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Eta
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|Image= [[File:Eta.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1875|02|02}}
|College= [httphttps://www.wisc.edu/ University of Wisconsin]
|Location= Madison, WI
|Province= Epsilon North
|Homepage= [httphttps://chapterswisc.kappakappagammakappa.org/eta/ Eta Homepage]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Eta Media related to Eta Chapter]
}}
E. Josephine Sarles (Simpson), Grand Secretary 1882-1884; Florence C. Moseley, Grand Treasurer 1888-1890; George Challoner Tracy, Grand Treasurer 1904-1906; Grand Secretary 1906-1908;
Georgia Hayden Lloyd-Jones, National Director of Provinces 1924-1926; National President 1926-1928, 1928-1930, National Panhellenic Delegate , 1930-1932; Almira Johnson McNaboe, Director of Provinces 1932-1934; Grand Vice President 1934-1936, 1936-1938, 1938-1940; Gail Guthrie (Valaskakis), Field Secretary 1962-1964; Laurie Schmidt (Severino), Field Secretary 1982-1984; Janet Meinheit, Traveling Consultant 1988-1989, ; Barbara Gerlinger Quilling - Province Director of Chapters 2010 - 2014, Province Director of Alumnae 2014 - 2016, Ritual & History Specialist 2016 - 2021
The health of beloved Carrie Ruden, who had gone into a nursing home, declined and it seemed to some as if Carrie and Eta would be leaving the world together. Carrie died in October 1972, but not Eta. That fall, Eta was renewed in the form of a large and talented pledge class and the renewal seemed permanent.
Letter to New Initiates written by Eta House Board Secretary Mary Parkinson Rehfeld in 1950 -
“Kappa Initiates -
This is a very happy occasion for me to welcome 23 girls into Eta Chapter - especially when one is my daughter Ann. I have waited 20 years for this - but it was worth waiting for. Ann is the 14th Kappa in our immediate family, and I hope there will be many more. Ann has aunts, great aunts, 2nd cousins, 1st cousins, etc. Kappa was Ann’s choice, and I was so glad the actives chose her to be a Kappa too. As you know, often it doesn’t work out that way. (As of 2020 there are now 25 members of this family who are initiated members of Kappa Kappa Gamma. I am #19, and my daughters are numbers 24 & 25...Barbara Gerlinger Quilling)
My biggest wish for you initiates is that you will be as happy in Kappa as I have been - Kappa has stood the test of time now that we are 75 years old. Kappa lasts a lifetime.
There are few things in life that do last a lifetime that are worthwhile. Marriages break up - friendships break up - but not Kappa. Kappa will endure if you make it mean something. Kappa is what you make it. It may be a wonderful experience, or just another club to join and more expense. Enjoy your sorority - keep up your friendships when you leave school. You will never regret it. Make Kappa proud of you on the campus, socially, or in the classroom - you now not only represent yourself, but also your family and Kappa. Your actions speak for Kappa - make them represent the best in you. There have been many Kappa greats. Who knows we may have many Kappa greats among you here tonight - a second Mrs. Herbert Hoover (Kappa from Stanford); Dorothy Canfield Fisher, the writer; Helen Wills, tennis player; Nancy Olson Lerner, Bing Crosby’s leading lady who has starred in 3 films and recently married to Allen Lerner - writer - author of “Brigadoon”; Margaret Weisendorn, Chief of Repatriation returning Polish Children in Munich and Bavaria; Ann Dean Childs, civic leader and philanthropist.
There are other Kappas - who may not be Kappa greats, but they are Kappa personalities - as Wm. Lyn Phelps said, “You may not all be Personages, but you can all be personalities”.
This last week I received a registered mail letter. It was from an attorney in Minneapolis who had enclosed 50 shares of Kappa stock bequeathed to Eta Chapter in the will of Josephine Sarles Simpson - at 85 she had died and was still thinking of Kappa. How many of you will remember Kappa in your will? Yes, Kappa can last a lifetime. Flora Mears - oldest Eta alumna - never missed monthly meetings - left Eta a picture - as it as one of her treasured possessions.
I want to tell you a few things about your Kappa house. It will take you back to 1927. For 4 or 5 years the active girls had been pleading for a new house. The Thetas, Gamma Phis, & DGs were now in new houses on Langdon Street (old Theta House was on corner of Henry and Langdon kitty corner from Kappa House). The trend for the sorority and fraternity row was now to live on Langdon Street. Our house, 27 years old, housed 20 girls, & the chapter had grown to 35 - 40 girls. (Former Kappa House was on the corner of Park and University where Humanities is now). A Building Committee was formed consisting of a Fund Raising Committee, House Furnishings, & Building Committee. Carolyn Chadbourne and I worked on the Fund Raising Committee. We wrote 500 letters to Eta Kappas and heard from 200. We raised $26,000. The Building Committee considered several lots on Langdon & finally chose this as the best. The lot with a house on it cost $45,000 - which is a lot of money even in this day. The house on it had to be torn down & it cost $1200 & there was very little salvage. Then the old Kappa House was sold to the University for $58,000 - of which $5,000 alone was paid in profit tax, because the original investment had only been about $1800. Because the the original stockholders had invested their own money in the first Kappa House as a good business proposition & had received dividends on it, we felt it was only right to pay back any stockholders who wouldn’t care to get into the new undertaking, as we knew there would never be dividends paid on their money again. We bought back about $7200 worth of stock (Books recording all of these stockholders and how much stock they owned are in Eta’s archives.). At this time Mrs Marling as President of the Board & I as Secretary reissued all of the old stock for new stock in the new Chapter House. It was a terrible job - Mrs. Marling had a card table set up in her bedroom, and we took months to do this. The new house was now incorporated for $50,000, and we took out a mortgage for $50,000 from the Guardian Life, & and then it was held by Mary North later.
