Convention 2009 - Kappa Delta

CoVER Story
By Judy Hare Thorne, Angelos Editor
As Winnie-the-Pooh says, “Things are always so much
more grand and wonderful when your friends are there to
share them.” And so it was with Kappa Delta’s 58th Biennial
National Convention, June 27 to July 1, 2009, at Walt Disney
World in Orlando, Fla., when 914 KDs gathered to share their
sisterhood. Despite the poor economy, the convention was the
largest since the centennial celebration in 1997.
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A gathering to
remember
Photos By Lynn Nickels Savage
The convention had all the elements of past gatherings — collegians
experiencing the national organization for the first time;
alumnae reuniting with special sisters; and the heightened excitement
that comes with the anticipation of what is to come. And yet
there was more. The theme, “Kappa Delta Sorority: Where your
dreams come true,” spoke to the very heart of what members were
to learn: that Kappa Delta continues to provide the tools and the
means for its members to reach their personal best.
From leadership training and academics to philanthropy and
recruitment, Kappa Delta indeed offers its members — both collegians
and alumnae — the opportunity for personal growth and
the ability and desire to improve the world around them.
For four days, KDs enjoyed the pomp and circumstance of
the Ritual at the national level; themed luncheons and dinners
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House Corporations and
Chapter Advisory Boards
Alumnae who serve on house corporations
enjoyed a two-hour seminar where
they shared common problems and solutions.
The guest speaker was a fire marshal
who offered up-to-date information
on sprinkler systems.
For alumnae who advise chapters, the
Chapter Advisory Board Academy offered
an opportunity to learn about changes
in all areas of collegiate operations and
to hone their leadership skills in guiding
chapters to internal and external successes.
The 2007-2009 National Council. Seated, from left, National Vice President Beth
Langford and National President Bonnie Warren; standing, NVP-Finance Cheryl Sizer,
NPC Delegate Julie Johnson, NVP-Collegians Kim Ryan, NVP-Alumnae Margaret Watson,
Executive Director Melanie Schild and NVP-Membership Betty Mulkey.
with entertainers, speakers and awards;
formal events and a casual night out; and
many opportunities to learn, share, lead
and stretch their abilities.
On the following pages, we’ll use words
and pictures to recap the highlights of
the 2009 convention. For those who were
there, it will be a scrapbook of sorts; for
those who weren’t there, this may spur
thoughts of attending the 2011 convention
in Tucson, Ariz.
Leadership Training
Even before convention began, national
volunteers and staff met for the National
Leadership Team Academy, a day-and-ahalf
of intensive hands-on training to help
them fulfill their specific responsibilities
in the coming biennium.
Following an opening session where
National President Bonnie Purvis Warren
delivered her State of the Sorority 2008-
2009 remarks (see page 6 for a recap),
team members met with their supervising
National Council officers: those who work
with collegians met with Kim Flood Ryan,
national vice president-collegians; collegiate
membership specialists met with
Betty Brown Mulkey, national vice president-membership;
and those who work
with alumnae met with Margaret Lee
Watson, national vice president-alumnae.
At the same time, chapter accounting specialists
worked with Cheryl Grant Sizer,
national vice president-finance.
Ongoing group sessions were punctuated
with informal dinners, sisterhood
activities, divisional meetings and roundtable
discussions.
Collegiate Leadership Track
During convention, leadership breakouts
for collegians, conducted by members of
the national leadership team, included
how to work with Girl Scouts, Chapter
Choice, finances, legacies, culture change,
meaningful preference events, recruitment,
continuous open bidding, tracking
and reporting goals, values programming,
risk management and officer training.
Alumnae Presidents Leadership
Conference
A leadership conference for alumnae
presidents ran concurrently to collegiate
leadership training. Sessions focused
on creating awareness and community
service and were conducted by national
leadership team members who work
in the alumnae sector. (For more
information on the weekend event, see
page 35.)
