Kappa Alpha Theta

Kappa Alpha Theta
WASHINGTON DC/SUBURBAN MD ALUMNAE CHAPTER
Fall 2012
President’s
Message
Congratulations to the DC/MD Thetas for winning
the Golden Kite Award! The Golden Kite Award is
the highest fraternity award. We were presented
with this award at our international convention this
summer in Tucson, Arizona. The Golden Kite Award
is based in part on membership, education, and
philanthropy. Thanks to your participation in
developing a signature service event, we achieved
the Golden Kite Award this biennium. Our
signature service events were fundraisers at
Vinoteca bistro
in Washington,
D.C. and Black
Finn restaurant
in Bethesda,
Maryland.
Through these
events, we
raised almost
$500 for Court
Appointed
Special
Advocates. We
enjoyed meeting up with sisters and their friends at
the fundraisers. One of our members especially
enjoyed winning a gift certificate donated by Black
Finn at the signature service event! We appreciate
the generosity of these businesses in supporting our
philanthropy, and we are looking forward to hosting
another fundraiser next year.
In 2013, we will also be celebrating Founders Day in
Washington, D.C. This will be a significant Founders
Day for our alumnae chapter, because we will be
commemorating our 95th anniversary. Our alumnae
chapter was initially established in 1918. If you
have stories and photos honoring our chapter’s
history, please send them to us for inclusion in our
Founders Day celebration, website, or newsletter. In
developing our chapter’s history, we can connect
with members throughout the years.
-- Debora Lyon
2012 Convention
Report
Kappa Alpha Theta Grand Convention – what a
wonderful experience! Grand Convention is the
legislative body of the Fraternity and meets in even
years to address official Fraternity business. All of
the Alumnae and Collegiate delegates, as well as the
district officers, committee chairs, and Grand
Council members comprise this legislative body
with their votes. All members of the Fraternity are
welcome to attend all of the sessions, but only those
mentioned above have a vote, though everyone may
participate in the deliberations. If it sounds a bit dry
sitting in a beautiful resort discussing legislation
and voting on the next Grand Council, think again.
There are lively and interesting discussions, breakout
sessions for alumnaef and collegians to
address pertinent issues for the chapters.
Each meal has a theme and is beautifully
presented. Of course, the grand moment for
our chapter had our own President, Debora,
accepting the Golden Kite Award! We had a
Fun Night with a western theme and group
dancing, as well as a comedy routine
presented by the MIT Theta who was
featured recently on the cover of the KAO
Magazine.
The last day was special for me, as I
conducted the Theta Foundation ceremony to
induct the new Trustees and thank the outgoing
members at the Foundation luncheon. I served for
six years as a Trustee, which made me especially
proud when it was announced that the Foundation
had raised nearly $150,000 with the Pansy Patch
project. I was so pleased to receive one of the
pansies from our Chapter before going to the
Convention. The last event is always the banquet,
preceded by a procession into the ballroom with
everyone grouped by chapter of initiation. The
members of the newest chapter are placed near the
ballroom door, with Alpha Chapter members the
farthest away. The Alpha President and the oldest
members attending, or the one of highest rank, lead
the procession. I was very proud to march with the
Beta Nu President and former Grand President
Mary Jane Beach. All of our Conventions are unique
with features of the times and of the locale, but my
first was memorable, in that I went from Sarasota,
Florida to Banff, Alberta, Canada as the Beta Nu
(Florida State) delegate. I believe I was the collegiate
delegate who had traveled the farthest. From
Chicago we went by chartered train, picking up cars
of Thetas coming from other parts of the country.
The “Mounties” met us at the Banff station on
horseback and in their scarlet tunics! From then to
the present I have attended 23 Conventions, which
was the highest number of anyone attending this
Convention.
Conventions are held in lovely resorts: the recent
one at the JW Marriott Starr Pass resort in Tucson.
The 2014 Convention will be held at the Orlando
World Center Marriott in late June. Orlando is
driving distance from the DC area. We will have
Convention rates, and families are to stay at the
resort and share meals with the hundreds of Thetas
in attendance. Think about a trip south in June of
2014. Come and be a part of determining the
direction of our Fraternity for the next biennium. It
will be a wonderful experience!
-- Florence Ashby
Calendar of Events
See page 5 for the latest list of ways to stay in
touch with your Theta sisters. There is
something for everyone from lunch groups,
shopping, hiking, parties, teas, and more!
Fall 2012 1

K A P P A A L P H A T H E T A
Regional Report
Greetings DC Thetas!
