News from the Greater Raleigh Alumnae Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta
Spring 2020 Volume 72, Issue 2
THE ECHO PRESIDENT’S LETTER Dear Sisters,
It’s so nice to see Spring coming to the Triangle. The daffodils are blooming all over my yard and soon we’ll be gathering for IRD once again. This year’s theme is “No matter the weather, sisters stick together”. I can certainly say, from personal experience, that having my Greater Raleigh Alpha Gamma Delta sisters by my side for the past 30 years has been a calm in the roller coaster ride of life. I like that our chapter has always worked to plan regularly scheduled activities that keep us all in touch with each other. It’s easy to be involved as much or as little as our busy schedules allow, knowing that our sisterhood is strong and we will always be welcomed. This year the chapter has a goal of expanding our philanthropic efforts in this community. I am happy to report that we have provided support for local organizations at every monthly gathering so far. These efforts have included collections for NC State Food Bank for Students, Back Pack Buddies Program at a local high school, and the SPA of Durham. In December we brought materials and had fun putting together “blessing bags” with food and personal items to be handed out at Urban Ministries of Durham. In January we had fun “getting crafty” and made Valentine’s cards to be given to residents in the Health Center at Springmoor Retirement Community. In addition to all of that, we also sold over 845 bags of pecans in our Annual Fall Sale to benefit AGD Foundation and several local charities. Thank you sisters! For the AGD Week of Service, sisters joined with other area volunteer groups to sort through 26,000 pounds of food in 3 hours at the NC Food Bank. It was fun and time flew by! I was also pleased to see so much involvement in our community for tackling this problem. It’s a pleasure to be working with such an enthusiastic group of sisters in the Fight Against Hunger. I can see our impact and sisterhood bonds growing. Our chapter enjoys monthly meetings from September to May, monthly lunch bunch gatherings, and Junior Circle activities. This year we enjoyed programs on Emergency Medicine for Strokes, Advances in Veterinary Medicine, a “Night in the Garden” at our NC Arboretum, and “Being Prepared.” We post our events on Facebook and send Google group messages. We hope to have IRD on Saturday, April 4! We plan to celebrate at the home of Mary Ann Akin. More information will be sent in the coming days. Thank all of you for your service and support of our chapter. It’s been a fun year, and I look forward to sharing our story with other chapters at the International Convention in June. Loyally in Epsilon Pi, Jean Campbell Burroughs (ΓΦ ‘79)
Mary Lou Szymkowski (L ‘82) and Mary Ann Akin (ZI ’83)
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Sister News ........................... 2 Contributing to the World’s Work ..................................... 2 Adopt-a-chapter updates ..... 3 To Develop and Prize Health and Vigor of Body ................. 4 Chapter Grand ...................... 5
Cherishing Friendships ........ 5 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST • Dirty Dollars • Amazon Smile
SISTER NEWS Marianne Leitch Breneman (X ’90) and her husband, Brian, celebrated a special birthday with a trip to Iceland.
Erica Snell Ring and her husband, Mike Ring at their marriage blessing ceremony
Anne Fleming Hunter (ΓE ‘53) received the 2019 Anthemion Award from the Board of Directors of Capital Area Preservation, Inc. for the residential rehabilitation of the Helen Whitaker House, 304 North Person Street, Raleigh. Additional details can be found at: http:// capitalareapreservation.com/ th_gallery/anne-hunter-vondosterrestoration-thomas-a-betts-customhome-plans-p-e-teague-pe-llc/
Jesarela (Jesa) Valle McNeill (NA ‘14) and her husband, Matthew, purchased their first home in October. Erica Snell Ring (AM ‘96) and her husband, Mike, celebrated the Catholic blessing of their marriage on February 1, 2020, at St Bernadette's Church in Fuquay-Varina, NC, on the 15th anniversary of their engagement surrounded by their family. They were originally married on May 27, 2006, in Nashville, NC, at Rose Hill Plantation.
