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.