It is with great pride that I introduce you to our sister, Erin Kiefer Frye, Gamma Eta-San Jose State. Erin is a champion who clearly confirms that Delta Gamma is for life and that Delta Gamma extends way beyond our wonderful collegiate experience.
Erin was chapter president, held numerous chapter offices and upon graduation became the Advisory Team Chairman for Gamma Eta, in addition to serving on the house corporation. Erin was also a member of the Silicon Valley alumnae chapter.
In 2010, Erin met her husband Mike. In 2011, Erin and Mike moved to Paradise, CA ready to start working on a business that they built from the ground up with the cash in their pockets. Working 60-80 hours a week at their business, Precision Auto Werks, they put their heart and soul into growing their business. In 2013, they married, the business grew, and in 2016 they welcomed little Jacob into their busy but happy world.
Business was good and they were ready to continue growing their family.
Then, on November 8, their world turned upside down when the wildfires hit Paradise.
In Erin’s words...
"We woke up thinking it was a normal Thursday. I went to let our dog out and noticed the sky looked smoky and gloomy. Our home was next door to our business. I caught the attention of one of our co-workers and he acknowledged there was a fire but didn’t know where it was. As I went back inside to tell my husband, Mike was already running down the stairs saying the fire was in the orchard behind his mother’s house, which was on the other side of town. Without hesitation, he took our van with the baby’s car seat assuming his mother would evacuate first. I was directed to pack and he would be back home. Within the hour, the sky went from gray to pink to orange to bright red. You could see trees and debris flying and the ash was the size of golf balls.
I had enough time to pack a small bag for Jacob along with two small suitcases of clothes and personal items for Mike and me. I grabbed our emergency cash from the safe, along with our passports, birth certificates, marriage license and car titles. I kept checking in with our co-workers who were preparing to leave themselves. We called customers who had vehicles at our shop in case they needed to come and get their cars…and as I went back inside to pack more, I heard a loud boom and our house shook."
The escape…
"One co-worker waited to see if I could get a hold of Mike. I finally got through and Mike told me to get out of the house. Mike’s car was a manual shift and I did not have another car seat so luckily my co-worker took me, Jacob and our dog Kahlua to safety in Chico. Mike was to come back to the house to get our bags, computer etc. and the dog; but because I was able to fit the dog in the car, I had to leave behind our bags and personal items. Mike never made it back. He was stuck gridlocked in traffic uptown. Mike was directed to vacate the vehicle and go to a nearby parking lot to wait out the fire. Mike and his mother were there for hours. All we could do was witness the flames all around us and watch the fire move in every direction. Thankfully, Jacob was only two and he thought seeing all the fire, trucks, police cars and ambulances was magical. I am thankful whatever memory he has of that day was not of fear. I went to my sister-in law’s house in Chico where we just sat and prayed and waited."
The final hours…
"One of our co-workers managed to make it back to our property and ran into our house and grabbed the bags I left by the door for Mike. Mike finally made it to us around 7 p.m. I will never forget the look on his face when he walked through the door. He was covered in ash and smelled of smoke and his eyes were weary. Just when we thought we were safe and could relax, within the hour the area we were in was under evacuation warning, so we packed up and fled to my parent’s house in El Dorado Hills.
The following day it was confirmed that we lost our business and home.
'Vaporized' was the term they used."
The days after…
"The days following were a blur. I couldn’t go an hour without breaking down and crying. We have allowed ourselves time to grieve and know it will be a long healing process. Some days are harder than others. We are just trying our best to navigate our “New Normal”. We have not been able to go back to our property yet so all we have seen are pictures of what is left. We anxiously anticipate getting to go back bringing closure to our life."
