2004 Fall - To Dragma

in the enticing blue water of the pool and explored the green and verdant countryside that surrounded Cabos! We had a marvellous time!
We were now "hooked!" In 1999, again using the amazing resources of the Internet, we were immediately attracted to "Vasciano", a wonderfully restored stone farmhouse that straddled the Umbrian-Tuscany border in central Italy. Vasciano's out-of-the-way loca- tion perfectly addressed our travel strategy ofsearching for areas that are less frequent- ed by tourists. We prefer to mix with the local people and get a feel for the real culture of the area. We revelled in the glory of the Tuscan countryside, and the camaraderie
as we gathered together on the sun-filled outdoor patio or under the shaded wisteria- covered arbour for lunch or a before-dinner glass ofFrench wine.
We were now becoming quite comfortable with our newly-found travel capabilities
and decided to expand our horizons. And so in the fall of2000, we honed in on Portugal. But the compact, diverse geography ofthis tiny country seemed to encourage a deviation from our agreed upon strategy ofspending two weeks in the same location. Afterall,the distances didnot seem great! Soweoptedfortwovillas,the firstlocated in the northern Minho near the famous Portuguese town of Porto, the second in the wild and windswept central plains ofthe Alentejo. In particular, we were totally seduced
by the lesser known Alentejo, a mesmerizing region, with its earthy brown undulat- ing rural landscapes dotted with hundreds of cork, olive and eucalyptus trees. We loved everything about Portugal, particularly the warmth and generous nature of the Portuguese people. Definitely worth a return visit!
Several years earlier, my villa research had unearthed "Casa Straneo", a unique rental property located in the north ofItaly near Alessandria. This grand and romantic prop- erty was set in the centre of Casal Cermelli, a tiny unknown village of about 1100 souls. So in September of 2001. we set out once again for Italy and Casa Straneo. Upon our arrival we were somewhat dismayed by the rather derelict exterior. But once inside
the sun-filled courtyard, lush with trees and potted plants, our spirits lifted! And as we pushed our way through the heavy front door into the shuttered darkness, what a trea- sure trove ofancient furnishings and other family memorabilia greeted us. We were overwhelmed and couldn't believe our goodfortunein finding this amazing place.
And little did we know that we would be there on that fateful day now known
as 9/11. Then sisterhood, for the nine women travelling together, became a real source of consolation and comfort as we tried to deal with the implications of the attack on the World Trade Cent re. But with one week of our villa vacation remaining, we did our best to enjoy what remained of our sojourn in this ancient retreat where the outside world seemed remote, and where we temporarily
felt safe and secure. The following week, with good fortune on our side, we all returned home safely and gratefully without incident.
Although after 9/11, the world seemed to have irrevocably changed our urge to carry on with a now established tradition, led eight of us, in the spring of2002, to rent "La Roche Ronde". an 18th century restored farmhouse near the village of Les Taillades in Provence, France. This rambling villa with its green shuttered windows faced out onto a swimming pool surrounded by a magnificent garden filled with roses, honeysuckle and wisteria. We were enchanted by it all! But in spite ofour secluded rural location, wefoundthevine-ladenseductivelandscapesofProvencebusierthanwehadexpect- ed, and perhaps a little disappointing.
The following year, in 2003, we again broke from tradition and travelled twice with two different groups ofwomen, quite an organizational challenge! We had decided to put
MMNUIIIIIM.
Previous page: "Vasciano" farmhouse near Umbria, Italy. Top to bottom: AOIIs louring lisbon, Portugal; the 18th century "la Roche Ronde" in Presence, France; travelers in Portugal in 2003; mapping out a tour of the Italian countryside. Next page: a din- ing experience with good friends; a picturesque Portuguese villa; and four AOIIs (Diana Pilsworth, 2nd from left; Mary Dawson, 3rdfromleft;LouiseArcher,5thfromleft;andCathyGerman,2nd fromright.}visit"Cabos"nearthevillageofRoquecor,France.
ToDragma [Fall2004]
49


