, 2015 proved to be a year of leadership for Gamma Theta members throughout the Drake community. We had 2 members hold positions on the Panhellenic Council for the 2015 year, and 1 member inducted in as president for the upcoming year. We also had 6 recruitment counselors during formal recruitment in the Fall of 2015. Some additional examples of our involvement outside of Kappa include, but are not limited to: Drake Dance Team Captain, Mortar Board President, members of Order of Omega, founder of TedxDU, resident hall president and executive council members, journalists for campus publications, Greek FOCUS executive council members, and professional fraternity members in executive council positions. Gamma Theta members continue to seek involvement throughout the Drake community, strive for academic excellence, and of course, pursue the ideals of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Campus: Drake University is a small, private university that has ample opportunities for students to get involved on and around campus. It is typically known as a liberal arts school. Recently, the campus as a whole has become actively aware of global and domestic issues that face our generation. With the presidential election coming up in the next year, Drake University was proud to hold a nationally televised Democratic Presidential debate.
Chapter: Gamma Theta is a well-rounded group of individuals that come together as young women who excel in many areas (academically, athletically, socially), and hold leadership positions both on campus and within the chapter.
Chapter Philanthropy:
What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community? Gamma Theta’s local philanthropy is Children’s Cancer Connection. We support this organization and its cause in various ways. In addition to raising funds for Children’s Cancer Connection through our main philanthropy event, Kappa Klassic (a golf tournament), Gamma Theta provides fundraising opportunities for the Drake University community throughout the week of our philanthropy.
Why did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support? Cancer is a disease that has impacted everyone in one way or another. It is our goal, at Gamma Theta, to bring light to this issue and support the many children who are battling for their life every single day. Children’s Cancer Connection provides hope for children and their families, and as Kappa Kappa Gamma women, we want to make sure that that hope is in ample supply.
Highlights of 2016
2016 proved to be a memorable and exciting year for Gamma Theta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Our members were involved within Kappa as well as outside campus organizations. Academic, recruitment and Panhellenic successes contributed to an overall great year.
Gamma Theta had a very strong year for recruiting substantial new members to our chapter. Spring semester, we informally recruited eight new members after a bowling sisterhood and a Graham's Gift bracelet making philanthropy event. In the fall, Gamma Theta put a strong emphasis on a values-based mission for formal recruitment. Our chapter very successfully formally recruited and initiated 29 exceptional women in the fall. These new actives have shown dedication, exuberant participation, and are overall a valued asset of our chapter.
As college students, our academics hold highest priority within Gamma Theta. This year, we have made many achievements towards our academic goals through family study challenges, professor dinners, Nerd Herds, and Owl Pals. As a chapter, we raised our spring GPA from 3.32 to 3.39 in the fall. This was the most significant GPA improvement out of all the sororities on Drake's campus. This year, we strived to become more acquainted with Drake faculty in order to help us in our scholarship goals. One way we did this was by hosting two professor dinners this year, one in both the spring and fall. We had a great turnout with 15 total professors join us at our house. Finally, in November, we conducted a family study challenge that was a huge success. As a chapter, we logged 1,100 study hours in three weeks, and the winning family had 190 of those hours alone. This was a great way to motivate each other to strive toward academic excellence!
This past year, our Panhellenic representation was of great importance as one of our own members served as the Panhellenic President. This was a huge milestone for Gamma Theta and encouraged overall Panhellenic participation throughout the year. Moreover, during formal recruitment, nine of our members served as Rho Gammas. On top of participation in other chapter’s philanthropy events, Gamma Theta also partook in the second annual Panhellenic Philanthropy event. Drake University's Sororities collaboratively reach out to young ladies in developing countries on the importance of education for becoming strong women. This event was a great time to bond with our sisters as well as the sorority community as a whole.
