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...

The Days of Our Founding Continued (Part 2)

"The preamble of the first minute book of regular fraternity meetings begun in 1899 states clearly that Zeta Tau Alpha was organized on October 15, 1898, at the State Female Normal School. The minute book set forth definitely for the first time the colors, the flower and the motto, that latter being written out in Greek, and then translated. A badge, and most important, a name were yet to be selected. When they held their first secret meetings, many of them nocturnal and candle-lighted, they were intent, impressed, and not-a-little-scared young girls who knew what they wanted, but who discovered that the founding of a fraternity was not only thrilling but a challenging experience.

Alice Coleman said: 'We persistently avoided publicity and I well recall the clandestine meetings we first held. Several of us had rooms in Nursery Hall, so dubbed because of the youthfulness of the majority of us.'

It was impractical to hold meetings in members' rooms, so night after night, after lights were out, one by one they stole away to the bathroom, where, in huddled muffled council, they continued their planning. Alice Coleman remembered:

'There was scarcely room to squeeze in, much less turn around in, and besides a lack of space, there was a far greater difficulty to contend with. We were literally scared to death all the time for fear somebody's keen eye would discern the tiny flickering light which came from our one tallow candle and arouse the household with the cry of ghosts in the bathroom. Yes, we had to steal up the stairs one by one, looking like convicts instead of girls who were striving with all their might and main to establish a strong and loyal sisterhood that was destined to make its impression on the thousands who were to follow its loyal precepts and principles.'

To be continued...

The Days of Our Founding

On October 15, Zeta Tau Alphas around the world will celebrate our founding in 1898. It is often very hard for us to imagine what our founders were like and to truly appreciate what they did for us. I came across a great history that I want to share in the days leading up to October 15:

"The nine girls who completed the founding of Zeta Tau Alpha came from fine, established land-holding families that had progressed through post-war economic hardships and the Reconstruction. They seemed so mature, then so irrepressibly young. Money? No one had any. It took time to recover from a devastating war and to recoup the losses suffered when Confederate money became valueless.

These nine Founders were very young. Most of them were fifteen or sixteen years of age. They never lost sight of the purpose for which they were in Farmville; their college education. They had gaiety. They loved fun. They were in and out of pranks. They were popular. They were all endowed with rich family relationships. Cultural background continually shone through. There was always a quiet dignity.

Even though the girls were busy with their classes and school routine, there still remained hours not filled with school requirements. Zeta Tau Alpha came into being during those hours. In 1897 a small group had formed and this later became the pre-Zeta group. Maud Jones referred to it as 'our little crowd.' It was never given a name.

Maud Jones relates that for a 'year or more,' during 1897, many important 'consultations' were held by a group then numbering about 'a dozen.' Then 'one night in the left-hand corner of Professional Hall,' where Maud Jones lived, a meeting was held. They had trouble getting started, then someone proposed they elect a chairman. In a few minutes all the officers were elected. The wheels were set in motion and from then on procedure went forward with smoothness and dispatch. This first meeting was held long before October, 1898."

To be continued...

ZTA Convention 2010 in New Orleans

Save the date – July 7-10, 2010. It would be awesome to have all of our alumnae chapters in 17A represented at Convention 2010. Join your Zeta sisters at the fabulous Marriott Hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans next summer. All alumnae are invited to attend as an official delegate of your chapter or as a guest. If you are looking for energy, excitement and enthusiasm to take your Zeta work to the next level, this is an event you don’t want to miss.

Certificate of Merit Award for Alumnae

It is time to nominate outstanding alumnae for the Certificate of Merit (COM)!

Awarded by National Council, the COM is granted to ZTA alumnae who have made an outstanding contribution to the Fraternity over an extended period of time. Recipient recommendations can be made by the alumnae organization's President (or another officer, if the President is recommended), the District President or a member of National Council.

