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→The Early Years
The so-called ''Red Book,'' which contains the minutes of the first and subsequent meetings down to December 1889, is one of the most treasured possessions of Delta Chapter. It is a large, heavy ledger, handsomely bound in leather, with the letters KKΓ stamped in gold on the cover. The book is well preserved, as it is now located in the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Archives in Columbus, Ohio. The ink of the earlier entries is brown and faded with age, but it is still legible. These pages constitute a priceless record of the early meetings besides shedding illumination upon the life and interest of the college woman during that time period. Yet, if at times the Delta members seemed to take themselves seriously, it is plainly written between the lines of the ''Red Book'' that they were, after all, perfectly normal, fun loving girls; as the entry reads: “all members were present this evening, and it was with great difficulty that the president preserved order.”
The early members of Delta Chapter were young girls, sixteen and seventeen years of age. They were of keen intelligence and aware of the advantages afforded to them by the opportunity to secure a college education, then a newly acquired privilege of the women of the state. It was only five years previous to the founding of the Chapter that the Board of Trustees had granted admission of women to the university. It was by the narrow margin of four votes to three that the doors were opened to women in 1868, and Indian Indiana University was the first state university in the Union to take this revolutionary step.
In their weekly meetings, held at the home of the various members, emphasis was placed upon the literary programs. Essays, declamations, debates, and select readings occupied most of the time. Certain members were appointed to criticize the performances. During these years, the literary clubs in college played an important part in Greek letter life, particularly the one for women called The Hesperian. Delta had a by-law to the effect that all performances which were to be given in public, in oratorical contests, should be rehearsed previously in Chapter meetings where they were listened to attentively and criticized when necessary. The subjects chosen for essays were diverse and comprehensive. At one time, the Chapter seriously contemplated the writing of the constitution and initiatory service in Greek, but this ambitious project was abandoned.
