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|Image= [[File:Mu.jpg|200px]]
|Founded= {{start date and years ago|1878|01|02}}
|College= [httphttps://www.butler.edu/ Butler University]
|Location= Indianapolis, IN
|Homepage= [httphttps://chaptersbutler.kappakappagammakappa.org/mu/ Mu Website]|Media= [httphttps://wiki.kappakappagammakkg.org/index.php?title=Category:Mu Media related to Mu Chapter]
}}
-------- '''Butler University established in 1855, Indianapolis, Indiana''' '''Founded January 2, 1878''' '''2,733 members 878 initiates as of June 2015)August 2018'''
'''Charter Members: '''
Flora E. Frazier, Louise Landers, Letitia Laughlin, Jeanette Teeter, Minnie Tresslar
'''Fraternity Council Officers:'''
Tade Hartsuff Kuhns, First Grand President (1881-1884); Martha Murray Hoover, Grand Treasurer (1886-1888); Grace Murray, Grand Registrar (1890-1892); Elizabeth Bogert Schofield, President (1940-1944)
'''Fraternity Loyalty Award Recipients:'''
Elizabeth Bogert Schofield, 1958
'''Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:'''
Anne Howell Clarke, 1998;Marathon runner, fitness instructorNancy Ostrander, 1980;Foreign-service diplomat
'''Additional Outstanding Mu Alumnae:'''
Edith Hendren Maddock, Provide President and Vice-President; Charlotte Powell Goddard, Chairman Students' Aid Fund; Amanda Lantz, Leadership Consultant 2001-2002; Emily Fetcho Barclay, Leadership Consultant 2010-2011 and Province Director of Chapters-Kappa Central 2015-2016; Libby Moyer, Leadership Consultant 2017, Katy Robinson, Leadership Consultant 2017-2019
==The Early Years (From The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity: 1870 to 1976)==
In 1917, college men left for service and college women worked for the Red Cross and collected tin foil. Two war bonds bought with Mu foil became an investment which paid for the first rent on the chapter house.
==Highlights of the 1920s==
Until 1921, there was a university ban on organizational housing. The chapter longed for its own quarters, and quick action was taken when the ban was lifted. A house was rented, a house association formed and incorporated in November of 1921.
On March 11, 1925, the first issue of ''Mu Murmers'' appeared. Honored by the Fraternity, ''Mu Murmers'' was given a first place award in 1962, and in 1970, honorable mention, for chapter publications. The mailing list for the fiftieth issue, in 1975, was about 1200 alumnae.
Chapter finance was of the utmost importance during the 1920s and budgets were studied and formed. In 1928 Elizabeth Bogert Schofield became Fraternity chairman of budgeting and bookkeeping. It might be said that her Kappa career started when she was named delegae delegate to the 1910 Convention "because she was going anyway." She was president of Delta Province in 1915, Indianapolis alumnae president in 1919, became the third president of the hosue house association in 1923, held the office for 25 years, and was also finance adviser to the chapter. She was director of provinces from 1938 to 1940, and, at her 16th convention, in Sun Valley, she was elected Fraternity president. At the 1942 Convention she was reelected. Four chapters were added during her administration, which also had been concerned with Service Women's Centers and the Nora Waln Fund to aid refugee children. In 1923, the student body at Butler had been taken across town by streetcar to view the intended campus at Fairview. May Day was celebrated there in 1926 and ground was broken for the Administration Building. In April of 1927, a lot was chosen by Mu for a new house and first payment made by the chapter from the savings fund. The old house corporation was dissolved and reincorporated as Mu Chapter Foundation of Kappa Kappa Gamma (November of 1929), and 15 board members were elected. On January 2, 1930, the 52nd anniversary of Mu's founding, ground was broken for the English Tudor chapter house at 821 West Hampton Drive, the first house on the new campus. The chapter was ready for its next 50 years. On May 5, 1948, a mortgage burning ceremony was held to celebrate the last payment on the mortgage contracted for in 1929. ==Highlights of the 1950s== Butler's expansion continued. A men's and a women's residence were built in 1951 and 1955. All prior housing had been provided by the organized groups or from rented rooms. By that time more than a third of the student body was coming from outside the state, a third from the state, less than a third from the area. Mu chapter found it would have to do some building too. After some inside remodeling, the university president was interviewed, visits were made to other houses, and finally the house board authorized the procuring of pans, and eventually