CONTRIBUTING TO THE WORLD’S WORK By Carrie Wheeler (AO ‘94)
Jesa Valle McNeill and her husband, Matthew, in front of their new home with their fur babies, Amelia & Sandy
Marianne Leitch Breneman and her husband, Brian, at Kerið crater in Iceland
To support Alpha Gamma Delta’s philanthropic focus of fighting hunger, the Greater Raleigh Alumnae Chapter continues to help our local community partners decrease food scarcity in the Triangle area. At our December meeting, we assembled blessings bags containing items donated by sisters – these were delivered to the Urban Ministries of Durham for distribution to those facing homelessness. Donations of food and supplies were also collected for the Animal Protection Society of Durham at the February meeting, where Mary Lou Szymkowski presented information on advances in veterinary medicine. In recognition of the 2020 Week of Service, sisters participated in a food sorting activity at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina by helping pack approximately 21,667 meals. Sisters then gathered for Lunch Bunch at A Place at The Table in Raleigh, a pay-what-you-can restaurant focused on bringing digni-
ty, choice, and friendship throughout an urban community by inviting all to have a place at the table. But the year isn’t over yet! We will be collecting donations for and volunteering at the Diaper Bank of North Carolina on March 14th. A couple spots are still open for the 10am-12pm shift to help package diapers for easy distribution to families in need. As families with limited funds face a difficult decision between buying diapers and other necessities, such as food, something as small as a diaper can have a significant impact. We may round out the year with a group volunteer opportunity in April – so stay tuned for more details! As always, sisters may volunteer individually and record their hours toward meeting the Fraternitywide goal to serve 150,000 hours for fighting hunger as a sisterhood over the 2019-2020 academic year by filling out the survey found here: https:// alphagammadelta.org/fightinghunger/.
DIRTY DOLLARS
ADOPT-A-CHAPTER UPDATES
Dirty Dollars help us publish our newsletter twice a year.
Theta Mu (University of North Carolina—Wilmington)
Carol Ackerly (AO ‘76) Jean Snyder Hicks (ΓE ‘46) Tina Mountz Vorhees (AM ‘84)
Theta Mu had a successful fall recruitment with a birthday theme! "Our bid day went great despite the hurricane putting a wedge in our plans! We took party busses with all the new girls over to a sand volleyball tournament and restaurant called Dig and Dive to get to know them more and introduce them into our chapter! We had food catered and we played volleyball; it was so fun! It was a great opportunity to meet all the lovely new members in a laid back and fun way!"
SUPPORT FEES Our support fees are $35. Support Fees are not required, but the money goes to support chapter activities as well as send a member to convention. You can pay your annual support fee at http:// www.greaterraleigh.alphagam madelta.org/how-to-join A convenience charge is added for online payments. Payments can also be sent to Christa Beloskur at 407 Brook Creek Drive, Cary, NC 27519 or
The spring recruitment led to 3 new members. "Our spring pledge class, Alpha Omegas, had a great time at our bid day this year! We had it at a sister’s house, Aly Grasberger, who lives on Wrightsville beach! We had a big potluck and everyone made something to bring. The turnout for sisters and food was incredible and the new girls felt right at home!" This brings their campus total to 82!
turned in during a meeting.
ADDRESS CHANGE
If you have had an address change in the past year, please contact Jan Thorpe White with your updated details at jtwhite6@bellsouth.net.
Congratulations to Ansley Martin who was selected as an AGD Leadership Consultant for 2020-2021. Theta Omicron (Western Carolina University)
well with recruitment welcoming 25 new members and are still looking to welcome more. Four sisters from Theta Omicron’s executive council attended officer academy training. The sister also held just held a super fun mother daughter spa event! Nu Gamma (East Carolina University) Nu Gamma’s advisor group is fully staffed. Each VP and Director of Property have a one-to-one ration finally and for the first time in Nu Gamma's history. The Officer Board (OB) has jumped into their roles, and continue to make me so proud. Key OB members recently attended officer academy training and came back with many new ideas. In terms of membership, our membership roster is currently at 131 which includes 7 new members gained through our continuous open bidding efforts. Upcoming dates include, our annual Spring fundraiser (@Chapter House, Alpha Gammadilla, March 26th), IRD (@ Wilmington with Theta Nu, March 29th), Mother's Day Tea & Painting (@Chapter House, March 21st), Initiation and Feast of Roses (@ECU, April 5th). All sisters are welcome to join.
