High Cotton

Diamonds in the Desert Part II

Posted by Anna Kate Wednesday, July 6, 2011 0 comments

The saga continues . . .

Thursday – Woke up bright and early this morning and put on our all white garb (down to the shoes) and assembled for the traditional Adelphean Processional. Here’s an explanation of the Adelphean Processional, courtesy of our website:

“This processional, which was instituted at the 1941 Grand Convention, recreates the original parade of Adelpheans [our founders] through the halls of Wesleyan [where we were founded] with everyone in white dresses and blue satin ribands bearing the motto, ‘We Live for Each Other’, as they process into the Formal Opening Session of the convention.”

Other traditions that take place include the traditional Parade of Chapter Flags that are carried in order by their charter date, singing of the national anthems of the United States and of Canada, reading from Sisters, introduction of International Officers, and presentation of individual award recipients.

When we met with Grand Council before dinner on Wednesday night, I asked them what their favorite part of Convention was and many of them said the Adelphean Processional. After experiencing it for myself, I can easily see why. The Adelphean Processional was probably my favorite Convention tradition and it was really amazing to see how our organization has grown. It makes me even more excited for the two Alpha Delta Pi colonies we will have this year and how they will add to our organization.

First attempt at the hug train.

Following the Convention photograph and Memorial Service, we headed over to the ballroom for the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation Luncheon. The keynote speaker for this was the very special Lindy Lutz Cash. I did a more lengthy post about the message she shared with us on the ADPi Convention Blog that you can read here.

I also sat with my first Province Director today, which was a great experience. Throughout the week, all of the incoming Leadership Consultants had scheduled lunch and dinner dates with different Province Directors. I was a little nervous about this at first, but I absolutely loved all of the sisters that I had the pleasure of getting to know. It turned out to be one of my favorite experiences of Convention week!

After lunch was the first official Business Meeting of the week where members began to discuss and vote on proposed bylaws and resolutions. Following this were District Caucuses, but since this doesn’t really apply to us we had a follow-up training session with the amazing Beth Wright and Jana Clayton – RFM (Release Figure Method) Specialists. We had a lot of lingering questions and some confusion after our first meeting with them, but they were so patient with us and this second meeting really cleared a lot of things up. Thank you, sisters!

Thursday night was the Diamond 4-Point Dinner where we had an amazing speaker – Joe McDonough from the B+ Foundation along with his daughter, Ali McDonough, an ADPi sister from Theta Delta chapter. If you have never heard of this organization before, I strongly encourage you to check it out. The message of the B+ Foundation brought me to tears that night and I look forward to the possibility of working with chapters who partner with them this year.

Last but not least on Thursday night was the “So, You Want to be a Leadership Consultant?” session. You can read all about that on the post I did for the ADPi Convention Blog here.

Improving the hug train one picture at a time.

I didn’t anticipate Thursday’s activities to be so long, oops! Diamonds in the Desert Part III coming soon with a wrap up of Grand Convention.

Diamonds in the Desert Part I

Posted by Anna Kate Friday, July 1, 2011 0 comments

After weeks of counting down, June 21st finally rolled around and I headed to the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix, AZ for the 160th Anniversary Convention of Alpha Delta Pi. This week marked the first time I would be introduced as a 2011-2012 Leadership Consultant, and most importantly, the first time I would meet my Consultant Sisters face to face after months of emails and anticipation.

Recap of the first two days:

Tuesday – Arrived a little after lunchtime, checked in and found out that Andrea Farnan would be my roommate (yay Northern twin!) and discovered a man’s luggage in our room. Needless to say, the hotel fixed that little mistake and took our luggage to the correct room while we had lunch downstairs with our boss and the rest of our Consultant Sisters.

We had amazing training sessions on Tuesday. We met with Lindy Lutz Cash, a phenomenal sister, on general appearance/presentation. Later on, RFM (Release Figure Method) Specialists Beth Wright and Jana Clayton met with us to discuss recruitment statistics and ICS Recruiter.

Tuesday night we attended the International Officer Appreciation Dinner. I did a more lengthy post about that on the ADPi Convention Blog that you can check out here.