Bringing Hope to our sister through a Delta Gamma Foundation Anchor Grant…
"I look back at my time as a Delta Gamma with many fond memories. So much of my professional career has been shaped by my collegiate experience and I am proud to be a Delta Gamma. Everyone I know, knows my love for DG! And here I am, at my lowest, and my Delta Gamma sisters are the ones lifting me up and proving that in all times, especially in times of trouble, they are here for me.“
Hope begins with you…
Through the Anchor Grant program, we have given close to one half million dollars to collegiate and alumnae sisters in critical lifetime situations. However, all the statistics in the world can’t measure the warmth of a smile that you have helped put on the face of a sister in need. You have made the Delta Gamma world a better place by lifting the spirits of these sisters, giving them Hope and precious energy to re-build their lives.
Thank you for trusting your heart. Together we bring HOPE to others.
Love,
Today…
“We are actively looking for a new place to call home for ourselves…We have a lot of thinking to do as to where will be the best place for our family and do not want to make any rash decisions. In the next few weeks, we are preparing to start the clean-up process of our home and business.
We were finally able to get back to our property right before Christmas. I wasn't ready to dig and look for stuff but I did find a piece of my China set and when I picked it up I noticed my purple wine glasses all melted together. I moved them and underneath it buried in the debris was a heart bowl my mother had recently given me for my birthday. It was a sign for me that I didn't need to dig any further."
Erin, feel the Delta Gamma love we are sending your way.
Look at those big bright eyes, that cute button nose and the soft fur fringe around that adorable, perfect face. No wonder they call it Puppy Love. You want to cuddle and coo these little creatures, but this pup is on an important mission and he knows that he has big PAWS to fill!
This little guy doesn’t have a name at the moment, so let’s call him George in honor of George Banta. George is the Cover Dog on the 2019 Southeastern Guide Dog calendar. He will receive his official name at 10 weeks old. George knows that he is one special pup to be chosen for the cover. Check out his photo shoot.
Puppies. Camera. Action!
Some pups grow up to be respectable lap dogs, but a select few are bred to become leaders. George is a leader and will be trained to become a guide dog transforming someone’s life, giving them hope and confidence. With proper training, he will dedicate his life to the critical responsibility of providing freedom, mobility and independence to his owner. Best friend doesn’t begin to capture the relationship George will have with his owner.
Southeastern Guide Dogs train these extraordinary dogs with the promise of bringing independence to people with vision loss including veterans with disabilities. Because of your generous support to Service for Sight this past year, the Delta Gamma Foundation awarded a grant to place a veteran in the Southeastern Guide Dogs’ “Paws for Patriots Program.” This program serves active duty soldiers and retired servicemen and women with the respect and dignity they deserve. George hopes that someday he will be given the opportunity to serve his country by becoming a guide dog for a veteran.
Meet Clooney. Clooney is an adorable yellow lab born June 23. He is one happy puppy because he is going to go home with his puppy raiser. The Delta Gamma Foundation proudly granted Guide Dogs of America, funds to sponsor Clooney from birth to 20 months to become a certified guide dog. Clooney thanks each of you for supporting Service for Sight and promises to work hard for Delta Gamma.
Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation is committed to partnering men and women who are blind with an elite breed of German Shepherd guide dogs. It takes two years and $45,000 to produce each guide dog. Fidelco gives these life-changing partners to blind clients at no cost. Fidelco also provides 24/7 lifetime service to clients with annual follow up visits. This past fiscal year, the Delta Gamma Foundation provided funds to cover the expenses to partner seven clients in their home to make sure they are working safely.
This little pup named Hope has already started her training made possible by the Delta Gamma Foundation. We proudly awarded a grant to OccuPaws to fund starter kits for puppies becoming guide dogs.
The Guide Dog Foundation received a grant from the Delta Gamma Foundation to fund the process of placing a guide dog with a recipient. We also funded a grant to America’s VetDogsto help cover costs associated with the raising, training and placing a guide dog free of charge with veterans who have blindness or low vision.
Which dog will reach its destiny by helping someone with vision loss?
Over the past five years through Foundation Service for Sight Grants and the Chapter Giving Program, we have been able to award more than $425,000 to guide dog establishments across the globe.
We are so proud as a Foundation to support the wonderful work of national and local Guide Dog organizations. We know that we could not do this without your support to Service for Sight.
