Northeast District Alumni Secretary and Historian Candidacy Packet

Northeast District Alumni Secretary and Historian Candidacy Packet Erin Kathleen Kreeger Tau Beta Sigma Beta Eta Chapter University of Maryland, College Park

To My Sisters of the Northeast District of Tau Beta Sigma, It truly is an honor to be writing this letter for District Office. Running for an NED Office was never something that I envisioned myself doing when I became a Sister. I always saw myself as the type of Sister who would be involved in as many aspects of TBS as possible, but I never considered the ways I could make a difference beyond my chapter. Before becoming President of the Beta Eta chapter, I served as webmaster and worked directly with our Alumni Secretary and Historian to build an alumni portal that not only documented important aspects of Beta Eta s history, but also allowed them to stay up to date with the chapter s functions. After acting as President, forming contacts with other Sisters in the NED and interacting with my fellow Sisters at four precinct meetings, I have come to realize that not only am I incredibly proud of my chapter, but I am so proud of this District. I have become very passionate about my office, but have truly been inspired by what my officers and NED sisters are able to accomplish in their own chapters. I want to continue to encourage and guide that passion on a District level. The experiences and knowledge that I have gained from being Beta Eta s Webmaster and President has not only given me the qualifications to run for District Alumni Secretary and Historian, but will allow me to work with the NED Webmaster to continue to archive and update information for all Active and Alumni sisters. As President, I am always looking towards the future and looking at the bigger picture of the workings of my chapter. I can appreciate how important it is to recognize our history as a whole District but also as a collection of individual Chapters. There is important work that needs to be done to preserve and protect the history that makes us so unique. Preserving it is only half of the job; our history needs to be easily accessible by every Sister, but also written by every Sister, especially Alumni. It is the work that our alumni have put into our Sisterhood that allows us to be the amazing force for service that we are today. Alumni are here to support us in heart and in the Bond, but they are so much more. As a leader, they can be the individuals we can turn to when we need virtually anything: advice, wisdom or even moral support from those who have, literally, been through it all before. They are full of stories that provide a unique insight into what Sisterhood is and they seem to have the answers to all of our questions (or at least they think they do). But no matter what, they give the best advice and have no interests other than to see us Build Better Bands and build better versions of ourselves in the process. They are not only an integral part of our sorority; they truly represent the foundation that we are currently building upon. Although they have graduated (and I will soon), Alumni are always looking to give back and get involved with what we do, as I hope to do. I want to run for Alumni Secretary and Historian because I believe that building a stronger bridge between Alumni and Actives will not only allow us to document our history, but also to understand it. While I am constantly telling Beta Eta Alumni how proud I am of what the chapter has become, that will never be enough. I want every Sister Active, Alumni, and Honorary to be proud of the legacy they are building and are leaving behind. I would like to help in continuing the bond to strengthen and expand our Sisterhood. I ask for your support in me and in my candidacy for Alumni Secretary and Historian. Respectfully Submitted, with Much Love in the Bond, Erin Kreeger Tau Beta Sigma Beta Eta NED Alumni Secretary and Historian 1

Academic Information: Current University: University of Maryland College Park Expected Graduation Date: May 21, 2015 Degree Pursuing: Bachelors of Science in Bioengineering Academic Leadership Positions: Undergraduate Research Fellow, Metabolic Engineering Lab, University of Maryland Undergraduate Teaching Fellow, A. James Clark School of Engineering Long Term Plans: I plan to graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor s of Science in Bioengineering this spring. I am currently pursuing graduate programs in Secondary Education with specialties in Mathematics and Physics. I plan to become a high school teacher and begin my Master s in Bioengineering or Chemical Engineering. Short Term Plans: I am currently active in the Beta Eta chapter of Tau Beta Sigma and am chapter President. I am also serving as an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow where I serve an instructor for Introduction to Engineering Design in the Clark School of Engineering. I continue to be active in the University of Maryland bands and am currently playing trombone in the University Band ensemble. How Tau Beta Sigma fits into these goals: Tau Beta Sigma did not come into my life until late in my sophomore year at the University of Maryland. When it did, it completely changed my life and how I view myself. The support that I get from my Sisters on a daily basis gives me the confidence to pursue a whole new career for my graduate studies. It also gave me the confidence to join the Mighty Sound of Maryland my junior year and now run for district council. Tau Beta Sigma is the reason that I am pushing myself to pursue my career in education and continue to develop my personal goals. I try to live by the 8&5 in everything that I do in my life and strive to apply these principals and ideals to how I will continue my personal development outside of my undergraduate studies. While I will quickly be an Alumna, I know that I will never truly leave my Chapter, District or Sisters behind. Instrumental Ensemble Participation: University of Maryland Wind Ensemble, Trombone: (2011-2012) University of Maryland University Band, Trombone: (2012-Present) Mighty Sound of Maryland Marching Band, Trombone (2013-2015) Projected Profile for 2015-2016 Term: Status: Life Member Location: I will either be in College Park, Maryland attending the University of Maryland Graduate School or I will be earning my Graduate degree in New Jersey through the support of the Woodrow Wilson National Teaching Fellowship. Access to Transportation: I have my own car which, while she is 15 years old, has not let me down yet. The closest Amtrak station is a short metro ride away from the University of Maryland campus and there are two Amtrak stations within 40 minutes of my home in New Jersey. Bands I Plan on Supporting and Being a Member of: I plan to continue to actively support all University Instrumental Ensembles on the University of Maryland campus. If my Graduate studies allow me to stay in Maryland, I will become a member of the Mighty Sound of Maryland Game Day Staff and continue to serve the Mighty Sound of Maryland during their home performances. I would also continue to be an active participant in the University of Maryland University Band. NED Alumni Secretary and Historian 2

