745
edits
Changes
m
Sara Beth Tunnel, Event Chairman, worked hard to plan and schedule all of the social events for the year. She worked very closely with Risk Management to plan events that would be safe and uphold the Fraternity standards. She found fun and unique venues to host events with other sororities or parents of Kappas. In 2012 she planned Kappa Pi Phi Monmouth, Kappa Mom's Weekend, Kappa Dad's Weekend, Kappa Date Dash, Kappa Chi O Owloween, Kappa Tri Delt Ranch, Kappa Parent's Weekend, Kappa Kidnap, and Kappa Cocktail. These events were fun, safe, organized, and help brought the chapter closer together.
Kelsey Koentges, Pubic Relations Chairman, did a great job ==Highlights of helping keep members active and bridged the gap between the chapter, university, parents, and alums. She created a monthy newsletter to send out to parents of Kappas and the Beta Xi chapter. She also planned the Easter and Halloween party, both were held at the house for alumni and their children. She helped organize the babysitting list and the Kappa Chirstmas card which was sent out to other UT sororities and families of Beta Xi members. Kelsey also kept the system of the "Round Up Newsletter which summarized the year and sent it out to the Chapter. 2016==
Kathryn Uecker, Fraternity Education Chairman, was in charge of planning program nights at the house. She provided the chapter with fun speakers and programs such as Zumba. Another large improvement was made by Kathryn by re-implement Senior Programming – a once a month program night for Seniors in place of meeting. Kathryn also planned Founders Day in October where the Beta Xi chapter recognizes the founding members and hosts an event for alumni in the Austin area.
Mary Beth Burgher, Membership Chairman, assisted 2016 was a year characterized by Sullivan Franklin-Mitchellstrength, Isabel Dannendurance, Molly Henson and Kat Schindler succesfully prepared evolution for RecruitmentBeta Xi. They held 3 recruitment workshops in Still without our beloved house, the Kappas faced new challenges, bound together by friendship instead of the spring to plan for recruitment in walls of the fallhouse itself. The campus climate was tumultuous. They also implemented new fun ways to celebrate recruitment such as having members talk about their favorite parts of recruitment during The chapter meetings. They set up different committes itself stumbled and helped implement new changefell on a few occasions. Beta Xi greeted But as the largest pledge class year comes to a close, we can look back and say that in Kappa history spite of all of that, we learned and we grew. We are finishing 2016 stronger, more unified, and better than when we began it. We are excited to move into our house come January! But before we celebrated the new members on Bid Day by taking them transition into 2017, we want to Abel's look back and reflect on the Lake for a fun dinnerall we learned.
Katie SatterwhiteIn January, New Member Chairman, worked hard alongside Avery Walker to integrate the new members into Beta Xi Chapter Council was eager to continue the chapter. They organized many different activities for the new members and helped bring them together legacy of great leadership of past officers, as a pledge class and well as a accomplishing new goals for out chapter. They taught the new members the traditions and history of Kappa. They worked alongside For President, Ellen Crowe served; For Vice President Standards, Anna Wittenmeyer served; For Vice President Organization, Hailey Becker served; For Vice President Academic Excellence, Erin Kreindler served; For Recording Secretary, Ali Purnell served; For Corresponding Secretary, Charlotte Paine served; For Treasurer, Payton Scott served; For Assistant Treasurer, Camille Szelc served; For Registrar, Avery Travis served; For Marshal, Hannah Love served; For Education Chairman, Caroline Cooper our Marshall to teach the Smyrl served; For House Chairman, Sara Shaw served; For Membership Chairman, Riley Longtain served; For New members the rituals of Kappa after Initiation. They made Inspiration week fun for the new members Member Chairman, Tai Massimilian served; For Panhellenic Delegate, Alex Page served; For Philanthropy Chairman, Berkley Johnson served; For Public Relations Chairman, Kathryn Stouffer served; For Risk Management Chairman, Grace Winston served; and helped Caroline with InitationFor Event Chairman, Mallory Morris served.
Kelly Bowman, House Chairman, served as Without our trusty senior girls to guide us and without a liason between the house to meet in house girls, staffChapter Council braved the unknown and began to meet. Ellen Crowe (President) began the year with efficiency and care, planning and Miss Judileading Chapter Council meetings. She helped organize They finalized edits on the chapter bylaws and standing rules, educated themselves on how to use the Kappa drive and webinars, and clarify reviewed the house points system expectations and selecting 60 responsibilities of Chapter Council members with the help of Hailey Becker (VP Organization). She went over goals for the year, including chapter unity, continuing to live in revamp philanthropy, and getting the house. She met chapter on board with the staff Risk Management policies, as well as the rules and Miss Judi goals of Standards Committee. Chapter council discussed some ways to make sure hold the house was running smoothly chapter accountable for their actions at events and attended house board meetingsto reinforce new standards for behavior for everyone. Kelly provided gifts for We decided to change our buddy system from “bigs” and “littles,” to a “pick-a-buddy” system, where the staff throughout girls signed up with a friend before events to be their accountability partner. Grace Winstonbus-riding attendance at events, while AnnaWittenmyer (VP Standards) streamlined the year. She also organized Sunday dinners for in house girls that were provided from local Austin restaurantsway we approach standards decisions. Sara Shaw
Sarah Snelling, Treasurer, was in charge on handling the chapters finances. She worked extremely hard to make sure that the new Bill Highway system was working well and that members could understand how to use it. She was in charge of the dues, budget for Chapter Counci, and any other charges that needed to be made. She also worked to reinburse members and offiers and worked with favors to bill members through bill highway.
Ksenia Kolesnikova(House Chair) worked tirelessly alongside our House Board, Panhellenic Delegate, served as renovations plowed on. Kathryn Stouffer (Public Relations Chairman) continued to educate members about the liason between Panhellenic GIN system and Beta Xipublished yet another great issue of “Round Up”, the annual Kappa newsletter. She represented The new leaders conducted the first few chapter by voting for Panhellenic initatives. She also attended meetings each week with thoroughness and reported back to the Chapter about new policies set by Panhellenic. efficiency, growing more comfortable This was a big year meeting in the Nation's history. President Obama was reelected as President of the United States Student Union and Kappas gathered in the living room to watch the events unfold their new positions. The year started off with a bang, with an organized Chapter Council and watch the weekly debates between candidates. Many an excited group of Kappas donated to the different campaigns and almost every Kappa participated in voting. Another big event in 2012 was the London Olympics. A few Beta Xi members actually attended events at the Olympics. Beta Xi members were involved in many different organizations worldwide from volunteering in South Africa to traveling to South America for mission work.
CampusIn February, Kappas were getting settled in with their classes, and the officers were beginning to get the hang of their new responsibilities: planning events, running meetings, and fulfilling their duties more easily. Berkley Johnson (Philanthropy Chair) took it upon herself to completely revamp Beta Xi is very involved Xi’s philanthropic efforts. She continued the new partnership with the University B+ Foundation that the last philanthropy chair began, combining Kappa’s passion for reading with our love of Texaskids. We try to promote members of adopted a B+ Hero named Moriah, who is battling cancer, and made her an honorary “sister.” Kappas began visiting Moriah at the chapter hospital, playing games, doing puzzles, and when she felt up to be involved in different organizations on campusit, even having dance parties with our newest little Kappa. Mallory Morris (Event Chairman) and Grace Winston (Risk Management) pulled off a great Monmouth formal at Brazos Hall, and everyone had a wonderful time with their dates and Pi Phi friends. Many Kappas are members Riley Longtain (Membership Chairman) held a very successful first recruitment workshop with the freshman, teaching them the in’s and out’s of honors societies such as rush and the Dean's list or Order importance of Omegathe spring semester for recruiting. A few Kappas participate in Student Government While Kappa prepared for recruitment, so did Alex Page (Panhellenic Delegate) and the Texas Athletic programGrace Anne McGinnis, a Kappa who served as Vice President of UT’s Panhellenic Council. There were They began a few changes that were made wonderful year of working together and representing Kappa well to other sororities and to UPC. We rounded out the month with a visit from our campus in 2012 such as adding new buildings, banning smoking on campusmoms, with fun shopping events and having the library open 24 hours a daybrunch at The Grove downtown to celebrate Mom’s Weekend.
Chapter: The Then came March, another great month for Beta Xi chapter has many strengths and some weaknesses that we improved on , as the spring semester was in 2012full swing. As Hannah Love (Marshal) led a successful and efficient ritual workshop to refresh the chapter we are extremely unified. Throughout all grades girls are friends on the ritual and spend lots history of time togetherour organization. Every day you can see many Erin Kreindler (VP Academic Excellence) continued to encourage the girls across campus wearing Kappa shirts. We are extremely proud of our Chapter to study hard, with fun Study Snacks events like pizza catering and members are very dedicated coffee after chapter! Riley continued to Beta Xi. We lacked in communication between hold Rush Workshops with the Chapter freshman and Chapter Council the older girls to prepare for recruitment and we develop a strategy to show girls what Kappa is all about, despite our lack of a house. Hailey Becker (VP Organization) worked very hard to fix that and now have clarity between plan for the twoleadership consultant’s upcoming visit in April.
==Highlights April was a busy month as usual for Beta Xi. Our leadership consultant, Kate Burton, came and brought some amazing ideas for our chapter with her. She hung out with our members, doing fun things around Austin and helped our officers grow in their leadership abilities. Hailey Becker (VP Organization) did an amazing job making Kate feel at home. Berkley Johnson (Philanthropy Chair) helped plan our fundraiser, Kappa Pi-Phi Carnival, complete with snow cones and live music, raising money for our philanthropy. We love joining forces with another sorority who also cares about supporting literacy, and the event was a blast as usual. She also held a successful RIF event at Wooldridge Elementary. The entire chapter came together and set up stations at the school to play games, read, decorate bookmarks, and get their faces painted. At the end of 2013==the laughter-filled event, each child took home a book (or two!). Mallory Morris (Event Chairman) planned an awesome Dad’s Weekend, with food catered on a fun rooftop venue and the chapter attending the Spring football game with their dads. She and Grace Winston (Risk Management) also planned another successful event with our friends in Theta, called Kite & Key. The event was held at a venue downtown and everyone had a wonderful time. A senior Kappa, Kallen Dimitroff ran for Student Body President of the University of Texas, and despite her campaign’s loss, it wasincredible to see the whole chapter gather around her and support her with pride.
The newly elected officers were Kappa events slowed and finals approached, as May rolled around. Caroline Smyrl (Education Chairman) conducted Senior Sendoff, a fun event after chapter where we recognize the seniors and hear funny memories from years past, including poems and “twinkies” from some seniors’ parents. These very excited seniors then became alums after graduation celebrations, and it was made official in Key Reports. Some of them got into top graduate schools to get continue their studies, while others headed off to work in cities around the country. They were off into their positions the world! Payton Scott (Treasurer) worked hard to set up the budget for the 2013 calendar upcoming school year. After completing triplicate , and held budget meetings in December, with all of the Chapter Council officers all felt that they were ready . Tai Massimilian (New Member Chairman) and Riley Longtain (Membership Chairman) both worked hard to continue prepare for recruitment and the great leadership that was new pledge class coming in place before them. Our first order August, with the added challenge of business as Chapter Council was to create finding a Google Drive home for us to shareSpirit and Recruitment weeks without our house. We were astounded by previous the chapter councils’ ability talked to work without the technology event halls and fraternity houses, and we have today. As finally found a chapter, we communicate much of place to hold the events and welcome our information through emailsnew members…stay tuned below! Riley also held the last recruitment workshop and began planning for the summer with her incredible team. The girls in dorms, Google documentsapartments, and the Kappa website. We also employed the use houses packed their bags and headed out of the Gin system Austin, waving goodbye to provide all our information to the entire chapter. Our improved use of technology allowed for clearer channels of communication between officers and the chapter as a wholethis school year.
In our first Chapter Council meeting we created our 2013 Leadership Action Plan. We spent time working on a plan that would guide us to chapter improvement and would help us hold each other accountable in our various offices. Our first area was Self-Discovery and Intellectual and we chose our focus to be to support future career endeavors. We made 3 goals for this area: implement Owl of Over the summer, Kappa sisters spread out across the Week (an time globe for a chosen Kappa to describe her internship)internships, host a resume workshop and mock-interview sessionjobs, and offer additional resources such as networking and internship listsstudy abroad programs. Our second area was Interpersonal Development and our focus was From Spain, to increase chapter unity. Our three goals were family (plan 2 spring family events)New York, fitness (encourage weekly workout classes at the Kappa house)to Paris, to Dallas and Houston and film (feature a “Rom-Com” of Galveston, to all the Month after study snacks at way in Australia, Kappas took the house). Our third area was Leadership and Skill Building with a focus on clarity and transparencyworld by storm. Our four goals were to increase chapter usage of But the Gin systemmonths flew by, make house points viewable and update them monthly, keep a detailed record of the budgetas summer always does, and present information in came to a comprehensible and entertaining mannerclose. Our fourth area By August, everyone was Understanding and Appreciation of Kappa and we wanted ready to emphasize Kappa Then and Now. Our three goals were get back to promote better understanding of formal meeting, ritual, and the history of their Kappafriends, expand the size of Pickers and increase their involvement, and look to alumni for opportunities and guidance after college. We are proud to say that all of these goals had a clear presence throughout 2013Austin, and we successfully followed through on them to make sure they will be implemented in the future as wellUniversity of Texas.