You are making a difference in changing the lives of our visually impaired…one dog at a time. Because of your support, recipients of guide dogs leave their training with a newly found freedom. What a difference a dog makes!
George, Clooney, Hope, Camden, Sunny, Izzy, and Zuma all bark in harmony:
Thank you, Delta Gamma!
Love,
Roxanne Ebner LaMuth, Epsilon-Ohio State
Delta Gamma Foundation Executive Director
3250 Riverside Drive | Columbus, Ohio 43221
1-800-644-5414
Roxanne@deltagamma.org
www.deltagamma.org
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The month of June was a whirlwind of activities for Leadership and Staff as we prepared for the 2018 Convention, Reflecting on Sisterhood, at the beautiful and historic Biltmore in Phoenix, AZ. This phenomenal event started on June 27 through the morning of July 1 and gave the Fraternity and Foundation the opportunity to reflect on our rich history, our vibrant present and our shining future for generations to come. Past, Present or Future…this Convention brought us together as ONE Delta Gamma united in a positive spirit of sisterhood and dedicated to a mission of changing lives.
When I came aboard in 2007 as the Director of Development for the Delta Gamma Foundation, I had no idea the impact a Convention could have on our volunteer leaders, collegians and alumnae in attendance. I immediately became a believer embracing Convention as an incredible energizer for all of us. There is nothing better than sharing the DG spark with a roomful of 850+ collegiate and alumnae sisters…a perfect and contagious way to renew your lifetime commitment to Delta Gamma.
Today as your Foundation Executive Director, I continue to experience the wonder of Delta Gamma and the amazing growth of our beloved Fraternity and Foundation. Congratulations to our leadership and their part in making our 68th Biennial Convention the absolute best it can be. Our leadership has the power of belief in our Fraternity and Foundation, the pride in what we do for our members and the inner commitment to make a difference in the lives of our collegians and alumnae.
For the Foundation, Convention also provides an opportunity to enhance an awareness of our mission and philanthropy, a chance to share our successes and a perfect setting to thank all our members who support us with their time, talent and treasure.
Foundation Friday was a remarkable day for the Foundation team. The Foundation Annual Meeting began with, Board Chairman Wilma Johnson Wilbanks, Alpha Psi-Mississippi thanking our retiring Board of Trustees who have helped our Foundation grow by giving their time, spirit and love endlessly, and welcoming our new Board of Trustees with great warmth and respect. A heartful congratulations to Jane Williams Simmons, Alpha Psi-Mississippi who will serve as our new Foundation Board Chairman.
The highlight of the 2018 State of the Foundation was proudly welcoming our fifth Delta Gamma School for the blind, Foundation for Blind Children, started and maintained by the Delta Gamma Phoenix alumnae. The inspiring opening video to the State of the Foundation which outlines the historical growth of the Delta Gamma Foundation can be seen here. I would also love to share with you the full State of the Foundation address.
Following the Annual Meeting, the Foundation proudly showcased our Convention Lectureship speaker, Molly Burke. Molly’s story is a heartfelt journey accepting the challenge of being diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, turning it around and bringing Hope and light into the lives of others.
The Foundation Banquet was a grand finale to a wonderful day. At this very special celebration, Dr. Daniel Arroyo-Rodriguez, an associate professor of Spanish at Colorado College was presented the Faculty Award. There was great excitement when Sarasota alumnae chapter and Gamma Zeta-Louisiana State, won the H.K. Stuart Spirit of Service award. Ending the celebration was the announcement of our two philanthropic leadership award winners. Kay Richardson Royal, Gamma Beta-Tulsa received the Catherine Stuart Schmoker Principled Leadership Award, and Anna Nemeth, Beta Xi-Michigan State, received the Theta Chapter of Delta Gamma Collegiate Leadership Award. Both amazing women have dedicated their life to helping others. To read more about our award winners, click here.
The excitement of the Foundation was magnified by the remarkable fundraising success of the Regional Race. The Convention centered fundraising effort started as the Garden of Giving in 2008 has now grown to incorporate all Delta Gammas and taken on the healthy and fun competition of the Delta Gamma Regional Race. Let me share a little fundraising history.
