Page 64 - To Dragma October 1930

62 T o DRAGM$ JAN

Blending with the lights and shadows of the quiet room, lit only by cou
the hearth fire and by one shaded lamp, the soft, modulated voice of cou
Muriel McKinney wove magic patterns of the beginnings of Alpha frie
Omicron Pi. We saw those dear four, gathered behind the book stacks
of Columbia Library, to plan and dream. We lived through those Luc
critical days of storm and stress when Alpha chapter, struggling against sist
heavy odds, was stimulated to new courage by the thought: "We can't Bu
give up. We must carry on. There's P i . " We saw through Muriel's
eyes the lovely candle lighting ceremony at the Seattle convention, and IT T
felt its ritualistic solemnity. T o bring our Founders still closer, chosen J[_
speakers gave an appreciation of each one. Audrey Buratti told of
Helen Mullan's courage and leadership, her prowess in law (all the more nea
noteworthy at a time when women in public life were an interesting novel-
ty and rather subject to Mrs. Grundy's remarks, when even a college ban
education for women was considered almost unmaidenly), her devotion tha
to her family, and her charm as a woman. Lucille English made Eliza- fest
beth Wyman live for us, a quiet, reliable balance wheel, ready with en- Tho
couragement, humor and sense to meet every situation, prominent as an
educator, and beloved as a woman. Corinne Pelletier Minks showed us Hen
Jessie Wallace Hughan as a free spirit, a passionate idealist, an educator, of h
a writer, a worker for justice and peace, and a reliable friend. Erna We
Taylor told of Stella Perry, who of all people embodies the faith and co-e
friendship to which Alpha O is dedicated, of her unwavering love and vye
sympathy for all of us, her saving humor in tense situations, her very Kat
great intellectual attainments as an author and political welfare worker, play
her dynamic enthusiasm, and her general kindness and dearness. Muriel
voiced our hope of living up to Stella's faith in us. Dee
dles
Mildred Tinkham, who had charge of the interior decoration of the Ahc

chapter house, presented the Christmas gift of Los Angeles Alumme, a "ni
the
carved host chair in harmony with the other furniture. Audrey Buratti
wh
received the donation in behalf of Kappa Theta. o

A "roll call showed how cosmopolitan we really are. T h e 86 present no
fi
represented eighteen chapters: Alpha ( 1 ) ; N u ( 1 ) ; Zeta ( 6 ) ; Sigma
said
(8); Theta (1); Gamma (1); Rho ( 5 ) ; Lambda (15); Iota (1); lau
the
( 5 ) ; N u Kappa ( 2 ) ; E t a ( 3 ) ; Alpha Phi ( 3 ) ; Omega ( 3 ) ; Omicron Fi
EnO
( 4 ) ; Alpha Sigma ( 1 ) ; Kappa Theta (16 alumme); Alpha Rho (1)- cron

We are so glad that Wilma Smith Leland will be here for the January bea
the
meeting, and are looking forward to having her with us.

Our capable treasurer, Helen Haller, presented a scheme for financing

life subscriptions to T o DRAGMA on a monthly installment plan.

The more frivolous part of the program included a (1) burlesqu

orchestra, with Mae Siddell as concert conductor, wielding a .-ink brus

baton, and culinary accoutrements in the way of a broom-violin, a p p .t a t 0
ff

masher-flute, and an ironing-board-cello; ( 2 ) Mary Negus as a whistling

song bird; ( 3 ) the Prancing Pets of the Campus in an acrobatic dance,

and ( 4 ) a clever play of 1999 featuring a down-trodden husband, bur-

dened with housework and paternal cares, protesting while Mother c&

ries on her duties as business woman and leading light at the Club.