Alpha Chi Omega Vision Award

It was wonderful to see Florida State University alumna Andrea Fuller Cooper (Delta Delta Delta) honored with the Alpha Chi Omega Vision Award. The Vision Award goes to a non-Alpha Chi Omega who is making a difference in the Greek Community. Through her years of presenting Kristin's Story on campuses and in communities, Andrea has made a difference for students, their friends, and their families as she shares the story of her Alpha Chi Omega daughter, Kristin, the acquaintance rape she endured, and the depression and suicide that followed. In spring 2000, when Andrea told Kristin's Story for the first time, she did so at her alma mater, Florida State University. Beta Eta hosted her (with Tri-Delt) and she's remained close to our hearts since then.

The award is announced:

Andrea accepts the Vision Award from National President Marsha Grady:

Andrea's remarks were very moving. There was hardly a dry eye in the room.

Andrea Cooper (on left) with Beta Eta alumnae Jessica and Britain. On the right is Kate, daughter of the late Past National President Jan Crandall who accompanied Andrea to FSU for the inaugural Kristin's Story.

Summer Updates at the Beta Eta House Underway!

Sharing some "in progress" photos from improvements that are underway at the Beta Eta House.

First, additional security cameras have been installed on the front porch to monitor the front yard. The outdoor lights in the front landscaping have been run over a couple times in the last few years, so hopefully the camera will be a deterrent!

Second, the public powder room on the first floor, off the informal living room, is getting a make-over. This room originally was the chapter room (which is now the Exec Office upstairs on the senior hallway). It now has a tile floor (replacing the old linoleum). You can also see in the photo that the old metal stall dividers are being replaced with walls and doors.

In this second photo you can see the new vanity, sink, mirror and lighting, and at least a hint of the new wall color, which is a soft green:

Look for photos of this completed project, coming soon!

Third, the kitchen has a new accent wall. Fun, right? The chapters chef actually picked out the color!

And lastly, the new flooring has been installed in the upstairs hallways:

The first photo is taken from the senior side looking through the TV room (past the stairwell to the first floor) into the sophomore side and the mailroom at the end of the hall. The second photo is the sophomore side, looking down into the study room, and it shows the shoe-molding and thresholds installed.

In Memory of Betty Hodges

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that we have lost an Alpha Chi Omega sister. Betty Hodges initiated Beta Eta chapter in 1955. Her memorial will be held (address below) on Saturday, July 24^th in Atlanta.

Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Hodges, 74, died on July 6, 2010 at her home on Lake Lanier in Flowery Branch, Georgia after a long battle with cancer. Betty was born in Bainbridge, Georgia to Lillian Caldwell Hodges and William Lancelot (“Dance”) Hodges. Several years later, the family moved to Tampa, Florida. Graduating from Tampa’s Plant High School In 1955, Betty enrolled at Florida State University in Tallahassee where she joined Alpha Chi Omega sorority, toured as a trapeze artist with FSU’s all-student “Flying High Circus,” performing proudly at the winter quarters of Ringling Brothers in Sarasota, accepted honorary membership in the F Club, a university athletic excellence award, and became an ardent and lifelong Seminoles fan. She graduated in 1959 with a BA, and went on to receive a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Alabama. In Atlanta, she taught in elementary schools in the Dekalb County School System for thirty-two years. After retiring, she moved to Lake Lanier, where she enjoyed caring for her pets, fishing, gardening, and getting together with the friends she had made in the small lakeside community of Paradise Point. Betty was a gentle soul who loved children and animals. She will be especially missed by her partner, Dot Hartsfield, with whom she established two corporations: Transpet, Inc. (d/b/a Critter Sitters), and Seawatch Beach Properties, LLP. Other survivors include cousins Mayo and Carolyn Livingston of Bainbridge, Georgia, Merle and Edward Sparkman of Charleston, South Carolina, along with several nieces and their children. She is also fondly remembered by her godchildren Reid Hartsfield IV, and Wrece Hartsfield-Mazur, their spouses and children, to whom she was affectionately known as “Aunt B.” There will be a Memorial of Remembrance for Betty on July 24, 2010 at one o’clock in the afternoon at the home of Bonnie and Tom Dougherty, 2412 Bohler Rd., NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30327. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The American Cancer Society or The United States Humane Society in memory of Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Hodges.