estimates and a loan. By November of 1966, the addition was ready with 17 new bedrooms, new dining room, kitchen and pantry areas, house mother's suite, new heating system, and other accommodations. Mu alumnae remember the traditions of their own eras. The pledge stunt and senior breakfast of the 1920s have given away to the pledge walkout and the senior banquet. "Geneva Stunts" ant the Spring sing (YWCA sponsored) still inspire Kappa talents. Many remember the Christmas "Orphans Party." There are cherished stories: the "solid gold keys" telegram sent to Beth Schofield performing in her 50th Civic Theater play, The Solid Gold Cadillac. The telegram she received read, "The girls with the solid gold teeth send love to Beth and the solid gold Cadillac." Later she admitted, "I couldn't quite figure it out." (There had been an error in transcription.) Another story concerns a certain pledge class that didn't like the hard antique sofa in the upstairs hall so took it to the basement. The group was reproved, the sofa returned, and in 1952 it was presented to Headquarters. It had belonged to Tade Hartsuff Kuhns! ==Highlights of the 1960s== Beth Schofield organized a group of Mu alumnae who chartered a bus to go see Headquarters. On the way to Columbus they stopped for lunch. Headquarters surprised the visitors with a beautifully laid table. Lunch was enjoyed for a second time and no one ever knew. Mu is proud of a long list of individual and chapter honors. There are at least three Panhellenic Scholarship Cups that have been retired after three successive years of top rank. Mu was the first to receive the prestigious Westermann Efficiency Award in 1926. Special badges are chapter awards: Lou Landers Neff's key, garnet set, was given by Tade Hartsuff Kuhns, and is awarded for top scholarship. The garnet set key of Jeanette Teeter Ritter, another founder, is worn by the chapter president. The True Blue (junior) award key belonged to Cora Smith, an 1879 initiate. To honor Jennie Armstrong Howe, the house board purchased a sapphire key for the first vice president; the pearl and diamond key of Laurena McComb Fox, 1925 initiate who died while living in China, was presented by her parents, and goes to the "outstanding" pledge. The key of Marguerite Hubbard Coffee, initiated in 1908, was given by her family, and is worn by the house chairman. In 1964, the Mu Advisory Board received first place recognition at convention and in 1966, Mu Advisory Board offered owl bookends to the chapter whose advisory board receives the award. This "traveling" gift was given in the name of Elizabeth Bogert Schofield, first adviser to Mu Chapter. The chapter and the Fraternity were saddened in April of 1962 by Beth Schofield's death. Following her terms as president she had received the Loyalty Award (1958) and was Fraternity ritualist. Between 1908 and 1960 she had attended 25 General Kappa conventions. Interest on a special fund is given as a scholarship in her name to a Mu senior who has shown exceptional service and loyalty to the chapter.
==Highlights of 2012==
We have also traditionally supported Gleaners because it is a large organization that contributes to a lot of people’s meals who cannot get one themselves. This is just another example of people helping people. These organizations value what Kappa values most, which is our sisterhood. The women truly love to support these organizations because these organizations love to support people in our community!
==Highlights of 2016==
In 2016, Mu Chapter of KKG accomplished many goals and noticed chapter growth in the areas of scholarship, traditions, philanthropy and sisterhood. As a chapter, we continued to value our education and learning at Butler University. We had 25 girls earn a 4.0 GPA and 23 earn a 3.75 or above in the spring of 2016. In 2016, we hosted several philanthropy events to raise money for Kappa Foundation, Reading is Fundamental and our local philanthropy, Coburn Place. These events are outline below. Our sisters had fun participating in chapter sisterhood events, including two different Freshly Brewed (a campus women's accapella group) concerts. In addition, both Kappa Kappa Gamma and Mu Chapter traditions were upheld to the highest of standards. In 2016, our chapter faced a setback and were challenged by our leaders to grow and improve upon our chapter. Our chapter council, as well as every sister, truly worked diligently to improve on our sisterhood and reflect upon KKG's values and expectations. After four of our sisters attended Convention in California in the summer of 2016, our chapter council utilized ideas from other chapters to improve in several areas including Risk management and sisterhood.
