Download File - NYC Sigma Kappa

Summer 2014
NYCSIGMA KAPPA
Sig Kap gals got
together in July at
Riverside Park in the
Upper West Side to
watch Clueless at
“Summer on the
Hudson.”
Endless Summer with Sigma Kappa
New York City
Summer in the city can be
hot and grueling, but the Sigma
Kappas of New York City have
been keeping it cool! Since the
beginning of 2014, the Executive
Board has diligently curated a
calendar events to keep our sisters
in the Big Apple busy! We have
planned many Happy Hours,
Sigma Suppers, and get togethers,
and have had a wonderful time
getting to know so many of you!
This past June, Sigma Kappa
hosted the 86th National
Convention in Henderson,
Nevada! Over 800 sisters traveled
to Las Vegas to live in the Violet
Bubble for five days of non-stop
Sigma Love. I had the privilege of
attending Convention, where I
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was able to attend many
workshops to learn how to foster a
a community that embraces all
three sides of the Triangle.
Connecting with sisters from
across the nation, and even some
from Europe, was truly inspiring
and served as a reminder that
Sigma Kappa and sisterhood does
not stop once you graduate
college. It is my hope that I can
bring what I learned this summer
to our Alumnae Association.
The Executive Board
members and myself are so
excited for the newest wave of
sisters who are moving to New
York, and we cannot wait to meet!
We have a lot packed into our fall
calendar, including the New
Member Reception which will be
in October.
We also have been working on
our online presence - moving on
up to the 21st Century! We would
greatly appreciate it if you join
our Facebook page, follow us on
Twitter (@NYCSigmaKappa),
and check out our brand new
chapter website!
We have a month left of
summer, so let’s make it count!
LISK,
Holly Graves
President, NYC Sigma Kappa
[email protected]
NYCSIGMA KAPPA SUMMER 2014
The 86th National Convention
Las Vegas, Nevada
By Holly Graves
It was already nearly 100 degrees out when a group
of Sigma Kappas stepped out of the McCarran
International Airport in Las Vegas. But that didn’t
stop us from bringing the heat to the 86th National
Convention, hosted in Henderson, a 15 minute drive
from the Strip!
Everyone received a program book upon arrival
that was jam packed with meetings, workshops and
dinner parties. It was so exciting to hear so many
sisters speak at the functions and meetings, and even
more exciting to be learning some great tips to bring
back to our respective chapters.
Myself and Board Member, Marisa Wilkes,
attended Convention with our eyes on the prize - we
wanted to learn as much as we could so that we
could apply new ideas to the New York City
Alumnae Association. We split up so that we could
attend more lectures and workshops. I focused on
alumnae involvement and incorporation of social
media - something I believe us New Yorkers can
appreciate! Marisa channeled her energies to our
Foundation, philanthropy and collegiate outreach.
We have fantastic ideas and plan on setting them
into motion immediately!
There were business meetings to attend at
Convention, too. It was a fun reminder of attending
chapter meetings, with the added benefit of Pages
TOP
Attendees of the first
Sigma Kappa
Convention at Allen
School in Newton,
Massachusetts on July
13, 1911.
BOTTOM LEFT
Panhellenic Luncheon
Speaker & Miss
America 2014, Nina
Davuluri, Alpha Tau.
BOTTOM CENTER
Holly Graves and
Angie Ahrens (ADD 1)
at the Achievement
Banquet.
BOTTOM RIGHT
The pool at Green
Valley Ranch & Resort.
Convention 2016
will be held in Chicago
July 6-9!
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“Wearing the badge of Sigma Kappa is
a privilege, not a right. Imagine if each
one of us lived our ritual every day. Live
your rituals out loud!”
Peter D. Smithhisler, President & CEO for the NorthAmerican Interfraternity Conference and Guest
Speaker
who would deliver hand-written notes (no cell
phones for texting!) to you sisters across the room!
At these meetings, we made amendments to the
bylaws and elected a new National Council.