Initiated into Beta Eta Chapter: July 20, 2013 Little Sister: Nicole Honegger BH, Tau Beta Sigma (Spring 2014) Little Brother: Jared Reibel ΓΞ, Kappa Kappa Psi (Spring 2014) Offices Held: Webmaster (January 2014 May 2014) President (May 2014 Present) Committees Served on: Ritual (Fall 2013, Fall 2014) Service (Spring 2014) Judiciary (Spring 2014, Fall 2014) Alumni (Fall 2014) History (Spring 2015) Membership (Spring 2015) Joint Build-a-bridge (Fall 2013, Spring 2014) Joint Parliamentarian (Fall 2014, Spring 2015) Joint District Committee (Spring 2015) -Committee Head Travel Experience: 2013-2014 Southern Precincts Christopher Newport University Central Precincts West Chester University 2014-2015 Southern Precincts Hampton University Central Precincts West Virginia University Awards and Recognitions: University of Maryland, College Park Dean s List Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Fall 2013 Undergraduate Research Award Spring 2014 Published in The Podium I ll Have Courage. I m Not Alone: How I Found Sisterhood (Spring 2014) National Awards Top Chapter Scholar (Fall 2014) NED Alumni Secretary and Historian 3

I, Erin Kreeger, have read and understand my duties as a District Alumni Secretary and Historian: 3.407 The responsibilities of the Alumni Secretary and Historian shall be as follows: a. To gather and distribute information regarding application to the TBSAA, NEDAA, and local alumni associations located within the Northeast District and Life Membership. b. To communicate with each chapter s alumni contact regarding guidance of graduating seniors, ways to involve and contact alumni, and resolving difficulties with alumni. c. To communicate with each chapter s history contact regarding historical archives to research and update chapter history. d. To create an alumni resource containing instructions and advice on local alumni associations, NEDAA, Life Membership, alumni communication, and alumni events. e. To act as a liaison between the NEDAA, District Council, and actives. f. To act with the Kappa Kappa Psi counterpart to improve alumni relations on a joint basis. g. To work with District Webmaster to create and maintain a page on the district website with the information contained in the items above. h. To compile, enlarge and maintain a Historical Archive of the Northeast District including a digital database of all past district officers, District Conventions, and award recipients. i. To collect a copy of the most current District Convention Minutes and Constitution to include in the Historical Archives. j. To be responsible for providing access to the Historical Archives upon request. k. To be responsible for collecting and compiling information from the past academic year for addition to the Historical Archive l. To be responsible for collecting and compiling information for a presentation in the form of a slide show to be displayed at that year s District Convention. m. To serve as the advisor to the Alumni and Historical Affairs Committee, and to invite a representative of NEDAA and TBSAA to be present at the Committee meeting. n. To provide chapters with information on creating and/or purchasing ritual items. I, Erin Kreeger, will accept all past and future charges made by the NED Alumni Affairs committee to the District Alumni Secretary and Historian: The Alumni Affairs committee charged the 2014-2015 NED Alumni Secretary and Historian with the following: 1. Brainstorm ways/creating an opportunity to network between actives and alumni for professional reasons 2. Promote communication between NEDAA and Actives before Actives graduate (for example, a workshop for experience) 3. Explore using social media more (with/between alumni) by creating opportunities for alumni to discuss the past 4. Think of ways to use different types of social media for alumni participation (for example, a photo challenge) 5. Promoting history projects more through media and different forms of communication 6. Promote the NEDAA awards/scholarships 7. Make sure graduating seniors understand options by ensuring that chapters are talking to their seniors 8. Encourage alumni to get together of their own initiative (social events) 9. Two chats a semester: beginning and end about ideas. Small middle of the semester chats for check ups (open to everyone) 10. Have a chat that is officer specific based on problems and planning 11. District wide chat based on alumni and historical affairs NED Alumni Secretary and Historian 4