Our philanthropy week was a success as we tried out a new approach by implementing a Kappa Kickball Tournament and Kappa Con Queso events during our philanthropy week. Our kickball tournament was a way to get more Drake students involved in our philanthropy, and successfully amounted to 106 total participants. We ultimately raised $2,554 as well as additional funds towards the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. Gamma Theta also put on a children's book donation drive and received 260 books for Everybody Wins! Iowa. Lastly, as previously mentioned during our recruitment, Gamma Theta made bracelets for Graham's Gift philanthropy that one of our sister's started a couple years ago.
This summer, our chapter sent five of our chapter counsel members along with our chapter counsel advisor to Convention in San Diego! This was a great opportunity for us to gain new knowledge and insight that these women brought back to our chapter. Gamma Theta gained a new level of appreciation for our ritual after learning about ritual experience with Kappas from around the nation. Our chapter counsel integrated new aspects, learned at Convention, of improving leadership by increasing transparency to the chapter as a whole. Additionally, Gamma Theta sent one of our members to the Annual Kappa Leadership Academy. This member explained to our chapter all the team building activities and leadership takeaways she learned from her experienced. She connected with Kappas from other chapters and learned that communication is a key component of leadership by example.
In addition to Kappa involvement, Gamma Theta's members have been active and high achieving on Drake's campus as well as by furthering their career goals. This year, we had members engaged in campus PMACs (Peer Mentor Academic Consultants) positions during freshman orientation, summer internships, and leadership positions in campus organizations such as student activities board, Greeks Against Sexual Assault, and Professional Fraternities. Two of our members also co-founded the Women in Business campus organization. We are also proud to have sent a total of six women on travel aboard programs. 2016 has been a very successful year for Gamma Theta as a chapter and on an individual basis.
Campus: Drake University is a small, private university with many leadership and involvement opportunities in and out of campus. It is known as a liberal arts school. This past year, Drake has been actively involveed in the 2016 Presidential Election with many politicians and celebrities visiting our campus. The rapper, Drake, also made a secret appearance on campus as well as our chapter house this past fall, but unfortunately no one was awake to answer the door.
Chapter: A well-rounded group of individuals that come together as young women who excel in many areas (academically, athletically, socially), and hold leadership positions both on campus and within the chapter.
Highlights of 2017
The Gamma Theta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has made quite an impact on the year of 2017. This year has been memorable for many reasons. Our chapter members have been involved in numerous Kappa oppurtunities, both on-campus as well as off-campus organizations. Our commitment to academics, recruitment success and overall Panhellenic involvement has contributed to a memorable and accomplished year.
Gamma Theta began the informal recruitment process in the Spring of 2017. In mid-Feburuary, Kappa invited 15 women to the Kappa house for Monday night dinner and other various activities that took place throughout the week. When the week came to an end, we unfortunately were unable to extend a bid to any potential new members due to academic requirements. Our new member chair planned a miraculous winter-wonderland themed bid day of roller skating and snacks. We ended up treating our bid day as a sisterhood and had a lot of fun bonding. With high morale and an eagerness to welcome new members to our home, fall could not come soon enough. Fall formal recruitment commenced mid-August with work week. During work week, Gamma Theta was introduced to the select-a-sis voting app. We were able to use this handy device for SS while voting on potential new members. We practiced rotations until our feet hurt as well as natural conversations with sisters. Work week went swimmingly. When actual recrutiment came along, our members were able to give potential new members a glimpse into the Gamma Theta Chapter. At the end of recruitment, we were fortunate enough to welcome 33 new members home with our carnival themed bid day on September 10. Kappa reached quota, so we did not have to give out any snap bids or continous bids. We intiated our new members on November 4.
As college students, our academics remain the highest priority. During the year of 2017, Gamma Theta Chapter improved leaps and bounds in academics. In the Spring of 2017, our Vice President of Academic Excellence, did a wonderful job scheduling academic programming at chapters. We were able to have HR programming, as well as a professor dinner. We have also kept our nerd herds, Geek of the Week and A's and B's Challenges consistent. These competitions give chapter members a friendly reason to stay motivated. In the summer, Kappa was notified of our grade point average improvement. Our overall chapter grade point average went from a 3.3 to a 3.4 in the spring. We moved from fourth on the street to third on the street. With scholarship in mind, two of our very own chapter members received a Kappa Scholarship. We also had a member receive a national scholarship worth $3,000.
