Sisters, Chi Omega’s 66th Biennial Convention is approaching in the coming weeks! It will be held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, AZ from June 19-21, and the theme is “Time to Shine.” Click here for more information or to register! To celebrate, let’s take a walk down memory lane of Conventions past.

“Conventions of Chi Omega are held every two years. The first gathering, held outside Fayetteville, was called the first Convention. It was planned for 1899, Chicago, but met in 1900, in Memphis. However, Dr. Richardson states that the meeting held shortly after adoption of the constitution was properly a Convention, inasmuch as a full quota of national officers was elected… The Conventions are planned to be delightful as well as entertaining.” - A History of Chi Omega, Volume I, pg 50

Chi Omega’s First Convention

June 26-28, 1900, The Peabody Hotel, Memphis, TN.

Hostess Chapter: Pi | Tennessee. The chapter roll numbered nine active chapters and one alumnae chapter. 15 delegates attended. Business meetings were held twice daily, and a great deal accomplished in shaping the policies of the future. One of the events of greatest interest was the Model Initiation of Mary Berry of Psi Chapter.

Attendance:

Psi Chapter: Clara Earle, Jean Vincenheller, Ruth Dickinson, Mary Fort Hamilton, Horton Lake, Mary Berry.

Tau Chapter: Froste Roane, Julia Compton, Margaret Wardlaw, Fanne Mosby.

Rho Chapter | Newcomb (Tulane): Corinne Loeber Dunbar, Florence Loeber, Florence Lewis.

Pi Chapter: Katherine Carson, Nelly Morton.

Social Program:

Wednesday:

Evening: Informal reception.

Thursday:

Afternoon: Trolley ride.

Evening: Box party (Sisters filled boxes of supplies for the troops), Lyceum Theater.

Friday:

Afternoon: Sight-seeing.

Evening: Banquet.

*Little Rock Convention hat bands, 1901*

Convention 1901 Hat Bands

Capitol Hotel, Little Rock, AR.

Many Sisters wore hat bands in the early 1900s to make their outfits a bit more formal, and at the 1901 Convention in Little Rock, Arkansas, these special accessories were the Convention favor! These Chi Omega hat bands are extremely rare, as there were only 15 delegates at the 1901 Convention who received one. Housed at the Psi Chapter Founder’s Library in Arkansas.

Early 1900s Hat Pins

These hat pins became popular during the Victorian era, an age when women rarely left their homes without a hat. Encrusted with jewels and long feathers, many hat pins were high fashion statements, but their function was primarily practical: to prevent women’s hats from blowing or tumbling into a dirty street. If needed, hat pins could also be used for self-defense. Hat pins steadily rose as a fashion accessory until WWII, when hats began to fall out of fashion. Hat pins varied in length, ranging anywhere from 3-12 inches. Generally the bigger the hat, the bigger the pin. In the early 1900s, hat pins were given several times as Convention favors.

Convention 1904 – August 10-12

Hamilton Hotel, St. Louis Missouri

Starting in 1904, Convention has been hosted every two years.

1906 Convention Memorial Service

The first Memorial Service, as recorded in The Eleusis, was held at the gravesite of Founder Allie Simonds on June 30, 1906, at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington D.C. Founders Ina May Boles and Jobelle Holcombe attended along with a small group of other Sisters. Jobelle spoke of Allie’s short life and laid sheaves of white carnations upon the grave and recalled, upon leaving, the “mysterious power of the bonds of Chi Omega.”

The Memorial Service has been a part of the biennium Convention since those early days and holds great significance to those in attendance. It has evolved to include the full Convention body along with invited family members of those Omega Chapter Sisters who are noted in the overarching eulogy. The Memorial Service honors prominent Sisters who passed during the two-year span between Conventions. These Sisters range from those who served in leadership roles to those who were notable in their purposeful and influential lives in the story of Chi Omega.

A 1906 Reception at the White House

On June 26, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt hosted the Chi Omega Convention delegates at the White House, where he greeted each of them with his famous “de-lighted!” and a compliment about each woman’s state. Mattie Craighill Nicholas, Sigma | Randolph–Macon, Editor of The Eleusis recorded, “Mrs. Ida Pace Purdue stood by [Roosevelt] and called our names and states as we circled the room for the presidential handshake, his broad smile, and the ‘de-lighted’ that we hoped he would say. Mrs. Purdue looked diminutive beside the big President… Mrs. Purdue wore a dress typical of the period, lavender… with ruffles edged with narrow lace and a white hat trimmed with flowers.”

Prior to 1906, regulations around badges were practically nonexistent. At the 1906 Convention, it was voted on that the Chi Omega badges were to be one standard size and jeweled only with white stones, either pearls or diamonds. The 1906 issue of The Eleusis stated, “This badge may be used on no novelties or stationery. It is to be worn above the heart, and only by initiated Chi Omegas.”

