KS & MO Alumnae Chapters in Themis

The Kansas and Missouri alumnae chapters received awesome coverage in the latest issue of Themis! Every chapter filed an alumnae Themis report, and three of our chapters had photos published. Great job to KC Metro, Mid-Missouri and St. Louis for sending such amazing photos!

Zeta Day Awards

I enjoyed seeing many of you in Kansas City on Saturday for Zeta Day! "Zeta Through the Decades" was a wonderful day with highlights like Mrs. Julia Hill playing heads or tails and then giving a speech, recognizing 5 White Violets including one 75-year member, viewing historical photos and artifacts from our district, playing many games, recognizing graduating seniors, and celebrating with awards.

My favorite part of Zeta Day is presenting awards to deserving women and chapters, so I wanted to post the awards here.

St. Louis alumnae won the attendance award again because 12 members made the trip to Kansas City.

10% Membership Awards went to Flint Hills, KS (19% growth) and Mid-Missouri (75% growth) chapters.

The Alumnae-Collegiate Relations Award went to Mid-Missouri.

Lawrence, KS Area won the Alumnae Website Award.

The Alumnae Service Award went to St. Louis.

Congratulations to our hostess chapter, KC Metro, for winning the District President's Silver Award for Public Relations!

Julia Hill Attending Zeta Day

Julia Marthaler Hill, President of the ZTA Housing Corporation and former National President, will be speaking at KS/MO Zeta Day! Make plans to join us in Kansas City April 9 for the event. It will be a great day of sisterhood, service and celebration!

Save Pink Yoplait Lids!

In 2009, Zetas collected more pink lids than ever before-346,618 lids! Now entering our fifth year with Yoplait’s Save Lids to Save Lives campaign, our hope is the ZTA membership continues its success with bringing awareness to Breast Cancer through this fun, exciting and simple program. One big change this year to the lid collection program is that all lids need to be sent to:

Save Lids to Save Lives
PO Box 400007
El Paso, TX 88540-0007

CLEARLY LABEL YOUR ENVELOPE WITH THE ALUMNAE CHAPTER NAME ON THE OUTSIDE AND INSIDE OF YOUR LID PACKAGE. Yoplait is counting the lids and needs to be able to clearly identify who receives proper credit.

Lids must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2010 in order to be counted!

ZTA at Kansas State

Zeta Tau Alpha is working hard to recruit chapter members for our Beta Upsilon chapter, returning at Kansas State this fall! A team of national officers arrived in Manhattan over the weekend, and infoviews with members and recruitment parties will be taking place all week. ZTA Traveling Leadership Consultants have been on campus since classes started, and they have helped sign up over 500 potential new members!

We are very excited to welcome our newest Zetas in the district on Bid Day on Thursday, 9/16. It will be even more exciting to reactivate our link in the chain of chapters later this fall. What a great time to be a Zeta in Kansas!

"Experienced the Sisterhood" in New Orleans for ZTA's Convention

It was a great privilege and ton of fun representing Kansas and Missouri alumnae at our 50th National and 39th International Convention. Although I had to leave Friday morning to celebrate my brother's wedding, I was able to "Experience the Sisterhood" and loved every minute.

I arrived early on Tuesday afternoon with other national officers and enjoyed spending time catching up with them. At our national officer dinner, we learned about Mardi Gras krewes and got creative dreaming up our own krewes.

After some training, we started to welcome our Zeta sisters attending as delegates and visitors during lunch on Wednesday. At the opening session, we were introduced to National Council, the ZTA Foundation Board, the National Housing Corporation Board and Traveling Leadership Consultants as they paraded in throwing beads and goodies. Their Mardi Gras floats were decorated luggage carts!

We enjoyed free time to do some ZTA shopping at Crown & Co. and view the amazing new museum-quality historical exhibit. At dinner, we learned to "Laissez le bon Temp Rouler!" (let the good times roll). We enjoyed a delicious meal followed by a King's cake. The sister who found the baby got the honor of being crowned! It was also a fun surprise to welcome the Krewe of Caesar. This is a real Mardi Gras Krewe who dazzled us with their amazing costumes (see photos).

Thursday's opening business meeting included all of the traditional elements that make it so special: the flag processional with all the chapter flags, singing the national anthem and creed of Zeta Tau Alpha, and formal welcomes and greetings. New and reorganized alumnae and collegiate chapters were recognized, and it was a special highlight to receive a baby cup for the Flint Hills, KS chapter.

At lunch we received the State of the Fraternity address and were reminded of everything we have to be proud of. After more free time, we gathered for dinner and celebrated our collegiate Crown Chapter winners.

