Kappa Quill Spring 2021 - 50th Anniversary Edition

Letter from the Executive Director

Dear Sisters and Friends of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority,

I hope this letter finds you well and you and your loved ones healthy and safe. Fifty years ago in 1971, bell bottoms and polyester were all the rage, Richard Nixon was President, Disney World only just opened, the 26th Amendment passed lowering the voting age to 18, and gas cost $.40 per gallon. John Lennon, James Taylors, The Doors, The Who, and The Jackson 5 were some of the popular bands, while The Odd Couple, The Partridge Family, All My Children and Mary Taylor Moore were what was popular on television at the time. Something else significant also happened in 1971— our organization was born!

This year Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority celebrates our Golden Anniversary, 50 years (If you are reading this and the year you were born starts with the number 2 there is a chance your parents were not even born yet). A lot has changed in the fifty years since we were founded—face masks are part of our daily outfits thanks to a global pandemic, Kamala Harris is the first woman Vice President of the United States, Disney now owns 12 parks across the world, and gas costs $3.30 per gallon. Some of today’s biggest artists include Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, and Lady Gaga, we stream music on Spotify, we are binge watching shows like Tiger King, The Witcher, The Mandalorian, and Wandavision. Trends might have changed through the years but the one thing that has remained constant over the past fifty years is love that we all share for the sorority.

I joined Kappa Iota chapter ten years ago in the fall of 2011. I was initially drawn to the lifelong bonds and the work that they were doing in the community. I think that what drew most of us towards Kappa, the idea of being part of something bigger than ourselves. When I started this journey I had no idea where it would bring me, but I’m thankful for everything it has. It has brought me my best

friends, future bridesmaids, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on and so much more. When I first joined the sorority I was quiet and willing to let others take the lead. Going through new member education helped me to find my voice as a leader, which I took with me through my time as an active member. Then joining the board I once again found myself in a position where it was not always comfortable speaking up, being new to the Board I was learning how this part of our organization operated, and it took time to just listen and learn. I think that is part of being a good leader—being able to listen and always wanting to learn more. And thinking of my mentors I’ve had in Kappa that are the two things they all have in common. I’m also really thankful for them having the belief in me and giving me small nudges to keep working on taking the next steps in my journey.

Becoming the head of the sorority has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences in my Kappa journey thus far, and unfortunately one of those challenges is the disappointment of not being able to celebrate together in person for the second year in a row. I wish that we could be celebrating this milestone together in person, but that was just not in cards this year with the global pandemic still ongoing. This year’s convention is just one event on a long list of events and milestones that have had to be re-envisioned; graduations were anything but traditional, and weddings were shrunk or canceled. Although there is a sadness to the fact we can not safely gather together in person to celebrate fifty years of sisterhood, the Kappa Spirit burns on.

Anyone who knows me knows that I like numbers, so I want to take some time to go over some significant numbers of our organization. Throughout our fifty years

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Editor's Note

In my beginning days as an Associate Board member, Liz Jason brought the idea of a 50th Anniversary edition of the Kappa Quill, and I have been ready to take this feat on ever since, with each edition only preparing me for this moment. I have learned a lot during my time as a National Board member—five years at this point—and to be able to hear stories and talk personally with multiple generations of Kappas was an experience I will treasure forever. As technologies change, and we have gone from hand-written minutes and developed photographs to digital archives and social media posts, being able to compile all of that in an edition like this is significant. I am privileged to be able to have the honor of putting this together, and I hope it serves as a reference for many years to come, as I know Kappa will thrive for 50, 100, 200+ more years.

I also would like to give a special shout out to our philanthropy chair, Lauren Porter—who researched the heck out of the organizations we supported and the funds we have raised over these fifty years, Emma Wenig—who designed the history timeline in which I am eternally grateful, and Robyn Sarette, Vice President of Administration—who was my right-hand (wo)man throughout this entire process and was a sounding board for any idea I needed to help come to fruition. To the 50th Anniversary Committee, to our senior board members who are always ready to answer every trivia question I may have, to everyone on the National Board who contributed, to the National and Chapter Alumnae Associations, and to everyone who submitted photos, filled out survey questions, and shared their stories—without you, this wouldn't have been possible. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed putting it together. To the next fifty years.

In Kappa, Christina Rose editor@kappadeltaphinas.org

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we have had over 4000 sisters join our bonds of sisterhood. That’s over 4000 sisters that have said the same words during initiation, over 4000 who exemplify our ideals of Kindness, Devotion, and Pride. In our fifty years we have raised over $120,000 (known) and counting for our various national philanthropies, and we have helped over thirty philanthropic causes on the national level. Our impact is undoubtedly even higher than what is known when you factor individual causes that our chapters have supported in their local communities throughout the past fifty years. Some of my favorite memories in the sorority are centered around our philanthropy work, from volunteering at walks as an undergraduate, to the yearly check presentation at convention, attending the Out of the Darkness Walk with active members of my chapter and board members, or even getting pied in the face at SLR 2019 for the AFSP. There are countless number of these memories that bring a smile to my face. I’m sure each of you also have countless memories thanks to our beloved sorority.

Who knows what will be popular fifty years from now, but one thing that is certain is that the past fifty years we have built a foundation of something greater than ourselves that will undoubtedly endure the next fifty years. I can not even begin to guess where the next fifty years will lead us but I do know that we will continue to make an impact in our communities, we will continue to spread our ideals of Kindness, Devotion and Pride and that we will continue to keep the Kappa spirit alive. I am so incredibly proud to be a member of this organization and can’t wait to see what you all accomplish in the next 50 years.

In Kappa, Amanda Roberge Executive Director

Important Dates

Mission Statement

The purpose of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. shall be to promote academic achievement, to encourage community involvement through philanthropy, and to cultivate the everlasting bonds of sisterhood. We shall fortify the values of leadership, generosity, charity, and integrity within our sisters through guidance at both the chapter and national level.

National Founders

Pat Ouellette

Angie Parker

Kathy Luciano

Dee Tzovarras

Tricia Crosby

Laurie Beckwith

Joanne Lobozzo

Becky Ritter

Joyce Welch

Renie Mountain

Bridgett Burtchell

Bonnie Griener

Nancee Brearly

Debbie Therriauly

Barbie Richard

Eileen Coombs

Karen Kulikowski

Kathi Gleason

Jan Spaulding

Sharon Soles

Sue Caron

Leslie Vartabedian

Mimi McBride

Media & Materials Committee

Designer & Editor: Christina Rose

Social Media: Robyn Sarette

Webmaster: Brittany Baldwin

50th Anniversary Committee

Amanda Roberge

Amanda Cronin

Alex Nestro

Robyn Sarette

Christina Rose

Brittany Baldwin

Lauren Porter

November 20

• Location TBD

Convention 2022

April 8-10

• DoubleTree by Hilton, Boston North Shore

Letter from the President

Hello Sisters,

I hope you are doing well and are excited to celebrate all that you have accomplished during this unprecedented year. While we cannot be together in person, I am excited that the meetings committee has partnered with UMASS Lowell to incorporate as many Convention aspects as possible. A BIG thank you to EVERYONE involved. The meetings committee, National Board, National Alumnae Association, Chapters, and alumnae have all made it possible. I’m proud that we have all come together during these challenging times to make this event as successful and impactful as possible. Caryn Sullivan reminds us “In the face of adversity, we have a choice. We can be bitter, or we can be better”. I am proud that we have made the choice to keep our heads up high no matter what and continue to persevere and work through the obstacles to create better outcomes together.

In addition to celebrating this year’s successes, we are also celebrating 50 years of sisterhood. The founding of our sorority is unique and is what, in my opinion, is a true distinction from other organizations. The collaboration between the fraternity and the twenty-three interested women that created Kappa Lambda Chapter of Kappa Delta Phi, National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. in 1971 has now grown into what we know as Kappa today. While the relationship between the fraternity and the sorority has had its ups and downs, at the end of the day, we continue to support one another and want each organization to be successful.

This year marks my tenth year as a Kappa sister. I can truly say I would not be where I am today without Kappa. When I first went to college, I wanted to be involved on campus and, of course, make new friends. The Greek community at SNHU was very active in the community which is how I found Kappa Chi. I immediately was drawn to their energy and excitement. I found a group of people where I can be myself. From going through the New Member Education process, to joining and immedi-

ately taking on new roles, I was able to develop personally and professionally, and discover who I truly was.

Looking back, Kappa put me in situations that were uncomfortable and allowed me to get over my fears and work things out. For example, I remember attending my first Summer Leadership Retreat (previously called Summer Workshop) where I had to go camping in the woods and room without any of my chapter sisters. Camping (mind you we had cabins, not tents) was a truly traumatic experience in itself for me at the time. To put the cherry on top, when I arrived, I found out that I would also have to room without any of my chapter sisters (oh no!). This experience truly got me out of my comfort zone. Ultimately, it led me to develop friendships I wouldn’t have made if I had had a choice on where to stay. There are SO many other events that I can recall, both as an active and on the National Board (conflict resolution as Chapter President, KappaCon meetings with Jon Kadel), where initially, I was uncomfortable or challenged, but I was able to persevere and learn more about myself and how to work with others. It’s safe to say that the interpersonal, organizational and leadership skills that I have developed on my Kappa journey have helped me achieve my goals and got me to where I am today.

I hope that you will be able to reflect on your own Kappa journey and find similar outcomes from your experience. While everyone's journey is different, we have joined together to perpetuate the ideals of kindness, devotion and pride. We have all gone through the same rituals that unite us as one sisterhood. We have all committed to never letting the spirit die. I am excited personally to see where my Kappa journey takes me next and look forward to seeing the next fifty years of Kappa evolving.

MTSND, Amanda Cronin National President

2020-2021 Meetings Recap:

Association of Fraternity/ Sorority Advisors

by Lauren Porter, Associate Board Member

What is AFA? They self-describe their purpose as “enhancing members’ abilities to foster impactful fraternity/ sorority experiences.” Conference attendees range from national board members like ourselves to advisors on the ground at campuses supporting a wide variety of Greek Letter Organizations (GLOs).

Over the years, AFA has brought our board members across the country from California to Massachusetts and everywhere in between. Yet, this year, we found ourselves in a new setting: online. While necessary, this presented new obstacles to overcome to network and learn together in a meaningful way. Despite the challenges, we were still able to make new connections with other organizations, Greek Life advisors, administrators, and experts in various fields and bring back valuable information to the rest of the National Board.

AFA Annual Meeting is a multi-day conference composed of keynotes, workshops, and networking spaces. We attended workshops that fell into two main categories: diversity, inclusion, and equity; and recruitment and meaningful active experiences during a pandemic.

how to look at who’s not being included in important conversations, making GLOs inclusive to the LGBTQ+ population, providing equitable opportunities for students with disabilities, and supporting non-traditional students. We talked about diversity and inclusion in regards to race and spread to other social identities as well. The workshops had a common theme: constant assessment and redirection is necessary, as well as honest self-reflection. We were charged with taking an active, ongoing process to build our organizations in an intentional way bit-by-bit to match our values.

In terms of recruitment and member experience, we learned about basic strategies to improve virtual recruitment for our organizations. We learned about overall themes we’ve seen in Greek Life during the pandemic, including both challenges and successes in this virtual era. In talking about member experiences, we focused a lot on how we provide additional resources and cultivate a membership experience that aligns with our values and provides the same growth and skills that someone during a pre-pandemic era would experience.

“Seize opportunities to drive change… things change. All the new opportunities we have revolve around technology as we work to drive membership.” —Phi

Beta Sigma Leadership

Don C. Sawyer, III, Keynote Address

“If you’re not uncomfortable while doing this work, you’re doing it wrong. Intent is not enough…. Anti-racism efforts are active, not passive…. If we’re not uncomfortable, we’re not going to grow in those places. Marginalization is an active process, so disrupting these practices must be an active process.” —Dr.

After the keynote address, we spent time in workshops around best practices and general inclusivity guidelines,

We are grateful for our experience at AFA. Our chapter consultants, women’s issues committee, and VPM team in particular found great information and resources to foster growth in Kappa at an organizational level and continue supporting individual experiences of our members.

Meetings Recap (continued):

Northeastern Greek Leadership Association

NGLA 2021 Representatives

Molly Closinski, Kappa Alpha Xi • Kayla Nicholson, Kappa Alpha Gamma

Kirsten Ranieri, Kappa Alpha Gamma • Jillian Myers, Kappa Alpha Gamma

Trinity Cortes, Kappa Chi • Amy Davis, Kappa Iota • Lily LeBlond, Kappa Iota

Elizabeth Shannon, Kappa Alpha Omicron Emerging Chapter

NGLA was a great experience and I learned so much that I would love to bring back to my chapter and implement!

A few of the sessions that impacted me the most and that I am planning ways to impact my chapter with were called “Hazing Makes You A Better Greek, and other stupid myths!,” “OK, Boomer. Gen Z Says Racism and Classism are Cancelled,” “Recruiting and Retaining Gen Z in Uncertain Times,” “Shut up, You’re Not Fat,” and “Motivation Begins With You: The Alpha/Beta/Gamma Theory and Why You Need to Accept Addition By Subtraction.” These sessions all discussed different topics that collaborated together to help me put together ideas to implement to help grow my chapter in a positive direction. As a sorority that has a strong zero-tolerance hazing policy, I made sure to attend a hazing session to ensure our policies continue to protect our potential new members and affiliates. In this session, I learned about myths people say to justify hazing and now I will be able to keep my eyes and ears open so that if I hear anyone saying these myths to try to push hazing policies, I can stand up and prove that it is wrong.

Other sessions highly focused on inclusion in our recruitment process. One of the main policies I learned in these sessions was how to highlight our diversity and inclusion efforts without tokenizing our sisters of color. One of the best ways to do this is to engage more heavily with cultural organizations. If we reach out to have a stronger relationship with more cultural organizations we will have a greater chance of finding a more diverse group to recruit

from as well as demonstrating to potential new members how we make efforts to highlight inclusion and expand diversity to make more people feel comfortable.

The “Shut Up, You’re Not Fat” session impacted me greatly as body image issues are something I have struggled greatly with as well as many other sisters, if not all. After attending this session, I decided to discuss this topic at a meeting with all the sisters to teach and raise awareness about how our individual actions and language have such important effects on how we view ourselves. There are many phrases that sisters may view as a compliment when they say them but to the sister receiving them, they may have more negative impacts than positive. This is something I will bring up so that we can build each other up in meaningful ways rather than superficial “compliments.”

The Alpha/Beta/Gamma Theory session taught me about the different levels of engagement found among sisters and how we can use our energy to engage more sisters. The Beta level is the middle level of participation and the Gamma level is for sisters very uninvolved and at risk of dropping. I learned that I should focus attention on these levels to engage these sisters more while also praising and working in favor of the Alpha level sisters who are highly involved and motivated.

By attending these meetings, I have gained a sense of leadership and knowledge so that I can feel more comfortable with my leadership capabilities within my chapter!

