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February 2020 Heritage News: Remember Convention

Category: Heritage

Noraleen Young

Alpha Chi, Purdue

I am writing this only a week after celebrating Theta’s 150th anniversary. I will just say, “WOW!” And guess what? It’s not over! I’m now working on Grand Convention projects that will continue our sesquicentennial celebration into July.

Our Conventions are some of the best documented activities in Theta’s archives. Photographs, artifacts, and written accounts in the Theta magazine, as well as official publications and delegate reports reflect our sisters’ experiences at these events. You can get a glimpse of what Convention has been like since the first one 1872 by visiting Remember Convention in the Heritage portion of the Theta website. Arranged by decades, the pages reflect the business of Convention … plus the fun side.

I have so many favorite pieces from the archives about our Conventions, but I think Flora Tingley, Alpha/DePauw, stated it best in this comment about the 1875 Grand Convention, held in Indianapolis, just as our 2020 Convention will be.

On this bright beautiful May morning, when all were bright and happy in meeting sisters who we love with a love that needeth no encouragement but is spontaneous – we, the representatives of three of the flourishing chapters of Kappa Alpha Theta, met in mass convention, for the purpose of increasing the interest and the welfare of the Kappa Alpha Theta society.”

I hope you can take some time to visit Remember Convention as we prepare for Grand Convention 2020. I also hope to see you there!