My e-mail boxes tell me it’s Cyber Monday, one of the busiest on-line shopping days. There is a big sale going on at Pi Phi Express and I am certain that many other fraternity and sorority on-line merchants are having sales, too. It’s a great way to support GLOs and save some money at the same time.
A few news items caught my eye while I was browsing social media.
Lambda Theta Alpha, founded at New Jersey’s Kean University in 1975, raised more than $55,000 for St. Jude’s Give thanks. Walk on November 22. The sorority has been a general partner with St. Jude’s since 2010 and has raised almost $200,000 for the hospital’s fight against childhood cancer.
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Kappa Delta Georgia O’Keeffe made history last week when her painting Jimson Weed, White Flower No. 1 sold for $44 million, breaking the record amount for a work by a female artist.
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At last week’s Presidential Medal of Honor Ceremony, there were several honorees with GLO connections. Stephen Sondheim, Broadway composer and member of Beta Theta Pi wasn’t able to attend the ceremony, and will receive his award in 2015 (See http://wp.me/p20I1i-1wW and http://wp.me/p20I1i-be for more information about Sondheim). Honoree Marlo Thomas is a Kappa Alpha Theta. Tom Brokaw, whose wife Meredith Auld Brokaw is a Pi Beta Phi and Cottey College student, was also an honoree.
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The State of Ohio recently honored the building in which Kappa Kappa Gamma has its headquarters. An historical marker was placed on the front lawn of the Snowden-Gray House. The marker identifies the building as an important part of Ohio history and the history of women. Kudos to my friends at Kappa Kappa Gamma, especially the multi-talented Kylie Towers Smith, who played a large role in the effort! (P.E.O. friends will also be happy to know that Kylie is on the Ohio State Chapter delegation for P.E.O. and will be Ohio State President during P.E.O. 150th celebration). (See http://wp.me/p20I1i-oy for more information on the Snowden-Gray House.)
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A photo of Paul Rudd has been making the rounds. I’ve seen it identified as a graduation photo, but anyone familiar with GLOs would know right away that it was from a composite. Rudd’s photo is from the University of Kansas Sigma Nu chapter’s composite.
Sigma Nu, University of Kansas
Last week astute Jeopardy! viewers alerted me that there was an Alpha Chi Omega competing. Jennifer Diederich Healy, a past AXO National Council was indeed on television and in addition to mentioning her AXO affiliation, she wore her badge(s).
Jennifer Diederich Healy, Alpha Chi Omega
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Welcome to the twitterverse @PEOInternational and @PEOSisterhood!
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Happy Founders’ Day to Sigma Lambda Upsilon Sorority, Inc. and Lambda Theta Phi. Sigma Lambda Upsilon, also known as Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. was founded on December 1, 1987 at Binghamton University in New York. Lambda Theta Phi was founded at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, On December 1, 1975. (Lambda Theta Alpha, the sorority mention in the beginning of this post, was also founded in December 1975 at Kean University.)
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And a reminder from my friends at the Phi Gamma Delta Archives. That first meeting likely deserves a post of its own. The North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) first met on November 27, 1909, and that, too, is on the docket for its own post.
11/26/1920 First conference of fraternity field secretaries organized in New York by Phil Lyon (Ohio Wesleyan 1916). #PhiGam @nicfraternity
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Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. The Circle of Sisterhood is a great cause (seehttp://wp.me/p20I1i-wa). Why not consider making a gift in honor of a mentor or special friend. Visit https://www.circleofsisterhood.org/give-now/. It’s also a great time to support GLO foundations. While I have supported the Pi Beta Phi Foundation for decades, I also enjoy making donations to other GLOs. It’s all in the family.
© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyed this post, please sign up for updates. Also follow me on twitter @GLOHistory and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/glohistory/
