President’s Letter — Rhonda Dunn, Alumnae Chapter President

When I look back on this year, I think our little alumnae chapter has had a pretty successful 2012. Our biggest achievement is a membership that now totals 86 sisters. Just four years after our reestab-lishment , we have the largest number of members in our short history. So I send out a welcome to our new members and thanks to our long term mem-bers for making Epsilon Kappa Alumnae Chapter a success.

I recently went through the pictures on my cell phone and archived them to my computer. It was a very fun trip down memory lane and a good review of the year in pictures. I smiled when I saw the faces and remembered the events, especially the alumnae chapter events we had throughout the year. I had photos from Zumba early in the year, IRD, a weekend at the lake with several sisters, PSU Homecoming, and the Christmas Party in Decem-ber.

I encourage each of you to make time this year to attend one Epsilon Kappa Alumnae Chapter event. We really have a great time together. No one needs to worry about fitting in with us. We are a group with lots of variety in ages, backgrounds, and interests.

So read through this newsletter and take a look at the events of the past year and pick out at least one to attend this year. IRD is right around the corner, and the RSVP form is in this newsletter so that is an easy way to accomplish this goal. Homecoming is a lot of fun with a casual tailgate before the game. I hadn’t been to a Home-coming since I was a student, and now I wouldn’t miss it. There are occasional happy hour events in the Kansas City area. Who can resist a happy hour?

No one likes to go to things alone, so I suggest you call one of your

pledge sisters or college friends and have her attend an event with you. That will give you a chance to catch up, and you won’t have to go to the event alone. You’ll be surprised how the enthusi-asm catches fire, and you end up seeing several of your sisters there for a mini-reunion.

I will promise you two things about any alumnae chap-ter event. First, we will have fun! If it isn’t fun, we just don’t do it. Second, we will not pester you to volunteer for anything. The alumnae chapter is about the sister-hood of experiences that last for your lifetime. It’s about renewing friendships and making new ones. If we do some good work along the way, well that’s just a bonus.

I hope we see you at an alumnae chapter event soon. Contact me if you’d like to go together!

Loyally,

Rhonda Dunn (85)

rhondaadunn@sbcglobal.net

Nutty News Volume 4, Issue 1

Spring 2013

Nutty News Epsi lon Kappa Alumnae Chap ter of A lpha Gamma Del ta

Rhonda Dunn (85) Announcing Scholarship Winners IRD 2012

Nutty News Volume 4, Issue 1 Page 2

Helen Kriegsman Honored at 2012 IRD Helen Kriegsman (59) was honored at the 2012 IRD. The following are excerpts from a speech given by Maggie Costan-tini Ryan (68). Dr. Helen Kriegsman has lived her life with purpose. She has given her entire life to other people and to causes that are close to her heart. Helen is truly a gift to the many hearts she has touched in her life and especially to her Epsilon Kappa sisters. Helen was recruited in 1959 by Francis Hashbarger and Elmina Graham, who are number 1 and number 2 respective-ly, on our chapter roll. Helen is number 3. Since she taught on campus, she was recruited to be the chapter advisor. She remained as chapter advisor for the next 10 years, receiving her Arc of Epsi-lon Pi in 1968. Long before the Equal Rights Amend-ment of 1972, Helen had been quietly impacting the future of women since her own college days in the 1940‘s. In 1942 during Helen’s sophomore year of college, she was elected as secretary of Kansas Alpha Chapter of Kappa Mu Epsi-lon, a National Mathematics Honor Soci-ety. She then served in 1944 as presi-dent of Kansas Alpha. In 1965, she was nominated to serve as editor of Kappa Mu Epsilon’s newsletter “The Penta-gon.” Helen continued her service to Kappa Mu Epsilon as the advisor for Kansas Alpha Chapter at PSU for a num-ber of years. Helen graduated from Pittsburg State University, then Kansas State College, in 1944 and received her Master’s in 1947. In 1964, she received her PHD from Ohio State University. In 1969, she was chosen as the first woman chairperson of the Mathematics Department at PSU. It was sometime after her appointment as Math Department Chairperson that Helen resigned her position as EK Chap-ter Advisor. The mathematics chair po-

