UIFI (Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute) is a four-day, three-night, immersive leadership experience where fraternity/sorority students come together to challenge conventional wisdom, discover new solutions to critical problems and accelerate progress in their fraternity/sorority communities. Delta Gamma Fraternity and Foundation are offering two scholarships for collegiate members to cover the entire cost of attending UIFI (travel, registration, etc.).
Please complete the scholarship application here by March 25, 2024, to receive priority consideration for this experience. All collegiate Delta Gammas in good standing with their chapter and the Fraternity are eligible to apply.
Learn more about UIFI, program dates and more, at the Association of Fraternal Leadership and Values (AFLV) website here. If you have questions about the Delta Gamma member scholarship, please contact Kollin Fitzpatrick, assistant director for health and well-being, at kollin.fitzpatrick@deltagamma.org.
We are proud to partner with another Delta Gamma School for Children with Visual Impairments for this Hope Serving program! Participants will travel to Los Angeles, California, June 9-15, for a week of hands-on service at the Blind Children's Center. The Blind Children's Center prepares infants, toddlers and preschoolers of all abilities to thrive through inclusive, family-focused early childhood education, with a specialized focus on children who are blind or visually impaired.
Hope Serving is a service-learning experience that offers Delta Gammas the opportunity to develop as leaders on a local, regional and international level and encourages learning and critical thinking through hands-on service, community involvement, and civic and social justice education.
Applicant Requirements
The Hope Serving program is open to all initiated Delta Gammas in good standing. Both alumnae and collegians are encouraged to apply. Apply here by March 10, 2024. Late applications may not be accepted.
Participant selection criteria are:
Initiated Delta Gamma member in good standing. For collegians, this means good standing in your chapter. For alumnae, this means paying per-capita dues for the fiscal year.
Motivation to serve, though it is not necessary to have previous service experience.
Physically able and willing to complete the service work needed by the service site.
Please note that you may be required to have a valid passport, complete a background check and/or fill out additional paperwork.
Selection and Participation Process
Completed applications are due March 10, 2024. Late applications may not be accepted.
The Hope Serving staff committee will review and evaluate all Hope Serving applications. Applicants will be notified by March 11 if they qualify for a phone or Zoom interview.
Phone or Zoom interviews will be conducted starting March 13.
Participants for the Hope Serving team will be selected and notified by the week of March 25.
Additional details regarding transportation, logistics and attire will be shared upon selection.
Participants must participate in three pre-trip orientation virtual meetings. These meetings will be held in the weeks prior to the trip and will be scheduled based on the selected participants’ schedules. If you miss any meeting, we reserve the right to replace your spot with another applicant.
Participants must attend the entire length of the program.
We ask that all participants complete the following post-trip requirements:
Complete a post-trip assessment.
Serve as a Hope Serving Ambassador to promote the program to other Delta Gamma members.
Continue service work with a local Service for Sight organization.
Write testimonials of their experience for both marketing and personal reflection purposes.
Program Considerations/Participant Expectations
We hold high expectations for participants and ask them to have high expectations for themselves. If selected, you will be part of a group of Delta Gammas who will have the opportunity to participate in a remarkable service experience. Applicants should consider the following when applying:
While rewarding, you may experience situations that are unfamiliar and possibly uncomfortable for you. You will work hard and be challenged.
The Hope Serving program puts service at the forefront of everything we do. This is not a vacation. Facilities can be less than what you are used to at home, with limited access to private bathrooms. Lodging will be provided for the duration of the program.
Service activities may involve an element of risk.
Delta Gamma will provide a team leader for the trip; however, participants are empowered to make wise decisions regarding their own safety and the safety of others.
Pre-trip meeting attendance is mandatory, and absences will not be accepted. Many more Delta Gammas will apply for this program than we are able to accommodate, and it is expected that you will fully participate in all components of the Hope Serving program, including virtual meetings and trainings. If you miss any virtual meeting, we reserve the right to replace your spot with another applicant. Once participants are selected, the pre- and post-trip meetings will be scheduled.
Hope Serving is an alcohol- and drug-free program for all participants (regardless of age). Once selected, participants will sign a substance-free policy statement. Failure to follow the substance-free policies of the trip may result in the participant being asked to leave the trip at her own expense.
Your actions on this trip will not only reflect on you, but also the team, your chapter, Delta Gamma Fraternity and Delta Gamma Foundation.