In JanuaryBut unlike years past, the chapter was in the midst of getting adjusted when Kappas ran into our house on University Avenue to the new semester and Chapter Council. We received 2 new affiliatesprepare for recruitment, Ella Coffey and Danielle Fensonthis year we ran into…the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house, and voted to accept them into our chapteranother temporary home! The SAE fraternity boys kindly let us borrow their conveniently located house for a few weeks. Molly McConn, Membership Chairman And as we did with the Union, immediately got started on we turned the recruitment process by recruiting freshman SAE house into a home. Kappa seems to become Area Rush Captainshave an uncanny knack of making anywhere feel like a loving home. She also held It could be a meeting for the freshman room in order to start teaching them about the rush process. Willa JolinkStudent Union, Education Chairmana study abroad dorm, planned a cooking class for the seniors to replace one cramped apartment full of the meetings that they are required to attend. Willa also planned the program night for January and brought Kappas working in Kendyl Richards from Austin Smiles to speak about her non-profit and the importance of volunteering. Peyton BivinsNew York city, or a fraternity house, Public Relations Chairmanbut if Kappas are together, worked on the January newsletter. The officers also made a fun video for the chapter that introduced the new leaders and explained their positionsit feels like home. It was is definitely a fun way to get the New Year startedskill we are proud of!
February began with our first “Rom-Com” of Riley Longtain (Recruitment Chair) and her team’s hard work over the past semester culminated at the month on February 5th. All end of the girls came to the house to watch a fun movie after study snacksAugust. There Spirit week was a huge turnout blast, and made for the chapter’s hard work during a fun night long week of bonding at the house. On February 10th we held “Rookie Rush” at the house for the freshman. They were taught the basics of recruitment, and all of the recruitment team worked with them recruiting paid off when 68 awesome new members came running to learn chants, the stackLittlefield fountain on campus, and the general recruitment process. All of the freshmen were so excited to meet the new girls that could potential be welcomed by our new Kappa memberschapter with open arms. Additionally, every year we participate in Kisses for Kappa. We donate The stresses of a long Recruitment and make goody bags of Hershey’s kisses to give to being without a local elderly real home took a toll on Valentine’s Day. Catherine Wilson, Philanthropy Chair, helped lead the chapter in making goody bags and delivering them to their lucky recipients, however. It brightened the day of the people living in the home and made Valentine’s Day special for all of the Kappa members Our chapter stumbled on Bid Night with some behavioral issues that participatedwe know are unacceptable. Later in Ellen Crowe (President) and the monthChapter Council quickly jumped into action, taking ownership of our biggest event of mistakes and trying to get the year, Monmouth, was held chapter back on February 16th with Pi Phitrack. The party was at We would have been lost without the Hyatt Regency with huge success! We had a face painterfearless leadership of Ellen, photo booththe patience of Anna Wittenmyer (VP Standards), foodthe planning of Hailey Becker (VP Organization), and a band. It succeeded due to a lot the maturity of work from Isabel Dann, Social Chairman, and Julie Parma, Risk Management Tai Massimillian (New Member Chairman). The chapter took buses to We knew there would be consequences and from the event and safely enjoyed the evening. On February 18ththis would be a long road ahead, Chapter Council met with the Alpha Xi Delta Chapter Council as a part of a Panhellenic sisterhood event but we also knew that changes that Sara Holl, Panhellenic delegate, planned and organizedneeded to occur. Chapter Council also went through the Standing Rules and By-Laws during their February Chapter Council meetings and made sure they We were up to date and correct nervous but excited for each position. February 21st was how our Chapter Retreat at Jump Street. The chapter rode buses out to the event and had a blast jumping on all would evolve because of the trampolines and playing dodge ballthis challenge. February was a busy month!
March opened In spite of the chaos, September rolled around, and the Kappas were back. With a crazy Longhorn football win against Notre Dame, we began our classes with excitement and our horns up high! We continued holding chapter meetings in the Province Retreat Student Union, our temporary home. The first meeting ran smoothly as chapter council got back in Lubbockthe swing of things, and the new members learned the ins and outs of their new chapter. Following the events of Bid Day, we were visited by Emily Murdock and Illiana Garcia, our Theta District director and specialist. They helped our Chapter Council got on a bus remember the “why?” of our chapter, as well as realign the goals of Beta Xi with that of the A&M Kappa national organization. They inspired our leaders to be better and to lead our chapter council and headed out for of this slump. They began helping us build a strategic plan to meet with all improve our chapter and help us rectify the mistakes of the other Kappa chapters in our provinceweeks prior. We all had a great time in Lubbock talking Weeks passed, with other chapters the first formal meeting held by Hannah Love (Marshal) and learning more program nights like the one featuring Shannon Moody, where we learned about leadership in Kappathe Jeremiah Project, a center for single mothers, organized by Caroline Smyrl (Fraternity Education Chairman). Our chapter received Hailey Becker (VP Organization) revamped committee nights, helping each committee set goals for the award for Best Ritualsemester. OverallWe also had an exciting visit from the Fraternity President Beth Black, it held at an alumni’s house in Austin. It was a great bonding and learning experience incredible for some of our officers to meet such an inspiring leader of the organization that we love so much. Erin Kreindler (VP Academic Excellence) was happy to report that 13 of our chapter council members received 4.0 GPA’s in the spring, and helped kick start the month of Marchchapter’s cumulative GPA was 3. The first week 47, as the grade report came in March was also House Mother Appreciation week. After our first meeting Kappa competed in the second annual Greek Get Down dance competition—and though we didn’t place like we did last year, we had so much fun dancing! Much of the month we all wrote notes to team was made up of our House Mothernew members, so it was a great way for freshmen, Miss Judisophomores, juniors and seniors to express our appreciation for her dedication all get to know one another. Mallory Morris (Event Chairman) organized our house. Additionallyfirst fun event, each day Macy BarnettKappa Kidnap, House Chairman, planned something special for Miss Judiat a dance hall outside of Austin. Spring Break was March 11-17 With cowboy boots and dresses on, the Kappas traveled across danced the nation and abroad night away to enjoy country music from a live band. Soon enough the week off from schoolsemester was in full swing.
When we got back from Spring BreakOctober was yet another busy month for Beta Xi. The TX-OU football game was a blast, even though our beloved Longhorns lost. Mallory Morris (Event Chairman) planned a fun date event with Tri-Delt, and ended the month with our Leadership Consultanttraditional Halloween dance, Kristi Wattscalled Owl-o-ween, came to visit with Chi Omega. We absolutely love doing events with our chapter from friends in other sororities! But double the girls, means double the 17th amount of people trying to the 22ndsafely get home. She had a presentation and activities for Despite some bumps in the chapter at road in our meeting on Monday. We also had a program night where Willa Jolinkrisk management policies in the past, Education Chairman, brought the Ransom Notes Grace Winston (Risk Management Chair) and Anna Wittenmyer (VP Standards) did an amazing job encouraging everyone to follow our policies. The buddy system became more successful as the semester went on campus , and as well as bus riding attendance. Hannah Love (Marshal) did a cappella group) to sing for stellar job planning and executing Initiation, in our chaptersecond year without a house. On April 19th, Kristi Watts Initiation was held in a Zumba class for different church than the chapter year before study snacks, and Lea Edwards, Registrar, hosted but Hannah was calm in the “Rom-Com” face of chaos, and the month event ran as smoothly as ever. The newly initiated members had a wonderful morning, and afterwards joined their parents and friends for the chaptera fun brunch at Hotel Ella near campus. Caroline Smyrl (Fraternity Education Chairman) did an outstanding job planning Founder’s Day. March 22-24 The event was Round-Up weekend held at AT&T Conference Center. Actives and all of alumnae alike enjoyed stories from alums, songs from the fraternities Kappa pickers, and sororities hosted fun philanthropy events and concerts throughout the weekend. On March 25th the freshman had another recruitment event where a presentation each Area Recruitment Captain told by the chapter about House Board, who has worked so hard on the incoming freshman that they were excited abouthouse renovations. The girls made cute posters and signs to help people remember their names. On March 27th Peyton BivinsHannah Love (Marshal), Public Relations ChairmanKaki Miller (Key Sis Chair), hosted our Easter party for alumni and their kids. We had face paintingTai Massimilian (New Member Chairman) worked together to organize a “Big Sis, gamesLittle Sis” event with photos by the University Tower, candythen on to fun event at a trampoline park! Avery Travis (Registrar) planned composites, and an Easter Bunny at the partyKappas “smiled pretty” for their photos. Many Kappa alumni brought their kids Avery coordinated with the same company from the year before to have composites taken in the Union. Our temporary home at the party, and it Union was a huge successreally starting to feel like ours own—we had taken over! Many chapter members said they will actually miss our makeshift Union “house. ”
April 1st started off In November the semester was quickly wrapping up. Mallory Morris (Event Chairman) did a great job planning a fun parent’s weekend and a Kappa Kasual, our last event of the semester. The event was held at Cedar Street Courtyard downtown, with a resume workshop fun live band. Then came the tumultuous 2016 Presidential Election that divided our campus. Kappas went out and voted for their choice, but our nation was not the only thing that was struggling to help prepare for unify in the upcoming round face of job interviewsadversity. Caroline Cooper, VP Academic Excellence, hosted Ellen and the event officers continued to edit and everyone found it very helpful work on the Strategic Plan for upcoming year. With Ellen’s great vision and informative. On April 5th Catherine Wilsonthe help of the national organization itself, Philanthropy Chairour specialists and the chapter members, hosted our annual we were able to construct a plan that would allow Kappa Pi Phi Powder-Puff game at to grow in the intermural fields to raise money for RIFcoming years. It Avery Travis (Registrar) was a huge success elected slate chairman, and worked extremely hard to conduct meetings with a snow cone maker, prizes, her dedicated and a raffle. Kappa won passionate slate committee to nominate the game officers for the 3rd next year in a row! On April 6th we had our annual Reading is Key party at Zavala Elementary School. Our chapter brought books This year was tougher than ever, with so many great candidates stepping up for every kid hosted an afternoon partyofficer positions. The Slate Committee knew how important these choices were, complete with gamesconsidering the issues from Bid Day, craftsthe strategic plan, and face paintthe new trajectory that Kappa was on—in order to improve and come back stronger. On April 7th we had our third recruitment workshop with The committee worked hard to pick the best possible girls for the freshmen and sophomoreschapter council of 2017. The sophomores demonstrated their rush skills by helping them with committee gave the songsslate presentation at meeting in November, dancesand officer transitions began quickly after, and noise levelthe new and old Chapter Councils began working together. Nancy EllisonAs usual, our PDC, who was regularly updated by Sullivan Franklin-Mitchell, Recording Secretary, attended our Chapter Council meeting on April 7th. It was fun for Chapter Council Kappas were able to come together to chat with her create a unified group of sisterhood and get to update her in person rather than through emailfriendship.
On April 9th we had our “Rom-Com” of the monthNovember turned quickly into December, which was right after study snacks with only one week in between Thanksgiving and was a fun break Christmas breaks for everyonesome girls. Soon afterHailey Becker (VP Organization) planned a wonderful Leadership Day at a delcicious restaurant, Junior/Senior night was on April 11th. It was a special night where the upperclassman had dinner new and old officers can get together at Iron Cactus with their advisors and go over the expectations and talked about all goals for the fun memories they’ve had at Kappaupcoming year. April 12-14 was our annual Mom’s Weekend. Isabel DannOur chapter worked hard to get through final exams and the end of the semester, Social Chair, planned with Erin Kreindler (VP Academic Excellance) planning yummy Study Snack events throughout the weeks of finals! The Kappas wrapped up a long but fun weekend with a happy hour at a local store, Adelante, and a brunch at The Driskill Hotelyear. It 2016 was a great weekend spent showing our mom’s Austin and challenging but incredible year for growth for the Beta Xi chapter.Despite challenges from the Kappa house. On April 18th we had renovation, the political and campus climate, and our very ownbehavioral issues and changes, Kappa Kasual, as our second date party of the semester. It was a fun party at a local Austin venue called Havenchapter grew stronger and closer than ever, and girls invited dates and danced evolving to become the band. The next day best chapter we kicked off Dad’s weekend with dinner at Serrano’scan be. We ate fajitas cannot wait to move into our beautiful new home, and we look forward to taking on a patio 2017, equipped with everything we have learned and enjoyed live music under the stars. The next night goals we paired up with plan to accomplish in the Texas Cowboys to have an event at a local venue called The Stage. Overall it was a great weekend with our Dads. next year!
On April 24th Caroline Cooper, VP Academic Excellence, planned a networking event at Describe the house for all chapter members. She brought in various Kappa alumni form different industries to talk to chapter members about future careers. On April 26th we had Kappa family night at a local Austin movie theatre drive-in. They showed the film Grease recent changes on your campus and all describe the Kappa families carpooled together to see the movie. On April 28th the entire overall nature of your chapter participated in another Rookie Rush event. We all worked together in preparation for recruitment before the summer. Our last meeting of the semester was on April 29th, which included the Senior Send-Off during the meeting. This includes all of the seniors sharing a funny memory from their four years of being a Kappa. It was a bittersweet way to end the semester by saying goodbye to our beloved seniors.
