The California State Organization of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is pleased to announce celebrations for the diamond jubilee of Pasadena's Omicron chapter. A event is planned for Thursday, November 8, from 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. at the Altadena Country Club, 2290 Country Club Drive in Altadena. In a nod to past initiation ceremonies, the participants will dress in cocktail attire for a celebratory meal, and to honor the history of Omicron chapter and the Delta Kappa Gamma organization as a whole.
Cost is $35 for members, $45 for non-members.
An organization of women educators, Delta Kappa Gamma was founded at the University of Austin, Texas in 1929, at a time when women educators were not allowed in the major teaching fraternal organizations, and often faced segregation or prejudice in the workplace. DKG was created to nurture women in higher education, and to provide a conduit for training and support as women rose in the education fields.
Omicron Chapter was formed in Pasadena in 1937, eventually one of three chapters to exist in the area. The three-chapter dinner, where all Pasadena DKG chapters reconnect, is now the highlight of every year. The society's members span the spectrum of generations and forms of educational involvement. Members' professional experience ranges from early childhood education to K-12 educators, school administrators and librarians, and college professors, both active and retired. Several recent members of Omicron have gone on to state and national office.
The society offers members assistance with graduate studies through scholarships, grants and stipends for research, recognitions of exemplary achievements and opportunities for professional growth. Locally, Omicron has established scholarships for women entering the teaching profession, sponsored the distribution of children's books to laundromats, and supported a variety of other education-related activities.
In modern times, DKG has been a major force for the education of women around the world, and internationally claims a membership well over 100,000 strong in 17 countries. In the process they have created a legacy of support for those who educate. Locally, the 55 current members of the Omicron chapter even include one woman whose grandmother was also initiated into the group in the 1940s.
Thursday's celebration will feature ceremonies honoring the two Omicron members with 50 years of membership, the honoring of the one centennial member, and an acknowledgement of past presidents, and those holding state office. Photography will be supplied by Mrs. Anne Battle and the advanced photo students of Monrovia High School.
Press Contact: Frances Baum Nicholson, 626-795-7475 or mznick311@aol.com