* Nominations are due to the District President October 1st; they can be emailed
* The candidate must have held a significant position within the Fraternity for at least 7 years; the current year does not count.
* If a candidate has served in more than one position in a year, list each position separately.
* Multiple positions within a year do not count as more than one year of service.
* Remember, there must be a minimum of seven entries for years of service. Dates must accompany these entries.
* Only the following positions are considered by National Council as officers: President, Vice President (I & II), Secretary, Treasurer and Historian-Reporter.
* Committee Chairs do not count as significant service (although we realize that many women put a great deal of effort into this).
* After listing the nominee's service, provide a brief paragraph about the candidate's special talents or efforts.
* Nominations are SECRET; do not let the candidate know she has been nominated. It will be a fun surprise at Zeta Day!
* For more information, contact your DP (mokszetas@yahoo.com).

ZTA & Yoplait: 6 Years of Partnership

ZTA will soon begin its sixth year of a partnership with Yoplait and its Save Lids to Save Lives® program. The partnership began in 2004, when Yoplait asked ZTA to help collect lids on 10 college campuses as part of a pilot project. Now, Yoplait and ZTA have expanded the effort to all of our collegiate and alumnae chapters. For every lid collected by ZTA, Yoplait donates 5 cents to the ZTA Foundation and 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. By placing Yoplait lid collection boxes all over campuses and hosting special events, Zetas collected over 311,000 lids in 2008!

Zeta Day 2010 in Springfield, MO

Save the date and plan to attend Kansas & Missouri Zeta Day 2010! We will be gathering in Springfield, MO on Saturday, April 10. You will not want to miss this day of sisterhood, service and awards. More information will be coming soon.

Free Lucky Magazine Subscription

All 2009-10 dues-paying alumnae members will receive a complimentary subscription to Lucky magazine thanks to ZTA's partnership with Self Magazine. Since alumnae annual dues range from $20 to $40, this makes it a bargain when you consider the sisterhood benefits, magazine subscription and direct support of the fraternity and the ZTA Foundation. To find an alumnae chapter near you or to join the new virtual chapter ZTAlways, visit www.zetataualpha.org. Pay your dues and get involved! All Zeta alumnae are LUCKY!

District Silver Award 2010: Fundraising

This year the district silver award will be given at Zeta Day to the alumnae chapter who demonstrates excellence in fundraising for the ZTA Foundation. A special scorecard will be created and sent to chapters soon so that you know the award criteria and can start working to achieve the award. Chapters are encouraged to evaluate fundraising plans now, and we will have a district conference call to support your efforts soon. Make fundraising a priority in 2010!

Make Emotional Connections

The basic idea behind emotional connections is taking the time to get to know ZTA alumnae as individuals and then to apply the information to benefit each of them and the chapter. This may mean tailoring communication styles, modifying chapter programming or meeting days/times, matching or introducing members based on interests, creating special interest groups, or any combination of activities. If your chapter hasn’t surveyed your current members and potential members, please consider doing so this year to help you achieve at least 10% membership growth and to make your alumnae chapter the GROUP OF CHOICE!

ZTA National Leadership Conference 2009

I recently returned from National Leadership Conference (NLC) in Indianapolis, where the topic was “The Business of Sisterhood.” What is Zeta selling? SISTERHOOD! What is our goal? TO BE THE GROUP OF CHOICE! The entire week was focused on the topic of marketing Zeta to not just potential new members at the collegiate level, but to our own collegiate and alumnae members as well. With so many choices available to us, how do we decide where to direct our time and resources? Of course, we will choose the organization that best meets our interests and needs, and ZTA can do that for each of us.

ZTA to return to Kansas State University in fall 2010

The Kansas State University Panhellenic Council has selected Zeta Tau Alpha to become the new sorority on campus. The vote came Monday night and the K-State Greek Life office posted the official announcement on its Web site yesterday!

So, May 6 is once again an amazing day for ZTA at K-State. Beta Upsilon Chapter was installed on May 6, 1931. Reopening the chapter has many excited, including Muriel Fulton Alexander, a 96-year-old initiate of Beta Upsilon and a former ZTA National Council member, who shared via a video message the reopening of the chapter at K-State “just gave her goose bumps.”

