I Love the Crescent Moon

Back in early 2011, after staying inside all winter with a newborn and not really meeting anyone in the St. Louis area, I began to reflect on how I met most of my good friends in Kansas City, I came up with two places: teaching and my sorority in college.  Since I wasn't subbing/ teaching and I didn't really have any plans to for the next few months, I decided to give Gamma Phi a try.  Thanks to good ol' facebook and the internet, I found out about the St. Louis area alumnae chapter and the chapter on the campus of Saint Louis University.  I figured I might as well put myself out there and contact someone and attend a few events. I contacted the chapter advisor for the SLU (Saint Louis University) chapter after I noticed they need a couple of advisors to add to their advisory board. .  I ended up becoming their ritual advisor.  After serving as their ritual advisor for just over a year, I found out the chapter advisor was moving on in Gamma Phi and asked if I would serve as their new chapter advisor.  After giving it some thought, I agreed.  I figured since I wasn't working full time, I had the time to devote the to girls.  I also decided that since I had such an awesome experience as a Gamma Phi in college, I wanted the chance to give other college girls the same experience and show them just what a wonderful organization Gamma Phi Beta is.

 That brings us to today, every Wednesday and Sunday night, you can find me on the campus of SLU working with the women.  The role as chapter advisor keeps me very busy and I feel like I have so much to learn as an advisor, but I love working with the women they are so full of life and energy (oh to be a 20 year old again!).

 Aren't they just so cute?!?

These pictures are from their first night of recruitment, which was a whole new learning experience for me.  Since the girls don't have a house on campus, they hold their parties in various rooms across campus, it takes so much work and coordination, but they did great!  

I always tell the girls that I always thought a sorority would just be a college thing, that I never intended to become a chapter advisor or even active in an alumnae group.  That's the funny thing about life, you never know how it's going to turn out.

Working with these women also gives me a completely new view of my sorority advisor in college, who was AWESOME (and still is).  To paraphrase some of her words from convention, which I feel sum up my feelings: "I had a kick a** college experience, and Gamma Phi Beta was one of the main reasons why.  It took the shy girl in the corner and gave her some great friendships and great leadership opportunities."  I couldn't have said it better myself.  While their chapter is completely different from mine, I'm passionate about giving the girls at SLU a similar college and Gamma Phi experience.   I love the Crescent Moon!