1. education
2. alumni and reunions

Kite Tale
K a ppa A lph a Th et a H ous t on A lu mn ae Chap t er
VOLUME 15
ISSUE 4
APRIL—MAY
2015
w ww .h ou s ton t h et a s .o r g
LETTER F R OM TH E PR ES ID EN T
Dear Theta Sisters,
A few weeks ago, on the same day, I received two letters in the mail. One was
from a Theta thirty years older than I and the other from a Theta twenty-five years
younger. They both thanked me for several Theta happenings this year as well as
expressed their gratitude for the friendships we have made and enjoyed over the
years because of our Theta connection. WOW…two in one day…spanning three
different generations of Theta. Theta brings women of all ages together who
work, play and make lasting friendships. Age knows no boundaries in Theta. I can honestly say I
have Theta friends from their mid-twenties to their late eighties…and each and every one is
special. So, when asked why I love Theta, my answer is the lasting friendships I have made, no
matter what the age. Theta really is for a lifetime!
Bouquets of Pansies go to: Jana Phillips for organizing the February Theta Tuesday at Caracol
where we had a great turnout; Wendy Wright and Catharine Faulconer who opened their
beautiful homes for the February board and general meetings, respectively; Sarah Eilers who
spoke on “Living with Antiques” and to Waverly Gage and Emily Bolin who served as hostesses for the February general meeting; Vicki Lange for planning and organizing a WONDERFUL and FUN Theta Travelers Trip to Santa Fe and Virginia Purcell for opening her lovely
Santa Fe home one evening for cocktails; Amanda Hellmann for organizing the Azalea Trail
tour and Sheryl Bech for inviting us to her exquisite home for lunch; Alice Helms for chairing the Philanthropic Coffee, held in Beverly Arnold’s beautiful home, which honors all of the
2014 Theta Charity Antiques Show philanthropies! A HUGE bouquet of pansies and my sincere
thank you to Ruthie Waldrop for her outstanding job as editor these past two years. We
thank you very much!
April and May activities: April 7 & 8 TCAS Underwriter Letters-signing at Lois Wright’s; attend the Kick-off event for London’s Calling, 2015 Theta Charity Antiques Show at Sheryl Bech’s
on April 8; Young Alumnae will have a Mixer with the Kappas and Pi Phis on April 9 (place
TBD); Nite Kites have a year-end dinner on April 14 at Seasons 52; enjoy Happy Hour on
April 15th at Becky Hobson’s with a program by Jenni Hummel; Holly Mason will host the
joint board meeting and lunch on April 29th; and Linda Debrovner invites us to her home and
gardens for the Year-End Luncheon and Celebration in May. As a service project, we are collecting new underwear to donate to Undies for Everyone, a 2013 TCAS beneficiary. Please
bring a package or two of new underwear for girls and boys (sizes 6 – 14) to the meeting at
Linda’s home.
Thank you for entrusting Theta to me for the past year. I am honored and humbled to have
served as President of the Houston Alumnae Chapter. We have
Theta love and mine,
worked hard together to insure a bright future for our nationally
recognized chapter. I will forever carry with me the wonderful
memories from this past year. It is an experience I will always
cherish.
Susan Arnold Martin
Theta of the Year, Jennifer
Bowen, with Susan Martin
and Vicki Lange.
(Photo by Kathleen Waugh)
Spring Recruitment 2015
Baylor
Meredith Ammerman*
Emily David*
Allison Tinsley*
Sara Austin
Lucy Connelly
Haley Dickinson
Courtney Graff
Isabel Hernandez
Courtney Muncey
Shirin Soleimani
Carrie Whittlesey
Vanderbilt
Megan Friedman
Lauren Mahoney
Grayson Myers
*denotes legacy
Page 2
NITE KITES
End of Year
Friendship Dinner!
Tuesday, April 14,
2015 @ 6:30 pm
SEASONS 52
4410 Westheimer
Road, 77027
RSVP by April 12th
cbalderach@gmail.com
or 832 350-1191
Congratulations
to 2015
THETA of the YEAR
Jennifer Bowen
and to
TWIN STARS
Mary Catherine Miller
and
Laura Wheless
CARING AND CONCERN
Sympathy
To the family of Marian McKenzie
Langford on her death
To the family of Frances Brooks Hixon
on her death
To Susie Seybold Campbell and Mary
Seybold Schissler on the death of
their father, Herbert Seybold
To Mary Margaret Finnegan McDonald
on the death of her husband, Keith
McDonald
To Janis Frank Henry on the death of
her mother-in-law, Rue Evans Henry
Newly-elected Officers for 2015-2016
President
Vice President
Recording Secretary
Corresponding Secretary
Treasurer
Treasurer-elect
Editor
Panhellenic Delegate
Chapter Advisor
President-elect
Melinda McConn Chernosky
Alice “Giggy” Martin Thanheiser
Laura Wynne Cale
Waverly White Gage
Margaret McCullough Buescher
Molly Wehner Marks
Socorro “Suzie” Paz Jones
Cooky Maddox Mays
Susan Arnold Martin
Cynthia Jones Lange
*Pay your dues!*
Dues for 2015-16 are due by May 31st!
Watch for your dues statement in April
or you may go to www.houstonthetas.org
& use PayPal to pay online
THANK YOU!
Page 3
RECRUITMENT 2015-2016
Who can write a Letter of Reference? Any Theta alumna member in good standing may submit a Letter of Reference. A
member in good standing is a dues-paying member of the fraternity.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSING A POTENTIAL NEW MEMBER (PNM) INTO KAPPA ALPHA THETA:
Complete the Letter of Reference:

