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'''Historical Highlights/The Story of Our Founding''' <br>Founded Eta Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma was originally founded because before Kappa Kappa Gamma came on Knox College's campus, there were only two NPC sororities (Pi Beta Phi and Delta Delta Delta) available on campus at the timefor membership. Knox College was also home to these NPC sororities, Delta Zeta (1915-1964), Alpha Xi Delta (1929-1973) and Phi Mu (1912-1989), but they all became dormant or inactive and the girls felt there should be more options <br>essentially Knox College was a two NPC sorority school for 18 years! The group was first formed by 6 women: Our Eta Kappa founders, Catherine Ray, Meryl Leventon, Stephanie O'Brien, Caroline Allen, Sibel Karabeyoglu, and Jenny Jennifer Davis believed in diversity and creating options for other women interested in participating in NPC Greek life. <br>After Before their affiliation and installation as chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, our founders took the letters Tau Sigma Omega, TSO, sometimes comically called Tau Sigma Omicron. As the story goes, these women met at Knox College's swimming pool where Stephanie O'Brien was employed as a lot of hard work preparing student lifeguard. This is where the historic Alpha document, was written. This document was approved by the group went to Xavier Romano, Dean of Students, gained his support, Student Life and set up a formal colony <br> TSO was officially founded on Thursday, March 10, 2005 and included . TSO had also increased their membership to 10 women <br>. Membership would continue to increase as their first informal recruitment event was held in the Fall of 2005. Their first Unofficial Chapter Council Meeting chapter council meeting consisted of Catherine Ray(President), Stephanie O'Brien, Meryl Leventon, Kat Kathleen Manly(Philanthropy Chair), Jenny Jennifer Davis, Nerissa Montes, Sibel Karabeyoglu, and Caroline Allen <br>. Their first philanthropy event was the their participation in Galesburg's Polar Plungeevent and fundraiser for Special Olympics, a tradition of that Eta Kappa chapter carried on until 2009 <br>. Held their first informal recruitment in fall 2005 <br>Not TSO was not allowed to participate in Formal Recruitment for formal recruitment in the Winter of 2006, but TSO they continued to grow <br>regardless. By Spring of 2006, TSO had been a Greek colony for a year and could begin to look for the process of national affiliation <br>. TSO ultimately decided to affiliate with KKG Kappa Kappa Gamma(and not with Kappa Delta) because of their Kappa Kappa Gamma's dedication to leadership, philanthropy, and scholarship <br>. TSO felt that their ideals were similar to those of Kappa Kappa Gamma's. TSO affiliated with Kappa Kappa Gamma on October 16, 2006 and became the Eta Kappa colony <br>. Allowed As a colony of Kappa Kappa Gamma, the women formerly known as TSO, were allowed to participate in their first Formal Recruitment formal recruitment in the winter of 2007 <br>.Illinois Wesleyan (Epsilon Chapter) acted as mentors and key sisters for the Eta Kappa colony <br> Eta Kappa was installed as a chapter on March 4, 2007 <br>The by the national President of the Fraternity, Denise Rugani, came to install while Illinois Wesleyan (Epsilon Chapter) acted as Eta Kappa <br>'s mentors and key sisters.
Fall 2008, Eta Kappa got their house! <br>
Began a tradition in spring 2008 of holding a scholarship banquet to recognize professors and build positive Kappa-faculty relationships <br>
Formal Recruitment 2009, the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma were the only sorority to reach quota (Went over!) <br>
Co-hosted Province in February 2009 with Monmouth College (Alpha chapter), and received a Membership Award at the banquet <br>
Greek Week Champions 2007, 2012, 2013 <br>
Started Win-A-Date (previously called Date Auction) fundraiser in 2007 to help schools in Uganda. It raised $1,500 that year, and has been geared towards a different philnathropy every year since. 2013 raised $2,056! <br>
2013 began with excitement for Eta Kappa as we celebrated one of our highest chapter GPAs ever from the previous fall. In February, we celebrated Academic Excellence month for the first time by collecting study tips and sharing them with the campus, promoting our academic achievements through social media, and engaging in a “Letters in the Library” competition. By the end of Winter Term, our house chairman and her committee finished an ongoing renovation of our basement, and Eta Kappa celebrated a fun new wall color, waterproof floors, and furniture. Just before Spring Break, we initiated 8 lively new members, some of whom were elected onto Chapter Council just the next day. <br>
Spring Term was filled with bittersweet air as Eta Kappa prepared to say goodbye to 18 graduating seniors, who comprised nearly half our chapter. However, this dynamic group of women made sure to leave Eta Kappa thriving. After winning Greek Week as well as several other chapter awards at the annual Knox College Greek Banquet, we celebrated our formal at the Soangetaha Country Club. Several members also attended our Province Meeting in the Spring, and brought home the chapter scholarship award, as well as six honorable mentions. Our graduating class also taught the chapter to live Kappa’s ritual daily in a new ritual appreciation program. The Treasurer of Eta Kappa took great initiative this term to create a budget for the upcoming year that would be conducive to our small chapter size, and she educated the chapter on exactly where our money goes. Eta Kappa focused on a new philanthropic organization during this time, selling friendship bracelets for Vitamin Angels, which brings essential nutrition to at-risk populations. This year’s annual Reading is Key event had an “outer space” theme and was held at the Discovery Depot in Galesburg. As a sisterhood event, we joined the Alpha Deuteron chapter at Monmouth for a tea party at the Minnie Stewart House. During the Spring, we also renewed the lease on our house, but never imagined what was in store for us. First, we learned Knox College graciously offered to help the Greek community by allowing us to pay our rent through community service hours, which we have already been completing through our philanthropic endeavors. <br>
When we returned to Knox in the fall, we were pleasantly surprised that one of our advisors and house board members gave our chapter house a complete makeover during the summer. We could not be more thankful for our new furniture, shelving, remodeled bathrooms, and countless decorations. Although Fall was an adjustment period for Eta Kappa due to the large change in our chapter size, our sisters bonded on a deeply personal level and found a new appreciation for the changing chapter. We began the school year with informal recruitment, during which our Membership Chair implemented a completely new system that she created with bump groups and rotation groups. Our new system also incorporated the values of our ritual into the recruitment process. We recruited and initiated three lovely new members. In October, we were lucky enough to join the Alpha Deuteron chapter at Monmouth on Founder’s Founders Day to visit some of our founders’ graves and share a luncheon with our sisters from Monmouth College. For our annual Win-a-Date philanthropy event, we chose to donate our proceeds to an organization called Watts of Love, which brings solar powered lights to people around the world with no electricity. We were lucky to have the organization’s founder, Nancy Economou, at our event to speak about her incredible experiences with Watts of Love, and we ultimately raised over $2000 for the organization. Fall Term was big for Eta Kappa’s public relations with Knox as well: Eta Kappa now has its own Twitter and Instagram accounts, and our Kore Groups are now utilizing Facebook groups to attend “Kappas on Kampus” events and clean the house together. At the end of Winter Term, we initiated our 3 new members and prepared for Formal Recruitment. <br>