*D.C. Convention delegates buried a Chi Omega time capsule at Mt. Vernon*

It was 1906 when delegates of the D.C. Convention, including Founder Jean Vincenheller, gathered around a small beech tree at Mt. Vernon to bury a time capsule full of mementos from the special occasion. Among those mementos was a program from the Convention and a list of National Officers. Most surprisingly to Sisters today, the final inclusion in that buried time capsule was one of our most treasured symbols of Chi Omega… the original badge! Delegates thought it most important to place it in a time capsule and bury it beneath a beech tree planted the year prior by members of Phi Alpha Chapter of George Washington University. The Phi Alpha Chapter Sisters cared so deeply for this burial they wrote a poem about the tree and the time capsule. Eventually, the meager tree died and once that marker of the time capsule was gone, Mary Love Collins, S.H. at the time, wisely sent an alumna and her husband on to retrieve the badge. Luckily, they were successful in their pursuit and returned the original badge to the Executive Headquarters safely and in all its glory.

The 1908 Chicago Convention – June 22-26, 1908

Chi Omega adopted a flag design offered by Mary Wright Bain, Nu | Wisconsin, the S.M., who had made a careful study of heraldry.

The 1912 Canadian Convention – June 29-July 3, 1912

In 1912, the first and only international location was chosen for a Chi Omega Convention. Delegates traveled to Niagara Falls, Canada, for a three-day Convention that would consist of reports from collegiate chapters, alumnae chapters, and committees.

When describing the location choice in the 1912 issue of The Eleusis, it was explained that, “Our Council and Convention bodies have been extremely fortunate in their selections of our meeting places, for environment influences so deeply the attitude of our minds and the value of our deeds. On former occasions such as this, it has been towns, buildings, and the wonderful rush of business that has been brought before us. This time it is nature, more marvelous and more powerful, that stirs our finer feelings. Niagara, the beautiful, the useful, reflects our aim for Chi Omega, inwardly beautiful and strong in every detail, outwardly pleasing and serving the purposes of humanity.”

1912 Convention Posters: Used as promotional communication for the national events. They were published in The Eleusis as well as sent directly to chapters.

The Eighth Biennial Convention - The Camp Convention

The Chautauqua Grounds, Boulder, CO - June 20-27, 1914

The walk to get to the Convention location took over an hour. Once there, delegates enjoyed a beefsteak fry, a traditional feature of student life at the University of Colorado.

Delegates also took burro rides around the grounds, as well as an excursion to Estes Park in seven touring cars, a round trip of 100 miles.

The 1918 Convention canceled due to World War I

In 1918, the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the Chi Omega Convention was made due to World War I and the ongoing effects of the war.

In a letter featured in The Eleusis (September 1918 Volume XX No. 3) from the Washington City Alumnae Chapter, the strains of the war were outlined clearly. “We were disappointed at not having Convention… Everybody in Washington that can work is occupied. So many teachers resigned last winter that the school authorities appealed to the teachers who had married in the last few years to return. Several of our girls answered the call. Quite a number are also employed in the various government war activities. Those alumnae who are not doing war work of some kind outside the home are having troubles of their own with the labor shortage… Our plans for the fall and winter are not made. With everybody at work already it doesn’t look as though we can have any day meetings. We hope any and all Chi Omegas coming to Washington will let us know of their arrival. We will endeavor to make them welcome and I’m sure they will be glad to meet the other girls who have come here from all over the country. The Washington City alumnae send best wishes for the success of each Chi Omega who may be doing her ‘bit,’ however small it may be.”

The First Convention at The Greenbrier in 1924

Greenbrier Hotel, White Sulphur Springs, WV. June 21-26, 1924.

Among the mountains of West Virginia, The Greenbrier is a National Historic Landmark that has welcomed world-class guests since 1778. With a guest list that includes 27 of the country’s 47 presidents, The Greenbrier has been a favorite destination of royalty, celebrities, business leaders, and of course Chi Omegas.

The Greenbrier was home to 21 Chi Omega Conventions from 1924-1978. Decades of Sisterhood dinners, business meetings, course-changing decisions, Model Initiations, and educational sessions were hosted in this world-renowned resort.

In 1924, Chi Omega’s first Greenbrier Convention took place. In the 1920s the cost of Convention was just nine dollars a day, and that covered the delegates’ meals and room! What served as the beginning of a 21-year Chi Omega tradition of hosting Convention at this location, although not fully continuous, also marked the end of another. Dr. Charles Richardson attended the 1924 Convention and passed just a few months later due to a brief illness. The first Greenbrier Convention was his last Chi Omega event.

