Alpha Chi Omega Tallahassee-Thomasville

Our Sisters in the News - SS

2012-01-19T07:26:00.005-05:00

It was fun to see Audra (Beta Eta, FSU) supporting the Mary Brogan Museum Titanic exhibit! We love to know our sisters are supporting the fine arts.

Our dear sister Karen (Beta Eta, FSU) is now hard at work with the American Cancer Society in Tallahassee. We are glad to promote her upcoming fun event: the Cattle Baron's Ball.

Also glad to see our sister Kristen (Gamma Iota/Beta Eta, UF/FSU) still reaching out in the community and enjoying success at work.

We love these Real. Strong. Women.

Graciousness

2012-01-10T10:06:00.008-05:00

Our Alpha Chi Omega Mission statement states Alpha Chi Omega is a national women's organization that enriches the lives of members through lifetime opportunities friendship, leadership, learning and service. We hope you see the theme of altruism, service and philanthropy written about often here on Epsilon Tau Epsilon's blog.

A part of serving others is noticing what they do and giving them a word of thanks. Have you read John Kralik's book, A Simple Act of Gratitude? Enjoy this excerpt, and follow his advice: Take time for graciousness. Sit down and write a card or note and drop it in the mail (we love the USPS at AXO-ETE!), or give it to them in person, or slide it under their door. You will enrich your own soul, by dedicating time to say, "THANK YOU."

In the words of Alpha Chi Omega's Symphony "... see and appreciate every little service rendered ..."

And in honor or our president's birthday, let's all do a RAOK today!

What a positive way to start 2012!

Holiday Wishes

2011-12-25T15:14:00.000-05:00

We enjoy sharing this holiday card from Refuge House.

Epsilon Tau Epsilon of Alpha Chi Omega

hopes 2012 brings joy, peace and love to you.

Refuge House Thank You for DVA Cupcake Love

2011-12-21T11:22:00.004-05:00

Enjoy this thank you letter from our friends at Refuge House. See another post here about the fun cupcake project we enjoy with our Beta Eta Collegiate sisters. This was year number two and we plan to make it an annual event!

FSU Sorority Holiday House Tours!

2011-11-29T18:24:00.000-05:00

We are all invited to visit all the FSU sororities houses decorated for the holidays this Sunday, December 4th.

Jenn and Amy plan to meet at noon at Westcott Fountain for the Tour and would love to have you join them for this festive and fun event that will raise funds for Dance Marathon. Here are all the details:

What: Dance Marathon at Florida State University's 1st Annual Sorority Holiday House Tour
When: Sunday, December 4th from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm
Cost: $15 per adult, $10 per student and senior - will include a tour of each of the 16 FSU sororities, food and refreshments, and presentations from local vendors. When you purchase your ticket, mention Alpha Chi Omega so the chapter can get credit for your contribution.

Benefiting Dance Marathon, Childrens Miracle Network, and The Florida State University College of Medicine

The 1st Annual Sorority Holiday House Tour, benefiting Dance Marathon at The Florida State University, will take place Saturday December 4, 2011 from 12pm- 4pm. People from all over the state and local community will gather together in Tallahassee, Florida for this special event, as they step into the sorority houses at The Florida State University. This is the only time of year that these million dollar mansions open up their holiday-decorated houses for everyone to see! Free parking will belocated near the Westcott Building and check-in will begin at 11:30 in front of the Westcott Fountain. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors and can be purchased prior through each individual sorority, through Dance Marathon directly or at the event check-in table! If you have any questions about this event please contact Kyle Dunnington at

RSVP on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/events/314240291937320/

Will YOU Take the Challenge?

2011-09-17T07:42:00.000-04:00

What is in store for Alpha Chi Omega sisters this month?

Help Refuge House and Go to the Beach!

2011-09-03T08:35:00.000-04:00

Win a 5 Day, 4 Night Stay at

St. George Island Beach House!!!

Lovely three bedroom (Sleeps 8), two-bath home with spacious furnished screened porch and a wonderful Gulf view. Enjoy looking at dolphins from the widow's walk with a panoramic view and a sunning deck! Wood-burning fireplace, multiple TVs, VCRs, and DVDs, stereo and CD/tape player. Steps away from the beach and the bike path.

$1,000 Value * Suggested Donation: $5 Per 6 tickets/$1 Per Ticket

Drawing: Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2011 at Turkey Trot Race SouthWood Complex

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PRESENT TO WIN.

Contact AXO-ETE to get a ticket or call the Refuge House Office of Development at 850-922-6062!

Refuge House is the domestic and sexual violence center for Leon and the seven neighboring counties in North Florida: Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla. The mission of Refuge House is to provide direct services to battered women, their children, and sexual assault survivors, as well as to eliminate conditions in society that allow such violence to continue.

REFUGE HOUSE, INC. IS REGISTERED WITH THE STATE UNDER THE SOLICITATION CONTRIBUTIONS ACT, 1991, REGISTRATION NUMBER SC01682. REFUGE HOUSE, INC. RECEIVES 100% OF EACH CONTRIBUTION. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRAITON AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTRAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

I Spy ... Sisters in the Community

2011-09-02T06:49:00.000-04:00

It was a special treat to see Alpha Chi Omega sister Tracy Bell Bane (Delta Upsilon, CO State) and an Alpha Chi Omega's daughter (the daughter is an Alpha Omicron Pi) in our local newspaper, Tallahassee Democrat.

Barbara C's (Gamma Iota, UF) daughter Kerry and Tracy are in the same counseling practice!

We appreciate their desire to assist others and wish them the best of luck with their practice. We were proud to see them featured prominently in the paper.

Bid Day at Alpha Chi Omega - Beta Eta chapter

2011-08-28T15:23:00.040-04:00

The local collegiate chapter Epsilon Tau Epsilon supports is Beta Eta chapter at Florida State University. Today, two weeks of hard work (and lots of sisterhood fun) during their pre-recruitment training that culminated in a Preview for alumnae and friends; and a week of recruiting more than 1450 potential new members, culminates in BID DAY.

Below are the wooden letter the chapter paints to coordinate with each bid day.

Above, a bevy of the beautiful 2010 new members posing with the chapter's famous wooden letters (constructed by the Britain's dad) in the informal living room. They had just received their "Alpha" sisters for bid day.

The new members received a t-shirt, monogrammed bag, croakies, a composite and the chapter's new member handbook.

The theme of the day is "Forever Classic, Forever Alpha Chi".

This is a shot of the dining room.

The colors are white, teal and pink. The seniors are wearing teal dresses and the rest of the chapter is wearing white dresses.

We're so proud of the chapter and really enjoyed helping their success.

Thank you again to the numerous alumnae who helped the chapter!

Another Opportunity to Support Refuge House!

2011-08-19T15:27:00.000-04:00

Join us in supporting Tallahassee Rollergirls as they support our favorite local cause, Refuge House!

click to see full-size

Recruitment Preview!

2011-08-11T15:57:00.007-04:00

Our collegiate sisters at FSU AXO invited us to a Recruitment Preview!

It will be held the Saturday before Recruitment begins and will showcase all aspects of Recruitment including a chance to see their videos (for first round and (new this year) for Philanthropy Day), the Skit and to take house tours. After the Preview, we are all invited to stay for snacks and conversation with our sisters. Please feel free to bring your daughters, granddaughter, nieces or neighbors as this will be a great introduction to sorority life and recruitment. (Note that anyone registered as a potential new member for FSU Recruitment 2011 cannot attend.)

Saturday, August 20th 1:30-3:00pm
Recruitment Preview and Reception
at the FSU Alpha Chi Omega House
518 West Park Avenue, Tallahassee

Please let Amy our president know if you (and your guests) can attend so she can tell the collegians how many people to expect. Contact Amy if you have questions.

We are SUPER excited about this fun opportunity.

The Collection on Gaines - Supporting Refuge House

2011-08-07T14:18:00.039-04:00

The Collection on Gaines is Refuge House's "re-vamped, re-vived resale shop" (Tallahassee Democrat, April 1, 2011)

Lulu, a woman blessed with a happy spirit and fun attitude merchandises the shop, and she makes the shopping experience a pleasure! Check them out on Facebook, , she uploads photos daily of new merchandise in the shop to entice her regulars. She blogs as well! Please read this post: The Donating Game: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly - SO IMPORTANT!

We hope you will donate and shop at The Collection on Gaines frequently. Visit them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lulus.collection

Lulu's talent for arranging items makes the shop fun, organized and trendy.

She changes displays for the seasons and trends, as seen in the Red, White & Blue display for July 4th at left.

Lulu working her magic!

"Barbie Bouquet" - too cute

Help Us Help Refuge House

2011-08-03T09:39:00.001-04:00

Calling All Alpha Chi Omegas!!

DID YOU KNOW?

v Refuge House’s Emergency Shelter provides for 450-500 women and children per year and the cost per person is $35.00 a day. That’s $1575.00 for the average 45 day stay!

v Refuge House’s Hotline receives 3,300 domestic and sexual violence calls per year. After providing counseling, safety planning, crisis intervention and resources the average cost for each call is estimated at $80.00.

v Refuge House’s Courthouse Assistance program, which provides information and assistance in preparing petitions for protective, injunctions, courtroom accompaniment, referral to free legal assistance and other Refuge House services, treats 1,000 victims each year with an average cost of $50.00 per person.

v Refuge House’s Rape Crisis/ Hospital Response program, which provides forensic exams, crisis counseling, law enforcements advocacy for victim, medical supervision, forensic expert testimony in rape trials, ongoing counseling and medical follow-up, treats 100 rape victims per year at $550 cost per person.

v Refuge House’s Transition Housing program places 60 women and children in supportive counseling and safe housing for up to 2.5 years at $315.oo per month per person

I’m sure a lot of you knew Refuge House provided these services, but I am almost certain none of you knew the financial cost. Compared to all other shelters in Florida, Refuge House provides services to the largest number (8) of counties in Florida. Most of the areas are predominately rural, undeserved areas with the exception of Tallahassee, Quincy and Perry, which means Refuge House really needs our help!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

On Monday, October 3^rd, Refuge House will be hosting the 12^th Annual Sheriff Larry Campbell Golf Tournament at Southwood. I have volunteered to help in recruiting sponsorships and silent auction donations, and with Beta Eta and ETE’s help, I know we can provide Refuge House with some amazing donations.

If you would be interested in securing a silent auction donation, know of a company that would like to sponsor, would like to participate in the golf tournament, have a great idea on how to raise money, or volunteer to help on the day of, please email me at dgulasa@gmail.com or visit www.refugehouse.com . I have a lot of marketing materials I can provide you and would really appreciate the help and support!

Let’s show our AXO support and bring awareness to this great cause!

LITB,

Danielle Gulasa

Make Time to Socialize!

2011-08-03T07:45:00.002-04:00

Hope to see you Thursday!:

Farewell Happy Hour
Thursday, August 4th, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Drop by Jenn's house on your way home from work and share your best wishes with our graduating/departing alumnae, graduate students. See our Facebook page for more information, or email Jenn Butler.

Artopia - Fine Arts & Helping Others - SS

2011-08-02T09:43:00.023-04:00

We were proud to support our sister Perry (Beta Eta, FSU) the Development Director for Big Bend Cares during her signature event:

ARTOPIA

What is Artopia? (from the website):
Now in its 13th year, Artopia is a charity art fundraising event that benefits Big Bend Cares. Local and regional artists donate their artwork for this event, which includes a few signed and numbered limited editions.

Before the volunteers started work! (left to right)

Marc (Brother of Hermes), Britain (Beta Eta, FSU), Chris (Delta Chi), Amy (Zeta Upsilon, Case), Kate (Beta Eta, collegiate Panhellenic Delegate)

Chris (Delta Chi) and Kate (Beta Eta, collegiate Panhellenic Delegate) showing a piece of art during the live auction.

Amy, Britain, Chris and Kate also worked the silent auction, Marc and Jenn worked the live auction, and we all served cake.

As always, the ETE president and social media guru Amy blogged about the event:http://365thruamyseyes.blogspot.com/2011/06/artopia-recap.html

As did the 2009 Young Alumna and Beta Eta's chapter advisor, our buddy Britain:http://www.simplysoutherngirl.com/2011/06/artopia-great-art-for-great-cause.html

In the paper - TWICE in one week! ... SS

2011-07-30T12:30:00.001-04:00

It is always exciting to see a sister quoted in the paper for work or a happy occassion. Thank you Cynthia (Beta Eta, FSU) for being a Real. Strong. Woman. role model.

Fla. Lottery secretary touts contributions to education
By Kate Schofield
Democrat writer
11:16 PM, Jul. 29, 2011|

Ending her speech in front of the Economic Cub of Florida on Friday afternoon, Cynthia O'Connell had one simple request — she asked the audience to buy lottery tickets.

O'Connell, appointed secretary of the Florida Lottery by Gov. Rick Scott on Feb. 9, spoke to the club about the mission behind Florida's Lottery: to give funds to Florida education and to aid the Florida economy as a whole.

Last fiscal year, the lottery brought in more than $4 billion, and about $3.9 billion of that was injected into the state's economy, O'Connell said. That is the first time the lottery has brought in that amount since 2008.