I wanted to take a moment to introduce
myself and let you know of some of the
things that are happening in Theta on a
national level. My name is Kellie
Dickerson and I am the Alumnae District
Director, or ADD, for District IV (NC, VA,
DC, MD, DE, NJ and Eastern PA). I was
initiated at the Zeta Lambda Chapter at
the College of Charleston in 1994 and
have been an active Theta ever since. I
immediately joined my local alumnae
chapter (South Hampton Roads) upon
graduation and have served as its President, Vice President, Social Chairman
and am currently representing our chapter as its Alumnae Panhellenic delegate.
As ADD, my job is to provide support to the alumnae chapters in our district.
This is a new role which is somewhat of a combination of the old ADO and
ADP duties. Rather than have a large district team, we now have an alumnae
committee comprised of ADD’s and Alumnae specialists who can assist in
things such as bylaws or membership retention.
I want to congratulate your chapter on receiving the Golden Kite award at
Grand Convention. This is the highest award an alumnae chapter may obtain
and your chapter earned this by providing the ultimate in the alumnae
experience. A big “pat on the back” is owed to your amazing executive board
who works hard throughout the biennium to plan and execute a variety of
programming to meet the needs of your chapter.
In closing I’d like to share some exciting news that is happening with Theta. I
am pleased to announce that Theta is expanding to the following chapters over
the next few years: Wake Forest (re-establishing our Zeta Omicron chapter),
Boston University, NC-State, Virginia Tech (re-establishing our Epsilon Nu
chapter) and UNC-Charlotte. If you know of any women who will be
attending these schools over the next few years and may be considering going
through recruitment, please be sure to fill out a recommendation online at the
Theta website.
If there is anything I can do for you or your chapter, please let me know! I look
forward to meeting you soon!
-- Kellie Dickerson – ADD IV, Zeta Lambda
Founders Day 2013
The DC Thetas are excited to begin planning for Founder’s Day 2013! The
spring function will be a grand event for Thetas in the DC area as we also
celebrate the 95th anniversary of the
alumnae chapter. It will be Saturday, March
16, 2013 at the Washington Club in Dupont
Circle. If anyone cares to assist in the
planning process for Founder’s Day 2013,
please contact Meredith Caldwell at
meredithacaldwell@gmail.com or Chrystelle
Zweidler at czweidler@gmail.com. We look
forward to making this a successful and
memorable event.
Thetas in Service
October 17th was a wonderful day for walking in 2011 which was a good thing
as we participated in two. The Kidney Kickers team led by Vivianne Pommier
(GW Theta Alumna) enjoyed strolling along the C&O Canal in Georgetown
followed by a nice brunch at La Madeleine. The team came in 2nd place for
donations in the Family and
Friends category and 3rd place
overall (includes corporate
donors). The next National
Capital Area Kidney Walk will
occur in May 2013. The Walk to
End Pet Homelessness took
place in Adams Morgan. We
loved seeing all the various dogs
walking so joyfully. Our own
Alicia Lee's dog Snickers was
our team's mascot.
We raised almost $500 dollars for CASA (DC chapter and National
Headquarters) at our two charity benefits at Vinoteca and Black Finn. We also
collected school supplies and holiday gift cards for the CASA children.
their second annual Run
For Love, a 5k race
raising money and
awareness for Yeardley
Love, a UVA Theta who
was murdered in a
domestic violence
incident. The Alumnae
decided to walk, leaving
the running to the
younger and in better
shape college students.
-- Chrystelle Zweidler
Rowley
Once again this spring,
we donned our
Paddles outfits to help
the National Park
Service during the
100th National Cherry
Blossom Festival.
Paddles, the NPS
mascot, honored us
with a group picture.
The Gamma Mu's of
the University of
Maryland co-hosted
-- Meredith Caldwell
2 Fall 2012

K A P P A A L P H A T H E T A
Panhellenic Update
In June, our group joined up with the Kappa Alpha
Thetas at the University of Maryland to participate
in an Open House. The Washington DC Alumnae
Panhellenic Association hosted its first-ever Open
House on the University of Maryland's campus. The
Open House was an opportunity for members of the
public to
view the
houses
and get a
peak
into
sorority
life at
other
houses
on
campus.
The Open
House at
UMD was a
success
because
$650 was
raised for
the
Panhellenic Scholarship Fund. Scholarships will be
awarded in April to outstanding area students who
are members of NPC sororities.