http://www.flaniganfuneralhome.com/obituaries.htm

Sorority Recruitment at FSU

Sorority Recruitment at FSU will be here before you know it! The dates are Monday, August 16th through Saturday, August 21st. If you can help out at the FSU Alpha Chi Omega House at any time that week, we would love to have your help! We need volunteers during the day to pour and serve water, to help keep the house looking great and to assist behind the scenes. We'll also need large groups of alumnae volunteers Friday and Saturday evenings (the 20th and 21st) - no special skills are needed!

If you would like to help, please leave a comment on this post and we'll be in touch with you! Thank you in advance, we appreciate you!

Please also let us know if you need the official Alpha Chi Omega Recruitment Information Form. It can be downloaded from the Alpha Chi Omega National website (here, note you have to log in) or comment below and we'll send you one by email.

Alpha Chi Omega Convention!

It's going to be a banner week for all of us at Xi Omega Xi as Alpha Chi Omega Convention kicks off on Friday, July 9th.

First, we'll have what looks like it might be a record number of Beta Etas in attendance for Convention in general, and an even larger crowd on Saturday night for Reunion Dinner. We're looking forward to seeing Jessica, Jessica, Vaneese, Pat, Britain, Liz, Sylvia, Patty, Katie, Karen, Aggie (and Don!) and Claudia!

Second, Xi Omega Xi will be officially installed on Sunday evening, July 11th, at 5pm. If you can attend, please be sure to RSVP here.

And, third, Beta Eta alumna Karen Rinehart is speaking on Monday!

Karen Buffer Rinehart Beta Eta, Florida State University "Maternal Revenge Phenomena: Resistance is Futile"

The eyes in the back of your head. That wind-down vocal sigh after a good laugh. Kids who have a phone permanently glued to their hands. Kids who mock what you wear. Those classic maternal phrases ("Because I said so!") It's called, Maternal Revenge Phenomena™: A supernatural power, bound not by time or distance, bestowed upon generations of mothers to exact revenge on their grown offspring.

Karen Rinehart remembers exactly where she was the first time she felt this maternal power (Hint: AXΩ) and bets you do too. She figures if we can't fight it, we might as well laugh about it and other stuff so unavoidably "True to Life."

Karen has been writing her award winning syndicated newspaper column, True To Life, a.k.a. The Bus Stop Mommies™, since 2002.  She's a frequent guest commentator on radio and making her way into television.

In addition to her book, Invisible Underwear, Bus Stop Mommies and Other Things True To Life, Karen's columns and The Bus Stop Mommies™ are featured in:

• The Misadventures of Moms and Disasters of Dads (2005)
• Divine Secrets of the Yahweh Sisterhood (2006)
• The best selling Amazing Grace series, Amazing Grace for Families (2008)
• The record selling What A Husband Needs From His Wife, Melanie Chitwood, (2007)
• Upcoming (magazine) anthologies by Wesleyan Publishing (2009)
• The anthology Laugh Your Shorts Off, Short stories to make you giggle by award-winning writers (2010)

When not finding something desperate to do to avoid deadlines (like ironing), Karen enjoys gardening, reading, and embarrassing her kids in public. She and her husband Scott have a son, Morgan (20) and an Alpha Chi legacy, Melanie (17).


Get Excited!

