(1896-1989)
Helen Snyder Andres Rheva Ott Shryock was the last of the Grand Presidents (Steiner1936-1940); by the end of her second term she had convinced the Fraternity to drop the term “grand, Kappa’s first Field Secretary (now Leadership Consultant) ” saying she thought “grand” was archaic, while the simple “president” was both dignified and first Director of Standardsdistinctive. Interestingly, it was destined to make Kappa a prominent part of her lifethe undergraduates, having shared with not the Fraternity her birthdayalumnae, October 13whom Rheva had to persuade on this issue.
Just before The deletion of “grand” from the titles of the officers and from the Council was part of an extensive revision of the Fraternity Bylaws, a process that sparked in Rheva what was to become a lifelong interest in parliamentary law. After her 90th birthday in 1997 Helen saidown presidency, “I’ve lived Kappashe served seven Presidents as parliamentarian (1950-1974). It’s my She shared her expertise with other family.” Kappa taught Helen many thingsorganizations, including the National Panhellenic Congress (1949-1955), “but most the American Association of all I learned how to appreciate people. Kappa is very good at thatUniversity Women (1951-1972), and the Girl Scouts (1963-1973), and she wrote several handbooks on parliamentary procedure.”
Rheva was genuinely surprised when she was nominated to be Grand President in 1936. She had expected Helen assumed Snyder Andres to run for the presidency upon Eleanor Bennet’s resignation, office and had thought she would be made director of extension because she became a force in unifying Fraternity programs on standardshad recommended, scholarship and finance during her term while serving as Director of Provinces (19351934-1936), that such an office be created to divide the director’s workload. Helen pledged Beta Pi Chapter in 1926 where she (She was Phi Beta Kappaalso first to propose an Associate Council, composed of Province Officers, Mortar Board member and vice president of her class. She attended the 1928 Convention as delegate and became a Co-organizer (the forerunner Director of Chapter Consultant) at Gamma UpsilonProvinces,, British Columbiaedited several Province Officer manuals, in 1930benchmarks for booklets to come. )
In She also served as Vice President of Lambda Province in 1931 and Province President in 1932, Helen became a traveling Field Secretary, an experience she later called “one of and was instrumental in the most significant installation of my life…I worked with dedicated Kappa officers who helped me bring the best of Kappa practices to our chapters.” In Delta Beta Chapter at Duke, where her 1932 reporthusband, she said she “stressed good chapter organizationRichard, correct ritual, fine standards, strong chapter discipline, good assimilation of pledges, individual responsibility, cordiality and good manners, scholarship in its broadest sense…” – all of which still apply todaywas a faculty member.
She met her husbandAs an undergraduate, Eugen Andres, JrRheva had been chapter President at the University of Pennsylvania and majored in chemistry.In 1921, on she received a blind date; he was Master of Arts degree. She taught for many years at a field secretary for Phi Gamma Delta. He died in 1975. Later she married Joseph Steinernumber of institutions, including Johns Hopkins University from 1950-1958.
When she became Director of Standards in 1934, she embraced “the fine idea of relating standards and ideals closer Women’s history was a subject dear to actual existenceRheva’s heart.” It is singularly significant that Kappa chose to devote an office to standards and Fraternity She foresaw the importance of continuing education. As director, Helen wrote an article on chapter standards for each issue of The Key maintaining that the Fraternity had women and created such a wonderful opportunity to make itself invaluable if it would cultivate fine standards and truly cultural living and thinking. “The greatest criticism program while president of fraternities is that groups are not realizing the possibilities in the intellectual development Association of their membersAlumnae,” she saidUniversity of Pennsylvania (1960-1962).
During her short term as Director of StandardsWhile Grand President, Helen had much to do with Rheva convened what was the development first Convention south of pledge educationthe Mason-Dixon line in 68 years (in Hot Springs, chapter techniques VA) and standardssuggested Vanderbilt for extension 37 years before Epsilon Nu was installed. When she became Grand President, She saw the nation need for a Kappa retirement home and was still responsible for the purchase of Hearthstone in the DepressionWinter Park, Fla., and she credited Kappa scholarships with keeping many young women which opened in college1938. Hearthstone In addition, Province Officers manuals and a House Director manual were written and The Fleur-de-Lis, which contained letters from Council to alumnae, was developing and Helen published. The 1938 Convention saw its value the start of a new bequest program. And at Sun Valley, conventioneers were promised a free day for alumnae in the futurefirst time.
Helen chose not Rheva had hoped to run have Nora Waln, Beta Iota, Swarthmore, a writer living in England, as keynote speaker at Sun Valley, but Nora’s world was already at war. A Nora Waln Fund for a full term refugee children was proposed by Helen Bower, Beta Delta, Michigan, Editor of office; she had been pregnant during part The Key, and upon completion of her term and gave birth to a daughter in December 1936as Grand President, Rheva became its first chairman. Yet she continued her service to Kappa. She became Panhellenic Delegate from 1936-1940 and Scholarship Chairman from 1940-1946Seven years later, supervised Graduate Counselors Rheva received the Liberation Medal (Chapter Consultantsnow housed at Fraternity Headquarters) from 1946-1948 and became Director King Haakon of Chapters from 1948-1950. She was also Ritualist and served three years as President Norway for Kappa’s work in providing layettes for babies, part of the San Jose Alumnae Association, which she helped to startNora Waln project.
Helen Rheva received the Alumnae Achievement Award in 1962 and the Loyalty Award in 1968. In her honor, the Shryock Gavels, presented by the Philadelphia Alumnae Association, are awarded at Convention to alumnae associations serving Kappa chapters with distinction. She had one son and daughter, who also worked to further pledged Beta Alpha (as did Rheva’s sister). In 1982, at the petition and installation of Delta Chi Chapter at San Jose State UniversityZeta Iota, where her daughterVillanova, VivienneRheva remarked, served as President“I believe I must be the link. Helen received Here I am at the Loyalty Award in 1980installation of our newest chapter, and yet I also touched hands with Louise Bennett Boyd.”
“I only hope future Kappas may have the same influences from At the end of Rheva Shryock’s administration, Fraternity that I have had – Council changed to include for the privilege first time a Director of knowing top caliber women who can speak wellAlumnae, think wellDirector of Chapter Organization, give loving consideration to othersDirector of Chapter Programs, use their talents in an effective way and generally raise Director of Membership and Panhellenic (eliminating the quality Director of Provinces and Director of the lives they touchStandards).” Helen gently passed away January 6, 2000. She had seen the new centuryThe Field Secretary was no longer a Council position.
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