Jillian Myers,, Kappa Alpha Gamma

Attending NGLA was one of the most beneficial experiences that I could have had this semester. Despite the conference having to be online, the staff and speakers were incredibly informative and helpful. I was also able to connect not only with sisters from other chapters of Kappa, but also fraternity and sorority members from all over. There were some attending from the South and even Canada! It was exciting to see how many people experience everything we do and how we all aren’t alone during this time. Each education block I attended was so educational and gave me so much insight to bring back to my chapter. I have not only learned ways to be a better leader, but how to incorporate new accountability measures to be educational and not punitive, how to be more diverse and inclusive in the org, how to support sisters encounter-

ing mental health crises or who have fallen victim to outside sources, and overall, how to lead the chapter and support each and every person who comes through alumnae and active. The experience was definitely overwhelming leading up to it, as we had to choose each educational subsection to attend. It was difficult choosing sometimes because each one seemed to hold so much information, but it had to be done. I also had the opportunity to meet one on one with a speaker and she aided me with new initiatives and ideas to bring back to my chapter.

I am so excited to incorporate each and every idea I have into the chapter and I hope to be able to better support each active and Affiliate as well.

To learn more about the Northeastern Greek Leadership Association, visit ngla.org.

Inclusive Language Update

Potential New Member

Prior to the term affiliate the sorority used the term pledge. In the early 2000's the Board made the term switch to affiliate as at the time there was a real push to move away from pledge as it was holding a lot of negative stereotypes and often hazing was associated with the term. As the Sorority became more involved in organizations like AFA and NGLA I began to notice that at least in the realm of NPC sororities the term they used was potential new member or PNM. I encouraged the Board to consider switching to PNM as it would be in line with what is common terminology at campuses with NPC sororities which our chapters are often part of that council.

New Member Education

This has a similar story to PNM in that the Board changed the term from pledge program and pledge mistress to affiliate education and affiliate educator to be in line with the terminology change of pledge to affiliate. Again new member education is the more commonly used term in today's fraternity and sorority community and I encouraged the change to be in alignment.

Emerging Chapter

This is a more recent development and is not yet as universal a change in the Greek community as the above two. In recent years a focus on diversity, inclusion and equity has really increased especially in the Greek community which has a history of being predominantly white spaces. The term colony which was used previously carries with it the images of colonization. In the lens of historical context, when we 'colonize', the actions assumed are to have a western civilization interrupt a native culture, promote power and privilege, and become the dominant leader of the land.

By moving away from all of the previous terms we are working to use more inclusive language in our organization.

Liz Jason, National Advisor

Kirsten Ranieri, Kappa Alpha Gamma

Philanthropy Update

by Lauren Porter, National Philanthropy Chair

This year has presented many challenges for our sisterhood. Philanthropy remains a cornerstone of our organization, even through the new obstacles that have been presented. Despite the challenges, our 220+ actives continued to uphold our value of kindness lived out through acts of service and philanthropy.

At the time of this writing, our membership has completed over 3000 hours of service for the 2020-2021 school year and engaged in a wide variety of projects. Here are just a few highlights:

• Kappa Iota did an environmental cleanup project, blood and hair donations, a chapter-funded Angel Tree project, and card-making for elementary students.

• Kappa Lambda sisters volunteered at the Health Equity Alliance, Planned Parenthood, food drives, and clothes drives in their community.

• Kappa Omicron had many sisters volunteer with 7 Cup to provide peer mental health support, Habitat for Humanity, Love for the Elderly, and Yards for Yeardley.

• Kappa Sigma volunteered at a soup kitchen, made masks, and went to blood drives.

• Kappa Upsilon did an AFSP Out of the Darkness virtual walk, a large fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and a project for National Diabetes Day.

• Kappa Chi did a virtual St. Jude’s walk, wrote letters to soldiers, and participated in a Jimmy Fund walk.

• Kappa Alpha Gamma volunteered at food banks, the Reclaim Our Vote campaign, an environmental cleanup project, and a regional animal shelter.

• Kappa Alpha Iota wrote cards to children and veteran’s, raised funds for COVID relief, and helped with COVID testing.

• Kappa Alpha Nu attended an AFSP walk, did apple picking with Indian Ladder Farms, donated blood, and did projects around bystander intervention and stalking awareness.

• Kappa Alpha Xi did a lot of fundraisers, including a Paint and Sip night, a raffle, a kickball game, selling masks, participated in an Out of the Darkness Walk, and volunteered with the Trax the Moose Campaign.

• Kappa Alpha Omicron Emerging Chapter did a breast cancer fundraiser and a Valentine’s Day AFSP fundraiser.

• Kappa Alpha Pi Emerging Chapter volunteered with a food pantry, made masks with the Red Cross, and attended the John Calvin Toll Day of Service .

The National Board raised over $800 in the fall and is aiming to raise $1,971 this spring through 100 donations of $19.71 in honor of Kappa’s 50th anniversary. Our organization is in its fourth year of partnership with the American Foundation with Suicide Prevention and supporting their work on prevention, research, advocacy, and support.

In February, Kappa had its first "It’s Real: College Mental Health" viewing and discussion with the AFSP. Active and alumnae sisters and board members were able to come together to have a #RealConvo around mental health, suicide prevention, caring for ourselves, and looking out for each other. We had 30 sisters in attendance and spent time learning about these important topics together with take-aways for suicide prevention and supporting the mental health of our sisters. Another training, "Talk Saves Lives" with the AFSP, will be offered at Convention 2021 for sisters to continue this conversation.

Thank You

to our alumnae sisters on the front lines battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

These are some of their stories...

Miranda Gamblin

Kappa Alpha Mu, Fall 2011 (transferred to Kappa Chi)

Program Coordinator in an Assisted Living Facility specializing in Memory Care (Leominster, Massachusetts)

What does your work day look like?

When my building had coronavirus we had to put all of my residents into quarantine so that they would be far less likely to infect each other. As the program coordinator, it was my responsibility to figure out new ways to do basically every aspect of my job. For example, I went from leading an exercise class in the morning to leading 15 mini exercise classes every morning.

My job went from ensuring that residents connected with each other and made meaningful connections with their families and nearly overnight transitioned into making sure that no one was getting too close to each other.

Working with people who have Alzheimer’s during such a unique time has posed interesting challenges as many of them don’t know that coronavirus even exists. So when I had to ask them to all stay in their apartments, they thought I was nuts because I am usually the one getting them out of their apartments.

With my residents being memory impaired, it is a continuous process to ensure their safety.

What are some of your biggest takeaways at working in public health and a global pandemic?

I think that for me personally I have really been inspired by families doing the most for their loved ones even in an extreme condition. I have had family members do birthday parades, stand in the rain, heat and snow to talk through a (closed) window to their family.

I am also so inspired by all of the staff that I work with that knowingly walked into a building every single day knowing full well that they could get COVID that day at work and they still came every day.

How have you managed your mental health during this time?

I have been doing a lot of FaceTime dates. I have been reading a bunch and focusing on hobbies that bring me

joy! My wonderful fiancé has been a wonderful support person.

What have you utilized from your time as a Kappa during this pandemic professionally or personally?

I think that one of the big things is being devoted even when things are really difficult. Being devoted to my residents has made the day by day changes focus in on what is best for them rather than what might be easier.

Teamwork is essential, especially with being on the same page with what our current PPE requirements are, who might have been exposed to COVID, and because most of our jobs have become more complicated asking each other for help.

What do you want everyone to know?

I think something that a lot of people are maybe suffering silently through is the devastating loneliness that is happening because of COVID. My assisted-living was COVID-free for the first eight months of the pandemic, and even so, I have lost more residents in 2020 than I ever had before in my career. I know a lot of others who also experienced this within their assisted livings. Social interaction and the sense of community is so important within our health, mentally and physically.

Devyn Bilotas

Kappa Iota, Spring 2010

RN Emergency Department (Southshore, MA)

What does your work day look like?

Beginning of the pandemic my whole life was about COVID, taking care of mostly only COVID patients or sick people that were so scared of coming to the ER. There were changes to every policy all the time. Personal Protective Equipment expectations changed. People were the sickest I’ve ever seen from COVID. It’s gotten progressively better but now I care for regular patients COVID patients, old and young, and an increasing amount of mental health patients which seems to be one of the larger impacts this pandemic has had on our health care system.

What are some of your biggest takeaways at working in public health and a global pandemic?

People can be kind and it did restore some of my faith in the world in the beginning. Nothing is certain in life and in healthcare things change at the drop of the dime so you must be prepared for any and every emergency and be able to learn when things change and how to cope and go with the flow. Regardless I will always love nursing even on my worst most burnt out days. Most importantly life is short, hug your family, say "I love you," don’t leave things unsaid, and eat that pizza or cupcake.

How have you managed your mental health during this time?

I don’t honestly know how I haven’t lost my mind quite yet. In the world of healthcare, if you speak up someone is probably feeling the way you do and it’s the best support ever. We laugh with each other over things that would make you cringe but it keeps us going. Also having a dog has helped. Buddy is literally the reason I haven’t lost the feeling of being unconditionally loved. It also helps that my cousin works on a COVID unit so I’ve been with her through all of this.

What have you utilized from your time as a Kappa during this pandemic professionally or personally?

Kindness—I take kindness with me everyday. I always remember to live with my best intentions and be kind to everyone, patient or non-patient. We never know what battle someone is fighting.

What do you want everyone to know?

Don’t ever forget or to reach out to someone you feel comfortable with if you’re struggling with mental health or you need to talk. I know no matter if a Kappa sister knows you or not they would listen and help you to the best of their ability. Don’t be afraid because a sister will always be there and never judge you.

AlysiaRourkeTardelli

Kappa Upsilon, Spring 1988 (Former Executive Director)

COVID-19 Screener at Melrose-Wakefield Healthcare (Medford, Massachusetts) and Corporate Catering at Simple Fare (Greater Boston Area)

As the pandemic started, I was working for a local caterer (Kappa-owned). We quickly dug in and developed a network of contacts at local hospitals and coordinated feeding staff at various hospitals in the Greater Boston area. The delivered meals were often funded through the efforts of everyday people wanting to help where they could. Given our publicized efforts and our Kappa connections, we had a lot of alumnae reaching out to us to jump in and help. Meals were donated to staff in memory of loved ones, birthdays were used to draw attention to the fundraising efforts, and I often drew the great honor of delivering the meals to hospital staff and personally thanking them for their efforts.

As the pandemic waned on, I grew concerned about continuing to work full time in the corporate catering field and began to look for a job to supplement my dwindling earnings. And so began my work within the healthcare system. Since October I have worked as a COVID-19 screener for Melrose-Wakefield Healthcare. As I’ve told many friends, this job is mundane but NEVER boring. It is my role to insure that every patient, visitor, and employee who enters the facility adheres to our safety protocols. I work with a team of about 20 or so full-time and part-time folks, staffing two different hospitals 7 days a week.

This job is far more than asking someone to pull their mask up over their nose and asking them a few questions. This role has given me insight into the humanity and the inhumanity of this pandemic. For each person who stands in front of me and claims “I don’t think it is as bad as they are making it out to be” or declares that “masks don’t work,” I have seen an endless number family members come in to say a final goodbye, signed in far too many funeral directors and hospice nurses, and witnessed an endless parade of folks seeking both mental and physical health care. But, I have also been witness to the relief of a COVID patient going home, the joy of siblings meeting a new baby, and the camaraderie among staff as they work toward a common goal. My work has helped me feel as though I am doing something positive during the pandemic.

How have you felt the bonds of sisterhood during the pandemic?

"Through virtual connection! It's difficult to not feel alone or isolated and connecting on Zoom and FaceTime with sisters has helped me feel connected, supported, and loved."

Amanda Cronin, Kappa Chi

"Texts, FaceTimes and Zoom calls with my favorite people!"

Arianna Lisante, Kappa Alpha Gamma

Julia Mecalianos

Kappa Alpha Xi, Fall 2018

Nursing Assistant LiaisonCertified Nursing Assistant at Northwell Health (Port Jefferson, New York)

We were hit with our first wave of cases back in March 2020. The unit I was working on as a certified nursing assistant at the time had turned into the second ICU of the hospital. It was a stressful time for all of us due to the fact this was something new we hadn’t dealt with before. Whenever we came in we came into changing rules and policies. We soon adapted to the ever changing world we were now working in. Some days were better then others especially when we had patients who were able to finally go home or go off to rehab. It’s hard to have to watch everyone work so hard to help the patients thrive and it seems no matter what was done nothing was working.

Working in an ICU the majority of our patients were on vents and sedated. The hospital I work for is a part of Northwell Health. Due to this we were taking patients from the city to us to give relief to the health care workers out there. It is now January and we have had rising cases in our own community. This time around it is not like it is any easier but we have more knowledge. We have been working with COVID-19 for some time now. I think one of the biggest takeaways is our ability to work as such a unit throughout the hospital. Also, the technology we have nowadays to help loved ones video chat with their families members in the hospital. In our hospital we have iPads but also a device called the nucleus. The nucleus is placed in everyone's room and set up to display pictures of their loved ones and be able to call or video chat with them as well.

Managing my mental health during the start of the pandemic was tricky. I am lucky to have such a wonderful support system of friends and family. It was nice to be able to chat with my sorority family line as well especially since we all work in healthcare. I think we have to remember as a whole to take things day by day and keep pushing through.

"This last year has been hard, on everybody! I had a baby in October who is still in the NICU and I honestly don’t think I would have been able to make it through without these ladies, I’m old and joined almost ten years ago and these girls have been such a constant in my life. It may sound corny but you truly find your people in this sorority and I would be lost without mine."

Tessa Poirier, Kappa Upsilon

"Seeing sisters lift each other up and care for each other on social media!"

Larissa Ryerson, Kappa Iota

"Socially distanced sister dates, Zoom dates, and phone calls!"

—Amanda Roberge, Kappa Iota

Kaitlyn Day

Kappa Lambda, Spring 2012

Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA) at Sacopee Valley Heath Center (Porter, Maine)

Working in healthcare as a medical assistant during a global pandemic is something I would have never even imagined would happen. When I was reading about historic pandemics in school, I didn’t really think twice about how it could affect me and that it’s history and it helped structure medicine for what it is today. You would never imagine that this is what you, yourself, would actually go through.

I currently work with the busiest primary care provider in our community health center, which is located in a small town in rural Maine. My provider team sees all age groups but primarily geriatrics (who are one of the most at risk populations during this pandemic). My provider and I come in every morning (5 days a week), gear up in our mask, face shield with goggles, gloves, and try our hardest to have a positive attitude to give our patients the best experiences, despite all of the current challenges presented by COVID-19. We still have to put on a smile and see our average of 18-20 patients per day, and be strong for them while doing our best to keep them safe from this potentially life threatening illness. We make sure their health needs are taken care of, while at the same time trying to protect our own as well as our family’s. Trying to juggle this, at the same time, trying to train new employees, develop better workflows and stay on top of new policies that can change almost daily, is definitely challenging. However, at the end of the day, I come home to my family, my handsome two year old son, and I remember why I do what I do every day.

As much as an inconvenience, as frightening as COVID is, I also remember that I do this to help others. Helping others is my passion, and I excel at it. No matter what else is going on around me, at the end of the day, I can remember that I helped someone today, and that’s what matters to me. It brings me back to my active days being part of Kappa Lambda and remembering one of the main reasons I joined in the first place; to help others. It also taught me that even if it’s a difficult situation; work together and you will get through it. So remember, always be there for each other, help others, and be the best you can be! You will accomplish anything you put your mind to.

—

"I’ve felt the bonds of sisterhood from those who stuck by me when I’ve been at my lowest. Being so isolated during the last year has been something that was very difficult for me to process but my sisters were the ones who kept me afloat so I could get to where I am today. Love all of you more than you’ll ever know."