Throughout 2016, Mu Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma was honored both by Butler University and Kappa Kappa Gamma. Order of Omega hosted Greek Excellence Awards in the spring and as a chapter we were awarded a 4 Star Sorority plaque, Emerging Sorority Leader Award (Libby Moyer), Silver in Philanthropy and Service, Bronze in New Member Programming, and Bronze in scholarship. In addition to these, Mu chapter received honorable mentions in Academic Excellence, Risk Management, and Standards at Kappa Convention in the summer.
In 2016, Butler University’s campus experienced a lot of change with the opening of a parking garage, two new restaurants and a new dorm. Located on the first floor of the parking garage, Scotty’s Dawghouse and Pita Pit opened up in late 2016. Fairview, the new dorm, welcomed its first students in the fall of 2016. The ladies of Mu chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma have been excited and motivated throughout this past year. The chapter has been working hard to make sure it is at its very best every day, and it has shown in our philanthropy events, involvement on campus and sisterhood.
The Kappa Foundation is a foundation specifically for members of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity. The foundation offers scholarships to its members and financial support to members experiencing hardships. Mu chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Butler University raises money for the Kappa Foundation through two philanthropy events; the first philanthropy event was kappaccino and the second was Kappa Harvest in the Fall of 2016. Kappaccino is an annual event held to raise money for the foundation by selling coffee and hot chocolate. Kappa Harvest is Mu chapters annual fall philanthropy event. Kappa harvest includes the sales of hard cider and pie, and featured live music. All the proceeds from both the events went to the Kappa Foundation.
Coburn Place
Their Mission: Coburn Place empowers victims of intimate partner violence to live as survivors.
Their Vision and Mission Statement: The vision of Coburn Place is of a world where every adult and child may live free from intimate partner violence, housed stably and safely, with adequate financial resources.
They Serve: In the Indianapolis area, they serve adult victims of intimate partner violence and their dependents regardless of age, ability, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, religion, income, or sexual orientation.
Kappa Kickoff: Kappa Kickoff is a Mu Kappa ran philanthropy event that raises money and awareness for Coburn Place. We host events all week that raise money for the cause, along with independent donations. This year we raised the most money yet for Coburn Place raising $14,193.00.
Coburn Trick or Treating: Coburn Trick or Treating is an event hosted at Kappa for the kids who live at Coburn. They come right around Halloween and are allowed to trick or treat through the halls of Kappa. Girls dress up and hand out candy, and everyone is very lively and excited! This gives the kids a chance to step outside of Coburn and get some candy and do a fun craft.
Reading is Fundamental:
As our national philanthropy, Reading Is Fundamental is very close to Mu Kappas’ hearts. Throughout the year we hold events to promote and improve children literacy.
Grabba Grabba Donut:
This Spring was Mu’s first time hosting Grabba Grabba Donut, and it was an amazing success. Participants could sign up to run a 5k, or watch and enjoy delicious donuts and drinks. Overall Mu Chapter raised 600 dollars with all the proceeds going towards Reading is Fundamental.
Reading Is Key:
This event in September Mu went to an elementary school and read to kids dressed up like famous super heroes. The Kappas got to play games with the kids, eat some snacks, and help kick start these kids on their path to become passionate readers.
Weekly Readings:
Mu knows how important it is to teach kids the importance, and the magic books can provide. So, Mu Kappas read twice a week at Jonathan Jennings School to elementary school children.
As Mu Chapter we feel very passionate about our three different philanthropies. We, as well as other Kappa Kappa Gamma chapters, are proud to support RIF and Kappa Foundation because we want to help any fellow Kappa and spread a passion for reading. As a chapter, we are excited that we can join forces with so many chapters to support the same philanthropic charities.
