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==2012==
Another great year has passed in the Zeta Omega Chapter and we have learned lessons, grown as a chapter, and welcomed new sisters along the way. The 2012 year got off to a great start with Alana as recruitment chair. After 4 successful recruitment events, new member chair Samantha Gilchrist began preparing the new class for their Zeta Omega careers. With inspiration week brought wonderful sisterly bonding that finished with the Alpha Lambda class becoming sisters. We were so happy to welcome Alanna, Molly, Erica, Tonima, and Melissa into the chapter! Credit must also be given to Minny, our fearless marshall, and Sunny, our standards chairwoman. Their dedication hard work throughout inspiration week was noticed and greatly appreciated by everyone in the chapter.
The chapter held their signature social event, Sapphire Ball later that month. This year's theme was "masquerade" and was spearheaded by our events chair Lisa. Sapphire ball always presents a wonderful opportunity for allumni, special actives, associate members, and active members to come together and celebrate. Awards were presented to those deserving sisters who the chapter felt put in extra time and effort to help the chapter reach it's full potential.
The Zeta Omega chapter gave back to the community in the Winter 2012 term by holding our annual Reading is Fundatmental event. Sisters went to local elementary schools and worked with young students to help them read books. Paired with a craft, it was a great day for all. We also promoted philanthropy at the Waterloo campus with our bi-annual bake sale: Decadence. This is a great event that students look forward to each term.
Two sisterhood events were also held in the Winter 2012 term. Braving the cold together, the sisters of the Zeta Omega chapter went skating at the outdoor rink in uptown Waterloo. For our second sisterhood event, everyone got together to make masks for Sapphire ball! What girls lacked in artistic skills, was certainly made up for with laughter and new memories. After the last meeting of the term, the girls said goodbye as they began studying for exams and leaving for the summer.
Although the Zeta Omega chapter is not active during the Spring term, there were a few sisters enrolled in a full course load who wanted to maintain contact. In spite of their busy schedules, they made an effort to spend time together, often having lunch, studying, or having sleepovers. In June, sisters in the Waterloo area participated in the Kitchener/Waterloo Relay for Life. As a team they were able to raise 700$ for the Canadian Cancer Society!
With the beginning of the Fall academic term, the Zeta Omega chapter was once again active. Kris, the membership chairwoman, started off the term with 4 successful recruitment events. Ulanna, new member chariwoma, helped guide Maddie, Katie, Gloria, Fallon, Alex, Theenu, Koren, and Carol through their journey to becoming sisters of the Zeta Omega chapter. Inspiration week flew by and finished with initiation held at Neera's home in Guelph, Ontario. She was a graceful host, and her home was the perfect venue.
Neera also contributed to the chapter as events chairwoman. Her efforts for Touch of Klass should be noted as she used her problem solving skills to find a venue at the last minute. The event was held at a local restaurant called Wildcraft. The hors d'euvres dissappeared as soon as they were put on the table, and everyone migled and had a great time. The event was well attended in spite of the horrible storm that day!
Our standards chairwoman, Natasha, held three wonderful events throughout the term. The first was a boardgame night and Founder's Day celebration at a local restaurant. The next was a sleepover after Fireside. The third was a Secret Santa potluck following the last meeting of the term. Though the events were wonderful, attendance could have been improved. As a chapter, we are currently working towards better attendance of events.
We held 4 philanthropy events during Fall 2012 term. Decadence, once again, was well attended. To prepare, many sisters baked together as the excitement grew for the much anticipated event. In October, the sisters of the Zeta Omega chapter, along with police officers and members of the community, volunteered to pick up litter following a roudy Homecoming weekend. It was great to see sisters making a positive difference in the community, especially when it was on the local news later that day! Around Halloween, very few girls participated in Trick or Eat, collecting canned goods for local food banks. Our final philanthropy event of the Fall 2012 term, Food not Bombs Soup Kitchen, was also poorly attended. Although the term got off to a great start, things got a little rocky towards the end. One of our goals for the 2013 year is to improve attendance at Philanthropy events!
In Fall 2012, the University of Waterloo opened their Nano Technology building. This was a great joy for the Nanotech engineers, and students of Waterloo, as the building had been under construction for 3 years!
The nature of our chapter is ever-changing. Between new members, graduates, and co-op students, the chapter can feel completely different from one term to the next. As a result, leadership roles will sometimes fall onto the shoulders of newer members. To ease these transitions, members of the chapter are working to update the leadership binders and improve training methods. In doing this, sisters can feel more confident in their leadership roles, allowing the chapter to reach their goals without anyone feeling overwhelmed.
In the Winter 2012 term, the chapter was in good spirits. Unfortunately this changed with the Fall 2012 term. The standards committee was put to work, quietly dealing with interpersonal issues in a professional manner. Attendance was also poor at many events. To improve this, we are increasing communication within the chapter, holding monthly open forums, and creating incentives to hold sisters accountable for their actions. We all believe in Kappa, and the oath we took during initiation and are actively trying to work towards making the Zeta Omega chapter the best it can be!