-- Heather Schwenk
Collegiate Chapter
Update
The women from the Gamma Mu chapter are very
proud of our past year and are beginning to
prepare for the upcoming fall semester. Last year
we had a successful recruitment and we are
excited to continue to integrate and teach our
newest members about Kappa Alpha Theta. In
terms of academics, we maintained our impressive
3.44 GPA. We were first out of all the other
chapters for our new member class and second
best in overall Greek life! Our facility director has a
newborn baby
girl, so although
we are sad that
Jess will be
moving out, we
are excited to
welcome Lena
into our house.
The house is
completely full
this semester and
we are looking
forward to
hosting alumnae
events. Also,
Megan and Allison
were amazing
advisors who
stepped down after
this year, but we
can’t wait to get
started working
with Emily Hill.
Everyone is eager
for the school year
-- Hayley Siegel
to begin we are
confident that it is
going to be another
great semester for
Gamma Mu.
Mentoring Program
This summer, the DC/Suburban Maryland
Alumnae Chapter once again held its summer
mentoring and networking program. The chapter
runs this program every summer to allow Theta
collegians with summer internships in the DC area
to meet other Thetas and network with alumnae
who work in their fields of interest. Every collegian
is paired with an alumna who works in their field -
from law to government and politics to the nonprofit
sector - and can meet with them throughout
the summer, learn more about their career paths,
and make valuable contacts for the future.
The other
component
of the
program
was a series
of social
events for
both
alumnae
and
collegians.
This
summer’s
program kicked off with an ice cream social at
alumnae chapter president Debora Lyons’ home, to
welcome interns to DC for the summer and allow
everyone to meet. Later in the summer, several
people attended dinner and a screening of “How to
Lose a Guy in 10 Days” at the Crystal City Outdoor
Film Festival. These events allowed both alumnae
and collegians to meet one another, make friends,
and explore various events around the DC area. The
events also provided college students with a
glimpse into Theta after college, and the numerous
ways there are to stay involved after graduation.
The chapter plans to run the mentoring and
networking program again next summer – more
details will be available in the spring!
-- Elyse Toplin
Be a Part of our
Alumnae Chapter!
Pay your dues by Nov 1st and you
will be entered into a drawing for a
free ticket to Founders Day!
Membership in the Washington DC-Suburban
Maryland Alumnae Chapter is a great way to do
something for yourself, your community and Theta.
You can reconnect with old friends, start new
friendships and build your professional network.
We have fund-raisers and community service
projects throughout the year, and social events are
scheduled several times a month. We invite you to
join us whenever possible. Our annual membership
form is included in this newsletter, with a
submission deadline of November 1.
Dues can be paid either by mail or online through
PayPal. Links for both methods are here: https://
www.kappaalphatheta.org/chapters/alumnae/
washingtondcmaryland/page/membership
Questions? Please contact Carter Seaton, the
Membership Chair, at cbtaylor19@yahoo.com. We
also encourage you to deepen your commitment to
our fraternity by becoming a Life Loyal member.
Kappa Alpha Theta Life Loyal is a program that was
developed to provide enhanced services to members
and to recognize those who support the fraternity
financially. For more information, visit http://
lifeloyal.kappaalphatheta.org/.
Theta Babies
Caleb, the latest addition to Megan Campbell's family,
poses with his first teddy bear
Cortney Weinbaum and her husband welcome
the arrival of the their son, Adam
Fall 2012 3

K A P P A A L P H A T H E T A
Theta Book Club – Washington, DC
2012-2013 Reading List – Pick one, two or all three for the month
Meets at Chadwick’s Friendship Heights, 6:30-7:30 pm (Happy Hour prices)
5247 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, DC - at Jenifer Street across from Red Line Friendship Heights Metro elevator. Parking under the building off Jenifer
Street $5.50.
All are invited to read one or all of the books each month and come as your schedule allows. If nothing else, here is a great reading list! If you click on the title
links and make a purchase, Amazon sends our chapter a small portion. Please contact Bonnie Whyte (whytehs@gmail.com) for a more specific Theta Book Club
email list and to help in making table reservations.
September 17 – Magical Writing
The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern
The Tiger’s Wife – Tea Obreht
State of Wonder – Ann Patchett
October 17 – Funny Women
Bossypants – Tina Fey
I Remember Nothing – Nora Ephron
How to be a Woman – Caitlin Moran
November 27 – Women of the Past
Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness – Alexandra Fuller
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey – Countess Fiona Carnavon
The Language of Flowers – Vanessa Diffenbaugh
January 14 - Families
Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
The Paris Wife – Paula McClain
Seating Arrangements – Maggie Shipstead
February 11 - Past/Future Science/Tech
Arcadia – Lauren Groff
Remarkable Creatures – Tracy Chevalier
When She Woke – Hilary Jordan
March 11 - Finding Yourself
Becoming Odyssa: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail - Jennifer Pharr Davis
God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine – Victoria Sweet
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail – Cheryl Strayed
Are you on “The List”
All of our events are listed on our website, and each interest group also has a listserv managed by a member of our Board. To get information
about your favorite groups delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to be on their list!