Theta Omicron Our chapter did really
DO YOU SHOP ON AMAZON?
The next time you want to purchase an item on Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com and credit Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation. You only have to list AGDF once and it will remember you the next time you place an order. The cost on this site is the same as amazon.com, but the difference is that the Foundation receives a percentage (0.5%) for each transaction. It is a great yet simple way to support our Foundation.
Live With Purpose
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Theta Omicron sisters enjoying recruitment
Theta Mu sisters celebrating bid day
TO DEVELOP AND PRIZE HEALTH AND VIGOR OF BODY How To Stay Nutritionally and Physically Fit While Traveling By Marianne Leitch Breneman (X ‘90) Happy March! How did we get this close to Spring Break already? It was just yesterday that we were making our lists of resolutions and new habits for 2020 and now the days are lighter longer, the temperatures are warmer, and we are feeling good about what we’ve done for ourselves. That is, until we feel panicked at the thought of going on vacation and taking a step backward in our healthy living goals. While it can be scary to think about switching away from what’s been working for us, vacation or work travel doesn’t have to ruin your exercise or nutrition plan. Even though you will be out of the norm of your usual schedule, there are ways that you can keep on track while still having fun or accomplishing what you need to do. There is no need to abandon all the progress you’ve made at home! Many of these tips and tricks can apply anywhere but as someone who travels a lot both for work and for pleasure, I have employed each of these ideas and made them into habits. Because really, when you make something your “lifestyle” rather than a “diet” that is only for a set amount of time (or until you reach a goal) you’re more likely to keep up the good habits. Let’s talk about vacation or work travel eating first. They are both different than you’d do at home; more meals out, less or no opportunity to cook for yourself (depending on your accommodations), and more celebrating with sweets and adult beverages. How do you still participate and fully enjoy the family reunion dinner, the theme-park lunches, or the business dinners without killing your progress? I recommend planning ahead as much as possible. Don’t wait until you are starving and hangry to pick a restaurant! It’s super easy to find restaurants with healthy options using the Happy Cow or Yelp apps on your phone. Many restaurants have menus available online now so you can look ahead and be sure that there is something you want to eat. If you have special dietary concerns, you can always call ahead and see what they can do. I have a vegan friend who lets the chef know in advance and usually something amazing is created for her with little fanfare or attention called to her. I often order whatever she is getting! Restaurants serve large portions; you might opt to split an entrée with your dining partner and each get your own salad or order a side salad and an appetizer or side of vegetables for your main course. Or you can have half of it boxed up and eat it for lunch the next day if you have access to a refrigerator. As always, you can ask for your food to be grilled instead of fried, have sauces on the side, and ask for veggies instead of French fries. If you eat the table bread, just eat a small piece. Share a dessert with the fami-
ly instead of eating a whole one. It should go without saying but limit your alcohol or at least don’t drink a ton more than you normally would. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you need to binge drink even if it is an all-inclusive. A margarita can have anywhere from 120 to 200 calories, depending on how it’s made! Three or four of those on a beach every day for a week can really derail your progress. If you have to eat fast food, choose a place with healthy options like smoothies, salads, or wraps. Just be careful with smoothies because often they are super caloric! Check the menu to make sure you’re getting one that isn’t loaded with sugar and opt for ones that have greens in them to get the extra plant phytonutrients. I always pack healthy snacks like almonds, apples, whole