Our philanthropy involvement has increased over the year of 2017. At chapter council, we created and implemented a rule to engage and encourage members to attend and participate in philanthropy events. For other chapters' serenades Kappa now requires certain committees to attend at least one serenade a semester. If you are unable to attend, you are required to find a replacement . As a chapter we participated in over 6 philanthropy weeks throughout the year, with each member attending at least 2 events from an outside philanthropy event. We were able to raise the most money for St. Jude's Up Til' Down event and gained enough points to obtain the runner-up honor for Sigma Phi Epsilon's philanthropy week. Our philanthropies included an alumni brunch in the Spring where we hosted generations of Kappas for food and fun. During the brunch, there was a silent auction with donated items from businesses all around Des Moines. Fall semester we hosted our annual Kappa Kickball Tournament, Book Drive and Grabba Grabba Donut. We collected over 250 books for Reading is Fundamental and raised over $2,000 for the Children's Cancer Connection. For service hours, we constructed a little ladies leading program at Molten Elementary during the CFUM after- school program. We also read to children at BruBaker Elementary in Des Moines for Reading is Fundamental.
As Drake's Panhellenic council transitions into a new year, positions will be transitioning as well. Kappa has two out-going council members and two in-coming council members. The newly elected Kappa's will serve as Vice President of Marketing and Vice President of Business Management for the Panhellenic council.
In the Spring, a few of our Chapter Council members traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, to attend the Kappa Leadership Academy. Over the long weekend, they learned many new strategies and skills to help lead Kappa toward continued success. We were fortunate enough to have one of our very own members be recognized for the outstanding new member award from Drake's Panhellenic Council. After spring semester came to an end and the summer months began, Kappa was lucky enough to have a few members selected to be Peer Mentor Academic Counselors, as well as 8 recruitment counselors. Gamma Theta also had 7 women go abroad for a full semester in the spring, as well as multiple internships and careers.
As a chapter we have struggled with utilizing our council committees. Luckily chapter council caught this problem early on and resolved the issue. Our Vice President of Organization revamped and reorganized our committees. We now utilize our time wisely at chapter committee meetings and delegate more tasks to the members appointed to do so. This takes a lot of weight off the chapter officers' shoulders and develops leadership skills in other members gradually. Gamma Theta has also stuggled with our overall behavior at events, dates included. We have recently shut down this issue with a strict no tolerance policy. Our chapter's overall well-being has improved tremendously over the past year, ever since being placed on a warning of probation. Gamma Theat will be re-evaluated in December 2017.
Recently, we were able to welcome 33 oustanding new members home. Our chapter has grown and so has our appreciation for sisterhood. Our new members are inspiring us in so many different ways. They are already taking on leadership positions through Kappa and other organizations, on-campus and off-campus. With that being said, we were placed on a warning of probation around a year ago. This was a serious issue for Gamma Theta, and we take the status of the chapter seriously. As a chapter we took all necessary precautions and procedures to ensure we got back on the right track and to an acceptable status. Gamma Theta will be re-evaluated this December. Our no tolerance policy has made for successful events. We have also implemented many sisterhoods to ensure bonding time with one another without the need of alcohol or dates. These sisterhoods have been mandatory and non-mandatory. Some of the sisterhoods that took place this year included the Farmer's Market, gingerbread house-making, writing a friendly letter to your sister and the white elephant Christmas party. Many of these sisterhoods took the place of normal events. The improvements that have taken place give us high hopes for the future of Gamma Theta.