Bethesda Lunch Leader: Gloria Williams
wgwtwo@aol.com
Book Club: Bonnie Whyte whytehs@gmail.com
City KATS: Allison Brown and Kimberly Linton
citykats.dcthetas@gmail.com
DC Lunch Bunch: Alyssa Barnett
alyssanbarnett@gmail.com
Service Events: Chrystelle Zweidler
czweidler@gmail.com
Summer Intern Mentoring and Networking:
Interested in being the Chair? Contact Debora Lyon
debora.lyon@yahoo.com
4 Fall 2012

K A P P A A L P H A T H E T A
Calendar of Events
Pull me out and save me for reference throughout the year!
Bethesda Lunch Bunch
The Bethesda Lunch Bunch meets at the Bethesda Marriott on Pook's
Hill once a month. Please call Gerry Jennings, 301-216-5791 or contact
Gloria Williams, WGwtwo@aol.com if you would like to be on the list
to be notified each month. Some come often and some only come once
in a while but all are welcome whenever.
Shopping trip to Leesburg Corner Premium Outlet Center
Saturday, October 6, we’ll hit the Columbus Day weekend sales at the
Leesburg Outlets. We'll meet at 9 AM at the East Falls Church Metro
Stop (Orange Line) and then head out to the outlet center. When
RSVPing please let us know if you are willing to drive or will need a
ride so we can ensure we have enough drivers. Please bring cash to
contribute to tolls and gas. There is a food court or bring a bag lunch,
as well as snacks for the road. Please RSVP to Meghan Oster at
rsvp.dcthetas@gmail.com.
Theta Day of Service: Cookie Decorating
Saturday, October 13, from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the home of
Chrystelle Rowley, Falls Church, VA. To commemorate Theta's
National Day of Service, we will be decorating cookies for the D.C.
CASA children as an early Halloween celebration. Join us at
Chrystelle's house. RSVP for the address. Email us at
rsvp.dcthetas@gmail.com.
Shenandoah Lunch and Hike
Saturday, October 20, from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Join us for lunch and
a short hike in the Shenandoah National Park to enjoy the spectacular
fall foliage. Meet at Skyland Resort in the Park at mile marker 41.7 at
noon or contact debora.lyon@yahoo.com for carpooling information
by October 13.
Shopping at Periwinkle
Join us on November 17 from 10 – 12 Noon at Periwinkle at National
Harbor for a private shopping outing. Periwinkle will provide
mimosas and brunch goodies, as well as all customers will receive 25%
off their purchases. Invite your friends and family to join us for this
not-to-be missed event. Over the past six years, Periwinkle has
become the premier location in the Washington, DC area to find the
complete outfit. Whether you are an on-the-go mom or a professional
working woman, Periwinkle strives to dress their customers from head
to toe. Each Periwinkle location carries different merchandise, offering
customers numerous options from new emerging designers to many
well established favorite designers.
You can view current Periwinkle merchandise at http://
www.facebook.com/theperiwinkleshop or http://
www.periwinkleshop.blogspot.com/. Questions? Contact Alicia at
alicia.diane.lee@gmail.com. Periwinkle is at 160 American Way,
National Harbor, MD. As the date gets closer, we will also arrange a
pick up spot at the metro. Watch your e-mail for more information.
Holiday Party. Part 1 - Drinks at the Uptown Tap Room. Part
2 - Zoo Lights at National Zoo
Join us for our annual holiday party, with a twist. Let's meet at the
Uptown Tap House at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 16, for
refreshments and then check out the Zoo Lights at the National Zoo
afterwards.
Uptown Tap Room, 3412 Connecticut Ave NW - 6:00 p.m.
The National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW - 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
RSVP at rsvp.dcthetas@gmail.com. Nearest Metro to the zoo:
Cleveland Park (Red Line) or Woodley Park (Red Line).
