Salad Days! #WhyAlphaChiWednesday

Celebrating the arrival of summer at our annual Salad Days event in May turned into a joyful ritual moment when we recognized our 25-year, 50-year, and 60-year members! Thanks to our president Amy for always being prepared to honor our sisters. Salad Days is usually our largest event of the year, and we are thankful for the attendance of the Real.Strong.Women who live their AXO values, Wisdom.Devotion.Achievement.

Amy, president, conducting the ceremony (L-R, Julie, Barbara, Lynda, Karen)

Britain pinning Annette with the 50-year pin

Britain pinning Maxine with the 60-year pin (to the right, Alyssa, Jocelyn, Amberly, Tara)

Britain pinning Motney with the 60-year member pin

Our 25-year, 50-year, and 60-year
L-R Julie (Beta Lambda), Lynda (Beta Gamma), Karen (Beta Eta), Maxine (Beta Eta), Annette (Beta Eta), Arlene (Gamma Chi), Barbara (Gamma Iota), Amy (Zeta Upsilon), and Motney (Beta Eta),  

And! Amy sent our photo to The Lyre!

Celebrate 130 years of Alpha Chi Omega #AXO #AXOYoungAlums #HallofCommitment

In honor of Alpha Chi Omega's 130th birthday on October 15th, we celebrate some current #axoyoungalums.

We wished our Spring 2015 Beta Eta graduates Good Luck.

May Wisdom, Devotion and Achievement go with you! Remember you ARE an Alpha Chi Omega #4lifenot4years  NEVER SAY "I was an AXO." That's so sad! Stay connected, and keep enriching your and other sisters' lives.

Round 1

Round 2

We never want our seniors to forget the importance of our lifetime bond, so if we have to have two ceremonies to accommodate their crazy schedule; we do it!

#Ritual #reblog from @AlphaChiOmegaHQ & @LizRagland (@OCUAChiO)

This fabulous blog post was too perfect not to share. Thank you Liz (OCU, Gamma Tau) and our Alpha Chi Omega Ritual Specialists. This is a perfect post to share as many collegiate chapters start formal recruitment and head back to school! Alumnae - you also can live your ritual daily and PACE!

8 Reasons Why I Love Lyres, Red Carnations and Lyrebirds (and why you should too)

By Liz Ragland, Gamma Tau
I can’t pretend that it’s not true. It’s not a dirty secret or anything to be embarrassed about so I’m just going to put it out there: I’m kind of obsessed with all of the things that remind me of Alpha Chi.
I’m taking a detour from the typical ritual-themed post and borrowing a trick from Buzzfeed - a list! There is no sensational title or pictures of boy bands, or cats (or boy bands with cats) just an honest list of why our symbols, rituals, traditions, and history remind me of our common bond as sisters. Next time you see a red carnation, lyre, or a lyrebird out in the wild I hope you’ll think of our sisterhood!

1. Red carnations are everywhere – If you have ever been tasked with buying red carnations for bid day or any Alpha Chi ceremony you may think that they are hard to find but really, they are almost always available! It’s kind of awkward to get sentimental standing in the floral section at Trader Joe’s, but every time I spot a red carnation it reminds me of the important events in my life as an Alpha Chi. It takes me back to many times I was handed a red carnation: Bid Day, after Initiation, after Hall of Commitment, and after my last formal meeting.
2. Lyre spotting makes me smile – Next time you are in museum, go lyre spotting. Our beloved symbol was used in many styles of art and architecture and it’s always fun to count how many times you can find our symbol in art, or even at Walt Disney World. Next time you do spot a lyre, snap a picture be sure to send it to Coffeewithcelia@gmail.com so we can feature it on Facebook!
3. Stars are always present (and so are your sisters) – Look up. You may not see the stars right now but they are there. Just like your sisters, stars are always present even when it’s daylight. In good times and in bad, remind yourself that your sisters are always there to help you along your journey even when they might not be totally visible, they are there. Perhaps it’s time you get away from the pollution of light and a busy life and seek them out.
4. Fall, full of olive greens and scarlet reds, reminds me of a fresh start – Our sisterhood was founded during the season of olive green and scarlet red. To me, Fall is a fresh start. This is most likely because it’s the beginning of the school year but there is something in the crisp air that reminds me to refocus and reorganize. Do you know what I mean? Perhaps this Fall you can use the season as an opportunity to reboot your attitude, your studies (or your work’s to do list), and your commitment to help your sisters seek the heights.
5. Hera Day makes you a better you – Part of being a Real. Stong. Woman. Is donating your time and skills to make someone else’s life better. Every March 1, in honor of our patron goddess Hera, we are called to do work that brings happiness and well-being to others by engaging in projects in our own communities. When was the last time you donated an hour or two of your time to make someone else’s life better? If it’s been too long, find an opportunity! Visit serve.org for some ideas.
6. Life would be dull without the arts – Music, dance, theatre, and visual art bring joy to our lives and help us explore new ideas or shine a light on an old idea. Our founders were bonded by their mutual love for music and I think any sister who has experienced a piece of music that gives you goose bumps or brings a tear to your eye understands why their passion for music was so strong and why it’s important to our heritage.
7. Who doesn’t want to “seek the heights”? – Our open motto was just as relevant in the late 1800s as it is now. Together, as sisters, we are called to support and inspire each other to seek the heights in every way possible. We seek the heights in our professional and personal lives. We seek the heights so we can continue to grow emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. Next time you’re faced with a challenge or stuck in a rut, remember our open motto and reach out for help if you need some support so you can reach your own “height” whatever that may be.
8. Because doing a lyrebird impression is awesome – need I say more?

