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→Highlights of 2017
==Highlights of 2017==
he 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==
==Highlights of 2020s:==