Partnerships and Initiatives
Convention-goers were treated to a lively
review of Kappa Delta’s partnerships with
other women’s organizations and entities,
among the most visible, the sorority’s
work with the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Girl Scouts of the USA — Jaclyn Libowitz,
Girl Scouts chief of staff, praised
collegians and alumnae for their work
in helping young girls gain confidence
through the presentation of Girl Scout
programs and events. In speaking of the
KD-GSUSA partnership, she said, “I
have never known an organization whose
values are more aligned with ours than
Kappa Delta.”
Jaclyn Libowitz, GSUSA chief of staff, says
the synergy of KD and the Girl Scouts is
remarkable.
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KDs learned about the importance of the sorority’s orthopaedic research awards from
guests, far left, Joseph P. Zuckerman, president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic
Surgeons, and Christie Weber, second from right, who received a KD award in 2006. With
them are Julie Johnson, Bonnie Warren and Lil Leslie.
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum — Shannon
Bay, Gamma Omicron-Wayne State, who
coordinates the KD internship program at
the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, and who
was a KD intern herself, spoke of the influence
the sorority has upon the young girls
who participate in the museum’s Art and
Leadership Program for Girls.
asked her to tell the convention that “you
are absolutely awesome.”
American Girl — Kappa Deltas are working
with the doll manufacturer to promote
its anti-bullying campaign by attending
public events and organizing activities
among alumnae and collegiate chapters.
National Women’s Friendship Month —
Transitioning from a one-day event to a
monthlong celebration in 2009, NWFM
continues to be promoted by a growing
number of sponsors.
• Mark cosmetics, a division of Avon
Inc., were sold by 56 KD chapters in 2008
to raise funds for themselves and for the
Avon Foundation’s m.powerment Fund,
which received $4,000; about $10,000
remained at the local chapters and $6,000
went to the KD Foundation. The Mark
brand encourages all its sales reps to host
parties in celebration of NWFM and
women’s friendship.
• The General Federation of Women’s
Clubs, an organization of more than
100,000, featured “Friend raising” on the
cover of its national magazine The Clubwoman.
An included pull-out section helps
club members plan programs or events for
National Women’s Friendship Month.
• Pink magazine promotes NWFM
annually and reaches Kappa Deltas with
career and style tips via e-mail.
• The Office on Women’s Health of the
U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services launched its “Best Bones Forever”
bone-health campaign in September
to coincide with NWFM.
KD Orthopaedic Research Awards —
Joseph D. Zuckerman, M.D., American
Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
president, and Christie Weber, a 2006 KD
award winner and member of Pi Beta Phi
Sorority, lauded Kappa Delta for contributing
more than $1 million to recognize
and motivate the best and brightest in
orthopaedic research. Dr. Zuckerman said
the work of past KD winners has led to
surgeries that today are commonplace.
“Kappa Delta has had a deep impact on
orthopaedics,” he said, “and the sorority
has the gratitude of the academy.”
Prevent Child Abuse America — National
Panhellenic Conference Delegate
Julie Landgren Johnson, who also serves
as secretary on the PCAA board, brought
greetings: “They sure do love KD and
appreciate all that we do,” she said in
speaking about the $225,000 presented to
PCAA as 20 percent of all money raised
in the 2009 Shamrock Events; the sorority
has given almost $10 million to date. Julie
said that PCAA President Jim Hmurovich
Kappa Delta Foundation representatives accept donations and sell raffle tickets at the
White Rose Table, always a popular place to pay tribute to sisters and take a chance on
winning something sparkly and shiny.
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The Kappa Delta Foundation board 2007-2009 met during convention. Seated from left: Anila Jain, Lil Leslie, Bonnie Warren and
Tracey Wolfe; standing, Melanie Schild, Libby Lindahl, Julie Johnson, Adrienne Nelson, Cheryl Sizer, Patricia Nieman, Patty Cappaert
and Nancy Church.
• Maidenform again hosted Girl Time
parties at select KD chapters and donated
$8,000 to the KD Foundation to fund
educational programming.