After dinner we had a quick meeting with Housing Resources Director, Nancy Mannon, to discuss all things House Corporation. We especially loved hearing about her daughter and how she just loved those “Apple PIs!”

Lots of information for one day, but all well worth it!

First group picture with our new boss!

Wednesday – First official day of Grand Convention for all attendees, but we got a little sneak peek of the International Officer side by attending the Pre-Convention program. We also got our pictures taken for The Adelphean on this day by the amazing photographer Charles Walton – very loved by Alpha Delts.

We had an absolutely wonderful training session with former International President, Beth Gentry Mannle. We got to know a lot about one another during this training session – down to our “true color” and personality type. The information we discussed in this session is supposedly what helps determine where we will be traveling this year – so exciting!

Before we headed to the Welcome Banquet, we were invited to Grand Council’s suite for a little “get to know you” time before walking to dinner together. It was so amazing to meet all of these women and hear the outstanding things they have done for our organization. We attended the Welcome Banquet followed by the reveal of More Sisters – 324 pages celebrating Alpha Delta Pi’s 160th Anniversary. The icing on the cake? An autograph party afterwards by former and present Grand Council members!

To finish up Wednesday night, we had a special training session with representatives from the GIN System. Luckily we were all on the same page and wanted to wrap things up quickly. Thanks to Ethan, Katrina and Chad for letting us get some much needed sleep!

Pre-Convention Volunteer Training Program

Stay tuned for Diamonds in the Desert Part II with details from the rest of Grand Convention!

We're in high cotton now.

Posted by Anna Kate Wednesday, June 29, 2011 1 comments

I cannot express how much pure joy it gives me to tell you that I have been selected as a 2011-12 Leadership Consultant for Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. In case you’re wondering what this is exactly, here is a description courtesy of the Alpha Delta Pi website –

“Leadership Consultants are representatives of the sorority who work with collegiate chapters throughout the academic year in areas such as officer training, recruitment, and leadership. At the same time, Leadership Consultants are cultivating valuable professional skills that will continue to serve them after their year of travel.”

During one of my interviews for this position I was asked why I thought this job was relevant. I responded by saying that one person can make a difference. The Leadership Consultants that we were fortunate enough to host at my collegiate chapter have made lasting impressions on our members and their impacts will benefit our chapter for many years to come.

Educating collegiate women on the foundations of our sorority in order to help them empower themselves and motivate others is what sparks the light within me. It is my fervent hope that I will be able to change someone’s life the way women such as Allie Pisching and Mary Kathryn Dykes have changed mine.

This job is absolutely a dream come true for me. Thank you to everyone who helped, encouraged, and prayed for me along the way. I could have only hoped months ago that a small town girl from a chapter in middle Georgia would be chosen to represent my international organization – which is over 140 collegiate chapters strong in the United States and Canada. Wow! What an honor.

Looking forward to the year ahead with my wonderful Consultant Sisters!

These colors don't run.

Posted by Anna Kate Monday, May 30, 2011 0 comments

As I was sitting in church yesterday and we sang the familiar lines, “Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, for those in peril on the sea!” I started thinking a lot about Memorial Day and its history.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. There are many stories as to its actually beginning, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. This holiday is not about division; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. It was made an official national holiday by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1873.

So what is being done today to honor our troops and how are you taking part?

This summer at Alpha Delta Pi’s 160^th Grand Convention, participants will contribute to a Philanthropy Project called “Packages from Home,” which is an Arizona based group founded in 2004 whose mission is to send care and comfort packages to deployed American military heroes who are stationed in active duty theatres around the world, as well as to facilitate activities that elevate the morale for all veterans.

At Grand Convention, Alpha Delta Pi sisters will bring items to donate from an approved list. These items will be shipped to the troops following Convention along with notes and cards to the troops that we’ll write that week. We will also have a district competition to collect coin and cash to facilitate the shipping of our donations. If you would like to give to “Packages from Home” please visit their website by clicking here.

Happy Memorial Day, y’all! God bless our troops!

Our lifetimes were made for these years.

Posted by Anna Kate Sunday, May 22, 2011 2 comments

Truthfully, I have been avoiding blogging lately because I knew

the next appropriate post would be . . .

