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Chapter History 1894 - 2006
The Minneapolis Alumnae
Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta received its official
charter on the 1st of January in 1894. We are proud
to be the oldest active alumnae chapters
in the Fraternity, and look forward to a future
of growth and service to our community and our
Theta sisters.
Since its charter, the
Minneapolis Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta
has been actively supporting the Twin Cities area
through a variety of philanthropic efforts. Before
1958, our records are lost, but records since then
show what a wonderful Chapter we’re lucky
enough to be a part of. In 1958, the Chapter
sponsored Theta Day, where Thetas across the Twin
Cities gathered in neighborhood groups to
reconnect. In the 1960s, the Chapter voted to
support the Minneapolis Curative Workshop (now
known as the Courage Center) through volunteer
hours. The 1960s also saw the introduction of a
Christmas Auction to support the Minneapolis
Curative Workshop. In 1968, the Chapter began the
Flaming Festival, a charitable craft sale, which
continued for many years and was a great source of
funds for the Minneapolis Curative Workshop and
Foundation.
In the 1970s, the Chapter
began to more actively support the Upsilon
collegiate Chapter. We also continued to celebrate Founder’s Day with
the St. Paul Alumnae Chapter and the Upsilon
Chapter, a tradition
that continues to this day. In 1970, the Chapter
donated a silver water pitcher to the Upsilon
Chapter in honor of the Fraternity’s
Centennial. In 1978, a new fundraiser replaced
Flaming Festival: The Tasting Dinner. The Tasting
Dinner consisted of four mini-menus, each
representing a Season. Recipe books were included
with the price of admission to the Tasting Dinner.
The 1980s were another decade
of growth for the Chapter. By the end of the
decade, there were over
150 active Theta alumnae in our Chapter. The fundraising was accomplished through fun events like Mardi Gras Night, Casino Night, raffles and auctions. The Thetas also sponsored a yearly Theta Reunion Dinner, which was a catered dinner, held at a member’s home in September, that allowed Thetas to catch up after a summer off.
The 1990s started strong,
with over 150 active members. In 1990, the Chapter
hosted interesting seminars, including a unique
presentation by a local jeweler who brought samples
of “Hollywood Sparkle” to share with
the Thetas. The Chapter also continued the
“Theta House Showers,” in which the St.
Paul and Minneapolis Chapters showered the Upsilon
Theta House with much-needed supplies.
As happens from time to time,
the membership interest dwindled in the late 1990s,
and by the end of the 20th Century, it looked like
the Minneapolis Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha
Theta might have to give up our charter. But, there
was hope!
In 2003, a group of dedicated
Thetas, led by Jennifer DeJournett, Katherine
Evers, and Teresa Scholtz, came together to rebuild
the Chapter. These Thetas did not want to see one
of the oldest Alumnae Chapters in Kappa Alpha Theta
fall prey to inactivity, so they worked together
with other area alumnae to start the Chapter on the
road to recovery. Since 2003, we have rebuilt our
membership roster, and now count almost 60
Thetas
among our dues-paying members. We use high-tech tools, such as email and Evite, to keep our area Thetas up-to-date on our activities, and in 2005 we sent 2 newsletters to all area Thetas to update them on Theta and the activities of the Minneapolis Alumnae Chapter.
Over the past several years,
as the Chapter has begun this new growth cycle, we
have implemented a number of exciting events to
help our Theta sisters grow as women and as
friends. We have actively focused our business
meetings on education, introducing our members to
new fields (cooking classes and plastic surgery
seminars) and refreshing their memories about Theta
(Theta Trivia Bingo, Recruitment Re-Education).
We’ve also implemented a successful Mom-N-Tot
program, which continues to reach out to Thetas
with young children. Our book club, while still in
its infancy, is attracting the attention of many
Thetas who are new to the area or who have been
inactive for a period of time. Our monthly
“Happy Hours” are always well attended,
and give our members a chance to socialize with
other Thetas in a relaxed environment. We reach out
to our recent graduates by providing discounted
dues (we charge only enough to cover the
Fraternity’s per capita amount), and we
introduce ourselves to District IX Chapters with a
letter in the Spring.
A group of Thetas from our
Chapter recently started their own philanthropy, Ever After Gowns, which
donates new and gently-used formal gowns to
deserving young women in the Twin Cities area. Many
Thetas look at this as an excellent opportunity to
serve our community, and last year, the volunteer
crew was composed entirely of area Thetas.
The current membership of our
Chapter is made up of a diverse group of women. We
have many professionals and we have many
stay-at-home mothers. The most active members are
generally young, having graduated from college in
the past 10 years, but we do have older Thetas who
find the time and interest to become involved in
our Chapter.
As we continue to expand, we
will persist in seeking out new ways to serve our
sisters and the Twin Cities community. We are
looking forward to becoming involved with the CASA/Guardian Ad Litem program,
and to continuing our support of the Upsilon
Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, as well as the Ever
After Gowns program. Since we tend to have a large
number of “transplants” join our
Chapter, we work hard to help our fellow Thetas
become acclimated to the Twin Cities and become
involved in an organization that supports their
values.
As the Minneapolis Alumnae
Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta continues to move into
the 21st Century with close to 60 active members,
we look forward to seeking out new and exciting
opportunities to serve the Fraternity and our
community. We look upon the future as a challenge:
it challenges us to be better women and better
Thetas. And we’re always ready to take on a
challenge!
Submitted by:
Katie Carty Tierney
Delta Omega, 1992
President, Minneapolis
Alumnae Chapter (2005-2007)
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