So we invite you to follow in our footsteps and experience a new kind of sisterhood that will not only challenge and reward, but also create a
personal memory mosaic that each of you will not easily forget!
Spain on the agenda and again, with the help of the Internet, "Villa Tejeda" captured our attention and was booked for two weeks
in May. What a find! Unlike Casa Straneo, Villa Tejeda, only a half hours drive from the coastal resort of Malaga, was a new villa with spacious rural grounds and breathtaking mountain scenery. And much to our liking, we could easily walk to Alcaucin, a tiny Spanish village where no one spoke English! Our visit to nearby Granada topped a fascinating time away!
That fall saw six of us return to Portugal, but this time to the sunny Portuguese Algarve. Our villa, while only a half an hour's drive from Faro'sinternationalairport,wasdefinitelyawayfromitall."Montedas Figueiras" was our most opulent villa yet. The very private secluded hilltop location with a view of the shimmering Atlantic in the distance thrilled us, and we spent many happy evening hours on the large Moorish pillared veranda, sipping a glass of wine and watching the set- ting sun spread her rainbow colors across the sky.
In September 2004, we will return to Vasciano, marking the first time that we have gone back to the same place.
Bene Bowyer and I wrote in our co-authored travel guide, "Our travel groups are always changing. The faces that went to Portugal didn't go to Italy, but some who went to Provence also went to Portugal and to Italy. Sometimes there are new faces, sometimes not. We mix and match, introduce more faces and arericherfor it. We make friends as we travel and some we meet stay our friends so that we have many hands across the water. What more can you ask from life?"
Now, having presented these enticing images of our exotic-sounding holiday homes, how do we manage as a group? How do we facilitate sisterhood togetherness that works? What are the pros and cons of this type of self-managed approach and has a strategy evolved as a result of our travel experiences?
Yes, we have a strategy and the results have been almost totally positive. Bene and I explain in our guide that by choosing to plan and manage
50
our own accommodation and itinerary, we can be spontaneous in choosing what we do, where we go and when we do it! We have become adventurous explorers willing to get lost and somehow find our way "home"! Shopping together in foreign markets and gathering to prepare meals in kitchens, both large and small, we have wonderful conversa- tion and some amazingly creative repasts! And we have revelled in the fun and companionship that comes with being part ofa group of all women, some ofwhom are single and some who are not.
Each woman in the group brings her own particular strengths and talents, and together we have been able to overcome any difficul- tiesthatwehaveencountered. Andinthisageofadvancedcom- munication, we have found the use of the Internet to conduct our villa search and e-mail for fast follow-up and communication have made the impossible possible!
But all of this doesn't happen without serious research and planning, and willingness to co-operate. Group meetings in advance to discuss and iron out as many of the details as possible are essential. And after identifying one of the women who is willing to take on a leadership role, we start to plan, often a year ahead. We begin with the selection of the country and the region within it that we wish to explore and then, using the vast resources of the Internet, together as a group, we select and hopefully book the villa of our choice.
We place great emphasis on keeping the group safe and harmoni- ous, and that's where our travel guidelines enter the picture! We have learned and experienced a great deal over the past years and are happy to share our knowledge with others.
While considerable effort and group co-operation is required to plan and then successfully travel together, the effort and the results are definitely worth it all. So we invite you to follow in our footsteps and experience a new kind of sisterhood that will not only chal- lenge and reward, but also create a personal memory mosaic that each of you will not easily forget!
By Diana Pihworth, Beta Tau (U ofToronto), Ottawa Alumnae Chapter ToDragma [ Fall 2004 ]


Meeting new people • Learning how to be more effective • Sharing what we have in common
Leadership Academy
Two Leadership Academies this school year will provide specific training for officers so they can deepen their understanding of their job and expand the skills and knowledge they bring to it. The purpose behind leadership training is to enable members to become lead- ers throughout their lives by developing skills in a variety of areas such as goal setting, action planning, marketing, and team building. Leadership Academy also provides a fun setting to meet new sisters and share ideas.
As in previous years, all leadership sessions will be held at the Cool Springs Marriott and AOII International Headquarters located in Brentwood, TN. Both of these events are supported by grants from the AOII Foundation. This fall, the training for the Vice Presidents of Membership Recruitment will be held November 12-14. The Chapter Presidents and Chapter Advisers will attend February 25-27 of 2005.
VP/MR's will learn about...
• Emporium licensing and bid day product availability • Identifying and marketing your chapter's strengths
• Year-around PR planning ideas and monthly activities • IMSP practices and conversation skills development
• Discussion of new NPC resolutions • Formal recruitment and COR ideas • Chapter relations programming
• Ritual
Chapter Presidents and Chapter Advisers will learn more about these important topics...
• Chapter assessment and goal setting using Standards of Excellence
• Latest features of AlphaLink and the new website
• Ritual
• Budgeting and finance information
• Risk management exploration with scenarios
• General operations (including elections, TCPC and officer transitions) • Leadership development
• Chapter relations programming
• Investigation verses conflict resolution skill development
• Moving? O Changing your name? O Reporting the death of a member? (Date of d e a t h :
Name:
Address:.
City:
Zip/Postal Code:_ Chapter/College where initiated:_
Place of Employments
Address:
City:_
Zip/Postal Code:.
Alumnae Chapter:. Special Interests:
_Country:_
.Country:.
_Phone:(
email:
.Member #:_
From To Dragma Label
email:
First
Middle
Maide
_State/Province:_
)_
_Year Initiated:.
_Occupation:_
State/Province: )_
Please complete this form, indicating the change above and return to:
AOII International Headquarters 5390 Virginia Way. Brentwood, TN 37027 -or-
email the following information to: [email protected]
_Phone:(
Current AOII Office:
Please help AOII save money! Each issue that is returned to us due to an incorrect address costs the Fraternity 70<t, in addition to the original cost of mailing. If you are moving or changing your name please notify us in advance. If you know of others who are not receiv- ing their magazine, chances are we have an incorrect address for them as well. Encourage them to notify us as soon as possible.
ToDragma [Fall2004]
5'