Hope Serving Ambassadors
As a result of the Hope Serving experience, each participant will be able to:
Describe and emulate the Service for Sight mission
Engage in lifelong service endeavors
Create a collumnae relationship
Convey a rich understanding of the population served, and how this understanding parallels their sisterhood experience
Assess how Service for Sight impacts them as an individual
Develop and articulate a deeper understanding of themselves
After successful completion of this program, participants will serve as Hope Serving Ambassadors and are expected to share their experiences with other Delta Gamma members. This includes delivering a presentation to their collegiate or alumnae chapter, and in-person or virtual presentations to their Regional Team and other chapters in the region (to be determined based on final participants).
Do Good Hour Credit
All participants will receive 50 Do Good Service for Sight hours for completing the program.
Costs
The cost of the program, including travel, will be covered by Delta Gamma Fraternity and Delta Gamma Foundation. Any airfare and lodging will be paid for directly by Delta Gamma. Other items such as baggage fees, meals while traveling, etc. may be required to be paid for upfront by participants and subsequently reimbursed by Delta Gamma. Participants will be responsible for securing their own medical insurance coverage. Participants will also be responsible for any additional costs and expenses not covered by the program (including but not limited to snacks not covered by the Hope Serving program, social outings/gatherings, gifts, clothes, lost luggage, etc.).
Fees will be assessed if a participant resigns from the experience. See Cancellation Fee section below for additional details.
Cancellation Fee
Due to limited space and funding, should a participant cancel after accepting a spot the cost of the trip, approximately $1,800, will be assessed back to the participant. The cause of cancellation shall be considered in determining the need for assessment. No replacements will be permitted.
Travel and Event Policy
See the Travel and Event Policy for more information regarding attendance, transportation and cancellations. The Travel and Event Policy applies to this event.
Health and Safety
Hope Serving participants are expected to adhere to all state, local and service site health and safety guidelines. This may include wearing a mask while at the service site, providing proof of COVID-19 vaccination and/or providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to the trip. Further details will be provided during the interview process.
Registration for our 71st Biennial Convention is now open!
Join sisters beneath the California palms to conduct DG business and celebrate 150 years of sisterhood. Delta Gamma's 71st Biennial Convention will be held June 27-30 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, California.
This Convention will conclude our sesquicentennial celebration honoring 150 years of the Do Good Sisterhood. Join us Thursday night as we flamingle under the California stars. Friday and Saturday we will celebrate our sisterhood as well as conduct business of the Fraternity and Foundation. Saturday evening, we will hold a special closing banquet looking to the next 150 years.
Contact: Mallory Borino, Director of Marketing and Communications, media@deltagamma.org
Delta Gamma Fraternity Mourns the Loss of Collegiate Member Ashira Rabinowitz
Columbus, Ohio [December 14, 2023] – It is with deep sorrow that we share the passing of collegiate member Ashira Rabinowitz, Gamma Mu-Florida State.
Ashira joined Delta Gamma Fraternity in the fall of 2021 and was an initiate of the Gamma Mu chapter at Florida State. Gamma Mu-Florida State shared in a statement, “Ashira was such a blessing to this world. She had the brightest smile and most contagious laugh. She fully embodied our chapter, always a friend to all and someone we could count on. Her energy filled every space—she spread pure joy and happiness to all who knew her. She loved hard and was never afraid to show it. She would want us to be happy, live every second to the fullest, and love each other. We will forever be living in her memory and carrying on her legacy. Gamma Mu will not be the same without her, but we know that her energy will always live in and around us.”
Fraternity President Dr. Amy R. Ayres, Alpha Iota-Oklahoma, shared “Delta Gamma Fraternity is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of collegian Ashira Rabinowitz. Our sisterhood mourns her loss, and we send our heartfelt condolences to Shira’s family and her Florida State sisters. We are holding the Gamma Mu chapter of Delta Gamma close to our heart during this difficult time.”
Ashira’s obituary and services can be viewed here.
About Delta Gamma: Delta Gamma Fraternity was founded in 1873 at the Lewis School in Oxford, Mississippi. The Fraternity’s primary purpose is to foster high ideals of friendship, promote educational and cultural interests, create a true sense of social responsibility and develop the best qualities of character. Delta Gamma has more than 260,000 initiated members, 150 collegiate chapters and more than 180 alumnae groups. Delta Gamma Fraternity Executive Offices is in Columbus, Ohio.
Celebrating Excellence: Delta Gamma's Member of Impact Recognition Program
The objects of this Fraternity shall be to foster high ideals of friendship among women, to promote their educational and cultural interests, to create in them a true sense of social responsibility, and to develop in them the best qualities of character.
Article II of the Delta Gamma Constitution
Delta Gamma is a sisterhood built on the unshakable belief that doing good isn't just a motto; it's a way of life. Delta Gammas do incredible things every day – whether in their careers, through volunteer work or just by being awesome humans.