Supporting the Kappa Delta
Foundation
KDs were generous at convention, donating
more than $18,000 to the foundation.
They purchased white rose stickers to
honor their sisters; bought raffle tickets
for a chance to win select items donated
by members and jewelry donated by
the Jain family; and parted with some
serious money during the auction of an
American Girl doll signed by five national
presidents, an omega necklace with a
jeweled badge, and a diamond pendant
with a badge.
KDs roared with laughter as Ivana, a
comedienne who portrays an over-thetop
Fairy Godmother, teased one KD after
another; she knew just enough about
sorority life and colleges to be hilarious.
National Council members greet collegians and alumnae in a formal receiving line
following the opening business session.
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Collegians and alumnae do some serious shopping in the KD
Boutique.
Kappa Delta Archivist Shirley Gee, left, shows the Alpha Trunk and
its contents to alumna Tisha Moreyo.
For KDs Only
Hanging of the Shields/Parade of
Flags — Since 1921, every convention
begins with the traditional Hanging
of the Shields of new chapters as they
join the shields of every other chapter
ever chartered by Kappa Delta. Over
the years, the actual hanging of wooden
plaques, each bearing the shield of its
home university, became cumbersome
and in 1989, lightweight flags bearing an
image of the shield and the school’s colors
were introduced in a parade during the
opening business session. The collegiate
representative of each active chapter
carried her flag high and placed it around
the perimeter of the convention hall in
installation order.
New chapters at the 2009 convention
were Eta Kappa, Northeastern University,
Boston, Mass.; Eta Lambda, Franklin &
Marshall University, Lancaster, Pa.; Eta
Mu, Georgia College and State University,
Milledgeville, Ga.; and Eta Nu, Sacred
Heart University, Fairfield, Conn. Of
special note was the presentation of
the flags from Gamma Beta, University
of North Texas; Gamma Tau, Ripon
University; and Epsilon Zeta, University
of North Carolina/Pembroke, which were
recolonized during the biennium and
returned to active status.
Miss USA tells KDs to
‘Follow Your Dreams’
A personal struggle to overcome low self-esteem and a passion to help young
women reach their full potential led actress Susie Castillo, Miss USA 2003, to
write the book “Confidence is Queen: The Four Keys to Unleashing Ultimate
Beauty Through Positive Thinking.”
It’s hard to believe that anyone with Susie’s enthusiasm
and vitality ever lacked self-confidence, but as a
child growing up in Massachusetts she was at a disadvantage
because she had to learn English as her second
language. Today she uses her Puerto Rican heritage to
her advantage, even speaking Spanish to impress the
bilingual judges in the Miss USA pageant.
She urged KDs to use their differences to succeed
instead of seeing them as negatives. “I did all I could to
emphasize my background and culture,” she said. “Have
an ‘attitude of gratitude’ that puts you in a happy place.”
Only the third Latina to win the Miss USA title, Susie
said that she chose to compete to get exposure and further a career in acting.
“I did my research on pageants,” she said. “And I studied how to win. I made my
decision to ‘own’ the pageant and put my best foot forward.” The effort paid off,
and today she can be seen on television as Mercedes in “Tyler Perry’s House of
Payne” as well as in feature films “Underdog” and “The Heartbreaker.”
“Don’t be afraid to follow your dream,” she said. “Think about what you want
in life and trust that you will get there.”
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Collegians and alumnae from Sigma Lambda-Auburn join National President Bonnie Warren to celebrate winning the coveted National
Council Award as KD’s No. 1 chapter.
National
Charity
League
is a New
KD Partner
Kappa Delta and the National Charity League have forged
a strategic partnership to affect the lives of girls and women
in communities throughout the country. NCL shares
KD’s mission to support personal growth, serve the community
and offer leadership opportunities.