Congratulations to:
Cheri Morrell De Jong, National President
Janel K. Reedy, NVP for Alumnae
Carol Beth Ivory, NVP for Collegiate Chapters
Mary Ellen Elkins, NVP for Membership
Sara Chacon, NVP for Extension
Courtney Panik, NVP for Programming
Aubrye Harris Foote, NVP for Communication
Rebecca Patel, NVP for Finance
It was an honor to serve as the 2014 Convention
Delegate! I would be more than happy to provide
additional information about Convention to anyone
who is interested, so please feel free to contact me.
NYCSIGMA KAPPA SUMMER 2014
NYC Sigma Kappa Alumnae Association won
three awards at Convention for our performance during 2013!
We won Honorable Mentions for the Anne Weaver Booske
and the Frances Mann Hall Awards; we also won the 100%
Increase in Membership Award with a 700% increase in our
membership! The New York City Alumnae Panhellenic also
awarded our chapter with Best Collegiate Outreach &
Support! A huge congratulations to everyone who made this
achievement possible!
TOP LEFT The 2014 National Council poses as the hotels on the Strip at the
“Confirmed Conventionite Celebration: Diva Las Vegas”
BOTTOM LEFT Holly Graves and Marisa Wilkes in their “Diva Las Vegas” costumes.
BOTTOM RIGHT A little bit of New York in Las Vegas!
Convention Highlights
Las Vegas, Nevada
“Man, I really like Vegas.”
Elvis Presley
By Amy Power Phillips, ADD 2
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The 86th convention of Sigma Kappa held in Henderson, NV
kicked off on the evening of Wednesday, June 18. The
Welcome Banquet featured a keynote address by Glennon
Doyle Melton, Delta Rho, author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, "Carry on, Warrior" and founder
of Momastery.com, an online community and blog about
marriage, motherhood, faith, addiction, recovery and
connection. Thursday was equally exciting as Miss America,
Nina Davaluri, Alpha Tau, was the speaker at our Panhellenic
Luncheon. Initiation was held on Friday and we are pleased to
welcome two Honor Initiates into our Mystic Bond: Maria C.
Carillo, Theta, and Virginia Horvath, Theta Iota. Each day at
formal business meeting, delegates met to vote on important
sorority business including the adoption of 18 amendments, the
election and installation of women to serve on National
Council for the next biennium including our new NVP for
Alumnae - Janel Reedy, the election of four women to the
Sigma Kappa Board of Trustees, and several state of the
sorority addresses by members of National Council. Workshop sessions for alumnae included Alumnae Chapter
Fundraising, Refresher of Alumnae Chapter Officer Roles,
Volunteer Skill-Building for Working with Undergraduates,
BillHighway for Alumnae Chapters, NPC Nuts and Bolts for
Alumnae, Alumnae Chapter Showcase where several alumnae
chapters shared ideas on how to be a successful chapter, and
Alumnae Chapter Round Tables which covered topics such as
Communications, Recruitment, Retention, and SIGs. We
elected the Nominating Committee for the next biennium,
partied like divas at the Confirmed Conventionite banquet and
celebrated our collegiate and alumnae award winners at the
Achievement Banquet. Overall, it was an inspirational,
educational and fun convention and I am so glad to have met
many of you there.
NYCSIGMA KAPPA SUMMER 2014
Dues Update:
Moving Forward with
Billhighway and Online
Payments
Our annual dues drive will begin this
year starting October 1st, and we will host
a kick-off Happy Hour for the drive on
October 2nd! The dues drive will wrap up
on October 16th with a special Members
Only event - fun!
This year, we are adding the option to
pay your membership dues online instead
of mailing in a check using Nationals
approved billing system, Billhighway
(billhighway.co). This system is
currently used by collegiate chapters, and
has had a positive response for its
convenience. You will now be able to pay
your dues, as well as make other payments,
such as for events, t-shirts, etc...
Billhighway accepts Visa, MasterCard,
American Express, and Discover. Our
chapter will still accept check if that is your
preferred method of payment.
If you are already an active alumnae
chapter member, please be sure to activate
your Billhighway account.
If you would like to join our Alumnae
Association, please send your name and
NYC Alumnae
Association Dues Cost:
- $50 for sisters who have been
graduated for 5+ years.