sition would require a great deal of her time, and she certainly saw her role as a woman chair to be an important one. Helen was active in leadership roles on campus for the rest of her career. From 1969 through 1972, she also served as an officer and director of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She retired from PSU in 1989, and today she still holds the distinction of being the only woman to chair the Math De-partment. Through the years, Helen has been ex-tremely active in the Pittsburg commu-nity and at Pittsburg State University. She has held leadership roles in the First United Methodist Church, PEO, Kiwanis, Via Christi Auxiliary (Pink Ladies), and she is presently active in all of these groups. She also serves on the board of Via Christi Village, the facility where she currently resides. She has served for Meals on Wheels, provided tax help at Pittsburg Public Library, and volunteered in the Office of University Development where she was in charge of scholarships. She is a past president of the PSU Alumni Association and a past president of PSU Foundation Board of Trustees.

Her honors are numerous. Helen has received the Spirit of Pittsburg Award. She also received many PSU honors in-cluding the Meritorious Achievement Award and the DR. Ralf J. Thomas Dis-tinguished Service Award. Helen has also had a scholarship endowed in her name by a former student. In October of 2011, she received an official PSU ring for her service to PSU and the Pitts-burg community. Over the years Helen has become the ultimate Gorilla fan never missing the home football games. She is presently watching those games from the Presi-dent's box. Helen is truly a gift to our hearts! She is a gift to the Pittsburg community, to Via Christi, to PSU, to her church, and cer-tainly to Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Al-pha Gamma Delta. She has lived a life of accomplishments, and we are proud to be able to call her our sister. We owe Helen a debt of thanks for being one of the forerunners in laying the foundation for our chapter. She has lived our pur-pose in all aspects of her life. Loyally, Maggie Costantini Ryan (68)

Helen Kriegsman (59) First Epsilon Kappa Chapter Advisor

Nutty News Volume 4, Issue 1 Page 3

SISTER SPOTLIGHT LYNN VILLAMARIA FOUNTAIN (79)

Epsilon Kappa Chapter has another proud milestone to celebrate with one of our sisters. This past year, Lynn Villamaria Fountain (79) became a published author with her first book, Pathway of Angels : Guidance Through Lessons Learned. This inspirational book chronicles Lynn’s life from her upbringing in Frontenac to her struggle with a pancreatic tumor and her difficult, but miraculous, recovery. At the urging of her doctors on the eve of a dangerous surgery and the onset of a difficult recovery, Lynn wrote letters to her sons. Those letters were her inspiration for the book. Throughout her life, Lynn has felt the presence of a higher power, her “angels,” influencing her path in life. The book is told through a series of angelic oppor-tunities or paths that intervened in her life. It is an enjoyable and uplifting read. Lynn is a 1980 PSU graduate and Alpha Gamma Delta member since 1979. She fondly recalls sitting on the front steps of the sorority house for that first group picture some 30 years ago. Those years were special to Lynn, and she stays in contact with many of her sisters. Becoming an Alpha Gam gave Lynn a stronger sense of belonging and sisterhood while at PSU. After graduation, Lynn began her career at a public accounting firm in Kansas City. She moved to a corporate career eventu-ally progressing to the role of VP of Audit for Aquila in KC until its sale in 2008. Lynn now spends her time as a budding au-thor, consultant, and trainer. Lynn is married and has three sons and one grandson and resides in Overland Park. Her parents still live in Pittsburg. When Lynn visits Pittsburg, seeing the Alpha Gam house still reminds her of the good times from the past. Please join us in congratulating our sister Lynn on her wonderful accomplishment. If you are interested in purchasing Lynn’s book, Pathway of Angels, it is available at Amazon.com. If you would like a signed or dedicated copy please contact Lynn di-rectly at lynnfountain1@aol.com and she will send one via US mail for a flat rate of $12.00.

