Chi Omega - University of California, Berkeley

MU NEWS Χ Ω Mu Chapter of Chi Omega at the University of California-Berkeley Spring 2014 Alumnae Encouraged to Reconnect with Chi Omega Mu Chapter Looks Forward to More Outdoor Living W elcome to another edition of the Mu News! This semester the alumnae serving on the Mu Chapter House Corporation Board, officially Chi Omega Association, decided to send the newsletter out to all members of Chi Omega residing in the Bay Area beyond Berkeley. By doing so we hope that sisters from all chapters, not just Mu Chapter, will be able to connect with one another and renew the bonds of Chi Omega. ALUMNAE ENGAGED WITH MU CHAPTER In this newsletter you'll find a feature about Sister Caryl James, Xi '54, for many years involved with Mu Chapter as an Advisor. We hope each Bay Area alumna will connect with a Chi Omega chapter near you. PLANS FOR UPDATES TO MU CHAPTER Built in the 1890s, the Mu house needs constant upkeep to operate efficiently and preserve the chapter's single largest asset. Electrical system upgrades and Internet system enhancements were made over the past year; this summer, phase one of a project to facilitate more outdoor living will start, work which ideally will finish in time for Fall Recruitment. We especially thank Dee Pearce '63 who is working diligently and creatively on this project with landscape architect Larry Wight. This summer members of the decoration committee also will develop plans to refresh décor and furnishings in several areas of the chapter house interior. SISTERS MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND CONVENTION Will you be joining Chi Omega Sisters from around the world for the Chi Omega Convention; A Symphony of Sisterhood? Join sisters from far and wide in Orlando, Florida, June 25-29 at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes. Please visit www.chiomega.com for more information. Those planning to attend include West Regional Alumnae Director Dee Pearce '63, Board Vice President Treasurer Buffy Cereske, Psi Alpha '74, (who will be representing the Mu Chapter House Corporation), Advisor Marva Sheehan '77, and Mu Officers Jessica Walsh '13 and Megan Porter '13. HAPPY 119TH BIRTHDAY TO CHI OMEGA Our Eleusinia was celebrated at Scott's Seafood Restaurant in Oakland on April 5th. Two-hundred and thirty Chi Omegas, including alumnae and active chapter members from UC Berkeley, UC Davis and Stanford attended a wonderful event. We were pleased to recognize Corporation Board Director Judith Hulka, Nu Gamma '64, and Dee Pearce '63, each for her 50 years as a Chi Omega. We welcome inquiries about joining the Board of Directors or serving on a special committee of the Corporation. Please contact me for more information. Loyally Yours, Helen Nicholas, Psi Theta '67 President, Chi Omega Association (510) 504-7986 | hnicholas@juno.com Rendering of future deck and patio. C aryl James has been such a devoted volunteer for Mu Chapter that some may forget she is not a Mu initiate. Caryl herself is sometimes surprised to see the name of her initiating chapter, Xi – Northwestern University, on her name tag at Chi Omega Conventions, given her long association with Mu. Over five decades after calling the Mu Chapter house to inquire about an alumnae chapter, Caryl couldn't be happier with the path she's traveled with Chi Omega. Caryl Pogue was born in Waterman, Illinois and majored in education at Northwestern University, where she was initiated by Xi Chapter of Chi Omega in 1954. In her junior year, Caryl was working hard with the chapter on their homecoming float when they found they needed engineering expertise to perfect the design. Because she had a car, she and her friend, Elizabeth Wilson, Xi '54 were excused from chapter meeting to recruit help. Liz had connections with the military and the two found willing assistance from some local Navy boys. The Chi Os got the help they needed and Caryl got a homecoming date! Byron James quickly became her beau and, when he was out of the country on tour, she would make sure to clear the Chi Omega house phone line before he called so they could keep their scheduled phone dates. In 1958, after Byron completed his MBA at Northwestern, Caryl and Byron married and moved to California for his first job. Eager to find friends in her new community, one of Caryl's first acts was to call the Chi Omega house. She quickly connected with the East Bay Alumnae Chapter, where she made her first Chi Omega friends, attending many meetings over the years at the chapter house. Years later, when she was involved with writing RIFs for Recruitment, she got to know Dee Pearce. Dee quickly recruited Caryl to help with the chapter, and she became Mu's Scholarship Advisor in 1981. Seven years later, Caryl became Across Geography and Generations – Chi Omega Is a Lifelong Experience! (Continued on page 2)

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