The Florida Lottery has contributed $22 billion to education since 1988. O'Connell and her staff of 24 aim to reach the $23 billion mark by October or November.

For every dollar spent on Florida lottery tickets, she said about 62 cents are returned to players as prizes. Thirty cents gets transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF), 5 cents are returned to retailers for commissions and bonuses, 1 cent is paid to game vendors and 2 cents are used for other operating costs (including staff salaries, advertising and all office operations).

The lottery also has funded a half-million students' Bright Futures scholarships, she added. Even with the recent changes the Legislature has made with Bright Futures, O'Connell said the mission to fund education is still at the heart of the Florida Lottery.

"The Florida Lottery is still important for education regardless of the changes the Legislature makes," she said after her speech. "It is our mandate to help fund education and we will continue to do that."

She said the Florida Lottery will use more social networks and mobile apps to expand demographics and be part of the 21st century world.

"We want to move Florida Lottery into the modern day we live in" she told the audience. The Economic Club of Florida tries to meet once a month and has had more than 400 speakers in its history including former Sen. Bob Graham and Clark Hoyt, public editor for The New York Times, said club chairman John Kurowski.

Lt. Gov. Carroll headlines panel featuring women in government

By Dana Edwards
Special to the Chronicle
Jul 27, 2011|

Jennifer Carroll told more than 300 Girls State delegates that being Florida's first African-American lieutenant governor was "never part of my personal plan — but, sometimes, you have to be open to higher plans."

Speaking on a panel organized by the James Madison Institute (JMI), Carroll retraced the steps that led to her election last November. She described her years serving in the Florida House, and how her early experience in the Navy helped prepare her to head the Florida agency in charge of veterans affairs.

She also admitted that public speaking came easily to her — after she had practiced in front of a mirror.

Carroll's remarks highlighted the James Madison Institute's annual "Women in Government" panel at Florida Girls' State.

This year's forum took place at FSU's Moore Auditorium and also featured Rep. Marti Coley of Blountstown, Florida Lottery Secretary Cindy O'Connell and Leon County Judge Nina Ashenafi Richardson.

Coley advised the young women to recognize that being a mother can aid one's experience rather than stifle opportunities. And Coley admitted that she, too, had never imagined running for public office — until the unfortunate death of her newly elected husband in 2005 prompted her to run for his House seat.

O'Connell noted that the diverse backgrounds of the JMI panelists — military, education, business, law — showed that there are many different routes to public service. She also shared her time-management techniques and how she weighs commitments in her personal and public lives.

Similarly, Richardson encouraged the students to invest time in something besides their future careers, offering her participation on the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra Board as an example. She said the key to a successful career is choosing something you enjoy doing every day.

Each panelist advised the girls to take time for themselves each day, whether that is prayer, exercise or something else. Taking time for yourself, they said, helps you to be at your best for all the people in your life.

Sorority Recruitment at FSU!

2011-07-15T15:49:00.000-04:00

Thank you for your help last year!

Sorority Recruitment at FSU will be here before you know it! The dates are Monday, August 22nd through Saturday, August 27th. If you can help out at the FSU AXO House at any time that week, we would love to have your help! Most of the parties are held during the work day and as always we need volunteers to help serve water, keep the house looking great and help behind the scenes. We’ll also need large groups of volunteers Friday night August 26th and Saturday night August 27th to help with tally. No special skills are needed!

If you would like to help, please comment below and we'll be in touch with you! Thank you in advance, we appreciate you!

Please also let us know if you need the official Alpha Chi Omega Recruitment Information Form. It can be downloaded from the Alpha Chi Omega National website (here, note you have to log in) or comment below and we'll send you one by email.

Completed forms can be mailed to:
Laurel Deininger, CRIC
Alpha Chi Omega
518 West Park Avenue
Tallahassee, FL 32301

Thanks as always for the great assistance you all provide!

Best Wishes Connie - 39 years of service!

2011-06-02T15:26:00.013-04:00

How delightful to see the Tallahassee Democrat wrote a great story about our Beta Eta sister Connie. Best Wishes in Retirement Connie. Leon High School will miss you!

May 26, 2011

Leon High bids Walberg farewell after 39 years

By Ashley Amesm, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

For Connie Walberg, retiring from a profession that she has dedicated 39 years of her life to is bittersweet.

"I love teaching," the Leon High School teacher said emphatically. "If I knew that I was going to have a certain amount of time, 20 or 30 years more to live and be in good health, I'd keep teaching another 10."

A group of Walberg's friends and co-workers gathered at Chez Pierre on Wednesday afternoon to send the veteran teacher off with a bang. Walberg has spent her entire career at Leon High School, since she started as an intern in the early '70s. Leon High principal Rocky Hanna actually had her as an instructor.

"Connie Walberg has been one of the cornerstones at Leon High School over the last four decades," he said. "Over 39 years, she has taught and inspired thousands and thousands of young lives, including mine."

Walberg has taught a variety of classes, ranging from English to humanities to psychology. Her passion, however, is art history, something that she shares with her students in the classroom and on her annual trip to Europe. For 32 years, the majority of her teaching career, she has chaperoned a month-long trip to London, Paris, Rome and Florence for local students.
Sheila Costigan, who has known and been close friends with Walberg since 1980, said the teacher is in a class of her own.

"Her heart is filled with so much goodness," she said. "She helps every kid, every day. She gives everyone a chance to become something larger than they ever thought they could be."
Walberg, 60, has been teaching in Leon County for almost two-thirds of her life. She said she will truly miss her students.

"I'm all about forming relationships with my students. I care about them, so not having that connection is going to be very, very difficult," she said.

She is looking forward to having time to travel with her husband, Jerry, and volunteering in the community.

"You don't replace a Connie Walberg," Hanna said, adding that the school and students she has connected with will always remember her. "Her legacy will live forever in these halls — and in the spirit of what we do best at Leon — and that's educating kids."

Steve Ellis 5K Weekend - SS

2011-05-20T08:21:00.008-04:00

Thanks Alpha Chi Omega sisters, Tallahasseans, Pi Kappa Alpha brothers, FSU fans and Clemson fans for supporting the Steve Ellis Memorial Scholarship 5K this Saturday by running, volunteering or eating at Piggy's.

We are always excited to support our sisters' worthy philanthropic events!

Special thanks to those volunteering - Lauren B (Beta Eta, FSU), Aimee J (Beta Eta, FSU), Marc H (Brother of Hermes & Jenn's husband), Jenn (Theta Lambda, Clemson), Karen E (Beta Eta, FSU), Lori R (Beta Eta collegian), Kate B (Beta Eta collegian)

and

running - Tara R (Beta Eta, FSU), Chris S (Brother of Hermes & Pike & Amy Z's husband), Stacia D (Beta Eta collegian).

If you'd like to contribute to the scholarship, please see our previous blog post:
http://axoete.blogspot.com/2010/11/steve-ellis-memorial-scholarship-run.html

We love ya' Karen (Beta Eta, FSU)!

Congratulations Beta Eta Seniors/New Alumnae!

2011-05-17T13:49:00.001-04:00

In April we held Alpha Chi Omega Hall of Commitment for the graduating seniors three times. The first big ceremony was Sunday, April 10th and the two smaller ceremonies later in the month for sisters who were out of town or who had other obligations on the 10th. Thank you to all the alumnae who came out to assist with the ceremonies and congratulate the seniors on their accomplishments!

April 10th serious photo

funny photo

round two

round 3

We're glad we were able to accommodate the schedules of all but one of the seniors (and she is staying in Tallahassee to go to medical school at FSU so we'll be able to catch up with her later).

Each of the seniors received a goodie bag with small gifts designed to help them transition from being a collegiate member to an alumna.

presents!

Salad Days Success!

2011-05-06T09:06:00.000-04:00

A big thank you to our wonderful sisters who came out Monday evening and contributed to help make our bath and bedding drive for Refuge House a success! A special thanks to our guest, Diane Jefferson, Development Director of Refuge House, who made us all feel like we are truly making a difference for the women and children Refuge House serves.

Sisters from seven Alpha Chi collegiate chapters with Diane Jefferson of Refuge House.

Standing (l to r): Diane Jefferson, Lynda (Beta Gamma, Louisiana State), Margaret (Beta Sigma, Univ of Georgia), Amy (Zeta Upsilon, Case Western Reserve Univ), Kristen (Gamma Iota, Univ of Florida and Beta Eta, Florida State), Chelsie (Iota Psi, Elon Univ); seated (l to r): Aimee (Beta Eta, Florida State), Britain (Beta Eta, Florida State) and Jennifer (Theta Lambda, Clemson)

The big stack of towels, twin sheet sets and pillows we collected for Refuge House!

Sisters with the donations

All of us helping Diane load the donations in her car - luckily she had big enough vehicle to hold everything!

Thanks to Alumnae Panhellenic of Tallahassee for awarding us their Philanthropic Grant, the proceeds of which went toward these donations. Thanks also to cash donations from our members (as well as from Beta Eta alumna Danielle and Zeta Upsilon alumna Amy from the Tweet-up they held for Refuge House) we had a cash donation for RH for $150 to go along with all the linens.

In addition to helping a great cause, we enjoyed a lovely evening (inside, unfortunately, due to the overly warm weather) and delicious dinner with the variety of salads everyone brought along. It was a wonderful evening enjoying the society of our sisters!

Baby Best Wishes

2011-05-04T18:06:00.004-04:00

Many warm wishes to our sisters who are celebrating spring babies!

Kristen (Gamma Iota, UF), http://schlorholtz.net/wordpress/?m=201101

and

Jenny (Beta Lambda, Univ of AZ) who was highlighted previously, http://axoete.blogspot.com/2010/11/another-sister-is-woman-to-watch.html, and her husband on the birth of their first baby girl.

You're on Candid Camera meets I Spy

2011-05-02T11:29:00.004-04:00

Our sister Kristen (Gamma Iota/Beta Eta) is a busy lady. On top of her new title of "Mrs." she was in an epsiode of Georgia Public Broadcasting's show "Georgia Traveler", Season 4, Epsiode 10. The show visited Liam's in Thomasville, GA - YUM.

http://www.gpb.org/georgiatraveler/410 (8:53 - a great shot of her smile - love ya Kristen!)

If you haven't been to Liam's, get yourself there! And then enjoy a stroll in downtown Thomasville where many of our ETE sisters live!

Creative Writing - SS

2011-04-26T13:56:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, April 26, 8pm support the Southeast Review Literary Magazine and event organizers Anne (Delta Xi, Denison) and her fellow Creative Writing graduate student Lauren Fusilier at the Southeast Review annual fundraiser.

The event features "a raffle, trivia competition, readings of FSU professors' writings and, in what's sure to be a hoot, a variety show put on by Creative Writing Program professors Julianna Baggott, Erin Belieu, Jimmy Kimbrell, Diane Roberts and Mark Winegardner."

It will be held at The Warehouse, 706 W. Gaines St. Admission is $5 for students, $10 for the general public. Contact: Call 222-6188 or visit http://www.southeastreview.org

You will remember we posted about Anne's work earlier also, http://axoete.blogspot.com/2011/03/alpha-chi-alumna-in-fine-arts.html

We are proud of our sisters working hard to support and promote the Fine Arts!

Tweetup 4 Refuge House: Using Social Media for Philanthropy & Sisterhood

2011-04-19T10:22:00.009-04:00

Remember our last blog post?
http://axoete.blogspot.com/2011/04/tweetup-for-refuge-house-on-estelles.html

The twtvite is burning up Twitter today! See the original tweet from our ETE president, Amy (Zeta Upsilon):
@amy_z: Tally tweeps, pls join us Thur 4/21 for #ChocoTallyTweetup for @RefugeHouse at @LeRocBistroHD: http://twtvite.com/chocotally

Translated into "English" it means, "Friends in Tallahassee who use Twitter, please join us Thursday, April 21st at LeRoc Bistro inside Hotel Duval as we celebrate Refuge House with lunch and special chocolates crafted by the LeRoc Bistro chef"

Our sisters also blogged about the event:

http://365thruamyseyes.blogspot.com/2011/04/chocolate-tweetup-for-refuge-house.html

http://www.simplysoutherngirl.com/2011/04/tweetup-for-refuge-house-on-estelles.html

I am sad I cannot attend (@jennsueb), but many of our sisters will be there:

@Danielle_Gulasa @bmds99 @MeaganDougherty @amy_z @axo_fsu

You KNOW we will post lots of pictures of the event!

Tweetup for Refuge House (on Estelle's Birthday!)

2011-04-14T16:33:00.027-04:00

A combination of our ETE President Amy (Zeta Upsilon, Case), Past Collegiate President Danielle (Beta Eta, FSU) and our friend Paula yielded a fantastic idea combining Twitter and Refuge House.

Remember when we blogged about our service project of collecting sheets and towels for Refuge House, "Help Us Help Refuge House"? We are inviting the Tallahassee Twitter community to help us at a lunch tweetup and sheets/towel drive at LeRoc Bistro (inside Hotel Du val) on Thursday, April 21st. The chef at LeRoc is VERY excited and will concoct a special chocolate treat for the menu that day!