Amber Osborn, Kappa Alpha Iota

"During all of these hard times, my sisters have constantly been there for me. I appreciate them more than they know. I’m so happy to have them through all of my hardships this last year."

—Kristen Ranieri, Kappa Alpha Gamma

"Video chats with sisters more days than not!"

—Lauren Porter, Kappa Iota

Sisterhood in a Virtual World

by Courtney Stevens, Assistant Vice President of Membership

At the start of the pandemic the National Board made the difficult decision to move Kappa Convention 2020 to an online format for the first time ever. We never could have predicted that a year later we would still be living in a virtual world. Over the last year we have seen our chapters transition to online or hybrid models that really shake to the core everything that we know and love about the sorority experience. We have become pioneers, blazing this virtual trail. Now we are all relearning & redefining what it means to be sorority women.

We have spent countless hours in Zoom classrooms and meetings and by the end of the day we are Zoom fatigued, but we still hold on for a few hours of Zoom time with our sisters, family members and friends. Zoom has become a classroom, chapter venue, and a space to relax and enjoy some laughs with sisters.

All across New England we’ve seen chapters getting creative with their sister bonding activities.

Some of our favorites include:

• Zoom hangouts

• Jackbox game nights

• Among Us tournaments

• Animal Crossing

• Book Clubs

• Disney+ watch

Each day we are finding new ways to be together. Although we may not be able to physically be with each other in person, we are connected by our group texts, social media, and video calls. At the end of the day we know that “in the times of trouble, in the times of grief,” our sisterhood is strong and will get us through.

"Through reaching out to my sisters and being reached out to by my sisters. It has been so hard on everyone of us but it is always so nice to get a Zoom, a text or a call to just check in."

—Julia Bullard, Kappa Alpha Iota

"I’m lucky enough to be living with a few sisters currently, but socially distanced sister dates!"

—Mikaela Eisenhood, Kappa Upsilon

"Kappa Alpha Omicron Emerging Chapter sending me Christmas presents for Thea. I can’t even begin to express how much I appreciated the kindness and thoughtfulness."

Andrea McKevitt, Kappa Sigma

Teaching During a Pandemic

by Marysa Mitrano, Secretary

Back in March of 2020, I never thought I would still be teaching from my house a year later. I thought that this would only last a few weeks and we would be back to the way things were before the end of the school year. Now as we are hitting on the year milestone of the world shutting down, I am still in my home and struggling every day to engage and motivate my students to be the best they can. Spending over six hours on Zoom, staring at black boxes hoping that one of my students will unmute when I ask them a question.

The life I knew as a teacher is vastly different from when I started. Through all of this, I have been able to find hope every day when it comes to my students.

As teachers going through this experience, we are all experiencing it differently. Some of us are fully in person, fully remote, or some type of hybrid situation. After reaching out to some of the other National Board members, Andrea McKevitt and Nicole Ransden, I quickly learned that even teaching different subjects and grade levels was challenging, but has helped us adapt and become stronger in our professional lives.

Andrea, an eighth grade Social Studies Special Education teacher, spoke towards her experiences— “For me, teaching during the pandemic has been very frustrating. I am a planner, I plan weeks in advance. With the transition from remote to hybrid and back to remote every other week, I am finding my lesson to be out of date by the day.”

Even through her frustrations, Andrea added that this experience has helped her grow—“While I am trying my best, some of the things that I have found to be of support, is keeping everything in a file folder (via Google

Drive). Even if I don’t know when I am going to use it, having quick access has been nice. Another positive is the level of knowledge that I now have about technology and my needs when it comes to technology. Pandemic teaching is an ever-evolving task. I hope to use the skills I have learned in the future, but hope to never have to teach like this again.”

I felt I really could relate to what Andrea was saying, as many teachers can. We by nature are planners, and now we have evolved to working at the pace of the students. The ability to adapt is something that teachers are always doing, and we’ve truly had to make ourselves and our curriculum adaptable.

Nicole, being an in-person teacher, has had a different experience than Andrea and I—“This is my first year teaching, and I am fully in-person. It has definitely been a whirlwind! I am teaching kindergarten at a private early childhood center. Kindergarten was actually added right at the end of the summer as a solution for working parents who were not ready to have their young children home for remote schooling."

"On top of everything else, I am also creating a brand new program from scratch as I go. Due to the pandemic, we have strict protocols in place, including small class sizes (I have just eight students), social distancing, and individual materials. So many of our toys and manipulatives are boxed up and piled in the corner. We have strict cleaning checklists throughout the day, and the kids stay in the classroom all day, except for when weather permits outside recess. All meals and specials (art, music, and even gym) happen in our four walls and I run it all since no parents or other teachers can come in. It’s a lot to keep track of for sure!”

"The pandemic has brought social media, Zoom, etc. to the forefront and allowed me to connect with sisters old and new from across the country that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to meet."

Nicole Ransden, Kappa Upsilon

"Through contact via social media and phone and video calls. It's nice being able to check up on one another so easily!"

—Emma Wenig, Kappa Alpha Gamma

"I have been FaceTime calling and Zoom calling my sisters and just communicating a lot!"

—Haley Sullivan, Kappa Upsilon

I definitely couldn’t imagine the struggle of having children not being able to go near certain toys, especially at that age! Even through all this, Nicole reflected on her experience through Kappa—“Though I didn’t know it at the time, Kappa prepared me to be able to juggle multiple responsibilities, to adapt, and to be open to learning and growing as I go. It also gave me the confidence to be able to face these challenges head on and taught me how to see the good in each situation. Finally, Kappa has connected me with some of my best friends, both in and out of the field, who have been a huge support and resource during this time.”

Through my own experience, as an eighth grade Social Studies teacher, I make it my mission to communicate with them about their lives, and how they are doing. Sometimes we think, “students need to do this and that means they care,” but we do not know what is going on behind that black screen. Whether they are sitting in their bed because it is the quietest place in their house, or they log out of class because they have three other siblings also on Zoom. We need to understand that many students are facing tough times too.

Kappa has always taught me to listen to other people’s perspectives, because even if we think we are right we need to be able to see both sides. Communication is key to having successful relationships with peers and students. These kids just want someone to communicate with, and I am glad that I can be that person for the 65 minutes they are with me everyday. Through Kappa, I have learned that things happen, and we need to be able to move forward, and show empathy. We assume students to be adults, but they are just kids. They need structure, but to be given the opportunity to grow and succeed, to be given leeway when they don’t turn in an assignment, and be proud that they were able to accomplish what they have done.

Even though times are different, teachers have a strong sense of ownership to their students. We take pride in their accomplishments, and never want to see them fail.

Nicole's classroom based on safety protocols

Marysa's virtual setup

This has been a mentally taxing experience on all teachers, whether you are remote, in-person or somewhere in-between. I hope that as we come to the end of this turbulent school year, we can have empathy towards each other, and know that all teachers have put their best foot forward to help our students succeed.

"When I started noticing a dip in my mental health during the first few months of the pandemic, my sisters were immediately by my side. They helped me get through some rough days and I always knew I could trust them to be there for me."

—Robyn Sarette, Kappa Sigma

"By trying and reaching out to my sisters when I need them. I think it is important to keep that line of communication open, and whenever I can interact with them I try my best to do so."

Marysa Mitrano, Kappa Upsilon

"Daily group chats and Zoom video call game nights!" Paige Courbat, Kappa Alpha Xi

OF KAPPA DELTA PHI National Affiliated Sorority

CENTURY OF A HALF

The 1970's

In the Fall of 1971, a Sorority was established at Husson College in Bangor, Maine under the guidance of Lambda Chapter of Kappa Delta Phi National Fraternity. The purpose of this sorority was to allow the spirit and principles of the Fraternity to be generated among young women in the same college atmosphere.

The Husson College Sorority was the largest of any of the local sororities. This prompted Lambda Chapter President, Glen Dabransky, and National Board Member, Ned Foster, to derive a plan by which the local Sorority could enjoy the name, attraction, and prestige of a National Sorority chapter. The new Sorority also had to compete with two National Sororities already well-established on campus and difficulties arose with being recognized by the Greek Council. However, the women were determined to continue their sorority, and requested some national support from the Fraternity.

December 6, 1971

In April of 1971, Ned Foster requested that the National Board of Directors allow him to pursue the idea of forming a National Affiliated Sorority chapter at each Fraternity Chapter. The Board unanimously agreed to allow the formation of this organization with no obligation tied to it. The Board voted to supply charters to each chapter, and to formulate a complete sorority organization for the future.

On December 6, 1971, Kappa Lambda Sorority was officially given the distinction of being the first chapter of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. Twenty-three women founded Kappa Lambda Chapter at Husson College. They are Pat Ouellette, Angie Parker, Kathy Luciano, Dee Tzovarras, Tricia Crosby, Laurie Beckwith, Joanna Lobozzo, Becky Ritter, Joyce Welch, Renie Mountain, Bridgett Burtchell, Bonnie Griener, Nancee Brearly, Debbie Therriauly, Barbie Richard, Eileen Coombs, Karen Kulikowski, Kathi Gleason, Jan Spaulding, Sharon Soles, Sue Caron,

Kappa Lambda at Husson University becomes the first chapter of Kappa Delta Phi National Sorority

May 1, 1972

Three chapters were chartered:

April 14, 1900

Kappa Delta Phi National Fraternity established at Bridgewater State College

• Kappa Chi at Southern New Hampshire University

• Kappa Eta at University of Maine at Machias

• Kappa Pi at Cape Cod Community College

February 1, 1973

Kappa Nu founded at Thomas College

May 6-8, 1977 First convention of KDPNAS was held

May 7, 1977 KDPNAS constitution and bylaws were ratified

Summer 1977 "Glory to Kappa" written by Sue Dyer (KM), Eric Anderson (T) and Debra Gagne (KX)

Kappa Beta Sorority at Salem State College, Kappa Omega Sorority at Unity College, and Kappa Phi Sorority at University of Maine Augusta were established by Kappa Delta Phi Fraternity and became dormant prior to the ratification of our National Constitution.

October 1972

Kappa Rho chartered at University of Maine at Fort Kent

November 1978

November 1, 1972

Kappa Upsilon chartered at University of Massachusetts at Lowell

November 8, 1972

Kappa Mu chartered at University of Maine at Presque Isle

April 24, 1976

• Kappa Iota colonized at University of Southern Maine

• National Alumnae Association established

November 19, 1972

Kappa Epsilon founded at Rhode Island College

First meeting of the Temporary Board of Directors was held

This history is edited from the New Member Manual. We apologize for any errors.

Leslie Vartabedian, and Mimi McBride. They were led by Leslie Vartabedian, who was the first President of the chapter and advised by Cathy Hegarty.

In keeping with the notion to establish a National Affiliated Sorority at each of the fraternity chapters, more groups of women were introduced to the opportunity to establish Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. as a national sorority at their college. Three chapters share the charter date of May 1, 1972: Kappa Chi at New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University) in Manchester, New Hampshire, Kappa Pi at Cape Cod Community College in Hyannis, Massachusetts, and Kappa Eta, at University of Maine at Machias. The three chapters had originally been other sororities—Beta Gamma Phi, Gamma Kappa Sigma, and Sigma Phi Tau, respectively.

Plans began in May of 1972 for the formation of Kappa Rho Chapter at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, with an expected charter date of October 1972. The Fall of 1972 foresaw promising aspects, as requests were received from two more Fraternity chapters for assistance on forming Sister Sororities—Kappa Upsilon chapter at the University of Lowell in Lowell, Massachusetts was chartered on November 1, 1972, followed by Kappa Mu chapter of the University of Maine at Presque Isle on November 8, 1972.

On October 2, 1972, Ned Foster traveled to Kappa Eta Chapter as well as three other chapters presenting the

February 2, 1980

Kappa Xi established at Lyndon State College

Spring 1981 First joint convention with the National Fraternity

March 15, 1980

first draft of the National Sorority Pledge Program, the National Membership Oath, the National Motto, and the History.

In the Spring of 1976, Kappa Mu Chapter invited other known chapters to attend a meeting for the purpose of becoming unified. A Temporary Board of Directors was established—Fred Randall (ΚΔΦ, Temporary Chairperson), Mary Jane Shimp (ΚΛ), Nina Lee Warnick (KN), Pat Sawyer (KH), Denise Desjardins (KH), Susan Dyer (KM), Debbie Gay (KM),

March 30, 1985

Charters were presented at Convention 1985:

• Kappa Sigma at Plymouth State University

• Kappa Tau at Castleton State College

• Kappa Nu at Thomas College

November 1, 1985

December 13, 1981

Kappa Omicron chartered at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

October 6, 1984

Kappa Rho reactivated

Kappa Psi chapter revoked due to lack of interest at the college

November 8, 1986

Kappa Gamma established at Keene State College

April 3, 1983

Kappa Psi founded at Framingham State College

April 16, 1983

Kappa Iota chartered

Policy enacted that the Greek letters KΔΦ may not be worn by sisters without being accompanied by N.A.S. directly near them in a 3-to-1 ratio

April 7, 1990

One single national shield instituted Fall 1990

Investigative Judicial Committee (IJC) was established until it was disbanded in 2019

and Pat Tipple (KE). The first meeting of the Temporary Board of Directors was held April 24, 1976, at Husson College. Business included amendments to the Constitution, Kappa Rose Award, transferring from chapter to chapter, pledging, a name for the sorority, the pledge pin, badge, flag, and dues.

The first Convention of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. was held May 6-8, 1977 at Kappa Tau Chapter, in Castleton, Vermont. On May 7th, 1977 the Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. Constitution and Bylaws were accepted and ratified, thereby establishing the new sorority. A new Board of Directors was elected and consisted of the following Sisters: Debra Gagne (KX)—President, Susan Dyer (KM)—Vice President, Lois French (KX)—Secretary, Denise Desjardins (KH)—Treasurer, and Cindy Hall (KX)—Member-at-Large. Paul Collette succeeded the position of Executive Director of the Fraternity and Sorority.

At the November 1978 meeting held at Keene State College, Kappa Iota chapter was given permission to colonize for one year at the University of Southern Maine at Portland-Gorham. The formation of a National Alumnae Association was established with Debbie Noyes (KΛ) and Michelle Desrosiers (KM) as volunteers to set up the association.

At the Summer Workshop in 1979, the National Sorority was restructured. Susan Dyer was appointed as the first Sister Executive Director, and Paul Collette became Advisor. At this time, the Sorority found it necessary to be partially sponsored by the National Fraternity. On July 17, 1979, Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. became incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of New Hampshire.

The 1980's

1980 began as a very busy year. Two new chapters had been established— Kappa Xi chapter on February 2, 1980 and Kappa Gamma on March 15, 1980. These two new chapters received their charters at the National Convention that spring. Kappa Iota Colony had not yet obtained a charter, but was granted voting privileges and the right to compete for trophies at Convention.

