It's Not Goodbye, Just See Ya Later: ADPi Internship 2K14

As the first goodbyes are said, and the first of tears are shed, our time in this office has officially come to an end. We all look back to the beginning. Eight complete strangers wander into the bunk room. The only thing we knew was that we were all stuck in one room and we were all interns at Alpha Delta Pi.

Who would have guessed that eight women would get so close in six short weeks. My time here has been completely life changing. Each and every day I found another reason to love this sorority. I felt challenged to grow, and by golly, I did! I formed relationships that will last longer than a lifetime and strengthened the bonds of sisterhood we all share.

The seven women I was lucky enough to share the summer with are inspiring. They are perfect role models and great leaders. I feel so blessed to be able to call them my sisters. I know that our love for Alpha Delta Pi and each other will bring us back.

It's never goodbye, just see ya later. ☺

Love and Loyally,
Paige☺

Can't Beat this Summer: ADPi Internship 2014

The last week here at Executive Office has been wonderful.

On Monday morning, Catherine Joiner came to EO to do a resume workshop with us. She went through the do's and don'ts and we were able to ask questions about our resumes. It was a great workshop! Not only is Alpha Delta Pi committed to our values within our sorority, but Alpha Delta Pi, and the staff here at EO, want to prepare us for our futures as women in the working world.  Throughout our time here at Executive Office, we had the opportunity to shadow many different staff members to learn about their roles and what their jobs are. We also had the opportunity to ask questions if we were interested in related fields.

Then on Monday evening we went to make dinner at the Ronald McDonald House in Atlanta. We got to make them tacos! Volunteering there is an really great experience.

Being able to help the families at RMH is life changing. It really makes you put life back into perspective. Often we get so involved in the most trivial things, we forget tho appreciate the value of a home cooked meal with your family. Being able to provide this to the families staying at RMH is truly a blessing.

On Tuesday night, we all decided to make a family style dinner. Lucky for us, Katie (a senior LC) and Ms. Pinkston were at the house and joined us for dinner. We had a lot of great laughs around the table.

Most of the week was spent stuffing Alpha Packets. Each new member is considered an Alpha Member until she is initiated, upon which, she is a Delta Member, or chapter member in full standing. During Alpha membership, women are led ,by their New Member Coordinator, through Alpha Member Education sessions. In these sessions, they learn about the history and inner workings of Alpha Delta Pi. The Alpha Packets are a supplementary material provided by EO that Alphas receive on bid day.

On Wednesday we went to froyo with the foundation and had a blast. Later that evening, we all hiked Stone Mountain. It was breathtaking. A mile hike up and back down right at sunset! It was so much fun! Definitely a major "to do" while you're in Atlanta. And it's free! ☺

  

Today was the last official day of the internship. It has truly been a life changing experience. I know I will have friendships that will last a lifetime with the wonderful women I got to spend the summer with. It is truly amazing how close eight women (sisters) can get in just six short weeks.

Signing off after an amazing summer!

Loyally, 

Paige ☺

Moving On

It’s time to start a new chapter. One that leaves behind past lives, past longings, and past loves. Once upon a time, it was okay to be in love with that soldier you could never have. You could dream for days and nights of the moment he would step into your sight at the airport – the sprint to greet him, jumping into his arms, the happy tears you would cry as your family reunited. There are times we need to grow, and in order to grow, sometimes, it seems, we must let go. There is something about then future that is terrifying – a fear of the unknown. When we are uncertain of the road ahead, we often take comfort in what we know. Perhaps conversations with old friends, love that once blossomed, or even the familiar smell of home. Whatever it may be, we lose our future to the past. We sacrifice for all we cannot have and long for what is behind us.

We long again for our childhood fantasies, our dreams of the perfect world. We hope for the make believe stories from our games of “house” as we so loved to call it. The dream to be an actress (with a loving and attractive husband, a son and twins – a boy and a girl, and a beautiful mansion home with a red door, wrap around porch and a swing under the willow tree out back). We find comfort in the thought of our mothers cooking dinner as we tried and tried (to no avail) to put off our ABC’s and 123’s as long as possible. To this day, I look to my parents for every answer, when, in reality, they can’t make my life decisions for me. Slowly, I am beginning to understand that as an adult, I must come to make my own decisions about where my life will go and the means I will achieve it by.