Hall of Commitment Fall 2013 - #Alumnae love

We enjoyed sharing our ritual with the Beta Eta seniors graduating in December. These sisters are such super smarties:  Lex - law school; Jenna - nursing; Kelly - UF medical school; Lindsey (neurobiology PhD). And look at those adorable Alpha Chi and Omega stockings (and letters!)

Thank you Linda (Gamma Epsilon, OK State), Amy (Zeta Upsilon, Case Western Reserve University) and Jenn (Theta Upsilon, Clemson) for welcoming our new alumnae!

#AXORitualWeek - Connect with a Sister

Connect with a sister you haven’t spoken to for awhile.
Go to lunch. Have a phone date. Send a card. Write a text.
Make time one day this week to reach out to and tell her why you’re glad she’s your
sister.

If there is a sister that you have lost touch with over the past couple
of years, please feel free to contact headquarters to see how we can help the
two of you reconnect.

Use some fun peacock cards (metmuseum.org):
http://compare.ebay.com/like/170523252254?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

http://www.etsy.com/transaction/66862519

http://www.etsy.com/listing/77469264/peacock-cards-set-of-8

or

Lyre cards

http://www.twinzco.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=STL007&Category_Code=STA&Product_Count=6

Lyre pictures - posting in honor of #AXORitualWeek

When you see a lyre, a peacock or the tri-star, do you think of your Alpha Chi Omega Ritual?


Charleston, SC

New York City - Waldorf Astoria





Cruise ship -Eurodam

Alpharetta, GA

Alpha Chi Omega - Beta Eta

Trees N Trends, Foley, AL

National Ritual Celebration Week

Alpha Chi Omega is proud to join with Phi Mu and many other fraternities and sororities for National Ritual Celebration Week, March 1 - 7

Collegians and alumnae are encouraged to take time each day that week – either by participating in collegiate or alumnae chapter activities or personally – to reflect the meaning of Alpha Chi Omega Ritual and how intentionally personifying that Ritual positively impacts your life.

To honor Alpha Chi Omega’s seven founders, here are seven suggestions for how you and/or your chapter can participate in National Ritual Celebration Week:

☆Organize a Hera Day activity on March 1. Take time on March 1 to be of service to others.

☆Perform the Rededication of the Bond ceremony at your chapter meeting. Invite area alumnae to your chapter meeting that week and perform the ceremony for both collegians and alumnae. If you don’t live near a collegiate chapter, don’t have an alumnae chapter near you or don’t have a meeting scheduled that week, take a minute to reflect on your Initiation ceremony. Are you living the life you pledged to live that day? If so, how else could you show that every day? If not, there is no time like the present to start!

☆Reconnect with a sister you haven’t spoken to for awhile. Go to lunch. Have a phone date. Send a card. Write a text. Make time one day that week to reach out to someone and tell her why you’re glad she’s your sister. If you have regular conversations with sisters, take time this week to talk about the common bond you share with your closest Alpha Chi Omega friends.

☆Reflect on the meaning of The Symphony of Alpha Chi Omega. Re-read "The Symphony" at least one time during the week. How does it relate to where you are in life right now? What is your favorite part of the passage? Why?

☆Change your Facebook profile picture to the National Ritual Celebration Week logo. Consider posting your reflections and other Alpha Chi Omega stories and thoughts as your status updates and on the Alpha Chi Omega Facebook page during that week. You also could tweet your ideas during the week – tag your tweets with #AXORitualWeek and follow that tag throughout the week to see what others are saying on Twitter.

☆Reflect on how you personify Alpha Chi Omega’s values of Wisdom, Devotion and Achievement. You might consider a conversation about one of these ideals with a non-member and tell him/her why you value your Alpha Chi Omega experience so much.

☆Participate in National Panhellenic Conference’s International Badge Day on March 7. Proudly wear your lyre badge to work, on campus and to your community gatherings. Doing so not only honors Alpha Chi Omega, but gives you a chance to connect with other sorority women in your area and celebrate the history of women’s fraternities.

These are just a few of the ways you can celebrate. If you have other ideas we hope you’ll share them on the Alpha Chi Omega Facebook page.

Contact Alpha Chi Omega Headquarters if you have questions or need additional information.

☆☆☆

Hera Day - March 1st - What is your good deed?

As in ancient times when festivals celebrated the Heraea with processions bearing gifts to Hera's temple, so now wings across the continent on March 1, an unending procession of Alpha Chis intent upon distributing happiness to many for at least one day in the year. One day is scarcely correct for the "March first" spirit is contagious and likely to become a habit.

…

The altruism of one fraternity enlists the interest of all other fraternities; in few orders, we believe, is there such an enthusiastic, wide-spread enjoyment of an altruistic custom as our Heraea.

Enthusiasm, indeed, of a dignified, womanly sort is one of the best of the fraternity's traditions. And enthusiasm all must have who see the relation of the attainments of the past to present; who experience the beauties and glories of art; who appreciate the capacity of the human heart for friendship and its joys; who have heard the vibrant call for service, and have felt the satisfaction in responding; and who have learned the place of the spiritual in living.

In a word, the traditions of Alpha Chi Omega guide its members into harmony with the fundamental greatness in life.

(History of Alpha Chi Omega Fraternity 1885 to 1928 by Esther Barney Wilson)