Giang Bui '13 and Janine Fechter '04 Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority Convention Summer 2012 Experience

In July, our Chapter Advisor, Janine Fechter ’04 and I attended the Alpha Gamma Delta Convention in St. Louis, MO.  As it was my first Convention, I was did not know what to expect, especially since I arrived late because of my cancelled flight. Throughout the event, as the only collegian from Lafayette College, I shared a room with three collegians from Lehigh University. During convention we forgot about being students from the oldest football rivalry in the country; we were just Alpha Gams. We discussed the similarities and differences between our schools, traded ideas about how to better our chapters and opportunities for our two chapters to collaborate.

Our days were filled with business meetings and workshops on recruitment, finances, philanthropy, and other topics that were very helpful and applicable to day-to-day chapter operations. We also celebrated the success of our fraternity and honored sisters who have contributed to its long success.

I was so inspired to learn the stories of women who have dedicated more than fifty years of their lives to this fraternity. There were some women who had attended fifteen or sixteen Conventions; it was incredibly moving to hear a woman (who I assumed to be in her late seventies) tell us that this Convention would be her last.

One of the most memorable events of the Convention was the Honors Banquet. We were very proud of our Chapter Advisor who received an honor at this banquet for her dedication to the Lafayette chapter. Before witnessing the astounding commitment of these extraordinary women, I had never thought about continuing my involvement in Alpha Gamma Delta after I graduate; however Convention has completely changed my mind. I will be graduating in May 2013 and I have never been so motivated to give back to this fraternity.

My favorite part of the Convention was Feast of Roses, held on our last night. At Lafayette the Feast of Roses is a small dinner held after Initiation, but at Convention it was an impressive celebration. The banquet included over 600 Alpha Gams from chapters across the United States and Canada, and featured a candle-lit chapter roll call.

I left the Alpha Gamma Delta Convention feeling educated and inspired. I met so many new people that I would have never met if I had not joined AGD. I cannot wait to bring back everything I have learned to ensure the continuing success of our chapter.

Alpha Gamma Delta is an international women’s fraternity that promotes academic excellence, philanthropic giving, ongoing leadership and personal development and above all, a spirit of loving sisterhood. Guided by our Purpose, Alpha Gamma Deltas strive to attain a higher standard, thereby improving their lives, the lives of those around them and the communities in which they live. Together, we continually work to inspire the woman and impact the world. Alpha Gamma Delta was founded at Lafayette College in 1981 designated as the Zeta Theta chapter.

OUR VISION:
Inspire the Woman. Impact the World.

OUR MISSION:
Alpha Gamma Delta is an international fraternity for women that exists to provide opportunities for personal development through the spirit of sisterhood.

• We support lifelong learning as a means to gain understanding and wisdom.
• We promote the value of fraternal membership and commitment to higher education.
• We help prepare members to contribute to the world’s work.
• We advocate lifetime involvement in Alpha Gamma Delta.