We reach for the old friendships. All through high school we complained. “Suzie Q. is so popular, I’ll never be her friend…blah blah blah…Jane Doe is my BFF Forever!” And we don’t stop! We find out that Suzie Q. has gone on to work at McDonald’s on the weekends (nothing to criticize that life, but you had always imagined her as the hoity toity business woman). Jane has finally confessed that she spilled all of your secrets and sabotaged your chances at XYZ University. AND STILL we long for Suzie’s approval; we boast about our “best friends” like Jane – when in reality, these people are toxic! We never leave high school. We still wish Brad had noticed that quirky girl in the stands at every football game, that when he let you borrow his pencil, he was really giving you his heart.

WHY must we long for these things that bring us nothing? They don’t just leave us grasping at straws in life, they keep us running to them – but with every step forward, you find yourself two steps farther back than you were before. We hold onto the good times and we hold onto the bad times. When James broke your heart but you still wait for that letter in the mail…every day.

We need to reach beyond what we know. We need to GROW. We need to move past the known and work our way into uncharted territories. The perfect life on the big screen with the house and the kids, maybe you can have it, but it comes with a price. Maybe you realize your dream wasn't practical. Set out for a new goal. “You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis. So dream a new dream! Think about what you want NOW and chase after that NOW. Don’t go racing into the past, trying to pull memories from thin air and make them real. Make a new friend, one that is the complete opposite of Jane. You take on all that you thought Suzie would accomplish but never did!

Now I am not saying to forget about the past; the past makes you who you are, and without any single one experience, you could have a completely different outlook on life. Congratulate those you love (and those you hate) for their successes, I’m sure you’d appreciate the same from them. Learn from the past and let it live in the past. Move on now. Take the world by storm. 

Changed for Good

Hello hello hello! It sure has been busy here at EO and let me tell you, it has been wonderful and exhausting and amazing.

Leadership Seminar (LS) has come and gone and the week has been a fantastic blur. All week prior we spent frantically preparing last minute details and writing about 5 zillion violets!

What's a violet you might ask? Well, it's this little flower sticker that you stick onto your nametag at LS. They cost $5 and all the proceeds go to the Clasped Hands Fund which provides emergency grants to alumnae who have fallen on hard times. These emergency grants have helped sisters in need for thirty years, since the beginning of the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation, and the Foundation is committed to supporting sisters for many more years to come. The Alpha Delta Pi foundation sold over 6,000 violets at this summer meeting! What an amazing accomplishment!

The whole week was chock-full of great information about leadership and personal growth. There were four main points of focus: leading with self, leading with vision, leading with action, and leading with relationships. Each part was broken down into subsections where we were able to dive further into the topics and discuss how to be a better leader in each of those areas. It was truly an amazing experience. I am so excited to bring everything I learned back to my chapter this fall. 





My favorite topic of the sessions was on opening night. Beth Gentry Mannle, a former grand president, read through The Creed of Alpha Delta Pi. She did so in a way that explained how our creed matched our values and how we could lead by exemplifying each idea mentioned in our Creed.



I believe in Alpha Delta Pi. I believe that my sorority is more than a ritual or a symbol, that it is a way of life. I believe that the principles established by our founders in 1851 are enduring attributes exemplifying the highest ideals of Christian womanhood. I believe that our motto, "We live for each other" expresses the true spirit of fraternity and that by living this motto my life will be enriched by true friendships and unselfish service to mankind. I believe that the privilege of membership in Alpha Delta Pi bring the responsibility to do my best in whatever I undertake, always remembering that leadership requires confidence tempered with humility and courage blended with tolerance. I believe that I must strive to become a well balanced person by following the four dictates symbolized by the diamond shaped badge. First, strengthening my own personality and character, second, watching my attitude toward my fellow beings, third, recognizing the value of high educational standards, and fourth, developing faith and loyalty. I believe that these four guideposts, guarded by the stars and friendly hands clasped in the Adelphean bonds of fellowship will lead me to achieve a rich and useful life.