Thank you to staffer, Kelley Widerman, Director of Annual Giving, for believing in this approach and making it happen! Congratulations to Region 3 for winning the Regional Race with the highest dollar amount of donations. Most importantly, thank you to all our amazing Regional Race donors from all eight regions for making a difference in the lives of our members and the visually impaired community. You can view the announcement of the 2018 Regional Race winner here.
I hope this Rox Report captured some of the spirit of this phenomenal event. I wish all of you could have been with us in person as we celebrated Delta Gamma.
Make sure you check out the upcoming ANCHORA for more Convention news and pictures.
Roxanne Ebner LaMuth, Epsilon-Ohio State
Foundation Executive Director
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A message from the Delta Gamma Foundation Executive Director, Roxanne LaMuth.
Nothing gives the Foundation greater pride than to make a positive change in the life of a sister. We embody Delta Gamma’s vision of living the values that characterize us as an organization recognizing that every sister counts and every sister is a part of our future. More than ever before, the Fraternity and Foundation share a purpose that unites us as one Delta Gamma acknowledging that it is our responsibility to help our members move confidently in the direction of their dreams.
Delta Gamma proudly invests in the personal development of each member fostering our sisters to demonstrate responsible leadership. The Lewis Institute, one of 14 Fraternity programs which receive financial support from the Delta Gamma Foundation, is Delta Gamma’s own values-based initiative with a specific focus on leadership development.
Meet Ayla whose life has been changed by the Lewis Institute:
“I never saw myself as a leader until I got the opportunity to attend Lewis. Having the chance to challenge myself, get out of my comfort zone and be vulnerable has not only changed me as an individual, but has instilled in me the power to see the good in everything.” -Ayla Jones, Epsilon Epsilon-Tennessee Tech
The strength of compassion and an inherent desire to “Do Good” are Delta Gamma’s strongest links to our sisterhood. The Anchor Grant program exemplifies this feeling of compassion by reaching out to sisters in crisis helping them with financial assistance. Since the start of this fiscal year, July 1, 2017, the Foundation has awarded 14 Anchor Grants to sisters facing unexpected and extreme crisis. Eight of these women are victims of flooding from Hurricane Harvey.
Maia and her husband had just purchased their forever home 43 days before Hurricane Harvey took away everything they had worked so hard to achieve. As if the devastation of watching their house fill with water wasn’t bad enough, they found out two days later that there wasn’t anything their insurance company could do since flood insurance doesn’t even start to apply until you have owned your home for 60 days. Through your support, the Delta Gamma Foundation was able to give Maia and her family Hope and a positive spirit to face their challenge.
“I don’t know how I will ever be able to repay the Delta Gamma Foundation for helping our family. We received the check yesterday and I can’t tell you how much my heart was touched. I actually cried in front of my girls. I am so proud to be a part of such an amazing organization and look forward to increasing my involvement in the DG sisterhood in the future. Thank everyone at DG for making such a big difference in our lives.” -Maia Pautsch Miley, Gamma Sigma-Houston
Ironically, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina was the catalyst that led visionary Carlene Moore Ellis, Delta Iota-Georgia, to later create a need-based scholarship program which in 2011 was aptly named Sisters Helping Sisters: A Need-Based Scholarship Program.
Reacting to this natural disaster, Carlene saw a need to help our Gulf Coast sisters and others affected in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida. Impacted colleges were struggling to even operate and hundreds of students were being bused off their campuses with many campuses needing to close. Parents were losing their homes and students were losing their alma mater. And then…the economy fell apart, the stock market crashed, parents’ home values were cut in half and jobs were lost. The birth of the program’s initial name of Sisters in Crisis followed by Sisters Helping Sisters came out of this tragedy and resulted in an effort to help our collegiate members and their families with mounting student loan debt.
Currently, with student loan debt spiraling to more than $1.45 trillion dollars (Forbes 2018), Carlene’s reaction to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 led to a program that has become a transformative investment in the lives of our Delta Gamma collegiate members and has hugely impacted our Fraternity.
