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Kappa Chapter feels itself fortunate to be on a campus where it is accepted as a part of the fine institution and has flourished more than 90 years.
==Highlights from 1975-1979==
Trends: By reviewing the minutes of Kappa Chapter at this time, it was clear that the women of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Hillsdale College excelled both on campus and within the house. The order and the detail of the minutes made it clear that they valued the sisterhood. Of great value was educating the chapter on Roberts Rules of Order and Fraternity Education.
They also had many philanthropy events, including a Halloween Party for the local special needs school and "fostering" program for children from abroad. As is tradition with thr Chapter, Kappa was highly involved in other campus activities. There also were many more opportunities of Greek unity and bonding. Our Chapter was not terribly involved in the carry-over trends from the sixties.
Challenges the chapter faced and how they were met. This Chapter, as other chapters on campus, faced misunderstandings from the administration and staff of the college. All worked together by means of a conference, however, to better the relationship between the two entities, and worked to clean-up the image of the Greek system.
What special or significant events were happening on your campus, in your community or nationally? How did your chapter respond and/or participate? Our Chapter was not significantly involved with national issues. Kappa Chapter added an addition to the Kappa house in the late seventies, expanding the housing capacity from 22 to 30. This added a large common space, known as the "Blue Room" and extra bathrooms. Hillsdale's campus was transforming their campus to update their facilities.
==Highlights of the 1980s:==
From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:
During the summer of 1987, new furnishings were added to, and existing furniture was recovered in, the house’s Blue Room. But as the chapter history report from that year states “The Kappas certainly had no reason to be blue because members took every Greek crown available in the year 1987.” This included the titles of Greek Queen, Crown on May Queen, and Homecoming Queen. Throughout the year, the chapter continued to maintain their excellent reputation on campus. Several members received academic scholarships.
The chapter motto for 1987 was Kappa Knowledge Grows and the goal was to utilize alumni resources and Hillsdale faculty to “expand each committee and grow in the knowledge of our environment.” The chapter enjoyed many social and philanthropy events, such as Kappa Krush, Formals, a Halloween party (philanthropy event), a Christmas Dance and a Homecoming Brunch.
Besides the Queens, members were also elected to be VP of the Student Federation, Activities Board Director, Yearbook Editor and Yearbook Business Manager. Chapter members were also involved with sports teams and theatre productions.
In 1989, the Kappas welcomed a new (temporary) house mother, Mrs. Coon, after their house mother of many years, Carol Golding, retired. During the summer of 1989, both the living room and dining room of the house were redecorated. Nineteen new members were added to the chapter in the spring, and 5 in the fall of 1989, bringing the house total up to 65 girls. At the Province meeting that spring, the chapter received the Fraternity Awareness Award and the Unity Award.
The chapter challenges for 1989 were to educate the chapter about ritual and songs, and to improve academics. The chapter addressed these by practicing songs after meetings and studying hard. The chapter was proud to raise their GPA and to be ranked 3rd on campus.
Philanthropy events in 1989 included the chapter’s annual Manor House Halloween party, an Easter Egg hunt for children of faculty members, a Bike-a-Thon for Cystic Fibrosis and a Christmas dance for the entire campus. Chapter members continued to be involved in sports teams and dramatic productions on campus.
The chapter hosted a successful joint Homecoming/Founders Day brunch at the house, inviting graduations from the class of 1929 to the class of 1979.
==Highlights of the 1990s==
The chapter welcomed a permanent new house mother in 1990, Mrs. Potter, a Hillsdale native. They also welcomed 3 members of Zeta Kappa chapter who participated in Kappa chapter’s initiation activities after missing initiation at their own chapter. Twenty-one new members joined in the spring of 1990, and five more in the fall, for 62 members total.
The chapter succeeded in reaching its chapter goal of increased awareness of the Fraternity Constitution, bylaws and standing rules through strong committee use. Scholarship also improved and the chapter was ranked second on campus with nearly 20 members on the Dean’s List. Kappa chapter continued to sponsor campus activities and philanthropic events. They raised $300 for charity while winning Sigma Chi’s Derby Days, and once again organized a Halloween Party for Manor House and an Easter Egg hunt for the children of faculty members. They also held a Faculty Tea for the entire college staff.
In 1991, Kappa chapter commemorated 110 years on the Hillsdale campus with an especially festive Founders Day celebration. That same year, they won the Fraternity Awareness Award and the Chapter of Excellence Award at the Delta Province meeting, which they hosted. The chapter again challenged themselves by setting a goal to “uphold and implement Kappa Standards by working together to fulfill our obligations and promote total chapter involvement”. As a result, unity in the house was strong due to the active involvement of the entire house.
The chapter continued many traditions in 1991, such as pledging new members in both the fall and spring, welcoming home members who had been studying abroad, hosting their annual philanthropic events (Manor House, Easter Egg Hunt) and organizing campus social events (Christmas Dance and Faculty Tea). Many members received scholarships, and were active in campus clubs, teams and activities.
