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→Highlights of 2020
We are extremely excited about the 150th anniversary of Kappa. We had a great time seeing some of Kappa's history when we were visited by the Minnie Stewart Van. In the future we are planning a special Founder's Day Dinner to celebrate the Sesquicentennial as well as trying to provide more history about our organization to the members of the Epsilon Alpha Chapter.
==Highlights of 2020==
This calendar year pivoted to be an unprecedented time for both our membership and chapter council as everyone had to execute their duties to the best of their capabilities based on the resources and guidelines they had. We had to transition to having a fully virtual recruitment where our new members were welcomed into the Epsilon Alpha chapter through a zoom bid day. Although their new member experience was not traditional by any means, they handled the zoom new member meetings and chapters with grace and understanding. As such, they were able to complete all the necessary requirements in order to get initiated on November 14th, 2020. Also, at the Sunday chapter before initiation, Shannon Cave, a Epsilon Alpha chapter alumni was able to present Megan Westbrock (PC’19) the Betsy Clement Friendship award. There was a plan in place prior to COVID that she would have come in and awarded PC’19 with the friendship award, but alas covid pushed it all back. As such, we are planning on having her come back in the spring to present the award to PC’20. The best Clement friendship award is an award which the freshman Pledge class elects someone who shares the same qualities of one of our alumni who tragically passed away during her time at TCU. Her fellow pledge sisters have crafted this award in order to carry on her legacy and promote friendship and inclusivity among the freshman pledge class as well as the whole chapter. Initiation proved to be a success and was completely held over zoom. Even though this was a challenge we still were able to make this a special event for out new members. Also, as COVID changed the way we serve RIF and Wescliff elementary, we still found ways to give back to the community. We held a book drive were our members could donate some books in order to contribute to the other donations as well as the drive by book drive where out members, being socially distanced and, with masks and gloves, were able to give the books to the kids. We also had zoom webinars which our members attended for TCU Panhellenic and also encouraged them to give blood or plasma, vote, and other philanthropic activities safety.
The organization the TCU, Epsilon Alpha chapter supports is Reading is Fundamental. While this is also Kappa Kappa Gamma Nationals philanthropy, we too work with RIF. Locally, however, our chapter sup-ports Westcliff Elementary school. This is a local school which is only minutes from the TCU campus.The Chapter decided RIF and Westlciff elementarybecause, as college students we understand and value the need for books and engagement of students in their most fundamental years as those are when it is not necessary to foster the value of an education. Westcliff, being so close allows us to both tutor the kids in the library on Friday afternoons as well as host a book drive during their book fair where our members are able to interact with the kids and show how ones love for learning and reading transcend elementary school.
Our chapter planned to create a DEI committee, but as committees were not that active this semester due to everything being online, we decided to wait until next semester in order really implement and establish a DEI committee. However, we did have a presentation for our members and presented it to them during a chapter.
Our chapter was lucky enough to have the Minnie Stewart van visit our chapter at the beginning of the 2020 spring semester before COVID struck. During that time, we also designated a portion of a chapter to review the history of Kappa in order to encourage our members to view and go inside the Minnie Stewart van while it was at TCU. Also, out of caution for our members and the local alumni, the Founders Day celebration was moved to the spring 2021 semester. This is a special time for our chapter as we are invited to attend the dinner that the Fort Worth alumni association hosts. It is special as we are
able to see KKG alumni get their pins and awards for their efforts and work done after they are in college. It really illustrates and personifies the allegory mentioned during fireside on how a new member becomes an active, and an active becomes an alumni.