“Only a few hours at The Greenbrier and we were thinking of Chi Omega in the larger sense, realizing her bigness and getting a more accurate conception of our Fraternity as a national organization. We appreciate much more keenly than before the obligation of each of us as individuals to all Chi Omegas everywhere and our responsibility in upholding Chi Omega ideals seems greater.” - Columbus Alumnae Chapter, The Eleusis, 1924.

The Greenbrier impressed delegates with its elegant dinners and perfectly executed theatrics. One moment in particular, was always a crowd favorite: dessert. Baked Alaska became the traditional staple for Conventions as The Greenbrier set the bar high in their presentation. The Greenbrier staff served this dessert with sparklers atop it and paraded out with unmatched showmanship. The tradition of baked Alaska was so loved, it continued even after the Fraternity’s national meetings stopped being held at The Greenbrier.

During this time, Chi Omega Conventions were known for their night of “Revelry.” This was an evening for skits, songs, and laughter as collegians, alumnae, and even Governing Council members participated. The Greenbrier accommodated the fun evenings seamlessly, even supplying last-minute props from time to time.

Among crucial business meetings and educational training, Convention delegates also partook in the Earth Mother play, a nod to our Ritual at each Convention held at The Greenbrier and beyond. The Earth Mother, an original play depicting the Eleusinian Myth of Demeter and Persephone, was written by Letty Mae McRoberts, Sigma | Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, in 1911. Letty Mae’s script was chosen in a contest, and first performed at the 1912 Convention at Niagara Falls, Canada. The Earth Mother was presented at each Convention from 1912 through 1956.

“The Greenbrier is perfect for a Chi Omega Convention. Going to The Greenbrier is for Chi Omegas like making a trip home. Also, every department of The Greenbrier staff has an attitude of ‘welcome home.’ This mutuality of feeling plus perfect facilities and efficiency contribute to the success of Convention.” Mary Love Collins, then S.H., The Eleusis, 1956

The 1926 Convention Softball

Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI. June 17-23, 1926

At the 1926 Convention in Mackinac Island, Michigan, delegates took a break from the decision making and chose to play ball! Sisters split the teams between the alumnae and collegiate attendees. S.H. Mary Love Collins, Delta | Dickinson, was the pitcher for the alumnae team and led them to a 4-1 victory over the collegians. The softball these sporty Sisters played with is displayed in the Museum and Library at our Executive Headquarters and serves as a reminder that there can always be time for a little fun.

*1926 Convention softball displayed at Executive Headquarters*

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1930 issue of The Eleusis Convention radio broadcast announcement

The Radio Broadcast of the 1930 Convention

In the same year that the Chi Omega Greek Theatre was dedicated to the University of Arkansas, former S.H. Mary Love Collins, Delta | Dickinson, gave a speech that would go on to be broadcast on the radio! This was an exciting development, as this meant countless Chi Omegas unable to attend the Convention were able to be a part of the experience from afar. In addition to Mary Love’s speech, speeches and songs sung by Rho | Tulane delegates were also broadcast by radio station KTHS (Kome to Hot Springs) from the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
At the 1930 Convention a mechanical pencil, about four inches long, was gifted to delegates during the Convention Banquet. They were so beloved that one delegate wrote, “How the girls who stayed home will envy those lucky delegates when their bags emerge from the train! Then, the favors – adorable black and white pencils with ‘1895 – Chi Omega – 1930’ printed upon them in silver! Immediately they are called into service and a succession of autographs is demanded as the little books travel around the tables.”

Convention 1936: First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt presents the National Achievement Award to Dr. Alice Hamilton. Mrs. Roosevelt, center, Dr. Hamilton, right, & Miss Frances Grimes, who designed the medal, left.

*Convention 1936: From left to right, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Chi Omega S.H. Mary Love Collins, & Francis Grimes.*

A Visit from Eleanor Roosevelt at the 1936 Convention

At the 1936 Convention, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady, attended as a special guest and speaker. Former S.H. Mary Love Collins, Delta | Dickinson, had the honor of introducing Mrs. Roosevelt, who had been chosen to serve on the National Woman of Achievement Award Committee because of her own accomplishments and her willingness to give her time and thought to the selection of the recipient.