Meet Sofia, a recent recipient of a Sisters Helping Sisters: Need-Based Scholarship:
“Receiving this scholarship has impacted me in so many positive ways. I was a recipient of this scholarship last spring as well, and it was what inspired me to run for vp: Foundation. I hope to give back to the Foundation and my sisters in the future. …We are so fortunate to be part of an organization that is so dedicated to its members. Delta Gamma wants to see all members succeed in life. Sisters Helping Sisters has helped countless sisters and has afforded us the opportunity to continue our college education.” -Sofia Di Pietro, Zeta Chi-Delaware
With your generous support, you are changing lives, one sister at a time. On behalf of Ayla, Maia, Sofia and the Delta Gamma Foundation, we say thank you for your investment in our sisterhood. We are sisters working together for life in spirit and support.
Sisters for Life…isn’t that what Delta Gamma is all about!
Roxanne Ebner LaMuth, Epsilon-Ohio State
Foundation Executive Director
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Each year, a select group of Delta Gamma members have the distinction of celebrating membership milestones. Last fiscal year, we proudly recognized 3,217 twenty-five year members and 1,594 fifty year members, but perhaps the most inspiring statistic was the number of Delta Gamma women who celebrated 75 years of membership in our beloved Delta Gamma.
To achieve 75 years of Fraternity membership brings with it a very special recognition. An alumna reaching this precious milestone receives the Fraternity’s traditional gift of a cream-colored silk rose and a personal letter from the Fraternity president. This past spring, Fraternity President Stacia Rudge Skoog, Beta Zeta-Denison, sent out 230 silk roses, each with a warm letter of congratulations.
Patricia “Pat” Skoles Downard, Alpha Lambda-Drake, was one of those special sisters who received her treasured silk rose and letter. Art Downard, Pat’s Anchor Man of 70 years, took the time to write Staci to tell her the impact this beautiful gesture had on his wife and how Delta Gamma truly continues to be something Pat cherishes to this day.
When Staci shared this letter with the Delta Gamma Fraternity Council and Foundation Board of Trustees, I knew I needed to call Art to ask his permission to share his heartfelt words with all of you. My conversation with Art and Pat clearly was one of the most beautiful moments I have had in some time. Bless this precious Delta Gamma and her Anchor Man.
Pat is our Delta Gamma sister. We are all united heart to heart with a bond stronger than anyone of us can describe…with the humbling realization that no matter how many years difference in one’s Initiation date, we are sisters and will be for a lifetime. I am deeply privileged to be Pat’s sister and I am honored to be yours. Join me as we take this gift of sisterhood and spend our lives living the vision of our Founders with integrity, purpose and character with the lovely thought that there is a cream-colored silk rose in our future.
Love In the Bonds,
A message from the Delta Gamma Foundation Executive Director, Roxanne LaMuth.
Compassion is the strongest link of our sisterhood. We are a circle of united women that embrace one another with encouragement, reinforcement and sisterly love. We are sisters for life, supporting each other through all life stages and in times of need.
Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to more than 17,000 Delta Gamma sisters who live in the state of Texas, knowing that nearly every Delta Gamma in Texas and many other Delta Gammas throughout the country are connected to someone who has been affected by Hurricane Harvey. We applaud our Region 6 leadership team who continues to maintain a strong network of communication offering assistance and support. We are also grateful to other sisters and first responders who have stepped up to help storm victims with courage and generosity.
Thousands of homes have been flooded throughout Houston and surrounding areas. As the recovery efforts continue and our family of sisters return to their homes, we are reminded that many are facing power loss, devastating mold, mud, electrical hazards, toxins and much more in the receding water that surrounds them.
The Delta Gamma Foundation is closely following the effects of Harvey, the anticipated path of Irma and the potential risk of other natural disasters throughout this season. We recognize that it may take days/weeks/months for some sisters to assess the damage and determine their needs.