convention 2005
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To Dragma [ Fall 2004 }
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CNN Center, President Jimmy Carter Center, Centennial Olympic Park, Fernbank
Science Center, Georgia Dome. High Museum of Art, Martin Luther King Center, Philips Arena, Stone Mountain Park, Turner Field. Underground Atlanta, World of Coca-Cola, and Zoo Atlanta.
Tour Packages will be available during the free time on Friday night as well as Sunday and Monday. There will also be tour options for family members during Convention.
Special pre and post convention hotel rates are available.
Tour options: CNN Center, Zoo Atlanta, Golf outings, Margaret Mitchell's home
(author of Gone with the Wind), Carter's Presidential Library, and more. $200 Registration Fee
Package Deals for Room and Board: Single Room for 4 nights + Meals - $1010 Double Room for 4 nights + Meals -$682 Triple Room for 4 nights + Meals - $570 Quad Room for 4 nights + Meals - $518
Meal Package Only - $350
date information - click on the events link at www.alphaomicronpi.org. Questions? - Contact Sara Hotchkiss at [email protected].
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a
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Make your 2 0 0 5 vacation plans with AOII
Attractions & Landmarks
Single Room - $i6s/night Double Room $83/night Triple Room $55/night Quad Room $42/night
J
Coming Soon ... Check out the convention website in late October for the most up to
»


Mainsprinj It's that time again!
The elections are close at hand, and notjustfor a U.S. President.At next summer's AOII Convention in Atlanta, Council will elect a new International Executive Board
for 2005 - 2007.
Using a question and
answer format, International Parliamentarian Ingrid
Schulz and Human Resources Chairman Sue Mattern review the AOII election process from AtoZ.
What is the schedule for nominations and slating? A letter requesting nomina- tions is sent to all members of Council in early September. Deadline for submissions is early December. The Human Resources Committee (HRC) contacts each nominee to secure her consent to be con- sidered for candidacy as well as a resume and the office(s) the nominee prefers. HRC posts the list of suggested candidates on the AOII website and invites comments fromthe member- ship. HRC will meet at HQ
the end of January. The slate will be presented to the mem- bers of Council in the Call to
Convention at least six weeks prior to Convention.
Who can send in nominations?
Any collegiate chapter, any alumnae chapter, any mem- ber of council, or any alumna in good standing.
Who attends the
slating meeting? Whatgoeson?
All five members of HRC attend. Prior to the meeting, HRC does additional research on each candidate. The com- mittee reviews each nomi-
nee in depth, looking at her qualifications, experience and desired positions. Once the slate is determined, the slated nominees are called to confirm acceptance. Other nominees are then called to let them know they were not slated, but to thank them for being a part of this important process.
Other than experience, what qualifications does HRC consider when slating the different positions?
It is important for members
of the Executive Board to
have the full support of their families. Board members must be proactive in dealing with Fraternity operations, speak well before groups, have flex- ible travel schedules and attend at least three XB meetings a year. In addition, XB members
must commit 40 hours a week to the fraternity and have past experience within the volun- teer ranks. Some positions
on the XB benefit from professional expertise.
As an ordinary member of AOII, just how important is my voice
in this election process? Everyone's input is very impor- tant!! HRC begins this process with a blank page. The slate
to be proposed is not predeter- mined in any way. The quality of the slate is only as good as the information HRC receives. The power is with the mem- bers, not with HRC!
The mainspring ofAOII is sisterhood. What better way to share this sisterhood with members -past,
present, and future - than to
be involved in the process to elect the
leadership ofour fraternity.
The Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation conducts its Board of Directors nominating process separatelyfrom the
Fraternity. For more information on the Foundation's
nominating process, please refer to their Annual Report on page 33 of this issue.
ToDragma [ Fall 2004 ]
53
By Suzanne Inabnit Bowman. Human Resources Committee, Delta Upsilon (Duke U), San Gabriel Valley Alumnae Chapter. With special thanks to Ingrid Schulz and Sue Mattem.


