Alpha Phi - University of Missouri

Omicron Chapter Always Alpha Phi Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Spring 2019 I magine you are a college student who just inherited your grandparents' old but lovingly maintained home. It's one of the smaller homes in the neighborhood but one of the most charming. The location is great, and you could live there. It's big enough, but not ready to entertain all your friends at the same time. So, you want to move in, update, and add a large gathering space without taking out a huge loan that will have you living paycheck to paycheck. This scenario is a small-scale version of Omicron's House Corporation Board (HCB) plan for our beloved chapter house. The curb appeal is perfect. There's enough bed space to meet the current demand and future trends. We don't want to be in the situation as others with too many beds to fill with fewer potential new members to house. Planning for the Future The HCB is responsible for the oversight, maintenance and operation of Alpha Phi's chapter facility. Comprised of students and alumnae volunteers, the board seeks input from collegiate members, their parents and alumnae/advisors to ensure the property meets the needs of today's students. Planning for future needs is a key role in this process. As you have read previously, sorority housing is changing in Columbia. To stay apace, the HCB has consulted with construction specialists, as well as other sorority HCBs, to seek the best advice available and plan accordingly. Key considerations include viability of the current structure, space design to sufficiently accommodate chapter meetings on-site (rather than continuing to hold them on campus), ADA/code compliance, and of course, financing. While no decisions are final, the HCB has spent two years working to draft responsible options for keeping our chapter house competitive with other sororities and housing options in Columbia. The HCB continues to perform due diligence in this complex decision-making process. We want to ensure that any decision meets current and future demands for housing and allows Omicron to remain fiscally sound. We look forward to updating you as plans progress. How You Can Help In the meantime, please support Omicron's annual campaign. Twice a year, we send you a letter appealing to our shared sisterhood for contributions to our beloved chapter. When you receive your letter in the coming weeks, please consider making or continuing your ongoing support of Omicron. Your annual gift is significant to preserving our grand home, providing for unanticipated repairs and planning for future improvements. Without these gifts we cannot ensure the preservation and legacy of the Omicron facility. Donate Online To make donating to Omicron easier, we are pleased to announce our new online giving form, found at tinyurl.com/APMUDonate. Please look for more information in the upcoming appeal letter. Of course, the current payment options will also remain. On behalf of the HCB, we appreciate your ongoing financial support. AOE, Cathy McCrady Heinsohn '82 House Corporation Board President heinsohnc@charter.net Omicron Strategic Plan Update Your Ongoing Support Is Vital to Preserving Omicron's Heritage (Continued on page 3) M y name is Hannah Hartlieb and I am a fall '14 initiate of Omicron who graduated last December. I had the privilege of traveling the country this past academic year as an E d u c a t i o n a l L e a d e r s h i p Consultant. I remember the day I received the call with the job offer like it was yesterday, and the rush of emotions that came with it: excitement, nerves, uneasiness, but most importantly, gratefulness. I knew that I was not ready for my time with Alpha Phi to come to a close and having the opportunity to give back to the organization that had given me so much was something I was beyond thankful for. Fast forward to July and I was packing my life into two suitcases and heading to Boulder, Colorado, for a three-week intensive training with the rest of my consultant class. The fall semester was a whirlwind—I had the opportunity to travel coast to coast (several times), work on eight different recruitments, and visit 15 different universities before December. After the holidays, I completed four more recruitments and had about six more visits before my journey ended in March. All of these visits consisted of different projects—from COB to working through finances, diving into new member programs, and so much more—and there has never been a dull moment. After life on the road and seeing the impact of our organization nationwide, I am prouder than ever to call myself an Alpha Phi and am forever grateful for the way Omicron shaped me into the leader I am today. But most importantly, I love knowing that no matter how many miles I may travel, 906 S. Providence will always be home and the foundation of my Alpha Phi experience. AOE, Hannah Hartleib '14 hhartlieb@alphaphi.org Hannah Hartleib '14 and Clare Hanks '12 Represent Omicron as Alpha Phi Consultants

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