Jewelry Party Benefits Mission Trips

Elaine Rouse Castagno (77) hosted a jewelry party on be-half of EKAC on January 19, 2012. The jewelry was designed and created by Barb Allison Jurkovich (76). The alumnae chapter was helping Barb raise funds for her mission trips to Haiti and Africa. It was a great afternoon comprised of good food, good wine, and good conversation...not to mention some great bargains on Barb’s gorgeous jewelry. Barb presented EKAC a check for $164 for helping her in her mission.

Carol Haesemeyer Watson (84) Shops at Jewelry Party

Lynn Villamaria Fountain (79) and her family

Page 4 Nutty News Volume 4, Issue 1

Membership Drive Huge Success

Thank you to all who made our 2012 Membership Drive an overwhelming success. We greatly appreciate your willingness to support EKAC. We are pleased to announce that we have 86 members this year. Thanks to all the extra donations sent by many of you, we will exceed our goals for this year. We are working very hard to endow our local scholarships in the names of Jacqueline Iley (75) and Emajeane Shy Boone (60). Last year we were able to award two $100 dollar scholarships. This year, through alumnae contributions, we will defi-nitely be able to increase those amounts. Friends of Jacqueline Iley from the mid to late 1970‘s have earmarked money this year to award a $500 scholarship in her memory, and they hope to continue that each year. In addition, money was trans-ferred to both scholarship investment funds to help grow the principal. Money has also been set aside to send to the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation for the Connie Yates Brown Scholarship, which is awarded to an EK member through the Foundation. We will continue to hold our yearly Membership Drive during the summer. So please watch your mail for a letter explaining the details of the membership drive. We hope you will continue to lend your support to our efforts. Thanks again for your support! You may click on the link below to see a list of sisters who are supporting EKAC.

http://www.agdpsualum.com/home/alumnae

IRD 2012 Sisters: Gifts from the Heart

Epsilon Kappa’s 2012 IRD was held April 21, 2012, at Crestwood Country Club in Pitts-burg. The 2012 theme, “Sisters: Gifts from the Heart,” emphasized the value of soror-ity sisters. A sorority sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life. Twenty-six alumnae and sixty-one collegians attended and enjoyed sharing in the bond of sisterhood. Alumnae and collegians participated in a “Get to Know You Bingo” activity during the social hour. The room was full of energy and excitement as sisters visited during lunch. Helen Kriegsman (59), our first chapter advisor, was honored and recognized as being a true gift to Epsilon Kappa. She lives our purpose in all aspects of her life. She was presented with an Epsilon Kappa bracelet designed by Barb Allison Jurkovich (76). A Memorial Service was held to remember our sisters who entered into Chapter Grand. The Spirit of Epsilon Kappa Award was presented to Elaine Rouse Castagno (77) and Maggie Costantini Ryan (68). The alumnae chapter awarded the Jacqueline L. Iley Scholarship to Evanne Vail (Pittsburg, KS) and the Emajeane Boone Scholarship to Taylor Davis (Tonganoxie, KS). Information was shared about Jacqueline Iley and Emajeane Boone. Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation scholarship recipients were Rachel Hegarty (Peculiar. MO), Holly Hrabik (Olathe, KS), and Alex Paterson (Overland Park, KS). The collegiate chapter recognized Cassandra Jarrett Cleaver (00) for all her hard work and dedication as chapter advisor. IRD ended with the singing of “Margaret’s Song.” A good time was had by all.

Spirit of Epsilon Kappa Award recipi-

ents Elaine Rouse Castagno (77) and

Maggie Costantini Ryan (68)

Page 5

Homecoming Tailgate The alumnae chapter hosted our 4th Annual Homecoming Tailgate on October 20, 2012. Approximately 35 people from 5 different decades attended and enjoyed a tradition-al menu from Mall Deli including that delicious Creamy Italian dressing! The result of the football game was not what we hoped for, but everyone had a nice time visiting and reconnecting with sisters! Following the tailgate, Maggie Costantini Ryan (68) hosted a social gathering filled with good food, great drinks and renewed friend-ships. This event has grown in attendance each year. We hope you will make plans to join us this fall for our Home-coming. More details will be available soon.