Additionally, Amy will be provide a copy of Elin Stebbins Waldal's book Tornado Warning: A Memoir of Teen Dating Violence and Its Effect On A Woman's Life as a door prize!

We hope our Alpha Chi Omega sisters and Twitter friends will meet us there for fun, friendship and philanthropy.

Want to know more about tweetups? Check out Amy's blog. Hope to see you there!

P.S. Sisters in the Bond - it's Estelle Leonard's birthday on April 21st! Can you think of a better birthday present for her than enjoying lunch with your sisters AND being altruistic?: The true spirit of sisterhood.

I Spy ... Sisters in the Community

2011-04-08T18:47:00.000-04:00

If you follow dance performances in Tallahassee, then you know the name Nancy Smith Fichter.

Nancy is a Beta Eta alumna and a famous FSU alumnus (they named a theatre after her!) We were thrilled to see her honored in the Tallahassee Democrat. Enjoy.

PAR TEE & PAR TEA - Beta Eta Philanthropy for DVA

2011-04-01T13:57:00.008-04:00

PHILANTHROPY PAR TEE Style! The Beta Eta Chapter is practicing philanthropy and alturism with a week-long list of events to highlight Domestic Violence Awareness (DVA) & Alpha Chi Omega (AXO) culminating in their annual fundraiser! Contact StaciaDudleyATgmailDOTcom for more information.

ETE is proud of them!

Tues 4/5 Walk a Mile in Her Shoes @ 5 p.m. ending at a spaghetti dinner at the house. This will be a walk around campus and the sorority houses to gain attention and awareness for DVA.

Wed 4/6 Wear DVA shirts

Thurs 4/7 DVA Vigil @ the Beta Eta house after dinner (Wear purple)

Fri 4/8 -Golfers invited to lunch

Sat 4/9 PAR TEE Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. (Caddy's should arrive at 9:00 a.m. to support your golfers!) - Shot Gun start at 11:00 a.m.
PAR TEA for moms at Killearn course with trunk shows and lunch

Sun 4/10 Thank You Brunch at Beta Eta

Sponsors
Epsilon Tau Epsilon of Alpha Chi Omega
Xi Omega Xi of Alpha Chi Omega
GAP
Target Copy
ABC
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
Tijuana Flats
Sweat Therapy Fitness
The Red Elephant Pizza & Grill
Hotel Duval
A to Z Data Solutions
ProTec Systems International

I Spy... Sisters in the Community

2011-03-31T16:17:00.005-04:00

It was fun to see another sister in the Tallahassee Democrat! Amanda is the Education & Exhibitions Director at COCA - Council on Culture & Arts for Tallahassee/Leon County. She supports Alpha Chi Omega's mission of celebrating the fine arts everyday!

Twenty-five years of Sisterhood

2011-03-23T05:20:00.000-04:00

Please plan to join us when we celebrate Beta Eta's 82nd anniversary (founded at Florida State University for Women on March, 29, 1929).

and

Sisters from chapters around the country who have enjoyed twenty-five years as Alpha Chi Omegas.

We look forward to the 25-Year Pin Ceremony and sharing Wisdom, Devotion, Achievement with many Real. Strong. Women.

March 29, 5:30 at the Beta Eta house. Please RSVP to jennysuebutlerATgmailDOTcom

I Spy... Sisters in the Community

2011-03-18T10:33:00.001-04:00

Nice to see Terri (Epsilon Zeta, Auburn) pictured in the paper for her work accomplishments!

American Honda has recognized Mike Grindberg, Terri Rutledge and Thomas "Obie" Oberman of Proctor Honda as winners of the Council of Sales Leadership Award. Honda's Council of Sales Leadership Award acknowledges the achievements of the top-performing sales professionals in the nation, both in volume and customer service. Grindberg was named a Gold Master for the 11th year, Rutledge earned Silver for the ninth year

Help Us Help Refuge House

2011-03-15T09:17:00.002-04:00

As we mentioned in post recapping the 2011 Alumnae Panhellenic Scholarship Luncheon and Auction, we are proud to be the winners of the 2011 Philanthropic Grant! In our grant application, we answered this question:
How would your alumnae chapter use the grant on a local level to further your philanthropic efforts?

We plan to expand our work with Refuge House to include additional contributions that will ease the lives of the mothers and children sheltered there. Refuge House is an amazing resource in our community, and unfortunately, it continues to be under-funded. After speaking with Diane Jefferson at Refuge House about their immediate needs, we would like to request the funds to purchase new pillows, twin sheets and towel sets. They give everyone new bed/bath sets when they arrive (and the women/families take the items with them when they leave) so they always have a need for these items.

How can I help?

- Donate a twin set, a pillow or a towel set for Refuge House by bringing them to any of our AXO alumnae events this spring:

* AXO FSU Founders' Day Dinner Tuesday March 29

* Hall of Commitment for FSU AXO Seniors Sunday April 10

* Salad Days Monday May 2

- Or bring your items to an Alumnae Panhellenic event.

- Bargain hunt for us. If you see a great price on any of the items, either locally or online, please comment below or email us!

The donation drive will culminate on May 2nd. We've invited Diane from Refuge House to join us at Salad Days that evening, where we plan to present her with all of our contributions, and take an amazing photo showcasing your generosity!

Thank you for your continued support of Alpha Chi Omega and Refuge House!

Give and Get is Here!

2011-03-14T15:57:00.000-04:00

Give and Get is Here!: "Enjoy 30% off from March 17-20 at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy plus we'll make a 5% donation to a non-profit."

I chose Habitat for Humanity! Since I have been involved with the organization since High school, and have traveled to some amazing places with Gap Inc. Community Corp. to build houses for those in need. My most recent big build with Gap was in Guatemala..

Recapping the Peace Corps 50th Anniversary Celebration

2011-03-14T12:49:00.012-04:00

On March 1st, we shared our Alpha Chi Omega link to the local Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and their plans to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps. (See the blog post here). We thought it would be fun to follow up with a recap one of the events that week.

Friday, March 4, the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers hosted an Opening Reception for their "Art from Our Countries" exhibit, which is on display in the Reflections Art Gallery in the FSU Center for Global Engagement from March 1st through 15th.

A view of part of the gallery.

Jennifer and fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Tiona, both served in Botswana!

Alpha Chi Omega sisters supporting our Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Jennifer (Theta Lambda, Clemson): Amy (Zeta Upsilon, Case Western Reserve Univ), left, and Tara (Beta Eta, Florida State), right. Great work Jennifer!!

The piece on the wall in the background is one of Jennifer's. It is a "hand-loomed, wool tapestry of a typical village day in Oodi, Botswana. Oodi village is home to Oodi Weavers. The village resides in the Southeast part of Botswana, a bit outside the capital city of Gaborone. My family also owns to gorgeous table runners from this cooperative."

We would be remiss if we didn't thank Amanda (Alpha Upsilon, Alabama) who works with COCA (Council on Culture and Arts for Tallahassee/Leon County). Amanda was instrumental in helping the Jenn's group find the perfect gallery space for their exhibit and event! Thank you, Amanda, and thank you to everyone who stopped by or attended any of the Peace Corps 50th Anniversary events!

Recapping the Alumnae Panhellenic Luncheon

2011-03-13T09:10:00.001-04:00

We had a lovely time on Saturday, February 5th at the Alumnae Panhellenic Scholarship Luncheon and Auction. This year it was held at the Delta Zeta house, and what a treat it was to see their beautiful home.

The Delta Zeta formal living room.

Excited to bid on silent auction items. All proceeds go toward the collegiate scholarships ...

Fun items donated by Alpha Chi Omegas (clockwise): famous sugar cookies by Amy (Zeta Upsilon, Case) - a hit each year; "Girls Night In" basket from Jenn (Theta Lambda, Clemson); $100 Live Auction Pound Cake baked by Barbara (Gamma Iota, UF); "Easter Will Spring" Basket (ETE Alumnae)

We loved the pink and green decor and the lovely spring tulips on each table.

Congratulations Alpha Chi Omega collegian Whitney P (Beta Eta, FSU) on her scholarship award!

She is pictured here with Alumnae Panhellenic Vice President, Rachel Sutz-Pienta.

Our Alpha Chi Omega group:

Standing (left to right): Linda (Gamma Epsilon, Kansas State), Margaret (Beta Sigma, Georgia), Kate (Beta Eta, FSU), Katherine (Beta Eta, FSU), Jaclyn (Beta Eta, FSU), Whitney (Beta Eta, FSU), Marie (Beta Eta's House Director), Joy (Gamma Iota, Florida); Seated: Amy (Zeta Upsilon, Case) and Barbara (Gamma Iota, Florida)

Our big surprise of the day was being awarded the Philanthropic Grant!

We will use the funds to benefit Refuge House, our local domestic violence shelter. Look for a post coming soon on how you can help!

Thank you to everyone at Alumnae Panhellenic of Tallahassee for a wonderful event and to the collegians and alumnae of Delta Zeta for being charming hostesses!

I Spy ... Sisters in the Community

2011-03-08T19:08:00.002-05:00

Great picture of Kristen (Gamma Iota/Beta Eta) working for "Decent Chili" (and having fun) at the St. George Island Regional Charity Chili Cook-off. Thanks to the Tallahassee Democrat for the photograph.

caption: Kristen - smiles for the camera at the Chili Cookoff in St. George Island, FL

An Alpha Chi Alumna in the Fine Arts

2011-03-07T14:45:00.008-05:00

Anne Barngrover (Delta Xi, Denison) — Borges Poetry Contest, 1st Place (Selected by Kelly Davio) 02/07/2011

Canopy Road Blues

You just need to feel it, they all said to me,
so I let myself feel it the only way I know how—

A Florida summer turns to a Florida fall the way
colors soften at dusk or after rain. From my deck

the webs of banana spiders break like wine glasses
when swept and scattered, and beneath my window

a chorus of tree frogs croons a lonely Cajun aubade.
This story has a predictable ending. This story

belongs in a sinkhole. There are only so many times
a Southern man leaves in one season, only so many hers—

and hers—he’s shucked from the gulf shore. Tar balls,
he tells me. You’re the oyster. And I know that I’m

the hummingbird moth while everyone yelps hornet!
or butterfly! I’m the kind that rusts in a hurricane; I’ll

haunt egrets after I’m gone. And I’m the cottonmouth
slashing through wild blackberries and doveweed,

the lone ghost bike peddling down a canopy road until
I can shroud myself in kudzu, drape myself in vines,

shrink down to just a leaf or a salamander when it all
becomes too humid, when the constellations itch

like fire ant bites, pressing in far too close from the sky.
If things could just stay where they belong: cicadas

in the crab grass, Spanish moss like sorrow on wire,
his thumb on the button of skin between my hipbone

and thigh. But my bed has become a swamp of rotting
gator tail, my lover, a chupacabra I barely recognize.

All night long I cast off leaves that brown, yellow and red
before my fall. And I feel it. I feel it all the damn time.

Anne is currently an MFA candidate at Florida State University and is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. Her poetry and prose have appeared in The Houston Literary Review, FreightTrain Magazine, Magazine Americana, Full of Crow and Poets for Living Waters among others.

Peace Corps 50th Anniversary - Support a Sister!

2011-03-01T02:21:00.000-05:00

We have a fabulous opportunity to support our wonderful AXO ETE Treasurer Jennifer (Theta Lambda, Clemson) all this week (and month) as the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the creation of the Peace Corps! Jenn has been involved in every aspect of the planning so I hope you might be able to attend one or more of the events.

For those of you who didn't know, Jennifer served in the Peace Corps in Botswana (Africa) from 1993-95.

Calendar of Events

50th Anniversary Celebration of the U.S. Peace Corps

February 28, 2011 – April 9, 2011; Tallahassee, Florida

Hosted by the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of North Florida

Tuesday, March 1, 2011 (2 – 6pm)

Global House Party hosted by Ferdy Mazoleny (Jamaica '84). Please call 561-1011 for directions.

Kick-off for “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” Shoe Drive (through April 3). Contact Ellen Meyi (Paraguay '02) at 891-6540 or 491-1517 and she will bring you a Soles4Souls collection box. [Collection boxes will be at Good Friends Fitness and at the Alpha Chi Omega house.]

Thursday, March 3, 2011

(11:00am – 12:00pm)

Perspectives hosted by Tom Flanagan, WFSU 88.9 FM

Tune in to listen and call-in to talk to former Peace Corps volunteers about Peace Corps and the 50th anniversary. Mark Mahoney (Chile '80 and Ecuador '77), Charlie Clark (Liberia '76), Alethea Parker (SE Peace Corps Recruiter, Cameroon '08) and Dana Brosig (Uganda '10) will be live on the radio!

(5:30 – 7:30pm)

Peace Corps Information Session and Panel Discussion, FSU Center for Global Engagement, Auditorium. Please join Alethea Parker, SE Peace Corps Recruiter (Cameroon '08) for a lively discussion on the Peace Corps and hear from former volunteers about their experience.

