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Big wheels keep on turning.

Posted by Anna Kate Monday, July 18, 2011 4 comments


On Saturday I finally got serious about packing for my LC travels (mostly because my Mom made me).  Luckily, we did have an awesome spreadsheet from the 2010-2011 LCs that made the packing process so much easier.  Thank you so much, sisters!  I don’t know what I would have done without it.

For my luggage, I have a three piece set of 360-degree rolling Heys Luggage.  With the help of the lovely Miss Ashlyn Stallings’ blog post that you can read here, I packed accordingly.  The largest piece of luggage is going to be my closet, the mid-sized one my powder room, and the smallest one my office.  The “closet” of course contains all of my clothes, undergarments, and shoes.  The “powder room” holds all of my shower supplies, hair products, make-up, etc.  And my “office” carries my books, laptop, digital camera, and medicine.

I have to give Ashlyn credit again for the advice on what I should take on the plane other than my rolling carry-on.  After talking with her (and asking her 1 of 1,000 questions) I invested in a briefcase bag that I absolutely love so far.  I obviously haven’t traveled with it yet, but it seems just perfect.

I guess I will find out soon enough how this little arrangement works because I leave for Atlanta TOMORROW to begin training at ADPi Executive Office!

 

Pecan pie cookies.

Posted by Anna Kate 5 comments

I mentioned yesterday on my post that I work at the Georgia Pecan Growers Association when I’m at home.  One of my “fun facts” that I shared with the other LCs was that I can rattle off lots of useless information about pecans.  (How many pecans are used to make a pecan pie?  About 78.)  I am always looking for recipes that use pecans for our magazine at work – The Pecan Grower.  I came across this recipe for Pecan Pie Cookies and they looked so delicious I just had to try it for myself!  I made this batch today as a yummy treat for my Consultant Sisters tomorrow when we move into ADPi Headquarters!

For the cookies, you will need –
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder

 
Combine all cookie ingredients except flour and baking powder in a large bowl.

Beat at medium speed until creamy.  Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking powder.  Beat until well mixed.


Shape dough into 1-1/4 inch balls and place 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.



 


Make indentation in each cookie with thumb;
rotate thumb to hollow out slightly.





Now, for the filling you will need –
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla




Combine all filling ingredients in small bowl;
fill each cookie with 1 rounded tsp.





Bake on 350-degrees for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.


Enjoy!

*You might enjoy them more if you DON’T look at the Nutrition Facts, but here they are –
(1 cookie): Calories: 130, Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 50mg,
Carbohydrates: 15g, Dietary Fiber: <1g, Protein: 1g

 

An appreciative mindset.

Posted by Anna Kate Sunday, July 17, 2011 0 comments

When I'm at home, I work here!
Last week at work, I spent two days writing thank you letters.  That was literally all I did for the entire day on Monday.  Writing these thank you letters was a priority, and expressing appreciation to our supporters is crucial to our business.

It made me stop and think – is showing appreciation a top priority in my own life?  As I sat there writing, I couldn’t help but to recall the two or three thank you notes that I had left unwritten.  Showing appreciation for others more was one of my New Year’s Resolutions, and although I have improved, I still have a long way to go.

It is so simple for me to sit down at work and write countless thank you notes, so why is it so difficult for me to do in my personal life?  It often seems like just another task I tack on the end of my to do list, but it should really be more of a way of life than a duty.

“Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.” -Gladys B. Stern
via
This quote by Gladys B. Stern is so true and it always reminds me of the importance to stop and repay kindness to others.  Two words that are so easy to stop and say, but are more often than not neglected.

THANK YOU.

Hopefully keeping a mental tally of how many times I use these two words in a week will help me move  towards a more appreciative mindset.

 

The countdown begins.

Posted by Anna Kate Friday, July 15, 2011 2 comments

There is nothing like getting an email update from our boss to brighten a LC’s day!

Included this time were details for our arrival, meals, dress, what to expect, etc.  While reading this email, it finally all started to seem real.  After coming to this realization, I immediately began doing laundry and packing.

