Summer is convention season for Greek-Letter Organizations and it has been for more than a century. In the 1800s, conventions tended to take place during the academic year or over the Christmas holiday. While many GLOs have different names for the event – congress, conclave, etc., the gathering is an opportunity for members, both collegiate and alumnae/i, to gather together, transact the business of the organization, plan for its future, and share fellowship. If GLOs have biennial conventions, there is usually a leadership seminar or something similar in the off-year. Those are equally as fun and educational.
In the next two weeks, Alpha Tau Omega and Kappa Alpha Order, two of the Lexington Triad will be celebrating Sesquicentennials. The fraternities turn 150 later this year, ATO on September 11 and KA Order on December 21. Sigma Nu, the third member of the Lexington Triad will celebrate its Sesquicentennial in 2019.
Kappa Alpha Order’s convention begins on July 30. It will be held in Roanoke Virginia, at the Hotel Roanoke. There will be a day trip to Lexington, where its founding campus, Washington and Lee University, is located. W&L was Washington College when the fraternity was founded.
Alpha Tau Omega’s Congress will convene in Indianapolis next week. ATO was founded by three Virginia Military Institute cadets.
Two cars named Lex and Rich have traveled across the country. Chapter Presidents sign the hood of the car which visits their chapter.
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Other GLOs have gathered this summer and here are some of the twitter posts about those events.
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The Delta Sigma Thetas have been meeting in Houston.
Deltas enjoying the beautiful Heritage & Archives display in the exhibit hall #DST1913 #DSTHouston
The Phi Delta Theta Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute included an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The Phi Delts support ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, because Lou Gehrig was a Phi Delt. The Institute took place at Miami University, where the fraternity was founded.
850 Phi Delts are about to perform the world’s largest #ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. #Kleberg
For the 2015 Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute, the Phi Delts met at Miami University, where the organization was founded.
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The Alpha Kappa Alphas met earlier this month in Chicago and the town was awash in pink and green.
#AKA1908 collected 2,833 backpacks & 8,578 school supplies @ #AKA2015LS! WAY TO GO!! #AKAImpactDay
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The Kappa Sigma Conclave took place last week.
We begin Roll Call at day two of #KSConclave #FraternityStandard
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The Phi Kappa Psis were in Omaha, Nebraska for the 2015 Woodrow Wilson Leadership School during the College World Series and the attendees took in a baseball game.
Our brothers at the College World Series in Omaha for the Woodrow Wilson Leadership School #2015WWLS @PhiKappaPsi
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The obligatory dessert photo is courtesy of Alpha Xi Delta. Its convention took place over the 4th of July in Boston and fireworks were part of the festivities.
Awards celebration at #AxidBoston
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The men of Delta Sigma Phi were in New Orleans and took a convention photo. Convention photos are not easy to coordinate.
#tbt to Saturday in Jackson Square in New Orleans for our Convention photo! #DeltaSigNOLA
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It’s always fun when a famous member speaks to the convention body. The Kappa Deltas were proud to present and listen to Brooke Anderson.
Sister @BrookeAnderson is the keynote speaker for the session: Confidence in the Workplace! #ShineKD
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Conventions rely on a myriad of volunteers. National Council officers give freely of their time and conventions usually signal the beginning, and then, at a later date, the ending of their tenure in office.
#AEPhiConv15 is in the books & I am heading home w/ a lifetime of memories from 4 years as @AEPhi National President!
Proud of my @AlphaDeltaPi sisters for raising over 1M for @RMHC ~ From our house to yours…#AzureOverAZ #ADPiLove
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AOII Foundation gave over $1M in funding this biennium! #AOIICONV2015
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And my favorite convention, since I was in attendance, was the Pi Beta Phi convention in Chicago. The last time Pi Beta Phi had a convention in Chicago was for its Centennial in 1967. The Edgewater Beach Hotel, also the site of the 1936 convention, no longer exists, but we had a wonderful time at the Chicago Hilton. I love the sentiment in this twitter post from Chi Omega’s Archivist, Lyn Harris. Our conventions are in alternate years and last year I lived the convention experience vicariously through Lyn’s posts. I’d love to be Lyn’s shadow at a Chi Omega convention!
Best Wishes for a great Convention @PiBetaPhiHQ – My dream is to attend as Fran Becque’s shadow! #reachingnewheights
I also have to include this 2017 Convention announcement. It features former Grand President “Sis” Mullis handgliding. Yes, when she said, “This angel is ready to fly,” she did, indeed, mean handgliding. That is actual footage of Sis handgliding. It’s at https://youtu.be/EAvxtNOvEus.