The Kappa House benefitted from some updates in 1991. New carpet was laid in the study room and other parts of the basement, and new tables and chairs replaced old furniture in the study. The paneling was painted and new clocks were hung. Upstairs, the fireplace in the dining room was re-bricked and the guest bathrooms were redecorated. New windows were also installed where needed to ensure additional comfort in the winter. The best news was that the mortgage on the house was paid off!
The chapter was excited to welcome 8 new advisers to the Advisory Board or House Board in 1991. Also, through generous alumni support, the chapter was the recipient of a donated (brand new) baby grand piano and funds to purchase a house computer (for chapter record keeping and officer use).
In 1992, many articles in the school newspaper were written about Greeks becoming a minority on campus and how many houses did not fill quota. The articles stated that the student body needed to be less divided, and that Greeks and independents were all good friends and it needed to stay that way. All chapters on campus (including Kappa) struggled to bring in new members.
At the 1994 Convention, Kappa chapter received the Standards Award and a local alumni association received the Golden Key Association award. Two new oriental rugs were purchased for the house, along with a fleur-di-lis log catcher for the fireplace, and new drapes in the living room. Sisterhood events this year included painting family bricks in the basement of the house. Nineteen new members joined the chapter.
The chapter set goals in the areas of academics and standards (culminating in winning the Standards award at Convention!), and began raising $10,000 for Project 2000 through recycling cans and bottles. Annual events such as the Manor House Halloween Party, Easter Egg hunt, Walk-a-Thon for cystic fibrosis, the faculty tea and the Christmas Dance continued this year. Newer activities in 1994 included visits to a retirement home, hosting desserts for the football and basketball teams and donating to Toys for Tots. On the Hillsdale College campus, construction on the library was completed, doubling the size of the facility.
Twenty-one new members joined Kappa chapter in 1995, 17 in the spring and 4 in the fall. These women were chosen, in part, for their focus on scholarship as the chapter worked to improve the house GPA and raise it above the all sorority average. To this end, study nights were held, as well as a scholarship dinner to reward members with good grades. The chapter continued participating in, and hosting, many of its long-standing philanthropy and social events.
In 1996, Kappa chapter became the biggest house on campus, adding 31 new members total. During the year, 8 sisters studied abroad, and one interned in Washington, D.C. Kappa chapter was delighted to host the President of KKG for formal initiation this year.
This year, the chapter goal was to improve participation in chapter events, which was achieved “by promoting chapter spirit and unity through many enjoyable and special sisterhoods”. Kappa chapter continued to work towards its goal of raising $10,000 for Project 2000 through recycling. The chapter also continued to participate in many of the philanthropy events that it had been supporting for years. Chapter members were part of many clubs, teams and campus organizations.
At the 1997 Delta Province Meeting, Kappa chapter was pleased when their longtime adviser, Sally Giauque was recognized for her service to the chapter and the province. They were also proud to win the award for All Around Excellence in Delta Province, as well as honorable mentions for ritual and gracious living.
Kappa chapter was honored to be one of Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Chapters of Excellence in 1996-1997. Only 9 chapters succeeded in meeting the Fraternity’s Challenge to Excellence, completing 100% of the required criteria in the areas of scholastics, fiscal responsibility, standards, ritual and recruitment.
The Kappa Convention in 1998 was another successful one for the Kappa chapter. They received the Ritual award, and were the runner up for the Gracious Living Award. This year, the chapter also helped install the Eta Delta chapter at Valparaiso University. The chapter implemented the fraternity’s new New Member program this year for all 21 of its new members.
Kappa chapter sets goals for the members each year, and 1998 was no exception. This year, the chapter goal was to promote unity and to improve scholastically. A new Christmas outreach in 1998 had the chapter provide Christmas to 10 needy children, giving them with gifts that they needed, and also ones that they wanted.
Three showers in the house were replaced late in 1998, and the college completed the parking lot on the north side of the house providing the chapter with additional parking. At the end of the year, the House Board was awaiting architectural designs for a proposed breakfast room off the kitchen and a porch adjoining the east side of the Blue Room.
Kappa chapter was still winning awards at the end of the decade, receiving the Gracious Living award at the 1999 Delta Province Meeting. Several chapter members still studied abroad each year, and academics continued to be a focus with many sisters on the Dean’s List and receiving scholarships. Throughout campus, members were involved in many activities including: Intervarsity, the College Activities Board, the College’s G.O.A.L. program, the annual Faculty Tea, the annual Easter Egg Hunt, and many philanthropic events (such as Manor House, visiting the elderly, and Christmas gifts for the needy).
==Highlights of 2000-2010==
From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.:
In 2005, Kappa chapter’s largest philanthropy was Day of Champions, which was jointly hosted by Alpha Tau Omega, and brought in over 300 individuals with disabilities. That year, Kappa chapter also earned second place in Greek Week and the Scholarship Cup Competition, and they won the “Toco Challenge” earning the chapter $7,000 that they used towards renovating the front porch of the house and a new television. The chapter had the largest pledge class on campus that year.