Goals for the 2015-2016 Term Resources for Continued Alumni Involvement and Active/Alumni interactions: Relations with NEDAA and TBSAA: As a recent Alumna, I plan on joining and strongly promoting memberships within NEDAA and TBSAA. Communication with the TBSAA and NEDAA will be vital for any and every project. I specifically plan to stress a strong partnership and communication with NEDAA for our own local projects and offer support for TBSAA s national projects. I feel that being active within these organizations will strengthen my ability to act as a bridge between Active and Alumni Sisters. I plan to increase the awareness of and ease of access to information available about Life Memberships, NEDAA, and TBSAA by creating a one-stop page on the website. A lot of information in the forms of online workshops and videos have been created by past NED officers and I would like to have those resources be used to their full potential. I also plan on getting NEDAA and TBSAA more involved with the projects that I plan on implementing. I also plan to increase the awareness of and possible funding for life membership. I would like to educate the active Sisters of the NED on how they can get involved with NEDAA and TBSAA projects and ways that chapters and individuals can help support them. My main focus will be to emphasize communication between the NED council and Alumni Associations as well as fully support and aid all initiatives or projects started by officers of both Alumni Associations. An Alumni/Active Networking Forum: I would like to create a forum that will allow for Active/Alumni networking on both the Chapter and the District Level. This page will be available only to Active Sisters and Alumni Sisters. On a superficial level, information on name, major and initiation year will be available to all. After approval, specific information such as current job and contact information will be sent. This will be an open forum where Alumni can share their life after college and how Tau Beta Sigma has helped them get to the place where they are now. Working with the NEDAA and the NED Webmaster, as well as pulling from my own webmaster experience, Beta testing of these modules can begin on the Chapter level in the fall. If chapters elect to beta test on the District level in the spring, they can do so. These forums will be structured so that they can be run and maintained individually by the chapters. Increased Alumni Involvement in District Events I would like to promote more formats for Alumni to act as mentors during District events. Possible event ideas include o Networking events at Districts o Continuing and supporting NEDAA and TBSAA run workshops for new Alumni or approaching Alumni. Living History/Living Bond As a way to take advantage of the multitude of individual experiences that make our Sisterhood strong, I would like to start an initiative to let all Sisters Alumni or Active tell their own unique story. These stories will be collected and one will be featured via email or on the Weebly every week. Formats may include letters, but I would want to encourage video journal or pictures that truly highlight unique individual or chapter history. NED Alumni Secretary and Historian 5

Documenting and Utilizing Our History: Recreating and Updating the History Section of tbsigmaned.weebly.com: Since the change to Weebly, a large amount of NED History has not been transferred over. It will be one of my first duties to make sure that all documented history is easily accessible to all Sisters and is organized in a manner that is user friendly and easy to read. I would like to also add a more interactive section that can be updated on a weekly or monthly basis, this section may include projects that chapter Historians are proud of, important events on that day in history, or an individual s account of an important historic event could all be featured on a history page. Creation of a Secure Digital Archive: I would like to create a secure digital archive that will allow all history to be quickly located and stored securely. Possible options are a password protected Dropbox or a secure Google Drive. New history as well as past history can be uploaded and tagged for future use. Digital NED Yearbook: In order to preserve our current history, I would like to create a digital yearbook, similar to the printed versions that have been made in the past. I would like to have each chapter prepare a couple of pages that documents their own unique history. This can include a chapter photo, list of officers, a big project the chapter did or anything that they are proud of. There will also be pages for precinct meetings and any other District event. This yearbook can be playing as a slideshow during District banquet and will be entered into a digital archive. To promote joint relations, this could also become a joint project run with the Kappa Kappa Psi Historian and Alumni Liaison. Joint chapters can showcase their unique history as joint organizations at their local universities. A full version can be freely distributed to each chapter but it will also be secured in the digital archive so that in the future, chapters can look back on the District and chapter histories. Monthly Quizzes: Monthly quizzes were a great ways to learn about the history of the District and how to use the resources that the district has offered. While the NED Weebly is still being updated, there are a lot of ways to get individuals more involved in our history. These monthly quizzes will be restructured using a google Doc so they can be more interactive. Similar to the previous versions, these will be able to give Sisters of the NED the chance to search through the NED Weebly as well as other chapters websites. To promote joint initiatives, I will also include questions about Kappa Kappa Psi chapters in the district as well as KKPsi NED history. NED Weebly Calendar: On our website, we used to have important deadlines and big events listed on our calendar. After the switch to Weebly, that calendar was lost. I would like to, with the help of the NED Webmaster and Secretary, to add chapter founding dates and other important points in our history (such as when our District was renamed to the Northeast District). NED Alumni Secretary and Historian 6