Gamma Theta supports the following philanthropies: Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation/Rose McGill Fund Children's Cancer Connection Reading is Fundamental
The Gamma Theta Chapter has specifically chosen Children's Cancer Connection foundation, because it is local to Des Moines, and it is close to our hearts. We have many family members and friends who are currently diagnosed or who have been diagnosed with cancer. This organization allows us to give back in honor of our loved ones and contribute to the research that will hopefully one day find a cure. It also allows many children diagnosed with cancer to attend a camp that is like a dream come true for them. Kappa's close connection with Children's Cancer Connection geographically and emotionally gives our philanthropy a strong and passionate meaning. Reading is Fundamental is just as important to Kappa because of the development of young children's education. Kappa strives for academic success and supporting an organization that strongly encourages reading and the furthering of education is something Kappa has and will always promote. The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation is national, so it is not specific to Gamma Theta, but we support it nevertheless. We will always be there for a sister in need.
We meet in our own chapter facility every Sunday evening at 7 pm. We meet in our kitchen since it is the largest space in the house and can fit all of our members comfortably.
Highlights of 2018
The Gamma Theta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has made 2018 a wonderful year. We have strengthened our sisterhood, while also maintaining strong academics and campus involvement this year.
At Gamma Theta, it remains evident that we hold each other accountable to high academic standards. We have moved toward our academic goals through continuing professor dinners, Geek of the Week, Nerd Herds, and Owl Pals. As a chapter we have raised our GPA from a 3.36 to 3.44. We ended up tying with another sorority for most improved GPA of the semester and we kept our rank at third on the street, which is something we consider to be a great accomplishment. In addition, we are excited to say that two of our very own Gamma Theta sisters were granted the Kappa scholarship as well. Throughout the semester, we encouraged members of all grades to talk within their majors as a way to give the new initiates help as they push through their first semester at college. This became something known as Owl Pal groups, a resource to get new sisters the help they need when struggling in a course or deciding on what courses to take during registration. In addition, we had the opportunity to connect on a deeper level with some of our favorite professors attending the February Professor Dinner, with a total of 10 professors in attendance! The feedback from both professors and women within the chapter was extremely positive, we hope to do it again in the future semesters.
As the 2018 spring semester began, Gamma Theta was ready to improve all areas of the chapter. In February, we had 29 women certified and trained to be members of our event ERT (Emergency Response Team). This commitment by the chapter to ensure safe and enjoyable events was displayed throughout the year at our various events including two formals and two date parties. In the spring of 2018 we did a dynamic duo date party at the Garden nightclub in Downtown Des Moines, as well as our spring formal with senior superlatives/awards at the Marriott hotel. In the fall of 2018 we had Barn Party at Beer Can Alley and winter formal at a new venue that we have never used before. The venue was The Tuscany Event Center in Urbandale, Iowa. Our events have run smoothly and for the most part, everyone has been very well behaved during the past year. We hope to continue to move forward in this positive direction for upcoming events.
Our 2018 philanthropy week was an overwhelming success this year with our Kappa Dodgeball Tournament and Kappa Con Queso. We raised more than $1,200 for Children’s Cancer Connection. Additionally, our philanthropy efforts have only continued to increase this year. We collected more than 250 books that were donated to the Youth Emergency Services and Shelter of Iowa. Our members participated in more than 900 service hours in the spring and 1,400 hours this fall! Gamma Theta has also persisted as the top fundraiser for the campus wide event, St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn, and participated in more than 15 different philanthropic events for the Panhellenic community.
This summer, our chapter sent five of our chapter council members, along with an advisor, to Convention in Denver, Colorado! This was a great experience for the women to gain knowledge on how to improve the Gamma Theta chapter, especially in areas regarding recruitment and initiation. Additionally, we sent one member to represent Gamma Theta at the Annual Kappa Leadership Academy in Marengo, Ohio, where she was able to connect with other Kappas and hear about their personal leadership experiences. Last, Gamma Theta has a member serving on the Collegiate Advisory Board who was able to attend a conference at Headquarters in October. She continues to give feedback on fraternity policies to help make Kappa the best it can possibly be!