Nutty News Volume 4, Issue 1

Sandy Moore Coffman (65) and Maggie Costan-

tini Ryan (68)

Susan Vietti Morley (67), Cathy Vietti McVey (69), Maggie Costan-

tini Ryan (68), Kathy Jones Cattaneo (66) and Chris Cook Colyer

(04)

Back Row—Kristine Stephan

Reynolds (75), Debbie Alvarez

Kovac, Elaine Rouse Castagno

(77), Karen Brummel Wray

(74), Dorothy Webb Stice (74),

Kelly Coker Brazeal (74).

Front Row—Nancy Warren

Pagel (75), Barbara Allison

Jurkovich (76) and Donna Ben-

son Klasing (74)

2012 Convention Awards

The collegiate chapter of Epsilon Kappa received the following awards at Convention

this past summer:

Rose Bowl Award – Honor Roll Member (Scholastic

Award)

Recruitment Improvement Award – Honor Roll Member

Scholarship Improvement Award – Most Improved Schol-

arship

5-Star Chapter

International Council Recognition Award

Congratulations!!!

Collegiate Chapter Capsule

Campus Quota 25

ΑΓΔ New Members

Fall 28

Spring 6

Campus Total 83

ΑΓΔ Chapter Total 75

Page 6 Nutty News Volume 4, Issue 1

Family Christmas Party

Amy Speck Vinton (92) once again opened up her home and host-

ed the 4th Annual EKAC Christmas Party on December 9, 2012.

Fifteen alumnae and their families attended. The party included

all kinds of wonderful food and crafts for the kids, but the high-

light was a visit from Santa. Just as importantly, we also took time

to remember those less fortunate than us by asking attendees to

donate paper products to the Safehouse Crisis Center in Pittsburg.

A special thanks to everyone who made a donation.

AGD Alumnae posing with

Santa at the Annual Family

Christmas Party

Maggie Costantini Ryan (68)

and Rhonda Dunn (85) deliv-

er the donations collected at

the Family Christmas party

to the Safehouse Crisis Cen-

ter in Pittsburg

Page 6

Collegiate Chapter Report

We had another great year for Epsilon Kappa Chapter here at Pitt State. It was definitely an exciting and a great time for all of the members! We love our time here and cannot believe another year has flown by.

January –2012

January started with the transition of new officers. Members were very eager to begin their positions and were excited for the upcoming year! Several members participat-ed in the alumnae chapter Zumba Fundraiser.

February –

Many COR (Continuous Open Recruitment) events were planned for this month. Jaimie Berberich (Olathe, KS) planned a sisterhood potluck dinner. Kate Stein (Salina, KS) held a great scholarship banquet, and our chapter received second in grades with a 3.34.

March –

We had two fun sisterhood activities in March. Jaimie Berberich (Olathe, KS) hosted “The Next Great Baker.” Girls decorated cakes and the winner received a prize. She also planned a fun Easter Egg hunt around the house and the girls found lots of Easter candy!

April –

April was a fun month for us. Angel Week took place. The new members picked a member they look up to and made crafts for them. Greek Week was an exciting week because it was also Initiation Week. We participated in fun games and competitions between the other sorori-ties. We got to show our love for Epsilon Kappa and initiated 8 wonderful women! We also celebrated IRD with our alum-nae.

May –

We had a finals dinner provided by the parents club. We also said goodbye to our senior class. It is always hard knowing people are leaving Pitt State, but we love that we are sisters for life! We also attended the Senior Rededi-cation Ceremony conducted by the alumnae for our gradu-

August –

We kicked off the new school year with a wonderful work week and successful recruitment. Alex Mott (Eudora, KS) planned this week for us. Jordan Gallivan, a leadership con-sultant stayed with us for a few days to help improve recruit-ment. She helped us make some wonderful changes and brought a lot of fun energy into the group.

September –

The month was spent getting into the groove of school. We had some fun sisterhood events, including Mom/Dot week. Caitlin Borel (Overland Park, KS) made this week a lot of fun! Paige Billingsly (Derby, KS) planned a wonderful Family Day and helped us raise money for our Parents Club. Our yearly golf tournament was held September 23rd. Dani Stevenson (Ottawa, KS) made this event very successful and helped us donate $2470.70 to the Alpha Gamma Delta Foun-dation.