Our arrival date at Memorial Headquarters is still set for Tuesday and we are to be there no later than 4:00.  Now that I know the definite time, I can start a day-hour-minute countdown instead of just a day-by-day one.  Just to give you an idea of how excited we really are to be back together, here is a picture of what fellow Consultant Sister, Sarah Steele, did while she was at work today –


We are going to be doing a little grocery shopping on our first day or two there because we will be responsible for making our own meals.  And this includes providing for International Officers and programming people who are there to train us.  We promise it will be delicious, ladies!  Luckily we have at least two Betty Crockers on staff – Brett and Haley.  One of my favorite “fun facts” that I learned about my Consultant Sisters was that Brett’s sister is actually a Cake Doctor and works to find the best ingredients suited for cake baking.  How neat is that?!  I’m pretty sure those cooking genes run in the family, so never fear – we will turn out some great dishes!

We will be training for three weeks in all of the programming areas, office areas, and much more!  I always felt like the LCs were an ADPi dictionary who somehow knew everything.  I am eager to learn lots of new information to help prepare me for this role and hope that it will benefit the women I visit this year!

 

Wear that diamond 'til we die.

Posted by Anna Kate Tuesday, July 12, 2011 3 comments

Recently I have been thinking a little (okay, a lot) about moving back into ADPi Headquarters.  Yes, moving back in.  This time last year I had the privilege of living and working at Executive Office for six weeks as a 2010 Summer Intern.
The experience I gained during my time there was invaluable.  I met many amazing women whose friendship remains very near and dear to my heart.  These women taught me a lot about Alpha Delta Pi and about myself.  I learned to appreciate so many different things about our organization.  I learned that there is a method to the madness behind the paperwork and specific rules that are set in place.  I learned a great deal about our history – all the way back to our founding in 1851.  I have a much greater appreciation for where we came from and a clearer view of why preserving our organization in the future is so crucial.  I learned about expansion and leadership services and the list could go on and on.

But what I learned about myself I owe to the other interns.  There were five of us, all from different chapters across the country.  Not only did we have Alpha Delta Pi in common, but we were also all serving as chapter President at the time.  Spending time sharing stories, concerns, worries, as well as achievements was really life-changing for me and my next semester as President.

Most importantly, living with these sisters helped me to appreciate the diversity of our sorority.  Prior to the internship, I had little experience with Alpha Delta Pi chapters outside of my own and none whatsoever outside of District I (the Southeast).  Our chapter experiences were all very different, but we were all sisters.  We all had the same foundation that was laid for us by our founders over 160 years ago.  So what I gained was this – to learn from one another, grow individually, and embrace the differences in others. 

I am so excited about meeting many different Alpha Delta Pi women this year.  I encourage all of you as well to take every opportunity to reach out, connect, and meet new sisters from other places.  With all of the social media outlets that are now available, the possibilities to do so are much greater than they have ever been before.  And just because someone may not appear to be your typical “your-chapter-name-here” girl, she is your sister and I guarantee that there is something you can learn from her.


“If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting and set out on a truth-seeking journey, and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared – most of all – to face some very difficult realities about yourself . . . then truth will not be withheld from you.”
-Eat, Pray, Love

 

The waiting game.

Posted by Anna Kate Saturday, July 9, 2011 0 comments

Now, for the next 10 or so days, I begin the countdown – anxiously crossing off days in my Lilly planner getting closer to July 19th.  We got the official word from the boss this week that we would be moving in on that Tuesday.  Hooray!  And move we will, to Alpha Delta Pi Memorial Headquarters off Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, GA where the incoming Leadership Consultants will train for 3 ½ weeks at Executive Office.
Alpha Delta Pi Memorial Headquarters
Since I only live in South Georgia my parents will be driving me up that day, but I thought the responses from my Consultant Sisters about our arrival was much more interesting . . .
“Did anyone else think it was weird to get a one-way ticket?
I’ve never gotten a one-way ticket before!”

It’s still hard for all of us to believe that when we begin packing for the big move, that we really are packing for good – literally months on the road.  And your guess at where we might be going is as good as ours at this point!  We will receive our travel schedules for the month of August at the end of July.  Just thinking about it makes me anxious!  I am so excited to begin serving my sorority as a Leadership Consultant and it still seems too good to be true.  And just when I thought things couldn’t get any better after I got the job, I met my Consultant Sisters at realized it could.  Can’t wait to reunite with these girls in less than two weeks!