After a lengthy Extension process, the process in which the Panhellenic sororities decide which new sorority would be the best fit for the current community, Meghan Butler, K-State Panhellenic Council president, was able to call for a special meeting of the Panhellenic Council to make official the recommendation of the Extension Committee. A resolution drafted by the Panhellenic Extension committee shares how Zeta Tau Alpha met the desired qualifications of a new sorority. This resolution, two pages in length, highlighted the commitments and programs of the international sorority.

The next step is to begin the process of creating an alumnae chapter in the Manhattan area. We are planning a brunch event for Saturday, June 6, so mark your calendars and contact mokszetas@yahoo.com for more information.

ZTA's Updated Website

ZTA has updated its website, and it is beautiful and informative! Go to: www.zetataualpha.org to check it out. Be sure register; you will have to do this even if you had previously registered on Zeta's website. The good news is that you no longer need your member number to register. You just need your name, iniation year and chapter. Please note, however, that there are some glitches with the alumnae chapter and District President that are listed for members. Stay connected with ZTA!

Zeta Day Recap

Pink-A-Palooza was fabulous! Over 300 Zetas from KS and MO gathered in St. Louis for Zeta Day. We honored a White Violet, bought crowns to support the ZTA Foundation, played Zeta Jeopardy, and raffled off a quilt and handmade ZTA bags. Highlights include sharing philanthropy ideas and learning how to network. We gathered items for a local shelter, made more than 30 blankets for the shelter and created keychains for breast cancer survivors. Of course we celebrated our successes with awards too! Alumnae awards are below:

10% Membership Increase: Lawrence, KS Area, Mid-Missouri and Springfield, MO

Alumnae-Collegiate Relations: Lawrence, KS Area

Alumnae Website: Springfield, MO

Alumnae Service: Mid-Missouri

Alumnae Public Relations: St. Louis, MO

District President's Silver for Programming: Lawrence, KS Area

Congratulations!

ZTA Extension Opportunity at Kansas State!

We have exciting news! Kansas State University is open for expansion to colonize a new NPC group on campus in the fall of 2010. Zeta Tau Alpha applied for this opportunity to reinstate our Beta Upsilon Chapter and has been invited to present as part of that process. We are excited about the prospect of restoring the 69th link in our Chain of Chapters at this wonderful Big 12 campus.

Our extension presentation at K-State will be Thursday, April 23. National President Laura Ladewig Mauro, Executive Director Deb Ensor, National Housing Corporation President Julia Marthaler Hill and National Extension Director Karen Farmer Mills will represent the Fraternity. Alumnae are encouraged to attend a reception at 6 p.m., so please save that date on your calendars.

To prepare for our presentation, we invite you to an organizational meeting of ZTA alumnae at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 14, at the Holiday Inn in Manhattan. ZTA Fraternity Housing Corporation Director Cynthia Byars Courtney, a former ZTA Extension Director, will host that gathering. Cynthia made an exploratory to K-State and has all the background information on the University’s expectations of the new sorority. A large group of excited and committed alumnae makes a big impression on a school’s extension committee and can be a deciding factor in the selection process.

ZTA has very successful collegiate chapters at Baker University and at Washburn University and wonderful alumnae chapters in Kansas City and Lawrence. The K-State Panhellenic has also invited Delta Gamma and Alpha Phi to make presentations. Delta Gamma has chapters at Washburn and Wichita State; Alpha Phi has chapters at Washburn and Wichita State. So we know the “competition” will bring many Sunflower State representatives to their presentations. We need to represent ZTA in a big way!

If you can attend the reception on April 14, if you cannot attend but are interested in being involved with a new colony at K-State, or if you are interested in finding out more information about a ZTA alumnae chapter in your area, please contact me at mokszetas@yahoo.com.

