september(2015( sai chicago alumnae

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SAI Chicago Alumnae

V I T A B R E V I S , A R S L O N G A

L e tt er from Our President U p c o m i n g E v e n t s

Lov e & Roses , Allison Smith Chapter President

My Dear Sisters, We are about to begin a very exciting year for our alumnae chapter. After meeting with our executive board to plan this year’s meetings and attending the SAI National Convention, I can sincerely say we will begin this year with a bang! I look forward to collaborating with many sisters as we continue some of our endeavors from last year, such as the socials and Girl Scout Service Project, and as we look to begin some new traditions, such as our anticipated summer program scholarship for a collegiate member. The Chicago Alumnae Chapter is certainly growing and thriving!

Our chapter theme this year is “Planting Roses, Growing Sisterhood”—thank you to the creative minds who helped to put it together! Alumnae chapters are unique in that they represent how our sisterhood is life long, so much more than our collegiate days. While we continue to support our collegiate chapters in Gamma A & B, we will hopefully open their eyes to how they may continue to live as an SAI beyond just their four years in school. I hope this theme will help to strengthen our projects and guide our year ahead, as we grow SAI sisterhood in the Chicago-‐land area!

S i g m a A l p h a I o t a C h i c a g o A l u m n a e C h a p t e r � C h i c a g o , I L � C h a r t e r e d i n 1 9 2 8

September Chapter Meeting Saturday, September 12 at 1:00pm Home of Kay Bobis (Glenview)

October Chapter Meeting Saturday, October 3 at 1:00pm Home of Alison Westmoreland (Hyde Park)

Social: MET Opera Broadcast Saturday, October 17 at 11:55am Evanston Century Movie Theater

November Chapter Meeting Sunday, November 15 at 1:00pm Home of Kali Maginity (Addison)

December Chapter Meeting Sunday, December 13 at 1:00pm Home of Agnes Smith (Northbrook)

Service: Girl Scout Service Project January – Date TBD

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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 C O N T I N U E D

Welcome to our newest affiliate to the Chicago Alumnae Chapter, Kimberly Schlarman. Kimberly was born in Virginia but grew up in Missouri, and later attended Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. Kimberly received degrees in Art History and French, and minored in Music. She plays the flute. She said, I had been planning on majoring in music. I had loved music in high school but when I got to college, I realized that a music career wasn’t for me. I still wanted to be active in the music community though. Several marching bad members kept promoting SAI Rush Events at practice and I decided to attend one. I then realized that the organization would be a great way for me to keep involved in the music department without actually majoring in music.” Kimberly became joined the Epsilon Pi Chapter and became very involved with the chapter, later serving as Recording Secretary. Kimberly attended graduate school for library science at the University of Illinois in Champaign-‐Urbana and moved in to Arlington Heights in 2009. Two years ago, she and her husband Ben moved to Chicago. Kimberly is a librarian at the Glenview Public Library and is constantly reading. She loves art and history, and often goes to local museums and galleries. “My husband and I spend most of our weekend exploring Chicago on bike or on foot. I love this city and try to take advantage of all the cultural activities it has to offer!” Kimberly says her true passion is for travel. She spent a semester in France as an undergraduate and she tries to get back to Europe as often as she can. “I love experiencing other cultures and learning new languages, and I am tentatively planning a trip to Japan next year –we’ll see how much Japanese I can learn before then!”

Mu Xi Chapter Roosevelt University

Chicago College of Performing Arts Chartered April 18, 2015

Beta Chapter Northwestern University

Chartered December 3, 1904

Lambda Delta Chapter VanderCook School of Music Chartered April 24, 2004

Originally one large province, Gamma Province was split into two smaller provinces, Gamma A & Gamma B, to better serve our sisters and to allow province officers to stay involved with the many Gamma chapters. We are currently blessed to have three collegiate chapters and two alumnae chapters in the Gamma A Province. To learn more about our province, please visit www.sai-‐national.org. You can contact our Province Officer Cara Ying through the national website.