In 2018, Gamma Theta had great involvement in the Panhellenic community and campus wide. We had two members of our chapter serving as Vice President of Marketing and Vice President of Business Management for the 2018 Panhellenic Council. On the 2019 Panhellenic Council, a member of our chapter will be serving as the Vice President of Recruitment. Additionally, we had seven women serving as Recruitment Counselors during formal recruitment in the fall. Moreover, we showed significant involvement through Panhellenic Sisterhoods with Alpha Delta Pi and Delta Gamma. This was a great opportunity to spend time with and strengthen the bonds between our different chapters.
Gamma Theta began the formal recruitment process in the Fall of 2018. After a successful work week, we recruited our new members with ease. On September 9th, we were grateful to be able to welcome our 32 new members home to Kappa at our Candyland themed bid day. Kappa reached quota, so we did not have to give out any snap or continuous bids. We initiated our new members on November 3rd. During the recent months, we have been able to welcome our new members into our beautiful brick home. We have been able to watch these women grow into newfound leaders and friends. With the bond of our members continuing to grow, it is evident that Gamma Theta has made significant progress in our sisterhood. We hosted numerous sisterhoods this semester, including a Valentine’s Day gift exchange, cosmic bowling, and a self-defense sisterhood. We also sent care packages to our sisters abroad and implemented new chapter programming. “Polished Kappa” was introduced to the chapter as a way to recognize a sister’s kind efforts. “Spotlight Sister” was added to chapter programming to promote relations between alumni and collegiate sisters. Overall, 2018 proved to be a great year for the Gamma Theta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma!
The Gamma Theta Chapter has chosen to support Children's Cancer Connection as our local philanthropy as it allows us to give back to others in honor of our loved ones who have had cancer. This organization remains very close to our hearts. We continue to support Reading is Fundamental as it aligns with our values of scholarship and allows us to give back to the children in our community. Last, we support our sisters and thus in turn support the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.
Highlights of 2019
The women of Gamma Theta have had an exciting year! Our commitment to academics, recruitment success, and overall Panhellenic involvement have contributed to a memorable and accomplished year. We enjoyed 2019 and look forward to 2020!
The year started with spring informal recruitment, our chapter decided to participate and we are so lucky. We welcomed four amazing new members on February 10th and they were all initiated just a few weeks later. During our initiation, we had a fun movie sisterhood at the local movie theatre with popcorn and candy.
Unfortunately, in March we lost our loving advisor Mary Canady Laughlin, her passing deeply affected our chapter and we hosted a ritual in her memory. A month later, at the annual Drake FSeLebration, Mary was awarded the Outstanding Chapter Advisor award, and in her honor, Drake Fraternity and Sorority Life decided to rename the award to the ‘Mary Canady Laughlin Advisor of the Year’. Along with this incredible honor, Kappa was recognized for other awards. Our Philanthropy Chairman, Ashlie Bunten, was awarded the Outstanding Community Service award and our chapter received the 2018 Outstanding Harm Reduction & Risk Management Award.
Five of our members and our Chapter Council Advisor attended the Kappa leadership conference in Dallas and had a great time working with other chapters to better their leadership skills within Kappa.
We hosted multiple amazing events in the Spring including a resume building workshop with Drake’s Women in Business, a rock and roll themed date party, Mom’s weekend and a beautiful spring formal at Des Moines’ Rollins Mansion. We hosted Banana Splits and Books to benefit Reading is Fundamental where we raised around $1,000. $400 was used to purchase books for Monroe Elementary School here in Des Moines, 2.5% went to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, and the rest went to RIF.
As college students, our academics remain the highest priority. During the year of 2019, Gamma Theta Chapter improved leaps and bounds in academics. We finished the spring semester with a 3.39 GPA.
During the summer our members worked hard taking summer classes, tackling amazing internships and getting ready to head back to campus! Some of our members worked at organizations all across the country like EMC Insurance, Edward Jones, Congress, The Heritage Foundation, Boston Medical School, and so much more.