Famous Zetas

Every sister of ZTA is special and close to every other member's heart. However, some of the women in our midst set them selves apart in unique ways. Here are two of Zeta's most current "famous" sisters:

Erin Andrews

* An alumna of Gamma Iota Chapter, University of Florida, 2000

* Sideline reporter for ESPN on Major League Baseball, NCAA football, basketball and baseball

* Member of the Gator basketball dance team from 1997- 2000

* Narrator for ZTA's New Member DVD

Geralyn Lucas

*Special Initiate of Theta Xi Chapter at Rutgers University during Convention 2006

*Author of “Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy” which become a Lifetime Television movie in 2006

*Director of Public Affairs for Lifetime Television

*Member of Lifetime's Stop Breast Cancer for Life initiative

District President Travels & Official Visits

It has been a busy couple of months for your humble District President! In January, I traveled to Springfield, MO to visit alumnae and participate in Province Wide Officer Training (PWOT). I enjoyed a delicious coffee at a local hangout in Springfield and had a great conversation with the President and PR/Historian of the Springfield alumnae chapter. When the President and I got back to her house, we chatted until the wee hours of the morning and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company! PWOT was an excellent day for everyone, and I assisted with the PR/Image session for collegians. I met with the Zeta Day Chair-women, and I also enjoyed spending time with other alumnae I do not see very often.

In February I met with KC Metro alumnae EC officers for a great officer training session. We all brought salad toppings to make our own salad bar buffet, and we covered a broad range of topics that included the Crown Chapter Award, ZTAF contributions, alumnae recruitment and retention, programming and service. KC Metro officers have created useful and attractive notebooks to assist them and the future officers to follow in their footsteps.

In March I stayed closer to home (literally, since I hosted the meeting at my house) for the Lawrence, KS Area chapter visit. The chapter elected its new EC officers for 2009-10 and enjoyed some delicious brunch items. They have had a food/cooking theme all year, so members who attend meetings with food take home a couple of recipes for the things that they sample! I talked about Zeta Day and showed the philanthropy recruitment video and parts of the new member education video.

In April I am headed to St. Louis for Zeta Day, and in July I will travel to Indianapolis for National Leadership Conference. My ZTA travels are a fun way to connect with my Zeta sisters and serve the fraternity that I love dearly.

Register Now to Attend Zeta Day!

Please join us for Pink-A-Palooza in St. Louis on April 18! We will:

Honor our 50-year-member “White Violets”
Cheer our chapters’ accomplishments
Create pretty-in-pink bling for breast cancer survivors
Construct cozy blankets and contribute items for local families in need
Be inspired by special guest: ZTA Executive Director Deb Ensor
Share the Love with unique Zeta Day Crowns
Support the ZTA Foundation AND have the chance to take home handcrafted totes, purses, jewelry bags… plus a quilt
Enjoy the company and companionship of an amazing array of ZTAs

Go to www.stlouiszta.org to get more details and register.

National Panhellenic Conference Badge Day

Keep your fraternal experience close to your heart and show your pride in being a member of Zeta Tau Alpha. Wear your ZTA badge on Monday, March 2.

ZTA Colonization

Zeta Tau Alpha is proud to announce that we are absorbing the Beta Delta Phi sorority at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. In addition to taking these wonderful women into our sisterhood, we participated in SHU’s Go Greek Week, Jan. 26-30, 2009, and formally pledged 41 new members into the colony.

Zeta Tau Alpha is also absorbing a local sorority at the University of Rhode Island. We will hold a colonization recruitment Feb 16-20.

If you know outstanding women on these campuses who might be interested in Zeta Tau Alpha membership, e-mail zetataualpha@zetataualpha.org.

Mu Centennial: 100 Years of ZTA Love

Zeta Tau Alpha's Mu Chapter at Drury University in Springfield, MO is 100 years old! The Centennial celebration takes place on Saturday, February 14 along with Drury's Homecoming. Festivities include a ZTA Open House, Campus Tours, Drury Men's and Women's Basketball Games and a Banquet. Mu alumnae can register online to attend: www.drury.edu/alumni.

Apply for ZTAF Scholarships

The Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation (ZTAF) provides thousands of dollars in scholarship to support its members in their academic pursuits. Alumnae who are working on graduate degrees are eligible for scholarships, so consider applying. Also, encourage your ZTA legacies (sisters, daughters, etc.) who are in college to apply.

ZTAF scholarship applications are now available online at www.zetataualpha.org
(click under the graduate picture) or http://www.zetataualpha.org/default.aspx?action=Content&ContentId=226.

Complete ZTAF scholarship applications are due March 1st. Applications are available using EITHER a Word fill-in document, OR a PDF file. Both formats are available on-line.