Convention 2009 - Kappa Delta

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CoVER Story 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. THE ANGELOS OF KAPPA DELTA fall 2009 31
CoVER Story 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. 32 fall 2009 THE ANGELOS OF KAPPA DELTA
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Convention 2009 - Kappa Delta

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