October –

October was a crazy month for us. Girls were busy preparing for Homecoming week. Hours were spent on the float and preparing for the annual Yell Like Hell competition. Ellery Warner (Lenexa, KS) worked hard to make this week great! A Halloween themed date party also was held.

November –

Initiation was held this month. The week was full of sisterhood activities to help bring everyone together. We were very pleased and excited to welcome 27 women into this amazing sisterhood! Elections were also held.

December –

An Officer training was held for all of the new offic-ers. Girls are very excited about their positions! Jaimie Berber-ich (Olathe, KS) planned a fun sisterhood event decorating gingerbread houses. She also planned a Secret Squirrel gift exchange. Members were assigned a sister for whom they bought gifts, and we had a big reveal to show who everyone’s Secret Squirrel really was! It was a fun way to bring the Christ-mas spirit to the sorority!

Epsilon Kappa had a great year in 2012. We are very eager to kick off the 2013 New Year with everyone starting their new officer positions. It will go by quickly, but we love that are sis-ters are on this journey with us!

If you are ever in town, feel free to stop by the house. We would love to see you! If you have any questions please feel free to contact the chapter email: epsilonkappaec@gmail.com or my personal email: marykategartner@gus.pittstate.edu

Loyally,

Mary Kate Gartner

Chapter President (Lenexa, KS)

Page 7 Nutty News Volume 4, Issue 1

Page 8 Nutty News Volume 4, Issue 1

IRD 2013 Alpha Gamma Delta – Experiences for a Lifetime

You are cordially invited to attend Epsilon Kappa’s International Reunion Day (IRD). Sisters young and old will gather at IRD to renew friendships and celebrate the gift of sisterhood. Come and reconnect with your sisters at IRD!! Sisters that were initiated in 1963 and 1988 will be recognized for being 50 and 25 Year members. The luncheon is for Alpha Gamma Delta members only and appropriate dress is smart casual/Badge attire. When: April 20, 2013 Place: Crestwood Country Club 304 W. Crestview Avenue Pittsburg, KS

Cost: $15.00 Food: Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake Registration/Social Hour: 11:30 a.m. IRD Luncheon/Program: 12:00 p.m.

Annual House Association Meeting will be held after the Luncheon and Program.

Alpha Gamma Delta

Epsilon Kappa Alumnae Chapter P.O. Box 1823

Pittsburg, Kansas 66762

Very Important Information

Do you have a change in name, address, or marital status? When you do, please notify International Headquarters

and Epsilon Kappa Alumnae Chapter through one of these contacts:

Fraternity Website: www.alphagammadelta.org. Click on “members only” and enter/change your information

(secure section)

Fraternity Fax: (317) 875-5824

Fraternity Address: 8710 N. Meridian St. , Indianapolis, IN 46260

Fraternity Phone: (317) 663-4200

Epsilon Kappa Alumnae Chapter Permanent Secretary

Laura Mortick

P.O. Box 1823

Pittsburg, Kansas 66762 or epsilonkappaalumnae@hotmail.com

EKAC Editor: Heather Kalar Rubesch

Page 9 Nutty News Volume 4, Issue 1

IRD 2013 Registration Form

Please return this reservation form with payment no later than April 5, 2013. Checks should be made payable to Epsilon Kap-pa Alumnae Chapter (EKAC) and mailed to:

Epsilon Kappa Alumnae Chapter

PO Box 1823

Pittsburg, KS 66762

Name: _______________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________

City, State ZIP: _________________________________________________

Phone Number: __________________________________________________

Email address (if applicable) _______________________________________

Amount

IRD Luncheon & Program $15.00 __________

(Please indicate if you have special dietary needs)

If you have questions (or pictures / AGD memorabilia to share), please contact

Shannon Nichols Fletcher at (913) 909-2302 or nicholsagd@yahoo.com

25 & 50 Year Ceremonies

We will be recognizing our sisters that were initiated in 1963 and 1988 during Award Ceremonies at IRD. If you were initiat-

ed in one of these two years, we would love for you to attend IRD and be honored.