Providing Resources for Chapter Officers: Monthly Alumni Secretary and Historian Chats: These chats would be open to anyone that wants to participate and will have guided questions to start discussion on what each chapter is doing with their alumni and their history projects. It may also be helpful to have separate chats that focus on different factors of alumni and history. These ideas include: o Recording History in a Digital Age o Alumni Communication and Involvement o Maintaining and Documenting Chapter Traditions Alumni Surveys: I would like to create a survey for all Alumni Secretaries to send out to their alumni in order to gauge how we are doing as a District and Chapter level at maintaining the Bond with Alumni. This survey would include questions about how they think the chapter is functioning; how the Alumni Secretaries are communicating and how involved they feel with the active chapter. The results will mainly be for use of the individual chapter officers, but I will be available to offer support or advice. Facebook Groups: I would like to continue the existence of the officer Facebook groups. However, I would create a separate group for Alumni Secretaries and Historians. The Facebook groups are great ways to instantly share ideas with other officers as well as a way to offer and get support. History Project: I would love to continue the NED History project. I would want to create interest and send out information at an earlier time as well as find ways for entire chapters to become involved, not just the Historian. Check Ins: Once or twice throughout the term, I would like to set up a google-hangout form of a check-in with each chapter s Alumni Secretary and Historian. This will be optional, but I feel like it would be beneficial to some to discuss events and projects they are planning. Whether they need advice or just want to show off their amazing projects, I will be here to listen! NED Alumni Secretary and Historian 7

NED Alumni Secretary and Historian 8

NED Alumni Secretary and Historian 9

Thursday, March 5 th, 2015 Dear Sisters of the Northeast District, It is my pleasure to offer my full and enthusiastic support to Beta Eta Sister Erin Kreeger for the position of 2015 2016 Tau Beta Sigma Northeast District Alumni Secretary and Historian. As early as membership candidacy, Erin impressed me with how thoughtful and dedicated she was towards the purposes and ideals of Tau Beta Sigma. Erin is unique within our chapter because she was not a member of the Mighty Sound of Maryland Marching Band prior to rushing and accepting a bid; however, she embraced the challenge of getting to know everybody not only as Sisters and her fellow Membership Candidates of TBΣ, but as individuals. She immediately demonstrated loyalty and dependability by supporting her class, the Sisters and Sisterhood, and the bands through service that needed to be done, and was able to complete all tasks asked of her with the utmost quality while maintain an impressive bioengineering GPA. The Spring 2013 Membership Education Process became a time of great reflection and review of practice and traditions for the Beta Eta Chapter. Immediately upon initiation, Erin engaged herself in dialogue aimed towards the betterment of the chapter. A brand new sister, she commuted from New Jersey to Maryland to share her thoughts on the chapter going forward. Hearing her insights and ideas made me, having graduated, confident that she truly believed in the ideals of the Sorority and the future of the chapter was in good hands. After spending her first year as Webmaster revitalizing the chapter website, Erin became the Chapter President. As an alumna, I have seen the influence Erin s leadership has had on chapter business and relations. By empowering all sisters to be more involved through effective use of chapter committees, and finding time regularly to communicate with officers and committees as a support for their projects, she has aided Beta Eta in successfully completing several initiatives throughout this year. The increased levels of engagement, seeing various Sisters names spearheading projects, and quality of service projects that have occurred have been noticeable over the course of this school year. Having reviewed Erin s platform for District office, I believe she has wonderful ideas for sustainable District-wide projects going forward. Her points represent a good balance between Alumni Secretary and Historian, between support of active sisters and a strong partnership with the Northeast District Alumni Association to support actives and local alumni. I believe she will be an effective liaison between both groups. As an officer of the Northeast District Alumni Association, I know that Alumni/Active networking is an initiative we have previously discussed and hope to implement in support of NED Actives and Alumni, but have not yet been able to pilot. Erin s plans for this project are certainly aligned with a purpose NEDAA can serve in support of our Brothers and Sisters. In all the time I ve known Erin, I ve found her to be extremely hardworking, organized, detail-oriented, and dedicated to whatever task is at hand. As a Sister, she exemplifies the Five Qualities and Eight Essential Factors in all she does, and I trust that she will be successful in implementing all she has presented. She has been an integral part of the recent growth of Beta Eta and I have no doubt she will be equally successful on the District Council. It is my honor to whole-heartedly recommend her without reservation for this position, trusting she will serve with honor and distinction. Sincerely, Zara A. Simpson Secretary Northeast District Alumni Association Life Member (#3106), Tau Beta Sigma Beta Eta, Spring 2010 zsimpson@tbsigma.org 201.723.2654 NED Alumni Secretary and Historian 10