What an amazing creed. When I committed myself to Alpha Delta Pi, I committed myself to the values set forth in our creed. I committed to holding myself to a higher standard. I committed to becoming the best self that I can be. The Adelphean Compass program at Leadership Seminar focuses on leading (obviously) in such a way that you have a strong foundation in self. One has to be self aware and confident in themselves. She has to know her strengths and weakness, how she communicates and responds to different situations, before she can lead others. The program focused on knowing the individual before trying to lead a whole group. It was definitely a great learning experience from an Alpha Delta Pi perspective and a life perspective. 

Throughout my journey in Alpha Delta Pi I have been privileged with many amazing experiences and wonderful opportunities. Not only have I been able to attend conferences where I can develop life skills (like LS) but I have also been invited to sing at them.

I have loved to sing for as long as I can remember, and I'd like to think I'm pretty good. In any case, I was asked to be the song leader and lead the blessing at each meal this summer meeting. Truly an honor on its own. Not only that, but I was asked to sing (as entertainment ☺) as well! 

When I first began my journey in Alpha Delta Pi, Casey (one of my chapter sisters) and I decided to sing at our Installation banquet. Nothing special. We sang "For Good" from Wicked. It's a wonderful song. Truly beautiful and I love it. But that was all the value it had to me at the time. 

Well that was the song I sang Friday night at LS. Who knew that in two short years, I could have fallen so much in love with something. This organization has brought me so many amazing opportunities and experiences I can't even begin to explain. I feel like I have begun to change into the woman I want to be and I can see myself growing in positive directions, all the thanks I give to ADPi. She has truly shaped who I have become and I am so looking forward to a lifetime of membership in Alpha Delta Pi. This time around, the song was the same, but the emotions, completely different. I have met some outstanding chapter and alumnae members and I feel so blessed to call each and every one of them a sister. Thanks to Alpha Delta Pi, I truly believe that I have been changed for good.




       Love and Loyally,
       Paige ☺

A Day in the Life of an EO Intern

Good Evening All!

I've just been busy busy busy all day today!

Kelly and I began our morning in the print shop with Robert. Robert is probably one of the most interesting men I have ever met. He began working in the print shop for Alpha Delta Pi in the 80's and has been here ever since. [I think] he went to Stanford University (I may be completely off on that but if it wasn't there it was another incredibly smart school). So Robert lived in Australia for a bit, he taught a little and truly (I believe) lived his life to the fullest. He has so many incredibly stories that he is so willing to share. We have talked with him about tons and tons of things from books to motorcycles to circus art. (Fun Fact: He does silk work for fun! How awesome is that!) He was fascinated by the printing trade and just took it up and he loves it. It is really interesting to see what a positive impact Alpha Delta Pi can leave on people, even if they aren't members. He truly enjoys working for "the sisterhood" as he calls it. He refers to Debbie Black, his manager, as "Our Fearless Leader" and everyone in the office as Sister Sally, or Sister Amanda, or Sister ________. About a week ago (when we were shrink wrapping standards codes) he read a letter to us that he had written to one of Alpha Delta Pi's founders on Founder's Day a while back. It was to Octavia. It was adorable. He is extremely poetic. Instead of saying no, he always says "nay not so". His favorite book is Huck Finn.

Anywho, today we were working in the print shop. Last week when we were in there, we shrink wrapped the standards codes for every single chapter! There was a ton! This week we were working on Ritual Books. We had to stack the sections together and shrink wrap over 500 Ritual Books. Let me tell you, it's very time consuming. And after awhile, the shrink wrap roller can get heavy and you start to get a pretty good arm workout in!

Later, we went inside to work on Violets for my Sister for Leadership Seminar next week! The Alpha Delta Pi Foundation sells violets for $5 a pop that you can send to sisters who have influenced you or that you just want to say "hey, I appreciate you!" to. There are SO many.

After violets, we went and sat on the phone at the front desk for a bit. I am getting super comfortable with that which is great because I used to hate hate hate talking on the phone. I think I'm pretty good at it now ☺

Later, I went to work on manuals with Joanie. Basically, we have to update all the manuals to make sure they don't contradict and information for a specific topic is only in one place and not five different places. I sorted through the Total Membership Education Tools manual today. It took awhile but I definitely think that it will make a huge impact for chapters when they are looking for information and this way, they won't have confusion in how they are supposed to complete tasks.

