Where Were They?

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you; it's been more than a week! (We wanted to keep you guessing but really, life just got in the way a little.) We did have some good guesses about our previous post's location but the correct answer came from alumna Angela Howard, Alpha Epsilon-Washington University. The 1924 Delta Gamma Convention was held in Estes Park, Colorado at the Stanley Hotel. The register contained more than 600 names, one of Delta Gamma’s largest conventions at the time, as a capacity crowd was on hand to celebrate the Fraternity’s Golden Jubilee.


The spectacular Golden Jubilee photograph of 1924 convention-goers is set against the background of an out-cropping of rocks, high in the Rocky Mountains.

Highlights of Convention actions:

• A Birthday Fund, organized by Jesse Roberson Kingery, Rho-Syracuse, sky-rocketed beyond expectations to raise a total of $57,000 which was presented to the Fraternity. The total living membership in Delta Gamma was 8,000, thus the amount raised represented more than $7.00 per member. A reserve fund was established for investment in chapter house loans with the interest earned being used for scholarship loans. 
• Three fellowships of $500.00 each were created and would honor each of the three founders, to be awarded to three graduate Delta Gammas whose graduate work would bring scholastic distinction to themselves and Delta Gamma.
• The Delta Gamma Home in Marchienne, Belgium, would receive $1,000, with the interest from this fund to be set aside as an emergency fund for special assistance for any member in need.
• Financing conventions was a growing problem so the convention body adopted a plan by which a per capita tax of $1.00 per member and $10.00 per year from alumnae chapters would be collected.
• A National Convention Chairman would be appointed to serve four years.
• The ANCHORA's official pronunciation should be with the accent on the first syllable. (Take note; that is still the pronunciation today - anchor-uh.)
• 1924 Convention marked the beginning of a campaign for a centralized office. Nancy Brown Woollett, Phi-Colorado, Fraternity President 1922-1928, constantly promoted the establishment of a central office with a “permanent executive secretary.” (The post convention Council meeting in 1924 did authorize the permanent executive secretary to serve for the next two years. There is, however, no record that this came to pass until 1942.)
• Delta Gamma’s first Distinguished Service Medal was given at this convention to Jessie Roberson Kingery, Rho-Syracuse, for her  work on the Birthday Fund.  The medallion was a special medal, not to be duplicated by sculptor, Julio Kilyeni. 
• Blanche Garten, Psi-Lewis School, presented the Fraternity with a gavel and box made from wood taken from Lewis School. The gavel would be used to open convention gatherings and the box was to be used for it to rest in between conventions.
• A finance committee was formed and since Mrs. Woollett’s term of office was ending, she was asked to be responsible for organizing this.

Check back during Convention week, next week, as we will post regularly from Indianapolis. We will look forward to guest posts throughout the week. Subscribe to this blog so that you can receive an email each time there is a new post. Thanks for reading!