Thursday concluded with the initiation of Tanya Snyder, breast cancer survivor and wife of the Washington Redskins owner. She has been instrumental in the team's Think Pink! efforts, including a fabulous partnership with ZTA.

Although I missed the rest of Convention, it included more business meetings, sisterhood time in the Crescent City, alumnae Crown Chapter night, the presentation of Honor Rings (including one for yours truly), a sisterhood party with surprise performances by DJ $crilla and the award-winning Epsilon step team, election of our new National Council, the Silver Awards banquet and a jazz brunch. To "experience the sisterhood" yourself, check out the ZTA webpage (www.zetataualpha.org) and the ZTA Facebook page.

Now, make plans to attend ZTA Convention 2012 in Louisville, Kentucky!

Recommend a Woman to Join ZTA!

While it seems as though summer just started, before we know it, Formal Recruitment will begin for many of our collegiate chapters. You can help make recruitment a success for our collegians by voluntarily submitting Membership Information Sheets (MIS) for outstanding young women that you know.

You can submit an MIS online and it will automatically reach the Membership Advisor for the designated chapter. You can also print out a PDF or a fill-in Word document of the MIS and send it by mail if you like. The instructions for all those options are outlined in the spring issue of Themis.

To access all the MIS options, just visit the "Recommend a Member" tab of Sisters Only on the ZTA Web site. You will need a username and password to open that page. That process, if you haven't already completed it, is very simple. Just follow the online prompts.

The "Recommend a Member" page also includes our policy on legacies, which you may want to review.

If you are uncertain when a particular campus holds recruitment, you can find that chapter on the Chapter Locator Map. The chapter profile that opens includes the recruitment start date.

If you have any questions about the MIS process, please contact International Office by e-mail or call 317-872-0540.

Thank you for helping our chapters identify outstanding women as potential new members of Zeta Tau Alpha.

Award Winning Alumnae

The alumnae chapters in district XVIIA are amazing and very deserving of awards. Congratulations to these chapters for their achievements!

10% Membership Increase: Lawrence, KS Area and Kansas City Metro

Alumnae Chapter Programming: St. Louis

Alumnae-Collegiate Relations: Springfield

Alumnae Service: Mid-Missouri

Alumnae Membership: Lawrence, KS Area

Alumnae Panhellenic: Kansas City Metro

District Silver for Fundraising: St. Louis

Alumnae Zeta Day Attendance Award: St. Louis

KS/MO Zeta Day 2010 a Success

On Saturday, April 10, 2010, 312 Zeta Tau Alpha collegians, alumnae and guests gathered in Springfield, MO for Zeta Day. We celebrated Queens Day Mardi Gras Style and enjoyed sisterhood and service throughout the day.

The day started with traditions like Zeta Day roll call and the national greeting, but it also included a fun Heads or Tails game to raise funds for our ZTA Foundation. It was especially meaningful to recognize our sisters with significant membership anniversaries with the Order of the Shield service. We had one 75-year member and five 50-year members join us!

Collegians decorated candles to give as "beacons of hope" for breast cancer patients and then enjoyed a chant and song competition. Alumnae and graduating seniors networked and shared alumnae membership experiences with one another.

Our national Vice President Collegiate Area I, Mrs. Keeley McDonald Riddle, gave us a keynote speech about "Recruiting Everyday" during lunch. She challenged all of us to be our ZTA best at all times so that we can attract the best women to our sisterhood.

We celebrated with awards for individual members, alumnae chapters and collegiate chapters in the afternoon. Finally, we concluded with the Zeta Spans a Lifetime service for our graduating seniors and a sisterhood circle.

We'll see you in Kansas City for Zeta Day 2011!

My ZTA Travels

One of the best parts about my job as District President is the opportunity to travel to all of my alumnae chapters. I always enjoy visiting the alumnae friends I have met through the years and meeting new sisters. I learn more from my chapters than I probably teach them, and I always leave inspired by the amazing things alumnae in our district are doing.

My visits this year started in Manhattan, KS. I met with the alumnae there and helped them vote on their official chapter name and very first slate of EC officers. We had a great time at the local coffee shop in Aggieville, and I shared some ZTA history in honor of Founders' Day coming up. I am so happy that the Flint Hills, KS alumnae chapter is organized and the newest one in our district!

Just a few weeks later I traveled to Joplin, MO to meet with local alumnae and one collegian. I was joined by one of our Province Presidents, and we talked about getting the Tri-State chapter organized again. I am proud of these ladies for making it a priority to organize two events since then. I look forward to seeing them fully reorganize before the end of the year.