Friday, March 4, 2011 (6:00 – 9:00pm)

Opening Reception: RPCV Art from Our Countries

FSU's Center for Global Engagement, Reflections Gallery

Hosted by the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of North Florida

Exhibit runs through March 15

Saturday, April 2, 2011 (8:30am – 5pm)

Springtime Tallahassee Parade and Jubilee in the Park. Join RPCVs marching in the Springtime Tallahassee Parade to celebrate 50 years of service around the world. Twenty-four flags will be carried by local RPCVs that represent countries where Tallahasseans have served. Volunteer walkers and table hosts are still needed. Contact Jennifer Sue Butler Harris (Botswana '95) @ 850-559-0742 if you can participate!

Saturday, April 9, 2011 (10:00am – 4:00pm)

Peace Celebration, Midtown Tallahassee

Join the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of North Florida along with more than 200 community organizations to celebrate the great work local organizations do to make our community great!

Pay It Forward on Hera Day (March 1st)

2011-02-27T14:22:00.003-05:00

(thank you Heights & Highlights from Foundation for allowing us to borrow this ...)

On March 1st of each year, Alpha Chi Omegas around the country celebrate Hera Day by recognizing the organization’s commitment to helping others. Hera was the queen of the Olympian deities, her name meaning “chosen one.” According to the 1935 Alpha Chi Omega history, “On the first of March, Alpha Chi Omega lays her gifts upon the altar of her patron goddess...the members of the fraternity devote that day to the doing of small deeds of kindness, to alleviate suffering, to bring hope to the underprivileged...it is a dedication of personal talent, personal effort, to the well-being of others less fortunate.”

Hera Day is the embodiment of the “pay it forward” concept, the idea of doing good works for others to repay the good that you have experienced. In just a few weeks, Alpha Chi Omega members will volunteer at local domestic violence shelters, assist with Habitat for Humanity builds, visit hospitals and nursing homes, or simply lend a hand to a neighbor in need. There is no doubt that on this day of service our collegians and alumnae will be actively working at making a difference for those around them.

As members of this Fraternity, most would agree that we have been privileged to reap the benefits of a life-changing organization. So how can you pay it forward in terms of Alpha Chi Omega? Gifts to the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation are one way to make an impact. Without the contributions of alumnae, Alpha Chi Omega cannot meet the needs of today’s women and plan for the needs of tomorrow’s sisters. Your contributions to Alpha Chi Omega ensure that the next generation can have all that you experienced…and more.

So this Hera Day, in addition to personal service for others, consider making a gift to the Foundation in honor of three Alpha Chi Omega members who have touched your life. While the Foundation will notify the honoree of the gift, tell her yourself why she made your world a better place and encourage her to pay it forward by honoring those who have been a positive influence on her life. Start a circle of kindness and be amazed by the generosity that abounds!

National Ritual Celebration Week

2011-02-25T06:03:00.000-05:00

Alpha Chi Omega is proud to join with Phi Mu and many other fraternities and sororities for National Ritual Celebration Week, March 1 - 7

Collegians and alumnae are encouraged to take time each day that week – either by participating in collegiate or alumnae chapter activities or personally – to reflect the meaning of Alpha Chi Omega Ritual and how intentionally personifying that Ritual positively impacts your life.

To honor Alpha Chi Omega’s seven founders, here are seven suggestions for how you and/or your chapter can participate in National Ritual Celebration Week:

☆Organize a Hera Day activity on March 1. Take time on March 1 to be of service to others.

☆Perform the Rededication of the Bond ceremony at your chapter meeting. Invite area alumnae to your chapter meeting that week and perform the ceremony for both collegians and alumnae. If you don’t live near a collegiate chapter, don’t have an alumnae chapter near you or don’t have a meeting scheduled that week, take a minute to reflect on your Initiation ceremony. Are you living the life you pledged to live that day? If so, how else could you show that every day? If not, there is no time like the present to start!

☆Reconnect with a sister you haven’t spoken to for awhile. Go to lunch. Have a phone date. Send a card. Write a text. Make time one day that week to reach out to someone and tell her why you’re glad she’s your sister. If you have regular conversations with sisters, take time this week to talk about the common bond you share with your closest Alpha Chi Omega friends.

☆Reflect on the meaning of The Symphony of Alpha Chi Omega. Re-read "The Symphony" at least one time during the week. How does it relate to where you are in life right now? What is your favorite part of the passage? Why?

☆Change your Facebook profile picture to the National Ritual Celebration Week logo. Consider posting your reflections and other Alpha Chi Omega stories and thoughts as your status updates and on the Alpha Chi Omega Facebook page during that week. You also could tweet your ideas during the week – tag your tweets with #AXORitualWeek and follow that tag throughout the week to see what others are saying on Twitter.

☆Reflect on how you personify Alpha Chi Omega’s values of Wisdom, Devotion and Achievement. You might consider a conversation about one of these ideals with a non-member and tell him/her why you value your Alpha Chi Omega experience so much.

☆Participate in National Panhellenic Conference’s International Badge Day on March 7. Proudly wear your lyre badge to work, on campus and to your community gatherings. Doing so not only honors Alpha Chi Omega, but gives you a chance to connect with other sorority women in your area and celebrate the history of women’s fraternities.

These are just a few of the ways you can celebrate. If you have other ideas we hope you’ll share them on the Alpha Chi Omega Facebook page.

Contact Alpha Chi Omega Headquarters if you have questions or need additional information.

☆☆☆

MacDowell Month Highlight: Star Studio

2011-02-23T06:48:00.002-05:00

From MacDowell, Vol. 39, No.1 Summer 2010

When I first entered Star Studio, I noted immediately — and with relief — how pared down its contents were. Two desks were just the number I needed. A dictionary was the only book I wanted, and there it was.

The studio was gloriously devoid of Internet access yet within walking distance of a wireless network. This arrangement meant I was not so cut off that my agent panicked, but neither was I at the mercy of her always plugged-in work habits. Building a fire provided just the meditative activity that I, on occasion, needed. The simplicity of the studio was like a whetstone that honed my attention to a razor-sharp edge.

The cumulative result was the ability to squeeze three days of work out of every 24-hour period. The world that “is too much with us” fell away. In New York, I write before noon but by lunch I feel like I have to plug my phone back in and start returning calls. MacDowell has a different pace, and noon simply became the time when I could retrieve my lunch basket. My only company when I ate was four walls, two large windows, and those uncluttered desks. As I began my afternoon shift, my writing became focused — more alert to itself. Dinnertime arrived just when it needed to and then later, buoyed by the company of powerful artists at the communal meal, I returned to my cabin and worked yet again before retiring. I slept blissfully, in sight of my notebooks, knowing I could resume work when my eyelids opened and the day announced itself.

Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas’s awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. His plays include Maleta Mulata, Sleepwalkers, and Blind Mouth Singing, which was praised as having “visionary wit” by the Chicago Tribune and called “beautiful and strange” by The New York Times. Cortiñas is on the faculty at Lehigh University and belongs to the New York Theatre Workshop and New Dramatists.

---------------------

Star Studio was the first studio donated by an outside organization:
the music sorority Alpha Chi Omega.

MacDowell Month - Alpha Chis Celebrating The Arts

2011-02-11T16:59:00.022-05:00

Our sister Cindy supports the Arts all year round. We found her in the Gainesville Magazine enjoying Noche de Gala benefiting the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation.

We are also pleased to share an updated picture from Erin (Iota Psi, Elon)'s Celebrating the Arts mural. Today Mayor Marks cuts the ribbon, and welcomes the mural to Railroad Avenue and Gaines Street community. Thank you Erin, your colleagues and Tallahassee citizens for helping beautifying the city!

Help Make Tallahassee More Beautiful!

2011-02-11T13:19:00.002-05:00

Alpha Chi Omega alumna Erin (Iota Psi, Elon)'s department (Department of Art Education) and student association (Art Therapy Association) are collaborating with Seven Days of Opening Nights Arts Fest and the City of Tallahassee to paint a mural on the corner of Gaines and Railroad Square from Feb. 10-22. "We're there this week 9am-7pm and this weekend 12-5pm. We'll be there 9am-9pm beginning Feb 14. Any and all are welcome- we'd especially love for people to bring their classes (if they teach) or any volunteer organizations; it's pretty much paint by numbers; artistic or technical skill is not a requirement.

"Students of any paintbrush-wielding age are welcome, provided they have proper supervision of course. We are also working with local programs such as Pyramid Studios, SAIL, and FDOA/Sports Ability. The theme of the mural is the arts-visual, and performing, so there are dancers and musicians and such throughout the mural design. It should be awesome!"

What a great way to celebrate MacDowell Month (when Alpha Chi Omegas everywhere take part in and support the fine arts)!

one section of the mural, just beginning to take shape on Friday!

In Memory of Catherine Austin Buzzett

2011-02-06T14:52:00.000-05:00

It is with heavy hearts that we share that we have lost a local Alpha Chi Omega alumna sister. Cathy was a 1947 initiate of Beta Eta chapter at FSU.

Catherine Austin Buzzett, 81, of St. George Island passed away Monday, Jan. 31, 2011 in Tampa.

Cathy Buzzett was born Feb. 1, 1929 to the late Loretta and Eugene Austin in Apalachicola. She graduated from Florida State University in 1950 and married Lt. Harry A. Buzzett later in that year. She was a devoted wife and mother to six children. She was an active member of St. Patrick Catholic Church and served many volunteer organizations throughout her life.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 60 years, Col. Harry A. Buzzett, children Ellen E. Mackay and husband, Steve, of Andover, Mass.; William A. Buzzett and wife, Kelly, of Seagrove Beach; Lisa M. Tanjuatco and husband, Ferdie, of Atlanta, Ga.; Cecilia A. Lovett and husband, Perrin, of Augusta, Ga. and Joseph G. Buzzett and wife, Jennifer, of Tampa; 10 grandchildren, Tricia, Daniel, Ryan, Austin, Wells, Trey, Gabrielle, Alexandria, Jacqueline, and Jordan; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her son, Michael A. Buzzett, and sisters Jean Elizabeth Atchison and Mary Marjorie Austin.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 4 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Apalachicola with Father Roger Latosynski officiating, with interment to follow in Magnolia Cemetery.

The family will receive friends Thursday, Feb 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Kelly Funeral Home in Apalachicola.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Patrick Catholic Church, 6th Street, Apalachicola, FL.

Source

Alpha Chi Omega to head the Florida Lottery

2011-02-05T18:53:00.001-05:00

On Wednesday, February 2nd, Florida Governor Rick Scott named Alpha Chi Omega alumna Cynthia O'Connell (Beta Eta, FSU) to head the Florida Lottery! Please join us in sending her our congratulations and best wishes for her new position!

Press release:

Today, Governor Scott named Cynthia F. O’Connell as Secretary of the Florida Lottery. O’Connell has an experienced record in lottery management, communications, and higher education that will allow her to improve the agency’s efficiency and core mission of raising revenues for Florida public education.

O’Connell has previously served as a Division Director of Research and Promotions for the Florida Lottery, where she developed the promotional launch of the Lottery’s instant and online games, and oversaw a staff of twenty with a multi-million dollar budget authority. She most recently served as CEO at O’Connell Consulting, where she managed consulting contracts for clients seeking significant re-branding communication programs.

Previously, she served as a Senior Vice-President/GM at Hill & Knowlton, where she oversaw communications strategies for major national and Florida accounts. In addition, she served as the Information Manager for the Olympic Athletes Villages and Southeast US manager of the Torch Relay for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. She has vast experience as a branding, marketing, and communications executive with financial companies and higher-learning institutions.

Aside from her previous experience at the Florida Lottery, O’Connell has a long history of public service to Florida. She is an inaugural (2001-2011) Board of Trustee member of the University of Florida, where she oversaw committee assignments including educational policy and public relations including brand management. She has been a catalyst for numerous statewide philanthropic interests including the development of the Stephen C. O’Connell Supreme Court Reading Room at the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law. She serves as the Chairwoman of the Florida House in D.C, Florida’s embassy on Capitol Hill, where she oversees Florida House’s important mission of showcasing Florida’s cultural and economic resources to the nation’s capital.

“Cindy brings an impressive record of leadership and brand management to the Florida Lottery and will improve the agency’s important mission of maximizing revenues for the enhancement of public education in Florida,” Governor Scott said.

More Ways to Support Sisters!

2011-01-29T13:58:00.001-05:00

The Friends of the Leon County Public Library Treasurer, Laura (BH, FSU), invites us to the 2011 Author Event February 2nd at 8pm featuring Christopher Buckley, author ofLosing Mum and Pup, Thank You for Smoking, and Boomsday. For $50 General Seating Tickets, call (850) 915-1670 or order online at www.leoncountyfl.gov/library and learn more about them on facebook!

