In recognition of the 125 years since the establishment of the Theta archives, I brought more than 150 items to the recent 75th Grand Convention in National Harbor, Md. I asked attendees to identify their five favorite items in the exhibit.
Individually, attendees identified more than 100 items as one of their five favorites. It was fun to hear guests comment on how an item connected to them personally or wishing that the item was available for purchase. Most of all, | enjoyed hearing stories and would love to hear more about these items and others.
1. The badges. I brought a badge from every decade of Theta’s history, from the 1870s to the 2020s. The earliest was from 1875 and the most recent was a Founder Badge (a replica of a founder's badge produced for Theta’s sesquicentennial). Attendees also ranked several specific badges very high. Included among those was the Fraternity vice president badge belonging to Amy Hayner Kates, Alpha Phi/Tulane, former Fraternity vice president and Fraternity president. The badge and accompanying Grand Council pin had been submerged under Hurricane Katrina waters in 2005.
2. A charm bracelet. The bracelet includes Theta’s letters, a pledge pin, a scholarship crest, a megaphone with “GAA,” and a charm signifying the year 1962, circa 1962.
3. A folding stadium seat. This seat was for Dad’s Day from Alpha Omicron/Oklahoma, 1962.
4. A floor-length apron. The apron was made for Lorie Herbert Merrill, Gamma Xi/San Jose State, circa 1970s. The apron was a thank-you gift for Lorie for her service as alumnae district president. It is composed of patches embroidered by fellow district officers, alumnae chapter officers, and Fraternity officers.
5. Songbooks from 1891, 1921, and 1948. Singing was a prominent activity among Thetas. With the first songbook published by Beta Chapter in 1877, the Fraternity continued to publish songbooks through 1978. The songbooks contained music sung at special occasions and recreational events. The Fraternity would often conduct song contests or even require chapters to submit songs for a new edition of a songbook.
Do you have items you’d like to donate to Theta’s archives? Get in touch with me about your items!