I've always thought that it was very interesting that the Beta Chapter of Alpha Xi Delta was actually older than Alpha chapter having been founded in 1869 and becoming Beta Chapter in 1902 and Alpha chapter being founded in 1893.
Here is an excerpt from an article in
The Quill that speaks to the formation of Beta chapter:
The History of Alpha Xi Delta’s Nationalization and The P.E.O. Connection
Seven young women founded the P.E.O. Society at Iowa Wesleyan College on January 21, 1869. The Iowa Wesleyan P.E.O. chapter was known as Chapter Original A. (The first chapter to be founded received the letter “A,” the second chapter received the letter “B,” etc.) Later, the campus P.E.O. chapter took the name Chapter A-J to distinguish it from the P.E.O. chapter that had formed in town. In 1889, however, the college women and the older Mt. Pleasant members felt both groups would be better served by meeting separately. A new charter was granted, and the college P.E.O. chapter was named Chapter S, since it was the 19th chapter formed.
In 1902, the P.E.O. governing body reluctantly decided to withdraw the charters of all chapters at the college level. The college P.E.O. chapter was determined to affiliate with a Greek-letter organization, and through the influence of Mt. Pleasant resident Anna Gillis Kimble, an initiate of Alpha Chapter at Lombard College, Chapter S became Beta Chapter of Alpha Xi Delta.
Quote:
Originally posted by AGDAlum
To add to this is the P.E.O. Sisterhood, founded in 1869 at Iowa Wesleyan College.
Of its seven founders, some had been asked to join the I.C. Sorosis at IWC but some had not. They wanted to stay together so they founded "a society of [their] own." P.E.O. chose to retain English letters and to become a community, rather than a collegiate, organization [in the 1880's, IIRC]. Chapter Original A at IWC is Alpha Xi Delta; the I.C. chapter (Pi Phi for lo these many years--Iowa Alpha?) is still there.
P.E.O. is larger than any one NPC group in terms of initiated members and chapters. Probably also larger in terms of assets in the charitable foundation which funds P.E.O.'s projects. Many, many NPC members are also P.E.O.s. (www.peointernational.org will tell you more.)
AGDAlum (who is also a P.E.O.)
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