April 13, 2002

Kappa Omicron declared dormant

November 9, 2002

• Kappa Mu declared dormant

• Kappa Xi reactivated

April 12, 2003

Kappa Xi chartered

Fall 2004

Kappa Tau became dormant

April 14, 2007

May 2007

Kappa Alpha Iota chartered

Kappa Omicron recolonized

October 2008

Kappa Alpha Lambda Colony disaffiliated

Spring 1998

Kappa Epsilon declared dormant

November 1997

Kappa Xi declared dormant

February 10, 1996

Kappa Alpha Gamma chartered at State University of New York at New Paltz

May 5, 2006

Kappa Alpha Iota colonized at Shippensburg University

Fall 2006 "National Only Letters" policy instituted

March 2005

Kappa Alpha Lambda Colony established at York College of Pennsylvania

April 16, 2005

Kappa Mu reactivated and chartered

The progress of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. started to show. Convention 1981 was the largest Convention ever—jointly sponsored with the National Fraternity—with a turn-out of 300 Sisters and Brothers attending. There were now eight active chapters and one colony— Kappa Lambda, Kappa Eta, Kappa Chi, Kappa Mu, Kappa Epsilon, Kappa Nu, Kappa Xi, Kappa Gamma, and Kappa Iota Colony. On March 31, 1981, Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. became incorporated in the State of Rhode Island in keeping with the regulations of the IRS.

On October 6, 1984, Kappa Rho Chapter from the University of Maine at Fort Kent, Maine was re-activated as a chapter of the National Sorority. On March 30, 1985, charters were presented to the three newest additions to the Sisterhood—Kappa Tau of Castleton State College, Kappa Nu of Thomas College, and Kappa Sigma of Plymouth State College. Unfortunately at the 1985 President/ Treasurer’s Meeting later that fall, it was announced that in agreement with the chapter, the charter of Kappa Psi would be revoked due to lack of interest of the college.

On November 8, 1986, the Alumnae Badge was introduced and a policy regarding the wearing of the Greek letters ΚΔΦ was reinforced. The policy states that the Greek letters ΚΔΦ may not be worn by sisters without being accompanied by N.A.S. directly near them in 3 to 1 ratio. Furthermore, it was stated that they should be worn by Sisters tastefully and respectfully at all times.

The 1990's

Convention 1990 was hosted by Kappa Omicron on April

April 17, 2010

Kappa Alpha Alpha chartered

Spring 2012

• Kappa Alpha My and Kappa Omicron received their charter

• The Sorority's Purpose was rewritten and reads as the current mission statement

7th. The Convention was dedicated to Claire M. Sullivan (KO, Fall 1985) who was killed in a boating accident in September 1989. One badge was decided on, the white badge used by Kappa Lambda, which is now known as our shield.

On February 10, 1996, Κappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. welcomed its newest chapter—Kappa Alpha Gamma, with eight founding Sisters at the State University of New York at New Paltz. They were officially awarded their charter at the 1996 Convention, held in Bangor, Maine on April 13th, marking the first chapter in New York State.

In 1997, the National Board was restructured to better manage itself. The duties of Executive Director were divided into three positions: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The positions were filled by Alysia Tardelli (KY), Paula Coutroubis (KO), and Angela Jacobs Carrot (KN) respectively.

Summer 2016 Kappa Tau closed

November 7, 2016 Kappa Eta closed

February 11, 2017 Kappa Alpha Xi colonized at Utica College

December 20, 2017 Kappa Mu closed

Summer 2018

GreekTrack implemented

2020-2021 More inclusive and accurate language implemented, replacing "Field Representative," "Colony" and "Affiliate"/"Affiliate Education"

April 4, 2020 Convention held virtually for the first time due to COVID-19

September 13, 2020 Kappa Rho closed

April 6, 2019 Kappa Alpha Xi chartered

July 24, 2019 Kappa Alpha Mu closed

February 19, 2009 Kappa Alpha Alpha colonized at University of Maine Orono

September 17, 2009 Kappa Alpha Mu colonized at New England College

2015 President's/Treasurer's Meeting discontinued

April 18, 2015 Kappa Tau rechartered

May 3, 2015 Kappa Alpha Nu colonized at University at Albany

October 13, 2019

Kappa Alpha Pi colonized at Union College

December 11, 2019

Kappa Alpha Alpha closed

April 14, 2018 Vote to change the language of Membership Articles of the Constitution to be more inclusive, replacing "female" with "women." Kappa Alpha Nu chartered.

November 11, 2018 Kappa Alpha Omicron Colony colonized at State University of New York at Oswego

At the 1997 President/Treasurer’s Meeting, it was announced that Kappa Xi chapter was declared dormant, as was Kappa Epsilon chapter at Convention 1998.

The 2000's

Kappa 2000 was the prevalent theme of Convention 2000 at Bridgewater State College. The Convention was an extraordinary one since it was held on the weekend of April 14th, which marked the 100th anniversary of Kappa Delta Phi. Hosted by Alpha Chapter at Bridgewater State College, the weekend was a wondrous celebration of Kappa Delta Phi. The 2001 President/Treasurer’s meeting held at Husson College marked the 30th anniversary of the Sorority. A celebration took place honoring the countless accomplishments of our sisterhood and all of its past and present members.

At Convention of 2002, it was announced that Kappa Omicron was no longer an active chapter. At the 2002 President/ Treasurer’s meeting, the dormancy of Kappa Mu was announced, along with the re-colonization of Kappa Xi, where ten women would work to bring this dormant chapter back to life. On April 12, 2003, Kappa Xi Colony was presented their charter and was welcomed back into our sisterhood. At the 2004 President's Treasurer’s meeting, it was announced that Kappa Tau was now a dormant chapter.

Convention 2005 was by far the most successful national meeting for many years. Hosted on April 16th, almost 90 percent of all active members were in attendance. A major joint effort with the Brothers, highlights included spectacular displays and a formal joint awards luncheon. Kappa Mu was presented their charter and welcomed back to bring the sorority to twelve chapters. The newly colonized chapter at York College was happily announced. Expansion efforts have paid off and membership doubled over the past year. It was the strongest financial year in over a decade and chapter debt was expected to be zero by the

summer—the first time since the start of insurance.

On May 5, 2006 the interest group at Shippensburg University established colony status with Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. They were awarded their charter at Convention 2007.

Due to a copyright infringement issue, the national board announced a major change in regards to how chapter letters are allowed to be displayed—chapters must display the Greek Letters as designed by our National Sorority for any and all forms of advertising, apparel and merchandise. Chapter designation may only be worn in conjunction with the National Letters with the word "chapter" written in conjunction with chapter or colony name. In addition, the chapter designation can be displayed no more than half the size of the National Letters. This transition to “National Only Letters” was not expected to be immediate, with a four-year period provided for full compliance, allowing for chapters who choose to explore the option of gaining legal rights to their chapter designation on their own ample opportunity to so do.

At the 2007 President's Treasurer's Meeting, we welcomed back Kappa Omicron colony, which was re-colonized earlier that fall. This addition increased our footprint to thirteen chapters and two colonies.

Convention 2008 was hosted by Kappa Delta Phi National Fraternity and Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. at the Marriott at Sable Oaks in South Portland, Maine. This was by far the largest Convention Kappa has seen in some time with almost 500 Brothers and Sisters in attendance. In addition, due to the growth and expansion of the Sorority, a constitutional amendment was passed in order to distribute the duties of the Vice Presidency and to better serve the active Sisterhood. The Executive Board now consists of the President, the Vice President of Administration, the Vice President of Membership, Treasurer, Secretary and two Members-at-Large.

At the President/Treasur er’s Meeting of 2009, it

was shared with the sisters present that on November 6, 2009 the Board of Directors of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. was presented a letter by the Board of Directors of Kappa Delta Phi Fraternity which ended our affiliation. Minutes are available for reading for further information. It was announced that New England College in Henniker, NH was colonized as Kappa Alpha Mu Colony.

The 2010's and Beyond

Over 3500 sisters to date have contributed to the growth and perpetuation of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. by 2012. Conventions of this decade saw a handful of charters—Kappa Alpha Alpha in 2010, though its activity only lasted until December 11, 2019 when it was closed, Kappa Omicron in 2012 as well as Kappa Alpha Mu in 2012 which remained open until July 24, 2019, and Kappa Tau in 2015.

Convention 2014 marked the first joint Convention held with the brothers since 2009, held in Hyannis, Massachusetts on April 11-13, 2014. Fall of 2014 saw the last President's/ Treasurer's Meeting, switching to a Nationals-only meeting in the fall semester.

Expansion into New York was well underway after Kappa Alpha Gamma paved the road. Kappa Alpha Nu from University of New York at Albany was introduced as the newest colony of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority at Summer Workshop of 2015. The group received their charter, becoming the newest chapter at Convention 2018.

Kappa Alpha Xi Colony at Utica College in Utica, New York was introduced as the newest colony at Convention in 2017, and received their charter two years later in 2019. Two more colonies were also established in New York—Kappa Alpha Omicron at State University of New York at Oswego on November 11, 2018 and Kappa Alpha Pi at Union College in Schenectady, New York on October 13, 2019.

Unfortunately Kappa Eta Chapter was officially declared dormant at Convention 2016 and Kappa Tau Chapter was officially declared dormant in 2016 at Summer Workshop, renamed "Summer Leadership Retreat" to reflect its purpose

and activities. In the Fall 2017, Kappa Mu Chapter was closed as was Kappa Rho in Fall of 2020.

At Convention on April 14, 2018, a change to the Constitution was unanimously voted upon (17-0) thanks to the hard work of the Women’s Issues Committee led by Kate Montelione-Cortazzo (KAΓ). This change rewrote the Membership Articles, replacing all instances of “female” to “women.” This was the beginning of the various efforts of more inclusive language changes to come, including "Emerging Chapter" to replace "Colony," "Potential New Member" and "New Member Education" to replace "Affiliate" and "Affiliate Education," respectively. "Field Representative" is also changed to "Chapter Consultant" to be more representative of the duties of the role.

During the general business meeting of Summer Leadership Retreat 2018, a new online membership database called GreekTrack was announced. This program is meant to streamline operations and maintain detailed records for posterity purposes.

2020 saw events turn virtual due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting Convention and Summer Leadership Retreat, as well as everyday chapter activities from meetings to fundraising, even New Member Education.

SISTERS ARE NEVER APART

Maybe in distance, but never in heart.

AlphaKappaXi

Kappa AlphaOmicron

SUNY Oswego (Oswego, NY)

Utica College (Utica, NY)

Kappa Sigma

Plymouth State University (Plymouth, NH)

AlphaKappaPi

Union College (Schenectady, NY)

Kappa Lambda

Husson University (Bangor, ME)

Kappa Iota

University of Southern Maine (Portland/Gorham, ME)

Kappa Chi

Southern New Hampshire University (Manchester, NH)

Kappa Upsilon

University of Massachusetts at Lowell (Lowell, MA)

Kappa Omicron

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (North Adams, MA)

Kappa Alpha Nu

University of Albany (Albany, NY)

Kappa Alpha Gamma

SUNY New Paltz (New Paltz, NY)

Kappa Alpha Iota

Shippensburg University (Shippensburg, PA)

Kappa Then & Now

by Larissa Ryerson, Kappa Iota (Spring 1993)

It is no surprise that things have changed over the course of 50 years…

THEN… NOW…

Pledges

Potential New Members

Most sisters wore chapter-specific letters Everybody wears national letters

Off-campus functions Zoom

Late night marching Big/Little dates

Nicknames "What are your pronouns?"

Trust falls Risk Management

Quizzing by alumnae National Exam

In the early days of this sorority, we were not aware of the word “hazing”. Animal House was a popular movie, and it was both expected and accepted that you would be asked to engage in the practices of days gone by to become a member of Greek life. Over time our organization started to understand that these activities were not what made a sister who she is, and that they did not define her potential as a Kappa woman. We have embraced zero-tolerance policies and are vigilant in our review of practices to ensure that every sister has the opportunity to thrive, reach her potential and be a positive role model for future generations of Kappa. We should not forget our history or the traditions that built our foundation, but we go forward with a commitment to a safe place for future sisters to call home.

FORMER NATIONAL PRESIDENTS AND EXECUTIVE

DIRECTORS

1977–1979

Paul Collette (ΚΔΦ, Epsilon) Executive Director

1979–1981

Susan Dyer (Taylor) (ΚM, Spring 1975) Executive Director

1981–1985

Debra Gagne (ΚX) President

1991–1993

Ann (Lewis) Clegg Executive Director & President

1993–1994

Jeanette Collette (ΚΛ, Spring 1977) President

Maryanne Burt* (ΚT, Spring 1987) Acting Executive Director

1994–1995

Jeanette Collette Executive Director Susan Dyer (Taylor) President

1985–1987

Jeanette Collette Executive Director

1987–1988

Sandra Lovely* (ΚN, Spring 1980) President

*Kim Prokopowicz (ΚE) President *Filled Aug. 1986

Ann (Lewis) Clegg Executive Director (*until Aug. 1993) & President

Jeanette Collette Acting Executive Director

Maryanne Burt Acting Executive Director

1995–1997

Jeanette Collette Acting Executive Director & President

1997–2000

Jeanette Collette Executive Director Patti Lally (ΚM/ΚI, Spring 1981) President

1988–1990

Jeanette Collette Executive Director Karen Cherella (ΚΓ, Spring 1982) President

1990–1991

Jeanette Collette Executive Director Ann (Lewis) Clegg (ΚΥ, Fall 1984) President

2001–2002

Alysia (Tardelli) Rourke CEO

Mary-Ellen Damon (ΚY, Spring 1987) COO

Debbie Lafond President

2002–2003

Debbie Lafond CEO & President

Angela Jacobs CFO

Ann (Lewis) Clegg President

Maryanne Burt Acting Executive Director

Alysia (Tardelli) Rourke (ΚY, Spring 1988) CEO & President

Paula Coutroubis (Kaylor) (ΚΟ, Spring 1981) COO

2000–2001

Alysia (Tardelli) Rourke CEO

Angela Jacobs (ΚN, Spring 1992) CFO

Paula Coutroubis (Kaylor) COO

Angela Jacobs CFO

Debbie Lafond (KE, Fall 1993) President

Joanna Scaparotti (ΚY, Spring 1996) COO

2003–2004

Angela Jacobs CFO

Angela Jacobs CEO & President

Joanna Scaparotti COO Rebecca (Hymer) Kirker (ΚN, Spring 1992) CFO

2004–2005

Angela Jacobs CEO

Michelle (Maheau) Gagnon (ΚN, Fall 1994) COO

Rebecca (Hymer) Kirker CFO

Misty Coolidge (ΚΛ, Spring 1994) President

2005–2006

Angela Jacobs Executive Director Lynn Bettencourt (KI, Spring 1999) President

2006–2007

Alysia (Tardelli) Rourke CEO

Liz Jason (ΚI, Spring 2002) COO

Rebecca (Hymer) Kirker CFO

Crystal Burgess (KΛ, Spring 1995) President

2007–2008

Alysia (Tardelli) Rourke CEO

Liz Jason COO Rebecca (Hymer) Kirker CFO

Victoria (Guido) DeMambro (ΚH, Fall 1995) President

2008–2009

Alysia (Tardelli) Rourke Executive Director

2009–2010

Alysia (Tardelli) Rourke Executive Director

2010–2011

Alysia (Tardelli) Rourke Executive Director

2011–2012

Alysia (Tardelli) Rourke CEO

2012–2013

Victoria (Guido) DeMambro CEO

Mandy (Whittier) Breton COO

Kerry McDonnell President

2013–2014

Mandy (Whittier) Breton Co-Executive Director

Liz Jason CFO

Crystal Burgess President

Liz Jason President

Victoria (Guido) DeMambro President

Mandy (Whittier) Breton (ΚY, Spring 2002) COO

Victoria (Guido) DeMambro CFO

Kerry McDonnell (ΚAΓ, Fall 2000) President

Liz Jason Co-Executive Director

Sara Hauser (ΚAI, Spring 2006) President

2014–2018

Liz Jason Executive Director

2018–2019

Liz Jason Executive Director

2019–2020

Liz Jason Co-Executive Director

Sara Hauser President

Andrea (Schiavo) McKevitt (ΚΣ, Fall 2005) President

Amanda Roberge (KI, Fall 2010) Co-Executive Director

Andrea (Schiavo) McKevitt President

2020–2021

Amanda Roberge Executive Director

Amanda Cronin (ΚX, Fall 2010) President

FOUNDERS The stories o f our

I attended the University of Southern Maine in the spring of 1978. My roommate Sue and I were great friends with several guys from the Kappa Delta Phi fraternity. We used to watch them play softball for “Tank’s Army,” attended dances together and spent our free time together socializing. That spring, the guys told us they were interested in having a sister sorority and asked us to attend an informational meeting. At this meeting, we met several other women who were interested in forming this new sorority. Little did I know that these women were to become the best friends I have ever had.