With a $50,000 grant from the Kappa Delta Foundation,
the sorority will help NCL to further develop its
leadership programs, and the sorority’s extensive alumnae
network will help NCL expand into new areas. Kappa
Delta alumnae will be given the opportunity to help establish
NCL chapters in their communities, and KDs are
assisting NCL in establishing a chapter in Fairfax, Va.,
this fall.
The 51-year-old nonprofit is based in southern California
and has 40,000 members in 153 chapters in 15
states. Membership is for mothers and their daughters,
grades 7 to 12, who work together to serve their communities;
NCL members volunteer more than 900,000
hands-on hours annually. For information: www.kappadelta.org
or 800.536.1897.
KD Boutique — “Shop ‘til you drop” was the byword for the KD
Boutique, which often stayed open until 11 p.m. so collegians
and alumnae could purchase logo clothing, jewelry, gifts and
souvenirs. The store was a popular venue for convention-goers,
and many of the items sold at convention are available online at
the sorority Web site, www.kappadelta.org.
Pi-Nebraska initiate Pam Smith is hugged by Emmaline and Addie
Mac Schild when she wins KD’s Diamond Award for exceptional
service at the national level and for her work with Phi Epsilon-
Colorado State.
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Reality TV Star Urges Sisters
To Make Good Choices in Life
National President Bonnie Warren, left, pays tribute to
Melanie Schild’s 20th anniversary as KD’s executive
director and joins her in laughter as convention
attendees see a sometimes-hilarious video of her
career. Speaking seriously, Bonnie said, “Melanie is an
innovator, a fountain of ideas, and she knows what it
takes to get things done right. She also is a motivator
and advocate for women’s issues and philanthropies.
KD is fortunate to have benefited from her leadership
for the past two decades.”
Archives — KD history came alive in the archives
display of select items from National Headquarters.
Of special note was the Alpha Trunk, which still
contains many of the original documents from the
founders.
Ritual — A committee of former National Council
members and longtime national volunteers oversaw a
revision of The Ritual with particular emphasis on ini-
Viewers of ABC-TV’s “The Bachelor” will recognize
Stephanie Gwaltney Hogan as one of
the five finalists for bachelor Jason Mesnick’s
heart during the program’s 2009 season. What
they likely don’t know is that Stephanie is
an initiate of Alpha Upsilon-Birmingham–
Southern.
She’s also a single mom and a medical marketing
representative who faced tragedy and
found that her faith made it possible to find joy
and happiness.
Stephanie appeared at the KD convention’s session on “Are You a
KD Lady” which opened with a disturbingly graphic video of Facebook
entries showing KDs in compromising, unladylike and shocking
situations. The video was followed by a panel discussion about
Facebook and other social networking sites that can destroy a person’s
reputation.
Showing that she is truly a KD Lady, Stephanie recalled lonely
nights in high school when she stayed home because she refused to
party with some of her peers. “A lot of girls ridiculed me, but now that
they are grown women, several have apologized for being so mean,” she
said.
It was her husband’s death in a plane crash that rocked Stephanie’s
world. Daughter Sophia, 5, was only 10 weeks old and suddenly Stephanie
was thrust into single parenthood. But today is different. “I have
never been happier than I am today,” she said, explaining that her faith
helped her through the crisis. “God was and is the center of my life.”
Stephanie shared what she learned about living life well and staying
true to your values:
1. Make good choices. Believe in something larger than yourself.
Always look for the positive and show others your joy. Cherish human
connections.
2. Believe in yourself. Have a can-do attitude and heed the advice of
your elders.
3. Commit to family and friends.
4. Engage in the world. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
5. Adapt to change; it is often painful, but it will allow you to change
your goals to better yourself.
To conclude her presentation, Stephanie sang the inspirational song
“When You Walk Through a Storm.”
Mother-daughter national leaders are Joanne
Behrends, left, retired veteran national volunteer, and
her daughter, Jodi Behrends Wallace, who serves as an
alumnae chapter operations specialist.