In the fall we were eager to start up the formal recruitment process. After an exciting work week, we started our fall semester ready to take on the rest of the year. One of our members received her Occupational Therapy white coat alongside two members who received their Pharmacy white coats.
After an exciting and hard-worked five day recruitment, we welcomed 33 new members with a game-day themed bid day! And, after deciding to continuously open bid, we welcomed two more new members! 34 women became new actives in early November with their family members in attendance who were also Gamma Theta alumni and Kappas from all over the country.
Our fall philanthropy event was Kamp Kappa, we hosted the Drake community at our house where we played board games, made s’ mores, and invited members of Des Moines Children’s Cancer Connection. We raised around $3,050 which 10% went to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and the rest went to benefit Children’s Cancer Connection.
Gamma Theta had overwhelming campus involvement this year. With two members serving as Orientation Leaders, our President, Sophie, serving on the Peer Advisory Board which oversaw Welcome Weekend for first-years and Peer Mentor and Academic Consultants, which included eight Kappa members, one woman on Panhellenic Council and six recruitment counselors. In the 2020 year, we will have four of our members serving on the Drake Panhellenic Council in positions including VP of Recruitment, VP of Recruitment Counselors, VP of Marketing and VP of Community Engagement. We were also involved in continuous clubs and organizations such as leading Active Minds, Drake Rowing Team, Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity, Drake Magazine, Order of Omega, CBPA Ambassadors and so many other organization across Drake’s campus.
Our fall events included our annual Barn Party at American Outlaws, winter formal at the Des Moines Embassy Club and we finished the semester off with an ice skating sisterhood! Our members made a commitment to ensure safe and enjoyable events, which was displayed throughout the year and we hope to continue to move forward in this positive direction for upcoming events.
During recent months, we have been able to welcome our new members into our beautiful brick home. We have been able to watch these women grow into newfound leaders and friends. With the bond of our members continuing to grow, it is evident that Gamma Theta has made significant progress in our sisterhood. Overall, 2019 turned out to be an amazing year for the women of Gamma Theta.
The Gamma Theta Chapter has chosen to support Children's Cancer Connection as our local philanthropy as it allows us to give back to others in honor of our loved ones who have had cancer. This organization remains very close to our hearts. We continue to support Reading is Fundamental as it aligns with our values of scholarship and allows us to give back to the children in our community. Last, we support our sisters and thus in turn support the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.
We celebrated our Founders Day at the local Windsor Heights Community Center, where we had a beautiful brunch spread with alumni and current members. For the first time in a few years we held the Founders Day ritual ceremony as well. We also played a fun Kahoot game where members and alumni had to answer questions about Kappa history. It was a beautiful morning in October and our members look forward to it every year!
Highlights of 2020s:
Highlights of 2020
To say that change was a major theme of this year would be an understatement for the Gamma Theta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. As for most people, no one would have expected a global pandemic at the start of 2020, but it proved to be an opportunity for growth. The chapter council had set many goals for the year and planned on making many positive changes for the chapter. Some of the goals before and during the COVID-19 pandemic included increasing transparency between the chapter council and the chapter as a whole. The weekly chapter council meetings were made open to the whole chapter to help encourage this transparency.
The council also made it the main goal to keep the sisterhood strong during the pandemic. This was accomplished by numerous virtual sisterhoods including, Bingo, Jack in the Box Games, Trivia, and much more. Another goal the council accomplished was introducing two Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chairman that served as our chapter’s resource to learn more about how to be an ally. They offered programming to our chapter and led with an open-discussion format. Our chapter found this very beneficial and want to continue to grow and expand this position and its duties.
Although this year was not normal our chapter was excited to receive an honorable mention for the Risk Management award for chapters with 118 or fewer members.
We also were able to continue to raise money and have philanthropic activities for our members through an initiative called Krafty Kappas. During what normally would have been our philanthropy week we collected craft supplies to donate to Children’s Cancer Connection in Des Moines for children to play with while they wait for treatment. We made the transition to fully online activities during the lockdown in March and carried out virtual chapters, meetings, and sisterhoods for the length of the year.