Xi Omega Xi Founder - Claudia Wenzel Thomas

CLAUDIA WENZEL THOMAS was initiated into Beta Eta Chapter of Alpha Chi Omega in 1967. While a collegiate member, she served as pledge class Social Chairman and several terms as Rush Chairman. As an alumna, Claudia has held numerous positions on the local, regional and national levels. These positions include President of Gamma Lambda Gamma Alumnae Chapter, President of Chicago Area Board, Province President X and Assistant Collegiate Vice President-Collegians. She was privileged to serve on Alpha Chi Omega’s National Council as Vice President-Secretary and on the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation Board of Trustees as Director of Endowments. Claudia has also served Alpha Chi Omega as National Convention Program Manager, Training Leadership Seminar Program Manager, Chairman of the Committee to Study the Ritual, Chairman of the Foundation Advisory Cabinet, Challenge to Excellence Officer, Rush Visitor, TEAM Leader, Colony Advisor and Chairman of the Zeta Tau Oversite Committee. She is currently a member of the Alumnae Initiate Ceremony Task Force and is a nominee for the 2010-2012 National Nominating Committee. She belongs to Eta Sigma Eta Alumnae Chapter, Upper Pinellas County, and Xi Omega Xi Alumnae Chapter.
In her community, Claudia has been a Glen Ellyn Capital Improvement Commissioner, Chairman of the Partnership for Educational Progress Foundation Board of Trustees, Secretary of the Warrenville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Co-Chairman of the Save Our Streets Referendum Committee, a Vision Glen Ellyn Facilitator, a member of the Glen Ellyn Community Information Initiative Council and the Glenbard Township High School District Communications Action Team and active in her children’s schools. In 2002, she was honored to receive a State of Illinois Woman of Achievement Award from Lt. Governor Corinne Wood. She was President of Palm Harbor Newcomers Club and still serves on its board and has also served as Secretary of the Reserve at Lake Tarpon Homeowners’ Association Board. She has been producer of the Suncoast Hospice Annual Fashion Show and Boutique, raising over $50,000 annually for the charity.
In her professional life, Claudia has been an Assistant Buyer for Macy’s, Editor-in-chief of the Warrenville Post newspaper and Executive Director of the Warrenville Chamber of Commerce. She is currently a part-time Wholesaler’s Assistant.
Claudia and her husband Clif moved from Glen Ellyn, Illinois to Palm Harbor, Florida in June of 2008. They have two grown children: a daughter, Jessica Hughes (Beta Eta 1994), and a son, Gavin. Gavin is an engineer currently working in the United Arab Emirates. Jessica and her husband Tony live in Parkland, Florida, where Claudia spends a great deal of time visiting and doting on grandsons Jake (5) and Gavin (2).

Xi Omega Xi Founder - Aggie Smith Steiner

Aggie Smith Steiner '67

  

Aggie Steiner initiated at Beta Eta in 1967. During tenure as a collegian, she served as a Standards Board Member, Assistant Pledge Trainer, Family Weekend Chair, Circus Decorations Chair and won the Favorite Pledge Award. She graduated from Florida State Cum Laude with membership in several academic honoraria.

     Aggie is active in Alpha Gamma Alpha Alumnae chapter, Atlanta, Georgia, and has served as President, Vice President and held the chairmanship of several committees including fundraising, social and membership.

     She has served the national organization as National Vice-President, National Nominating Committee Chair, Recruitment Program Chair, National Director of Ritual, District Alumnae Chairman IV-S and Province President IV. She has held various Advisory Board positions including Recruitment, Colony, and House Corporation Board President for Epsilon Phi chapter, Georgia Tech. Additionally she was the NHC Liaison and project chair for new facility construction for Epsilon Phi and Theta Upsilon chapter at the University of South Carolina. She is currently the National House Corporation President. Aggie has attended 16 National Conventions.

     Retired now, Aggie’s professional career included serving as the Telephone Pioneers of America Annual Meeting 2000 Chairman, Lucent Technologies, 1999-2001; the Profile Showcase Manager, Lucent Technologies / AT&T Network Systems, 1988-1999; Marketing Manager, AT&T - Network Systems, 1984-1988; and ReproGraphics / Art Department Manager, Artist, Western Electric, 1974-1984.

     Aggie has been married to her college Pi Kappa Phi sweetheart Don for 39 years. She is an active community volunteer – involved in the American Heart Association, the 1996 Centennial Olympics Volunteers and the ACOG Volunteer Advisory Board , the Telephone Pioneers of America, and the FSU Seminole Boosters. Her interests include travel, snow skiing, spectator sports, needle work and shell collecting.