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Former National Council members seated from left, are Shelli Stockton, Terry Margolis, Winnie Boyd, Cynthia Weston, Lydia Barousse;
standing, Julie Johnson, Carol Coordt, Patricia Nieman, Corre Stegall, Beverly Sibley, Jodie Johnson, Judy Thorne.
National Girls Day
SheCan Do Anything
tiation. Former National President Julie Landgren Johnson,
who serves as KD’s NPC delegate, explained the changes to
collegians and alumnae. “They were made to help initiates
understand the meaning behind the words,” she said. “Our
Ritual remains in the spirit of the founders’ words, but reflects
the passage of time in the past 112 years.”
Kappa Delta creates
National Girls Day
National Girls Day, a commemorative day to celebrate the
spirit of girls and to help build their self-confidence, will
kick off in November 2010.
Buoyed by the success of National Women’s Friendship
Day, which now is a monthlong event, Kappa Delta created
a similar day for young girls. Collegiate and alumnae
chapters are encouraged to plan a party to mark the day
and to include a confidence-building activity.
KDs may want to involve local Girl Scouts at the celebration
and present them the new National Girls Day
patch now available from national headquarters.
Former Director of Music Jaynee Groseth, left, joins Director
of Convention Music Alison Argersinger in leading 900-plus
voices in one of KD’s best-loved songs, “Sha-La-La,” which
Jaynee wrote as a collegian.
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The Katydid — Kappa Delta’s convention
newspaper was on hand again for
paper distribution to attendees. However,
this time it was also available online, so
KDs who brought computers and cell
phones were able to access it through the
Internet. Always a source of upcoming
information and convention recap, the
Katydid is now available on the KD Web
site, www.kappadelta.org. The editor was
Priscilla Childress Tillner, KD’s electronic
communications specialist, who also kept
members updated with convention happenings
via Twitter and Facebook.
Order of the Emerald/Order of the Pearl
— Two of the sorority’s most coveted
awards for alumnae were presented to 34
members at the opening sorority session.
(Meet the winners on pages 20-22.)
State Pride Day Grant — Alumnae
chapters may apply for a $3,000 grant
to put on a state day that includes AC
members, collegians and noninvolved
alumnae. Applications are available at
www.kappadelta.org.
The 2009 convention came to an end
too soon. Members were just getting used
to being together and learning more about
the great things KD is doing and how they
Kappa Delta Brings Groups
Together in Confidence Coalition
The sorority is once more making
good on its promise to promote confidence
and self-esteem by establishing
the Confidence Coalition to bring
together organizations, companies
and individuals who are committed
to promoting confidence among girls
and women.
“When women and girls have
confidence, they can stand up against
media stereotypes, spousal and dating
abuse, risky behaviors, and relational
aggression,” said Melanie McMillan Schild, KD executive
director. “They can live the lives they imagine when they
can stand up to bullying, hazing and gossiping.”
Announced at the 2009 convention, the Confidence
Coalition will be a recurring theme as the sorority seeks out
like-minded organizations that, when working together,
can have a greater impact on the women and girls of our
communities.
Among the organizations that are signing on to the
Confidence Coalition at press time are Girl Scouts of the
USA, Girl Talk, National Charity League, National Domestic
Violence Hotline, Love is Respect National Teen Dating
Abuse Helpline, Pink magazine, America’s Junior Miss, and
Hardy Girls-Healthy Women.
Quoted in a story about the Confidence Coalition in the
July 28 online issue of Little Pink Book, littlePINKbook@
pink4.com, an online service
of Pink magazine for young
professionals, Melanie said, “A
professional is a true leader only
when she believes in herself and
relies upon this belief to make
confident decisions. Confidence
is the internal catalyst to action,
and it must not be compromised
by external factors, such as the
opinions of others or the current economic climate. It is
more important now than ever for women to draw upon
their self-confidence to stay strong, creative and optimistic.”
[To receive Little Pink Book via e-mail, go to www.pinkmagazine.com./little_pink_book.]