With this in mind, Delta Gamma has created the Member of Impact recognition program, which seeks to spotlight members who live by all aspects of Article II and our do good motto in their communities. The program has two main goals:
Celebrate Delta Gamma members who go above and beyond to make a difference and
Tell their stories
The Member of Impact recognition program is a tribute to the remarkable women who embrace the Fraternity's values and amplify them through their contributions. By spotlighting these outstanding individuals, Delta Gamma will inspire others to follow in their footsteps, creating a ripple effect of positive change that extends far beyond the boundaries of the sorority itself.
The recognition is meant to honor people who go above and beyond but might not have the more typical Delta Gamma experience that is necessary to receive one of our Individual Alumnae Awards (Hope, Cable, Shield, etc.). Additionally, this opportunity is open to all members, not just alumnae.
Here are a few examples of members who might receive the recognition:
A member who raises guide dogs to serve local visually impaired community members
A member who received a lifetime achievement award or other type of larger award for career contributions
A member who has a unique hobby or business that creates more good in the world
The Member of Impact recognition program is open to all collegians and alumnae in good standing. Members may nominate themselves or another deserving member. Though the nomination form will never close, and there is no deadline to nominate/apply, a volunteer committee will review applications quarterly. Members chosen for the program will be featured across Delta Gamma’s communication channels, including the ANCHORA, blog posts, newsletters, social media posts, etc.
Nominate someone or yourself as a Member of Impact today using this form! Questions? Email Fraternity Director: Alumnae Engagement Dr. Melissa Thompson, Gamma Zeta-Louisiana State at engagement@deltagamma.org.
From the Archives: National Panhellenic Council Badge
The history of women’s fraternities/sororities in the United States of America goes back to 1851 when Alpha Delta Pi was founded at Wesleyan College (at the time called Wesleyan Female College). These spaces would have been a haven for women to support each other during a time when very few of them were able to access higher education or pursue a career. This is clearly seen in the founding of Delta Gamma which was envisioned by our Founders as a society of mutual helpfulness. The number of these organizations grew significantly over the next few decades.
By the 1890s there was an effort to form an inter-sorority consortium. A meeting among several organizations took place in Boston in 1891 to discuss this possibility. But it was not until 1902 when Alpha Phi invited eight other institutions (including Delta Gamma) to a meeting in Chicago that such an organization was officially formed. The purpose was to, “assist collegiate and alumnae chapters of the NPC member organizations in cooperating with colleges and universities and to foster interfraternal relationships.” Today, the National Panhellenic Conference consists of 26 sororities.
Just two years after its formation Grace Telling, Sigma-Northwestern served as the second Chairman of NPC. Three more Delta Gamma’s who hold this role over the years, Marguerite Lake, Psi-Goucher in 1911, Helen Byers, Mu-Missouri in 1953, and Martha Brown Gamma Nu-North Texas in 2003. This medallion was created using a badge from 1893 that belonged to Mary Halstead, Sigma-Northwestern for Marth Brown during her chairmanship. Halstead severed as an NPC delegate from 1928 – 1932.
This object serves as a reminder of how Delta Gammas have sought to be leaders not just within our own organization but also in the wider community.
What better Delta Gamma artifact to start the sesquicentennial year with than Article II? Ask 150 Delta Gammas, “What is Delta Gamma?” and you will likely hear the word “friendship” in all 150 answers.
1877 Delta Gamma Constitution.
The origin of Article II goes back to our very founding. The very first Constitution was written the night Delta Gamma was created. Anna, Eva and Mary were sitting on “Old father Noah”, the name they had given the large four-poster bed in their room when they decided to form a society for mutual helpfulness. Because Anna was seated outside the bed, she slipped out and retrieved a pad of paper and pen. The three then wrote the first Constitution and bylaws. Unfortunately, that document has been lost to time. The oldest Delta Gamma Constitution dates to 1877 and is kept in the Frances Lewis Stevenson Archives at Executive Offices. As it was only four years after the founding, it is likely very similar to the one the Founder wrote that night.
At that time, the wording that is the predecessor of Article II of today was not its own article; it was section two of article one. It read, “The object of this club is the improvement of its members, morally and intellectually, and for the cultivation of sisterly love.” Revisions were made throughout the years, and in 1885, we see something closer to what we have today.
1885 Delta Gamma Constitution.
While the wording has changed, we can see the origins of the Article II of today, “The object of this Fraternity shall be to foster high ideals of friendship among women, to promote their educational and cultural interests, to create in them a true sense of social responsibility, and to develop in them the best qualities of character.” As we reflect on the past 150 years of our history, we will be considering not only the times when this ideal has been upheld but also times when it has failed to be upheld.
What do you think Article II will look like in another 150 years?