Over Campus climate was tense in 2016, as it was much of the world. Yet another Student Government election occurred on campus in the Spring, this time with a Beta Xi running for office. Racial tensions and a new campus carry law caused protests and fractured our student body. The year culminated in one of the summermost controversial Presidential Elections ever, occurring in November. Our own chapter faced some of the biggest pitfalls and hardships we have ever faced. We lost loved ones and made mistakes. But through all of this, Beta Xi Kappa members took jobs persevered together. We stood up for our beliefs and for each other, admitted our faults, and grew into a stronger chapter. Our chapter is well known at the University of Texas for being involved in and well liked by all across the worldgroups on campus. Kappas are friendly, open-minded, intelligent and active in university life. Some traveled Kappas are so well integrated and studied abroadinvolved in our diverse on-campus commitments, while others took classes that our main goal in Austin or worked 2016 was to increase Beta Xi chapter unity. In spite of a rocky campus climate and our own troubles within Beta Xi, we hoped to increase the bond of sisterhood in New Yorkour chapter. From diving with sharks in South Africa Doing so without a home during the house renovations proved to be a challenge, but our chapter did a great job finding ways to spending an afternoon at Barton Springsunite, Kappa was represented all around the worldcauses like our philanthropy and each other’s successes. Chapter Philanthropy:What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community?Wooldrige Elementary, RIF, B+ Foundation (new this year)
August 12th kicked off Work Week for the chapter This year, Berkley Johnson (Philanthropy Chair) completely revamped and re-energized our philanthropic efforts. Kappa adopted another philanthropy in preparation for recruitmentaddition to Reading Is Fundamental. The week was filled with fun events along B+ Foundation raises money for cancer research and pairs sororities and fraternities nationwide with a lot of time spend preparing“Hero:” a child battling cancer. The Recruitment TeamWe were paired with our Hero, led by Molly McConnMoriah. She is an eight-year-old girl with cancer, planned fun events for the chapter, such as a petting zoo in and the key garden, while also organizing slide shows newest and bump group practices. Throughout the week the seniors had fun skits that they presented youngest Beta Xi Kappa ever! She gets to the chapter and the rush team gave out fun prizes. August 15th was wear our Date Dash party that was planned by Isabel Dann at Recessletters, a local venue. It was a come to some fun break during Work Weekevents, and some be a part of the previously graduated Kappas joined in on the funour Kappa family. August 21-27 was Recruitment Week for the Kappas. It was an extremely successful year Beta Xi embraced our newest sister with a new pledge class of 71 memberslove and pride. Everyone Kappas made visits to her at Kappa was so excited the hospital, had her over to our apartments, took her to Mozart’s Coffee Shop to see all of the new members running down University Avenue toward the house when they got their bids. Tatum Jolink, New Member ChairmanChristmas lights, planned made her a great Bid Night for the new pledge class with dinner at Abel’s on the Lake scrapbook and battled her disease alongside her. And we are thrilled to report that her cancer is in remission! We hoped to be a face painting. They got decked light in Moriah’s life this year…but it turns out in all new Kappa gear and had that Moriah remained a great night meeting their new Kappa sisters. And quickly aftershining light for our chapter, the next morning was back to school for a new semesteruniting us in some of our hardest seasons.
September started out with We remained passionate about encouraging childhood reading, as well! From profit shares organized by chapter members to a book drive to our annual fundraiser, we definitely did not let our first meeting back from school and formal pledging passion for this issue fall by the new pledge classwayside. Lea Edwards, Registrar, put the information We have a great relationship with Wooldridge Elementary where we have our annual RIF event every spring for all of the new members into Key Reportswhole chapter. Tatum JolinkThis year, New Member Chair, started holding pledge meetings after chapter meetings on Mondays. She planned out a full semester of appearances from each Kappa officer to enhance understanding of Berkley added an event there in the inner workings of Kappa. Macy Barnett, House Managerfall, updated as well! Half the Gin system, improving chapter volunteered at the house point system. Margaret Smith, VP Standards, scheduled meetings to meet individually with each new member. It was also elementary school on a nice surprise when Caroline Cooper, VP Academic ExcellenceSaturday, was one of six invited to attend while the Academic Excellence conference at the Kappa headquarters. She had an excellent other half gave their time strategizing with other VPAEs about grade improvement in each chapter and learning ways to promote academic excellenceNeighborhood Longhorns tutoring program.
Our meeting on September 9th was program night; it was special because a member of our chapter, Barbara Gass, discussed her experience biking from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska to raise money for cancer research in Texas 4000. Kappa Kidnap was our second event of the year on September 12th. It is a very exciting event in which the chapter is unaware of the location of the event until we arrive. This year it was hosted about an hour outside of Austin at the famous Coupland Dance Hall. Girls wore cowboy boots and dresses and danced the night away. Parent’s Weekend was September 20th and 21st. On the 20th we hosted a fun party with the Texas Fiji’s at a local venue called The Stage. There was a fun band and games. On Saturday night Catherine Wilson, Philanthropy Chair, planned Kappa Cookout. Every year we have barbecue at the house and invite our parents and friends to come by after the football game to raise money for Reading is Fundamental. It was a huge success with a band playing in the key garden and the house set up in a football theme. On September 27th Tatum Jolink, New Member Chair, planned the new member retreat. She hosted it at the house and cleared out all of the furniture. The new members played games and watched movies and all got to know each other even better. September was a full month of fun and educating new members.
October started with our annual TriDelt/Kappa Ranch Date party on October 3rd. It was held at a new venue called Brazos Hall and people danced all night in cowboy boots. On October 7th While we await the new members had an orientation with all opening of the new members in the UT Panhellenic system. On October 12th the Kappas headed north to Dallas for the annual TX/OU weekend. This was the first year in 3 years that Texas pulled out a win and everyone was very excited! On October 14th we had program night during our meeting and Willa Jolink invited the UT Slam Poetry team to come perform for us. It was a great way for the chapter to see a different side of campus. Lea Edwardsnewly renovated house on University Avenue, Registrar, planned composites pictures to be taken on October 15-16. Everyone dressed up in black to take pictures we have been renting rooms in the side living room. On October 16th Chapter Council had a fun dinner with all of their advisors at Santa Rita. It was a great way UT Union building for everyone to hang out with their advisor and meet the other advisors who do so much for our chapter. We celebrate Kappa Founder’s Day on October 21st. Willa Jolink, Education Chairman, planned a wonderful event at the AT&T Conference center across from the Kappa house. We honored Kappa alumni meetings and remembered our founders. We even had an appearance from the Pickers! On October 29th Peyton Bivins, Public Relations Chairman, planned the alumni Halloween party. All of the local alumni brought their kids dressed up for Halloween, and our chapter hosted a party with trick or treating, face painting, and games. On October 31st we had our annual party with Chi Omega called Owloweenlunches. It was at is usually a local venue downtown large meeting room with screens and was a great way to celebrate Halloween as a chapterdining space in the back.
On November 1st we had Big/Little Reveal. Tatum Jolink planned something new and fun Oral HistoryAre there any current members, alumnae or advisers from your chapter that you recommend for the girls. Fraternity’s oral history project? We had a barge out on Lake Austin and the girls dressed up in a costume to match their bigs. It was so much fun and everyone enjoyed adding a new member to their Kappa family. On November 4th we had reverse pledging are looking for the new members and started Inspiration Week. Throughout the week we had fun events planned for the new members leading up Kappas with stories to Initiation. We had a House Buddy reveal party and many other fun things to celebrate their transition into official members of Kappa. On November 8-9 we had Initiation at the house. This yeartell – funny chapter memories, 47 alums and over 200 actives took part in our best initiation yet. Both the actives and alumnae were eager to participate; all felt a strong sense of renewal afterward. Our white room was 18’ x 32’ larger than in years past due to the extensive efforts of the Marshalgreat professional achievement stories, her adviser and her committee. We added an extra Red Room along with 12 Runners and four Marshals to help run the Red Room process. Everyone participated and alumni from around the country came to initiate girls they know and love. After initiation on November 9th we had an Initiation brunch for all heartwarming stories of the girls and their moms. On November 14-17 we had a how Kappa trainer come visit our chapter. She taught us about risk management and the importance of Kappa’s reputation. It was extremely helpful for our chapter to have her help us improve. On November 19th we had a sisterhood event at the house. We all brought supplies and participated in a fun event that has helped boost self-esteem and demonstrate our appreciation for one another. On November 21st we had our last event of the yearthem, Kappa Cocktailetc. We had a great semi-formal at a local venue Buffalo Billiards. It was a great way to end a semester!
In December we finished up with our last meeting of the year Kathryn Stouffer, current member, outgoing PR Chair Sarah Shaw, current member, outgoing House Chair Tricia Cury, former president and the old officers handed down their positions. We all participated in Triplicate meetings and were very excited to pass off our positions to a great new recent alum Chandler Foster, recent alumHannah Meehan, Beta Xi Chapter Council. advisor
This has been a big year for the Beta Xi Chapter ==Highlights of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Every year our chapter is expanding at a much faster rate than the previous year, and our chapter is learning to adjust to our new large numbers. Overall, the Greek system at the University of Texas is growing at an extremely rapid rate, and men and women across the country are realizing the value in joining a sorority or fraternity. As we grow, we are adding many new facets to the personality of our chapter. Reflecting on the nature of our chapter brings to mind a collection of different girls with different strengths, such as biology, guitar, or computer programming. Our chapter is very close due to our diversity. When studying or interacting with other students on campus it is always a proud moment to meet someone who has previously worked with a Kappa. We are all eager to represent Kappa on campus and we hold ourselves to the highest standards.2017==
This The Beta Xi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma had an excellent year UT of growth and bonding in2017. In January, a new group of Chapter Council members began meeting and carrying on thelegacy of excellent, cooperative leadership our chapter has had in recent years. Hannah Love wasPresident, Tai Massimilian was VP Standards, Kaki Miller was VP Organization, Payton Scott wasVP Academic Excellence, Lauren Fisher was Recording Secretary, Emily Parnell wasCorresponding Secretary, Cameron Shepherd was Membership Chairman, Sarah Gregory was NewMember Chairman, Camille Szelc was Treasurer, Jennifer Harbour was Assistant Treasurer,Emma Riddle was Philanthropy Chairman, Hallie Smith was Event Chairman, Caroline Smyrl wasRegistrar, Grace Winston was House Chairman, Charlotte Fitzpatrick was Marshal, AudreyHalbrook was Risk Management Chairman, Regan Ewing was Panhellenic Delegate, TessaLauritzen was the Public Relations Chairman, and Allison Ainsworth was Education Chairman.2017’s Chapter Council has worked tremendously hard to implement our strategic plan to get ourchapter back in good standing with both Kappa nationals and the university.By far the most exciting thing for our chapter in 2017 has experienced many been being able to be back in our newlyremodeled house! We have been so grateful for the Beta Xi House Board and all the time, money,energy, and thought that they put into the plans to remodel our historic chapter house. Before thebeginning of school, the House Board hosted an open house for alumnae, donors, families, andmembers to view the amazing changesto the house. It was such a special time for Beta Ximembers of all ages to come together and share in the excitement of the opening. The very nextday, active members moved in, and the house immediately sprang to life. It has been such ablessing for the chapter to have a common meeting grounds again and to share meals together,study together, and have our meetings as a chapter in the house.Also in January, Hannah (President) began Chapter Council meetings by having all of ChapterCouncil read the Strategic Plan for our chapter’s Warning of Probation and review the goals andcalendar we had set for the semester. Our head coach Some of our goals included improvement in chaptermanagement, recruitment, new member experience and programming, standards and riskmanagement, and panhellenic leadership. Hannah also scheduled and coordinated a meetingbetween Chapter Council and Katherine Latta, our Leadership Development specialist, for aStrategic Plan workshop and a discussion over Start With Why , a book that all of Chapter Councilhad read over Christmas break. During our first Chapter meeting of the semester, Hannah wentover the strategic plan, emphasizing its importance for all members, and reading our ChapterMission Statement. Tai (VPS) also went over standards behavioral expectations during the firstmeeting and also held elections for the new Standards Committee members. Grace (House Chair)organized an Orientation for the in-house girls from House Board to explain the rules andorganization of the house. Grace and Tai also gave a presentation to the chapter during the firstmeeting about respecting our newly remodeled house. Cameron (Membership Chair) also held aworkshop for the freshmen on a Sunday at the end of the month to teach them the ins and outs ofrecruitment on the other side and to emphasize the importance of our strategic