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As a whole, our chapter is committed to working on issues of female empowerment, health, and well being, and we felt it was important that our philanthropic efforts were connected to this. The organizations we have chosen to support reflect these ideals and do an excellent job of promoting healthy women in our society.
==Highlights of 2016:==
Kappa has focused on our values of diversity and inclusion and our recruitment process earlier this year was an important part of that. We felt that the conversations we had leading up to recruitment and our voting methods allowed for an intake of new members whose values deeply align with those of the organization: respect, integrity, and honest. As we welcomed our new pledge class, we reconnected as a chapter too. Highlights of the 2016 new member period included:
• 4/12: New Member class dinner with New Member Chairmen
• 4/13: Sleepover at Mirlo with sophomores
• 4/17: New Member Brunch at Florence Moore Dining Hall with New Member Chairmen
• 4/18: New Member/Sophomore Class S’mores bonding event
• 4/25-4/29: Big-Little Week
• 5/4: Standards Chapter Meeting with New Members about Drinking Culture and Hazing
• 5/21: Initiation at Kappa Kappa Gamma house at University of California, Berkeley
We have also made changes to our financial management system to continue our efforts of financial diligence, accessibility, and transparency. Within this past year, Kappa has launched it’s Sponsorship Program, which is the first of its kind amongst Kappa chapters across the nation. This program gives girls the opportunity to seek financial assistance for the payment of their dues. Kappa prides itself on accessibility to girls regardless of their financial situation and socio-economic background, and this program has already helped eight active members make Kappa a sustainable financial choice. We have many members who are already in full time jobs to pay for their books and supplies, receive full financial aid from Stanford, and who have financial emergencies at home. Our chapter is committed to supporting these women. The sponsorship program is overseen by our Treasurer and the Stanford Kappa Kappa Gamma House Board, which manages money and resources that can be used for a potential house in the future. The House Board is willing and excited to engage with our chapter members in a myriad of ways, including financial assistance. The Sponsorship program is funded through donations, and does not deplete chapter provided funds that the House Board will continue to reserve in the case that our organization gets a house. The recipients have written thank you notes to their sponsors, and will attend an appreciation event in the Spring.
This year, we have also updated our approach for academic support and exploration within the chapter. The Academic Excellence Committee set up study sessions in various spaces on campus so that members can come together to work and de-stress. In winter quarter the new Chapter Council began a quarterly program during which members group together and discuss the classes that they would recommend, study strategies that have worked for them and the best resources they have accessed on campus. Additionally, we maintain a list of our active members’ majors and minors so that undeclared members can find people within the chapter to reach out to with questions about their coursework. This quarter, we hosted two panels during chapter meetings focused on career experiences of our members and alumni.
Along with these milestones, Kappa has been recognized on campus and at the national level. This year, Kappa received an ‘exceeding expectations’ on our Standards of Excellence presentation and report, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life at Stanford’s annual evaluation system for all Greek communities on campus. Our score placed us among the best performing Greek organizations at Stanford.
At convention this summer we were awarded the ‘Signature Event’ prize for medium sized chapters for our benefit concert Snowchella, there is more information about our philanthropy later in the document. This year, Kappas have been involved in numerous varsity and club athletic teams, led and participated in pre-professional and philanthropic organizations, held research and fellowship positions and performed in various dance and theater groups.
==Highlights of 2020s:==
