We Who Wear Kites by Carol Wilson
 

Has anyone read the book?? I got it recently and it is just fascinating!! It is a history of our fraternity from its start through 1956. I am amazed at the struggles and dedication it took those first sisters to establish and expand our fraternity. Of course I knew about our first 4 founders of Alpha, but there is SO much more!

Very interesting to read all the chapters that were established but could not be sustained, and the ones who fought to stay alive. I definitely have a new found admiration for those ladies! I wish every chapter had a copy to read and to use to educate members as to our very proud heritage.

BTW, I got SO tired of trying to catch it on Ebay :mad: I did a Google search for "antique book" and found several sources at a variety of prices. I thought it was going to be harder to find!

I actually thought that although there were little nuggets of info that were fascinating (the Indian woman that did all the charity work -- there's a picture of her in the alumnae section, I believe), and the story of the various early early chapters, the style of the book was a little too Ladies' Home Journal to keep my attention for long stretches. (It was written in the early 1950s after all.)

I'm really looking forward to a new history-- I believe Fraternity archives is working on one -- and the history of sororities that was announced on HQ's website.

I got the copy of We Who Wear Kites from the library, but I plan on buying it (after my new badge and the badge pendant, when I get the money) just to have for my "massive pile of Theta stuff" collection. :D

Have you read the earlier book? " 30 (or 50, I forget) Years in Kappa Alpha Theta"? That's my next prize I look forward to.

60 Years in Kappa Alpha Theta is next on my list to find & buy! I'll probably donate them both to a chapter who will appreciate them later.

I was really hoping to find Minnie Parker, 1902, in one of the books. Can you believe that her badge was auctioned on Ebay last week?? A 1902 pin. At that point, our fraternity was still a young group struggling for recognition and acceptance in many places. A pin collector got it for nearly $400, but I hear there may be a chance of a Theta bargaining for it ... crossing fingers!

I'm interested in buying that book too. How did you get a copy of it and how much did it cost you?

I too have an ever growing pile of "theta stuff" that I plan to put into a "Theta TRunk of Memories" for my future daughter/legacy :)

Mary-

I am not sure which of the books you are referring to. We Who Wear Kites & 60 Years of Kappa Alpha Theta are both available on line. Do a Google search for "antique book" and you will get several options. I used www.Bookfinder.com. Both titles were there.

I paid $50 for We Who Wear Kites. 60 Years is available for about the same price.

I don't know about the new book availability yet. It is about the development of sororities in general. From the national site:

In the spring of 2004, New York University Press will publish a book of particular interest to Thetas everywhere. Bound by a Mighty Vow: Sisterhood and Women's Fraternities, 1870 - 1920 is the first totally objective, unbiased, carefully documented account of the beginning of women's fraternities.

We Who Wear Kites
 

FYI - You can buy Vols. I and II of We Who Wear Kites and Volume III which is called Kite Flight from Theta HQ.

Go to www.kappaalphatheta.org and sign in to the Thetas Online section. Go to the Form Zone and select Order Forms and open the Publications Order Form. You'll see them listed there.

We Who Wear Kites Vol. I (1870-1956) $5
We Who Wear Kites Vol. II (1956-1976) $7
Kite Flight Vol. III (1976-1986) $9

*faint*

$21 bucks for the whole thing???

I'm gonna order right now!!

Thank you thank you thank you :D

You are kidding!!! I never even heard of a Vol. 2 or 3!!! I want my $50 back :( (fat chance!)

Patti,

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For selling me your copy of 60 Years! I'm over half way done reading it and I love it. My dad being a Sigma Chi likes to hear about how his fraternity at different schools helped us out here and there too :) I knew we had some hard times getting things started up and organized but I never knew we had that much of a rough way of it in the beginning :)


Kiteflyerz,

You can order those from HQ for that cheap????? I'll be darned!!!!! I believe I'll be doing that shortly :P

Re: We Who Wear Kites
 

Somebody tell me that AT LEAST these are not books from the original printings... they have to be current, right??

Mary- I am so glad you like it! The struggles of the first 20 years are fascinating to me, too. Knowing that history really makes me appreciate our founders that much more :)

Hi Ladies,

I think those history books are actually from the first printing. We haven't done a new book in quite some time. there are 4 history books total, I think the last 2 are the ones we still have copies of.

I LOVE that '60 years in KAO' book! ZM was given a chapter copy by a local alumna and as archivist I spent quite some time reading it..

-Kaokite

That reminds me............does anyone know if a new history book will be written soon to cover where the last one left off to present? As we all know, a lot has happened since then too! I'm also wondering if anyone knows about a new printing of a theta catalog and if anyone knows about the next Baird's manual printing.


I'm beginning to feel like I'm becoming a Theta memorabilia collector :P

Mary:

I think there was a thread somewhere on GC that stated the next Baird's manual would come out as soon as the last printing was completely sold out. Lots of people seem to not know you can still get the 1991 edition directly from the publisher.

I believe, also, that there was a statement (you can probably find it somewhere on the site) on HQ's website regarding the writing of a new Theta history book. I have vague recollections of a statement along the lines of 'the archivist is collecting materials to put together in the new history book'... but I could have imagined it in wishful thinking, I suppose.

As far as the catalog (or for really any of the Theta stuff) I'd just take 15 minutes and call HQ, they're super nice (obviously).

-Gen

Gen-

Thanks for the info! I dont know about seeing a bit on HQ's website abotu a new Theta history book itself, but I have seen in the passworded sections that they are strongly encouraging chapters (collegiate and alumnae) to do and send in chapter histories. It never occurred to me until now as to why. DUH! That makes sense :) They cant very well write a new book without information :)

I really enjoyed the book. I found a copy on Ebay and read the whole thing last semester. I think I just love Theta memorabilia though... :D