The Delta Gamma Foundation Anchor Grant Fund provides assistance to members in crisis and was created to help Delta Gammas all over the world who may need our support. Our Anchor Grant Natural Disaster application was developed to respond to sisters who have experienced a natural disaster event and need temporary, short-term, financial assistance. Whether the need results from the devastation of Harvey or from another life-changing event, the Delta Gamma Foundation embraces the opportunity to help our sisters.
We encourage our sisters to reach out to us. Applications can be found on the Foundation website under the applications tab or by clicking the link at the bottom of the page. Questions may be directed to Kate Morales, Foundation Program Specialist, at DGFoundation@deltagamma.org or by calling 1-800-644-5414.
Sisters around the country have been asking how they can help their sisters in need. We have created a special Anchor Grant donation page (link below) to direct gifts to this fund which assists sisters who need support, including Harvey victims. These grants offer Delta Gammas the greatest gift of all: the knowledge that their sisters care and are always there to help in times of need.
We are sisters for life working together in spirit and support. Isn’t that what Delta Gamma is all about?
Love In the Bonds,
Roxanne Ebner LaMuth, Epsilon-Ohio State
Foundation Executive Director
Donate here: https://memberplanet.com/s/deltagammafoundation/anchorgrant
Apply for assistance here: http://bit.ly/AnchorGrant_NaturalDisaster
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Meet Miss Nikki Brewer, Beta Mu-Bowling Green.
I have known and admired Nikki for many years and first met her when she worked at Executive Offices. Nikki has been a leader throughout her Delta Gamma life and is currently a member of the Phoenix alumnae chapter.
On October 6, 2014 at the age of 37, Nikki suffered a severe stroke affecting her right side which left her without speech and an essential need to learn to walk again. As a new mother to little Conor, clearly Nikki was fighting for her quality of life.
After a tough two and half years of physical therapy, funded in part by her Beta Mu sisters, Nikki has been able to gain back a major part of her independence.
While in therapy, Nikki was introduced to an apparatus called Bioness. When attached below her right knee, an electrical current stimulates her weak leg muscles helping her right leg move forward without dragging her foot.
At the suggestion of the Phoenix alumnae, Nikki applied for an Anchor Grant asking the Foundation if they would donate any amount toward this experimental device that was not covered by insurance. When I called Nikki and her mom and told her the Foundation would pay the full price of the Bioness, the phone went silent followed by heartfelt tears.
In February, the Foundation Board of Trustees held their winter meeting in Phoenix and hosted a reception to thank the local alumnae for all they do for the Foundation. There was not a dry eye in the room when Nikki walked through the front door pressing the button around her neck and moving her right foot forward walking toward me to say thank you.
I believe it is time for you to meet Nikki.
Thank YOU, Nikki. Your Delta Gamma sisters embrace you with love and support. Please give little Conor a hug for all of us!
Love ITB,
Rox
Roxanne Ebner LaMuth, Epsilon-Ohio State
Delta Gamma Foundation Executive Director
What was Bid Day like for you when you joined Delta Gamma? We asked a 1960 initiate, a 1970 initiate and a 2015 initiate to all take a quick trip down memory lane!
Anne Allen, Alpha Omega-Arkansas, 1960 initiate
Bid Day: September 1959
My Bid Day into Alpha Omega chapter in September, 1959, was indeed, VERY momentous and meaningful!! It was the ending of one temporary journey and the beginning of my life-long journey with Delta Gamma.
During my freshman year at UAF, I learned more about Greek life from my friends, many of whom were Delta Gammas. The next fall, we went through recruitment (then referred to as rush); and while several sororities expressed interest in my pledging with them, I had “an Anchor in MY Eye!!”
Our waiting on the morning of that Bid Day seemed to last – forever!! Girls going through “rush” were housed in dorms, and we were instructed to wait there until someone came to our door and handed an envelope to us containing the name of the sorority that had extended an invitation. We then were escorted to the sorority house that had invited us!
Above is a picture from my UAF Bid Day in September 1959, on the lawn of our Delta Gamma house at 1002 West Maple St. I am in a sleeveless plaid dress (with lots of petticoats!!), tennis shoes and with my hair in a ponytail. The picture features my “Big Sister” Janette Wilson Pledger, executing a “linebacker” play resembling a tackle on quarterback, (me), in a move that would have made Football Coach, Frank Broyles, proud!!!!!
