Lesson 3: Service
What is Delta Zeta Service?
"I believe that Delta Zeta will find a work worthy of her united effort, perhaps something different than has ever been done before. I believe we should all be searching out this thing...because we want to play the game of life right and give back to college, fraternity, state, home and country more than we have received. Organized effort, all working together is what helps the world along faster."
Elizabeth Coulter Stephenson Α
Past National President
September, 1918
Service to others, whether in the community, the campus or within the Sorority, is an integral part of Delta Zeta. Service is both volunteering your time and fundraising for others.
Many other worthy causes are supported at a local level. Delta Zeta strongly believes in "giving graciously of what is mine."
Why is Service important?
When you give of your time and talents to help others in need, you receive the rewarding experiences of personal fulfillment and satisfaction. As a part of Delta Zeta, you learn the importance of giving back to your community, contributing to improve the quality of life for others and becoming contributing citizens of the world community.
Service is also important to Delta Zeta itself. Through your collegiate and alumna years, you can demonstrate your dedication to your Sorority by serving in volunteer positions on a local or national level.
Donations to the Delta Zeta Foundation are another way of giving back to others as the Foundation provides scholarships, educational and leadership programs and support for our national philanthropy for speech and hearing.
Delta Zeta is a volunteer-based organization and relies upon the time, talents and treasures of the individual members to manage its affairs. From the national, regional and area levels to local alumnae and college chapters, all operations are maintained by volunteers. These volunteers are referred to as the "Official Family."
Important volunteers who support your local chapter include:
- College Chapter Director
- Advisory Board
- Regional Collegiate Director
- National District Director
- Area Alumnae Director
- Local Alumnae Chapter
- Local House Corporations
What is Delta Zeta's national philanthropy?
Delta Zeta's national philanthropies, supported by both collegiate and alumnae chapters, are speech and hearing and The Painted Turtle camp.
Delta Zeta has a philanthropic partnership with the Sound Beginnings Program. Chapters also support local and national speech and hearing organizations, such as Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the only four-year liberal arts school in the world devoted wholly to the needs, instruction, and training of young people who are deaf, and the House Ear Institute, which is one of the world's foremost research, teaching and treatment centers in the field of hearing.
On the local level, our collegians and alumnae have long supported state schools for the hearing impaired, local speech and hearing clinics and schools in their communities and have also volunteered their time to do hearing testing and tutoring.
Delta Zeta has not limited our philanthropic efforts. While we recognize these areas as our national philanthropy, countless other causes and organizations benefit from the generosity of our members and chapters.
Philanthropy history
The first official Delta Zeta philanthropy chairman was appointed in 1914. Since then, both collegiate and alumnae chapters have given their time, talent and treasure in fostering Delta Zeta's involvement in many different philanthropic efforts.
A brief chronology:
1914 - First national Social Service Chairman named: Mildred Van Dusen McKay Β.
1922 - First national project adopted. It began with establishing a community center called Vest in Caney Creek, Kentucky.
1924 - The Convention voted to build a girls' dormitory near the schoolhouse, which was named Kirven Hall in honor of Arema O'Brien Kirven Ο, then Social Service Chairman.
Within two years Delta Zeta not only paid the salary of one teacher, but had also built two schools. Ten grades were taught there and in 1928 the school became fully accredited.
In 1933 - Lucile Crowell Cooks Α became Second Vice President in charge of Social Service, and later Edna Wheatley Η served as Social Service Chairman, both overseeing the important work at Vest. Delta Zeta continued to support the project until 1939 when it was turned over to Knott County, Kentucky.
1941-1945 - World War II. During this time the alumnae chapters worked in various efforts during the war years. They helped the Red Cross, collected clothes for overseas relief, conducted bond drives, supported the Seeing Eye Program and many other local projects.
1944 - The Detroit Alumnae Chapter provided a hearing aid for an underprivileged child in the name of Delta Zeta. At the time, there was little state or federal aid for the deaf, and this philanthropy spread to other chapters.
1946 - Wishing for world peace, Delta Zeta assumed support of a small children's home in the Netherlands. Also layettes were provided for orphans left in Europe.
1954 - The Convention voted to make the cause of speech and hearing loss a national project, and over the years it has been expanded into many areas of deaf assistance. The name Hearing Help was adopted to cover all of the many kinds of help to the deaf. A Director of Philanthropies was added to National Council.
1955 - Delta Zeta's first association with Gallaudet University and emphasis on national support of speech and hearing began when Lucille Hunt Pendell ΑΕ was librarian and a new library was in the process. While the funds were there for the building, nothing was allocated for the furnishings or to fill the shelves with books. She persuaded the Washington, D.C. Alumnae Chapter to help and invited National Council members to visit. The result was the sponsoring by Delta Zeta to donate money for the furnishings, which was inaugurated with a $10,000 gift. Since then, we have endowed a Delta Zeta Scholarship Fund as well as a Fine Arts Endowment Fund.