The Kappa house on the Hillsdale campus is white brick with blue shutters and houses 30 women. By 2005 on campus, new classroom buildings had been built to replace Kresage Hall, which dated to the 1970’s.
The chapter was challenged in 2005 by a divided senior class, but the history report for this year states that once this class graduated, the rest of the chapter pulled together, forming a unified and pro-active chapter.
In 2007, Kappa chapter welcomed 19 new members into the house following formal recruitment in spring semester and six wonderful new members from informal recruitment in the fall.
The chapter struggled academically in the 2006-2007 year, as the other two sororities on campus saw a surge in their all house GPAs, knocking Kappa chapter to second in overall GPA. To deal with this, the VP Academic Excellence instituted an aggressive campaign to inspire chapter members to improve their GPA, applauding and rewarding sacrifices made for academics at each meeting using the slogan "3.3 Be All You Can Be" and promoting a better understanding of the fraternity's academic policies. Kappa Chapter also raised attendance at weekly study tables, providing snacks, a room in a quiet location on campus and a more serious atmosphere.
Kappa Chapter was asked by the Fraternity to host the L.E.A.D. training seminar for CC members across Delta Province. This event was successful, enjoyable and a great learning experience for each member present. Kappas continued to excel in philanthropy and leadership all over campus and hosted our first annual all county talent show in which Kappas and children from the Hillsdale community performed to raise funds for Reading is Fundamental. Kappas also participated in the Best Buddies philanthropy event and held a lemonade stand on campus for RIF while consistently volunteering at Drew’s Place retirement home and the Hillsdale library.
Changes on campus included the construction of the Grewcock Student Union as well as an addition to the Dow Science building, to be open for use in spring semester 2008. Also, the Hillsdale College Panhellenic Council changed recruitment rules to a more open format, fundamentally changing the way Greeks at Hillsdale can recruit. Kappa rose to the challenge of both new rules and an uninterested freshman class, getting to know freshman personally, participating in "dorm-storms" and hosting a Kappa Koffee event which over 30 freshmen attended. Their efforts paid off as they welcomed 16 new members into the chapter following formal recruitment in the spring semester, and nine more new members in the fall, keeping the Chapter at quota of 81.
In the spring, Kappa Claire Aubrey, won the Tocco Challenge as the only woman to participate and earned $7500 for the chapter. In the fall, Meagan Drew was elected homecoming queen, marking the third year in a row that a Kappa has won. Kappa chapter began a new philanthropy event, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Katch me if you Kan, a 5K race and canned food drive that collected canned food for a local food bank and raised money for Reading is Fundamental. The spring GPA was averaged at 3.277. At Fall Convocation, Kappa took home the scholarship cup which is awarded to the sorority with the highest house GPA.
In 2009, Kappa chapter once again won the Scholarship cup with a 3.31 GPA at Fall Convocation. Twelve women joined the chapter through spring recruitment, and in the fall, another 12 women joined during informal recruitment. Also in the Fall, the chapter held their second Kappa Kappa Gamma, Katch Me if You Kan, 5K/Food Drive, which raised over $400 for Reading Is Fundamental and canned food for the local Food Bank. At the 2009 Delta Province Meeting, the chapter was received an Honorable Mention for Risk Management, and an award for Unity, Loyalty, and Gracious Living.
Kappa chapter’s 2010 can be remembered through their philanthropic activities. They created a grant for a sister in need to receive financial help. They also provided volunteer help for a local public high school, which was struggling to keep its library open and running. Kappas volunteered several hours out of their week to assist at the library in shelving and checking out books. They also supported RIF through a successful Run Rock and Read 5K event.
In 2010 on the Hillsdale campus, there was a noticeable negative attitude toward the Greek system. In an effort to protect and support the Greek system, a new all Greek council was created. This was called the Areopagus Council and it worked to create all Greek events and improve morale. Kappa Chapter supported and participated in the Areopagus Council to improve the Greek unity and views toward the Greek system in general. The president of Panhellenic that year was a Kappa.
Chapter challenges in 2010 included low chapter morale and members being spread too thin due to involvement in many campus activities.
==Highlights of 2011==
'''Chapter:''' Kappa Chapter has been working to improve chapter unity. We try to attend our sisters' non-Kappa events to support them on campus. We have been focusing a lot on our new members, ensuring that their new member period is a time full of Kappa love and what it means to be a Kappa.
Early on in 2011, Kappa Chapter had a Leadership Consultant visit who suggested that maybe we were getting involved in too many things and holding too many mandatory events for the chapter. We then cut back a bit on some events and tried not to spread ourselves too thin; Chapter Council also froze the calendar for several months in an attempt to prevent the addition of more events.
==Highlights of 2012==
