When I think about how to describe the Epsilon-Louisiana State chapter house corporation board, one word comes to mind: “balanced.”  We are nine women ranging from ages 48 to 77. From CPAs to realtors to teachers, we bring life experiences that are invaluable to maintaining a successful house corporation. On any given day, it’s a balancing act to get the job done.

Why do we willingly volunteer our time? Several adjectives come to mind – committed, obligated and dedicated. We all have families and professions that require these traits to be successful, so it makes perfect sense to us to give back. We feel obligated to our founders and the Ritual they wrote. We are committed to an organization that has been in existence since 1897. And we are dedicated to the ideals set before us. These are reasons enough to stay involved.

That being said, running a chapter house is a J – O – B. All nine members need to be involved in maintaining the house as wear and tear is inevitable. Once our budget has been set for the year, the board is responsible for being good stewards of the money collected from members. We are tasked with hiring a competent and trustworthy house director, cleaning staff and cooks, which are a few of the hardest jobs to fill and maintain. We have established longstanding relationships with our carpenter, security system company, technology specialists, heating and air conditioning company and several other contractors.

Keeping up-to-date with technology is an ongoing task. Thankfully, we have some younger board members who have the energy and expertise in the latest technological advances. We are also committed to making the house more conducive for studying in groups or individually.

The house has undergone a major facelift over the past three years, which has been received favorably by both collegians and alumnae. Next up, we hope to renovate the snack kitchen to accommodate the demands of our ever-growing membership.

For years, we have been fortunate to have amazing women who volunteer on our house corporation board. These dedicated and competent women have paved the way and left an indelible blueprint for us to follow. We hope the next generation of Kappa Delta alumnae will feel compelled to serve so that future generations will have a beautiful Kappa Delta house to call home.

Mary Ellen Hart
Epsilon-Louisiana State

Chapter House Corporation Board President