This house cost $72,000 - land $45,000 & new furnishings $9,000. The Madison Alumnae Association (a lot of rummage sales!) gave $!,116.00 toward the furnishings, the Milwaukee Alumnae Association $250., and the North Shore Eta Kappas $100. There were many individual gifts as well as purchase of stock in the new house to make up the $26,000. Mr. Magnus Severson was our Godfather with his gift of $5,000.
Kappa, besides being the first sorority at Wisconsin, owned the 1st sorority house. The sale of the 1st house was the down payment on this house. So we are indeed grateful to our older Kappas who gave us this heritage.
In 1928 the moving from Park Street to our temporary quarters was no easy job. It took movers 2 1/2 days to get us out of the old house & into the new. We only lived 1 year at the temporary house (the old Phi Gam home) before our new house was ready. It was at this time that a very loyal and faithful employee of Kappa came into the picture & she has been with us ever since - Karen Rude (Carrie).
In December 1928 we broke ground for the new house & in August 1929 moved in. It was a marvelous occasion. Mrs Mowry & Mrs. Davies had done a wonderful job. It was truly a house to be proud of.
For 17 years we have been paying off our mortgage of $50,000. There has been a terrible depression, but Kappa came through. In 1946 the paying off of our mortgage is due to the contributions and efforts & time of many Kappas. The town alumnae here carried their burden by serving on the House Board, & a great deal of thanks is due each one who has served. Mrs. Eager, Murphy, Meloche, & Rikkus have served as President during these years. Mrs. Parkinson, Mary F. Davies, & Anita Noer have served as Treasurer, and a great deal of praise is due them. Mrs. Gonge, Mrs. Noer, & Mrs. Porter have served as Secretary until I came on.
We have been proud of our active girls in this house. You too have done your part in helping to pay for the house, by taking care of it, and by contributing to the House Purchase Fund. We are very grateful to our chaperones who have guided you girls& helped to make living here pleasant. Mrs. Jolly, our first chaperone here, then her sister - then Mrs. Rainey & now Mrs. Fry - they too have made a great contribution.
Kappa to me has been like a mark of sterling on silver. May it mean the same to you girls of the future generation. A beautiful house does not make the chapter. It is only the harmony, happiness, and character of the girls within the house that makes Kappa. May Eta Chapter always be as fine as this lovely house we have built for them.”
==Centennial==
Overall, this year was unlike anything that we could have expected. The way Eta chapter was able to adapt to the circumstances, and find ways to still make Kappa Kappa Gamma meaningful and relevant within a virtual environment is a huge accomplishment. Fingers crossed this pandemic will end before next year's report!
==Highlights of 2021==
This past year has been anything but ordinary for Eta Chapter! Operating in a pandemic is never a small feat, but we have had yet again another fantastic year. We installed a wonderful new executive board in January with President Blake Burnstine leading us in our endeavors. We have welcomed a new executive board position, the Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and have since partaken in workshops and seminars to enrich our knowledge on the topic. The spring was quiet with our events being virtual, but we took things outside in April for a golf tournament supporting our local philanthropy, the American Family Children’s Hospital. In the fall, we welcomed a record new member class of 82 girls. Our bid day theme was Sweet Home Kappa Gamma—we hosted the event in a pandemic safe fashion outside with masks and cowboy hats! As things have slowly gone back to normal, we have been able to get back to hosting date parties and other special events like Grabba Grabba Pizza, an event at our chapter house. On December 4, 2021, we will initiate 82 new members into our chapter, and we could not be more proud of them. In the year to come, we hope to keep the same passion for our philanthropies, continue to grow our already large chapter, and further our education on DEI.
Our chapter supports American Family Children’s Hospital. Our chapter had a longstanding connection with this organization. We are committed to supporting our community at all age levels.
During the spring semester, Eta chapter supported the American Family Children’s Hospital by hosting a golf tournament with another Greek organization. It was a great success and we raised just short of $14,000 (another record for Eta!). During the fall semester, Eta Chapter hosted our annual Grabba Grabba Pizza raising money for Mental Health America and selling late night pizza outside of our chapter house. We raised a total of $18,089 at this event (another new record!).
This year the Eta Chapter introduced its first ever Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The DEI position was important in fostering inclusiveness, creating awareness, leading to conversations and growth in members, the chapter, and the greater community. Some of our first initiatives included hosting a clothing drive for St. Vincent de Paul, giving DEI training before recruitment, and implementing a comprehensive diversity action plan. We are excited to continue to develop this position promote diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout all chapter operations!
Operating in a pandemic is not an easy thing to take on, but our executive board persevered in order to make the most of the situations given. In the spring semester, we hosted chapter each Monday over Zoom, a medium that we have grown to use quite a lot! We used Zoom for workshops, DEI trainings, and Executive Board meetings. When the fall semester came, we moved chapter meetings to in person and partook in recruitment in person, just with the addition of masks. It was great for the members to feel a sense of normalcy once again in the chapter house. Masks have come to be a large part of our day to day.
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'''Note to Chapter Registrar:'''
Please refer to your chapter archives and chapter meeting minutes 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 a complete and accurate history of your chapter for future generations to enjoy!