Big Bend Cares Director of Development Perry (BH, FSU) shared a great opportunity:

BIG BEND CARES is proud to serve up a yearly tradition: "An Evening With Friends." Throughout the month of February, you can organize and host a dinner or cocktail party to raise funds to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The money you raise also will help to provide resources for HIV/AIDS prevention and education efforts in the Big Bend. Learn more and see all the great party planning resources at http://www.bigbendcares.org/evening11/index.shtml

Educator and art lover, Connie (BH, FSU), want us all to know about a first-class exhibit that she's helped with quite a bit: Baroque paintings from the Brera Museum in Milan, Italy will debut at the Brogan Museum on March 18 with a big celebration at the 2011 Wine Festival. http://www.thefloridawinefestival.com Learn more on their facebook page.

For the first time in history, Pinacoteca di Brera, one of the most prestigious museums in Italy, will lend fifty masterpieces from the 16th and 17th centuries to another museum. This unique collection will debut, outside of the usual international circuit, at The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science in Tallahassee, Florida. BAROQUE PAINTING IN LOMBARDY FROM THE PINACOTECA DI BRERA is an exclusive exhibition created by the genius of renowned artists such as Vincenzo Campi, Nuvolone, Daniele Crespi, Sofonisba Anguissola (the first internationally recognized female artist), and many others who embody the signature traits of Baroque Painting.The effort behind this operation is immense, but it is with great pride that The Brogan Museum has devoted its resources into organizing this exhibition, making these treasures accessible to students, art lovers, and the general public in a region that does not normally enjoy initiatives of this caliber. http://www.baroquepaintings.org/

In addition to collecting items for Whale of a Sale, please contact Lauren (BH, FSU) if you have dresses to donate for Junior League's Operation Prom Dress. Lauren says, "I can pick up all of these items to save someone time/goodwill trips" Reach her at lauren_aukeman at yahoo dot com.

Supporting Collegians in a Tasty Way

2011-01-28T13:31:00.017-05:00

The Beta Eta collegians will be hosting two fundraisers for Dance Marathon this week. Please stop by and support them in their endeavors. It's easy, yummy and for an excellent cause!

★★★

Monday, January 31st - Ghengis Grill on Apalachee Parkway 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

BEFORE YOU GET YOUR CHECK, tell your server you are supporting Alpha Chi Omega for Dance Marathon. (The server has to press a special button in the checkout process.)

Go for lunch ... then go again for dinner!

★★★

Wednesday, February 2nd - Sunberry on Tennessee Street (around the corner from 518 West Park Avenue!), 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

If they get MORE than 30 people, they will receive 30% of the profit made during that time.

Support an AXO sister at Sunberry

2011-01-28T08:11:00.003-05:00

Tonight, Friday, January 28th from 7-10pm, support Erin (Iota Psi, Elon) and her fellow Art Therapy graduate students by treating yourself and your family or friends to Sunberry Frozen Yogurt, 633 West Tennessee Street.

A portion of all sales will go to the Art Therapy Association (just mention FSU ATA)!

See more details on the facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=183320035033959&index=1

http://www.sunberryfyc.com

Alpha Chi Altruisms - Feb 25th-27th - FOUR events! - SS

2011-01-20T15:09:00.024-05:00

Supporting Sisters in their philanthropic endeavors: a key focus of Epsilon Tau Epsilon

The weekend of February 25th - 27th will provide us ample opportunities. Buy your tickets today!

Feb 25-26 - Friday night and Saturday - Many of our sisters are members of Alpha Chi Omega and Junior League. They will work and attend the Annual Whale of a Sale event. Please contact Lauren if you have items to contribute, lauren_aukemanATyahooDOTcom

•••

Feb 26 - Saturday night - Support local musicians, MacDowell Month AND our Sisters by attending the
Stubbs Educational Foundation Mardi Gras Masked Ball

•••

Feb 26 - Saturday night - Conclude a month of "An Evening with Friends" to benefit Big Bend Cares by enjoying a Dessert and Coffee Reception from 9 - 10:30 p.m. The dessert reception is free for anyone who attended your "An Evening With Friends" party.

•••

Feb 27 - Sunday night - 26th Annual Chef's Sampler benefiting Children's Home Society
In a word: YUMMY. This event is fun, and you will run into lots of people you know.

Have You Marked February 5th on your calendar? Here is your reminder!

2010-12-30T08:41:00.004-05:00

Alumnae Panhellenic of Tallahassee, Inc.

2011 Scholarship Awards Luncheon & Benefit Auction

Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 11 o’clock in the morning

Delta Zeta Sorority House * 749 West Jefferson Street

Bid on fabulous gift baskets, merchandise, edibles, live plants and more! After a delicious luncheon and awards ceremony, enjoy the exclusive live auction. Please respond no later than January 30, 2011 by mailing your check for $25.00 to:

Alumnae Panhellenic of Tallahassee, Inc.

Attn: Shelley Green

11387 Turkey Roost Road

Tallahassee, FL 32317

Note: Please indicate your sorority affiliation and if you would prefer a vegetarian meal.

Alumnae Chapter, business sponsored themed gift baskets and donations for the auction are needed. Contact President, Kathy Dilworth at Kathy.A.DilworthATgmailDOTcom

Florida's State Day

2010-12-27T15:53:00.001-05:00

On years when we do not have our National Convention, states and regions gather to enjoy the society of their sisters, do a bit of training and, most importantly, have fun!

Let Amy or Jenn know if you can attend State Day for Florida this year. We can carpool if you like. We know all 7 collegiate chapters in the state will be there and we hope all 18 alumnae chapters will attend as well.

Save the Date!!!
2011 Florida State Day

Alumnae and collegiate chapter Executive Board members are invited to attend this fantastic event to meet or reunite with Alpha Chi’s from across the state and share ideas!

February 19, 2011 ★★★ 9:00am until 4:00pm

Ocala, Florida

Everything You Need to Know About State Day 2011

★Registration cost - $30 per person (including lunch and training materials)

★Registration deadline - Friday, February 4, 2011

★Overnight accommodations are available at
Holiday Inn
3600 SW 38th Avenue
Ocala, FL 34474

★Attire: Business or chapter attire

★Honor someone special in your life by donating to the Star Booth. Proceeds from the Star Booth will go to the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation.

★In honor of Hera Day (which is March 1), we will be collecting toiletries and baby supplies for the local Ocala domestic violence shelter.

★The Alpha Chi Omega Carnation Booth will be available. If you or your chapter have goods you would like to sell, please contact Amanda Causey, PCC or Lorraine Franckle, PAC.

DV and the workplace? Yes, there is a connection.

2010-12-08T10:19:00.001-05:00

We talk about domestic violence shelters helping DV survivors; women & children trying to escape domestic violence; and signs for identifying and avoiding dating violence, but do you know it affects the workplace?

Kim Wells serves as the executive director for the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, and her group won a fantastic donation last month from Hopeline© from Verizon to address this issue.

"According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), intimate partner violence victims lose a total of nearly 8 million days of paid work a year, the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs, and the cost of domestic violence to the U.S. economy is more than $8.3 billion. A 2005 national telephone survey by CAEPV found that 21 percent of full-time employed adults were victims of domestic violence and 64 percent of them indicated their work performance was significantly impacted." (from the CAEPV November 30, 2010 press release)

Amy and I were introduced to Kim Wells through her blog, http://domesticviolenceworkplace.blogspot.com/ and her tweets @kwells2416.

Personally, I'm thinking we should talk to Kim about alumnae initiation into Alpha Chi Omega. She embodies the ideal Real.Strong.Woman.

Thanks to Kim, we know today is a super important day on the calendar for Domestic Violence Awareness.

Today is Liz Claiborne Inc’s seventh annual It’s Time to Talk Day.

If you follow Twitter hashtags (#) you will find tweets about this day marked thusly #ITTTD

The website asks, “TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.”

We hope you appreciate AXΩ – ETE taking the opportunity to inform you about CAEPV, Kim Wells and #ITTTD.

Hall of Commitment = win ... Photos = fail

2010-12-07T07:14:00.009-05:00

One of the great joys and honors for an alumnae chapter is to host Hall of Commitment (Third Degree of Initiation) for the senior and transfer collegians.

When opportunities arise for sisters to share in ritual, they remember The Bond that unifies them and the values they strive to uphold. One of our alumnae said it best on Sunday, "Every time I hear this ceremony I learn something new." How refreshing and exciting to remain inspired by ceremonies envisioned more than 100 years ago.

Sorry we forgot a camera to document the event, but we do want to recognize our sisters!

Thanks for giving of your time to help cultivate our future alumnae!
Barbara (Gamma Iota, UF)
Chelsie (Iota Psi)
Erin (Iota Psi)
Kim (Beta Eta)
Jenn (Theta Lambda)
Jennifer (Iota Psi)
Tara (Beta Eta)

Welcome to the Third Stage of Membership!
Julia A
Lindsey G
Sarah L
Katie W
You will be missed.

We hope this blog post inspires YOU to remember your pledge to Alpha Chi Omega. Live with Wisdom, Devotion and Achievement today!

Gifts for Alpha Chi Omega Bakers

2010-11-22T19:43:00.001-05:00

With thanks to Iota Iota alumnae chapter (Seattle) and Lexi of Dishin with Edna, here are some gift ideas for the Alpha Chi Omega bakers in your life.

Cookie Cutters:

copper lyre cookie cutter from Aunt Holly Cookie Cutters $16

Greek letter tin cookie cutters from cheapcookiecutters.com $14.99 for the set

Individual cutters from BakeGreek $4.99 each or $94.99 for the whole Greek alphabet

Cookie Molds

One of four lyre mold designs available from Springerle Joy $26-39 each

Embellishments:

Star decorations from King Arthur Flour $4.95 for 8

White sugar pearls from King Arthur Flour $3.95

Do you know of other items we should include? Please let us know! Comments welcome and encouraged!

Steve Ellis Memorial Scholarship Run - Save the Date

2010-11-20T18:40:00.000-05:00

Save the date for the Steve Ellis Memorial Scholarship Run, which will be held on Saturday, May 21st 2011.

Steve, a senior writer for the Tallahassee Democrat and Pi Kappa Alpha alumnus, died in November 2009. His wife Alpha Chi Omega Karen (Beta Eta, FSU) and his friends at the paper have joined together to honor his memory with a scholarship in his name at FSU. It will help deserving students studying sports journalism.

The run will be held on campus the weekend of the FSU-Clemson (Steve's alma mater) baseball series. Please mark your calendars and plan to run, walk or volunteer at the event!

Stay tuned for more information here or you can join the scholarship's Facebook group here.

Donations can be made at any time by sending a check to

Steve Ellis Memorial Scholarship Fund
Florida State University Foundation
2010 Levy Avenue
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2739

Turkey Trot - Run, Volunteer, Make a Difference for DVA

2010-11-17T15:56:00.006-05:00

What could be more meaningful on Thanksgiving than incorporating family and helping others?

Fulfill that urge by running or walking in the 35th Annual Turkey Trot. Want to help "behind the scences"? They need volunteers also.

From the Gulf Winds Track Club website:
Since 2001 the main beneficiary of Turkey Trot proceeds has been the Refuge House. More than $70,000 has been raised for the Refuge House since that time. The mission of Refuge House is to provide direct services to battered women, their children and sexual assault survivors, as well as to work to eliminate the conditions in society that allow such violence to continue.

Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2010

Turkey Gobbler 1 Mile Run/Walk - 8:00 a.m.

5K, 10K and 15K - 8:30 a.m.

November 21, 2010

Music Fest – 2:00 – 5:30 p.m. at Chez Pierre

A Musical Short Cut to the Starting Line Register and Pick up Packets

Another Sister is a "Woman to Watch"!

2010-11-13T19:11:00.001-05:00

What a treat to open the Tallahassee Woman magazine and see our own

Jenny (Beta Lambda) listed on the Women to Watch page

Get Your JINGLE On

2010-11-09T15:25:00.003-05:00

The Junior League's annual Jingle Jubilee will be held November 18-20th.

Many Alpha Chis around the nation contribute their time and talent to JL and our sisters in Tallahassee are no exception. When perusing this advertisement from the Tallahassee Magazine we saw Christine (Beta Eta)!

We will be attending Jingle Jubilee as an ETE activity on Nov 18th! Can't wait for the fun!

Smartie Sister

2010-11-05T02:57:00.000-04:00

This is a little belated, but a very heart-felt congratulations to Lauren (Beta Eta) for winning TWO scholarships!

http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/os/news/CPAScholarshipsAwarded.html

http://www.ficpa.org/content/files/docs/Member/FCT/2010/JanFeb.pdf

Well Done!

Eat Ice Cream: Help Cure Leukemia & Lymphoma

2010-10-31T16:02:00.015-04:00

The Beta Eta Collegians will walk with their team in Light the Night on Veteran's Day.

As a fundraiser, they will be wearing banana suits, sundae suits and serving ice cream (and taking tips) on THURSDAY, November 4th, at the Brusters on 1709 W Tharpe St, Tallahassee

PLEASE, stop by between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. to buy some ice cream and help support Light the Night.

Yummmm: Bruster's Flavors!

http://www.brusters.com/flavors.asp

My Alpha Chi Sweetheart is YOU

2010-10-29T05:54:00.004-04:00

When past-president and current chapter

advisor of Gamma Iota Ashley, married

ATΩ alumnus Will, 21 AXΩ sisters sang

The Sweetheart Song at their reception!