To help our members cope with the pandemic we also instituted two Covid Chairs. The two women selected, one living in the house and one residing in the dorms on campus, served as a resource for members for any questions related to the pandemic or the functioning of the chapter. Overall, while this year was not what we expected, we have made our best efforts to embody Kappa’s values and keep the traditions and sisterhood alive.
Chapter Philanthropy: what organizations did the chapter support? Reading is Fundamental, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, Children’s Cancer Connection. We chose to support CCC because we are passionate about helping children and families in the Des Moines area who have been affected by cancer. Partnering with CCC has been an honor.
How did your chapter include diversity, equity and inclusion in their initiatives this year? Our chapter made enormous strides in regards to DEI initiatives. We elected our first DEI officer to our chapter council. She has led many programmings and discussions surrounding diversity and inclusion, and we have had a very positive chapter response. Another way our chapter has included diversity, equity, and inclusion is through our social media. Throughout 2020 we have done many social media campaigns supporting causes related to these topics. We also have our HIRO’s which is our programming system that hosts 1-2 diversity, equity, and inclusion seminars a semester. Lastly, our Panhellenic Council created a Black Lives Matter programming that lasted the entirety of the fall semester to help engage all of the chapters on our campus in discussions regarding race, privilege, and many more topics.
How did your chapter celebrate Kappa's 150th birthday? All year long, our chapter has done bi-weekly history nuggets to learn more about our founders and Kappa’s history. Our chapter LOVES them. We also partnered with Simpson college and had a joint Sesquintennial celebration via Zoom. Many alumna were able to attended as well. We loved being in break out rooms and getting to know alumna and current members from other chapters. We shared stories of our sisterhood and what Kappa means to us!
Highlights of 2021
The members of Gamma Theta have come back stronger than ever after the pandemic of 2020! As our chapter has changed yet again, our commitment to excellence is still firmly intact. We have loved getting back into more “regular” activities such as in-person chapters and events while building new connections with our new actives and the Panhellenic community. Our chapter council made it our goal to rebuild this chapter after the pandemic, and wow, did they ever.
The spring of 2021 began with informal recruitment and many online activities. We welcomed four new members. As the vaccine became more available, our guidelines shifted, and we were able to hold some of our first in-person sisterhoods. Although our chapter facility was not open, our members made it a priority to get together. We hosted many sisterhoods such as a spa night, one-on-one sisterhood dates, and treat bags for our members during finals week.
In May of 2021, the Drake Fraternity and Sorority Life community hosted their annual awards. Gamma Theta was awarded Outstanding Programming, Outstanding Sisterhood, and Chapter of the Year. Our chapter advisor, Kailey Huilick, was also awarded Outstanding Chapter Advisor and senior Anna Sutterer who won the Outstanding FSL Leader Award. To say that we are proud would be a major understatement! These awards were a tribute to our “covid” chapter council and all of their hard work. We hope to grow and continue to earn recognitions such as these in the future!
Transitioning to the Fall of 2021, we held our first in-person recruitment since pre-covid, which was a smashing success. We welcomed 22 new members into this chapter and hosted our first barn party and formal! It has been so fun getting to know everyone through these events, and the chapter council is very proud of all that has been accomplished. While this year was full of new adventures, we were able to reconnect and reevaluate what we wanted this chapter to look like. Our DEI officers contributed tons of practical programming, and they created a space for safe conversation. Our members have grown closer through these activities as well.