1956 - After merging with Delta Sigma Epsilon, Delta Zeta inherited the project of aiding patients at Carville Hospital in Louisiana, which treated people with Hansen's disease (a.k.a. leprosy). Since a cure for the disease has been effective, this project has been phased out.
1960 - Marjorie Doyle Bergman ΒΡ, Delta Zeta Director of Philanthropies, was elected to the board of the American Hearing Society. This then became one of our major philanthropies.
1962 - The Navajo project was added when Theta Upsilon merged with Delta Zeta. Delta Zeta provided clothing and gifts through the Navajo Assistance League until the government took over the project.
1982 - The House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, California was adopted as the second national philanthropy. Delta Zeta was able to build and furnish a parents' conference room.
1983 - The Delta Zeta National Historical Museum and Headquarters was also dedicated in Oxford, Ohio. Through the generosity of chapters and individuals, both collegians and alumnae, Delta Zeta has preserved its heritage in the museum.
1995 - The Delta Zeta Dance Studio, funded by Delta Zeta, at Gallaudet University, was dedicated. The expansion to the National Historical Museum and Headquarters was dedicated. The Loyalty Fund (now the Annual Fund) was established, which encouraged annual giving by alumnae for the support of leadership and educational programs for collegians and alumnae, scholarships, preservation of the National Historical Museum and Headquarters and support for speech and hearing philanthropic efforts.
2006 - Delta Zeta announces new partnerships with The Painted Turtle Camp and The Starkey Hearing Foundation.
What does Delta Zeta expect from me in terms of Service?
How do you give of your time, talent and treasure to others within your home or campus communities? Share your examples with other Delta Zeta new members and initiates.
Delta Zeta also offers several programs which allow you to explore the experience of giving.
New Member Class Service Project
This project gives you the opportunity to learn firsthand the commitment that Delta Zeta has toward philanthropic and service endeavors.
Your new member class will decide what type of event they would like to hold. The New Member Service Project is your Service Goal, which must be completed prior to initiation. The service project itself can be as elaborate as a golf tournament or as simple as a food drive. The event itself is secondary to the cause for which you are volunteering.
Your class will also elect a new member Philanthropy Chairman who will oversee the project until completion. Every new member must participate in this event, and the new member class can decide whether it be a new member only event or include the entire chapter.
The following are some possible service projects/fundraising events:
- Golf Tournament
- Canned Food Drive
- Volleyball Tournament
- Blood Drive
- Sponsor a local class of hearing impaired children
The options are only limited to the imagination, motivation, and dedication of your new member class. You will derive the satisfaction of helping those in need and learn the importance of "giving graciously of what is mine" as a member of Delta Zeta.
100% Leadership & Involvement Program
Your membership in Delta Zeta will have many privileges and responsibilities. It is the responsibility of each member to be a visible, active participant or leader in other facets of university life. Not only will this provide a positive and involved image of Delta Zeta on each campus, but it will provide you with potential leadership opportunities in other organizations.
The Vice President of Programs for your chapter will provide you with additional information about this requirement, which includes not only campus/student organizations on your campus, but community organizations as well (e.g., hospital/shelter volunteers, speech and hearing clinics/schools, senior citizen centers, youth centers, museums, community theater, etc.).
Why Get Involved?
D) Develop leadership skills
E) Expand your resume
L) Learn time management skills
T) Take on responsibility
A) Attain professional goals
Z) Zip to the top on your campus as an "involved" chapter
E) Exemplify the Creed of Delta Zeta
T) Turn others on to being Greek
A) Acquire quality members
Chapters who do not meet the 100% Involvement Program requirement are considered not in Good Standing and will be placed on National Social Probation.
Pink Goes Green
In 2008, Delta Zeta Sorority launched a new philanthropic effort aimed at empowering its members to lead and perform community service-related projects intent on improving the environment and educating those around them about how they can do the same. Pink Goes Green is an online community where Delta Zeta members can share ideas to make our world a littler greener.
Initiation requirement
It is important for you to understand the concepts of giving your time, talent and treasure to your Sorority and your Greek and university communities.
You "give unto others" through the following:
- Time: Volunteerism & Community Service
- Talent: Personal Growth Focus
- Treasure: Financial Commitment
How can your "individual talent" benefit a charitable/service effort?
How can you volunteer now for Delta Zeta?
How can I give back?
Delta Zeta college chapters, alumnae chapters and associations and individual members are expected to financially support the Delta Zeta Foundation. Through this financial support, the Foundation is able to provide scholarships, leadership and educational programs, speech and hearing impaired education and support and maintain the National Historical Museum and Headquarters. Supporting the Delta Zeta Foundation is an excellent way to give back.
You can also volunteer for community service/philanthropic projects, especially those involving aid to the speech and hearing impaired.
And volunteering to work within the Delta Zeta family is very important. The extent of your service can range from volunteering to assist at one event to advising a college chapter as an alumna. It's up to you!