2011-2012 Alpha Delta Pi Leadership Consultants
From the left:
Brett Patterson – Eta Upsilon, Wake Forest University
Ashley Trefney – Zeta Upsilon, Oakland University
Haley Maynard – Gamma Kappa, West Virginia Wesleyan University
Sarah Steele Banks – Epsilon Pi, GA Southern & Beta Nu, University of Georgia
Anna Kate Sumler (That's me!) – Zeta Iota, Georgia College & State University
Andrea Farnan – Alpha Pi, The George Washington University
Cristina Perez – Zeta Alpha, California State University Fullerton

 

Diamonds in the Desert Part III

Posted by Anna Kate Thursday, July 7, 2011 4 comments

This is the final Convention post, I promise!

Friday – The majority of the day was spent at the final Business Meeting where Grand Council elections took place.  Check out the members of Alpha Delta Pi 2011-2013 Grand Council here.  Congratulations, sisters!  Looking forward to the amazing things these women will contribute to our great organization.
Friday night was the Alumnae Dinner with a “Bring Your Bling” theme.  This was a really fun night for everyone!  Things got started with a Gift Mart fashion show that all of the incoming LCs participated in.  We sang the traditional Convention Song after dinner to see which “Old Timer” has attended the most conventions.
Solid hug train in front of the new Gift Mart decals.
Saturday – First thing was Initiation followed by a Ritual Review Workshop.  This was an experience unlike any other.  Ritual really is what sets us apart from any other organization and what binds us together as sisters.  There were lots of goose bumps this year as we witnessed one of our founder’s great-great-granddaughters become an alumnae initiate – something I’ll never forget.
I’ll be honest, I had never heard the name Chris Blackburn or of Campus Speak before.  So when I noticed his name on the program and that he would be leading a “Response Ability” Workshop, I didn’t think much of it.  It turns out that this was another unforgettable experience.  The program said that Chris would “share a message to believe in yourself and to have enough self-confidence and healthy self-esteem that you are willing to stand up for what you know to be right” and he did that plus much more.  He left the Alpha Delta Pi Convention body with a very powerful question –
“Are you going to be the sister that your founders wanted you to be?”
LCs showing some Pi love to the man himself, Chris Blackburn.
Immediately following was the Panhellenic Luncheon.  It kicked off with the processional of flags representing the 26 NPC groups and closed beautifully by keynote speaker, Peter Smithhisler, President and CEO of the North-American Interfraternity Conference.
There were a variety of workshops that afternoon.  First I went to “Advisor Training – Beyond the Basics” for a different perspective on chapter operations, then chose “True Colors and Effective Communication”.  If you attended DLC this year or Adelphean Compass, then you will remember learning about “True Colors” and how we approach things based on personality type.  This expanded on that and focused on common mistakes we make when communicating with other colors.  Both sessions were great!
Showing off Zeta Iota's new Excellence Award!
Saturday night was the big finale at the Diamonds Awards Banquet.  Here the highest awards are presented, new Grand Council is installed, and the evening concludes with the Candlelight Roll Call where tiny pen lights slowly light the room as members from each chapter stand as their chapter name is called.  In closing of Convention is the Recessional to the lawn outside where we gathered in a circle and sang ADPi songs.  This was truly a heartwarming moment being surrounded by so many sisters and realizing that this is what it’s all about.

Sunday – Grand Convention came and went in the blink of an eye!  I was not ready to say goodbye to my Consultant Sisters.  We met with the outgoing consultants and our boss for one last breakfast together.  We were especially looking forward to finding out who our Violet Sisters were!  (A Violet Sister is an outgoing consultant paired with an incoming consultant to serve as a mentor of sorts.)  I cannot tell you how surprised and THRILLED I was to open my letter and see that it had been signed by Mary Kathryn Dykes!  A little background – Mary Kathryn visited my chapter last year on her first visit.  She really inspired all of us and she reaffirmed all of my hopes of applying to become a Consultant.  Having her as my Violet could not be more perfect.  In my letter she also gave me the LC dangle for my badge – a small, silver suitcase.  Adorable, right?  Best Violet Sister combo ever.
Violet Sisters.
Now the countdown to Atlanta begins!  T-minus 12 days until we move into Alpha Delta Pi Memorial Headquarters and begin training at Executive Office.  Can't wait!

 

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