Local Panhellenic's

Kappa-Gator · #1 07-15-2003, 12:56 AM

Hi All,

Back in 2000, as a way of strengthening our local Panhellenic, a group of we "Carol's" got together for a Christmas Tea. We had six Carol's, one Caroline, one Carolyn, and one Carolyn "Susie". Collectively the nine of us represented five sororities.

We printed 300 invitations worded:

Here We Come
A-Carol-ing
From
Two to Four-Thirty ...
Please Be Sure
To Join Us
At
Our Christmas Tea!
Sunday
December 10, 2000
303 Claremont Drive*

This first party happened at my* house. We thought it a hoot that there were so many women named Carol in the same small town who knew each other and belonged to the same country club.

Carol Clokey West (Alabama, KKG) made us sit down as the last person left to "remember" who had shown, who had regretted, and who had blown us off. By our count, 162 women (including us) had donned their Christmas sweaters, velvet, or pearls, while parking as far away as three blocks, and had joined us for the afternoon.

With the change from rush to recruitment, and with the financial obligation "potential new members" incur, I would encourage every Panhellenic sister to bond with whoever is local to keep the Greek spirit alive.

Loyally,
Carol Livingston
E Phi, KKG

KappaKittyCat · #2 07-15-2003, 02:39 PM

That sounds like a great idea, and so cute! I really wish that more NPC women (especially up north) stayed involved as alumnae and spread the word about being Greek to young women. It'd give us a huge leg up in combating all the stereotypes and proving that being Greek is worth it.

Glad to see you on here, sister. Stay and post a while!

Kappa-Gator · #3 07-17-2003, 12:33 AM

Hi KappaKittyCat,

Strong local alumni Panhellenics is what the Greek system is currently in need of.

I began 15 years ago, with a nod from my hostess, to bring my two girls and their babysitter to any KKG event I was invited to. Poo-pah on leaving them at home while I walked out dressed like I was going to church. The same with being a member of the arts council or an advisor for the Imagination Place. My daughters needed to see the service that I provided to my community. Our local Service Guild (we don't have Junior League in this small town) also now provides "care" during meetings. We just had too many quality young ladies dropping out or declining the honor of being members.

We had two yearly "Carol Parties", then last year we declined having a party at all, in the hopes that someone else would pick up the key. Personally, I skipped a beat as I became egocentric and fulfilled the resident requirement for my PhD.

But as I walk through the grocery stores, there is a distinct desire for them to happen again. Feedback tells me that we need babysitters ... and a strong local Panhellenic involvement rather than just folks named Carol. We will probably have to develop some sort of raffle system to designate hostesses.

Any suggestions on that one?

Loyally,
Carol Livingston

GPhiBLtColonel · #4 07-17-2003, 01:26 AM

Are you trying to start an alum panhel association or what? Where are you in alabama?

Loyally Kappa · #5 11-15-2014, 11:16 PM

Okdin ... so I am a long time (12+ years) in answering your question and now I live in Oxford, Mississippi, and had to create a new name because I divorced and lost my old email account. The answer to your question, GPhiBLtColonel is/was, "no." I was in Gadsden, Alabama. And Etowah County has a really strong Panhellenic.

Funny thing is, since that long ago post by me, both of my daughters ended up pledging TriDelt at the University of Alabama. Who would have seen that coming?!?

They are now graduated and attending graduate school. The oldest one is in Innsbruck, Austria studying Strategic Management (whatever that is), and the younger one is at Alabama working on her MBA.