Sisters represented three different chapters - Beta Eta, Gamma Iota and Theta Lambda; five past presidents of the chapter were included in the group; and the alumnae ranged in age from 22 to 60!

They provided souvenir song sheets in the colors of the wedding (yes - subtle and lovely red & green!) for those who serenaded.

More Sisters in the News

2010-10-25T11:08:00.008-04:00

Dining in the Dark offers demo of what life is like for blind
By Ashton Wilkins • Democrat Writer • Published: October 25. 2010 2:00AM

Toni King started out as a client at the Lighthouse of the Big Bend, a nonprofit dedicated to guiding people through vision loss. She is now an independent living specialist and former member of the organization's Board of Directors.

On Sunday, she helped those who could see to experience life for an hour as someone who is visually impaired at the sixth annual Paula Bailey Dining in the Dark event. The event is named for Bailey, a former client and board member who became blind and deaf in 1999 after an attack of meningitis. Bailey passed away in April 2005. The organization's Inspirational Community Member award also is named after her. Norine Lebitzke [Beta Eta], president of the board of directors for Lighthouse of the Big Bend and Paula Bailey nominee, won the award.
...

http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20101025/NEWS01/10250310/Dining-in-the-Dark-offers-demo-of-what-life-is-like-for-blind

Norine's other accomplishments and contributions

Nursing and Masters of Education professor at Florida State University
Book Author: http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=stories_nlabitzke
Induction into the Water Skiing Hall of Fame: http://www.schnitzskis.com/tournaments/halloffame.html

We love to see sisters in the news

2010-10-20T17:49:00.003-04:00

It was exciting to open the Tallahassee Democrat on Sunday and see Connie's (Beta Eta) name in big letters. We are proud of her impressive teaching career!

Founders' Day - Happy 125th Alpha Chi Omega

2010-10-15T05:30:00.007-04:00

ETE celebrated our 125th Founding Date and honored Domestic Violence Awareness Month a few days early on Tuesday the 12th.
(back row) Jennifer, Amy, Caryn and Karen
(front row) Erin, Chelsie and Tara
The Beta Eta collegians invited us over to "the 518" for traditional turkey dinner. As always, "Mom Marie" and her fantastic staff served excellent food. We enjoyed a full dining room of new members and lifetime members, and everyone was wearing purple of some sort.

Happy 125th Founders' Day

to all the Real.Strong.Women Alpha Chi Omega Women's Fraternity initiated from 1885-2010!

Trunk Show on Sunday at "the 518"

2010-10-12T09:11:00.002-04:00

ΑΧΩ Trunk Show

Sunday, October 17, 2010 from 10 AM – 2PM
At ΑΧΩ-BH House

Featuring some NEW ΑΧΩ merchandise including the tiara, jewelry, key chains, koozies, designer t-shirts, Big Sis/Lil Sis gifts, Vineyard Vines tote bags and more!

Trunk Show Presented by Marlene Kruelle, ΑΧΩ Alumna and Owner of Sorority Spirit
Facebook.com/sororityspirit
sororityspiritATgmail.com

Alpha Chi Omega making news for DVAM

2010-10-09T08:14:00.002-04:00

We were proud to see so many tweets by and about Alpha Chi Omega chapters on the daily #DVAM page. We are helping spread our WISDOM about Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and showing our DEVOTION to others so we can ACHIEVE an end to Abuse! Thank you to all our sisters.

Music Fest Will Benefit Refuge House - DVA

2010-10-08T09:20:00.001-04:00

From http://www.musicfesttally.org/:
MusicFest 2010: Sounds of Hope, a Benefit for Refuge House, will be held on Sunday, October 17, from Noon to 5:00 p.m. on the spacious grounds of Unity Eastside Church, 8551 Buck Lake Road in Tallahassee. It’s a non-religious community event.

Community friends are joining with members of Unity Eastside to create MusicFest 2010. Sponsors and volunteers are being sought now.

This event will feature 4 hours of music on 2 stages, performed by well-known local musicians. Performers will include Sir Charles Atkins, The New 76ers, Harvest Gypsies, Frank Lindamood, Mark Russell, Reckless Daughters and Cicada Ladies.

There will also be

Silent Auction
Seated Massage
Fabulous Food
Bake Sale
Fun Activities for Children and Adults.

Tickets: $10 for adults; $5 for children; free for children under 5!

All proceeds of the event go to Refuge House, which has provided safe shelter and related services for women and children escaping abuse since 1979. Today, the need for their services is greater than ever, but funding is harder to find.

You can e-mail us at MusicFest@Unity-Eastside.org. Hope to see you there!

Please "like" MusicFest: Sounds of Hope on facebook!

Supporting Local MacDowell Fellows

2010-10-07T11:48:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, MacDowell Colony was Alpha Chi Omega's first philanthropy and one that we continue to support nationally and locally.

Events featuring two Tallahassee area MacDowell Colony Fellows take place this month. Friday evening, FSU celebrates the Ruby Diamond Grand Reopening, the College of Music's 100th anniversary, and the start of the 2010-2011 concert series with four commissioned works performed by the FSU University Symphony Orchestra, Wind Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble and Combined Choirs (over 600 voices!).

One of the 4 commissioned works that will be performed was composed by MacDowell Fellow Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. She is both an FSU faculty member (the Francis Eppes Professor of Music) and an FSU alumna (and fellow Panhellenic sister, a member of Zeta Tau Alpha). Zwilich is also the first woman composer to receive a Pulitzer Prize for composing.

From FSU News:

Zwilich has a special, longstanding connection to Ruby Diamond.

"I first entered Ruby Diamond Auditorium as an FSU freshman, playing violin in the orchestra and trumpet in the band," Zwilich said. "During my years at FSU, this was the place where I encountered so much of the repertoire, playing under Ernst von Dohnányi and Pablo Casals to name two of the most memorable conductors, and playing in everything from the Opera to the unofficial Lab Band, since at that time jazz was not yet a part of the curriculum. This was a place that profoundly affected my life, and I was deeply honored to receive this commission."

In keeping with the momentous nature of the celebration, the Oct. 8 concert at Ruby Diamond is black tie optional.

Tickets for the event are $25 general admission ($15 for FSU students with ID) and may be purchased through the FSU College of Music Box Office, located in the lobby of Ruby Diamond. For ticket information and box office hours, please call the College of Music Box Office at (850) 645-7949 or visit the website at www.music.fsu.edu/boxoffice.

Our second featured Tallahassee area MacDowell Fellow is acclaimed wood sculptor Mark Lindquist. A 40-year retrospective of his work is on display at the Gadsden Arts Center in Quincy through October 23rd. To give you an idea how impressive he is, his 25-year career retrospective was hosted by the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.!

You might also be interested in other MacDowell related posts
MacDowell Month: AXOs Appreciating the Arts
MacDowell Month: It's Almost Here
Supporting Sisters in February

Kicking Off DVA Month with Cupcakes

2010-10-02T08:50:00.000-04:00

To kick off Domestic Violence Awareness month, a few of our officers teamed up with The Pixel Project and the FSU Alpha Chi Omega collegians to Paint It Purple for DVA!

The idea was to make cupcakes and decorate them in purple and white and then to blog about it for a "blog party" on October 2nd (today!!). Jennifer and Amy did the baking and then took the cupcakes and lots of supplies (frosting, sprinkles, napkins, etc.) to the FSU AXO House yesterday and had a great time at lunch with the young women talking about domestic violence awareness, the Pixel Project and Refuge House, our local domestic violence shelter.

After lunch, Jenn and Amy delivered about 7 dozen cupcakes to the Refuge House administrative office for the staff to enjoy and share with the residents at their safe house. Here are a few photos of the fun we had:

We were happy that together with Britain and Peyton's cupcakes we had plenty to share and were also able to leave over two dozen at the chapter house for the sisters to enjoy, and to share with friends.

Alumnae Panhellenic October "Socialite Night"

2010-09-28T15:53:00.001-04:00

We are big supporters of Alumnae Panhellenic of Tallahassee and therefore hope to see you at their October "Socialite Night" on Thursday, October 7th, 2010, starting at 6:30 pm on the deck at Chez Pierre.

Chez Pierre
1215 Thomasville Road
Twitter Facebook

Alumnae Panhellenic of Tallahassee
Twitter Facebook

Alpha Chi in the News - Keeping Tallahassee Beautiful!

2010-09-26T10:47:00.001-04:00

Great work by our ETE Treasurer, Jennifer (Theta Lambda, Clemson) quoted in Gerald Ensley's column in the Sunday Tallahassee Democrat! She volunteers one Saturday a month with the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of North Florida to keep part of High Street free of litter. Thank you for your work, Jennifer, and for representing Alpha Chi Omega so well!

Citizens adopt good attitude about litter

GERALD ENSLEY/Democrat The city's Adopt A Street program for volunteer groups to pick up litter has been renewed in 2010. The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of North Florida have been participating for six years, with monthly litter pickups along High Road between Tharpe Street and Old Bainbridge Road.

Nobody likes litter along the roads. And give Tallahasseeans credit: Many of them are willing to do something about it.

You saw that Wednesday evening at the Renaissance Center, where the city held a sign-up meeting for its renewed Adopt A Street program. More than 35 people showed up at Wednesday's meeting. And they represented a rainbow of civic groups and motivations.

There were teachers, such as Karen Metcalf of Cornerstone Learning Community, who want their students to learn community service. There were businessmen, such as Applebee's Restaurant manager Bill Schack, who want to be good neighbors. There were Masonic Lodge members, such as Melton Headley, who want to improve the Frenchtown community where they meet.

There were individuals who just want to make a difference.

[snip]

Hanson said Wednesday's meeting added 30 new groups to the 35 groups that were still active. She wants to find volunteer groups for the remainder of the 110 existing signed streets, then start adding more streets.

She expects to tap the many student, church and civic groups that participate in her clean-ups to volunteer for the Adopt A Street program – and she believes there is "lots of opportunity" to improve the appearance of the 6,700 streets and roads in Leon County.

"I would particularly like to see West Tennessee and all our corridors adopted, because that's where people come into town and we don't want them to look like a trash heap," Hanson said. "(Her organization draws) lots of high school and college groups and lots of groups with children. I have a perfect avenue and I'm going to make every effort I can to step it up."

Litter pickup programs, obviously, are meant to remove litter along roadsides. But as Tom Jackson, who oversees the county program, said, "I know if you clean (a road) today, it takes only one day for (litter) to be back."

So the real value of such programs is education and awareness, which, hopefully, lead to litter prevention. Florida Department of Transportation programs manager Steve Liner oversees the state Adopt A Highway program, which counts 1,200 groups covering 2,400 miles of state highways.

"The groups that go out there for three or four hours, especially in this hot sun, are going to think twice about littering," he said. "And the driving public will think twice because they see volunteers giving their time to keep a community free and clear of litter."

It does seem to work. The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of North Florida organization has participated in the city program for six years, picking up litter on High Road from Tharpe to Old Bainbridge. They do it the third Saturday of every month. Besides being good exercise, fun fellowship and a great way to "bond with the neighborhood," it's been effective.

"The (amount of litter) waxes and wanes, but we definitely see less than when we started," said Jennifer Butler, a member of the group.

That's the goal.

(Read the full article here.)

Founders' Day Dinner and DVA Vigil

2010-09-21T18:37:00.000-04:00

Please save the date and plan to join us and the FSU Alpha Chi Omega collegians on Tuesday, October 12th at 5:30pm to celebrate Alpha Chi Omega's 125th Founders' Day. Beta Eta will provide dinner, a Thanksgiving-style buffet with turkey, stuffing and all the usual accompaniments. Yum!

After dinner, at 7pm, the chapter will hold its Annual Domestic Violence Vigil in the front yard. Support for survivors of domestic violence is Alpha Chi Omega's national philanthropy, and October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

We hope you can join us for both events on October 12th!

Shop with Alpha Chi - SS

2010-09-17T07:51:00.007-04:00

You know when you see a post marked SS that we are Supporting Sisters! We loved discovering a new video from Proctor Honda featuring their Sales Associate, Terri (Epsilon Zeta, Auburn) talking about her job. Enjoy!

Alpha Chi Omega Actress in the News

2010-09-15T10:18:00.001-04:00

There's a great new article/interview with Tallahassee native Alpha Chi Omega alumna Maddy Curley (Epsilon Chi, UNC-Chapel Hill) in International Gymnast's online magazine. Here's an excerpt. Read the full article here.

Gymnast-turned-actress Maddy Curley spoke with IG this week about her recent projects, including a gymnastics-themed screenplay she hopes will get produced before the 2012 Olympics.

From the set of NBC's "The Event," gymnast-turned-actress Maddy Curley spoke with IG this week about her recent projects, ranging from parts in "The Office" and an unofficial "Footloose" remake to a gymnastics-themed screenplay she hopes will get produced before the 2012 Olympics.

Curley has enjoyed steady work in Hollywood since she earned a B.F.A. in Drama and International Studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where she competed in gymnastics from 2000-2004. She made her professional acting debut in 2006 with a co-starring role in "Stick It," Touchstone Pictures' gymnastics-themed film starring Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges.