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I had a wonderful time at the SAI convention in St. Louis. Thanks to Agnes's good driving skills, we arrived on Thursday afternoon in time to attend the ritual initiation led by the SAI national board. I always enjoy this special first evening. The hotel was the remodeled St. Louis train station, and it was quite a beautiful building, with plenty of antique accouterments. The Welcome Luncheon was a highlight of the gathering, with past president Ginny Johnson speaking to us about how SAI has influenced her life and encouraging us to volunteer in SAI activities. But the best part of the luncheon was when our own Alli Smith sang for us with her rendition of "The Ugly Ducking", and Ginny and our president said it was the perfect ending to the luncheon event. The convention was full of music, music, music -‐ from morning until evening, with an outstanding Philanthropies piano concert on Saturday evening. I hope you will all be able to come to the next convention!

Written by Linda Parapetti

The Union Station Hotel in St. Louis was amazing -‐ a fascinating combination of the best in the styles of the 1920's with the convenience of modern hotel rooms and facilities. Although check-‐in took quite a while, those waiting in the massive station room were treated to images of old photos and movies of trains and passengers projected on the curved ceiling of the station -‐-‐ like being in a time capsule. I most enjoyed meeting with the Gamma A delegates from Beta, Xi Mu, the Evanston alumnae members and our province officer Cara Ying. It was stimulating to hear about Mu Xi’s plans and ideas for their new chapter, and how we can collaborate together to keep their chapter growing. Linda and I also had an unexpected lunch with the province officer from Maryland and an alum from Washington, DC -‐ comparing notes with another region was very interesting! It was wonderful to see Alli perform, and the reactions of the audience to her delightful performance -‐ she was a smash hit! I was so glad Linda and I were able to attend and experience this convention with Alli.

Written by Agnes Smith

I was so blessed to be the delegate for the Chicago Alumnae Chapter at the 2015 convention – it was my first convention experience! Our NEB did an amazing job of planning and executing a beautiful and exciting convention. I was able to attend all of the general sessions and several break out sessions, getting advice and ideas from other chapters around the nation. My favorite part was connecting with sisters from Gamma A & B, as well as old friends from my collegiate chapter’s Region III. I am looking forward to sharing with our chapter several new ideas and my enthusiasm, so that it may propel us forward as we continue to “Plant roses and grow sisterhood”!

Written by Alli Smith


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Allison Smith, President

Kali Maginity, VP Membership Linda Parapetti, VP Program

Kay Bobis, VP Ritual Agnes Smith, Secretary Gail Swerdlik, Treasurer

Gloria Messerschmidt, Editor Viola Manning, Sergeant at Arms

If you would like to contact a member of the Chicago Alumnae executive board, please email [email protected]

After receiving such great responses for our Throwback Thursday photos, Webmaster & Social Media Chair Kali Maginity began a new social media project: “Why SAI?” Wednesdays. Sisters are invited to send Kali a short reflection on why they chose SAI, why they love it so dearly, why they are still involved or any other “why” statement about SAI. If you’d like to participate, please send your response directly to our chapter email, [email protected], and look for sister’s “Why SAI?” responses each week on our facebook page!

From the earliest times, people from around the world have held the Red Rose to their hearts as a symbol for love and friendship. Roses have a long and colorful history, and are, among other things, remembered for their beauty. Over the years, Red Roses have been represented in works of art, classical paintings, poetry and music. Perhaps this was in the thoughts of our Seven Founders as they were planning to have their organization a reality before the June Commencement; 1903. There were many details to be finalized, “How often should they meet? What are the requirements for membership? Who would design and make their badge? What about special music? Should they have a special flower? What kind? What color?” In the Minutes of their first official meeting, dated June 12, 1903, the Minutes state in part: “The name chosen for our Sorority is Sigma Alpha Iota. Our motto is “Art Improvement Society” (which was soon changed). The initiation fee was set at $5.00 and membership dues at $1.00 a year. Our Sorority colors are red and white and our flower, the Red Rose.” Through their simple beauty, the red rose has continued to provide significant inspiration to SAIs. We have continued to love the Red Rose as our flower. As the Seven Founders, “planted the Red Rose” as our symbol, it will also be a special guide for us, in our Chapter, as we follow our Theme for this year, as we are “PLANTING ROSES, GROWING SISTERHOOD !!”

“Sist er , I g i ve you a ros e!” Written by Gloria Messerschmidt, Editor & Fraternity Education


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september(2015( sai chicago alumnae

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