Pictured to the left is the Fall 2008 New Member Class, and to the right the Pine Burr Pledge Class of 1962.
"Our Chi Omega heritage is unearned. It comes to us as a gift from others who have gone before. "
~ Elizabeth Orman, S.H. 1976-79
The Pine Burr Social Club, SFA's first women's social club, formed in 1929, held a reunion on April 21-22, 2009. The reunion was attended by the 1957-1963 Pine Burr classes to celebrate the club's 80th anniversary. In 1963, this group became a chapter of Chi Omega. Emmeline Irwin, a 1961 SFA graduate, who organized the two day event, said seeing the women reconnect was one of the best parts of the anniversary celebration for her. "I told everyone the first night that while we're here, we don't have husbands, we don't have children or grandchildren yet," Irwin said. "We're just going back to the past and living like we did in the late 50's and early 60's". And boy did they!! The women discussed everything from old pranks and classes to former beaus and popular college hangouts. And did they ever LAUGH!!The two-day celebration began with the SFA School of Theater's original cast presenting "You Don't Look a Day Over 80" at the Hotel Fredonia, followed by a Banquet."I can't even begin to tell you how many thousands of things came back to our minds, like the Sub and the Grill," Irwin said. "The Grill was where we ate when we weren't on campus, and the Sub is where we danced." Mary Beth Foley, a Henderson native and retired keynote speaker, described the dinner as "wonderful", and said the most enjoyable part of the gathering was standing up and recounting a memory. "It was really nice for everyone", she said.To accommodate the large group, which included a Harlequin Romance novelist and the Mother and Aunt of a famous country singer, the women divided into two groups Wednesday morning for the day's activities. One group attended a reception at the home of Dr. Baker Pattillo to visit with the SFA president and his wife, Janice. While the others went to the SFA Alumni Center, to peruse through old yearbooks and take a driving tour of the campus. After some time at their respective locations, the groups switched.Wednesday afternoon the entire group was welcomed at the Chi Omega House for a reception in their honor. The celebration concluded that evening with a special initiation ceremony for 13 members who had never been initiated into the National Sorority.
~Attended an alumnae event?
~Proudly wore your badge?
~Purchased a bouquet of white carnations?
~Read The Eleusis?
~Recited The Symphony?
~Referred a young woman to a Chi Omega chapter?
~Said, “I am a Chi Omega”?
~Shopped at Chi-O Creations?
~Talked to a young woman about joining Chi Omega?
~Visited www.chiomega.com?
~Visited your initiating chapter?
~Wore a piece of owl jewelry?
~Wrote/emailed/called a long-lost sister?
If you cannot remember the last time you did some of these, take time to reconnect with Chi Omega! After all, as the four key messages of Chi Omega state:
~I am a Chi Omega.~We make a difference.~Chi Omega is fun!~We invite you to connect.
The Emmeline Irwin Dodd Award will be presented annually to the Outstanding Graduating Chi Omega Senior Officer, to begin in May 2009. Eligible will be officers and past officers. The award is based on the highest overall GPA, not a semester computation.
The amount of the award will be the % set by the Alumni Foundation Board each year. For instance this year’s rate set is 4%, so the award will be $400, thanks to the generous endowment given by Emmeline Dodd of $10,000.
This is the first such monetary award for a Greek organization. The other awards are for outstanding students in specific fields of study, e.g. biology, education, etc.. Because it is a unique award, the presentation will be made both at the Celebration of Excellence and at Greek Awards Night.
Emmeline Irwin Dodd graduated from SFA in 1961 as Valedictorian with a degree in biology and received her Master's in biology from SFA in 1965. She pledged Pine Burrs in 1958 and was President of the Pine Burr organization in 1960. When the Pine Burrs became Chi Omega in 1963, she was a charter initiate along with her two sisters who were also Pine Burrs (at that time it was the first time that three sisters had been initiated in the same ceremony). She was invited to be the keynote speaker at the 25th anniversary Eleusinian banquet in 1988. For over 20 years, she was a member of the SFASU Alumni Association Board of Directors and was selected as a Distinguished Alumna in 2003.
The Epsilon Zeta Chapter is humbled that Emmeline would bestow such an honor upon us. What a wonderful way to honor excellence and service to those who deserve it most. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
*Click on thumnails to enlarge
Tara Powdrill (left) with Emmeline Irwin Dodd (right)