We agreed to pledge Kappa Iota and soon found ourselves immersed in building bonds which were to last a lifetime. The Kappa Brothers helped with the pledge program during the week. Kappa Sisters from other chapters joined us on the weekends. We learned the Greek alphabet, mottos, chants, sang songs and laughed until we cried. Our lives would forever be about black and gold, crows, and yellow roses. We used teamwork and collaborated on our pledging tasks which magnified the strengths and weaknesses of each us. We soon learned an important life lesson—we are stronger together! Our journey into sisterhood was an unforgettable experience.

After we pledged, we became a colony in the eyes of the University. We had to prove our worthiness. We faced several challenges before becoming an official sorority. Luckily, we had our very supportive brothers to stand by our side. This bonded us even more closely. We persevered in our endeavors by volunteering in the community and pursuing philanthropies. Our black and gold colors could be seen hosting car washes and selling Italian sandwiches. My parents saw me on TV collecting money in a bathtub which we pushed to Portland with another fraternity. We donated money to the American Cancer society and the American Heart Association. We belonged to Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of Southern Maine where we were paired up with a little girl. We took turns mentoring her to help with her social and emotional development. At an appreciation event, we got to meet the First Lady, Rosalynn Carter. There were seven of us who pledged together. Seven of us who would forever rejoice in the love of Kappa. We grew up together sharing life’s special moments, weddings, divorces, births and deaths. No matter where life has taken us, it was always a comfort to know that I had their unconditional love. As the sorority has grown over the years, I have found myself blessed to be part of an amazing group of strong women. May The Spirit Never Die!

—Kathy Heikkinen Harmon

#1 Heck • Kappa Iota (Founding Class, Fall 1978)

The following is adapted from a letter written by Leslie Vartabedian when she received the Kappa Rose Award in 2013. She is also a national founder.

As I think back on how Kappa Lambda began, I first must say that I never dreamed that Kappa Lambda would still be alive and well 50 years later. I am so proud to have been a part of forming this great sorority and that so many lives have been touched and changed because of their affiliation with Kappa Lambda and Kappa Delta Phi.

It all began in the spring of 1971. A few of us girls that lived on the eighth floor of Carlisle had been hanging out with the Kappa Brothers. In April, one of the Kappa brothers was running for President of the College for a day for Chief Week. We helped the brothers with posters, activities, skits, decorations and many of the things needed to win this incredible title. At the time, we thought, "wouldn't be great if we could become a sister sorority to Kappa Delta Phi?" Louie Dobransky, who was president of Kappa Delta Phi at the time, worked with us very closely to try to make our dream come true.

When we returned to Husson in the fall of 1971 we were already a tight knit group. The chemistry among us was there from day one. New faces appeared on the eighth floor and we jelled with them as well. Our first step was to be approved by the Greek Council. The Greek Council met at Father Nadeau's house one night while we waited and waited and waited for a decision. We were denied that night, but we did not give up. We came back stronger than ever and at the next Greek Council meeting we were approved! The first pledge class was born the fall of 1971 with a total of 23 sisters. The brothers chose their little sisters and we were off and running.

We chose Kappa Lambda because Kappa Delta Phi at Husson was the Lambda Chapter and we were the first chapter so we were the also the Alpha Chapter. We had several meetings with the brothers. We had to learn the history of Kappa Delta Phi, the national president's name, the current president and officers' names of our

chapter, and the Greek Alphabet. We marched and sang and marched and sang all over campus. It was a blast!

Our first advisor was Kathy Heagerty who was the Resident Director in Hart dorm. She was a wonderful advisor and she and her husband were so supportive and caring towards us. We all made it through what we then called “Hell Night” and had a wonderful ceremony planned by the brothers for us to officially become the first sisters of Kappa Lambda on December 6, 1971. I never felt more proud than I did that night. It was such a feeling of true sisterhood not only with our new sisters, but with the special men who had now become our brothers.

In the months that followed, other sister sororities to Kappa Delta Phi began to emerge. Our dream had come true, and now it was coming true for other special women on other campuses.

My hope is that the sisters of Kappa Lambda will continue to keep the spirit alive at Husson University in the years ahead. I am so proud to have been a Kappa Lambda sister for the past 50 years and to have been a part of such a truly special group of women.

—Leslie Vartabedian Walker

Kappa Lambda (Founding Class, Fall 1971)

First President of Kappa Lambda Chapter

The following was written by the editor after speaking with Paula Controubis (Kaylor).

Paula Controubis was amongst an outstanding 33 girls who founded Kappa Omicron chapter in Spring of 1981. At the time, there was only one other sorority on the MCLA campus. Like many founding chapters, that other organization didn't suit them. Already close with the brothers, they went door to door in the female residence towers, getting a bunch of names who were interested, and began pledging 66 girls—33 of which became sisters. And they were always together—an impressive feat for a group that large.

The women of Kappa Omicron were drawn to the mission and ideals of Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S. and lived them every day—helping any organization on and off campus that needed it and focusing on education and on each other. "Everything we did, we did together..." and that included the Omicron brothers, who helped them along the way.

At Convention of 1982, Kappa Omicron was even awarded the "Brotherhood Awareness Award" for their relationship.

For Paula, it is a "proud mommy moment" that the organization she helped found is turning 50, and her own chapter is still thriving. "Knowing that I could always go back...to the chapter...to Convention...and have people I could count on, gave me more strength as an individual...Kappa has always been home. I could always go home."

—Paula

Controubis (Kaylor)

Kappa Omicron (Founding Class, Spring 1981) • National COO (1997-2000)

As the oldest sorority at Shippensburg University, Alpha Sigma, we were proud of our legacy and our history. Founded as service sorority in 1959, we found a commonality in our ideals with those of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority—"Kappa stands for Kindness" after all. The Alpha Sigma sisters who found Kappa felt that this national sorority would allow us to strengthen our bonds and chapter, while preserving our local history. They had seen what happened to one of our fellow local sororities who decided to join an NPC sorority, having to shed their local history when they joined a national organization. We didn’t want that to happen—Alpha Sigma and the sisters who came before us were (are) precious to us.

We completed the expansion process just three weeks after my pledge class had finished pledging Alpha Sigma. It’s said pledging is the most fun you will never want to have again, a sentimentality experienced firsthand as we crammed our heads full of all things Kappa one warm, spring day in May 2006.

In the early days after becoming KAI chapter, we had to rebrand ourselves as the newest national sorority on campus. Not easy with close to 50 years of history preceding us. “What sorority are you?,” another Greek group would ask us. “We’re Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S....We used to be Alpha Sig, but we went national this year,” we’d explain.

We worked hard not only to build our chapter but to also reestablish ourselves as Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S within the Shippensburg Greek community. Fifteen years later, our chapter continues to thrive, and we couldn’t be prouder. This year our sisters welcomed Alpha Theta and Alpha Iota classes, and while that makes us feel old AF, it’s also deeply humbling to see your legacy in action. You get to see something absolutely beautiful that you helped plant continue to bloom, and you get to say, “I’m a part of that.”

—Sara Hauser

Kappa Alpha Iota (Founding Class, Spring 2006) • National President (2013-2018)

Union College has, and will always have, a rich Greek Life history and it serves as a great opportunity for students to form connections with their peers and with their communities. On campus there were a few sorority options to pick from, but there was always a disconnect between what some women wanted and what was available. The inclusion and comfortability wasn't there, and that was in no way the fault of any organization. Each organization has its own culture and personality and that doesn't always fit with everyone, so it seemed like Greek Life as a whole wasn't for everyone. That is why our old organization, Alpha Delta Lambda (ADL) chapter, was formed— to provide an organization for those who were interested in Greek Life but were not interested in the Panhel organizations offered at the time. ADL was amazing and really did a lot for the Schenectady community, but unfortunately we didn't not have any support or structure to run as a smooth and efficient organization. We could not plan social events because we had no insurance either, so ADL was a huge liability to the college. It got to the point where we had to make a change or lose everything we had worked for.

So this is where things got a little confusing: I was abroad in Cambodia during the winter 2019 trimester. In the middle of the term I was elected president of ADL, and my best friend Maddie Hamparian was elected VP. Because I was abroad she had to serve as interim president. She handled the conversations we had with the assistant director of Greek Life, and she was looking for an organization that we could transition to and had similar values to ADL. A fee weeks later I got a phone call from Maddie and she was like, "Jenn found an organization (Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S.). I just emailed you their information. Read it over and see if you like it...our cabinet needs to vote." So I went through all the documents and thought Kappa was not only a great fit, but exactly what we were looking for and needed at this time. We all voted as a cabinet and the motion passed! The biggest thing during this time was getting input from ADL's founders and making sure they were okay with this. Luckily they were and trusted our decision. When I got back to campus in the spring there was a lot to do. We met Kappa members and you all liked us and we liked you even more. We had to ensure the seniors that ADL would still be remembered, and also let our alumnae know that we were planning to transition into Kappa. There were many, many conversations, but at the end of the day things worked out. I spent the entire summer in contact with Jenn and Liz, and preparing for the fall new member education. Both Maddie and Sam Epstein helped me with this. Some of our women didn't want to transition, and that was okay. We planned a recruitment, made t-shirts, and eventually found a group of amazing women made of former ADL members and new members to start NME with. We all passed our exams and the rest is history!

Moral of the story is we chose Kappa because we wanted to and had to. Kappa saved us from completely dying out. For the first time we have chapters across the north east to reach out to, we have support, we have structure, and we can operate like a real organization. Planting roots of Kappa at Union was super difficult, complex, and time consuming, but so worth it.

As for Kappa turning 50, I cannot believe it! What a milestone. Just to be part of an organization that has been around for so long is amazing. ADL was around for less than a decade, so I can say wholeheartedly that I feel like I am part of an established legacy. I feel like part of a tribe and I cannot wait to see what amazing things our organization will do over the next 50 years.

—Lola Oyetuga

Kappa Alpha Pi Emerging Chapter (Founding Class, Fall 2019)

I never thought I would ever join Greek Life. Howev er, as a junior living in Bliss Hall, I had made some friends who were also studying Elementary Educa tion. Some of them, being the founders of the KAΓ chapter, sparked my interest. What really made me change my mind about Greek Life was the opportunity to give back to the community through philanthropy. Throughout the pledge process, I really got to know my fellow Alpha sisters, and the brothers of Kappa Delta Phi (Alpha Gamma chapter), and I continue to keep in touch with them through social media to this day. Alpha Class crossed on November 8, 1996. During our years at SUNY New Paltz, we helped serve at the local food pantry and raised money for Lupus as well as various other charitable con tributions. This opportunity definitely shaped me and 25 years later, I still continue to donate to the foundations that KAΓ has built relationships with. Back then, we were known as Kappa Alpha Gamma, and it wasn't until later that we were branded as Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S.

I am also involved in the KAΓ Alumnae Association where I am the Sunshine Chair. This Association was born from Samantha Perri, Upsilon Class. We have hosted some Alumnae Virtual Events, as well as some virtual social events with all sisters. We continue to work on fundraising for charity, as well as, networking opportunities, sending out birthday cards, crossing anniversary cards, etc. It is our mission to continue to keep the Kappa Spirit relevant as we move forward in our professional and personal lives.

—Doreen Green

Kappa Alpha Gamma (Alpha Class, Fall 1996)

I had initially not been interested in becoming involved in Greek Life during my time at Utica College. That initial idea was challenged when a close friend of mine, now founding sister of Kappa Alpha Xi, came to me with the notion of bringing a new sorority to campus. Together, we researched Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority and both felt the difference and need for their values by creating a chapter on our college campus. I particularly was drawn to the idea of holding leadership positions during my time as an active sister, and the fact that alumnae were allowed numerous opportunities to continue their involvement after their transition from active sisterhood.

I’m so happy to be involved in a sorority that is now achieving such a milestone. 50 years of bringing like-minded women together in sisterhood, putting those minds together to create successful philanthropic events to benefit a number of important organizations! Congratulations to those women that were driven and put in the hours of work that were required to continue our growth as Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority.

Kappa Alpha Xi (Founding Class, Spring 2017)

Did youknow?

In 1997, the Sorority established a toll-free phone number (1-888-KDP-1977) to better facilitate communication between chapters and the National Board. This number is no longer in service.

The Sorority purchased a flag to fly over the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on May 7, 1991, on the National Sorority’s 14th anniversary.

In 1999, a Kappa Rose Art Contest was held in which sisters were asked to redesign the rose from the Affiliate Manual for publication in the 2000 edition. The winner was Allison Pike (KΛ).

PHILANTHROPY A commitment to

December 1971

The first chapter is established, Kappa Lambda.

1986-1988

Hospice Foundation is selected as the first national philanthropy at President's/Treasurer's Meeting.

1989-1990

$1360 is raised for Pine Tree Camp in memory of Lisa Johansen (KI).

1991-1992

Funds are raised for domestic violence services.

1993

Canned food initiative begins. Sisters will bring canned food item to all national meetings to benefit local food pantries.

1997-1998

A date rape awareness program is selected in addition to the canned food initiative

April 17, 1999

A National Day of Kindness is held, where all chapters did various service projects on the same day.

2000-2005

Can tabs are collected at national meetings for Ronald McDonald House Charities for five years. $430 is raised for the organization in 2004-2005.

2006-2007

School supplies are collected and $1300 is raised for Boston-based Cradles for Crayons.

2008-2009

The Women in Need Project and the Tyler Blaine House are chosen. $660 is raised.

2010-2011

$4175 is raised for John Murphy Homes to provide services to adults and children with intellectual disabilities.

2012-2013

$6000 is raised for American Cancer Society in memory of KDP brother Ed Webber. Funds also raised for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Courage for Colten.

2014-2015

The Sorority partners with the brothers to support Home for Our Troops and raise $8000. Mini philanthropies include Alzheimer's Assocation and RAINN.

2016-2017

$20,000 is raised for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)

1971-1986

Chapters raised funds for individually selected local philanthropies, including organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rosalynn Carter Project, Opportunity Training Center, and the Center for Grieving Children.

1988-1989

The Opportunity Training Center in Presque Isle, ME is chosen for the year.

1990-1991

$2640 is raised for the Portland Rehabilitative Educational Program. Mini philanthropies include the Center for Grieving Children and Aroostook Academy.

1992-1993

The Clara Barton Camp for Girls with Diabetes is chosen.

1995

First food donation is made to a pantry in Plymouth, NH.