During the spring semester, we held a philanthropy event supporting our previous national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental. Additionally, our chapter members participated in a “Giving Challenge,” which engaged them in a friendly competition to see which pledge class could complete the most hours of service, volunteering, and philanthropic actions. During the fall semester, we held an earring sale with a KKG alumna. A portion of the proceeds from this sale was donated to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. To support our new national philanthropy, Mental Health and Well-Being, we participated in our specific partner’s annual walk – NAMIWalks. We engaged in fundraising and service during this event, by raising $600 for NAMI and volunteering at the event. We also hosted a fall philanthropy event titled “Movie Night with KKG – Starring: Children’s Cancer Connection” to support our local philanthropy. In addition to our internal philanthropic involvement, we also participated externally. We did so by donating and participating with other chapters and their philanthropies. We also participated in a group volunteering opportunity at Meals from the Heartland, a local food packaging organization.
Throughout all of the activities, our members have proven again that sisterhood and connection are important. To see our members grow and return to a semi-normal world has been nothing short of amazing. Overall, 2021 has been a year full of trail-blazing, connection, and fun for the members of Gamma Theta.
Our local philanthropy organization is Children’s Cancer Connection. We support this organization through initiatives that are like our national philanthropies – fundraising events, service opportunities, etc. We support this organization because it is part of Des Moines community and is a cause that our members are passionate about. Knowing that so many families are affected by childhood cancer, encourages us to do what we can to help support, advocate, and build connections with an organization such as Children’s Cancer Connection. Additionally, the proximity of this organization (only a few miles) allows us to directly work with them in-person, which allows for more deeper and genuine connections.
During the spring semester, we primarily focused on supporting our previous national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental. We did so by hosting a philanthropy event titled, “Kookies and Kappas,” and raised over $1000. This semester, we supported the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation by fundraising during an earring sale during recruitment. This gave our members the opportunity to participate in the fundraising and donating, while also supporting the KKG Foundation. Additionally, we supported the Foundation through education about the philanthropy. Through multiple presentations throughout the year, our members became more aware of what the Foundation does for its’ members and what role in plays within our chapter and why we support this organization. Our chapter was very excited to learn about our new national philanthropy initiative, Mental Health and Well-Being. We began our support by choosing our partner. To do so, we held an information session introducing all the potential partners and then voted on which we thought was the best fit for our chapter at this time. We chose NAMI! After this selection, we immediately got engaged with the organization by participating in our local NAMIWalks. We raised a total of $600 and got to complete service by volunteering during the event. Like the Foundation, we continued our support of the organization through education. Informing our chapter about NAMI and Mental Health in general is something that we wanted to include in our chapter. One way we did this was by participating in Mental Health Week by writing positive comments and by learning more about mental health and well-being.
Throughout the year, diversity, equity, and inclusion has played a key role in our chapter. With diversity, equity and inclusion becoming a chair within the past 2 years, it has continued to grow and has made a continuous effort to raise awareness of the issues in our current world, as well as ensuring an inclusive environment is maintained to welcome everyone. There are two co-chairs that have brought different activities to the chapter. These activities raised important talking points and allowed people the opportunity to truly get to know one another. To ensure issues in the chapter were being addressed, the co-chairs continuously opened the floor for suggestions. By doing this, they were able to create activities and PowerPoints that addressed the needs of the chapter. Diversity, equity, and inclusion is for everyone to learn, so putting forth the effort to address each suggestion was extremely important. Other positions in our chapter took what the DEI chairs presented and incorporated this into their positions to ensure our chapter was doing the best they could to make sure everyone feels as though Kappa is a safe place for them. As the diversity, equity, and inclusion chairs continue throughout the years, many new issues will arise, but our chapter has proven they will do all that they can to learn and create a safe environment everyone can thrive in
How did your chapter operations change due to COVID-19 (e.g., how did it affect recruitment, initiation, etc. Were events/activities held virtually?). Share what you have done this year. This year was closer to normal then we have been in a very long time. Our spring semester was still tainted by the pandemic. Initiation and recruitment were online as well as our chapter facility was shut down. That did not stop us though from pushing for connection and sisterhood through more socially-distant events such as yoga. The fall of 2021 however has been a ray of sunshine through these days. Our chapter facility reopened to eager members itching to live there. Our campus allowed in-person recruitment and chapter activities including events! While it is still not 100% normal, we are so close!