2,350
edits
Changes
→Highlights of 2021
|Image= [[File:BetaPi_1999a.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1905|02|04}}
|College= [httphttps://www.washington.edu/ University of Washington]
|Location= Seattle, WA
|Homepage= http[https://uwkappakappagammawashington.airsetkappa.comorg/Beta Pi Website]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Beta_Pi Media related to Beta Pi Chapter]}}
'''2,883 996 initiates (as of June 20152018)'''
----
'''Charter members:'''
Ottie Armstrong, Marion Rose Blethen, Hazel Bragdon, Ethel Janet Brown, Jessamine Garrett, Edna Tileston Guillixson, Maud McMicken, Celia Dexter Shelton.
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:'''
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.
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.”
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.
• 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!