Xi State History Highlights

Xi State (Tennessee) was admitted into the Delta Kappa Gamma Society on November 30, 1935. It was the fourteenth state to be organized into the national Society. The state organization was developed by Dr. Annie Webb Blanton, the Society's founder, who spent long hours planning, developing hand written correspondence and traveling great distances to supervise each detail.The historic meeting took place in the luxurious Hermitage Hotel, Nashville. Here Dr. Blanton met with sixteen well known educators from Chattanooga, Johnson City, Memphis, Murfreesboro, and Nashville, including Ada Hartsook, Julia Hodgson, Helen Lucy Shane, Julia Green, Amanda Russell, E. May Saunders, Maycie K. Southall, and Ina Yockley. Because one more educator was present than was allowed under the regulations for charter members, one name, that of Tommie Reynolds, was drawn from the group with the understanding that this person would not be considered a state charter member, but instead would be initiated the first member-at-large of Xi State. Dr. Blanton sent handwritten letters to possible charter members describing their duties and responsibilities. AFounder of Delta Kappa Gamma takes her place for life. "She must have had at least five years of experience: She should be a woman well known in the state in her line of work, a teacher of fine character, good personality, and good social qualities. "We like to have about half college teachers and half public school teachers, and women of different lines of work, residing in different parts of the state."Despite Miss Blanton's growing leadership in the field of education she was concerned about the possibility of missing her classes to do the work of the Society. It is for this reason that she scheduled her trip to Nashville for the Thanksgiving holidays so as to give herself enough time to complete the long railroad trip home in time for her Monday classes. She filed an expense account of $9.96 for the initiation and luncheon which included tips to waiters $3, 17 bows of ribbon at 8 cents totaling $1.36, roses $2, etc. Additional expenses for this day included 19 luncheons at $1.50 totaling $28.50. Fees and dues collected from each member were $10 including initiation fee, $3 dues, and $1 scholarship fees. (The cost of the luncheon was included in the initiation fee.) She filed an expense account of $9.96 for the initiation and luncheon which included tips to waiters $3, 17 bows of ribbon at 8 cents totaling $1.36, roses $2, etc. Additional expenses for this day included 19 luncheons at $1.50 totaling $28.50. Fees and dues collected from each member were $10 including initiation fee, $3 dues, and $1 scholarship fees. (The cost of the luncheon was included in the initiation fee.) The state Charter of Incorporation 65143 was recorded December 19, 1935. Officers for 1935-1938 were Dr. Maycie K. Southall, President; Mary Morrow Frizzell, First Vice-President; Mary Mackinlay, Second Vice-President; Julia Greene, Treasurer; Mary Hall, Corresponding Secretary; Elizabeth Oehmig, Recording Secretary; Ada Hornsby Earnest, Parliamentarian.

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Xi State History Highlights
*Compiled in 1994 by Xi State Historians* Martha Marshall and Audrey Doak, Alpha Alpha chapter

Founding
Xi State (Tennessee) was admitted into the Delta Kappa Gamma Society on November 30, 1935. It was the fourteenth state to be organized into the national Society. The state organization was developed by Dr. Annie Webb Blanton, the Society's founder, who spent long hours planning, developing hand written correspondence and traveling great distances to supervise each detail.The historic meeting took place in the luxurious Hermitage Hotel, Nashville. Here Dr. Blanton met with sixteen well known educators from Chattanooga, Johnson City, Memphis, Murfreesboro, and Nashville, including Ada Hartsook, Julia Hodgson, Helen Lucy Shane, Julia Green, Amanda Russell, E. May Saunders, Maycie K. Southall, and Ina Yockley. Because one more educator was present than was allowed under the regulations for charter members, one name, that of Tommie Reynolds, was drawn from the group with the understanding that this person would not be considered a state charter member, but instead would be initiated the first member-at-large of Xi State. Dr. Blanton sent handwritten letters to possible charter members describing their duties and responsibilities. AFounder of Delta Kappa Gamma takes her place for life. "She must have had at least five years of experience: She should be a woman well known in the state in her line of work, a teacher of fine character, good personality, and good social qualities. "We like to have about half college teachers and half public school teachers, and women of different lines of work, residing in different parts of the state."Despite Miss Blanton's growing leadership in the field of education she was concerned about the possibility of missing her classes to do the work of the Society. It is for this reason that she scheduled her trip to Nashville for the Thanksgiving holidays so as to give herself enough time to complete the long railroad trip home in time for her Monday classes. She filed an expense account of $9.96 for the initiation and luncheon which included tips to waiters $3, 17 bows of ribbon at 8 cents totaling $1.36, roses $2, etc. Additional expenses for this day included 19 luncheons at $1.50 totaling $28.50. Fees and dues collected from each member were $10 including initiation fee, $3 dues, and $1 scholarship fees. (The cost of the luncheon was included in the initiation fee.) She filed an expense account of $9.96 for the initiation and luncheon which included tips to waiters $3, 17 bows of ribbon at 8 cents totaling $1.36, roses $2, etc. Additional expenses for this day included 19 luncheons at $1.50 totaling $28.50. Fees and dues collected from each member were $10 including initiation fee, $3 dues, and $1 scholarship fees. (The cost of the luncheon was included in the initiation fee.) The state Charter of Incorporation 65143 was recorded December 19, 1935. Officers for 1935-1938 were Dr. Maycie K. Southall, President; Mary Morrow Frizzell, First Vice-President; Mary Mackinlay, Second Vice-President; Julia Greene, Treasurer; Mary Hall, Corresponding Secretary; Elizabeth Oehmig, Recording Secretary; Ada Hornsby Earnest, Parliamentarian.
Xi State Founders
Mrs. Ada Earnest Miss Mary J.Frizzell Miss Julia Green Miss Mary Hall Miss Julia Harris Miss Evangeline Hartsock Miss Julia Hodgson	Dr. Helen Lacy Shane Miss Mary Mackinlay Miss Elizabeth Randall Miss Amanda Russell Miss E. May Saunders Dr. Maycie K. Southall Miss Ina Yoakley
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Updated June, 2003