As for Coburn Place, as Mu Chapter, we feel very passionate about serving the community that we are apart of. We have seen first hand the great impact that Coburn Place has on families in the Indianapolis area and are proud to support their endeavors in any way we can. In addition, we enjoy serving the children in our community and incorporating our love for RIF by sharing books with these children as well.
The Mu chapter of Kappa is full of inspiring and hardworking women and we are very proud of what our sisterhood offers us. One member in particular, Libby Moyer, a current senior would be a great example to show how Kappa changes its members' lives. Libby is a recent recipient of the Marisol Scholarship which was a crucial element in this member completing her college education. The amount of love and appreciation Libby has expressed because of this scholarship is heartwarming. We think that Libby would be perfect to have as an example of what Kappa love and sisterhood means for members. Libby, pledge class 2015, said “This year in Kappa, I have been challenged and rewarded in the greatest of ways. I have discovered my own capabilities and watched my sisters aspire to be their best selves in their schoolwork, relationships, and service. I enjoyed sharing my Kappa values of hard work and commitment with the Panhellenic Association and individuals beyond the membership of Kappa.”
==Highlights of 2017==
2017 kicked off with Primary Recruitment in January. Active members started returning on New Year’s Day for an early start to our recruitment preparations. We had an incredible week meeting a record number of Potential New Members! We enjoyed the company of Leadership Consultant Lindsay, Epsilon Kappa (South Carolina), who helped us transition our new council and gave us endless wisdom during the week. We held a galaxy-themed Bid Day celebration to welcome home 62 incredible new members, including 7 legacies! This is the largest pledge class in Mu chapter history. On Sunday, we held a game night at the house with plenty of snacks and laughs. On Monday, we spent the evening at Skateland and had a blast rollerskating and eating pizza!
The first few months of the Spring Semester are always packed with activities, within both Kappa and the entire Butler community. Our big-little festivities were especially fun with twenty sets of twins in PC17. Pledge Class ’17 also performed in a time-honored Butler tradition – First-Year Skits – and earned the award for Best Dressed! We were enormously proud of the effort they put into their skit. Initiation was beautifully performed on February 25th, and we were especially honored to host a handful of sisters from neighboring chapters for their initiation. We also had numerous Kappa relatives in attendance to celebrate with their newly-made sisters.
In February, we hosted Kappaccino at our home, serving cups of hot chocolate, hot coffee, and iced coffee to our fellow Bulldogs. We raised $751 to donate to the Kappa Foundation. Mu sisters also had fun participating in campus-wide philanthropic events, including Dance Marathon, Relay For Life, and Spring Sports Spectacular. We were the top-fundraising sorority for Polar Plunge, an event in which sisters jump into freezing-cold water to raise money for the Special Olympics of Indiana!
In March, we held our formal at the beautiful Hotel Alexander in downtown Indianapolis, dancing the night away while watching the Butler Bulldogs play in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA March Madness Tournament. In April, we hosted the women in our life at a beautiful Mom’s Day, featuring desserts, shopping from a local boutique, a silent auction, and a panel of three successful women in various fields from around Indianapolis, including Maggie Anderson Phelps, a Mu Kappa from the Pledge Class of 2010. It was a wonderful afternoon and a great break from end-of-semester stress!
Our chapter was sad to see our seniors, the Pledge Class of 2014, graduate, but we know that big things lie in their futures. Two of our newest alumnae were even selected to join the staff at Kappa Kappa Gamma Headquarters! Katy Robinson is serving as a Leadership Consultant and Libby Moyer is working as a Chapter Consultant at Beta Nu, Ohio State. We are enormously proud of their commitment to Kappa.