Contact: Mallory Borino, Director of Marketing and Communications, media@deltagamma.org
Delta Gamma Fraternity Mourns the Loss of Collegiate Member Bailey Passarella
Columbus, Ohio [December 5, 2022] – It is with deep sorrow that we share the passing of Gamma Xi-Texas Tech member Bailey Passarella.
An undergraduate student at Texas Tech University, Bailey was pursuing a biology degree and joined Delta Gamma in the fall of 2021. Bailey was known for her smile that would brighten up any room, her laugh and funny TikToks. Sisters have described her as a constant safe and supportive space and one of the reasons why Delta Gamma felt like home.
Fraternity President Dr. Amy R. Ayres, Alpha Iota-Oklahoma, shared, “It is with great sadness that Delta Gamma Fraternity acknowledges the passing of collegian Bailey Passarella. For our Gamma Xi sisters at Texas Tech, we wish for peace, comfort and courage during this time of sorrow. We hold Bailey’s family and her collegiate sisters close to our hearts during this difficult time.”
You can view information on Bailey’s memorial service and obituary here.
About Delta Gamma: Delta Gamma Fraternity was founded in 1873 at the Lewis School in Oxford, Mississippi. The Fraternity’s primary purpose is to foster high ideals of friendship, promote educational and cultural interests, create a true sense of social responsibility and develop the best qualities of character. Delta Gamma has more than 260,000 initiated members, 151 collegiate chapters and more than 190 alumnae groups. Delta Gamma Fraternity Executive Offices is in Columbus, Ohio.
Delta Gamma was born in December 1873 when three young women found themselves far from home for the holiday season. They formed a club for mutual helpfulness that has grown into an international organization. We say goodbye to 2022 and enter 2023, the year Delta Gamma will turn 150 years old. For this final blog post of the year, we will look at one of the largest objects kept in the Frances Lewis Stevenson Archives: the centennial quilt.
In 1973, to celebrate Delta Gamma turning 100 years old, Officer Training Seminar (OTS) was held in Oxford, Mississippi, June 20–26. Kathryn Bell Gray, Mu-Missouri, who served as Fraternity President from 1972–1973, asked delegates to participate in a quilting bee as part of the centennial celebration. In her call to action, she spoke of how common quilting bees were at the time of the organization’s founding and alluded to what a quilt can symbolize, “You pieced your own, or you helped a friend. Then you took it to a gathering of ladies to be quilted. In this Centennial Year, and with your help, Delta Gamma is about to have a quilting bee. We are going to make a friendship quilt stitched with happy memories and hope for the future of our Fraternity.”
New square sewn on the Centennial quilt.
Kits and instructions were distributed, and each chapter was asked to create a design that reflected their school, location or their chapter in some way. But there were also several requirements for the design. Each had to include the chapter’s letters and installation date as well as the name of the school. Squares for chapters no longer in existence were crafted by alumnae. The center square, larger than the rest, representing the Mother chapter, was done by Mary Ann Dalton Shepard, Nu-Idaho. New sections have been added over time over. As part of the 150 celebration, squares from chapters not yet represented on the quilt were gathered. They were sewn on by Nikki Sabato, Eta Upsilon-Drexel, an alumna initiate who was initiated at the 2022 Convention.
The Centennial Quilt is featured in the Cable Connection section of the Winter 2022 ANCHORA. Stay tuned to learn more about the work put into completing the squares for chapters established since 1973.
The first Delta Gamma cookbook was proposed to help fund Delta Gamma’s scholarship program. As far back as 1880, there were discussions of how to provide financial assistance to members when Sallie Young, Delta I-Trinity, wrote to the Mother chapter expressing her hope that such a fund could be established. At the 1911 Convention held in Waupaca, Wisconsin this hope finally became a reality. Ruth Rosholt, Lambda-Minnesota, presented a report on an investigation she conducted into fellowships and scholarships in other women’s fraternities. To raise the funds needed, it was decided that $200 from the treasury would be used and 50 cents from every initiation fee and from the annual dues of each member.
Another funding source would be the sale of the first Delta Gamma Cookbook. This project was led by the Minneapolis alumnae chapter. Compiled from recipes sent in by members, it was published in 1912. By 1913 it had made a $500 profit. The recipes featured in the book came from Delta Gammas far and wide. Two of our Founders contributed to the book. Mary Comfort Leonard submitted several recipes: Southern Corn Meal Spoon Bread, Fruit Cake, Cheese Straws and a drink called Blackberry Acid. Eva Webb Dodd submitted recipes for Ribbon Cake and Divinity Loaf, as well as chocolate and marshmallow filling for cakes.
Photo of the 1912 Delta Gamma CookbookRecipes from 1912 Delta Gamma Cookbook