A delegation in The Eleusis described what it was like seeing Eleanor Roosevelt. “The charm of Mrs. Roosevelt’s personality is realized at the first brief glance into her eyes… they are sympathetic, understanding eyes. It was my privilege to sit at the Speakers’ Table, and it made me happy to look over that brilliant hall full of beautiful young things in their pretty frocks, their faces alight with eager expectancy… At the close of the dinner, Chi Omega’s President arose, presenting Mrs. Roosevelt, not as the wife of the President of the United States but in her own right. It was fully as thrilling as we thought it would be to see Mrs. Roosevelt award the National Achievement medal to Dr. Alice Hamilton and to hear her express her pleasure in acknowledging a great woman’s achievement. After the dinner, we adjourned to the spacious Greenbrier parlors, where there was opportunity for informal talk with Mrs. Roosevelt, Dr. Hamilton, and Miss Grimes (the designer of the Woman of Achievement medal) until the hour grew late… Many of us left Convention with delightful photographs of this great occasion… It is a happy reminder of the joy and inspiration of the 1936 Convention. From the Friday of my arrival until the Wednesday of my departure, it was a Chi Omega Symphony in which there was ‘no discordant note.’”

Convention 1944 at The Homestead

Several years after Fraternity leadership and members fell in love with The Greenbrier, the location had to be adjusted swiftly to a nearby hotel in July 1944. Delegates gathered at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia, due to The Greenbrier being used as a hospital for wounded veterans in World War II. The Convention went on as planned with several adaptations because of the war but returned to The Greenbrier when the war was over.

Convention 1978 Marble Paperweight

Convention 1978 Marble Paperweight

In 1978, Convention was held at the Greenbrier for the last time. Convention delegates left with a beautiful marble paperweight adorned with a raised green seal commemorating the occasion.

1980s Metal Box

In the 1980s, a round metal box was gifted to each Convention delegate. The detail on each one highlighted the Chi Omega insignia and an intricate owl perched on the Chi symbol.

1980 Convention held in Dallas, TX. Convention moved across the country after that.

1982 Convention State Pride

The Ohio delegates to the 1982 Convention at the Camelback in Scottsdale, Arizona, brought White Castle Hamburgers to share with everyone during the Night of Revelry.

1988 Convention Model Initiate

The Model Initiate at the 1988 Convention was Ellen Stephens (Tau Theta | William Woods), a descendant of Jobelle Holcombe.

Convention 1990: The Owl

The Owl was a Convention newsletter that was distributed at the beginning of each Convention day outlining updates and the schedule. Today we use event apps for all of our updates, but The Owl was used even into the 2000s. The Inquirer was a newsletter put together by National Leadership Consultants at the time. They were not able to follow each other’s travels through Instagram stories, do group Facetimes, or have group texts. Each consultant would submit their updates to one Sister who would compile the updates and send them out for all women on the team.

1990s Tote Bags

Beginning in the 1990s, tote bags became a standard Convention favor as they supplied a bag for delegates to carry their programming packets and schedules from session to session with them. Then, when Convention was over, they would continue to carry their Chi Omega pride with them to the office, to school, or to the store.

*Convention 1992 photo of G.H.s at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, FL*

Convention 1992: “Good Morning, America!”

This photo, taken very early in the morning, was also the setting for a live video which was run nationally on "Good Morning America." On cue, all G.H.s shouted "Good morning, America!" They needed someone who looked great and sounded great to deliver the initial line: "Live from Orlando, FL at the Chi Omega Convention, we want to say..." The perfect choice was Karie Ross, an alumna who was at that time a sports broadcaster for the CBS affiliate in Miami. Karie agreed, but they could not use her real name because of her contract with a different network. The cameras were ready to roll. They zoomed in on Karie in the middle of the group and she said, "Hi, I'm Laura Miller at the Chi Omega Convention..." After the taping was over, then S.H. Roselyn Dabbs looked at Laura Miller and said, "Laura, you never looked so good!"

Pi Kappa G.H. presents loving cup to Phi Alpha Sisters at Convention 2012

Pi Kappa House Corporation President, Stephanie Carlson, said that during a thorough cleaning of the chapter's ritual closet, Personnel Advisor Gay Murphy had uncovered an old loving cup. It was engraved "Pi Kappa" on one side and "Phi Alpha" on the other side. This cup originally belonged to Phi Alpha Chapter. The George Washington Chi Omega Chapter was closed in the 1960s, and Pi Kappa at Appalachian State was chartered in the 1970s. Not all of the items from Phi Alpha were returned to the HQ for safekeeping after Phi Alpha was closed. We do not know the journey this cup took, ending up in a closet in North Carolina, but the fact that the "new" owners wanted to return the cup to the original owners was a very special moment at Convention.

2020 Virtual Convention

Convention in 2020 was held virtually entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Convention Today

Convention today involves the Parade of Chapters, the Supreme Governing Council Model Initiation, Installation of the new Supreme Governing Council, business meetings, and fun opportunities for alumnae and collegians alike to connect through Chi Omega. Click here to register for this year’s Convention and be a part of our rich history!

The History of Chi Omega Convention

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