The fall semester commenced with our large 2017 Pledge Class moving into 821 West Hampton Drive. They have enjoyed getting closer as a class and have provided a great home for our live-out members to come home to. In September, we hosted Kappa Kickoff, our annual fundraiser for Coburn Place. Coburn Place is our chapter’s local philanthropy and is a shelter for battered women and children just a few blocks south of campus. We were incredibly proud to break our fundraising record, raising $14,334 for Coburn Place. Our sisters, fellow Greeks, and greater Butler community enjoyed a fun barbecue, king competition, and lip syncs, all with a Rock and Roll theme. We also teamed up with students at Jonathan Jennings Elementary school in Indianapolis for a Reading Is Key event in September. We spent a gorgeous afternoon with sisters and students alike and were especially excited to be joined by Butler’s live bulldog mascot Trip, a.k.a. Butler Blue III.
We were joined by a new Greek chapter on campus this fall. The Alpha Psi colony of Beta Theta Pi (Beta) began its journey at Butler and initiated their first class and formally installed their chapter in November. We were also excited to be paired with the Betas for Homecoming 2017, which had a theme of “Animal Kingdom”. Together with Beta and the Campus Apartments, we selected a theme of “BUrassic Park”. We were absolutely thrilled to receive the top score for our lawn decorations, which featured a ten-foot-tall Jurassic Park gate, a Jeep, numerous wooden dinosaurs, full-scale dinosaur eggs, flying velociraptors, and a twelve-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus Rex, all while the Jurassic Park theme played across our lawn. We also received third place overall for the week, and best of all, the Butler Bulldogs defeated the Campbell Camels in the football game!
In October, we had a beautiful formal at the Regions Tower in downtown Indianapolis. The sophomore pledge class chose a “Kappa Kappa Gatsby” theme, so the gorgeous rooftop venue was decorated in pearls, feathers, and all things 1920s. In November, we hosted Kappa Harvest at our home, raising money for Kappa Foundation by selling slices of pie and serving apple cider. We also featured live music by three of our sisters to entertain our guests.
As our chapter grows and changes, so does our campus. The Butler 2020 plan is still in action, and additional building redesigns or construction have been announced. A new suite-style dorm, Irvington House, will open across the street from Kappa, in the space that Schwitzer Hall once occupied, in the Fall 2018 semester. The beginning of a new building for the Andre B. Lacy School of Business has begun, and plans for the revitalization of Gallahue Hall, which hosts classes in the natural sciences, and the Holcomb Building, which currently holds classes for the business students were recently announced. Our student population continues to increase, with approximately 4650 undergraduates and 550 graduate students in attendance. Lately, we have been gearing up for our upcoming primary recruitment, in which seven of our sisters who are recruitment counselors and two of our sisters who serve on the Panhellenic Executive Board will help the women of Butler find their new homes on Greek Row. We have also just elected our new Chapter Council and are very excited for the future of Mu. Overall, 2017 has been a wonderful year full of growth and sisterhood for our chapter.
==Highlights of 2018==
Mu chapter started 2018 with primary recruitment. We held a “Dreaming of Mu” Bid Day celebration to welcome 49 amazing new members, 2 of whom are legacies. That night we went to Sky Zone and spent time jumping around together! In February we held our big-little reveal. This year, we did a partner reveal. On the last day of the week, bigs left costumes for their littles as a way to find their bigs. The older members stood in a large circle on the front lawn, and the new members were sent out one by one to find their bigs! Some costumes included Starbucks cup sizes, Dunkin’ Doughnuts (basketball players with doughnuts), share a Coke, and Little Miss Sunshine. In February, Mu chapter also experienced their first Hockey game fundraiser. We partnered with the Butler University Hockey team for a game; a part of the entry fees went to the Kappa Foundation.
Our 49 new members transitioned to active members on March 3rd where we also hosted a few sisters from other chapters for their initiation. Many Kappa alumnae joined us to welcome our new sisters. We were extremely blessed to have a Monmouth alumna join us in the initiation of her granddaughter. Later in March, we hosted Kappachino, an event where we served coffee and hot chocolate. The $500 we raised went to Kappa Foundation. We also held a lovely Mom’s Day with desserts, conversation, a silent auction, shopping from a local boutique, and a hypnotist!