goals for therecruitment process.February began with a visit from our Leadership Consultant, Maddy. Kaki (VPO) organized agreat week in Austin for her, and chapter council enjoyed spending time with her at the house andmeeting with her individually to discuss ways to improve each office. Hallie (Event Chair) andAudrey (Risk Management) planned a great Monmouth formal with the Pi Phis at Palm Door.Everyone had a great night with their dates, dancing with the band all night and taking pictures inthe photo booth. Emily (Corresponding Secretary) also gave a presentation to the chapter on theGIN system, which the officers have been using more effectively throughout the year tocommunicate information to the chapter. Sarah (New Member) also finalized the plans for the newmember bid day retreat in the Fall, which was something that our chapter had never done before.She did an excellent job planning and communicating to Chapter Council, and Reagan(Panhellenic) discussed our exciting plans with other chapters, who followed Kappas lead inimplementing an off-campus retreat in their bid day plans rather than releasing the girls aftermidnight.March was another exciting month for Beta Xi with lots of events and activities for our actives to allbond. Cameron (Membership) hosted another recruitment workshop for the freshmen where shebegan to teach them the football songs and dances. Her and her teambegan to familiarize the freshmenwith more details of recruitment week. They also met with the newly appointed area assistant todevelop strategies. In the middle of the month, the doors of Kappa locked and the chapterdispersed across the country and the world for a fun-filled Spring Break! As soon as everyonereturned from their trips, Emma (Philanthropy) began getting everyone excited for the upcomingphilanthropy opportunities. In the week after Spring Break, she encouraged the entire chapter toget their families and friends to participate in the B+ Campaign. The campaign was acampus-wide competition before the Round Up weekend, and Kappa proudly raised around$4,000. Emma also planned our annual Pi Phi Kappa Karnival event, Mack Brownhosted at the Pi Phi housewith live music, retired snow cones, face painting, and a petting zoo. Beta Xi raised $6,000 from coaching after Karnival todonate to RIF! During April, we said goodbye to our house mom, Ms. Judi. We are so grateful forthe years she spent making sure the Beta Xi house felt like a home for all the members. Hallie(Events) wrapped up the month by planning an awesome Dad’s Weekend. The chapter enjoyeddinner with their dad’s at Dirty Martin’s on Friday, and the next day everyone got to enjoy a tour ofthe Kappa house and a private tour of the Darrell K. Royal Memorial Football Stadium! We alsohad very successful tenure at UTproductive chapter meetings during March. In fulfillment of our probation terms with theUniversity, we had an informative and interactive alcohol awareness presentation from UniversityHealth Services. Although it was a required program, the entire chapter found it interesting andhelpful to understand the best way to socialize responsible in a college environment. Kaki (VPO)also continued to work on making Committee Chapter Meetings a fun way for every member tofeel like they contribute to our chapter. She restructured the Committee Night schedule to makesure that committees completed their agendas.In April, the semester was in full swing and we had another great month for Beta Xi. A At thebeginning of the month, we welcomed our new coach house mom, Ms. Sherri to the Beta Xi house! Wehave loved the life, love and warmth she has brought to her house with her constant cheeriness andfamous shortbread. Nicole Covert, our Recruitment Advisor, received the award for OutstandingAdvisor from LouisvilleUniversity Fraternity and Sorority Life. Nicole is more than deserving of this award.Not only does she put in countless hours of work for our chapter, Charlie Strongbut she is an outstanding mom, replaced himfriend, and volunteer. It will be interesting We are so proud and thankful to see his success have her as part of our amazing advisoryboard! Tessa (PR) also planned an Easter Party at the Kappa house, with an Easter egg hunt,cookie decorating, pictures, and more fun. Hallie (Event Chair) planned two great events duringApril. We had another fun semi-formal, Kite and Key, with Theta at the Summit. She also plannedan awesome Mom’s Weekend, with a shopping event at Adelante on Friday, a dinner at Max’s, andbrunch at the house on Saturday. Cameron (Membership) closed out the month with achapter-wide recruitment workshop, the last workshop of the semester. In accordance with ourStrategic Plan, the recruitment team updated the members on Panhellenic and Kappa NationalsrulesIn May, things at UT over the Beta Xi house started to quiet down as all the members began to prepare fortheir finals and the semester came to an end. Before everyone dispersed for the summer. Allison(Education) conducted the Senior Sendoff, a humorous and sentimental event where the seniorsget to share funny memories from their college years and share what their next few yearschapter has in storefor them as they leave UT and Kappa. The UT Alumnae Board of Regents also gave a presentation to the seniorsto tell them about the opportunities the Kappa alumnae network has been eventful for them. Caroline (Registrar)also put them on alumnae status on Key Reports. Chapter Council ended the spring by settinggoals and preparing for the upcoming semester. Grace (House) worked with the Sophomores toget roommate requests for the upcoming year. Sarah (New Member) and Cameron (Membership)continued to follow—with some make plans for recruiting new members disagreeing Bill Powersand making their experience in Kappa thebest ever.Over the summer, the members of Beta Xi parted ways for summer school, internships, and studyabroad experiences. Tessa (PR) collected photos from all the different adventures to post on ourchapter’s Tumblr, Instagram, and other social media accounts. Cameron, her team, and the president areaassistants worked extremely hard all summer to prepare for recruitment week, and all of UTtheir effortpaid off. We had a fun and successful work week and recruitment week in August. We happilywelcomed 73 new members to their home at 2001 University Avenue on Bid Day! Sarah’s plan forthe new member bid day retreat at Camp Balcones Springs was very well received, and all the newKappas had an enjoyable and safe time playing games and getting to know their new sisters intheir pledge class.In September, school came in full swing, and the chapter enjoyed spending time together, eatingmeals at the house, studying together, and attending football games. Chapter Council worked tomake sure that the New Members really felt that the Beta Xi house was their home on campus. The City Grace (House) got all of Austin has their fingerprints in our lock system, and Emily (CorrespondingSecretary) and Caroline (Registrar) entered their contact information into Key Reports and the GinSystem to make sure they received all chapter correspondence. After a post-recruitment meetingwith Panhellenic, Tai was happy to report to the chapter that we had significantly reduced ourfines from previous years! Before the first date event, Tai also been growing gave a presentation to the entirechapter during meeting to lay out expectations and the standards that we hold each other to insocial settings. Hallie and Audrey planned our fun destination date event, Kappa Kasual, at theOasis. Although the event was cut short by the event staff for behavioral problems, ChapterCouncil took the opportunity as an experience to make a better Risk Management plan for themembers before date functions. Tai, Hannah, and Hallie gave a very fast rate over presentation at chapter meetingthe following week to re-emphasize the importance of safety during social events and the privilegeit is for us to be able to have these functions. We also used our Committee Night to to get feedbackfrom the entire chapter and brainstorm ideas about how we can improve our date events to makethem as safe and enjoyable as possible! It was an excellent way for our members to come togetherand resolve a chapter-wide problem. Payton (VPAE) recognized the members who had received a4.0 GPA the previous semester during chapter and gave them a goody bag. Her and her committeealso decided to give goody bags to members who had made a 3.8, deciding that their hard workshould also be noted. Caroline (Registrar) also scheduled the composite photos for the chapter atthe end of the past few yearsmonth. There are October was a busy month with many exciting chapter events to celebrate our heritage and history!Tai (VPS) and Audrey (Risk Management) continued to work on Risk Management policies forthe chapter and gave presentations before TX-OU Football weekend and our Owl-O-Ween Dateevent on safety and behavior. The members had a fun weekend in Dallas for the football game,spending time with each other and rocking all of their new buildings added Kappa t-shirts and gear made byFavors. Allison (Education) also planned a wonderful Founder’s Day dinner. The event was hostedat AT&T Conference center, and it was a great time for the chapter and Austin alumnae to celebrate the skyline history of our fraternity. We enjoyed a wonderful meal together, presentations fromthe advisors and house board, and music from Pickers. Charlotte (Marshal) and Emma(Philanthropy) rallied a group of our members to participate in Greek Get Down, a dancecompetition fundraiser hosted by AEPhi to support the B+ Foundation. The members whoparticipated had so much fun getting to know each other and representing Kappa at the event.Charlotte (Marshal) did an amazing job planning and coordinating Inspiration Week at the end ofOctober. The new members were put in their new Kappa families on big-little on Tuesday, Fridaywas Fireside, and on Saturday we happily initiated all of our new members as actives! Sarahplanned a brunch for the new actives and their families at AT&T following the ceremony. Beforeour Owl-O-Ween date event with Chi-O, Audrey put a new wristband process and bus buddysystem into place to make sure that we did not repeat the same problems we had at Kasual. Hallie(Events) planned the event at Clearport and the night was a huge success. Tessa also planned aHalloween Trick-Or-Treat party at the house for alumnae to bring their kids. The in-house girlsdecorated their rooms, put out candy, played with all of the kids, and had a great time!Nothing slowed down in November, with many events and lots of time together for the chapter tobond! Kaki hosted the Leadership Consultant, Casey, at the Kappa house and all of the officersenjoyed meeting her and hearing the ways that she thought we had improved within the last year .Hallie organized a fun Parent’s Weekend, with desserts on Friday night at Concrete Cowboy and Austin is becoming Bar-B-Que at the house before the football game on Saturday! Hallie finished her term as EventsChairman with a destination bang by planning our last semi-formal of the semester, Kappa Klassic, atSpeakeasy, and the chapter danced all night to the jazz band. Regan (Panhellenic) continued tomeet with Panhellenic to discuss changes to the bylaws and did an outstanding job of respectfullypresenting our chapter’s stance on the proposals. Our chapter also elected Riley Longtain as SlateChairman at the beginning of the month, and her and her committee put in so many hours pouringover applications and nominating officers for 2018. Elections were held, and we are so proud of andexcited for the upcoming Chapter Council! We know they will carry on the legacy of hard work andthoughtfulness that Beta Xi officers are known for people around !In December, the semester began to wrap up as the worldweather changed and finals approached. OverallKakiplanned a leadership brunch at the house for the old Chapter Council, the new Chapter Council,and their advisors. It was a wonderful time to share all of the accomplishments of the past year andto transition the new officers into their positions. Emma also planned the final Philanthropy eventfor RIF at Wooldridge Elementary. The upperclassmen contributed to a book drive that Kappa is adapting donated to the school. The underclassmen got to UT spend a Saturday morning at Wooldridge,playing basketball with the kids, painting their faces, and Austin’s development getting them excited about their newbooks. 2017 has been a great year of unity and growth with easefor Beta Xi. We have so enjoyed being ableto spend time in our beautifully newly-renovated house, and we are excited for all the memoriesthat will come there in 2018!Describe the recent changes on your campus and describe the overall nature of your chapter.We welcomed a new football coach, Tom Herman, in 2017, and it has been an exciting time for ourteam as they continue to improve. There were also several emergency incidents on campus thisyear, causing the campus to unify and rally around support for mental health and campus safety.Our chapter is known on campus for being a well-rounded and open minded group of youngladies. We are proud to see what happens have so many members involved in other organizations and makingimportant changes on our campus and in Austin. Beta Xi allows its members to be the bestversions of themselves, and we love that those things are reflected in our house as well as on ourcampus!Chapter Philanthropy:What organization(s) has your chapter historically/traditionally raised money for, or donated hours to, in your community? Wooldridge Elementary, B+ FoundationWhy did your chapter choose this organization(s) to support?We have had a great relationship with Wooldridge Elementary School throughout the years . Severalof our members enjoy our RIF events so much at Wooldridge that they volunteer independentlythere as mentors. Our chapter even received an award from the Wooldridge Elementary School forour outstanding volunteer work with their school.Several sororities and fraternities on campus have also adopted B+ heroes, who are kids battlingcancer. Beta Xi has adopted a sweet little girl, named Moriah, who comes to comethe house about oncea week. We feel like Moriah is one of our sisters, and it has been such a joy for our chapter tosupport her and her family as she goes through her journey. Moriah is one of the reasons ourchapter has been so passionate about fundraising for the B+ Foundation, and we are proud of themoney we have raised for such an awesome organization!Chapter Facility:In what kind of a facility does your chapter meet? Please attach a clear photo of where you typically holdchapter meetings – whether in a classroom, chapter house or elsewhere.We have a beautiful newly renovated house. We use our main dining room as the chapter room,where hold meetings throughout the year.
Upon electing the new officers for 2014, the new and old Chapter Council wasted no time in preparing for the year ahead. After completing triplet meetings in December, the officers all felt that they were ready to continue the great leadership that was in place before them. Our first two orders of business were to get everyone up to speed on the Kappa Google Drive, and to create a 2014 Leadership Action plan. Chapter Council completed these two items with outstanding efficiency and thoroughness, which set all the new officers up for a very successful year!