After work today, we got to meet and have dinner with Ms. Tammie Pinkston. She is the International Grand President. We sat and talked for hours. She is truly an amazing woman. We talked not only about ADPi but also about the business of the world and in general and even just life. She has such an amazing outlook on life. She knows who she is and where she comes from. I always try to live my life without regrets and learn from mistakes I've made, rather than feel sorry for myself about them. That is something Ms. Pinkston prides herself on. She said, "I have no regrets, I've made mistakes, and I learn from them." I just think that that is a wonderful perspective to have. Another thing that I think is amazing about this woman is that she doesn't just whine and complain when something is happening that she doesn't like. If she thinks something needs to be changed, then you better believe she's diving right into the project and willing to spend her time to fix what needs fixing. She understand the value in doing and I truly appreciate to have that quality in a role model.

She talked about one other thing that I think is critical in being part of an organization, business, etc. "Leave the organization better than when you came to it." I think that a lot of times people get caught in the credit when sometimes things take time. Regardless of who gets credit, I think that if you have a sound way to better your organization, then by golly, you better do it! Why would you seek to stay the same. There is always room for growth and improvement and as members, it is our duty to make our organization the best it can be while we are there.
I think that Ms. Pinkston is an incredible role model (with an incredible wardrobe!). I feel so lucky to have had several opportunities to meet and chat with her about life and Alpha Delta Pi.

All in all, I'd say today was a perfect day here at Executive Office.

Signing off!
Loyally,
Paige ☺

Adventures with ADPi

It's definitely warming up here in HOTLANTA this week!!

Tuesday was an amazing day! We got to go to the Ronald McDonald house, it was a blast! Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) "The House that Love Built" provides housing for families of children who are seriously ill or injured. Some families have to travel across the country to get treatment for their son or daughter and the RMH gives them a place to stay. Typically the RMH will ask for a donation per night a family uses a room, however RMHC understands how costly it can be to provide treatment for a child with a rare or serious illness and will never turn a family away because of their inability to pay. 

What a great organization! We went today and participated in the Baker's Club. We baked the children and families cupcakes and got a tour of the Atlanta RMH. It was such an amazing experience. We get to go back in a couple weeks and make dinner for the families. I am so excited to be able to volunteer with such a great cause. 

Visit www.rmhc.org to learn more about this wonderful organization, find a location near you, and maybe even go volunteer!

Tuesday night we went to an Atlanta Braves baseball game! It was so much fun (although the Braves didn't have such a great night)! 

Today we had a workshop with Jen Webb who is the Executive Director of the Alpha Delta Pi foundation. Established in 1983, the Alpha Delta Pi foundation accepts tax-deductible gifts to provide essential resources for alpha delta pi sorority's educational, leadership and philanthropic activities. The foundation funds a variety of opportunities that benefit alpha delta pi sorority and its members as well as the preservation of monuments and memorials that are special to alpha delta pi sorority's place in history.

We are having dinner with the Trustees on Friday night and Jen gave us an exercise that these women actually do! We were given a set amount of dollars and had to decide how to allocate the money to different grant requests. (She didn't give us real money though *sigh* only m&ms!)

At first, we all found it difficult because we all pull from different chapters and atmospheres. Some campuses really benefitted from educational tools like District Leadership Conference while others felt DLC was a bust and the Leadership Consultant Program was what really needed the money. We all talked about what we thought was the most important and impactful to Alpha Delta Pi. It was such a great exercise because it is definitely something so relevant not in just Alpha Delta Pi but in any business aspect. Along with dealing with a financial responsibility we all learned a bit more about effective communication and how to take those skills into aspects in our lives later down the road. 

We eventually made a final decision on how we wanted to allocate the money!

These past two days have been a blast! Tomorrow we're having dinner with Ms. Pinkston! SO EXCITED! ☺☺☺☺

Loyally, 

Paige

 Take me out to the ball game!

Toodle-loo Week Two! ADPi Internship 2K14

Greetings Earthlings, 

Our second week here at Executive Office has come and gone in the blink of an eye. 