The weekend right after my visit to Joplin took me to the KC Metro chapter. I joined the EC officers for a retreat and spent a couple of hours working with them on all sorts of topics. Our focus, however, was on membership recruitment and surveying members. I am confident that these women will continue to grow as a chapter.

Finally, in early December I traveled to Columbia to meet with the Mid-Missouri chapter. We had a nice lunch downtown, and we talked about member recruitment. They have good plans in place to recruit many women, especially in the Jefferson City area.

If time allows, I will visit the Lawrence, KS Area alumnae chapter soon, and I will of course be at Zeta Day in Springfield. My last travel for the year will be to New Orleans for Convention! I am very excited about this and hope to see many alumnae from our district there, especially to receive Crown Chapter awards!

Newest Links in ZTA's Chain of Chapters

Zeta Tau Alpha is thrilled to be adding two new links to our chain of chapters. Lambda Gamma, the 241st link, will be added on January 30 at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The Lambda Delta chapter, our 242nd link, will be added on January 31 at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Congratulations and welcome to all of our new Zeta sisters in Texas!

National Speaker for KS & MO Zeta Day

We are very fortunate to have our Vice President Collegiate for Area I, Keeley Riddle, attending our Zeta Day! You will not want to miss the opportunity to meet her and hear her speak, so make plans to join us in Springfield, MO on Saturday, April 10. It will be a great day celebrating our sisterhood, crowning achievements, completing service projects, and raising funds for the ZTA Foundation. Stay tuned for more details.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

I wish you all a wonderful end to 2009. May you be blessed with joy and peace and the opportunity to surround yourself with your favorite people. More than ever we are reminded of that most valuable treasure: "love, the greatest of all things".

Turn in Your Pink Yoplait Lids!

Zetas, there is only one more week left to "Save Lids to Save Lives". Our goal is to collect at least 300,000 lids to provide a $30,000 contribution to Komen and a $15,000 contribution to the ZTA Foundation. The latest lid count is 67,792, but we know most Zetas are keeping all their lids to mail in at once.

Cleaned lids are due to International Office by 12/15. Mail them to: 3450 Founders Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268. Be sure to note which alumnae or collegiate chapter should receive credit!

I am pleased to announce that I have collected about 500 lids on my own. I will post the final count as soon as I have it.

Thankful to be a Zeta Alumna!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I would post a top 5 list. Here are the Top 5 Reasons I Love Being an Active ZTA Alumna:

5. I stay connected to all the ZTA happenings locally and nationally.
4. I get to share wisdom with collegians and draw energy & enthusiasm from them.
3. I have lots of fun and informative activities scheduled for me to choose from!
2. I can serve my community and promote breast cancer education & awareness.
1. I have made so many new friends and strengthened the ties of sisterhood!

My alumnae membership has enabled me to build on my collegian experience by exposing me to even more amazing women and opportunities. I cannot imagine my Zeta experience only lasting a few short years in college. For me, Zeta is forever!

I am very thankful to be a ZTA alumna, and I give thanks for all of my sisters.

Province Wide Officer Training (PWOT) for Collegians

“Save the Date” for Province Wide Officer Training. It will be held in Springfield, MO on Saturday, January 16. This event is a training in which all of the collegiate chapters from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Arkansas will come together to share ideas, be trained in their specific offices, and be trained in topics that seem to be challenging our chapters. In addition, there will be a training specifically designed for Treasurers and Financial Advisors that is taught by a CFMC. This is a great training and highly recommended for all Financial Advisors in the area! During the day, we will also be holding an Advisor’s training for current advisors and anyone who would like to become an advisor. We are hoping to incorporate parts of the training that National Council created for advisors that was provided over the summer to a limited amount of advisors in our area. This is a great opportunity for alumnae to support collegians and learn more about serving as an advisor. Attend if you can!

DP Travels & Official Visits

October has been a busy month for your humble District President. I started the month by traveling to Manhattan, KS to meet with local alumnae on October 3. We gathered at a local coffee shop and made great progress with establishing the new Flint Hills, KS alumnae chapter. They selected their name, set the dues level and voted in their first slate of EC officers. This dedicated group has 15 dues-paying members and is on track to be fully chartered by the end of the year. They are eager to welcome ZTA back to the Kansas State campus in the fall of 2010!

I joined the Province President XVIIB in Joplin, MO to meet with alumnae about Tri-State of Joplin chapter reorganization and opportunities for Eta Upsilon advisors on October 24. The alumnae there are getting organized for the year and look forward to renewing their legacy of sisterhood and collegiate support. They are making plans for two events before the end of the year!