In JanuaryThe 2018-19 school year began with a new Beta Xi Chapter Council ready to work hard and continue the amazing work of the previous council. The new Chapter Council was comprised of many new members, as well as some returning faces. Camille Szelc advanced from the role of Treasurer to President, and Jennifer Harbour took her place, moving up from Assistant Treasurer. Helen Williams took over the role as Assistant Treasurer, all the new officers had a great beginning only sophomore position on Chapter Council. Emma Riddle and Tessa Lauritzen returned to their respective positions of Philanthropy Chairman and Public Relations Chairman for the new second yearin a row. Willa Jolink Carter Pittman was VP Standards, Charlotte Fitzpatrick was VP Organization,Peyton Travis was VPAE, Emily Parnell was Recording Secretary, Linda Castranova was Corresponding Secretary, Caroline Cannan was Membership Chairman, Cameron Crawford was New Member Chairman, Madison Rigby was Event Chairman, Cameron Shepherd was Registrar, Katie Bell was House Chairman, Lexie Alexander was Marshal, Sarah Boatwright was Risk Management Chairman, Kate Kaiser was Panhellenic Delegate, and Paige Nelson was Education Chair. As the year began, Camille (President) spent much of her got the Chapter Council in order by determining a set time organizing for weekly meetings. She efficiently created an easy way for all Council members to communicate, set up a Google Drive folder for notes and forms, and reviewed the necessary expectations and leading responsibilities of Chapter Council officers. The Council discussed their personal and group goals for the semester, focusing mostly on encouraging attendance and bolstering chapter morale throughout the year. To build a stronger community within the chapter, Carter (VP Standards) created a Kappa Kompliments box where members could leave encouraging notes to fellow Kappas to be read out at chapter. Cameron (Registrar) made sure Key Reports was in order and allowed access to the new officers. Jennifer (Treasurer) worked with the Chapter meetings every Sunday Council to set budgets for the 2018 spring semester and Mondaycontinued with billing of the chapter for the new semester. Her organizational skills Linda (Corresponding Secretary) introduced her goal of moving everything over from the ListServe system to GinSystem and heart began the switch. Peyton (VPAE) started off the year by creating a consistent schedule of study snacks, available every Tuesday as a place for Kappa helped everything run smoothly in chapter members to take a mental break and grab a cookie or two. At the first month chapter of the year, Camille (President) did a great job of her officewelcoming everyone back and introduced transfers. The chapter also welcomed two voted on a new transfers from Texas Tech Standards Committee and AE Committee. To begin the process of recruitment, Caroline (Membership) sent out Area Rush Captain Applications to be due at the end of the month. Sophomores are encouraged to apply to be an Area Rush Captain as a fun way to get more involved in recruitment and Alabamaassist the rush team in the busy months to come. In early February, which Willa Jolink the first formal chapter of the year was held. Camille (President)and four other officers attended Ladder of Risk, Tatum Jolink a workshop designed to introduce the FIGP policy and build a community between fellow sorority and fraternity leaders. Emma (VP StandardsPhilanthropy) began the application for GIRLS Academy, an opportunity for Kappa chapters to partner with and mentor young girls from a local middle school. As a chapter, Beta Xi raised over $1,000 for RIF at an event held by Outdoor Voices and was named one of the 20 highest donating KKG chapters. Charlotte (VPO) did a great job of placing chapter members into their respective committees, based off of their requests and Leigh Robinson needs of the officers. Kate (Panhellenic Delegate) sought to build better relationships between the Beta Xi chapter and Panhellenic by encouraging members to apply to be a Rho Gam for the following year’s recruitment. Cameron (Registrar) helped usher planned “Rom Com of the Month” around Valentine’s Day, featuring a night with popcorn, candy, and cheesy movies. The Kappas joined Pi Beta Phi for Monmouth, a wonderful formal event held at The Belmont. Everyone had a blast at the Masqueradethemed party, spending the night dancing to the band, posing for photo booth pictures, or coming up with a crazy design to request from the face painters. Paige (Education) planned an interesting and informative program night about self-defense, focusing on what we can do as women if we are placed ina threatening situation. Tatum Jolink organized The past two years of rush teams met with Caroline (Membership) and her rush team at a triplicate meeting, allowing them to impart their advice and wisdom. Caroline (Membership) also began meeting with Panhellenic at bimonthly Recruitment Roundtables as a way to learn the rules and routines of recruitment and led her first Sisterhood rush workshop with PC’ 17. On the last chapter of February, Alumnae Relations Specialist for Theta District, Amy Sutton, visited to announce to the chapter that the Warning of Probation had been lifted. The month ended with a Ritual Workshop held by Lexie (Marshall) as a way to refresh the chapter’s memory of important Kappa history. March came and went quickly with the nice week of Spring Break to give everyone a break from school. Emma (Philanthropy) invited the founders of the B+ Foundation to come speakto the chapter. They educated the chapter about their mission and main goals, while also introducing their Roundup fundraising campaign. Peyton (VPAE) held a wonderful Professor Dinner at the Kappa house, giving the members of our chapter a chance to get to know their esteemed professors in a more intimate setting. She designed coffee cups as a party favor so that each professor would remember the hospitality displayed by each girl. Before Spring Break, the Not On My Campus committee gave a brief but informative presentation on staying safe and watching out for your sisters during the break. The next week, Kappas set off all over the country, exploring new places, relaxing at home, or visiting friends studying abroad in foreign countries. After Spring Break, the chapter nominated Avery Campbell as the new Nominating Committee Chair Representative. Emma (Philanthropy) also joined forces with Pi Phi to throw Kappa Pi Phi Karnival. The event was held in the front yard of the semesterPi Phi house with cotton candy, face paint, and even a mechanical bull! Chapter members sold wristbands to their friends, encouraging them to stop by as a kickoff party for Roundup Weekend. Tessa (PR) invited alumni and friends to the house that Sunday for a fun Easter party. Alumni were welcome to bring their children for a fun afternoon of cookie decorating and egg hunting. Cameron (New Member) began discussing Bid Day with Chapter Council, throwing around ideas and asking for the opinions of the chapter. Madison (Event) planned a completely new event, naming the party “Kappa Krush”. Chapter members secretly invited dates for their friends, bowling but the girls did not find out until their date found them wearing their tie at the underground alley on campusparty! Everyone was excited to try something new, which and the event held Vulcan was a huge success! Becca Johnson . April was another busy month for the Beta Xi chapter as the school year began wrapping up. Camille (President) and Kate (Panhellenic Delegate) presented the new Diversity and Inclusion Statement written by Panhellenic to the chapter and encouraged members to apply for the new Diversity and Inclusion committee. Katie (House) sent out new room assignments to the sophomores eagerly awaiting their year living in the house. To continue boosting morale, Carter (VP Standards) and the standards committee planned a night at the baseball park for fun sisterhood event in early April. The Kappas took over the stands, eating hot dogs and cheering on the UT baseball team as they took on the Baylor Bears. Peyton (VPAE) recognized girls in the chapter who received a 4.0 in the fall and also implemented announced that the chapter had moved up in the UPC GPA rankings to the 7th position! The new members advanced even higher, ranking 3rd. Chapter members visited Wooldridge Elementary for their biannual Reading is Key event, engaging the students through basketball, bracelet making, and of course, dance parties! Each student got to leave with a few books donated by the members of our chapter. Cameron (Registrar) planned this month’s “Rom Com of the Month” around The Bachelor, having a fun night of snacks and gossip as chapter members gathered together to watch the finale. Caroline (Membership) held two recruitment workshops this month, re-familiarizing the entire chapter with the songs, chants, and strategies soon to be used. The recruitment team spent endless amounts of time meeting with the ARCs and taking on their respective roles to prepare for the summer months. They did a great job of introducing new system changes and getting the chapter excited about a new season of recruitment! Paige (Education) planned a final wrap up event for the seniors at Painting With a Twist. The seniors got to visit a studio to recreate their own painting to take home, and they had a blast! Madison (Event) was busy this month, planning both the last date event of gauging the academic success year, Kite and Key, with Kappa Alpha Theta and Parent’s Weekend. The date event featured a fun band Cedar Street Courtyard. Instead of doing separate Mom’s and Dad’s weekends, Madison combined the two into one big Parent’s Weekend at the end of April. On Friday, chapter members attended a joint shopping event and Happy Hour between Adelante and Santa Rita. To show off the new house, Kappa hosted a brunch for all parents before the UT baseball game. Towards the end of the month, the chapter welcomed back Casey, a Kappa Leadership Consultant. Each Chapter Council officer met with Casey to get advice and set goals for the next semester. Charlotte (VPO) did a great job in planning activities for Casey to introduce her to more of Austin. As a whole, the chapter was so grateful that Casey was able to make time to come back and visit again. The school year came to an end in May as Kappas began making their summer plans. Paige (Education) brought back the tradition of Chapter Awards, much to the surprise and excitement of the chapter. Outstanding Freshman went to Gigi Hanna, Outstanding Sophomore went to Risk Management Chair Sarah Boatwright, Outstanding Junior went to Peyton Bertram, and Outstanding Senior went to Hannah Love. Hannah was also presented the Eleanor Niggli-Tyler Award for outstanding contributions to Beta Xi Chapter Kappa Kappa Gamma. Kristen Graham won Lillian Lurker, a comedic award presented to a house girl who spent hours in the Lillian, our beloved living room. For outstanding contribution to the University of Texas and Kappa Kappa Gamma, senior Riley Longtain received the Braun-Maynard Award. Last, Sally Cisarik won the Heather Lynn Dealy Award, nicknamed the “Sunshine Award”. Paige (Education) also planned Senior Sendoff to honor those leaving us. Each senior received a small present from the chapter and announced their future plans. Jennifer (Treasurer) explained payment plans to the chapter, as she would begin billing for the Fall semester in August. During the summer months, Beta Xi Kappas set off to do wonderful things all over the world. Several membersstudied abroad, becoming familiar with the lifestyles in Spain, Italy, Croatia, and more. Older Kappas began internships and summer jobs, hoping to gain experience and make connections. Other members entered summer school or attended summer camps. To keep in touch, Tessa (PR) kept up the chapter’s various social media accounts, gathering pictures from everyone’s exciting summer experiences. Camille (President) and Emily (Corresponding Secretary) took off to Denver to attend the Kappa Convention. They had an incredible time getting to know Kappa chapters from all over the country and developing stronger relations with the advisors who attended as well. Beta Xi was lucky enough to win the advisory board of the year award for the chapter connections with the advisors. The most notable part of their trip was the presentation by Lawrence Ross, which ultimately who came to UT this past Fall as well to discuss race relations in Sororities and Fraternities. Caroline (Recruitment) and her rush team stayed busy reviewing letters of recommendation, planning out the fun days of work week, and creating a strategy to use in the upcoming weeks. Chapter members moved back to Austin in early August to participate in a week of preparing for recruitment. Caroline (Recruitment) and her team even surprised the chapter with a swimming barge as a way to cool off in the hot summer heat. A great work week led into an even better recruitment week. Beta Xi was proud to one of show off the their unique personalities, and on Bid Day, we welcomed 68 amazing new girls into our best overall GPAs yetchapter! Madalyn Brim The festivities planned by Cameron (MembershipNew Member) included dinner at Matt’s El Rancho, a dance party, and a sleepover at the house for all new members. The girls loved getting to know their future sisters in a more intimate setting. The school year started up again in September. Kappas welcomed the fall semester with open arms, entering new classes and cheering on the Longhorns football team. Chapter Council gathered together again on Sundays to communicate their semester goals and plan for how to achieve them. After an orientation put on by Katie (House), PC’ 16 moved into the house, enjoying the comfort of living so close to campus. The New Members eagerly explored their new home, eating meals together, studying in the basement, and showing off the house to their friends during guest lunches. They attended a New Member Orientation put on by Panhellenic to learn all of the policies and responsibilities expected of newmembers. Within Kappa,Cameron (Registrar) and Linda (Corresponding Secretary) worked with Cameron (New Member) to gather all of the New Member information to input them into the various systems. Linda (Corresponding Secretary) also gave a presentation on Ginsystem as the chapter officially moved over from ListServe. Carter (Standards) organized elected a successful new member to the Standards committee to replace the senior who graduated in May. Once again, Charlotte (VPO) worked on organizing committees in time for the first Rush Workshop committee night. Peyton (VPAE) proudly announced that our chapter moved from 8th place to 4th place out of 14 sororities in the UPC GPA rankings with an average GPA of 3.5581. Cameron (New Member) began the New Member meetings before chapter each week to educate the New Members on various aspects of Kappa, introduce them to prepare the Chapter Council officers, and answer any questions they had. The Kappas attended their first date event in late September, a fun, ranch style joint date event with Tri Delta. Our chapter was approved for recruitment GIRLS Academy, so Emma (Philanthropy) began working on those details. Tessa (PR) gathered pictures and stories from the summer to publish the summer newsletter. As October came around, energy in the fall house was at an all time high with the excitement of Halloween, the Texas-OU game, and our date event with Chi Omega. The month began with chapter composites planned by Cameron (Registrar). Avery Steen worked closely to pair the process sophomores and New Members for Key Sis dates, giving the newer members a chance to spend time with their older sisters. Emma (Philanthropy) scheduled a bat tour for girls in the chapter to spend time with Moriah, our B+ Hero. In preparation for the big game in Dallas, Sarah (Risk Management) worked with the NOMC leaders to give a helpful presentation on the risks of party weekends and how to stay safe. She also organized a list of preparing girls going to the game by fraternity so that all Kappas knew who to turn to if they needed help. On Friday, Kappas loaded up buses and cars to head to the Red River Rivalry. After a nerve-wracking game, the Longhorns came out on top with a 48-45 win. To celebrate Halloween, Madison (Event) planned our annual Owl-o-ween with Chi O. From Ghostbusters to movie stars, everyone enjoyed dressing up with their date. Tessa (PR) hosted a Halloween party at the house for alumni and their children. In-house girls participated by handing out candy in a new pledge classmock trick-or-treat activity. Towards the end of the month, Kappas went back to Wooldridge Elementary to host their fall Reading is Key event. Everyone loved seeing the children again, and we even saw some returning faces! Meghan Lowenfield The month culminated with a sisterhood hangout with Kappa Delta. Kate (Panhellenic) invited the KDs into our house to build ice cream sundaes and socialize. November kicked off with a fun-filled Parent’s Weekend, featuring a great brunch at the house before a big football game against West Virginia. The following week was an amazing Inspiration Week planned by Lexie (Marshal). Casey the Leadership Consultant returned that week to act as a guide and mentor through all of the Initiation rituals. Chapter Council was so fortunate to have someone who knew our chapter so well to be there during this special week. The week began with Big-Little reveal as the new members were welcomed into their new families, dressing up and eating Amy’s ice cream. On Friday, Fireside was held at the house. After bonding all night, the new members were finally initiated early Saturday morning. To celebrate, Cameron (New Member) planned a wonderful brunch for the new actives and their families. The weekend culminated with Founder’s Day, a special event held each year to embrace our Kappa history and celebrate our esteemed alumni. This year, Paige (Education) treated planned Founder’s Day at the Kappa House as a way to show off our beautiful home and make the event more intimate. Kappa also participated in Greek Get Down, a dance competition put on by AEPhi to raise money for their philanthropy. Peyton (VPAE) held another Professor Dinner, giving the new actives a chance to talk to the people who led their classes each day. On the last Thursday in November, Kappas attended Kappa Klassic, a semi-formal held at Summit. Everyone had a blast, and Kappa commends Madison (Event) for the wonderful job she did planning events all year. The Slate committee worked endless hours, pouring over Chapter Council applications and debating who would be the next leaders of Kappa. After long nights, they presented their nominations to the chapter, which were warmly received. Kappa thanks Slate for the wonderful job they did, and we are all very excited for the new Chapter Council to lead us into next year. As the year came to a Zumba Workout during close, December was an important time for transitioning. New Chapter Council members met with those who held their positions currently to learn the first program nightins and outs of each job. OverallAs a wrap-up and official transition day, Charlotte (VPO) planned the Leadership brunch at the house. Old and new Chapter Council members gathered with their advisors to celebrate everything that has been accomplished in the past year and discuss goals for the semester to come. Chapter Council members also attended the State of Panhellenic dinner to present what Kappa achieved in the 2014 last year . As a treat, Carter (VP Standards) and the Standards committee replaced the last chapter with a sisterhood party. The house transformed into a Winter Wonderland as chapter members took a break from studying to enjoy free massages, cookie decorating, and a chocolate fountain. Overall, 2018 was a remarkable year for Kappa as we transitioned off of a Warning of Probation, introduced a wonderful new pledge class, and grew stronger together. We are very fortunate to a great starthave had such an exciting year, and we anticipate that 2019 will be even better!