And taking a cue from Henry David Thoreau who wrote
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams,” Kappa Delta
has initiated a “Go Confidently! Collection” purse drive
nationwide. At convention nearly 300 gently used purses
were donated by attendees of all ages and were donated to
the Beta Center, an Orlando facility that helps pregnant and
parenting teens.
“A purse is a small thing, but what woman doesn’t feel
better about herself when she has a new one” Melanie asks.
“We’re hoping our collegians and alumnae will incorporate
a purse drive into their regular activities, then donate the
purses to a local women’s shelter
to brighten the day of a woman
in need.”
The official Confidence Coalition
Web site and viral video
were completed early this fall,
and the site provides information
about the coalition partners and
the work they do. Visit www.confidencecoalition.org.
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can look to the sorority for sisterhood and
support throughout their lives.
In her remarks at the White Rose Banquet,
which signaled the end of convention,
toastmistress Cheryl Sizer, national vice
president-finance, said, “Tonight’s theme is
‘The Magic in You.’ From the youngest sister
here to the oldest, we all come to convention
because Kappa Delta has ignited something
in our hearts and imaginations.
“Each of us has realized that whatever
spark of magic was in us in the first place
— our inborn gifts, our unique personalities
and perspectives — this organization
can take our potential and conjure it into
something beyond what we could ever have
dreamed . . . something stronger, braver,
finer, more capable. How many of us have
discovered, thanks to Kappa Delta, something
magical within ourselves we didn’t
even know we possessed”
Suzanne Nelson, second from left, learns that her alumnae chapter in Nashville, Tenn.,
was named winner of the Marjorie Rowles Stakes Award as the best in the country.
Disney Exec Linda Warren is 2009 Woman of Achievement
When Linda Warren pledged KD’s Kappa Alpha chapter at
Florida State in 1973, she knew she liked the girls and the
house but she had no idea what a blessing being part of KD
would be during college. “More importantly,” she said, “I
never dreamed what a blessing my KD sisters would be to
me throughout my life.”
The veteran Walt Disney World marketing executive
keynoted the “Friends for Life, KD for Life” luncheon during
convention. Following Linda’s inspiring talk on friendship,
National President Bonnie Warren presented her Kappa
Delta’s coveted Woman of Achievement Award.
Linda spoke warmly of the six KD pledge sisters with
whom she’s remained close for
36 years, reflecting that as young
women building careers and families,
we don’t always stop to recognize the
power of the bonds of sisterhood. “As
we age, friendships can be crucial to
our health and even our sanity,” she
said, “In fact, a host of scientific studies
shows that having a close group
of friends helps people sleep better,
improve their immune systems, stave
off dementia and live longer.”
Annual outings give these seven
sisters the chance to renew the bonds
they hold dear. “Whenever we get
together it is as if we have stepped
into a time machine, melting away
Bonnie congratulates Linda Warren on receiving
KD’s Woman of Achievement Award.
the years and the physical distances between us,” Linda said.
Acknowledging that many groups of KD alumnae get together
regularly, she turned her attention to the young collegians
and explained that they had not yet experienced time-tested
friendship and its value. But she noted that college is the perfect
time to make lifelong friends because “rarely is there another
period in one’s life when you have that much time to nurture a
friendship.”
Linda talked of the similarities and differences in the lives
of the seven Kappa Alphas, and the rough times each one has
had. “Through all of the setbacks and losses in our lives we
have been there for each other,” she said. “Frankly, as we get
older, the bonds get stronger, and we
help each other more.
“Our sisterhood is something
really special for all of us. During the
college years, it is easiest to stay connected,
but as we grow older we have
to make sure we keep those relationships
strong. It will make our lives
richer, more meaningful and much
more fun.”
Linda Warren began working for
Walt Disney World as a collegian and
for more than 30 years has focused on
marketing and brand management.
A former executive vice president,
she now is on special assignment for
Disney.
34 fall 2009 THE ANGELOS OF KAPPA DELTA