Fall semester began with a return to 821 West Hampton Drive. Six of our sisters and our chapter advisor attended the Kappa General Convention. We were lucky enough to meet sisters from all over the country and to reconnect with Mu alumni. At the award ceremony, we received the greatest improvement and best new member programming awards as well as runner-up recognition for public relations and signature philanthropy event! Over the summer, our formal and trophy room received a full makeover, revealing beautiful hardwood floors. Sisters have enjoyed hanging out and studying in these renovated spaces. In September, we hosted our annual Kappa Kickoff, a fundraising week for our local philanthropy Coburn Place. Coburn Place is a shelter for battered women and children just a few minutes from campus. We once again broke our fundraising record this year raising $14,459.97! The Kappa lawn was filled with people enjoying food, lip syncs, and a king's competition throwing it back to the 90’s. For Homecoming 2018, we were paired with freshmen dorms Resco and Ross. We were extremely excited to help welcome the new students to Butler and show them getting involved is fun. For the theme of “Superheroes,” we chose “Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy,” the superheroes in Sponge Bob Squarepants. The Kappa lawn was transformed into Bikini Bottom with a life-size pineapple home, jellyfish, and a seven-foot tall magic conch shell.
Due to changes in the rules of Spring Skits, previously known as Freshmen Skits, Kappa did not participate. Instead, PC’18 hosted their own performance in October in which they choreographed their own dance and performed it for the whole house! The girls did an amazing job and it helped them to grow even closer. To celebrate Kappa’s founding, Mu held our inaugural Founder’s Day Celebration. Active Mu’s along with alumnae from all over the country gathered in the Reilly Room for a formal dinner. We heard beautiful descriptions of our founders and what Kappa has meant to different people.
November held new events for Mu. We held a new philanthropy event, Grilled Cheese with KKGs, in which we served grilled cheese and tomato soup. We raised $350 for the Kappa Foundation! On November 30th, we held a sisterhood event, an Escape Room. Members were split into random teams and challenged to escape from rooms with different themes in under an hour. The event, while at times stressful (we wanted to rescue the Mona Lisa, stop a train bomb, and rescue a kidnapping victim) was a great experience that brought girls across pledge classes together.
Mu chapter has grown and changed over the past year, just like Butler. The University’s 2020 plan is still in progress, and a new building has opened. Irvington House welcomed its first tenants in August, right across the street from Kappa. Mu has been preparing for primary recruitment, during which time 8 of our sisters will be recruitment counselors and one will serve as Vice President of Conduct on the Panhellenic Executive Board to help Butler women find their forever homes on Greek Row. Our newly elected Chapter Council is excited to help Mu grow even more. 2018 has been a great year of growth and sisterhood, and we can’t wait to see what 2019 holds!
==Highlights of 2019==
The 2018-2019 academic year kept the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma very busy and excited. This year, the women of Kappa planned their annual “Kappa Kickoff” event to raise money for Coburn Place, moved back into the sorority house that was remodeled, and won multiple awards during the Greek Excellence Awards! Kappa Kickoff is a week-long philanthropy event where the women raise money for Coburn place through various events. They had a chipotle giveback, found many companies and families to sponsor their event, and hosted a kickball tournament for all of the sororities and fraternities to participate in. This past year, they raised over $15,000 for our local philanthropy, the Coburn Place, which is an organization that provides housing options and support services for women and children that have suffered from domestic violence. Also, to help raise money for Coburn Place we hosted Kappacino and Fall Festival.
While the members were away for the summer, the Kappa Kappa Gamma house was renovated. We hosted a joint philanthropy event with Alpha Chi Omega raising money to split to each of our chapter's philanthropies. The Greek Excellence Awards that we won this past year include Philanthropy and Service and Campus Leadership and Involvement. Along with our own chapter philanthropy events, we participated in other chapter's events including Sigma Chi's Derby Days, Delta Tau Delta Trike, and Delta Gamma Anchorsplash. We are so proud of what our sisters have accomplished and cannot wait to see what this chapter does in the years to come!