Nutty News Volume 4, Issue 1 Page 10

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS House Association of Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta of Pittsburg, KS, Inc.

P.O. Box 2691 Olathe, KS 66063

February 15, 2013

Dear Members, Please take notice that the Annual Meeting of the general Membership of the Epsilon Kappa

House Association of Alpha Gamma Delta will be held as follows: Location: Crestwood Country Club

304 West Crestview Avenue Pittsburg, KS 66762

Date: Saturday, April 20, 2013 Time: 12:00 pm CST approximate time

(Following IRD Luncheon)

For the regular election of Directors, annual reports, and for the transaction of such other matters as may come before the said meeting.

If you are unable to attend in person, you may give your written PROXY for voting to a member

who will be present, in accordance with Article IX, Section 2 of the Bylaws.

Shirley Henderson-Fry Secretary

House Association Update Compared to the last two years, the House Association Board has had a pretty quiet year. There have been no major pro-jects or construction this semester. The house is in great shape, and many of the items on the five year plan have been completed within the last two years. We have spent the past semester doing small maintenance on the house. We are setting our five year goals and looking at the next major project. That project would include the expansion on the parking lot. To make the expansion possible, we have purchased the land behind the house. Of course, there are many as-pects we have to consider when trying to accomplish this task. We plan to form a committee to help fundraise and offset some of the costs for this project. If you are interested in getting involved with this project, please reach out to me. This upcoming semester we will be resurfacing the parking lot and adding new striping to the parking spaces. This will give the driveway and parking a more polished appearance.The Parents Club is providing the sorority house with a new front porch swing, which was a request from the collegiate women. As many of you know, this is an important piece of the AGD house! I am sure many of us can remember the countless hours and conversations that we each have had on that front porch swing with our sisters. HA is also looking for alumnae to become a part of this awesome board! With elections coming up in April, please let me know if you are interested or know of someone who is interested in getting involved. We currently have three to four posi-tions opening on the upcoming HA board. We look forward to seeing you all at the HA Annual Meeting following IRD on April 20, 2013. The annual notice and proxy are contained in this newsletter. I welcome any questions or concerns about the chapter house so please reach out to me through phone or email. 913-634-1414 or gamsister@hotmail.com Loyally, Heather Shondell Kucera (01) HA President

Nutty News Volume 4, Issue 1 Page 11

Annual Meeting Proxy

PROXY FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERSHIP OF

House Association of Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta of Pittsburg, KS, Inc.

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, _________________________________, a member in good Standing of the House Association of Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta of Pittsburg, KS, Inc., do hereby appoint and consti-tute my true and lawful proxy and attorney-in-fact, to act and vote in my place and stead, at the Annual Meeting of said corporation to be held at Pittsburg, KS on April 20, 2013.

I do hereby grant full power and authority to act on my behalf in the voting for the election of Directors at the said meet-ing, and in any other matters which may come before the said meeting, as full as I, myself, could do if then and there personally present.

I hereby designate (Check one) ________ Carol Haesemeyer Watson

13711 S. Edinburgh Street

Olathe, KS 66062

_________ Laura Mortick

972 Sicklebar Road

Peculiar, MO 64078

_________ Maggie Costantini Ryan

1005 Canterbury Road

Pittsburg, KS 66762

IN WITNESS WHERE, I have executed this proxy on the date of ____________________, 2______.

Signed

___________________________________________

Upcoming Dates to Remember

PO Box 1823

Pittsburg, KS 66762 www.agdpsualum.com

epsilonkappaalumnae@hotmail.com

Epsilon Kappa Alumnae Chapter of Alpha Gamma

Delta

Alpha Gamma Delta Internation-al Fraternity (International)

Alpha Gamma Delta - Epsilon Kappa (EK Alumnae Chapter)

Alpha Gamma Delta - EK - Pitt State (Collegiate Chapter)

April 20—IRD

October 5—Homecoming

Please check the website fre-

quently for updates to the

calendar and additional infor-

mation on upcoming events.

www.agdpsualum.com

Non-Profit Org.

US Postage

PAID

Shawnee Mission, KS 66208

Permit No. 488