On November 1, I joined Kansas City Metro EC officers for a great retreat and planning meeting. We covered many topics, but most of our discussion centered on increasing membership and participation. We discussed strategic recruiting, the importance of follow-ups and personal contact, diverse programming and evaluating programs and how to foster emotional connections for women. They are processing some feedback from members and may do a survey in January. They are working hard to double their current membership level and achieve Crown Chapter at Convention this summer!

I am very proud of the hard work going on all throughout our district, and I look forward to meeting with Mid-Missouri and Lawrence, KS Area alumnae this year as well. Check the blog for more updates!

Zetas Think Pink! All Year

Is it pink enough for you? Pink just might replace black and orange for the month of October thanks to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink is not just an October color for Zetas, though. After turquoise, it is probably the most loved and worn color for Zeta Tau Alphas!

ZTA alumnae and collegians across the world are "pinking out" their colleges and communities, collecting pink Yoplait lids, wearing and handing out pink ribbons, volunteering at Komen events, organizing countless fundraisers and so much more to promote breast cancer education and awareness.

In our own district, ZTA alumnae are busy doing their part too. The newly forming Flint Hills, KS alumnae chapter in Manhattan is passing out pink ribbons and BSE reminder stickers. The Lawrence, KS Area alumnae have started a partnership with their local Young Survivors Coalition to work together on fundraisers and awareness activities. Alumnae in Kansas City had a great showing at the city's Race for the Cure, and they are doing new and different things to collect pink lids. Mid-Missouri Zetas help the Alpha Psi collegians at Mizzou with their Rockin' for the Ribbon fundraiser, and Springfield alumnae held a Think Pink! garage sale. St. Louis ZTA alumnae focus on sports fans by handing out pink ribbons at Rams football games and Blues hockey games.

Without a doubt, Zetas are "learn[ing] the nobility of service". May the world be a little more pink under our influence!

The Days of Our Founding: Conclusion

"In the early spring of 1899 (before April) information was received which led to the selection of the name, Zeta Tau Alpha, the patron goddess Themis, the graceful shield-shaped pin which was first made in the large size, and other necessities found in the fraternity category. Upon the selection of a Greek name in 1899, Maud Jones was again chosen president.

The first constitution, adopted and used during the period of the Three Question Marks, was written by Maud Jones. The Historical Collection, on display at conventions, possesses the original Alpha chapter minute book which contains the final draft of this first official constitution and bylaws, in Maud Jones' handwriting.

Zeta Tau Alpha, through the influence of Grace Elcan, became the first women's fraternity to be chartered in the state of Virginia, and the only one ever to be granted a charter by a special act of the legislature. This act of incorporation brought the sorority prominently before the public, and placed it above any similar society in the state in legal standing.

This is only the beginning of Zeta Tau Alpha's long and historical life. Our nine Founders had as one of their purposes of founding Zeta Tau Alpha, 'the perpetuating of those friendships beyond college days.' This is still true today, for we are Zetas for life."

Happy 111th Founders Day!

The Days of Our Founding Continued (Part 3)

"A gift arrived that was to take its place in history. Strawberries, sent to Cammmie Jones, provided the inspiration for the first purely social gathering. They called it a 'strawberry feast'. It was at that party that the group decided, without a dissenting vote, to become recognized. With the decision to become recognized as one of the groups at the Normal, there was still no change int heir determination to select their name with meticulous care and appropriate meaning.

The Coleman girls received a box from home, sent by their father. It was a tub of choice oysters, 'the then-famous York River selects'. This gift decided the form of the announcement party, an oyster stew. Invitations would be sent to Kappa Delta and Sigma Sigma Sigma as soon as a temporary name could be decided upon. Despite the efforts of the group, the organization was no secret. A member of another group met some the new group while out walking The story goes that she superciliously raised her brows and, forming a question mark with her fingers, inquired 'who are you?' Simultaneously, the group replied with an inspired, 'Yes, Who? Who? Who?' and rushed to find the other girls, for they knew that the three question marks (???) would answer just then for a signature. The announcement party invitations read: 'The ??? will be delighted to receive the Kappa Delta and Sigma Sigma Sigma fraternities in the end room of Nursery Hall at 8:30 p.m.'

The oyster stew announcement party, held December 23, 1898, was highly successful. During the time before the adoption of the Greek name, three pledges were added. Odelle Warren Bonham, Grace Elcan Garnett and Ellen Baxter Armstrong became members on March 3, 1899.

To be continued...