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As Alpha Gamma Delta continues to thrive and grow, so does our call to serve our sisterhood, as well as the communities in which we are
Rie Gerah Hoehner International President
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egardless of the season, time or place, our connection through our sisterhood in Alpha Gamma Delta is with us for a lifetime. Our summer days are often filled with recollections of the various facets of this experience through moments full of joy, love and the support of our sisters. As summer days wind into fall, our Alpha Gam spirit is reignited as we look forward to getting together with our sisters at our alumnae gatherings as well as the bustling excitement of the collegiate experience across North America. The first recruitment held in Alpha Gamma Delta was in September of 1904 at Princess and Winchell Halls at Syracuse University. Just imagine the energy of our Founders as they returned to campus that fall! They knew Alpha Gamma Delta, unlike other groups founded only as local or literary societies, was founded from the beginning, to be a national women’s Fraternity. Our Founders were visionaries and began growing our sisterhood immediately, within that year. Each season, our Founders’ commitment to our sisterhood finds continued life in each new member. We each pledged to the ideals of Alpha Gamma Delta based on our likeminded values and Purpose. Alpha Gamma Deltas across the continent seek to continue the tradition of our Founders in offering an experience that continues to Inspire the Woman. Impact the World. Our Fraternity membership has never been more engaged than in 2017. We have collaborated and come together to adopt changes in all levels of our international volunteer structure to support our chapters and clubs. Concurrently, our new collegiate officer structure and support resources were successfully launched at The Leadership Conference providing relevant, effective and efficient operational enhancements.
The summer of 2017 also stands as another historic time in our commitment to our greater community. We proudly recall that in 1919, Alpha Gamma Delta was the first National Panhellenic Conference sorority to establish an international philanthropic project, a camp for undernourished and underprivileged children. To continue our path onward and upward, our sisterhood has been called to seek a broader impact. Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity has embraced fighting hunger as our external philanthropic focus, honoring our rich history of altruism from providing for the undernourished, to educating on healthy living to curb the disease of diabetes. We are broadening our impact by acknowledging the increasing growth of food insecurity throughout North America. Alpha Gamma Delta sisters can join together to fight hunger in all corners of our communities through the support of the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation, our new philanthropic partnerships, local and campus-based projects and community outreach. As Alpha Gamma Delta continues to thrive and grow, so does our call to serve our sisterhood, as well as the communities in which we are placed. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Let the spirit of our Founders live on in your drive to serve our Fraternity, your sisters and those who need us the most in our communities. Our journey in Alpha Gamma Delta will gift each of us with the opportunity to find our true selves, while enjoying a rich sense of belonging, community and sisterhood. Sisters, seek to celebrate each moment in your Alpha Gam experience. Create new memories with each opportunity and reflect each day on the many facets of your membership in our beloved Alpha Gamma Delta.
Rie Gerah Hoehner International President