Intern life is amazing at Alpha Delta Pi; not only am I learning so many new skills (not just how to use a shrink wrapper either - skills you wouldn't consider, like organization, focus, and versatility, how to work in a group, the list goes on...) but I'm also having FUN! 

On Tuesday, everyone in the office stopped for a hula hoop break! Reasons working for a sorority is better than your "average" job. 

Okay, well the reason behind the hula hoops. They're for a workshop/ice-breaker at IMPACT, which is a leadership training conference that we hold every even numbered summer for one upcoming chapter leader. 

IMPACT Alpha Delta Pi is a values-based program built around The Creed of Alpha Delta Pi. The IMPACT Alpha Delta Pi program allows emerging collegiate leaders the opportunity to learn how to address major issues facing Alpha Delta Pi and their chapters, to develop their leadership skills and to recognize how to affect the success of their chapter as a future executive officer. IMPACT Alpha Delta Pi also prepares these chapter leaders for alumnae involvement following their college years.

IMPACT Alpha Delta Pi is an intense living-learning community experience. The learning and sharing that occurs through informal gatherings and discussions (as a result of the environment) is considered just as relevant and important as the structured curriculum of the program. Sessions feature hands-on experiential activities and ample discussion time designed to assist each IMPACT Alpha Delta Pi participant in developing her desired leadership skills, in identifying new ideas, and in formulating concrete plans for the sorority and her future. Chapters fund an emerging leader from their chapter to attend and find the bonds created between undergraduates and alumnae through this interaction results in sustained communication and commitment.

IMPACT Alpha Delta Pi focuses on the following key commitment areas:

I – Influence

·  Commitment to Values

·  Commitment to Leadership

M – Motivation

·  Commitment to Collaboration

P – Purpose

·  Commitment to Community Building

·  We are Alpha Delta Pi: Commitment to Common Purpose

A – Action

·  We are the Future: Commitment to the Greater Good

C – Community

·  Group Commitment to the Greater Good

T – Trust

·  IMPACT Advance / Living the Vision

Anywho, we were taking the hula hoops to the training room (where everything for IMPACT is being stored) and the staff just casually decided to have a hula hoop break in the looja. The party got too big so we just headed outside. Maybe it sounds crazy but at least we know how to have a good time! 

On Wednesday, we had a Ritual workshop with Sally. Although we are all very familiar with our ritual, it is such a wonderful experience to get to learn and review. No matter how many times you hear or read or take part in it, you always find something new to love about Alpha Delta Pi. 

On Thursday, Kathryn and I worked at the phones. A seemingly "uneventful" day; we worked the phones and put together manuals and materials for colonizing chapter officers and new member plans. HOWEVER, I will tell you, that day, I fell so much more in love with ADPi. 

Read about it in my last blog post http://turntopaige394.blogspot.com/2014/06/why-alpha-delta-pi.html. I can't even begin to explain how much this sorority means to me but maybe that entry will give you a closer look. 

Friday we had the adventure any ADPi dreams of. Our Mission to Macon. 

Alpha Delta Pi was originally founded on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan Female College, the first college chartered to grant degrees to women, in Macon, GA. Eugenia Tucker and her five closest friends sought even more than what her education consisted of (at the time, it was incredibly rare for women to even think of pursuing a college degree). These brave young women desired to form an association for personal improvement. They sought council from the college president, a professor, and a reverend - together they created what is today known as Alpha Delta Pi. 

The original name for the sorority was the "Adelphean Society."  Adelphean is derived from the Greek word meaning "sister".  The name changed to Alpha Delta Phi in 1905 and then, to Alpha Delta Pi in 1913.  The basic principles and ritual are much the same as those developed by our founders.

Alpha Delta Pi's founders were Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald, Ella Pierce Turner, Octavia Andrew Rush, Mary Evans Glass, Sophronia Woodruff Dews, and Elizabeth Williams Mitchell.  Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald, the acknowledged leader of the Adelpheans, was chosen their first president.  Within two weeks of the founding of the Adelphean Society by these six ladies, they were joined by 13 others to form the first chapter of the Adelphean Society.  These women paved the way for all other sororities and millions of other sorority women across the world.