- $40 for sisters who have
graduated in the past 5 years.
- If you went through Order of the
Triangle in 2014, you can send in
the New Alumnae coupon for
complimentary National dues and
only $15 for local dues!
Where do my dues go,
and what’s in it for me?
email address to:
[email protected]. Your
membership will provide you discounts
on certain events, an exclusive monthly
update on chapter news and events, and
much more! Please contact Jenny Julius,
our VP of Membership for additional
information on becoming a member at:
[email protected].
Walk to End Alzheimer’s
October 19, 2014
By Marisa Wilkes
The New York City Sigma Kappa
Alumnae Association will be taking part
in the 2014 Walk to End Alzheimer’s on
October 19th in Riverside Park.
We, along with the Sigma Kappa
Foundation, are fighting to find a cure for
Alzheimer’s. Sigma Kappa Foundation
has made a $1 Million commitment to
the Alzheimer’s Association, and we
want to help in that effort.
By joining the walk and helping to
raise funds, we are doing a small part in
helping the Foundation reach its goal.
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is more
than a walk - it is the nation’s largest
Team Sigma Kappa
Members Ellyn Russo, Holly Graves and Dina
Ross at the Walk to End Alzheimer's in Fall 2013.
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A portion of your dues ($25) will go
to National Headquarters for per
capita. The remaining dues will be
used for events, mailings, sending
delegates to Conventions, gifts to
Zeta Phi, alumnae, Foundation,
etc... and more. Your membership
will get you discounts to events,
Sigma Kappa mailings - including
copies of the Triangle, exclusive
newsletters, Sigma Kappa swag,
an annual gift from Headquarters,
and much more!
event to raise awareness for care,
support, and research.
Another way to help Foundation
raise money for the Alzheimer’s
Association is by purchasing a set of
pearl stud earrings from Pearls for the
Planet, the philanthropic division of
Love the Pearls, for $59. Pearls for the
Planet will donate $30 per pair of
earrings sold; another generous
supporter has agreed to match that
donation with an additional $30
donation. In total, that is a $60 donation
for every pair of $59 earrings! Visit
www.pearlsfortheplanet.com for more
information.
We hope that you are excited about
participating in Sigma Kappa’s
philanthropic endeavors with us!
JOIN OUR TEAM
Log on to act.alz.org to register yourself as a participant. Search
for “Sigma Kappa NYC Alumnae” when registering to join our
team! Please contact our team captain, Marisa Wilkes, if you have
any questions at: [email protected].
NYCSIGMA KAPPA SUMMER 2014
Recent Events with NYC Alumnae
Mark your calendar!
TOP LEFT
Sigmas at the Color
Run in Queens
TOP RIGHT
Brunch at Dos
Caminos
MIDDLE LEFT
Holiday Tea at Lady
Mendl’s
MIDDLE RIGHT
Apple picking in
Upstate New York
BOTTOM LEFT
Sigma Supper Club
BOTTOM RIGHT
Happy Hour at Boat
Basin Café
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
27 Happy Hour at the 17 San Gennaro Festival 1 Membership Dues Drive 9 Happy Founder’s Day! TBA Holiday Tea
Frying Pan
and Dinner in Little Italy
Begins
TBA Rutger’s (Zeta Phi) TBA Toys for Tots
2 New Member Reception Founder’s
Day Celebration
and Dues Drive Kick Oﬀ
Party
16 Special Members Only
Pizza Dinner
19 Founder’s Day
“Foundue”
Event
19 Walk to End
Alzheimer’s
Contact Us!
We are excited to announce the launch of our updated website! Please be
sure to connect with us at: nycsigmakappa.com. We also want to
thank all those who were involved with making this possible, so THANK
YOU! While you are online, be sure to join our Facebook group and
follow us on Twitter. You are also welcome to email us anytime.
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New York City (NYC) Sigma
Kappa Alumnae Association
@NYCSigmaKappa
[email protected]
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NYCSIGMA KAPPA
NYCSIGMA KAPPA
New York, New York
Mary Caffrey Low
4321 First Street
New York City, NY 10001

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