The Emporium is the official merchandise program of AOTI
We are owned and operated by the Fraternity and we are unique in that proceeds help to fund various AOII educational programs and offset administrative costs. Every time you shop the Emporium, you are helping to support our sisterhood.
217 Oxford Hooded Sweatshirt w/columbia blue and white sewn on letters. S, M, L, XL. $40.00 213 Oxford Hooded Sweatshirt w/red and navy sewn on letters. S, M, L, XL. $40.00
209N
209 Red Hooded Sweatshirt w/white screen print. 50% cotton, 50% polyester. S, M, L, XL. $32.00 209N Navy Hooded Sweatshirt w/white screen print. 50% cotton, 50% polyester. S, M, L, XL. $32.00
210N
210
210N Navy Mini Jacket w/hood. Full zip and fitted. Lightweight. White letters.
S, M, L, XL. $25.00
210 Oxford Mini Jacket w/hood. Full zip and fitted. Lightweight. Red and white letters. S, M, L, XL. $25.00
165 Ruby Fitted Tailgate Hoodie w/white left chest design. Full Zip. 80% cotton, 20% polyester.
S, M, L, XL. $32.00
161 Light Blue Fitted Tailgate Hoodie w/white left chest design. Full Zip. 80% cotton, 20% polyester. S, M, L, XL. $32.00
198 White and Pink Ringer w/sewn on letters.
S, M, L, XL. $22.00
^3Kr
211 Chocolate Vintage Realitee. Super soft material w/broken in feel S, M, L, XL. $16.00
220 Oxford Hooded Sweatshirt w/pink and white sewn on letters. S, M, L, XL. $40.00
199 Black and Hot Pink Baseball Tee w/sewn on letters. S, M, L, XL. $22.00
105T-M Medium Quilted Tote w/embroidery. Button closure. Inside pouch.
14" X 4" X 12". $30.00
105T-L Large Quilted Tote w/embroidery. Zipper closure. Six inside pockets for personal items. One outside pocket. 18"X4"X15". $38.00
101 FlipJFlops.Cushionedarchsupport. Sizes 5 -10 (no half sizes). $20.00
shop online aoiiemponum,com


Reversible Sweats^^
Order toll free:
Monday - Friday,
9am-5pm CST.
Toll free (800) 746-7264 or (615) 370-0920
Order Online:
www.aoiiemporium.com
Fax Order To:
(615)695-2677
Email Order To:
[email protected]
Mail Order To:
AOII International Headquarters
AOII Emporium
5390 Virginia Way Brentwood, TN 37027
178 Reversible Hooded Sweatshirt Navy on one side and oxford
on the other side.
S, M, L, XL. $40.00
Going to great le
110B Earband w/red embroidery. $12.00 371 Black Fitted Fleece w/red embroid'
S. M, L. XL
1 Mot
86 Red Drawstring Sweatpants
w/sewn on letters. Low rise waist.
S, M, L, XL $32.00
99 Black Drawstring Sweatpants
w/sewn on letters. Low rise waist.
S, M, L, XL. $32.00
98G Oxford Drawstring Yoga Pants
w/black embroidery. Low rise waist with flare leg. S, M, L, XL. $36.00
98 Black Drawstring Yoga Pants
w/white embroidery. Low rise waist with flare leg. S, M, L, XL. $36.00
cica
$"40.00
l i t
Aon
GREEK LICENSED PRODUCT
IP
Be sure to look for the Officially Licensed Greek Product logo when shopping at local shops and bookstores.
\
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•5?
*
Roue Chain
#
1
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Gr $16 •sSSlb 4KS55
•*
Sunburst Rose Pendant w/Diamonds &Garnets SS $500 10K$860 10KW S860
J70
Bracelet with freshwater pearls, garnet accents, sterling silver ronclelle beads, and sterling rose charm.
$30
•
J46
Rose Garnet Pendant
w/Rose Mounting SS$95 10KS150 10KW$160 (Rope Chain sold separately
J04 Traditional Lavaliere GG$20 SS$22 lOK-SJSt SALE $28 14K-S55-SALE $ 3 8
jsi
Rope Border Engraved Charm SS $28 (Chain sold separately)
Pendant w/CZ's / &Garnets
SS $280 (Rope Chain sold separately)
>
(Rope Chain sold separately)
J06
A O n Charm Nee
SS $42.50
I
J69
Necklace with freshwater
pearls, garnet accents, sterling silver rondelle beads, and sterling rose charm. $60
J07 stainless Steel Watch iv/accent diamond
alendar feature Batterv included.
$125
OF DESfGN Official Jeweler to Alpha Omicron Pi
ALPHA OMICRON PI EMPORIUM S 390 Virginia Way
Brentwood.TN 37027
www.aoiiemporium.com
J83CZ
slide on Snake Chair
/ C Z
SS $80
(Also available with Camels)
J85G
Rose Garnet Ring rt/RoseMounting
145 1OK$225 10KWS2JJ
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35 10KWSWS
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Prices subject to change without notice. Please allow approximately
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