1998-1999

Second food donation is made to a Boston Area Food Bank. The canned food initiative ends.

1999-2000

A clothes drive for the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department brings in 900 pounds of clothing.

2005-2006

The Sorority raised $610 and sends care packages throughout the year for a family affected by Hurricane Katrina.

2007-2008

Ronald McDonald House Charities is chosen again. Can tabs are collected and $785 is raised.

2009-2010

$3500 is raised for The SAMFund to support cancer survivors.

2011-2012

$4000 is raised for the Colon Cancer Foundation.

2013-2014

$7800 is raised for Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Fall 2014

The last President's/Treasurer's Meeting is held. National philanthropies will now be voted on at Convention.

2015-2016

$9100 is raised for the ASPCA.

2017-2018

$17,000 is raised for the Alzheimer's Association

2018-2019

$20,000 is raised for the AFSP.

2019-2020

$19,000 is raised for the ASFP

April 2019

A vote for a three-year partnership with the AFSP passes at Convention.

2020-2022

Funds raised for AFSP TBD

FIFTY What are yourthoughts on Kappa turning

It's hard to remember my life without Kappa. It's been such a huge part of my life for over half of it....27 of my 45 years. I knew when I headed to Husson College in the fall of 1993 after graduating high school that pledging a sorority would be in my future. Little did I know then what that one choice would do for my life.

Much of my memory has escaped me so I don't recall if I attended any Rush or Information Nights, but I do remember getting two bids on Greek Bid Night; one from Kappa and another from Delta but the choice was an easy one. I had been introduced to Kappa through a couple sisters and was invited to a Thomas College bonfire party (which I found myself being the designated driver for), but I was excited to travel to another college and meet new people. That night I met some great Kappa women and men and is what sparked my interest in Kappa.

Back then pledging lasted only two weeks and it was a DEDICATED two weeks of your life....every moment of those two weeks we were required to be with either a pledge mate or your big and try not to get kidnapped

by the brothers (it was a huge competition back thenwhich turned out to be just fun when they accomplished their task). It didn't cross my mind back then that hazing was a thing and even going through it never dawned on me that I was being hazed. I only knew it was a temporary ordeal for a lifetime of sisterhood. There was also something about the history of it that I loved....I knew that every single woman before me had gone through what I did so it was a right of passage. Since then things have changed to a completely different program which was fitting and very necessary, but I still hear from older sisters who wish they had gone through it like it was 'in the old days'. Crying every night wasn't fun, but I look back and cherish the memories and bonds I built with my pledge class and will never forget those two weeks.

During my four years of being an active sister (19941998), I was committed 100% to its mission, service, and motto. I was an overachiever in my philanthropy and fundraising hours, was the first to pay my dues for the year each Fall with cash I earned each summer waiting tables, held most of the positions including Pledge Mistress twice and President before I graduated. I had the honor of being a big sister to four amazing women, Crystal, Heather, Heather and Nicole, and have lifelong friendships with SO many women.

After graduating, I knew that joining the National Board was in the cards so I wasted no time in submitting my letter of intent to the Board and was honored to serve for six amazing years. My two favorite parts were being a Field Representative and resurrecting Kappa MU. As a Field Rep I traveled to chapters at UMPI, Fort Kent, and USM every year (for several years)

where I met even more inspiring women (including our beloved Liz Jason when she was a wee undergrad). Seeing her grow and take on all that she has, has been SUCH a pleasure to watch (love you Liz!). Being an active part of starting back up a chapter was also a rewarding experience that gave me the honor of having two more little sisters, Meg and Melina, in the spring of 2004. Being on the Board and witnessing other chapters with strong Alumnae Associations, it encouraged me to start one for Kappa Lambda. In 2007 four of us alumni sisters started our first Kappa Lambda Alumnae Association.

Since getting my letters in the spring of 1994, I've changed so much as a person. The sorority taught me to be strong, to stand up for myself, to stand up for others, about commitment and loyalty, how to be a great public speaker, how to fundraise and save money, how to organize an event, how to work with people with varying views and beliefs, and most importantly about community involvement. Those required philanthropy hours every semester was what gave me the passion I have today for my continued service to the communities I've lived in. I'm proud to say that for the past 23 years since graduating, my spare time

has been spent volunteering at more places than I can list, doing 5K's, donating money to causes, being an inspirational speaker, empowering women, running for state Office, and being a part of many Boards. Through it all, my biggest passion has been fighting hunger by being an active volunteer of my Good Shepherd Food Bank, hosting fundraising events at my wedding venue to combat hunger, starting my own 5K for Hunger, and what has earned me the Mrs Maine International title in 2018, my International Ms Northeast title in 2019, a Community Service Award in 2020, and my current title of Mrs Maine USA 2021. I know that I was put on this Earth to serve others and doing so is an aspect of weekly life. I owe all of this to Kappa.

Happy 50th Kappa women! We are all rockstars!!!

—Misty Coolidge

Kappa Lambda (Spring 1994)

National President (2004-2005)

Secretary, Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S. Alumnae Association

President, Kappa Lambda Alumnae Association

I am so excited to be celebrating this tremendous milestone! 50 years of Kappa are behind us and throughout those 50 years we have accomplished and grown so much. I am so proud of the way that Kappa has been able to adjust to all the challenges presented to us over the years and the way that we have not only survived but THRIVED! I cannot wait to see what the next 50 years has in store for us!

—Courtney Stevens

Kappa Upsilon (Fall 2013) Assistant Vice President of Membership President, Kappa Upsilon Alumnae Association

It’s a funny thing because 50 years is such a significant milestone. I wonder if the devoted women who founded Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S. imagined celebrating the 50th anniversary. But…we’re also kind of middle aged compared to other national organizations founded in the 19th century, which also makes us lucky because our founders are still with us. We can ask about our history and preserve it for those who come after us. We can ask them what’s it like to see the sorority they founded reach 50 years and what their hopes are for the next 50. Our sisterhood is a living, breathing legacy and each of us is a link in the chain that connects us forever.

—Sara Hauser

Kappa Alpha Iota (Founding Class, Spring 2006) • National President (2013-2018)

Wow! 50 years! Our Chapter began in 1969 as Kappa Sigma Phi, and in 1985, we were chartered as Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S. Kappa Sigma Chapter. To recently see the Chapter celebrate 50 years, and now the National Organization, is such an exciting milestone in our history! When gathering, having women who are in their 60s, women in their teens, and every age in between, speaks volumes; there are women who are just beginning their journey with the sorority, and there are women who have been part of this organization more than half of their life. It really shows how important our sisters are and how the bonds formed while active carry on long after graduation.

—Linda MacDonald

Kappa Sigma (Fall 2009) President, Kappa Sigma Alumnae Association

50 years—wow! What an accomplishment! I feel so lucky that I’ve been involved with the Fraternity and Sorority for almost all of those years. I started out doing clerical work for my husband Paul in 1973. At that time Paul and another Epsilon Brother, Sal Salvo headed up the Kappa publications, "The Crow" and "Kappa Talk." Consequently, I received many phone calls from Fraternity Alumni, as well as the undergraduates.

Paul would visit chapters, gathering information for the publications. When he returned, we would talk about his experiences. There was more and more talk about local sororities at colleges where the Fraternity chapters were located, wanting to become a national organization.

Ned Foster, Lambda Alumnus, was very excited about this movement and succeeded In convincing the Fraternity National Board that it would be in the fraternity’s best interest to facilitate these sororities in becoming a National Sorority. Fred Randall, Beta Alumnus, was the Fraternity’s Executive Director who developed the necessary paperwork for the Sorority to become incorporated.

In 1976, Fred Randall became the National Sorority movement’s temporary Chairman of the Sorority’s Board of Directors. The Board worked hard to develop Sorority materials and at the first combined Fraternity and Sorority Convention on May 7, 1977, the National Sorority was born. At that time, Fred informed the Sisters that he would be resigning because of increased work commitments. The Fraternity Board appointed Paul as the new Executive Director and the Sorority asked Paul if he would be their temporary Executive Director as well. From that time on, I became totally involved with Fraternity and Sorority business, since our home became the national office for both organizations.

In a short period of time, I became familiar with many Brothers and Sisters from all chapters, as well as the members of the National Boards. This was truly an exciting period of my life. Since the sisterhood was so small, I was able to really get to know them as individuals.

On April 8, 1978, at the National Convention, I became an Honorary Sister sponsored by Kappa Lambda. What a thrill! It is one thing to know sisters but so totally different to actually be one. Sue Dyer then became Executive Director followed by me. I had the privilege of working with great chapter leaders, a dedicated Board, and alumnae who continued to guide their chapters. From that time on Paul and I traveled to different chapters in a multitude of roles. We often met some of the chapter

cheerleaders such as advisors and professors. There was no doubt that the chapters were succeeding in gaining respect from other individuals and organizations.

The conventions were fantastic! They consisted of Alumni gatherings, business meetings, breakfasts, dinners, dances and Sunday sporting events. I was so proud to hear about the accomplishments of our chapters—the heart and soul of our organization. The enthusiasm, the conversations, and the camaraderie were wonderful.

Our numbers doubled, and then tripled in the 80’s. We had made it! The Sorority was on the move and there was no stopping it! The 90’s presented new challenges. Greek organizations could no longer exist on some campuses without insurance. Chi and Kappa Chi were the first to be confronted with this. A Manchester insurance company quoted a $100,000 minimum premium. The Fraternity learned of a fraternal insurance agent at a conference for small nationals. They obtained an affordable quote. However, both organizations would have to buy in to make it financially feasible. The Brothers and Sisters voted to acquire that insurance despite that it would almost double their national dues. Once again, the Sorority rose to the occasion.

Since then, the number of chapters have increased and the number of Sisters kept climbing. The conventions nearly tripled in size. The displays are beautiful. The money raised for national philanthropies is remarkable. The emotions and pride are well-deserved. This success was the result of the quality of the sisters who proudly call themselves Kappa. Throughout the years, many sisters volunteered at the chapter, National, and Alumnae levels. It is upon their shoulders that the National Sorority continued to grow. It is because of the sisters of today that KDPNAS still stands as a vibrant and viable organization.

To every sister who has participated in or chaired a chapter event, to every sister who has found time to work for National, to every sister who participated in an Alumnae Association, to every sister, undergraduate or alumna who live our ideals on a daily basis, I sincerely thank you. I am so proud to call you sister!

May the Spirit Never Die.

—Jeanette Collette

Kappa Lambda (Spring 1977)

Former National President & Executive Director Emeritus

I truly am so grateful for Kappa and how many years its been around. It has provided me so much support in any positions that I have held and helped me make connections even after graduation. It also gives me so much joy to be able to share the joy with sisters of Kappa dating back to many years ago. I can’t wait to see what kappa brings us in the next 50 years because it definitely has a bright future with all the empowered and amazing women that are out there in the world!

—Sabrina

Finn & Nicole Guastella

Kappa Alpha Gamma (Spring 2016 & Fall 2015) • Kappa Alpha Gamma Alumnae Association

I'm extremely excited to hit this milestone and mark 50 years of sisterhood. The bonds that still exist between actives and many alumni is extraordinary and I cannot wait until we hit the next milestone.

—Mia Roemer

Kappa Upsilon (Fall 2017)

Chapter President, Kappa Upsilon

I am so grateful to be apart of something so big and amazing, and I’m so proud that we are turning 50!

—Molly

Closinski

Kappa Alpha Xi (Fall 2019)

Chapter President, Kappa Alpha Xi

Kappa turning 50 is such an amazing accomplishment for our organization and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of it for the last 15 years. It shows how strong and determined we are as women to keep such a powerful and educational organization going for this long, and will continue to do so for years to come. Kappa has been my life for so many years and to see how well we are thriving after all of these years, makes my heart so full.

—Jennifer

Shipp (Jackson)

Kappa Upsilon (Spring 2006)

Former National Board Member

Where do you see Kappa in the next 50 years?

"I see us continuing to stand for what's right in the world and continuing to make our voices heard. We have incredibly smart women that have big voices and fight for change and I wouldn't have it any other way. In 50 years I hope to see women joining our organization with same values as me, and to be as dedicated to Kappa as I am."

—Mia Roemer, Kappa Upsilon

What does Kappa look like after graduation?

What do you love most about Kappa?

"I love that what unites us is kindness towards each other and kindness towards the world."

—Lauren

Porter, Kappa Iota

What do you love most about Kappa?

"Having a home away from home."

—Emily Laflam, Kappa Sigma

Where do you see Kappa in the next 50 years?

What do you love most about Kappa?

"I love the strength and sincerity each and every sister of our sisterhood has!"

"The only difference is that it's not as easy to see your sisters but that makes the time you have together when you do see each other that much sweeter. You still have people to rely on, to confide in, to share all of your news with, the good and bad with. So nothing really changes, you still have your sisters for life."

—Julia Bullard, Kappa Alpha Iota

"Only up from here! I hope to see it grow, in member numbers and chapter numbers! It would be cool to see it go across the whole country."

—Molly Closinski, Kappa Alpha Xi

What kind of legacy do you hope to leave for Kappa?

—Sabrina Finn & Nicole Guastella, Kappa Alpha Gamma

What did Kappa look like when you were an active?

Where do you see Kappa in the next 50 years?

"Taking over the world!"

—Tori Mano, Kappa Alpha Gamma

"When I was an active sister, UMass Lowell did not recognize us on campus, so we had to host all of our meetings and affiliate education functions off campus. We didn't have the support of the school to help fundraise or host philanthropy events, so we had to be extra creative to be successful in those endeavors. Our chapter numbers were small but it made us work extra hard to keep fighting for our chapter to stay alive."

—Jennifer Shipp (Jackson), Kappa Upsilon

What kind of legacy do you hope to leave for Kappa?

"I want sisters to come to think of me as kind. I want them to choose kindness."

—Ella Suters, Kappa Omicron

"I hope to leave a legacy of pride and strength in Kappa. I would like to share the love and pride I have for Kappa with the new members as we grow even more!"

—Jillian Myers, Kappa Alpha Gamma

What do you love most about Kappa?

"The family."

—Andrea McKevitt, Kappa Sigma

What does Kappa look like after graduation?

What do you love most about Kappa?

"For Kappa Sigma, we are lucky to have alumnae presence at the national and chapter level We have a thriving Alumnae Association...some have been involved in our Association for decades! We are so grateful to have a positive relationship with the active chapter. Our alumnae love participating in philanthropy, fundraising, homecoming gatherings, and reunions with each other and with the actives."

"I love all the amazing people I've met the most, people that I know are going to be in my life forever."

—Chrissy Ryan, Kappa Chi

—Linda MacDonald, Kappa Sigma

AWARDS a brief highlight

April 24, 1976

Kappa Rose Award created for outstanding service to their chapter or National Sorority

1978-1979

The President's Cup was given to the National Sorority as a gift by the Brotherhood and is henceforth awarded to the chapter who best reflects the ideals of Kappa, Delta and Phi.

1981

The Kindness Award is renamed the Jeanette M. Collette Kindness Award and is presented to the chapter who best exemplifies acts of philanthropy

April 11, 1987

The National Fraternity presents the National Sorority with a plaque in recognition of our 10th Anniversary and roses are given to each chapter

Sue Dyer (Taylor) (KM) was presented with an Alumnae Badge from the entire sisterhood.

April 11, 1992

Jeanette Collette was presented a plaque for her devotion, work and love for the sorority.