Among Curley's more recent credits, she played a pivotal role in the two-part season finale of CBS's "Cold Case" last year, and recreated Kevin Bacon's classic dance-and-gymnastics scene for the unofficial "Footloose" remake that premiered in Los Angeles and New York this summer. She is currently shooting an episode of NBC's "The Event," a conspiracy-thriller series that is scheduled to debut on Sept. 20.

See also Cupcakes and Cold Case.

Spaghetti Dinner to Benefit Big Bend Cares - SS

2010-09-14T09:58:00.000-04:00

Support local non-profit Big Bend Cares at a Spaghetti Dinner this Sunday, September 19th at St. Luke's Anglican Fellowship.

When: September 19th 12 noon - 2:30 pm
Where: St Luke's Anglican Fellowship, 3725 Apalachee Pkwy 850 385-7889
Suggested Donation: Adults $7 Children $3.50
Supporting Big Bend Cares, Ability First and Brehon Institute

Register for the event here or call the church at 385-7889.

We share this as part of our mission to Support Sisters. We're proud to know Perry (Beta Eta, FSU) makes a difference through her work at Big Bend Cares!

"Big Bend Cares provides education and comprehensive support to people infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS."

Our Mission: Promoting Domestic Violence Awareness - DVA

2010-09-14T09:39:00.000-04:00

"In 1992, Alpha Chi Omega adopted domestic violence awareness as its national philanthropic cause. Since then, we’ve promoted education and prevention programs that help people understand and prevent the problem. We’ve also funded programs that assist and protect domestic violence victims and their children. And we’ve provided grants to domestic violence shelters and programs across the United States." from Alpha Chi Omega Foundation

In the Tallahassee-Thomasville area, we support Refuge House. Here are some of our programs:

We collect new undergarments, comfortable clothes and slippers for victims of sexual assault. When these women are seen at the hospital their own clothes are often kept for evidence. We provide Refuge House (our local domestic violence shelter) and their trained volunteers and SANE nurses (Sexual Assualt Nurse Educators) with enough clothes and other items to take care of everyone they see all year, through the generosity of our members and through grants we received from Alumnae Panhellenic of Tallahassee (twice now, in 2005 and 2008).
April 3, 4 and 5, 2009, Epsilon Tau Epsilon in conjunction with Beta Eta chapter and the Beta Eta Advisory Board and the in-the-process-of-being-formed Xi Omega Xi (Beta Eta alumnae virtual chapter) hosted a Reunion Weekend and Philanthropy in honor of the 80^th Anniversary of Beta Eta’s Installation. All proceeds benefitted our local domestic violence agency, Refuge House. Together we raised $10,000.
Each fall we commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness with the Alpha Chi Omega collegians at Florida State University. Here are some photos:

During the year, we promote Domestic Violence Awareness by offering ways to commemorate:
January: National Stalking Awareness Month
February: Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
April: Sexual Assault Awareness Month
October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month

We tag posts to make them easy to track, using "Domestic Violence Awareness" and/or "DVA" in the title of the post and in the Labels.

Lyre Preview/Convention Recap

2010-09-09T13:03:00.000-04:00

Epsilon Tau Epsilon member Britain Dwyre (Beta Eta, FSU) served as a Convention reporter at Alpha Chi Omega's National Convention in July, and as such, she'll appear in the next issue of The Lyre magazine. Pretty exciting! A separate article that she wrote appeared on the Alpha Chi Omega blog, and in case you didn't see it, here is a link and an excerpt:

Alpha Chi Omega Convention 2010, In My Words

by Britain Dwyre
(Beta Eta, Florida State University)

According to Webster’s dictionary a Convention is a large meeting or conference, esp. of members of particular profession. While this definition works, I argue that Alpha Chi Omega Convention is SO much more. Convention to me is five days to reconnect with sisters and friends and a time to make new connections! It is a time to celebrate, to learn, and to shop. Convention is a time to stay up late and wake up early, and to do as much in between the prior as possible. Convention is the most fun you will have with 800+ of your sisters, that only happens every two years.

In the weeks leading up to convention many emails, tweets, and Facebook messages are sent coordinating meetings, presentations and reunions. Packings lists are made, analyzed and amended. Blog posts are done sharing past conventions, offering wardrobe advice and showing support for the Star Booth. Pre-Convention shopping takes place for: reunion night dinner decorations, Stars honoring those Alpha Chis who have impacted us, last minutes wardrobe “essentials” for convention, etc. After all of this is complete I had a suitcase weighing 49.5 pounds (*sigh* I am under the Delta imposed limit). I am ready for convention.

Read the rest (and see a photo) here!

The Lyre - Don't lose your subscription!

2010-09-05T04:01:00.002-04:00

Are you Life Loyal? This scan from a recent copy of The Lyre explains the process (click on the picture to see it full size):

Our sisterhood broke all the benchmarks set with over 2450 Life Loyal members in the first two years of the program. Changing to this system allows Headquarters to prepare fantastic new programs for our collegians such as the four-year member experience (which Beta Eta, our local collegiate chapter, is piloting this semester).

We're proud that many of our local Alumnae are Life Loyal:
Betty (Gamma Zeta - KS State)
Ramona (Beta Eta - FSU)
Jenn (Theta Lambda - Clemson), ETE Treasurer
Barbara (Gamma Iota - UF)
Britain (Beta Eta - FSU), Beta Eta CA
Maxine (Beta Eta - FSU)
Amanda (Gamma Iota - UF)
Amy (Zeta Upsilon - Case), ETE President

Become Life Loyal by signing up here!

Dues

2010-08-29T20:31:00.001-04:00

Let's take a minute to thank our dues paying members!
Alumnae dues are voluntary, but without them, our chapter would not function.

How are your dues disbursed?

★DVA & SVA activities in the area (see recent letter from Refuge House for our donation to purchase a car seat)

★Other philanthropic causes

★AXΩ Foundation

★Collegiate chapter support (pre-recruitment, Hall of Commitment, presidential leadership basket) and more.

★Headquarters for National Alumnae dues

★State of Florida AXΩ Days

★Convention costs for ETE delegate

Aimee (Beta Eta)
Amy (Zeta Upsilon)
♪Barbara (Gamma Iota)
Barbara (Beta Eta)
Britain (Beta Eta)
Caryn (Beta Xi)
Cheyenne (Beta Eta) - graduate student
Helen (Beta Eta)
Faith (Beta Eta)
Hilary (Gamma Chi)
♥Jenny (Beta Lambda)
Jennifer (Theta Lamba)
Jessica (Gamma Iota)
Kristen (Gamma Iota/Beta Eta)
Laura (Beta Eta)
Lynda (Beta Gamma)
Maxine (Beta Eta)
Mary Budd (Beta Eta)
Marylynn (Beta Eta)
Maxine (Beta Eta)
Motney (Beta Eta)
♪Ramona (Beta Eta)
♪Sara Lou (Beta Eta)
Terri (Epsilon Zeta)

♪ - Pearl Roll giver
♥ - Hera Roll giver

We appreciate your investment in us!

Thank you ETEs for your help

2010-08-27T10:09:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all the alumnae sisters who assisted Beta Eta during recruitment! THEY COULD NOT have done it without your "behind the scenes" help. We appreciate your LIFETIME commitment to Alpha Chi Omega and for setting a great example for collegians to follow!

Tara R (Beta Eta, FSU)

Lynda M (Beta Gamma, LSU)
Aggie S (Beta Eta, FSU)

Patti I (Beta Eta, FSU)

Alexz G (Beta Eta, FSU)

Jessica P (Gamma Iota, UF)

Cheyenne O (Beta Eta, FSU)

Jenny W (Beta Lambda, Arizona)

Betty B (Beta Eta, FSU)

Ashley C (Beta Eta, FSU)

Susan L (Beta Eta, FSU)

Amy W (Beta Eta, FSU)

Amy Z (Zeta Upsilon, CWRU)

Ashley E S (Gamma Iota, UF)

Nancy H (Gamma Omicron, Marshall)

Betty A (Gamma Zeta, Kansas State)

Shanna H (Beta Eta, FSU)

Lauren B (Beta Eta, FSU)

Jenn B H (Theta Lamdba, Clemson)

Meagan D (Kappa Xi, UWF)

Kristen S (Gamma Iota, UF, Beta Eta, FSU)

Maria S (Beta Eta, FSU)

Danielle G (Beta Eta, FSU)

Karen H (Beta Eta, FSU)

Erin B (Iota Psi, Elon)
Chelsie W (Iota Psi, Elon)
Jennifer O (Iota Psi, Elon)

Barbara C (Gamma Iota, UF)

Lauren G (Beta Eta, FSU)

Erin M (Beta Eta, FSU)

Kaitlin M (Beta Omicron, FSC)
Britain D (Beta Eta, FSU)
Jessica H (Beta Eta, FSU)

Welcome to our Sisterhood ...

2010-08-26T10:08:00.011-04:00

... and to the Beta Eta chapter of Alpha Chi Omega!

The chapter welcomed the following new members:

Mia, Orlando
Megan, Tampa
Tia, Jacksonville
Mary Kate, Gainesville
Stephanie, Fort Lauderdale
Sydney, Savannah, GA
Courtney, Lighthouse Point
Audra, Milton
Haley, Lauderdale By The Sea
Chelsea, Jacksonville
Annalise, Orlando
Katrina, Loxahatchee
Mackenzie, Charleston, SC
Alex, Severna Park, MD
Kayla, Tampa
Lindsay, West Palm Beach
Bianca, Ft. Lauderdale
Jane, Woodbridge, VA
Lex, Coconut Creek
Kaitlyn, Gibsonton
Evan, Ponte Vedra Beach
Katie, Marietta, GA
Tori, Tampa
Amanda, Green Brook, NJ
Jamie, Jupiter
Lizzie, Key Largo
Sarah, Jensen Beach
Jessica, Tampa
Chesley, Palm Beach

Alex, Boynton Beach
Janet, Jacksonville
Kirstie, Altamonte Springs
Rachel, Fort Lauderdale
Catalina, Coral Springs
Hope, Tampa
Megan, Altamonte Springs
Richelle, Bradenton
Nicole, Naples
Kendall, Boynton Beach
Nicole, Palm Harbor
Malia, Jacksonville
Lindsey, Tampa
Jordan, Plantation
Jenna, Brandon
Ashley, Lakeland
Abbey, Ponte Vedra Beach
Rylee, Naples
Hannah, Jacksonville
Brooke, Boynton Beach
Katie Marie, Marietta, GA
Simone, Jersey City, NJ
Katelyn, Ormond Beach
Abigail, Jacksonville
Kyrsten, jacksonville
Katie, Orlando
Katelin, Brentwood, TN
Isabelle, Mercer Island, WA
Lauren, Jacksonville

Thank you to the MANY SUPPORTIVE alumnae who gave their time to the chapter:

We enjoyed help from alumnae who represented 10 different chapters!

Join us for AXO Lunch August 31st

2010-08-24T20:29:00.000-04:00

We hope to see you at a casual lunch on Tuesday, August 31st at Uptown Café (1325 Miccosukee, on the corner of Miccosukee and Magnolia). We’ll start at 11:30am but come when you’re free and stay as long or as briefly as you are able. Check out the menu here. Click here for a map.

You Could Win This Lyre Sculpture!

2010-08-21T17:16:00.000-04:00

Sharing this with you because it’s always nice to help out another alumnae chapter, and we thought the prize in the drawing was really fun!

WISHING FOR OUR NEW LYRE FOR YOUR HOME OR CHAPTER?

The 2010 Fundraiser for the House Corporation Board of Epsilon Psi Chapter, University of California, Irvine, is an

Opportunity Drawing to be held on Founder’s Day, October 15, 2010 for a

24” Garden Lyre.

We are hoping that many of you would like to buy a ticket (or tickets) for a chance to own this treasure. The garden sculpture is a smaller version of the Lyre Sculpture featured in the Spring 2010 Lyre magazine and winner of the “Best Lyre Project” at National Convention 2010. The wrought iron sculpture is impervious to all weather conditions and will be shipped to the winner. Retail value including shipping is approximately $320.00.

Tickets for the drawing are:
1 - $10              10 - $50
3 - $20             25 - $100
5 - $30
Checks for your ticket requests should be written to Alpha Chi Omega House Corp for Epsilon Psi and mailed to:
Laurel Arnold
9 Willow Tree Lane
Irvine, CA 92612
Once your request has been received, we will email you your ticket numbers.
Questions? Contact Laurel Arnold at laurellarnold at aol dot com or

Jill Stroope 714-296-9592 / jillstroope at hotmail dot com

Enclosed is my check for the Opportunity Drawing to be held on October 15, 2010.

Name:

Address:

Telephone No.:

Email:

Welcome Sorority New Members

2010-08-21T16:11:00.000-04:00

Several campuses have already completed sorority Recruitment for 2010-11. We like to share news of interest to our members, when we have it, and nothing is more exciting to an Alpha Chi Omega sister than knowing her chapter of initiation had a successful Recruitment!