This year I got to attend our re-establishment Bid Day, September 11, 2016, 57 years later, which, for so long we had worked and planned, almost seemed surreal!!! Our UAF and the Greek community had supported us; and now we had this new member class of beautiful, talented young Delta Gamma women - 253 strong!
Carol Luce Aldridge, Beta Eta-Texas, 1970 initiate
Bid Day: September 6, 1970
Rush, the name recruitment used to have many decades ago, ended for me on Bid Day, September 6, 1970, when I received my 1st Preference pick-Delta Gamma! In those days, all parties were by invitation only, even Round 1. Fortunately, my DG godmother, Dee Wilhelm, guided me through the whole process. In 1970 no one dressed casually as today, even to class. I agonized over what to wear on Bid Day as mini skirts, hot pants and platform shoes were in vogue.
I remember rushing to the DG House to be greeted by the most amazing, beautiful and classy women. Marty Wynne was my Anchor Mate. Little did I know, Delta Gamma would be woven into the future fabric of my life, especially in the arena of recruitment. Every Bid Day I attend brings back memories of the best decision I made 47 years ago. I always look at the new members and reflect on how Delta Gamma will allow them to become better versions of themselves and to succeed academically, socially and professionally.
Looking in the rearview mirror makes me joyful and hopeful for these young women who are only looking through the front windshield right now. They, too, in time, will know how strong the bonds of sisterhood will be threaded throughout their lives. Hairstyles and clothing will change over time, but the women you share a bond with will be steadfast as you grow old together.
Sydney Durk, Nu-Idaho, 2015 initiate
At the University of Idaho, the recruitment process is very different compared to other schools. Formal recruitment happens before classes in the fall even start, then on Bid Day you move into your new home. So, throughout the whole process, there’s more unknowns than just what chapter you’re going to be a part of.
In the fall of 2015, I drove 6 hours and moved into a dorm temporarily to get all set up for the 4-day recruitment process. My mother, who was also a Delta Gamma here at Nu chapter, was perfectly encouraging to ensure me that wherever I wound up at the end of recruitment was going to be amazing.
Recruitment was hard for me – balancing who I was in high school with all the things I saw for myself in the future. But I can only imagine how hard it must’ve been for my mom – leaving her legacy in the big scary world of recruitment unsure of where she would end up.
On the final day of recruitment, I wrote down my top 2 picks for the chapters I would want to be in. With only one in mind, I nervously waited to open my Bid card with the hundreds of other women who were just as nervous as I was. What seemed like a lifetime of waiting to open that Bid card finally boiled down to a few seconds as we all sat in an auditorium with sealed envelope in our hands. On a countdown, each woman opened their bids and saw which chapter they would be welcomed home to.
With sweaty palms, I opened my card and there on a card filled with anchors and the promise of unconditional love, was my name and Delta Gamma. I ran outside of the auditorium with all the other hundreds of girls to find all the chapters spread out across the huge lawn waiting for their new sisters to run to them. With open arms, I was welcomed to Delta Gamma.
I felt so many emotions as we walked down to the chapter house – pride, joy, excitement, nerves. I was so overwhelmed with the amazement that I was finally home that I couldn’t help but bust out into tears. I remember crying and repeating “My mom was a Delta Gamma here!” honestly probably about a million times. I’ll never forget her excitement when I called her and told her where I was.
The afternoon continued as a blur of pictures and moving into my new room in the beautiful Nu chapter house. The overwhelming experience of recruitment was over and I was thrilled to be home. If only I knew then how much joy Delta Gamma would continue to bring me throughout my collegiate experience and will continue to bring throughout my life.
Remember when YOU received your Bid? Alumnae, you can keep the magic of Delta Gamma alive for sisters for years to come! Your $27 per capita annual dues will help ensure our sisterhood endures: www.bit.ly/DGdues1617