Spring 1995

Sue Dyer (Taylor) is presented with a Certificate of Merit to celebrate her 20th Anniversary of being a sister of Kappa Mu chapter and her continuing support of the sisterhood.

April 14, 2000

The sorority presented Ray Braz (Executive Director, KDP) with an engraved gavel at their 100th Anniversary and each KDP chapter also received a gavel.

April 13, 2004

The first joint awards ceremony was held with the brothers and sisters at Convention.

October 19, 2006

The Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S. Scholarship is renamed the Angela Jacobs Scholarship in honor of Angela Jacobs' (KN) commitment and devotion to the sorority. It is presented to the sister that is nominated by their chapter, have a GPA of 2.5+, etc.

Spring 1978

Sorority jacket was designed Jeanette Collette (KΛ) became an Honorary Sister Paul Collette (KDP Brother) received the National Fraternity Crow Award

November 1980

Golden Scholastic Achievement Award established for chapter with the highest cumulative average.

November 2, 1985

Sorority keys were added to the presentation of the Kappa Rose Award The Highest GPA Award is introduced. This is now known as the Susan M. Dyer Golden Scholastic Achievement Award and is presented to the sister with the highest GPA from the previous semester.

April 6, 1991

Sue Dyer (Taylor) was presented with a Citation (now Certificate) of Merit for her accomplishments and devotion to advancing the objectives of the sorority.

Spring 1994

Ann (Lewis) Clegg (KY) was presented with an engraved clock in recognition of her years of service to the sorority at the chapter and national level.

Spring 1997-Spring 1998

A new tradition is henceforth presented to the sister with the highest life number (i.e. newest sister) and would hold it for one year. Katherine Long (KP) became the first sister to receive the jacket and when it was returned, she bestowed the gift of a paddle in which a poem written by Sue read "J–jacket means, A–all for one and one for all, C–caring sisters, K–Kappa love, E–exploring things, and T–togetherness.

April 12, 2003

The National Alumnae Association performed their first New Member Ceremony at Convention.

Fall 2006

Four new national recognition awards were announced:

Outstanding Chapter Award

The Against All Odds Award

The Yellow Rose Award (which is presented to a chapter president) Field Consultant (now Chapter Consultant) of the Year Award.

April 16, 2011

Kappa Rose Recipients

1978 Sue Dyer (Taylor) (KM), Jean Casey (KT) and Sally Webster (KΛ)

1981 Debra Gagne (KX)

1985 Anna Michaud (KM), Karen Cherella (KΓ) and Susan Barnes (KM/KP)

1987 Jeanette Collette (KΛ)

1988 Lisa Vaillencourt (KO)

1990 Debra (Flint) Wheaton (KI)

1991 Ann (Lewis) Clegg (KY) and Dawn Lewis (ΚΥ)

1997 Debbie Lafond (KE)

1998 Jessica Barker (KH) and Victoria (Guido) DeMambro (KH)

1999 Paula Coutroubis (Kaylor) (KO) and Alysia (Tardelli) Rourke (KY)

2004 Joanna Scaparotti (KY) and Angela Jacobs (KN)

2005 Kristin Flink (KΓ), Rebecca (Hymer) Kirker (KN) and Michelle (Maheu) Gagnon (KN)

2009 Kerry McDonnell (KAΓ)

2010 Liz Jason (KI)

2012 Mandy (Whittier) Breton (KY)

2013 Misty Coolidge (KΛ) and Leslie Varabedian (KΛ)

April 6, 2019

The Elizabeth Jason National Philanthropy Award was introduced at the award ceremony at Convention, honoring Liz Jason's (KI) dedication to the sorority and 15 years of service on the National Board. It is given to the chapter with the highest financial contribution to the national philanthropy, and was first awarded to Kappa Upsilon.

The Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S. Leadership Award is renamed the Victoria E. DeMambro Leadership Award in honor of Victoria (Guido) DeMambro's (KH) service and leadership to the sorority. It is presented to the sister that is nominated by their chapter, has held a chapter executive board position and is member of another campus/community organization. The first recipient of the award was Leslie Penjuke (KAI).

2016 Maryanne Burt (KT), Gail Myshrall (KM), Danielle Young (KAΓ) and Sara Hauser (KAI)

2017 Jennifer Shipp (Jackson) (KY)

2018 Larissa Ryerson (KI)

2020 Amanda Cronin (KX) and Andrea (Schiavo) McKevitt (KΣ) *We apologize for any errors or omissions in this list. Please email editor@kappadeltaphinas.org with any changes so we can update our records.

In Dec. '18, KY was the highest raising Greek org for our St. Jude Children's Hospital Up 'til Dawn event. We also had the highest fundraising team (consisting of 6 sisters). That school year we also received the first Elizabeth Jason National Philanthropy Award. Mia Roemer, Kappa Upsilon

Getting my big and little!

My first NGLA. It was so eye-opening to meet sisters from other chapters and Greeks from all across the country. It also really ignited my passion for taking on leadership positions within the sorority.

Being able to hug my little for the first time and watch the colony I helped found grow!

—Paige Jansen, Kappa Alpha Omicron Emerging Chapter

My cross night! My best friends are in my pledge class, and seeing how far we've come from that night is amazing.

I’ve gone on road trips with some of my sisters and those have been some of my happiest memories in life.

I love recruitment events with my sisters like glow casino and going with them to service events like Manchester fair.

My first convention in Spring '15, where we drove 8 hours to Maine and had a fun-if-not-chaotic time!

When I got all my littles (from KY and KAPi). I love being a big and whenever my littles do something I am proud of I get so excited! Being a big helped me realize that I want to join the National Board and become a Chapter Consultant.

Our past Kappa Thanksgiving with COVID and being able to see everyone!

Going to convention for the first time!

—Elisa Gutierrez, Kappa Chi

Siblinghood with our brothers!

—Anastasiya Sotova, Kappa Alpha Gamma

Emma Wenig, Kappa Alpha Gamma

Angelica Masser, Kappa Alpha Iota

Lauren Porter, Kappa Iota

Alyssa Renaud, Kappa Omicron

Nicole Ransden, Kappa Upsilon

Tori Mano, Kappa Alpha Gamma

Renee Dellechiaie, Kappa Chi

Being awarded the Kappa Rose! Larissa Ryerson, Kappa Iota

Marysa Mitrano, Kappa Upsilon

Definitely becoming a sister of KY...I knew that day that Kappa would be part of my life forever. Other memories include meeting the very first president of KY chapter at our alumni brunch and Convention 2017 when I received the Kappa Rose Award.

Jenn Shipp, Kappa Upsilon

Affiliating, getting my littles, and having the honor of receiving the Yellow Rose award!

Julia Bullard, Kappa Alpha Iota

Finding out who my big was!!

—Sabrina Finn, Kappa Alpha Gamma

My first alumni weekend, Spring 2018, just eating pizza on a lawn with good people and sharing memories!

Ella Suters, Kappa Omicron

Surprising Jenn Shipp with her Kappa Rose!

Alumnae sleepover!

Amina Irish, Kappa Iota

Convention 2019! So many incredible sisterhood bonding moments!

Megan Sylvester, Kappa Alpha Gamma

My first convention in 2019!

Lily Gibbons, Kappa Alpha Omicron Emerging Chapter

Amanda Roberge, Kappa Iota

Getting my littles and late night milkshakes /Wendy’s runs driving with the music blasting!

Tina Swagert, Kappa Alpha Gamma

When I received a certificate of merit and of course the day I became a sister!

Haley Sullivan, Kappa Upsilon

Some of my last recruitment events during my senior year. I felt so much love from everyone around me and I knew I was going to miss Greek life so much when I graduated.

Chrissy Ryan, Kappa Chi

Kappa Convention 2018!

Emily Laflam, Kappa Sigma

I went with my big and another close sister in my line to the outlook in New Paltz to take pictures in our recruitment shirts at sunset! It made me so happy being surrounded by the beautiful nature and sunset with my best friends!

Jillian Myers, Kappa Alpha Gamma

Chapter Reports

Spring 2021

Kappa Lambda

Husson University, Bangor, Maine

At Husson, our sisters have been hard at work on recruitment over the winter break and during the beginning of this semester. We are every excited to have a good group of girls who are interested in attending our Rush events. We have been doing other virtual events to help with recruitment including a game night, yoga night, and movie night. The chapter is very excited to use out newly constructed new member education plan that we developed last summer. We have also been focusing on increasing our visibility on campus and posting more on our Instagram page.

We have really enjoyed planning and participating in sister socials to further strengthen our bonds. Our first social event was also a philanthropy event to make dog toys out of old t-shirts for our local humane society. This event was a big success! We look forward to planning more philanthropy events for this semester. Our philanthropy chairs have a philanthropy plan to have themed months for causes our sisters plan about. We will plan one or two events based on these themes on top of raising money for our national philanthropy.

To raise money for the national philanthropy we recently had a virtual Valentine's Day raffle to raffle off a Dunkin' Donuts gift card.

Our sisters are very excited for a virtual convention. We are working on ways to bond during the time of convention to celebrate a special 50th year celebration.

A Message from your Chapter Consultant

This was my first year on the board, as well as being a chapter consultant. I've learned so much from working with Kappa Lambda. The girls are all kind, responsible, and driven. Kappa Lambda has also been striving to achieve more sister bonding during the pandemic, and coming up with great ways to stay connected with the sisters virtually. —

Haley Sullivan

Kappa Lambda's love of the sorority is inspiring, I have watch them make incredible strides in personal growth over the last year but the one thing that never wavers is their love of Kappa. I am thankful for the opportunity to work with and learn from them this year.

Amanda Roberge

Kappa Iota

University of Southern Maine, Portland/Gorham, Maine

I hope you are all well and remaining healthy during this trying time. Kappa Iota is always keeping you in our thoughts! Last semester was challenging all-around, but we are holding on to each other and our sanity. With only two sisters on campus and everyone else at home, meetings and the new member education completely online, it looked very different than other semesters, but we were able to get two new dedicated ladies to join our chapter and we are so grateful for the two of them. All of the active sisters last semester completed at least ten hours of community service each which we are incredibly proud of especially given the difficult time we are all living in.

Kappa Sigma

Plymouth State University, Plymouth, New Hampshire

With the COVID-19 Pandemic in full swing, the Kappa sisters have not ceased with their efforts to uphold their sisterhood. Within the first few weeks of the Spring 2021 semester, we have adapted a new member education program, including Zoom rushes for the recruitment process. The sisters are continuing to use all their resources needed in order to take in a new class. It is easy to want to lose hope, and for morale to be low. To combat this, each sister is getting sponsored by the Alumnae in an attempt to keep their spirits up. The sisters have loved receiving care packages from their sponsors, including new letters

Kappa Iota chapter is a chapter of strong, dedicated Kappa women. Although they are on the small side they do not let that stop them, they keep up with our larger chapters in terms of fundraising, philanthropy, and certainly in passion! This group of women can do anything that they put their minds to!

—Courtney Stevens

The beginning of this semester is going quite well. There are currently no sisters on campus with all ten active sisters off-campus. Rushes start in early February with the education process following shortly after. We are excited to grow our chapter with more motivated and dedicated women into our Kappa family! #300 Carly Poulton is the current AE with #307 Amy Davis as her AAE. With everything online again, recruitment is going to be another challenge, but we haven’t let that get in our way in the past and we are not planning on it now.

and college necessities. In return, the Alumnae should be expecting thank you cards from all the sisters soon.

On behalf of the Kappa Sigma chapter, I would like to wish all other chapters and alumni to stay happy, healthy, and hopeful. We are all going to get through this together. May the spirit never die!

Kappa Sigma has been home to hundreds of women for more than 50 years and will be home for hundreds more women to come. These women are smart, understanding, and hardworking. I have so much respect for them and love watching them thrive. I am so proud of all of all them; individually for their everyday hurdles and as a group for their adaptability.

—Robyn Sarette

Kappa Omicron

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, Massachusetts

Kappa Omicron has been working hard this semester to create a stronger bond with each other. We have done a few sister bonding events, virtual philanthropies, and we are gaining four new sisters.

This semester, Kappa Omicron did a Galantines day where we each got a Valentine’s Day gift and wrote little notes for each other. Each sister got an iced coffee, scrunchie, and $5 Starbucks gift card. This was very successful, and we are planning on doing something similar for St. Patrick’s Day. Another sister bonding we did was a paint night. This is a common sister bonding event for Kappa Omicron, and we have fun each and every time.

We are beginning to work with the Berkshire Humane Society to obtain volunteer hours. Depending what we

I have worked with this chapter now for two years, and I am constantly proud of what this group of girls can do. Throughout their setbacks, they come together as a unit to push through these hard times and continue to thrive. This chapter through it all knows that sisterhood is what keeps us going, and have developed ways to keep their bonds strong. I love being their Chapter Consultant, and cannot wait to continue working on making them the best they can be.

Marysa Mitrano

sign up for, we could be working with dogs, cats, small animals/reptiles, or as a receptionist. We are very excited to start volunteering here together as it is both a philanthropy and sister bonding. Kappa Omicron has also continued volunteering on 7cups and 100,000 folds.

Our chapter is delighted to be welcoming four new sisters as well as our new addition to our chapter, Zoila, who transferred from Kappa Sigma and joined Kappa Delta Phi N.A.S. in 2015. We can’t wait to see what we accomplish together this semester and are excited for the future.

Kappa Upsilon

University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts

Last Fall we welcomed 10 new sisters into the Kappa Upsilon Chapter! Thanks to our amazing Affiliate Educator Courtney Mayer and Assistant Affiliated Educator Anne Carroll, we carried out a completely virtual affiliation process. All their hard work and planning over the summer paid off because the virtual process ran with no trouble. The newest class has already stepped up with many of them taking on vacant positions within the chapter. We are all very proud and excited to see them excel within the chapter.

As for philanthropic events, UMass Lowell had our annual St. Jude Up ‘Til Dawn event on December 5th and raised $43,810 overall for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital! Our philanthropy chair, Alyssa Heath, also planned many virtual events for us to attend such as St. Jude virtual Card Making, Virtual AFSP Out of the Darkness walks, Virtual National Diabetes Day fundraisers, and No More Cancer rallies to fund raise for Up ‘Til Dawn. She has been hard at work creating more events for us to attend virtually at this time when we cannot be in person to volunteer.

We are currently fundraising for a local non-profit called Merrimack Valley Black and Brown Voices. We decided for Black History Month to fund raise for this organization because they are a community based organization dedicated to providing support for local Black and Brown businesses and families in need as well as planning social and cultural events for people in the Merrimack Valley to attend. Currently we have raised around $500 for MVBB Voices!

As a chapter we decided not to hold an affiliation process this semester in order to work on our sisterhood and to improve our virtual communication with each other which we struggled with last semester. Our Vice President, Erin Young, has been holding virtual workshops every week that focus on different topics such as active communication, how to improve listening skills, and improving trust within the organization as a whole. So far these workshops have been very successful and have helped us reduce miscommunication and have improved our attendance and participation at events. Overall, the chapter is excited to have a productive semester of working on our sisterhood and philanthropic involvement without pushing ourselves to hold an affiliation process.

Kappa Upsilon has done as amazing job this year! They have taken on a new fall class, put forth new initiatives, all while transitioning to a fully remote learning environment. It definitely is not easy, but these girls have certainly made the most of it and kept their heads held high. These girls are amazing representations of kindness, perseverance, and inclusivity. Here's to many more years to come and another year down! Special shout-out to all of the seniors this year, you guys are truly remarkable and good luck in the real world!!