Here are links to bid lists from a few early recruiting campuses we feel connected with. Congratulations to the women of Alpha Upsilon, Epsilon Zeta and Gamma Epsilon!

University of Alabama

Auburn University

Oklahoma State University

If you have news from your chapter, please share it in a comment! Thank you! And good luck to all our AXO chapters recruiting this fall!

Congrats to collegiate chapters!

2010-08-19T15:57:00.000-04:00

We're so excited about how many of the chapters our members care about won awards this year at Alpha Chi Omega Convention!

Congratulations, Beta Sigma (Univ of Georgia) and Epsilon Chi (Univ of North Carolina-Chapel Hill), Continuing Excellence Award winners!

Tau, Brenau, won the Campus Leadership Award!

Gamma Zeta, Kansas State, won the PACE (Promoting Alpha Chi Everyday), Chapter Management, and Financial Management Awards! They were also a finalist for the Fraternity Appreciation Award and the Risk Management Award.

Gamma Iota, Univ of Florida, won the Intellectual Development Award.

Theta Sigma, Univ of North Florida, was a Finalist for the Recruitment Award, the Alumnae and Parent Relations Award, the Philanthropy & Service Award, and the Intellectual Development Award.

(If you missed the Beta Eta, Florida State, awards, they are listed here.)

Real. Strong. Women. - What Does it Mean?

2010-08-13T06:31:00.001-04:00

What is an Alpha Chi Omega Woman?

We are ...

Real Women. Respectful, genuine, open, empathetic and honest. We are real women, facing real issues, in the real world. Together, we’ll offer an experience that respects and responds to the hopes, dreams, fears and realities of today’s women, in today’s world.

Strong Women. Strong in the courage of our convictions, in the confidence in our actions, and in the purpose in our hearts. Willing to do what is right – even when it’s not easy. We accept the challenge of changing how women think and act about the idea of sorority.

Do you know women you could describe with the words above? If so, talk to us about alumna membership in Alpha Chi Omega.

Lunch on Saturday

2010-08-11T06:10:00.002-04:00

Hope to see you at Po Boys on College Avenue for our annual lunch to kick off the fall semester.

We WON - AGAIN!

2010-08-02T15:57:00.000-04:00

Thanks to our caring and interested officers and local Tallahassee-Thomasville-Quincy-St George Island-Perry (etc.) alumnae, our chapter followed up our 2008 National Council Trophy win with awards in two categories at Alpha Chi Omega Convention earlier this month in Washington, D.C.! We won the Membership Outreach Award and the Fine Arts Award.

Jennifer (second from left) accepts the Membership Outreach Award from the 2008-2010 National Vice Presidents:

The Membership Outreach Award recognizes a chapter that goes "above and beyond" in reaching out to current and potential members. The committee was especially impressed with our Real. Strong. Women. Entrepreneurs listing (see sidebar at left). (If you have a business we can include, please let us know!)

Jennifer B (right) accepts the Fine Arts Award from Jen D. of Alpha Chi Omega's Panhellenic Delegation at the Olympian Luncheon Saturday, June 10th:

The Fine Arts Award goes to the chapter with the best "programs to advance the appreciation and practice of fine arts." We are so proud of this award, as we work hard to promote the fine arts all year round. See some examples of our support of the fine arts in these 2010 blog posts:

Y Supporting Sisters in February
Y MacDowell Month - It's Almost Here!
Y MacDowell Month: AXOs Appreciating the Arts
Y Our April - June Calendar - come play with us!
Y Tallahassee Ballet - Supporting Sisters - Fine Arts
Y Artopia for Big Bend Cares - Supporting Sisters

ETE was also a finalist for the Collegiate Support - Local Award, the PACE (Promoting Alpha Chi Everyday) Award, the Communication Award, the Sisterhood Award, the Special Event Award (for the part we played in Beta Eta's 80th Anniversary celebration) and the Domestic Violence Outreach Award.

Here are our official certificates (on left) and one of the note cards (on right) that accompany the awards:

Thank you all so much for all your contributions of time, talent and treasure! Without you we would not be a successful alumnae chapter!

Congratulations Beta Eta!

2010-08-02T09:05:00.001-04:00

We're so proud of Beta Eta chapter of Alpha Chi Omega for the awards they brought home from our National Convention in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. Keep up the great work!

* National Council Trophy Finalist
* Advisory Board Award
* Alpha Chi Omega Foundation President's Roll

Read more about the awards (and see photos!) in two posts on the Alpha Chi Omega Florida State University alumnae and collegian blog:
Beta Eta Receives Awards at Alpha Chi Omega Convention
Beta Eta Honored by Alpha Chi Omega Foundation

Alumnae Panhellenic Summer Social

2010-07-30T09:52:00.000-04:00

We hope you'll be able to join us for the Alumnae Panhellenic of Tallahassee (APT) Summer Social on Thursday, August 5th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at The Wine Loft, which is on the corner of 6th Avenue and Thomasville Road in mid-town Tallahassee.

The APT President asks, "please bring any last minute potential new member recommendations and Recruitment Information forms you'd like to send out to collegiate chapters to this meeting." She also expects the first APT newsletter to be available at the Social for members to take home. It will include news from our local Panhellenic group alumnae chapters as well as a calendar of events and meetings for the upcoming year.

Congratulations Karen!

2010-07-29T17:45:00.000-04:00

Congratulations, Karen (Beta Eta, FSU), on your new job with Springtime Tallahassee! (see some of our other Alpha Chi Omega connections to this great community event in our post from March 22, 2010 here).

Springtime Tallahassee names Karen Ellis its new executive director

Springtime Tallahassee is welcoming Karen Ellis as its new executive director.
"I feel she has the capability, enthusiasm and qualifications to take it to a new level," said Elle Mick, Springtime Tallahassee general chairwoman.
Ellis, the former March of Dimes community director, will officially start Aug. 4. Springtime Tallahassee is an annual festival that attracts more than 100,000 people for its parade, arts-and-crafts displays and festivities.
Ellis explained that after her husband, Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democratsenior sports writer, died in November, she knew she needed to make a job change, but felt a little hesitant.
"I wasn't sure if it was going to be the right move for me," she said. "It was a difficult decision to make because I was in my comfort zone with the March of Dimes. And they were there for me when Steve passed. But I put my emotions aside, and I'm coming out of my comfort zone."
Ellis will be replacing Jennifer Naff, whose last day was July 16. With the local March of Dimes, Ellis organized community fundraising events.
"I loved what I did, raising money to save babies," she said. "I loved being in the community and working with the volunteers, which is something I'll still be able to do with Springtime Tallahassee."
Ellis said she plans on improving the branding of the longtime community event, ensuring that the community "understands that the annual event is organized by dedicated volunteers that work all year to bring the festival to the community."

Sorority Recruitment at FSU

2010-07-27T10:35:00.000-04:00

Sorority Recruitment at FSU will be here before you know it! The dates are Monday, August 16th through Saturday, August 21st. If you can help out at the FSU Alpha Chi Omega House at any time that week, we would love to have your help! We need volunteers during the day to pour and serve water, to help keep the house looking great and to help behind the scenes. We'll also need large groups of alumnae volunteers Friday and Saturday evenings (the 20th and 21st) - no special skills are needed!

If you would like to help, please leave a comment on this post and we'll be in touch with you! Thank you in advance, we appreciate you!

Please also let us know if you need the official Alpha Chi Omega Recruitment Information Form. It can be downloaded from the Alpha Chi Omega National website (here, note you have to log in) or comment below and we'll send you one by email.

A Woman to Watch

2010-07-26T16:12:00.001-04:00

Kristen S (Gamma Iota/Beta Eta) was featured in Tallahassee Woman magazine as one of their "Women to Watch"! Well done Kristen: Keep Seeking the Heights.

Did you see our sisters in the Tallahassee Magazine?

2010-07-09T14:24:00.014-04:00

We love to spot our sisters around town continuing their involvement with our community. You never know where you might find an Alpha Chi Girl!

Deirdre D (Beta Eta) at left

Stefanie J (Beta Eta) 2nd from the right "Capital Area Community Action Agency's Masked Benefit Ball"

Caryn B-D (Beta Xi) at left, "Dedication of the "WOW! Z Lounge" in the FSU College of Business to The Zimmerman Agency"

Anna B (Gamma Iota) at right - more on Anna's race from the Democrat, Monday, March 15, 2010,

Wallace and Busby Scurry to Wins
...
Youth still held the advantage in the women's competition though, as Anna Busby [Leon '08] edged out Thomasville master Mary Anne Grayson for the win, 21:03 to 21:09. Nearly 500 runners completed the 15 March 2010 run through the streets of Tallahassee's Killearn Estates."
Additionally, Anna won the UF Panhellenic 5K this past spring which benefited Peaceful Paths (the DV shelter in Gainesville).

AXO Convention

2010-07-03T13:39:00.000-04:00

Alpha Chi Omega will hold the 56th Biennial National Convention July 9-12th in Washington, D.C. Convention is full of memorable moments, Alpha Chi Omega business, and opportunities to make new friends and visit with sisters from around the country. See the full Convention schedule here.

At Epsilon Tau Epsilon, we're excited that many of our members will be able to participate in this great event. Thank you to Jennifer (Theta Lambda, Clemson) for being our voting delegate. Also attending from Tallahassee: alumnae Amy (Zeta Upsilon, CWRU), Britain (BH, FSU) and Jennifer O. (Iota Psi, Elon)... and collegians from Beta Eta - BH President and voting delegate Liz (of Coral Springs, FL) and VP-Education Vaneese (of St. Petersburg, FL).

We will post photos and a recap here after we all get back home and recover!

Congratulations Norma!

2010-06-29T16:05:00.000-04:00

On June 11th, when we celebrated Peggy's 100th birthday, we had the privilege of presenting a 60-year member pin to Norma. Norma is a 1948 initiate of Gamma Epsilon chapter of Alpha Chi Omega at Oklahoma State University, and Peggy's neighbor at Westminster Oaks Retirement Community. Norma served many years as the Recruitment Advisor to OSU's Alpha Chi Omegas.

Our President performing the 60-year member ceremony.

After the ceremony: Norma is seated, holding the carnation and wearing both her 50-year and 60-year pins. Clockwise from her: Jennifer (Theta Lamdba, Clemson), Linda (Gamma Epsilon, OSU), Amy (Zeta Upsilon, Case Western Reserve), and Britain (Beta Eta, Florida State).

Congratulations, Norma, and thank you for your service to Alpha Chi Omega!

Happy 100th Birthday Peggy!

2010-06-12T13:03:00.000-04:00

A group of us had the honor of attending fellow Alpha Chi Omega Peggy's 100th birthday party yesterday at Westminster Oaks. It was so nice to meet her friends and former co-workers! We learned some fun facts:

Peggy was a real beauty! She was Miss University of Oklahoma her junior year in college, and still wears a tiara with style and grace.
She was a pioneer in the career world. She moved to Chicago for her first job, directly after graduating from University of Oklahoma, and later served as personal secretary to four of Florida's State Attorneys General.
Peggy credits her longevity to having never driven a car. In Tallahassee, she lived downtown where she could walk to her office at the Capitol every day.

from left to right: (Linda (Gamma Epsilon, Oklahoma State), Kris (Beta Eta, Florida State), Norma (Gamma Epsilon, Oklahoma State), Amy (Zeta Upsilon, Case Western Reserve), Britain (Beta Eta, Florida State), Jennifer (Theta Lambda, Clemson); seated Peggy (Psi, Oklahoma).

Alpha Chi Omega in Home & Design

2010-06-04T19:42:00.013-04:00

Did you see Wendy Kerr of Furniture Showcase and Design in the June/July edition of Home & Design? Yes, she is also and Alpha Chi Omega (Gamma Iota - UF). What a delight to call Wendy our sister: Kudos to another Real.Strong.Woman.

Artopia for Big Bend Cares - SS

2010-05-22T14:31:00.023-04:00

SAVE THE DATE! The 12th Annual Artopia Art Auction, Artopia 2010—Moving to the Museum!, will be held Saturday, June 26! This year's event will, for the very first time, be held at the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science! Please join us for a very special evening of art, fun and fellowship!

We share this as part of our mission to Support Sisters. We're so very proud to know Perry (Beta Eta, FSU) makes a difference through her work at Big Bend Cares!

"Big Bend Cares provides education and comprehensive support to people infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS."

Not only ETE & MTM President, but Star Mom too!

2010-05-18T12:56:00.005-04:00

Many congratulations to our president Amy Z (Zeta Upsilon, Case Western Reserve University) on winning Volunteer of the Month at DeSoto Trail Elementary School. Seriously, the woman is a Monday-morning staple and more. Read about it here: http://365thruamyseyes.blogspot.com/2010/05/volunteer-of-month.html. Definitely a Real.Strong.Woman. - AXΩ style!

P.S. Amy shares her talents across AXΩ as an avid tweeter, CA listserv contributor, ETE president, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/axoete/, MTM president, http://axomtm.squarespace.com/, and is the 3rd Alternate Delegate for our NPC Delegation http://www.alphachiomega.org/index.aspx?id=36