Our campus received a new panhel director this year. Our chapter has always had a good relationship with the panhel director and we will continue that with the new one. One of our active members is the president of Panhel
Coburn Place - empower victims of interpersonal abuse - including domestic violence - to live as survivors
As a strong, all women organization we stand together to help raise awareness, advocate & fundraise for a nearby program who provides housing for survivors of interpersonal abuse. We feel the responsibility to give back to a program that does so much for the Indianapolis community.
Our chapter hosted a dessert celebration with alumni for Founders Day. We played a slideshow during the dinner of Mu Chapter photos from the 1800s to today to reflect the 150 years. We had multiple guest speakers including past MU Kappas.
Our chapter hosted the Kappa van that went around to a ton of college campuses. This was a great opportunity for all of us to see how far Kappa Kappa Gamma has come and to realize how important our chapter is. To celebrate Kappa's 150th anniversary our chapter is participating in 150 random acts of kindness between now and next October.
[[File:Mu 2019 1.jpg|thumb|mu 2019 1]]
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[[File:Mu 2019 3.jpg|thumb|mu 2019 3]]
[[File:Mu 2019 4.jpg|thumb|mu 2019 4]]
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==Highlights of 2020==
Chapter Summary
Summarize the previous calendar year, scholarships, group honors/awards, Convention
awards, traditions, special events, philanthropic involvement, chapter goals, and how your
chapter operations changed because of COVID-19 (e.g., how did it affect recruitment,
initiation, etc. Were events/activities held virtually?). This year, Kappa Kappa Gamma Mu
Chapter has won honorable mentions in Chapter/Advisory Board Relations and Recruitment
and were the overall winner of the Standards Award. Additionally, we raised our house GPA
from a 3.5 to a 3.6 from Fall 2019 to Spring 2020, and have increased our members with a 4.0
from 17 to 28. In terms of chapter events and traditions, we were fortunate to conduct
recruitment, bid day, and initiation in-person. In doing so, we recruited 45 wonderful girls to
join our sisterhood in January, and initiated them in March with the help of our wonderful
Kappa alumnae. Our largest philanthropy event, Kappa Kickoff, occurred virtually this fall and
raised over $10,000 for The Coburn Place. Our sisterhood events included movie nights,
Galentine’s Day, workout classes, etc. Lastly, since the impact of COVID-19 on our globe, our
chapter events and operations have been fully virtual including chapters, philanthropy
events, programming, workshops, etc. Overall, we are very impressed by the way in which
our members have handled the virtual transition, and are excited to welcome our new pledge
class in January 2021.
Chapter Philanthropy
What organization does the chapter support? The Coburn Place
Why did the chapter choose this organization? The Coburn Place is a local Indianapolis shelter
dedicated to helping and improving the lives of men, women and families who have been
affected by domestic violence. As of 2018, The Coburn Place has helped 247 adults and 289
children resulting in 45 survicors successfully exiting the program to live in permanent
housing. Furthermore during COVID-19 pandemic, the number of intimate partner violence
cases were on the rise. We at Kappa, are proud to support such a wonderful and giving
organization who have made such a large impact on our community.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
How did your chapter include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in your
programming this year? (e.g., adding a DEI officer, philanthropy events, social media
awareness campaign, chapter training, etc.). This year, we have elected a Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion Chair to lead a committee in an effort to educate the chapter and improve our
chapter’s relationships and practices regarding being a diverse, equal, and inclusive house.
Additionally, we had our school’s DEI organization come in to conduct a workshop during
initiation.
Sesquicentennial Celebration
How did your chapter celebrate Kappa's 150th anniversary? Share what you have done this
year. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we celebrated Founder’s Day virtually by conducting a
ritual workshop with the new members, sending out Kappa facts, attending the virtual
national celebration, as well as socially-distanced celebrating at the house with our sisters.
Photographs
Are there any interesting photos from this year to share? e.g., screen shots of virtual
meetings, pictures of chapter events that followed all public health guidelines (mask wearing,
physical distancing, etc), pictures of masks, drive-thru bid days, etc.