Download a Letter of Reference form at www.houstonthetas.org.

Fill in the Letter of Reference form neatly and completely. You may attach an additional sheet if the space provided is not adequate.

Upon completion of the form, please place a small photo of your candidate in the lower right corner on the
front page of the form and make 2 copies of the form (front and back). (Note: This is a change from previous
years when 4 copies were required.)
Include in the Reference Packet:

The completed and signed Letter of Reference

2 copies of the Letter of Reference as described above

3 pictures of the candidate – 1 close-up, 1 full body and 1 other

1 copy of her high school transcript on which the candidate has written, “Released by” and signed her name

1 copy of the candidate’s personal resume

2-3 Letters of Support (These are personal letters written by Thetas who wish to provide additional information and support for the PNM. Some chapters place more value on letters of support than others. Ask a
member of the Recruitment Board if you have questions.)
All Letters of Reference are due no later than Friday, May 1, 2015.
Mail or deliver completed packets to: Emily Bolin, 8 Pinewood Circle, Houston, TX 77024
All packets are due by May 1st whether your PNM’s college has Fall or Spring Recruitment.
Turn in your packets even if your PNM has not made a final decision among her choices for college. Notify the Recruitment Board as soon as her choice is made.
Be sure your PNM has signed up with HAPA (Houston Area Panhellenic Association) and with her college Panhellenic. This is very important; otherwise, she will be ineligible to participate in Recruitment.
If you have any questions, please contact Theta Recruitment Coordinator Emily Bolin at (Cell) 281-827-2344 or (Hm)
713-722-8783 or emilywbolin@att.net. You may also refer to our website at www.houstonthetas.org.
If you remember Theta, she’ll always remember you….
The words to one of our favorite songs, "Remember the Black and Gold," should have special meaning for each of us. What do they mean to you?
To me, the words mean that Kappa Alpha Theta always has a special place in our hearts and in our lives. Our legacy can endure even after we are gone.
You can ensure that Theta is a part of your legacy by naming Theta Foundation in your will or by requesting that gifts in your memory are sent to Theta Foundation. Both of these are easy to do. Please take time today to ensure that your life-long connection to Theta lasts beyond your lifetime. You can learn more
by going to www.KappaAlphaThetaFoundation.org or by calling Dinah McClymonds, Theta Foundation Trustee at 832-242-3191.
Page 4
T H ET A HA P PE N IN G S
Bible Study Every Mon@ St. Luke’s. Contact Suzy Heine 713-467-7823, suzyq819@gmail.com.
Bridge Fourth Thursday. The Forest Club, 11:00 to 3:00, for bridge and lunch. All bridge players are welcome. Please contact Jan Neuenschwander at 713-781-8899 or Janeuen@aol.com.
Investment Club —Theta Wildkats Second Wednesday. Members’ homes. Contact Cooky Mays at
713-502-9567 or cmays3241@sbcglobal.net .
Theta Tuesdays Join your Theta sisters for your favorite beverage or a bite to eat. Watch emails for
where to meet. Contact Jana Phillips at 713-661-8311 or jmlphillips@comcast.net.
MEETINGS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
April 7 & 8 — TCAS Underwriter Letter-Signing at 3428 Chevy Chase Dr. (Tu: 9a-4p; Wed: 9a-2p)
April 8 — Kick-off Party for TCAS London’s Calling at 123 Point Broad Oaks (5:30 p.m.)
April 9 — Young Alumnae Mixer with Kappas and Pi Phis (Place TBD)
April 14—Nite Kites Year-End Friendship Dinner at Seasons 52, 4410 Westheimer Rd. (6:30 p.m.)
April 15 — Happy Hour (5 - 7 p.m.) at 3655 Overbrook with program, Style Watch for Summer, by Jenni Hummel
April 29— Joint Board Meeting and Lunch (10:00 a.m.) at 3801 Chevy Chase Dr.
May 6 — Year-End Luncheon Celebration (10:00 a.m.) at 6007 Deerwood Rd.
REMEMBERING
2014
What a Show!
(Photos by Kathleen Waugh)