food protein bars (read the label so you know it’s actually healthy!), and bring a water bottle to stay hydrated. Bring protein powder and a shaker bottle for breakfast or a quick snack. You can make those with water or with the single servings of unsweetened plant milk. What about exercise? For people who like to do set workouts at a gym, going on vacation can feel very uncomfortable. First off, mindset is important! Think of this change as an opportunity to give your body a break from the usual and “cross train” a bit. See the sights on foot and use your Apple watch or FitBit to track your steps. You can also pick accommodations with a fitness facility or check out gyms or studios nearby to use if you have the time. I love checking out local yoga and Pure Barre studios. Yoga places often let you borrow or rent mats for a nominal fee and Pure Barre has all the equipment you need on site. Another option: do “in-room” exercises before you even leave for the day. I have been known to get up early and do some yoga stretches by myself or using a YouTube video on my phone or computer if I’ve traveled with one, as well as crunches, push-ups, tricep dips on the floor or using the edge of the bed or a chair, squats, and knee raises. The most important thing to remember is that either way, whatever you do on vacation or a work trip, is enough. You are enough. A missed workout or an extra dessert or cocktail doesn’t matter in the end as long as you are living a healthy lifestyle most of the time! Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed so the occasional break is not a bad thing. Cheers to your health! Be well, Marianne Marianne Leitch Breneman in Iceland
CHAPTER GRAND Anne Huie Carpenter (ΓE '53) entered Chapter Grand June 13, 2019. Alma Weston Green (ΓE ‘55) entered Chapter Grand April 5, 2019. Audrey Brown Johnson (ΓE ’48) has entered Chapter Grand. JoAnne Armstrong Jones (ΓE’ 49) entered Chapter Grand December 3, 2018.
Diane Schmees Timoney’s (X ‘87) presenting Nu Gamma sister, Robyn Speranza, the GRAC Sisterhood Award
GRAC Sisters preparing blessing bags for Urban Ministries of Durham
Mary Gould Phillips Rea (ΓE '55) entered Chapter Grand June 8, 2019. Barbara ("Bobbie") Spain Stratton (ΓE ‘46) entered Chapter Grand July 13, 2019. Constance Williford Fowler Stewart (ΓE ’53) has entered Chapter Grand.
Jane Hutson Owen (ΓE '46) entered Chapter Grand July 24, 2019.
CHERISHING FRIENDSHIPS
Our February Lunch Bunch at Coquette
Quinn Killough Willard (ΓΩ ’03) at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina
GRAC Sisters volunteering at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina
Loving Leading Lasting
Live With Purpose
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Charity Metz Schuller (Ao ‘93), Lisa Pinyan Poole (ΓA ‘91) and Jean Campbell Burroughs ((ΓΦ ‘79) in their red, buff and green Joyce Anne Braswell Porter (BΔ ‘83) and Elsie Manny Eads (Η ‘49) at our January meeting.
INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS: Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity 8710 N. Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46260 ph: (317) 872-2655 fx: (317) 875-5824
2019-2020 OFFICERS President - Jean Campbell Burroughs Vice President - Lisa Pinyan Poole Treasurer - Christa Rouse Beloskur Secretary - Jamie Stiller Permanent Secretary - Jan Thorpe White Editor - Charity Metz Schuller Electronic Communications Co-chair - Ann Marie Taepke Electronic Communications Committee Member - Jeanette Gaines Benjey Philanthropy Co-chair (Pecan Sale) - Ann Marie Taepke
Philanthropy Co-chair (Service/Donations) - Carrie Wheeler IRD Chairman - Quinn Willard IRD Committee Members - Elsyia Mallon Smith, Jamie Stiller, Mary Ann Akin Telephone Communications Co-chair — Jean Snyder Hicks Junior Circle President - Sarah Elkins Adopt-a-Chapter Liaisons - Alexandra Manbeck, Jesa McNeil, Erica Snell Ring Honors of Epsilon Pi - Jan White, Jean Burroughs, Dawn Myers, Joyce Anne Porter Ways and Means Chair - Joyce Anne Porter Remembrance Chair — Mary Ann Akin Telephone Communications Chair — Finance committee — Diane Timoney, Joyce Anne Porter
Ritual Chair — Alexandra Manbeck
Alpha Gamma Delta Greater Raleigh Alumnae Chapter Jan Thorpe White 208 Summerwinds Drive Cary, NC 27518
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