In FebruaryThis year, the new officers began to get Texas Longhorns played a fantastic season and played against the Oklahoma Sooners in theBig 12 Championship at the hang of their positions and began brainstorming ways to make this AT&T Stadium. This was the best first year of Beta Xi yet! Becca Johnson (VPAE) received since 2009 that the grade reports from Longhorns madeit to the Fall 2013 semester Big 12 Championship,and it was pleased to see the first time since 1903 that we had raised our GPA significantly above the all sorority average and was ranked 6th overall! two teams played eachother twice in one season.The chapter celebrated with a cake and Kappachino party that Julie Parma (House Chairman) and Miss Judi put Longhorns will go on! Leigh Robinson (Registrar) also held to play the first RomCom of Georgia Bulldogs in the Month Sugar Bowl on the week of Valentines New Year's Day, .After a long campaign season and partnered with Meghan McGowan (Philanthropy) to hold Kisses from Kappa, an event where the chapter writes Valentines to hospitalized children. It was a huge successrunoff, with Colton Becker and Mehraz Rahman were electedas the biggest turnout that both events have ever seennew student body president and vice president. Tricia Curry (Marshal) also held a Ritual Workshop to teach the entire Our chapter the Kappa ritualsis known throughout campusfor being very involved in multiple school functions and clubs. This was extremely helpful to the new members especially. Last, The traditional "Kappa had their first formal of the semester"girl is known for being respectable, Monmouthresponsible, with the PiPhis in late Februaryand true to herself. It was at Our house is a new venue landmark on 6th streetcampus, and all the girls had a fun time with their dates thanks we take pride in welcoming people to a lot of planning from Mimi Richardson (Events Chairman) and Sam Stavinhoa (Risk Management)see thisspecial place. Our chapter supports Reading Is Fundamental,B+ Foundation
March was a big month Our chapter has been raising money and gathering books for RIF over the Beta Xi Kappaslast few years. Julie Parma (House Chairman) began the month by analyzing House Points and assigning roommates in the house for the 2014-2015 school We partner with Wooldridge Elementary to host a RIF event there twice a year. She also revamped the Lillian, a lounge on invitingstudents from the second floor that had begun school to look outdated. With the House Board’s helpcome play games, the new Lillian is now a favorite hangout spot for the girls in the house! Beta Xi also had House Mother Appreciation weekeat snacks, where the girls honored Miss Judi and all the amazing work she does for get their faces painted.Each child leaves with books donated by our chaptermembers. Peyton Bivins (VPO) also worked hard on preparing Throughout the year,chapter membersvolunteer as mentors for some of the students at the Leadership Consultant to visit in late Marchschool. The LC helped us so much We received our B+ Hero, and we were so happy to get to gain wisdom from an olderMoriah, wiser Kappa! Becca Johnson (VPAE) also went above and beyond by compiling a “Majors List”few years ago, a new resource for Kappas to find others who share along with many other sororities and fraternities on campus.Moriah has become part of the same major. Becca also planning a Registration Partysisterhood, with older Kappas helping younger girls navigate and she is well loved by everyone in the perils of registering for classeschapter. Barbara Gass (Corresponding Secretary) took a lot We spend lots of time taking her and her friends to participate in March things around Austin as wellas hosting them to inventory the house to paint,sing,or play hide-and label all -go-seek. Throughout the resources in the basementyear, making it much easier for the chapter to access. Meghan Lowenfield (Fraternity Education) wealso organized two fun events raise money for the chapter: a senior yoga class and a Keys Overseas presentation! Both made meetings interesting and fun! In the end of March, the girls went on Spring Break, many going on trips with other KappasB+ Foundation through fundraising campaigns. The Kappas traveled all over the world and took advantage of a whole week off from school! Upon returning back As Moriah grows older, Beta Xi held our biggest philanthropy event during Round Up, Fajita Fiesta, with PiPhi! This was we are so lucky to have had the first year chance to get to do this, know her and Meghan McGowan’s (Philanthropy) hard work on it paid off!her family.
In April, Beta Xi did not slow down one bit Our chapter meets every Monday at 6 pm in preparing for what we call the end of "Great Room" in the semesterhouse. Mimi Richardson (Social) worked with Theta At 5pm, we offer chapter dinner to plan Kite and Key, a beloved date party with the Thetasentire chapter. Sam Stavinhoa (Risk Management) did a ton of work with the bus policy for this event, and spent many hours contacting the bus company and thinking of new, innovative ways As dinner comes to take roll on the buses. Additionallyan end, Mimi Richardson helped plan fun Mom's and Dad's Weekends our HouseBoys assist us in April. The chapter loved getting to hang out with each other families in group dinners moving the tables and events. Alex Collins (Panhellenic Delegate) helped run Greek Grub, an awareness event that helps Greeks meet each other on campus. She also organized chairs from a profit share with our sister sorority, AEPhi, at Red Mango. The turnout was great, and all the proceeds went dining room setting to One Million for Anna, a charity that Meghan McGowan (Philanthropy) has developed more of a relationship with. Michelle Nash (Public Relations) threw the annual Easter Party, one the of the chapter’s favorite opportunities to meet alumni! Michelle put on an incredible party with Easter egg hunts and even the Easter Bunny made an appearance. Julie Parma (House Chairman) also assigned parking spots in the Kappa lot based on preference forms for the 2014presentation-2015 school yearstyle setting.
May signaled a slow down in Kappa events as finals approached and the semester came to an end. Meghan Lowenfield (Education Chairman) conducted Senior SendoffEvery year, a fun event after Chapter where we recognize the seniors and hear funny memories have multiple girls from their at KKGour chapter apply to ride for Texas 4000. Leigh Robinson (Registrar) also worked hard in obtaining all the graduating seniors’ contact information and put them on alum status in Key Reports. Tatum Jolink (VP Standards) also helped in getting the seniors to comply with the Senior Agreement, and she believes Texas4000 is a non-profit organization that the seniors were more aware hosts one of the requirements than longest bicycle rides in years past. Maggie Hood (Treasurer) worked hard in setting up the budget for the next school yearworld. She met with all the officers individually The Kappas who apply and looked at past bills to determine the correct amount to allocate to each are accepted raise thousands of the officer accounts. Maggie Hood (Treasurer)dollars, Willa Jolink (President) and Tatum Jolink (VP Standards) also worked hard training all year for their ride from Austin to ensure that all accounts were cleared and everything was organized and squared away nicely for the Alaska. Our chapter. Catherine Anne Prideaux (New Member) and Madalyn Brim (Membership) both worked hard to prepare for the recruitment and the new assists these members coming in August! Catherine Anne finalized Bid Day plans and worked closely with Caroline Wallace (Favors Chairman) to design fun by postingon social media, selling t-shirts , and gear for the new girls to wear. Madalyn held the last recruitment workshop and began planning for the summerhelping raise money. Lastly, Mimi Richardson (Social Chairman) and Sam Stavinhoa (Risk Management) planned a fun End Not only are we incrediblyproud of the Year Party our girls who take on a barge on Lake Travis this task, we also commend our chapter for the Kappas! It was a huge hit outpouringlove and support they provide.Summer 2018 Riders:PeytonBertramand a great end to the school year!LindaCastranova;Summer 2019 Riders:JulieDeLaRosa
Over the summer, the Kappas parted ways to do internships, study abroad, hang out at home or take classes in Austin. All the girls, especially the officers, kept up a strong line of communication and continued to uphold the Kappa name all around the world. Five members of Chapter Council attended Convention over the summer with all of the Kappa chapters in our region. The girls gained a lot of great tips in how to better run our chapter! Madalyn Brim (Membership) and the rest of Recruitment Team stayed in Austin over the summer, and attended parties and events where they could meet some of the girls who would be going through recruitment in August. The team did a ton of hard work for the rest of the chapter, but also had a ton of fun in Austin! However, in August everyone was ready to get back to the Kappa house for another fun year of Recruitment, new members, date parties, meetings, and sisterhood events.
In August, Madalyn Brim’s officer position kicked into high gear when she led an extremely successful Spirit Week and Recruitment Week. All of the chapter’s hard work paid off when 78 new Kappas ran to the house on Bid Day! Everyone was so pleased with the girls we had gotten, and Catherine Anne Prideaux (New Member Chairman) was ready to begin integrating the New Members into the chapter!
September marked the first week ==Highlights of school and the first football game. This year, long time football coach, Mack Brown, left the University and Coach Charlie Strong was hired as the new Longhorns head football coach! This football season looked promising for the Longhorns, and the Kappas were excited to begin attending football games again. At Beta Xi, September was a very busy month. Unfortunately, Bid Night behavior posed some challenges that Chapter Council had to discuss how to move forward with this yearly celebration of the new members. Willa Jolink (President) led these discussions and worked as the communication between the House Board and Chapter Council. The Kappas handled this situation very well and implemented extra service events and programs to put our chapter back in good standing. We are very proud of the progress we have made! Also in September, the New Members had their retreat at the KKG house, where they played games and bonded at a pledge class. Peyton Bivins (VPO) diligently constructed the calendar for the upcoming semester and implemented a new system for Committee Night. Now, all officers have a committee and the girls have a bigger hand in choosing a committee for the semester. Becca Johnson (VPAE) also made a fun new game out of Smarty Pants, which puts the 4 grades into competition to see who can get the most As. Overall, September was a busy and challenging semester, but very rewarding overall!2019==
In October, Beta Xi was brought Several members of Kappa are a part of the peer buddy in Best Buddies. They ar epaired with an adult with an intellectual disability and he’s their"buddy"at all the news that events for the house would officially be undergoing a major renovation in rest of the 2014-2015 school year! The girls were all very excited about the prospect of .It is a new and improved house, but many challenges did arise great way for our members to stay involved in terms of housing everyone the community as well as make an impact in the chapter during the year someone's life. I would say that all our members involved in Best Buddies have learned more from the house cannot be usedprogram than they expected. Our members are also involved in our philanthropy,Reading is Fundamental. House Board and Chapter Council worked together to form a relationship There is an event at Wooldridge Elementary School where members go hang out with 2400 Nueces to get a block of rooms for the Kappaschildren at the school, find a house for Miss Judi paint their faces, make bracelets, draw pictures, play basketball and locate potential new meeting and recruitment spaces. Overalleveryone's favorite, the strong team mindset in Kappa made these challenges easy to overcomeplay musical chairs. Beta Xi There are also had another visit from the LCother events we are involved in such as an online fundraiser for B+ Foundation, Riley. Peyton Bivins Girls Academy (VPOmiddle school girls retreat on leadership, service, and respect) ensured she had a wonderful stay and , book drives, participated in Phi Psi Stuff the chapter benefitted from the news ideas that the LC had Truck, DG Desserts, Alpha Phi's Mac N' Phis, Pi Phi's Pi Burger's & Phries, ADPi's PiHop, won SDT EAT your way around competition, Kappa Pi Phi carnival, fundraising for Texas4000, donated menstrual products to bringPERIOD. Meghan Lowenfield (Fraternity Education) planned and implemented Founders Day, a time Each of our members are dedicated to celebrate their success and commemorate have achieved incredible things while at the founding and history University of KappaTexas. The tradition is beloved by the Kappas. On October 25th, Tricia Curry (Marshal) officially initiated all 78 One of the pledges in our members was awarded a beautifully run ceremony. Tricia organized everything with ease and made it the most efficient Initiation Ceremony in the past years. Initiation marks $1500 grant for thesis research, she is the end of an 8co-week education process president of the new members. Michelle Nash (PR) held another successful holiday eventPlan II student association, was also awarded the annual Halloween Party at the House. Mimi Richardson (Events Chairman) AJ and Sam Stavinhoa (Risk Management) worked hard to plan Lynda Hare Scribante Scholarship for $3000, and throw Kappa Kidnap and OwlOween is a counselor for Dell Medical Summer Science Camp. We have a lot going on two back-but we are all there to-back weekends, which were both fun ways to end the month of October!support each other and help out when someone could use another hand.
November marked continued efforts to organize Our members are involved in certain programs and clubs on campus and communicate updates from House Board about a majority hold officer positions in those organizations. A few of the things they have worked to accomplish include improved transition for freshman Plan II students by creating new upcoming renovation. Willa Jolink (President) activities and Julie Parma (House Chairman) worked opportunities for a very long time involvement, contributed to make sure this process ran smoothly. Leigh Robinson (Registrar) coordinated the Composite pictures enrichment and signed a contract with a different Composite company for the next school year. She hopes closeness of Greek community, donated 300 books to save money Wooldridge Elementary, and increase composite quality with this switch! Tatum Jolink (VP Standards) Meghan McGowan (Philanthropy) provided support, education, and Alex Collins (Panhellenic Delegate) worked together leadership to organize a Sisterhood eventWooldridge students, B+ hero, and summer camp kids. At the eventWe support Reading is Fundamental, girls decorated Thanksgiving cookies with Kappa Delta Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation We chose RIF because it is our national philanthropy and wrote holiday cards we want to Dell Children’s Hospitalparticipate in the core values of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Mimi Richardson (Events Chairman) planned Parents Weekend Hosting RIF events and Kappa Cocktail. Kendall Sealy (Recording Secretary) worked book drives connects us with all our sisters within the officers to revise the Bylaws chapter and Standing Rules for throughout the next officersnation. Then We chose the B+ Foundation because it is a local philanthropy that we can participate in mid November, Beta Xi began officer transitions, led by Peyton Bivins (VPO). Julie Parma (House with other sororities and Slate Chairman) and the Slate Committee had elected new girls to serve fraternities on Chapter Council, and the groups began working together to transition all positions over smoothlyUniversity of Texas campus. The 2014 Chapter Council is extremely excited to see what the new Chapter Council will do in 2015!
In December, the semester began to come to a close, with only one week in between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks for some. The girls worked really hard to get their schoolwork done and finish with great GPAs. Slowly but surely, girls began to move out of the house to return home for the winter break and holiday season. Overall, 2014 has been an incredible year for Beta Xi, and we could not be happier with the challenges we have overcome and the changes we have implemented.
Campus: Recent changes on our campus have made it increasingly important to be technologically savvy. With the influx ==Highlights of media and technology that has come about in the past couple years, students must utilize these avenues to be successful at the University of Texas. In other news, in 2014 we hired a new football coach, Charlie Strong. The students has have begun to call themselves "Stronghorns" and all have made an incredible effort to stand behind and support this new football era. We are hoping for some big football wins in 2015! 2020==
Chapter: The nature of our Beta Xi chapter is something that we are most proud of Kappa Kappa Gamma had a great year! Multiple members were awarded KKG foundation academic scholarships. We are known as campus as being friendly, welcoming Ashley Duester (PC ’17) was awarded the UT Sorority and brightFraternity Life Office Outstanding Member of 2020 award. We still maintain a highly admired reputation among both Greeks and non GreeksBefore the COVID-19 pandemic, and we wear the Kappa name with pride. Our biggest accomplishment this year was overcoming some disciplinary issues with alcohol were lucky enough host a sisterhood basketball game in February and the houseMonmouth date event on March 2nd, 2020. It was a long road After life started to work with the House Boardchange, advisorssisterhood events began to look more socially distant. On November 10th, 2020 we held a sisterhood ice cream event at Zilker Park and Miss Judi to enforce a hot chocolate event in the rules surrounding thiskey garden during finals week in December. We began doing room sweeps continued to stay philanthropically involved by hosting a chapter drive-in donation to EJI in Spring 2020. Because of the House to ensure than no one was keeping alcohol against pandemic, we created operation plans for managing chapter facilities in the rulesmidst of COVID-19. We are happy to say that conducted a virtual work week, recruitment, and bid day. All new member meetings, formal and reverse pledging ceremonies, and formal chapter meetings were held virtually through zoom (informal chapter meetings consisted of a PowerPoint made by the members of chapter has been properly educated on this rule council and all sent out to the girls have entire chapter). Further, initiation was completely supported our Standards Chair virtual and President in this challenge, and our chapter is now stronger a wholecombined into one ceremony.
We hold chapter meetings in the large downstairs living room of The Chapter celebrated Founders Day with a brunch at the Beta Xi KKG House on University Drive. We normally move Kappa Alumni were invited to come celebrate the exciting day and share with each other the power of Kappa women.There was a speaker who presented a little bit about Kappa and the furniture history of it and bring in chairs to ensure that everyone has a comfortable place to sit. The chapter owns our House, which maintains had a Historical Landmark status great time in Texaseach others company.
We have had our red brick house on University for decades now. The girls have the opportunity chapter began to live in the House both their junior and senior years, if they choosecelebrate Kappa’s 150th anniversary with Founders Day. The House has 60 spots, Customized cups and napkins were made for the House Chairman generally fills them with half junior and half seniors, based on House Points that can be earned throughout the school year. In our history, we have had one other chapter owned house, which was formerly on the corner guests of 24th of Rio Grande, Founders Day as well as for the current site of a gas station. The chapter is looking forward active members to a massive renovation of our house in 2015 and 2016, a 15 month project to update it and revamp it. This will cause member s to not be able to live in the house in use throughout the 2015-2016 school year.
==Highlights For our philanthropy we support B+ Foundation, Reading is Fundamental, and various COVID relief organizations: Fuel Our Heroes, Communities in Schools of Central Texas, Boys and Girls Club. RIF is our Kappa affiliate philanthropy and B+ supports children battling cancer. As for COVID relief participation, we felt that the pandemic was one of the greatest crisis of 2015:== our lifetime and we needed to help in any way possible.
Upon electing The chapter fund raised for the new officers for 2014Equal Justice Initiative, started a summer anti-racism book club, the new established a Diversity and Inclusion position of chapter council and old Chapter Council wasted no time in preparing committee for the year aheadrecruitment. After completing triplicate meetings in December, the officers all felt that they All Diversity and Inclusion positions and committees were ready to continue the great leadership that was in place before themmade permanent. Our first two orders of business were to get everyone up to speed on the Kappa Google Drive, and to create a 2014 Leadership Action plan. Chapter Council completed these two items with outstanding efficiency and thoroughness, which set all the new officers up for a very successful year!
In January, all the new officers had a great beginning to the new year. Willa Jolink (President) spent much To celebrate 150 years of her time organizing and leading Chapter Council and Chapter meetings every Sunday and Monday. Her organizational skills and heart for Kappa helped everything run smoothly in the first month of her office. The chapter also welcomed two new transfers from Texas Tech and Alabama, which Willa Jolink (President), Tatum Jolink (VP Standards) our education chair made gift packages and Leigh Robinson (Registrar) helped usher in. Tatum Jolink organized the first Sisterhood event of the semester, bowling at the underground alley on campus, which was a huge success! Becca Johnson (VPAE) also implemented a new system of gauging the academic success of the new members, which ultimately led sent them to one all of our best overall GPAs yet! Madalyn Brim (Membership) organized a successful first Rush Workshop to prepare for recruitment in the fall alumnae being honored. In these gift packs were personalized Yeti cups and began the process of preparing for a new pledge class! Meghan Lowenfield (Chapter Education) treated the Chapter to a Zumba Workout during the first program nightnotes. Overall, the 2014 year was off to a great start!
In February, the new officers began Here is a link to get the hang of their positions and began brainstorming ways to make this the best year of Beta Xi yet! Becca Johnson (VPAE) received the grade reports from the Fall 2013 semester and our Instagram that was pleased to see that we had raised run by our GPA significantly above the all sorority average PR chair. It features pictures posted following public health guidelines and was ranked 6th overall! The chapter celebrated with a cake and Kappachino party that Julie Parma (House Chairman) and Miss Judi put on! Leigh Robinson (Registrar) also held how we handled the first RomCom social media aspect of the Month on the week of Valentines Day, and partnered with Meghan McGowan (Philanthropy) to hold Kisses from Kappa, an event where the chapter writes Valentines to hospitalized childrenpandemic. It was a huge success, with the biggest turnout that both events have ever seenhttps://www. Tricia Curry (Marshal) also held a Ritual Workshop to teach the entire chapter the Kappa rituals. This was extremely helpful to the new members especially. Last, Kappa had their first formal of the semester, Monmouth, with the PiPhis in late February. It was at a new venue on 6th street, and all the girls had a fun time with their dates thanks to a lot of planning from Mimi Richardson (Events Chairman) and Sam Stavinhoa (Risk Management)instagram. com/texaskkg/?hl=en
March was a big month for the Beta Xi Kappas. Julie Parma (House Chairman) began the month by analyzing House Points and assigning roommates in the house for the 2014-2015 school year. She also revamped the Lillian, a lounge on the second floor that had begun to look outdated. With the House Board’s help, the new Lillian is now a favorite hangout spot for the girls in the house! Beta Xi also had House Mother Appreciation week, where the girls honored Miss Judi and all the amazing work she does for our chapter. Peyton Bivins (VPO) also worked hard on preparing the chapter for the Leadership Consultant to visit in late March. The LC helped us so much, and we were so happy to get to gain wisdom from an older, wiser Kappa! Becca Johnson (VPAE) also went above and beyond by compiling a “Majors List”, a new resource for Kappas to find others who share the same major. Becca also planning a Registration Party, with older Kappas helping younger girls navigate the perils of registering for classes. Barbara Gass (Corresponding Secretary) took a lot of time in March to inventory and label all the resources in the basement, making it much easier for the chapter to access. Meghan Lowenfield (Fraternity Education) also organized two fun events for the chapter: a senior yoga class and a Keys Overseas presentation! Both made meetings interesting and fun! In the end of March, the girls went on Spring Break, many going on trips with other Kappas. The Kappas traveled all over the world and took advantage of a whole week off from school! Upon returning back, Beta Xi held our biggest philanthropy event during Round Up, Fajita Fiesta, with PiPhi! This was the first year to do this, and Meghan McGowan’s (Philanthropy) hard work on it paid off!
In April, Beta Xi did not slow down one bit in preparing for the end of the semester. Mimi Richardson (Social) worked with Theta to plan Kite and Key, a beloved date party with the Thetas. Sam Stavinhoa (Risk Management) did a ton of work with the bus policy for this event, and spent many hours contacting the bus company and thinking of new, innovative ways to take roll on the buses. Additionally, Mimi Richardson helped plan fun Mom's and Dad's Weekends in April. The chapter loved getting to hang out with each other families in group dinners and events. Alex Collins (Panhellenic Delegate) helped run Greek Grub, an awareness event that helps Greeks meet each other on campus. She also organized a profit share with our sister sorority, AEPhi, at Red Mango. The turnout was great, and all the proceeds went to One Million for Anna, a charity that Meghan McGowan (Philanthropy) has developed a relationship with. Michelle Nash (Public Relations) threw the annual Easter Party, one the of the chapter’s favorite opportunities to meet alumni! Michelle put on an incredible party with Easter egg hunts and even the Easter Bunny made an appearance. Julie Parma (House Chairman) also assigned parking spots in the Kappa lot based on preference forms for the 2014-2015 school year.
May signaled a slow down in Kappa events as finals approached and the semester came to an end. Meghan Lowenfield (Education Chairman) conducted Senior Sendoff, a fun event after Chapter where we recognize the seniors and hear funny memories from their at KKG. Leigh Robinson (Registrar) also worked hard in obtaining all the graduating seniors’ contact information and put them on alum status in Key Reports. Tatum Jolink (VP Standards) also helped in getting the seniors to comply with the Senior Agreement, and she believes that the seniors were more aware ==Highlights of the requirements than in years past. Maggie Hood (Treasurer) worked hard in setting up the budget for the next school year. She met with all the officers individually and looked at past bills to determine the correct amount to allocate to each of the officer accounts. Maggie Hood (Treasurer), Willa Jolink (President) and Tatum Jolink (VP Standards) also worked hard to ensure that all accounts were cleared and everything was organized and squared away nicely for the chapter. Catherine Anne Prideaux (New Member) and Madalyn Brim (Membership) both worked hard to prepare for the recruitment and the new members coming in August! Catherine Anne finalized Bid Day plans and worked closely with Caroline Wallace (Favors Chairman) to design fun t-shirts and gear for the new girls to wear. Madalyn held the last recruitment workshop and began planning for the summer. Lastly, Mimi Richardson (Social Chairman) and Sam Stavinhoa (Risk Management) planned a fun End of the Year Party on a barge on Lake Travis for the Kappas! It was a huge hit and a great end to the school year!2021==
Over the summer, the Kappas parted ways to do internships, study abroad, hang out at home or take classes in Austin. All the girls, especially the officers, kept up a strong line of communication and continued to uphold the Kappa name all around the world. Five members of Chapter Council attended Convention over the summer with all of the Kappa chapters in our region. The girls gained a lot of great tips in how to better run our chapter! Madalyn Brim (Membership) and the rest of Recruitment Team stayed in Austin over the summer, and attended parties and events where they could meet some of the girls who would be going through recruitment in August. The team did a ton of hard work for the rest of the chapter, but also had a ton of fun in Austin! However, in August everyone was ready to get back to the Kappa house for another fun year of Recruitment, new members, date parties, meetings, and sisterhood events.
September marked the first week of school and the first football game. This year, long time football coach, Mack Brown, left the University and Coach Charlie Strong was hired as the new Longhorns head football coach! This football season looked promising for the Longhorns, and the Kappas were excited to begin attending football games again. At Beta Xi, September was a very busy month. Unfortunately, Bid Night behavior posed some challenges that Chapter Council had to discuss how to move forward with this yearly celebration of the new members. Willa Jolink (President) led these discussions and worked as the communication between the House Board and Chapter Council. The Kappas handled this situation very well and implemented extra service events and programs to put our chapter back in good standing. We are very proud of the progress we have made! Also in September, the New Members had their retreat at the KKG house, where they played games and bonded at a pledge class. Peyton Bivins (VPO) diligently constructed the calendar for the upcoming semester and implemented a new system for Committee Night. Now, all officers have a committee and the girls have a bigger hand in choosing a committee for the semester. Becca Johnson (VPAE) also made a fun new game out of Smarty Pants, which puts the 4 grades into competition to see who can get the most As. Overall, September was a busy and challenging semester, but very rewarding overall!
November marked continued efforts to organize and communicate updates from House Board about the new upcoming renovation. Willa Jolink (President) and Julie Parma (House Chairman) worked for The chapter had a very long time walk to make sure this process ran smoothly. Leigh Robinson (Registrar) coordinated the Composite pictures and signed a contract with a different Composite company raise money for the next school year. She hopes to save money NEDA and increase composite quality with this switch! Tatum Jolink (VP Standards) Meghan McGowan (Philanthropy) and Alex Collins (Panhellenic Delegate) worked together to organize a Sisterhood event. At the event, girls decorated Thanksgiving cookies with Kappa Delta and wrote holiday cards to Dell Children’s Hospital. Mimi Richardson (Events Chairman) planned Parents Weekend and Kappa Cocktail. Kendall Sealy (Recording Secretary) worked with all the officers to revise the Bylaws and Standing Rules fundraised for the next officers. Then in mid November, Beta Xi began officer transitions, led by Peyton Bivins (VPO). Julie Parma (House and Slate Chairman) and the Slate Committee had elected new girls to serve on Chapter Council, and the groups began working together to transition all positions over smoothlyJed Foundation. The 2014 Chapter Council is extremely excited to see what the new Chapter Council will do in 2015!
In December, the semester began to come to a close, with only one week in between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks for some. The girls worked really hard to get their schoolwork done and finish with great GPAs. Slowly but surely, girls began to move out of the house to return home for the winter break and holiday season. Overall, 2014 has been an incredible year for Beta Xi, and we could not be happier with the challenges we have overcome and the changes we have implemented.
-------------------------------
'''Note to Chapter Registrar:'''
Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of The Key to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance.
Your efforts will ensure Operating in a complete PandemicHow 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. Chapter operations were impacted by COVID-19. During the spring, chapter and chapter council meetings were held virtually, and sisterhood and philanthropy events were usually outside in smaller groups. Work week and recruitment were a hybrid environment. Many work week activities were in-person, wearing masks. Recruitment was virtual until the preference round, which was split into two days, socially distanced, and accurate history masked. In the fall, the chapter saw a return to many more in-person events. The initiation ceremonies were once again in-person, although Fireside was split into two groups to facilitate social distancing. The chapter also elected to use the combined service for initiation, per the recommendation of your chapter Kappa nationals, to limit close contact between initiates and alumnae. The white room had less draping to allow for future generations better ventilation, and seniors were not required to enjoy!attend so that the room was less crowded than it would have been in a pre-pandemic initiation.
Fixed
|Image= [[File:Beta_Xi.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1902|05|12}}
|College= [httphttps://www.utexas.edu/ University of Texas at Austin]
|Location= Austin, TX
|Homepage= [https://chaptersutexas.kappakappagammakappa.org/betaxi/ Beta Xi Homepage]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Beta_Xi Media related to Beta Xi Chapter]}}
----
'''4,526 817 initiates (as of June 20142018)'''
-----------------
'''Some of Beta Xi’s Outstanding MembersCharter members:''' (If you have chapter alumnae who have received recognition in any of these three categories Olatia Crane, please list them with the date(s) of recognitionHelen Olive Devine, Fanny West Harris, Alma Keturah Jones, Minnie Avelyn Petty, Marian Leigh Rather, Katherine Andrews Searcy, Eva Miriam Sodekson, Josephine Lucile Wathen.)
'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''
Helen Knox, 1952, banker, author, Red Cross volunteer;
Prudence Mahaffey Mackintosh, 1988, author of books and magazines;
'''Additional Outstanding Beta Xi Alumnae:'''
Ann Haun (Barlow), Graduate Counselor 1961-1962;
Nancy Haun (Dozier), Graduate Counselor 1959-1960;
==Highlights of 2000-2010==
Beta Xi welcomed the new millenium millennium with a variety of new chapter activities. Each year, the sisters gathered at a chapter retreat in the fall to build and restore relationships within the chapter. New sisterhood programs included television nights, a makeover with a make-up artist, a cooking class, a yoga class, manicures, and a ceramics class. To prepare for Recruitment, a Work Week was held in which the entire chapter learned new skits, practiced old songs, and perfected Recruitment strategies. A leadership workshop for the outgoing and incoming officers, and their advisers, to aid in the transition process. The Vice President-Academic Excellence worked to improve the chapter’s G.P.A. by implementing the “Owl Jar” program, which recognized members for their hard work, and introducing the “Study Fairy,” a magical being who rewarded Kappas found studying on campus. Social events included Kappa Cocktail, Owl-O-Ween, Monmouth Duo with Pi Beta Phi, Kappa/Tri-Delt Ranch, Parents’ Weekend, Mom and Dad Weekends, and Junior/Senior Night. One evening the entire chapter attended a sing-a-long at a local restaurant. Beta Xi also continued the tradition of hosting a Halloween party and trick-or-treating for the children of local alumnae. '''Housing:''' Beta Xi continued to occupy the chapter house throughout the decade. '''Philanthropy:''' Philanthropy was a priority for Beta Xi in the twenty-first century. The chapter maintained traditions such as the Kappa Klassic Pool Tournament, which raised almost $5,000 for a charity in 2006. Other philanthropic activities included holding a Chili Cookoff with the Tri-Delts, volunteering with for the SPCA and the Highland Park Elementary Halloween carnival, decorating the Children’s Hospital for various holidays, hosting Easter and Halloween parties for local children, and making Christmas cookies for hospitalized children. Children have always been a major focus for the group, and in 2008, the sisters provided free winter coats to children through Coats for Kids. Two new philanthropy traditions began during this decade. In 2009, Beta Xi hosted its first Kappa Cookout, an event that invited community members to join the sisters for delicious catered food. That year, the proceeds from selling tickets to the event, $7,600, went to The Austin Children’s Shelter. The following year, the chapter raised more than $8,000 and donated the proceeds to the RIF (Reading is Fundamental)of Austin, specifically to the Palm Elementary School. Donations were also made to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. The other new philanthropic event was a powder puff football game with Pi Beta Phi. Proceeds from the tickets were donated to the Davis Moon Project, a non-profit organization that collects books to be hand-delivered through organized literacy mission trips in Addis, Ethiopia. '''Convention Awards:''' ==Highlights of 2011-2019== ==Highlights of 2011==In 2011, Beta Xi focused on strengthened sisterhood and encouraging scholarly achievement. A chapter retreat was held for the benefit of the members and “get-to-know-you” games were played at the Kappa house. Sisterhood activities included Nightmare on 6th Street, Tri-Delt Ranch, Kappa Cocktail, and Monmouth. The Vice President-Academic Excellence stressed the importance of good grades with the new “Smarty Pants” system at chapter meetings. Alumnae members are often invited to campus to speak to the chapter about job applications and careers. '''Housing:'''Beta Xi is currently one of only two Greek houses on the University of Texas at Austin campus in which. 60 members are able to live, most usually live in during their junior or senior year. Every Monday, the sisters gather for dinner before the chapter meeting, and lunch is provided every day for members. Every two weeks, a delicious Mexican Guest Lunch is held where Kappas can bring a guest from outside of the Fraternity. '''Philanthropy:'''Beta Xi continued hosting the spring Easter party and the fall Halloween party for local elementary students every year. In 2011, the Kappa Cookout was again held by the chapter and raised $7,800 for the Davis Moon Project, an organization previously supported by Beta Xi’s efforts. Kappa once again faced off in a game of powder puff football against Pi Phi, an event that raised approximately $5,000 for the Austin Children’s Shelter. ==Highlights of 2012==The 2012 calendar year started off with the newly elected officers of the Beta Xi chapter making a smooth transition into their new positions. Chapter Council also kicked off the year by hosting the LEAD seminar with Kappas from Texas A&M and Texas Tech. The chapter council, led by President Erin Weitzel, met every Sunday evening to plan upcoming meetings and events throughout the year. Erin implemented pillars of organization and enthusiasm which set the tone for the chapter council officers. This was a very important year for Beta Xi and many improvements were made to better our chapter this past year. The officers worked very hard to better the chapter and efficiently and effectively follow out their duties. Callie Williams, Vice President of Organization, maintained an organized calendar of all the events throughout the year and communicated with officers and the chapter about what events to put on the calendar. Along with Callie the Chapter Council put together a great Leadership Action Plan that highlighted the goals of the Chapter for the upcoming year. Callie also assisted with giving chapter members the ability to fill out a Google Form to indicate which committee they are interested in and would prefer to be in, rather than simply designating members to random committee. This was a big change for our Chapter Committees that made members at large much more dedicated to their committee. Callie also prepared for the Leadership Consultant's visit to the the Beta Xi Chapter and hosted her during her stay. Laurel Pugliese, Vice President of Standards, worked with her committee to perfect the bus system and make sure members were upholding the standards of the Fraternity policy. Laurel also organized the Chapter retreat at Alamo Draft house in January to encourage chapter-wide bonding. All of Beta Xi attended for singing and dancing to 90's music. Laurel also planned many events for the Chapter to increase bonding such as movies at the house or profit shares at Red Mango. Ady Wetegrove, Vice President Academic Excellence, helped our Chapter improve our overall GPA to be above the All Sorority Average for the Spring of 2012. She and her committee held individuals more accountable for their individual grades while providing them assistance. She also incorporated “office hours” for New Members and any other members needing further guidance during registration for the Spring 2013 semester. She also organized study snacks at the house on Tuesday and continued the "Smarty Pants" system from last year. Philanthropy Chairman Margaret Smith and Assistant Philanthropy Chairs Ellen Perkins and Courtney Catalani worked together to plan all chapter-wide philanthropy events. Margaret made some changes this year to our program with the national philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental. She planned a Reading Festival for the whole chapter to attend to teach kids and spend the day working with them and having fun with kids. She also planned a book drive so that each kid could take home a book. Margaret also helped plan Kappa Cookout in the Fall, Pi Phi vs. Kappa philanthropy powder puff game in the spring, and got members involved with the Wonderball where we went dressed up as princesses and helped with face paint and costumes. Margaret provided the chapter with many other volunteer activities such as Kisses from Kappa on Valentines Day where we took valentine goodies to a retirement home.
==Highlights of 20142018==
In August2021, the Beta Xi chapter continued to thrive despite the complex environment of the evolving pandemic, Madalyn Brim’s officer position kicked into high gear when she led an extremely successful Spirit Week and Recruitment Weekthe chapter was a place of refuge for its members. All of In the early spring, chapter members stayed connected through virtual chapters and outdoor sisterhood events including a coffee bar in the chapter’s hard work paid off when 78 new Kappas ran KKG courtyard and a profit share with a delicious ice cream sandwich truck to raise money for our philanthropies. Later in the house on Bid Day! Everyone semester, the chapter had its first semi-formal in over a year. The event was so pleased with split up by grade level and members and their dates were COVID tested prior to the girls we event. 87 members had gotten4.0s in the spring semester, and Catherine Anne Prideaux (New Member Chairman) the chapter raised thousands of dollars for philanthropies including RIF, B+, Allies Against Slavery, and National Coalition against human trafficking. In the summer, Recruitment week was ready an exciting time for the chapter. It was the first time the entire chapter was able to begin integrating be together since early 2020, and new bonds were formed while old bonds were strengthened. In the New Members into fall, chapter events and meetings were once again in-person. The return of Kappa lunch was welcomed by the chapter! , as members were once again able to spend time together eating and studying at the Kappa house.
Chapter PhilanthropyIn Octoberthe spring, the Beta Xi was brought chapter raised money to help Austin’s homeless during the news winter storms and raised $20,000 for two organizations that combat human trafficking. Throughout the house would officially be undergoing a major renovation in the 2014-2015 school year! The girls were all very excited about the prospect of a new and improved house, but many challenges did arise in terms of housing everyone in the our chapter during supported the year that B+ Foundation, which supports the house cannot be usedfamilies of children who are fighting cancer. House Board and Chapter Council worked together to form a relationship with 2400 Nueces to get a block of rooms for the KappasThis fall, find a house for Miss Judi and locate potential new meeting and recruitment spaces. OverallChristiane, the strong team mindset in an honorary Kappa made these challenges easy to overcomewho has Batten disease, joined our chapter. She frequently visits the Beta Xi also had another visit from the LC, Riley. Peyton Bivins (VPO) ensured house for Kappa lunch where she had a wonderful stay eats and the socializes with chapter benefitted from the news ideas that the LC had to bring. Meghan Lowenfield (Fraternity Education) planned and implemented Founders Day, a time to celebrate and commemorate the founding and history of Kappamembers. The tradition is beloved by the Kappas. On October 25th, Tricia Curry (Marshal) officially initiated all 78 of the pledges in a beautifully run ceremony. Tricia organized everything with ease and made it the most efficient Initiation Ceremony in the past years. Initiation marks the end of an 8-week education process of the new memberschapter also had several canned food drives. Michelle Nash (PR) held another successful holiday event, the annual Halloween Party at the House. Mimi Richardson (Events Chairman) and Sam Stavinhoa (Risk Management) worked hard to plan and throw Kappa Kidnap and OwlOween on two back-to-back weekends, which were both fun ways to end the month of October!
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
2021 was the first full year of the Beta Xi chapter having a DEI chair on chapter council. She promoted university-wide diversity and inclusion seminars, speeches, and student organizations. DEI presentations were given during chapter meetings that included promoting national heritage holidays. The DEI chair also gave a DEI presentation during work week to promote inclusivity during recruitment.