Page 9 - To Dragma September 1924

214 TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI
more valuable than it had been with no definite concentrated plan
of action.
The belief that Alpha Omicron Pi should work for others
was expressed at its first meeting by Jessie Wallace Hughan.
That was to be one of the essential ideals of this new fraternity
she had helped to found. Stella Stern (Perry) as an individual
member, made weekly visits to a children's hospital, and later
other members of Alpha chapter made gifts of toys to these
children. During the next few years, chapter, and later national
life, became complicated with so many details that the idea of
philanthropic work as an essential part of our life lay dormant.
While on her visits to the chapters, as Grand President, Ruth evolved a scheme which has formed the basis of our present
Capen Farmer came to the conclusion that the chapters wished
to undertake national philanthropic work, and that there was a
strong sentiment towards graduate fellowships and social
service, both of which were in accord with our humanitarian
ideals, though nothing definite was accomplished.
To Rochelle Gachet, as much as to any other member, do
we owe the establishment of national work. A t the Convention
in 1912 she first made the statement that i t was time Alpha Omi-
cron Pi undertook national service, a statement she continued
to make at frequent intervals, backing it up with constructive
ideas, f o r administration. Her remark was heartily endorsed,
and Mrs. Perry gave an outline of child labor conditions, sug-
gesting that chapters be invited to become members of the Child
Labor Association. Many chapters took up membership, some
doing active service besides paying dues. Evidently this work,
while undeniably valuable, was not just the f o r m of expression
we wished, and most of the chapters have allowed their member-
ships to lapse.
During the war, we undertook our first real national work,
when Lillian McCausland inaugurated a drive f o r the purchase
of an ambulance. By the time that sufficient funds were collected
there seemed to be a greater need f o r reparations, so our money,
about fifteen hundred dollars, was used f o r that work.
A t the 1919 convention, Rochelle Gachet, retiring Grand
Vice-President, reported that after a study of conditions she did
not feel that our national organization was i n proper shape to
handle as big a problem as national work. She suggested the
TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI 215
establishment of vice (now alumnae) superintendents to work
with alumnae chapters. These superintendents have been a pow-
erful factor in strengthening the alumnae organization and in
helping to bring them more closely in touch with national affairs.
As the first step in national work, the convention meeting
in 1921, the twenty-fifth year of our existence, established the
Anniversary Endowment Fund, to help our own members. Full
details of this f u n d are given in another paper.
When Laura H u r d , as Grand Secretary, sent out the directory
cards, she put a question as to the type of philanthropic work
we should undertake. From the many opinions expressed, she
by-law. I t was apparent that our members were interested in
three phrases of work, viz., aid f o r our own members in buying
and maintaining chapter houses, advanced scholarship, and social
service, with emphasis on aid f o r crippled children. The first
of these had been cared f o r by the Anniversary Endowment
Fund, so that the next step was the development of a practical
plan to handle the other two lines.
The selection of Katherine Thomas, in the early part of 1922,
to fill an unexpired term as Grand Vice-President, gave us a
worker who was vitally interested in this phase of fraternity
life, and who devoted much time, thought, and energy, to this
work. Mrs. Thomas sent out a detailed questionnaire to all
Grand Council members, asking them f o r their opinions on Miss
Hurd's two-fold plan, and f o r concrete suggestions. I t was my
privilege to work on the d r a f t i n g of the by-laws to be presented
to convention, based on the replies to the questionnaire, and a
very interesting privilege it was! The 1923 convention adopted
our by-law essentially as presented, and judging f r o m results so
far, the whole fraternity has approved our action. As a bit
of information which I think will be of interest to you who
are out of touch with chapter affairs, let me say that the original
by-law, as presented to convention, read something like this "the
funds set aside by the Executive Committee shall be supple-
mented by contributions f r o m alumnae and alumnae chapters."
To their everlasting credit, the active delegates rose and said
" W h y limit the giving to the alumnae? W e want to help." So
the word "alumnae" was left out.