Beta Eta Featured in National Housing Corporation Newsletter!

It was so nice to see a photo of the upstairs TV room featured in this article in the Alpha Chi Omega National Housing Corporation's monthly newsletter. To see the full Housing Happenings newsletter, click here.

Linking the Past to the Present by Erin Boyce, Lead Specialist-Local House Corporation/Chapter Relations Erin Boyce, House Corporation President for Alpha Chi House Corporation at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, shares her story about creating a “Founders Room” for the chapter. In the Summer of 2009 during one of my frequent visits to the Alpha Chi Chapter house at Butler University,  I discovered boxes and boxes of old photos from the 1940s to the present sitting in a dark room in the basement.  Also discovered was the original chapter charter, a handwritten story of the chapter’s founding and a shadow box with the pin and charm bracelets of one of the chapter’s founders.  I gathered these items together and took a trip to Headquarters to share these treasures with Vicky Harrison who serves as the staff Archivist.  While at Headquarters, Vicky and I discussed what to do with these discoveries.  From our conversations, I was inspired to create a Founders Room in the chapter house.  Vicky shared pictures from other chapters who had created such a space in their home and I began to visualize how the Alpha Chi house at Butler could has its own “historic” space also. After tapping into the talents of a local alumna who was an interior decorator and soliciting additional items from the alumnae using the chapter newsletter, the project began to take shape.  Getting chapter “buy-in” was critical because the house corporation was converting the “Bum Room” into a more formal area.  The buy-in was easy as the chapter members began learning about their heritage.  One of our local alumnae, Katie Mathis donated a glass block from our original chapter house.  She came to the house during a Founders Day event and presented it to the chapter with many stories to share.  My husband’s boss (the son of one of our national past presidents, Rose Mary Hittle) donated everything and anything he had from his mother which included her initiation certificate, diploma, a watch, many pictures, and other articles.  The chapter members were thrilled to be able to have these cherished items in their home. The house corporation and the chapter have found incorporating the past into the chapter facility can be beneficial in several ways!  The collegians benefit from seeing the longevity of the chapter’s home and the wonderful items reflecting the history of the chapter and its members.  The alumnae gain a real connection to the facility and the knowledge and recognition the chapter values all its members.  And, hopefully, the connection will grow causing collegians and alumnae to monetarily support other future housing projects! For additional support and/or information, contact Erinvia email. Other heritage examples: Alpha Chapter, DePauw University Karen Bushouse, House Corporation Board President. Alpha Chi Omega Headquarters and Alpha Chapter alumnae helped to contribute to memorabilia for the chapter’s wonderful display of the heritage of Alpha Chi Omega’s founding chapter. Beta Eta Chapter, Florida State University Britain Dwyre, Chapter Advisor Britain worked with the Housing Department and the collegiate chapter to also incorporate memorabilia  from the past throughout the Beta Eta Chapter’s home.  Please send your pictures and ideas telling the Housing Department how you are preserving your chapter’s heritage and making it come alive in your chapter house.