The first stop on our tour was Rosehill Cemetery. Now, maybe you're like... um why the heck did you go to a cemetery!? Well, for two reasons. 1. Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald is buried there. I mean, she was the founder of this incredible organization with over 150 active chapters and tons of members in the US and Canada. The least we can do is pay our respects to her and thank her for something so wonderful. 2. It was where many members of the Adelphean Society took their walks and spent their "free time" to escape the rigid world inside Wesleyan. 

                                  

Next stop, The Cannonball House. This house survived the Civil War. Literally. A cannonball flew about a mile in, through a window and landed in the floorboards. Lucky for us, it didn't explode. 

The Cannonball House is the Macon home most closely associated with the Civil War as it was struck by a wayward cannonball! The Union artillery was probably trying to strike the Hay House nearby which was thought to house some of the Confederate Treasury. The house was slated to be razed and replaced with a parking lot. The Macon Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy purchased the property in 1962 to save it from demolition and to provide for itself a chapter home. There were two additional parlors with no furnishings.

Since the destruction of the “Old Wesleyan building,” both Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu had a set of Victorian parlor furnishings from their parlors at Wesleyan. It turned out to be the ideal situation for each. The Adelphean and Philomathean parlors from “Old Wesleyan” were recreated at the Cannonball House.

An interior view of the Cannonball House's Adelphean Parlor

The Cannonball House, fully furnished, opened its doors to visitors in 1964. The Sidney Lanier (Macon) Chapter of the UDC no longer meets at the Cannonball House. In 1999 the Friends of the Cannonball House (FOCBH) assumed responsibility and ownership of the property. The Cannonball House operates as an independent house museum, hosting over 10,000 visitors per year.

There are several items in the Adelphean Parlor that were original to the parlor at Wesleyan Female College. These include:

- 2 carved mahogany chairs with blue needlepoint seats

- Mahogany and glass vitrine

- Many books with Adelphean Society bookplates (in secretary)

- White marble mantle (removed from Wesleyan)

- Gold leaf mirror above mantle

- Chandelier

- Interior shutters (taken from Wesleyan)

- Stained glass transom (taken from Wesleyan and installed above the door.

Other items that you will want to see include:

- Portraits of our founders

- A portrait of Alice Culler Cobb, Adelphean 1853. (Mrs. Cobb founded the Women’s Missionary Society of Georgia in this room at a gathering called by Mrs. Holt, the original owner of the house. (A plaque in the room states this.)

- Pastel drawing of the original Wesleyan Female College

- Diamond-shaped silver cake basket given to Minnie Bass Burden, an Adelphean, for her wedding in 1880. She in turn presented the basket as a gift to the restored Adelphean Parlor.

               

Last, but certainly not least, we visited Wesleyan Female College itself. We were able to look at programs and pictures, as well as copyrights of our brand from as early as 1888! It was incredible to see what a presence we left not only in Macon, Georgia, but around North America.

We as Alpha Delta Pi focus on four main points, scholarship, service, sisterhood, and self. With these four points in mind we can count on the support of our sisters to be women of character. This has remained true with every Alpha Delta Pi for over 160 years and the traditions hold strong and true. Even though there is no longer Greek life on Wesleyan's campus, we are an ever-present source and symbol of leadership and positive change throughout the community. 

There are several items on the present Wesleyan campus that commemorate our beginnings as the Adelphean Society at Wesleyan.

The Adelphean Bench, silver gray marble and engraved with names of founders, is located near the library. The bench, designed by Emily Langham, Epsilon, was presented to Wesleyan College in 1926, in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority at Wesleyan.

The Memorial Fountain is located in the center of the quadrangle. The Alpha Delta Pi coat-of-arms is engraved on the large slanting block at center. The names of the founders of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority are engraved on the stairs leading up to the fountain. The fountain, of white Georgia marble, was presented to Wesleyan in 1936, as a gift to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the chartering of Wesleyan College in 1836.

On our weekend, we went wild and went to SIX FLAGS! We all had a ton of fun screaming our brains out on roller coaster after roller coaster! 

All in all, I would say that week two was wonderful in every which way.

See ya in week three baybeeeee!

Loyally, 

Paige