Chrissy Ryan

Kappa Upsilon chapter is incredibly hard working chapter and the pride they take in their philanthropy and service work for their community is second to none. I am glad I have gotten the opportunity to get know and work with the women of Kappa Upsilon chapter.

Amanda Roberge

Kappa Chi

Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire

In the 2020-2021 school year, all of Kappa Chi’s events were remote. In the fall we recruited and had an affiliate class of eleven new amazing girls. All these girls displayed our values of kindness, devotion, and pride. We held virtual recruitment events like sister speed dating, getting to know Kappa Chi, and trivia night co-sponsored with the Phi Deltas and Theta Phi Alpha. We had two fundraisers—"popcornopolis" where anyone could buy from delicious assortments of popcorns, and a catalog fundraiser which was full of holiday goodies and candies.

In the spring semester we decided to focus more on bonding and held by weekly bonding events which varied from self-care to watching videos of cute animals. So far, we have had one fundraiser called the "Bakeless Bake Sale" where people could donate money instead of buying the actual baked goods. All proceeds went towards the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Since being remote, it is more difficult to complete philanthropy so we cut back from ten hours to two hours until we return to campus. For philanthropy opportunities we have made cards for veterans and St. Jude’s Hospital. In the fall we also participated in the virtual Jimmy Fund Walk where our sisters could walk anywhere in their neighborhood, community or local track to help raise money for Dana Farber Cancer Institute research.

After being their Chapter Consultant for a year, I can tell this chapter has true potential within it. These girls all have natural leadership abilities, and have a drive to excel. Even throughout the pandemic these girls were able to problem solve, and focus on what the chapter needs more than what is "right". I am so proud to be their Chapter Consultant, and I am excited to continue working with them on how to help build upon what is already there.

Marysa Mitrano

Kappa Alpha Gamma

State University of New York at New Paltz, New Paltz, New York

Kappa Alpha Gamma has had a wonderful start to the Spring 2021 semester! To kick off the semester, we had several virtual recruitment events surrounding our theme of "Empowered Women Empower Women." Some of the events include Workout like Rosie the Riveter, Dress to Impress, Empowered Women trivia night, and more! Each event was centered around empowered women from the past and present. Recruitment was a very exciting time and we are thrilled to continue learning more about our new affiliates!

Last semester we gained five incredible sisters! While it was our first semester fully virtual, the transition went very smoothly and we were still able to build a strong connection with the affiliates. This semester, we are continuing to utilize virtual platforms for New Member Education and are eager to keep growing our chapter!

Although we are currently operating fully virtually, we have had some fantastic sisterhood events this semester. Our amazing Sisterhood Chair organized a meditation/relaxation event, a BuzzFeed quiz event, and a throwback TV show night! Along with sisterhood events, we have had numerous culture nights put on by our Diversity and Inclusion Co-Chairs. These events high -

Kappa Alpha Gamma continues to work towards inclusion on their campus. This year they have worked hard to bring awareness to their campus about the Black-owned businesses in their area. They have been a voice on campus during Black History Month and Women's History month. They have been working incredibly hard to have a virtual presence and are doing very well during the time.

Andrea McKevitt

light topics related to diversity that are prominent each month. This is a great way for all sisters to stay aware of all types of world issues. As far as philanthropy goes, we are excited to be raising money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as our National Philanthropy and the Scleroderma Foundation as our new Local Philanthropy. We have put on events for both philanthropies, including a Valentine’s Day raffle, a sweatshirt sale, online fundraisers, and have more plans for philanthropy opportunities in the New Paltz area!

Kappa Alpha Gamma is thrilled to be celebrating our 25th Anniversary this spring! We have been working with our Alumnae Association to plan a safe and exciting celebration for this anniversary, and can’t wait to connect with more of our alum through this!

We have five sisters graduating this semester—Megan Sylvester, Rachel Hermance, Anastasiya Sotova, Grace Bolin, and Barbara Baker-Peña. We are very grateful for each of them and will miss them all dearly, but we are so excited to see the bright futures they all have ahead!

Kappa Alpha Iota

Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

The start of the spring semester for the Kappa Alpha Iota chapter has not been without its difficulties, but the sisters continue to face these challenges with grace and resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many restrictions, but the chapter has been successful in navigating these and coming up with safe alternatives to how our normal activities would be conducted. We continue to build bonds between sisters even though we are separated through these hard times.

Spring recruitment this semester was also not without its challenges, as it was held 100% online. It was difficult to navigate this new format, but we were still able to hold a positive and successful recruitment. Our theme was “Getting Kozy with the Kappas” and we have welcomed five new affiliates to our chapter: Emily, Alyssa, Jules, Lindsey, and Megan. Considering recruitment was held completely online, this is a fairly good turnout, and we are so excited to get to know these amazing girls and eventually welcome them as new sisters to our chapter!

As a chapter, we continue to find ways to support our philanthropies and stay active in our community. We have been actively holding fundraisers for AFSP, such as opening a Bonfire store with merchandise such as sweatshirts, t-shirts, masks, coffee mugs, and more. We also have an upcoming succulent sale to raise money for AFSP. Last semester we held a t-shirt sale for ADA, which raised $245. Sisters both on and off campus also participate in weekly COVID testing in order to comply with university policies and to help keep the community safe.

Although day to day life is looking increasingly different than we are used to, sisters continue to support each other and the community in hopes of a return to normalcy sooner rather than later. We look forward to what we can accomplish as a chapter in the months to come.

Kappa Alpha Iota chapter has been a pleasure to work with. They are a group that has handled the challenges that the pandemic has presented them with grace and ease. They have adapted to this new virtual world and have done a fabulous job of marketing themselves on Instagram. I always love seeing all of the new and exciting ideas that these ladies bring to the table!

Courtney Stevens

Kappa Alpha Nu

University at Albany, Albany, New York

The sisters of Kappa Alpha Nu chapter have been focusing this past semester on tradition and grounding us in what it means to be a sister of Kappa Delta Phi. We kicked off spring semester with our annual Kappa week centering around the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. Overall, we raised $300 through our social media bingo boards as well as a Superbowl Fundraiser and held two programs surrounding mental health. The first program was on Healthy Relationships and Self Love fitting with Valentine’s Day in which we partnered with the Advocacy Center at our university to co-host the program. Even though it was our very first program of the semester, we had a great turnout. Our other program was our annual AFSP trivia night to discuss resources available in the community and on campus as well as facts and myths surrounding suicide and mental health. That week we also donated decorated cards and canvases to Albany Medical Hospital to relieve some of the stress patients might be experiencing while in a hospital.

The sisters of Kappa Alpha Nu have been staying busy during the pandemic!

The chapter was able to participate in virtual recruitment in the fall, and welcomed six new sisters.

Despite moving from in person courses to remote learning in the middle of the fall semester, the sisters have still been able to participate in sister bonding events and philanthropy. The sisters are excited to give out bids for the spring semester and to continue working with the AFSP. Keep up the good work ladies!

Alex Nestro

Kappa Alpha Xi

Utica College, Utica, New York

Kappa Alpha Xi has had a great school year so far! Last fall semester, we hosted a virtual 5k run/walk. Participants were able to sign up online and complete the 5k at a location and time of their choice! The 5k was held on November 3rd, and the sisters had so much fun! With this event. Kappa Alpha Xi raised over $450 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Along with this, the sisters participated in the annual Out of Darkness walk in Herkimer, New York, where we walked over four miles. The sisters participated in our campus’s Unity Walk as well!

We have also have had fun collaborating with other organizations on campus to run and participate in events. We worked with our campus’s Active Minds organization to co-host a suicide awareness walk. We also promoted Greek unity by working with other Greek organizations via our Inter-Greek Council’s adopt-a-classroom event. With this event, we held a candy guessing game and raised money for underfunded school districts to buy winter apparel for students. We loved working with these organizations and their events on campus!

This spring, Kappa Alpha Xi had a very successful recruitment that was held completely virtually. We also participated in sending St. Jude’s Valentine’s Day cards, where we were able to send virtual Valentine’s Day cards to children who are patients at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. This was a very fulfilling experience for the sisters. We are also currently planning our big philanthropy event of the spring semester, our annual Mystery Prize Board, where participants choose a number and receive a prize that corresponds with that number.

Through virtual meetings and events, we have done our best to stay connected in this virtual time. We have held virtual bonding events and had virtual themed meetings. We are looking forward to the rest of the spring semester and the bonds that we will strengthen within our current sisters and create with new sisters. We are so excited for our future and to see where we go from here.

See you all (virtually) at convention!

May the spirit never die!

Andrea McKevitt

Kappa Alpha Xi is a force to be reckoned with on campus. Not only have they been having a great year with their recruitment turn out, they have had the chance to do COB and have a great turn out. They have been working incredibly hard on campus and they are a very kind and intelligent group of women.

Kappa Alpha Omicron Emerging Chapter

State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, New York

Growth has been the motto of the Kappa Alpha Omicron Emerging Chapter this academic year as we continue to surprise ourselves with how far we have come in such a short amount of time. As we entered our second year established on the SUNY Oswego Campus, we set goals for the semesters ahead and continued to reach them quickly as time went on.

Thanks to our elected sisters in the fundraising and philanthropy positions we were able to raise $1200 for The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in just one semester, as well as over $400 in local fundraising efforts. This is a huge accomplishment as we are on track to break our philanthropy donation record this year and have already surpassed our local fundraising efforts of last semester.

As our year continues to be regulated by COVID-19 restrictions we have had to be very creative and persevere to continue to cultivate our bonds of sisterhood in a completely virtual format. Our amazing New Member Educator has worked tirelessly to design a virtual education program that allows our new class to feel just as loved as we did upon joining the Kappa family. As our biggest new member class yet approaches the start of their education process, we here at the Kappa Alpha Omicron Emerging Chapter are so excited to be able to grow our sisterhood. In part, it is bittersweet while we also say a loving goodbye to most of our founding members as they leave their legacy in the hands of the wonderful classes that came after them. Our current e-board is an amazing mix of sisters from all eligible classes and we can’t wait to continue this trend with our Deltas, seeing the amazing skill sets all of our current and new sisters have to offer.

Overall, we are hopeful and excited for the many amazing things we can accomplish this semester and look forward to when we can finally be back with our sisters in person.

Kappa Alpha Omicron has been working very closely with this school this year to determine the needs of their organization. They have been incredibly flexible with their plans and are always willing to work towards the betterment of the organizations on their campus.

Andrea McKevitt

Kappa Alpha Pi Emerging Chapter

Union College, Schenectady, New York

Hello from Union! We started off the year taking in our largest class to date, effectively doubling our numbers with our Fall 2020 class. Our girls have been absolute academic beasts this year, even through a global pandemic. Many of our members are pursuing their academic interests outside of Union through internships. Additionally, some of our ladies are currently working on various research projects and we even had one of our newest members, Maryam Ramjohn (Fall Class of 2020) present her project this past term. Our women have also been active leaders on campus. Bethany Costello (Spring Class of 2020) was awarded Union’s Green Fee, a grant given to a student or group of students each year to make the campus more sustainable.

As a chapter, we have done our best to navigate this pandemic together by not only supporting and encouraging each other, but also by finding ways to get together (socially distanced of course). In the fall, a group of our ladies visited an apple orchard and in the winter our ladies participated in Union’s Random Act of Kindness Week by giving out hot chocolate to the campus community.

Finally, we have taken the initiative to be more conscious of the ongoing racial tensions that we as a nation face. Many of our women have stepped out of their comfort zones to have difficult conversations about race, privilege, and diversity. This winter our Diversity Chair, Brianna Turner-Douglas, mediated a discussion about diversity and inclusion issues that our own sisters face in Kappa Alpha Pi’s first installment of the "Get to Know a Sister" program. Many sisters have also participated in events sponsored by Union’s Office of Intercultural Affairs.

It has been an honor serving as our newest emerging chapter's consultant since they established in 2019, and each and every day they continue to amaze me. They are strong apart and even stronger together, and excel in academics, community and championing for the betterment of tomorrow. I couldn't be more proud that they are a part of this organization.

Christina Rose

KDPNAS Alumnae Association

Dear Sisters of KDPNAS, Inc.

What a thrill and an honor it is to join with you in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of our beloved sorority, Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. While I am in awe, I find it also very surreal almost to the point of saying “Did it really happen?” It did happen and we are half a century old.

I want to take a moment to reflect on and thank all the original sisters of Kappa Lambda Chapter (Husson College in Bangor, Maine). I also want to thank the many brothers of Kappa Delta Phi, Lambda Chapter who had the foresight and determination to offer women similar kinds of opportunities and relationships that the fraternity had known since 1900.

I cannot claim a full fifty year affiliation, but I am proud to have pledged 46 years ago (1975) this month at Kappa Mu Chapter, University of Maine at Presque Isle. For twenty-six consecutive years, from the Temporary Board in 1976-1977 through Advisor to the Board in 2001-2002, it was both an honor and a privilege to serve in many leadership roles. There are so many fond memories woven in and around the building of our sisterhood.

People who shared the journey are unforgettable…Fred Randall, Ned Foster, Paul Collette, Ed Webber, Jeff Vermette, Eric Anderson, Bob Stomski, Debbie Gagne, Lois French, Debra McCollett, Debbie Gay, Denise Desjardins, Jeanette Collette, Leslie Rotella, Debbie Flint, Elizabeth

Russell, Dawn Scully, Karin Nadeau, Patti Lally, Cindy Hall, Debbie Noyes, Sandra Lovely, Maryanne Burt, Cathy Puiia, Cheryl Wakeham, Angela Jacobs, Gail Myshrall, Betty Mosely, Selena MacDonald, Misty Coolidge, Debbie Lafond, and so, so many others… all contributed to the amazing organization we know and love.

The Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority Alumnae Association was incorporated October 10, 1992 with many of the same women continuing to build upon our ideals and foundation. I have served as the only President for twenty-nine consecutive years. I know it will not be long before I proudly pass the baton. Then as now, I cherish and celebrate every memory, every accomplishment, and every accolade bestowed on our sisterhood.

Lastly, let me say that our ideals of Kindness, Devotion and Pride have left permanent marks upon our communities, states, country, and world. It is a though Heaven waved a hand and placed yellow roses everywhere. Look for them along your journey as a sister and be sure to leave something behind that speaks “May the Spirit Never Die.”

In the spirit and love of Kappa, Susan M. Dyer Taylor, Executive Director Emeritus President KDPNAS Alumnae Association, Inc. Kappa Mu, 1975

Cooking with Jeanette

Baked Stuffed Mushrooms with Shrimp

1 package of large stuffing mushrooms (18-20)

1 large onion

2 rolls of Ritz crackers, crushed

1 stick butter

1 lb. cooked shrimp

Grease a baking pan with butter. Remove stems from mushrooms and put the mushroom caps in the baking pan. Cook diced onions in a skillet until translucent. Dice the mushroom stems, add to the skillet, then cook until soft. Place cooked onions and mushrooms into large bowl. Dice and add 1/2 lb. of shrimp. Add crushed Ritz crackers. Melt stick of butter and add to other ingredients in the bowl. Cut remaining shrimp in half and put a piece in each mushroom cap. Top with stuffing. Bake at 3750 for 15-20 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked.