2015 Spring - To Dragma

NY/NJ Metro Alumnae
Our chapter was proud to participate
in Northeast Weekend. For our holiday celebration, members spent an evening
at Marina Cafe. It was a wonderful chance
to catch up on each other’s plans for the holidays. Chapter members also attended a Founders’ Day celebration with New Jersey collegiate and alumnae chapters. In addition, we participated in the Jingle Bell Run and celebrated Founders’ Day with Alpha Chapter. Our sisters continue to support Gamma Phi and Theta Pi through AAC support, and we are very excited about the year ahead.
Palm Beach County Alumnae
It was quite an exciting year in sunny South Florida for the Palm Beach Alumnae Chapter. Our chapter really focused on recruiting new members and promoting AOII in the community with both social and philanthropic events. We hosted our first meet and greet event which attracted many new sisters, and we welcomed three new ladies to the group. Our chapter participated in the Walk to Cure Arthritis where we raised over $400 to support our international philanthropy. We also shopped for an angel over the Christmas holiday as part of the Salvation Army Angel Tree event. Giving back to the community was not the only thing on the agenda, as we shared many laughs and strengthened our sisterhood over luncheons and happy hour outings.
Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter
If it looks like we’re having fun when you read our posts and tweets, we are! Our city-based happy hours were so successful that we started “Subourbon” happy hours. We’re not only having fun, we’re also devoted to philanthropy. We jingled in every way to support the Arthritis Foundation this past December and at our annual holiday party, we collected donations for St. Mary’s Franciscan Shelter for Homeless Families, our local charity. Every month there’s at least one AOII event for our alumnae to choose from. Get-togethers, fundraisers, connecting with and advising
collegians from Sigma Beta and Lambda Upsilon Chapters are the heart of what we’re about, supporting each other and AOII. We’re getting ready to celebrate our 100th anniversary in 2019!
Phoenix Alumnae
The Phoenix Alumnae Chapter enjoyed sisterhood and philanthropy together in 2014. Many Phoenix Alumnae and Theta Omega sisters attended the Arizona Diamondbacks Strike Out Arthritis! baseball game where a portion of ticket sales benefited the Arthritis Foundation. During our fall brunch, the chapter gathered donations for Phoenix Panhellenic’s annual Teddy Bear Drive. Bears were donated to the Phoenix Fire Department for children in crisis. The Phoenix Alumnae Chapter maintains ties
to the closest collegiate chapter, Theta Omega. Four alumnae chapter members currently serve as Theta Omega advisers and the Alumnae Chapter President attended Leadership Institute
in Tennessee with Theta Omega leaders. The Phoenix Alumnae Chapter looks forward to another year of sisterhood and strengthening the community through philanthropy.
Pittsburgh Alumnae
It was a great year for the Pittsburgh Alumnae Chapter. We participated in two Arthritis Foundation events, the Walk to Cure
Vancouver Alumnae
Phoenix Alumnae


Portland Alumnae
Issue no. 2 • Spring 2015
Central Connecticut Alumnae
AlumnaeNews
Arthritis and the Jingle Bell Run. We also supported Sigma Rho’s Strike Out Arthritis! event and held a Founders’ Day luncheon!
Port City Alumnae
In 2014, the Port City Alumnae Chapter attended a Founders’ Day celebration with Zeta Psi, participated in the Walk to Cure Arthritis and Raleigh’s Jingle Bell Run, volunteered at Zeta Psi’s Chili Round Up, and held our 4th annual Cookie Swap - a relaxing yet delicious event before the stress of the holidays! We have also found our calling for local philanthropy - the Steve Haydu Lo Tide Run raises money to financially support cancer patients in southeastern North Carolina.
Portland Alumnae
This was a busy year for the Portland Alumnae Chapter. We focused on supporting Alpha Rho Chapter at Oregon State U. Alumnae were Panda Pals to the collegians, sending notes of encouragement and advice, and several serve as advisors. We celebrated Founders’ Day at OSU with a Silent Auction of donated baskets and even a Jacqueminot rose bush. With the proceeds, we were able to donate much needed robes to the chapter. We got together for a winery tour and tasting, a tailgate at an OSU football game, and a holiday hors’d’oeuvres party. We supported the Arthritis Foundation in a big way at the Jingle Bell Run, raising over $3,000.
Reno-Tahoe Alumnae
Reno-Tahoe Alumnae Chapter celebrated Founders’ Day in December with record participation and contributions directed to the Ruby Fund. We have exceeded our goals for the year, both for chapter membership and for Life Loyal members. We also enjoyed helping Delta Sigma (San Jose State) with kitchen duties for recruitment. With the Greater Sacramento Valley Alumnae
Chapter, we co-sponsored a Ruby A badge for Zeta Theta (Chico State) presented at their fall initiation. RTAC is thrilled about AOII’s colonization at the University of Nevada, Reno. At our annual major fundraiser, our Wine Tasting/Bag Raffle in November, we raised a new record with 10 percent immediately forwarded to the AOII Foundation. We hope to be represented at Convention in June with at least eight of our members - see you there!
Rhode Island Alumnae
We have been busy enjoying our first full year as a chapter. This past fall, we had two mothers of current undergraduate chapter officers at Beta Upsilon Chapter become alumnae initiates. The Ritual was touching for both collegiate and alumnae members, as it was a living example of lifelong sisterhood. We also participated in the Walk to Cure Arthritis in the spring, as well as a rainy Jingle Bell Run along the beach this past December, where we raised $715 and were the 6th highest fundraising team in Rhode Island. We have enjoyed each other’s company at social events that include a Girls’ Night Out at the local dueling piano bar, brunch, a day out at the beach, a Newport Winery tour, and an afternoon Polo game. Our chapter is enjoying a full schedule of events this spring, and we are looking forward to continuing to grow our sisterhood in the coming years.
Rochester Alumnae
Our 2015 Founders’ Day Celebration was a great event. First came our social time and then our delicious pot luck meal, followed by the presentation of the 50-year recognition pin for Janet Bong
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Lockhart. Then, we proceeded to our ritual, which is always inspiring. Joan Wallick Vanzo presented our annual Rose Award to Barbara Hiss Bruning for her outstanding service to our Fraternity and to our chapter. Our business meeting was followed by a fun gift exchange where you can “steal” an already-opened gift or open a new enticing package. As usual, one item was quite popular and went from one sister to another. From our oldest sister, Geraldine Davis Bolton and her wisdom, to our wonderful new-to-our-chapter sister, Griselda Paredes and her enthusiasm, a great time was had by all!
San Antonio Alumnae
Our chapter hosted the 2nd Annual Fall Kickoff
School Supply Drive which was even more
successful than last year. We chose to donate all
the supplies collected to a school where one
of our alumnae chapter members (who also
happens to be the current Upsilon Lambda
Chapter Adviser) teaches. The district where the
school is located is 88 percent economically
disadvantaged and teachers are often left to
purchase school supplies for their students. It
was overwhelming the amount of schools supplies we were able to collect for this school. The event was held at Bigz Burger Joint,
which is a local restaurant that is family friendly. We had 21 ladies join us as well as a few legacies running around in the open play area. One fun thing to note from that night is one of our legacies who currently attends UTSA decided she wanted to go through recruitment, and she is now an AOII.
San Diego Alumnae
Phoenix Alumnae This year the San Diego Alumnae Chapter teamed up with Theta Iota
San Jose Alumnae
The San Jose Alumnae Chapter holds an annual Panda Project - the Panda Chair’s responsibility is to raise money and/or collect stuffed panda bears from the local community to be donated to the San Jose Police Department’s Children’s Interview Center. The panda bears are given to the children who are abused or experience some kind of trauma. This year, the chapter raised about $350 and bought panda bears for these children. According to the staff at the Interview Center, when the children arrive at the Center, they are typically frightened and are emotionally exhausted from their trauma. The panda bears are handed to the children after the interview to provide a sense of comfort to them which makes all the difference. This past December was our chapter’s sixth year of the Panda Project, and we are hoping to have more support and donations from the San Jose community next year.
Sarasota Area Alumnae
The Sarasota Area Alumnae continue to stay active with philanthropy and fun! We sorted food at the local food bank in November and raised funds for arthritis at the Bradenton Jingle Bell Run. In the spring, our sisters will have a family picnic at a local park, game night and a Kentucky Derby party with IIOAs. One of our favorite events is our Founders’ Day gathering with Greater Pinellas, Tampa Bay and Orlando Alumnae along with collegians from Kappa Gamma and Gamma Theta chapters.
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Chapter and Lambda Iota Chapter for the Jingle Bell Run. We had a great time fundraising, volunteering and supporting this great cause. Together we raised over $4,000 and one of our runners, Jane Niemeier (Phi Upsilon) placed third in her division!
San Gabriel Valley Alumnae
The biggest take away from 2014 is getting the “band” back together. In all seriousness, it is great to have the chapter meeting again, and we hope to keep growing in the coming year.
Chicago West Suburban Alumnae


AlumnaeNews
Seattle Alumnae
The year began for the Seattle Alumnae Chapter with our first Founders’ Day with the newly reinstalled Upsilon Chapter at U of Washington. We have supported the Seattle Panhellenic Bunco night, held a career development workshop with Upsilon, and celebrated summer’s arrival with the annual salad social potluck. Last fall, Seattle Alumnae supported Washington chapters with recruitment, had a dinner out, and held a Ritual in memory of beloved sister Kathy Busch. We ended the year with a strong showing at the Seattle Jingle Bell Run, raising over $1,000.
Shreveport-Bossier City Alumnae
The Shreveport-Bossier City Alumnae Chapter had a lot of fun in fall 2014. One highlight of the year was our Wigs & Wine event followed closely by our always popular annual Christmas Party.
Southern Orange County Alumnae
AOII sisterhood, fun and philanthropy! With these three goals
in mind, SOCAC made two big changes. First, we changed our yearly planning to include more outings and sisterhood, and streamlined our business meetings. When we do meet, we
plan fun into a portion of each meeting. Our outings included a special presentation on succulents at Roger’s Gardens, a night at the Improv, a wonderful summer luncheon, and most recently
a private tour of the historical Howe-Waffle house, home to one
of the female doctors in Orange County in 1886 who made a difference in the lives of women and the history of Orange County. We also wanted to communicate more effectively how great it
is to be an alumna and what lifetime engagement looks like. Our chapter is energized and ready for the future!
St. Louis Alumnae
St. Louis Alumnae Chapter members celebrated our chapter’s 85th anniversary in November 2014 with an intimate Ritual that included roses and renewing our vows to AOII. We also celebrated the 250th birthday of St. Louis with a cake hunt in Forest Park where we posed with many of the 250 fiberglass art cakes the city placed around town to mark the occasion. Many of our events this year begin with St. Louis trivia in honor of our beloved city’s birthday.
State College Alumnae
The State College Alumnae Chapter spends much of its time supporting Epsilon Alpha at Penn State by providing advisors and help whenever necessary. Our biggest events with the chapter are our combined Founders’ Day with the presentation of our annual EHA Award to an outstanding senior in honor of our chapter’s installing officer, Edith Anderson, and our spring Senior Dessert
to welcome our seniors to alumna status. We have social events monthly where we combine a get together with a philanthropic cause. Each month we select a local charity to support such as a women’s resource center, a project for the homeless in our area, and PAWS. One of our special events is our annual holiday brunch, held at a member’s house, where we support the Toys for Tots campaign and enjoy the company of our sisters.
Tallahassee Alumnae
The last year was a wonderful building time for our small chapter. TAC established a full e-board, supported the local collegiate chapter during recruitment as well as during their senior week, and we are rounding out the year with a holiday party.
Toledo Area Alumnae
The Toledo Area Alumnae Chapter is off to a great start with two joint events with our local collegiate chapters. A Harry Potter themed meeting was held with Theta Psi. We were divided into Houses,
and tested our wizarding skills while we enjoyed cold non-alcoholic butter beer and transfigured paper into boxes. The House Cup was awarded at the end of the meeting! We also had a lot of fun during
a dinner in Bowling Green with Alpha Psi at Campus Pollyeyes! We also made Exam Buckets for both chapters. Our Jingle Bell Run team, NW Ohio AOII, was a huge success! Our team was made up of Alpha Psi, Theta Psi and TAAC members, and was second in donations! We have been collecting donations for the Toledo Humane Society and Beach House, a local women’s shelter. In addition, we stuffed pandas at Founders’ Day, prepped for our Baskets & Brunch Benefit, enjoyed our annual Holiday Ornament Exchange and Potluck, and are looking forward to the rest of the year.
Toronto Area Alumnae
Alumnae sisterhood is thriving in Toronto! We are pleased to launch the Working Panda (aoiitaac.wix.com/theworkingpanda) blog to support our young alumnae and senior collegians as they move through the initial stages of transition from university to work. In 2014, our biggest fundraiser was Fashion at Freda’s where sisters of all ages and stages hit the runway. Clearly it was a hit as we raised $2,700 for Beta Tau Chapter! Our annual Welcome Seniors to Alumnae Garden Party in June was a wonderful afternoon of sisterhood, good food and new friendships. In late October, it was an honour to welcome PIP Joan MacCallum as our keynote speaker at Founders’ Day. Joan touched on points of pride throughout AOIIs rich history and spoke about how blessed we all are to be sisters in such a well respected organization. Certainly all of us in attendance felt blessed to be part of such a lovely event where we had the opportunity to mingle with old friends, alumnae from several chapters, new members and collegians from Beta Tau and Iota Chi chapters.
Vancouver Alumnae
To celebrate Christmas, the Vancouver Alumnae Chapter gathered at the Capilano Suspension Bridge to view the lights and then had mulled wine at Judit Spence’s home. We have continued to work closely with the Vancouver Alumnae Panhellenic Association, for which we were recognized with the Philos Award at Leadership Institute. We asked Beta Kappa to join our team for the Walk to Fight Arthritis; Beta Kappa later invited us to join their team for the Jingle Bell Run. The chapter donated the Anne Mott Spirit Award to Beta Kappa to honour an outstanding alumna, recognizing her enduring passion, inexhaustible spirit, and love for AOII. Anne has served Beta Kappa, its AAC and the Vancouver Alumnae Chapter since then.
She is always the first sister to offer her time and energy when AOII needs alumnae support, like spending two nights camping in her RV
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Issue no. 2 • Spring 2015


Northwest Georgia Alumnae
to help with Beta Kappa’s Recruitment Camp. She is kind, caring and thoughtful, and has a wicked sense of humour. She is more passionate about AOII today than when she was initiated in 1961.
Ventura County Alumnae
The Ventura County Alumnae had another great year in 2014. We continue to focus on our collegiate sisters at Chi Psi/Cal Poly San Luis Obispo by providing gifts to the graduating seniors. This year, we had a huge pile of candy that went into treat bags for
Issue no. 2 • Spring 2015
Halloween for all 243 members of Chi Psi as well as Lambda Alpha/La Verne. We held our second Strike Out Arthritis! bowling event and raised
$200. We will continue to raise additional funds by working a polling place for the elections in June and November. We have a great time at every event whether its Founders’ Day with the rest of Southern California, celebrating formal Ritual with the Santa Barbara Alumnae, or just getting together for food and conversation.
Winston-Salem Alumnae
We may be small but we
make a big impact! Several of our chapter members remain active in both the Sigma Gamma
Chapter and the Epsilon Chi Chapter as advisers. We meet monthly for everything from simple dinners with our sisters to fun-filled pool parties with our families. This year, we were able to celebrate with a sister at her wedding, and we were there to support yet another when she underwent open-heart surgery. Wherever you find us, you will find us having fun and enjoying each other and our sisterhood.
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Seattle Alumnae


From the Archives
AOII and the Frontier Nursing Service
Background photo: A group of the Frontier Nursing Service members assembled for a conference at Wendover on Christmas Day in 1932. Founder and Director Mary Breckenridge is pictured on her horse at the far left. Above (l to r): Nurses distribut- ing scarlet fever shots at a clinic set up in a mountain home in Leslie County, Ken- tucky; a nurse attends to a newborn and its mother in a mountain cabin (notice the walls lined with newspapers for insulation); AOII’s “worker in the mountains,” Miss Bland Morrow, who was the Director of the Social Service Department of the FNS.
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In 1931, AOII established and underwrote the Social Service Department of the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) as the Fraternity’s national philanthropy. Mary Breckenridge, an English humanitarian, established FNS in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky in 1925 to serve the medical, health and social needs of the rural poor in that region. At that time, roads and communication were basically non- existent in the area, so both were achieved only by foot or horseback. Sanitation and hygiene were unknown; mothers gave birth without assistance; epidemics of typhoid, diphtheria and smallpox spread without proper medical care; and wide-spread poverty was crippling. The FNS provided health, education, and social services to an area in desperate need of help. AOII’s support continued until 1967 when the United States government’s social service programs broadened to cover rural areas such as these, and the Fraternity’s support was no longer needed.
The Service was a decentralized healthcare system with the hospital at the center and the outpost nursing clinics located within a five-mile ride on horseback. The region served by the FNS was divided into nine districts with six outpost nursing centers. These centers were staffed by nurse-midwives, who held clinics, made rounds on horseback providing home care and went to the homes to attend births. They served an average of 250 families per outpost. There was also a Statistical Department, a Volunteer Courier Service and a Social Services Department.
It was within the latter, the Social Services Department, where AOII’s work was concentrated. The Fraternity funded the services of a full-time social worker; bought two jeeps; paid for supplies for medical services such as crutches, braces, glasses, and hearing aids; and provided transportation for blind, deaf and crippled children to and from hospitals. Additionally, a yearly scholarship was awarded to a student to serve on-site during the summer, with highlights were often published in To Dragma. The Social Services Department also helped settle disputes within families and taught knitting, sewing and literacy for life skills. Beyond funding, AOII’s collegiate and alumnae chapters generously supported the Clothes Line Committee, a subcommittee of the SSD. Collections of old clothing, toys and books were gathered, and individual chapter members purchased cloth to sew new clothing for adults, children, and even dolls. During the mid-1900s, AOII and Santa were virtually one in the same for nearly 5,000 mountain children who depended on the generosity of AOIIs during the holidays.
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FoundationFocus
Foundation Spotlight
Morgan Harkrider
After graduating in December of 2010, Morgan Harkrider, Gamma Sigma (Georgia State U) has spent her time as an alumna member giving back
to the Fraternity in many ways. One way that Morgan prides herself on serving is with the AOII Foundation. After discovering that she could blend her passion for helping others and making a difference within AOII, she has never looked back.
“My first experience was when I attended Convention in 2009. I saw the Rose Tributes for sale and the Chapter Adviser and a few others bought them for me. My first experience donating to the Foundation was when
I bought some for them as well. Then as a senior, I participated in the Senior Challenge. I didn’t know much about the Foundation at that point but I donated every year since that first Convention.”
Upon graduation, she learned of a collegiate member who had come upon hard times financially and had run out of options. Morgan volunteered
to pay for the member’s dues until she could get back on her feet. “I remember this member as a senior, thanking me with tears in her eyes for helping her remain active in AOII.”
Keeping that memory with her, Morgan was asked to facilitate a presentation about the AOII Foundation to a chap- ter. When she started to prepare, she really learned the extent of the good work that the Foundation does. “I de- cided I wanted to donate so that I could help other members who feel like they have come up on hard times. There may be another woman in another state that you don’t even know but you can help.”
With her growing passion for the AOII Foundation, Morgan applied to serve on the YAC and was appointed for a two year term starting in June 2013. As a member, she uses her talents to help promote the AOII Foundation and further its advancement. “We want to educate the collegiate members from the beginning and get younger mem- bers more involved. That was the biggest thing for everyone on the YAC. Whether it’s getting more Foundation Ambassadors or materials out there, we want that.”
Morgan states that while members of the YAC are located across the United States and Canada, they still are making great strides. “It is hard to see everyone in person but we have calls at least once a month and have split into differ- ent subcommittees. There are so many people that now volunteer with AOII in another capacity because of their involvement on the council. We have really bonded.”
Stressing the importance of giving back to each member, Morgan states “You can have a big impact on other peo- ple’s lives. You can help financially through scholarships for people to attend school. There are so many grants and educational opportunities. Giving to the Foundation allows our members to grow.”
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Foundation Spotlight
Vicki Williams
As an initiate of Gamma Sigma Chapter (Georgia State U) in 1980, Vicki Williams has held AOII near and dear to her heart for the past 35 years. However, she will be the first to tell you that not all of those 35 years have been spent with a lifetime connection. “Right after graduation, my husband and I moved out to Colorado from Atlanta and I lost my con- nection to AOII. At the time, there wasn’t an alumnae chapter close to where I was and I just became disconnected.”
While she supported the Foundation throughout the years, it wasn’t until a trip to AOII Convention changed her view- point on everything. “We had moved back to Atlanta and I had started to reconnect again and I attended Convention. There was a handout from the AOII Foundation that showed all of the people that had been giving and their respective donation levels. I was so disappointed that I had been disconnected all of those years and I thought ‘I need to make up for some lost time!”
Deciding that she could connect again through donating to the Foundation, Vicki determined that she was going to add an interesting twist to her monthly donations. Not only does Vicki give for herself, she also donates for her AOII daughter.
“Most people get paid twice a month like I do. The donation from the first check goes to my name and the donation from the second check goes to my daughter’s account. When she finishes school and is financially able to donate, she can pick up right where I left off.”
“I wanted my daughter to be represented and for her to see that culture of giving.” Having always encouraged her children to be aware of charitable contributions and situations, she explained the value of her decision. “I think it is important in estab- lishing that early on. I wanted her to be able to start her journey with AOII.”
“It’s the simplest things that can make the difference. I called the Foundation Staff and they were happy to work with me to set this up for myself and my daughter.”
As Vicki shares her story, she encourages others to start donating and creating their own memories. “People can give in honor of someone else such as nieces, grand- daughters, grandmothers, and so on. Imagine if you did something in someone’s name, even for a sorority sister that we have lost. How great would that be to honor someone and to give in her name even though she is no longer with us?”
“It’s a simple idea. If you can give for yourself, give for yourself. If you can give for someone else, give for someone else.”
Knowing that she is establishing something lasting is rewarding and fun too, Vicki admits. “I thought I would be competitive with it and see if I can give back for all I have received. It’s fun for me! It’s so much more than just giving money. I want to know in my heart that I have done enough for an organization that has done so much for me.”
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With grateful appreciation, AOII recognizes the following new members who joined between November 19, 2014 and March 30, 2015.
Alpha Chi Alexandria Cochenour
Alpha Gamma Mary Herdrich RobynAhrens Anne Dumond
Alpha Lambda Ally Howard
Alpha Nu Jaclyn Snyder
Alpha Phi
Lauren Waldenberg Kaylian Welsh Samantha Pack
Alpha Pi
Ada Miller Rebecca Gunnell
Alpha Psi Kelsey Marlow
Alpha Rho Shelby Hockaday Joyce Gamble
Alpha Sigma Sandra Thiesen
Alpha Tau Nancy Dring
Beta Phi Stephanie Bewley Patricia Blank
Beta Upsilon Michelle Scali
Chi Delta Barbara Shaver
Chi Phi Lauren Hodge
Chi Theta Kasey Young
Delta
Tara Umbrino
Delta Delta Mary Searcy
Delta Kappa Jessica Chao Natascha Lamprecht
Delta Omega Tori Chapman Olivia Perkins
Delta Rho Jessica Gallinatti
Delta Tau Gabrielle Loew Hillary Sharpe Mari Hasting
Epsilon Alpha Sarah Appelblatt Samantha Orkin Judith Thompson
Gamma Omicron Nancy Niblack
Gamma Sigma Stacey Jean
Gamma Theta Vanessa Enriquez
Iota
Carole Kayton Katrina Coco Nancy Bohlen Catherine Taylor Julie Szczepanek
Kappa Alpha Cassandra Diorio Jane Prather
Kappa Omega Stacey Cheong Caroline Beckett
Kappa Tau Candice Pittman
Lambda Alpha Irene Lopez Fuentes
Lambda Beta Kimberly Younger
Lambda Eta Nicole Griffin
Lambda Iota Alexa Conrad
Lambda Sigma Miller Singleton Barbara Wasik Sandra Lykins
Lambda Tau Ann Carr
Lambda Upsilon Catherine Maxey
Mu Lambda Cassandra Backovsky
Nu Beta Stephanie Henson
Nu Omega Laura Hornback
Nu Omicron Meredith Quast


Omega Sigma Bailee Geries
Omicron Ada Pfohl
Phi
Gailyn Hlavka
Phi Gamma Mallory Herring
Phi Kappa
Susan Faber-Brook
Pi Alpha Starr Roberts Diane Nilest Kasey Walker
Rho Beta Katherine Hutton Bree Brown
Rho Omicron Jessica Stinson
Sigma Janet Pasnau
Sigma Alpha Emily Roberts
Sigma Gamma Samantha Bingham
Sigma Omicron Emily Bulkley
Sigma Phi Claire Plauzoles
Sigma Tau Courtney Fussell
Sigma Theta Valeri Michna
Tau
Cindy Archer-Burton Andrea Lofye
Janet Marx
Tau Gamma Olivia Bentley
Tau Omega Elizabeth Homan
Theta Iota Andrea Emery
Theta Omega Dana Curtis
Theta Pi
Heidi Elliott-Clark
Upsilon Lambda Jessica Spaulding Chelsea Atkinson
Xi
Talia Sperry Candace Foutch
Xi Omicron Allison Jordan Sarah Burns
Xi Rho Crystal Ramos
10years AOII
This year, we proudly celebrate the 10 year anniversary of our Life Loyal AOII program! During this time, the Life Loyal program has welcomed collegians and alumnae of all ages to our membership. Currently over 4,100 devoted sisters are a part of this program. We sincerely want to thank this visionary group for their commitment to AOII.
As we commemorate the 10th anniversary of this program, we invite you to be a part of the celebration! By joining the Life Loyal program, members continue to reap the benefits of their lifetime connection to AOII long after their collegiate years.
AOII’s Life Loyal program is available to all collegiate and alumnae members of AOII.
As a Life Loyal member, you will receive an acknowledgement gift, a membership card that displays your name, chapter of initiation, and your Life Loyal number, alumnae luggage tag, as well as a Life Loyal AOII lapel pin.
As a Life Loyal member, you’ll receive permanent exemption from the operating portion of alumnae chapter dues to AOII, as well as a lifetime subscription to To Dragma. Your membership will continue to help
secure the legacy of Alpha Omicron Pi, while providing you with AOII’s award-winning, tri- annual magazine to read and to cherish.
To join, visit LifeLoyal.org










yourThoughts
For Further Discussion, the last issue of To Dragma raised the question, “What is your favorite AOII Convention memory?” Below are some of the thoughts shared on AOII’s Facebook page:
Genie Leake Delta Chi Chapter
My favorite memory
of all was at the last Convention, being able to hold the candle for my chapter, Delta Chi, and sharing our submotto, as I was there when my chapter was installed in 1972.
I was a freshman in awe then, but much older and wiser
now, realizing the sigificance of our submotto, Diginity and Character, and seeing the timeless beauty of our awesome ritual.
Leigh Perry
Upsilon Lambda Chapter
As a charter member of a chapter on a commuter campus, [my best memory was] the first time I ever heard “AOII Grace” sung
at Convention in Kansas City in `81. It still brings me chills thinking about 700 women of all ages singing it together! There have been so many wonderful memories since!
Schuyler Ruhlman, Pi Chapter
My first convention was Ft. Lauderdale in
1973. The only award I went home with was an umbrella centerpiece for being from the oldest chapter at the table! I served on the Courtesy Resolutions Committee and enjoyed being a part of the candle lighting services with Amber Williams Countis.
Denise Clair, Gamma Theta Chapter
Convention 2009 in Tampa, Florida was my first Convention! It was in my hometown, and seeing AOII on a larger scale inspired me to be more active as an alumna. I got to reconnect with my Gamma Theta sisters. As a bonus - it was also where I became Life Loyal and won a beautiful AOII bracelet.
Rebecca Admire Herman Chi Lambda Chapter
I am blessed to have attended 18 conventions so far - having never missed one since being initiated. Each one has a story and a special place in my heart because
of the sisters that came together for an amazing event. Selecting one is tough, but I might have to say my first one - 1979 in Nashville
- only because you only
have ONE first Convention. Understanding the big picture of AOII outside of my collegiate chapter; seeing amazing Rituals; meeting Past International Presidents; seeing Council in action; and my chapter, Chi Lambda, winning a lot of awards was pretty special too!
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Melissa Keach, Kappa Omega Chapter
My first convention was as a collegian in 1997 for our Centennial Celebration. What an experience that was!
My mom and I attended, and it was something that I will cherish for the rest of my life! I have attended many other conventions since then, but nothing compares to attending your first.


Everyone knows spring break is a great time for a beach trip! In our story, “Spring Breaks of Service,” you read about several inspiring collegians who spent their breaks in more service-minded ways. No doubt, there are many other AOII collegians and alumnae doing similar good works.
Did you spend your spring break in service to others?
We invite you to share how the opportunity to serve touched your heart on the AOII Facebook page on June 10, 2015. Watch for a post that morning from the Fraternity getting the discussion started. We’ll be following the Facebook conversation and will select a few of your comments to run on this page in the Summer 2015 To Dragma. In that issue, we’ll also present you with another topic for further discussion.
What do you think?
There’s always something fun to discuss among sisters!
ForFurtherDiscussion
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Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Bolingbrook, IL Permit No. 374
Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity
International Headquarters 5390 Virginia Way Brentwood, Tennessee 37027
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Have you heard about
FOUR is a way for alumnae to engage with the Fraternity in FOUR specific ways:
1) Join AOII’s new International Alumnae Association 2) Donate directly to a collegiate chapter
3) Volunteer for a chapter near you
4) Volunteer for the Fraternity
The third and fourth engagement opportunities of FOUR encourage volunteerism. Whether you volunteer as an advisor for an AOII collegiate chapter, serve as a local alumnae chapter officer, or hold a position within the international realm of AOII, there is a place for you. Submit your application online, and tell us where you would love to volunteer.
To learn more about volunteering or all FOUR alumnae engagement opportunities, visit the alumnae area on the AOII website: www.alphaomicronpi.org.


To Dragma of Alpha Omicron Pi Spring 2015