[[File:Block Party Butler 2020.png|thumb|Butler 2020]]
[[File:BU Orientation Butler 2020.png|thumb|Butler 2020]]
[[File:Butler Bulldog Butler 2020.png|thumb|Butler 2020]]
[[File:Founders Day 2 Butler 2020.png|thumb|Butler 2020]]
[[File:Founders Day Butler 2020.png|thumb|Butler 2020]]
[[File:Kappa Kickoff Butler 2020.png|thumb|Butler 2020]]
[[File:KKG Ballerinas Butler 2020.png|thumb|Butler 2020]]
==Highlights of 2021==
Chapter Summary
Summarize the previous calendar year, scholarships, group honors/awards, Convention awards, traditions, special events, philanthropic involvement, chapter goals. Mu Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma has had a very successful year despite Covid-19 implications. In the winter of 2021, we successfully recruited a member class of 43 incredible women during the formal recruitment process. Then, during the following spring term we offered bids to another 11 women through the continuous open bidding process. This was the first time in several years we have partaken in continuous open bidding, though despite this we have had great success implementing them into the chapter. All of the 54 women were initiated through a fully virtual ceremony on Saturday, March 13th. Our chapter did hold several in person events for inspiration period leading up to initiation, given that they followed all Covid-19 regulatory guidelines. Our largest Philanthropy event of the year, Kappa Kickoff, was very successful as we were allowed to begin holding events in person to the public. In total we raised $6200 for our local philanthropy, Coburn Place. Our sisterhood events this past year have consisted of both in person and virtual events in order to accommodate for Covid-19 restrictions. Some of our favorites have been the Kappa Taskenger hunt, Mu Movie Mornings, and pumpkin painting among other things. Due to lessened Covid-19 restrictions this fall, we have also been able to reimplement events like a Founder’s Day Dinner celebration and a Scholarship Dinner to celebrate all our 4.0 women. In fact, this semester we were extremely proud to have 24 women achieve a 4.0 and 34 other women have above a 3.75, despite the difficulty caused by Covid-19. Recently, Mu chapter has been making increased DEI efforts, with discussions and presentations. Moving forward, DEI is one of our top priorities. We are quite proud of our successful year and its many accomplishments and are looking forward to another successful recruitment season this January!
Chapter Philanthropy
What local organization does the chapter support and why? Mu Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma is proud to support our local philanthropy, Coburn Place. The Coburn Place is a local Indianapolis shelter dedicated to helping and improving the lives of men, women and families who have been affected by domestic violence. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increased number of intimate partner violence cases. We at Kappa, are proud to support such a wonderful and giving organization that has made such a large impact on our community.
How did the chapter support Kappa’s philanthropy? Mu Chapter’s biggest philanthropy event of the year, Kappa Kickoff, is put on fully for the benefit of Coburn Place. All of the funds raised go directly to Coburn Place which we are very proud of. Due to Covid-19, we have not been able to interact directly with the children of Coburn Place, though as more people are vaccinated we look forward to going back to help with holiday celebrations and fairs! Furthermore, our chapter has selected a new mental health and well being initiative to support alongside Coburn Place and The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, which is the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). We look forward to continuing this partnership and supporting such an important cause.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
How did your chapter include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in your programming this year? (e.g., adding a DEI officer, philanthropy events, social media awareness campaign, chapter training, etc.). This year we added our first DEI officer, plus have had several programming talks in order to help educate the chapter on the importance of DEI. By teaching our members how and why DEI is important, we hope to make Kappa a more inclusive and safer environment for people of all identities. These programs included ones run by the women within our chapter, educational programs run by outside sources, and discussions led by mediators.
Operating in a Pandemic
How 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. As mentioned before, Covid-19 has had some serious implications on our chapter operations. We started the year with a fully virtual recruitment process as well as a fully virtual initiation ceremony. Despite this, they seemed to be quite successful, and we had relatively positive feedback from both. Beyond these larger ceremonies, day to day operations within the chapter have changed quite a bit. Our chapter follows university mask and vaccine guidelines, meaning vaccines were required for all members unless special circumstances and masks are required at all times indoors other than while eating. In order to create a more ‘normal’ experience for our new members we have worked to hold more events outdoors so they can be unmasked.
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