Afternoon Tea at the Mayflower
February 10, 2013 at 3 PM. Travel back in history and timeless
grandeur and join us for an afternoon of high tea at the Renaissance
Mayflower Hotel. Because of the need for a reservation, pre-payment
and registration for this event is required through our website. No
refunds, although substitutions are allowed. Please RSVP no later than
February 1 (via payment on the website). Nearest metro: Farragut
North (Red Line) or Farragut West (Orange/Blue Line).
Founders Day
March 16, 2013 11:00AM – 1:00PM at The Washington Club, Dupont
Circle, Washington DC. Contact Meredith Caldwell at
meredithacaldwell@gmail.com or Chrystelle Zweidler at
czweidler@gmail.com if you would like to help plan this event. Follow
this link to register: https://www.kappaalphatheta.org/alumnae/
events/scheduled/signup.cfm?eventid=154_378093.
Spring Tea
April or May 2013 at the Gamma Mu house at the University of
Maryland. Please contact debora.lyon@yahoo.com if you are interested
in organizing this event.
Fall 2012 5

Pay your dues by Nov 1st and you will be entered into a drawing for a free ticket to Founders Day!
Kappa Alpha Theta
Washington, DC/Suburban MD Alumnae Chapter
www.dcthetas.org
2012 Membership Form
Mail to: Carter Seaton, 775 Monarch Lane, Huntingtown, MD 20639
Include your check. You can also join online through our website at http://www.dcthetas.org/
Further Questions? E-mail us at membership.dcthetas@gmail.com.
First Name:___________________________ Last Name:____________________________________
Maiden Name:_________________________ Spouse (if applicable) :___________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:______________________________________________________________________
E-Mail Address:______________________________________________________________________
*Would you like to be added to the Google Group (http://groups.google.com/group/dcthetas)? YES NO
Primary Phone:_____________________________ Secondary Phone:__________________________
College Chapter:______________________________ Initiation Year:__________________________
Employer/Industry ___________________________________________________________________
Dues (includes your $15 KAO Headquarters dues): please check applicable membership level
$25 - New Alum Member (2012 graduates)
$25 - Graduate School Member
Please indicate your graduate school and anticipated graduation year:_____________________________
$25 - KAO Life Loyal Member (not incl. HQ dues)
$40 - Active Member
$25- 50-year Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation Support: $________
Other Philanthropic Support $ _________
Total Enclosed $___________
Please make checks payable to: Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta
Other ideas for events you would like to see added?_______________________________________
Interested in helping out? How?_______________________________________________________
Personal Interests: __________________________________________________________________

Kappa Alpha Theta Founders Day 2013
March 16, 2013 | 11:00 AM
The Washington Club | 15 Dupont Circle NW | Washington, DC 20036
Nearest Metro: Dupont Circle (Red Line) | Nearest Parking Garage: 11 Dupont Circle NW
Please RSVP by March 1, 2013
Register Today and pay $40. After February 15th it will increase to $45.
Deadline for registration is March 1st.
Name _______________________________________________________________________________________
Street Address ________________________________________________________________________________
City _____________________________________ State ___________________ Zip Code __________________
Email Address _______________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number _________________________________
(We will not store your information; however, if changes occur, we would like to contact you.)
University/College Name and Chapter of Initiation ___________________________________________________
(If you don't remember the Greek name of your chapter, we will look it up.)
Alumnae Chapter Affiliation
(check one):
________DC/MD
________NOVA
________Neither
If not a member, would you like more
information about an Alumnae Chapter?
________DC/MD www.dcthetas.org
________NOVA www.novatheta.org
________No
Enclosed is my check for:
____ $40 Founders Day Luncheon, payable to Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta
Please indicate if a vegetarian meal is needed
____ Friendship Fund Donation, payable to Kappa Alpha Theta
Please include your College Chapter and your Alumnae Chapter in the memo line
You can also register and pay for Founders Day online at www.dcthetas.org.
PLEASE MAIL THIS FORM TO:
Chrystelle Rowley
3023 Kadala Place
Falls Church VA 22042
QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTACT:
Meredith Caldwell, Founders Day Chair
rsvp.dcthetas@gmail.com
202.630.2528

K A P P A A L P H A T H E T A
Ways to Stay in Touch
Web — http://www.dcthetas.org
E-mail — rsvp.dcthetas@gmail.com
Phone — 202.630.2KAT (202.630.2528)
Google Groups — http://groups.google.com/group/dcthetas
Twitter — http://www.twitter.com/dcthetas
Facebook — http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_8566243763
Linked In— http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2885113
Kappa Alpha Theta Fall 2012
Washington DC/Suburban Maryland
Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta
Lisa Claps Usher
1021 Nora Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20904
Address Correction Requested