We celebrate 25-, 50- and 75-year members at the start of the year with a congratulatory message in their mailbox—a tradition that has spanned more than 50 years. The 50- and 75-year members are also treated with a special pansy pin, which they are encouraged to wear on Founders Day.
I first worked on part of this project last year. We had an idea to hand-deliver 75-year pins to 2020 75-year members (called Diamond Thetas), when they were interested and able to have a visit. These visits wrapped up in early January, ahead of the very limited social lives that COVID-19 required of us. We collected many of their stories and feature them on our website.
While we are not able to have in-person visits with our Diamond Thetas this year, we asked former Grand Council members and Theta Foundation trustees to hand-write congratulatory notes, letting them know what a treasure their membership has been to all of us. These notes will accompany the pin mailing in January.
To be more financially responsible, we sent congratulatory postcards to all 50-year members late this year asking that they contact us by phone or email if they were interested in receiving their pin (previously, pins were automatically mailed to all 50-year members). The result has been so many beautiful correspondences with 50-year members who are marveling at the speed of passing time and their lasting Theta friendships. Some remember family members receiving their milestone pins and many remember a time as a collegian, when they saw alumnae of their chapter receive theirs.
Most are surprised that Theta has remembered this occasion and honored to add this new keepsake to their collection.
We’re asking 50- and 75-year Thetas to share photos in their new pins this year, since they will not be able to show them off at in-person Founders Day events. We will be sure to share their joyful pictures in the New Year.
Congratulations to these milestone Thetas!
* If you initiated in 1946 or 1971 and did not receive a note or postcard this fall alerting you to your milestone pin, please email aluminfo@kappaalphatheta.org.