THE GRADUATION POST.

Although the actual commencement ceremony took place over two weeks ago,

blogging about it somehow makes it seem even more tangible than it did then.

I haven’t been as emotional about graduation as I thought I would be.

I think I’m still waiting for reality to truly sink in. However, moving out of my

sorority house next week may finally turn on the waterworks.

When did four years go by? When did I become so old?

While I was writing my Senior Will for my sorority’s Senior Night,

it made me stop and think about these past four years –

how much I had learned, changed, and grown as a person.

The most valuable thing I gained during these four years was, hands down,

membership in my sorority. Looking back to fall 2007, I could never have imagined that I would become the person I am today. Credit is definitely due to Alpha Delta Pi and the lifelong bonds of friendship that I have made within the sorority.

Four years ago I could never have imagined that I would learn how to plan

a successful campaign, give back in so many different ways through philanthropic efforts, learn communication skills (hello, recruitment!) that would help me in every future professional endeavor, and develop leadership skills that have truly transformed that young, freshman girl into the poised college graduate that I am today.

The list of things that this organization has both given me and enabled me to accomplish could truly go on and on. So here’s to you, Alpha Delta Pi. You have taught me how true the words of our Creed really do ring, day in and day out.

“I believe that my sorority is more than a ritual or a symbol;

that it is a way of life.”

What is your Easter message?

Posted by Anna Kate Sunday, April 24, 2011 1 comments

When I woke up this morning, I started to wonder about Easter. I thought about all the religious implications that this holiday brings and how that transfers into my own life.

In the Christian faith, we recognize Easter as the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. If we stop for a minute to look at the root of the word resurrection we see resurrect, which literally means to rise from the dead or return to life.

As a self-proclaimed optimist, I am always striving to live life on the sunny side. Easter breathes positive energy into all of us. Maybe it’s a combination of the sugar-induced high we get from the Easter Bunny, the warm weather and bright clothes, or the extra time with loved ones – but whatever the reason may be, there is no denying that the Easter season brings out the best in all of us.

Regardless of your religious beliefs, take this Easter as an opportunity to let yourself return to life. Take a lesson from the innocence of Green Gables where Anne Shirley reminds us, “Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it!”

Take a fresh look on your life this Easter and allow yourself to be fully alive –

with no dead weight holding you back.

And, let’s face it; life is just better in pastels.

Pay it forward.

Posted by Anna Kate Saturday, January 29, 2011 2 comments

I intended to publish several posts this week, but that's the funny thing about life -

it never goes as you plan.

First of all, this week made me realize how dependent on technology I have become. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this discovery, but I do know that I will always back up my computer files from this point forward.

On Wednesday I was taking one of my last college exams of my undergraduate history (that doesn't seem real) when I grabbed my laptop while rushing out the door and before I knew it - wham!

A small part of me crumbled inside watching my laptop die. Pathetic, I know.

To make a long story short (and not play the "woe me" card) there seemed to be a black cloud stalking me this week. Of all the things that didn't seem to go well,
I kept reminding myself that it was just stuff and that
life is too short to sweat the small stuff.

I decided to head down South for the weekend for a little R&R and a shopping trip

to replace my other half (a new laptop, of course).

I was cruising along with a new playlist when my check tire light came on, and the next thing I know I hear a whomp, whomp, whomp as I pull into the nearest gas station.

Sure enough, my tire was as flat as could be. This should first teach me a lesson in learning how to change a tire, but it also taught me a lesson in the generosity of others. I am thankful for the strangers who stopped to assist me, and for my Mama and Aunt who were 2 hours away and still managed to get someone there in less than 10 minutes to change my tire. Praise the Lord!

As I continued my drive home I began to think back on the week and all of the small misfortunes I had encountered. But you know what I did? I began to laugh.
How could I capitalize on these small ripples on the relatively calm surface of my life when there are so many others whose hardships I can't even begin to comprehend?

Everyone is fighting some kind of battle. Use the bouts of bad luck in your life as an opportunity to realize how fortunate you are and how you can, even in some small way, enhance the lives of the people that you encounter each day.