House Corporation Organizes Summer Chapter House Updates

Basement Clean-Out Uncovers Lambda History

E ach summer, the House Corporation Board and the house director

spend their time making improvements to the house, many of which are requests that come from the chapter. Summer 2015 was no exception. The co-house managers, Kathy O’Connor Jansen ’76 and Kay Fleenor Compton ’75, led the way with the following:

• An improved security camera system was installed that will allow the members better access to detailed information. • The walkway between our house and the Theta Chi house was replaced. • The kitchen received a few updates to bring it up to newly required codes. • All new mattresses were installed in both sleeping porches. President Jenny Erickson ’12 did a great job, managing to give all of the old mattresses away to the fraternities and saving us from having to hire someone to dispose of them.• The attic was completely redesigned with 20 lockers that will be available for the out-of-state members to store their seasonal items for the school year. • The Wi-Fi system was upgraded with more access points that will make it easier in the main house to access Wi-Fi in the evenings when everyone is using it. This allows the members easier access to their school work as well as the very important Netflix.

Overall, it was another successful summer getting ready for the new school year. Thank you and great job to Kathy and Kay on a job well done! The house is so lucky to have you!

Basement Closet Clean-Out Results in Treasures

Mid-summer, members of the HCB got together to clean and organize the basement closets. Thank you to Christie Call Quigley ’79, Sandra Waugh ’79, Kathy Jansen, Kay Compton, and Jenny Erickson for all of the work you

did! The chapter room back closet was cleaned out and organized, as well as

the mother’s club large closet, the basement room closet, the closet outside the basement

room, and the closet under the stairwell. While there was

much that was re-organized, donated, shredded or thrown

out, there was so much that we found that was very special and captured the 93 years of the Lambda Chapter history.

For example, Sandra found a pledge book that included her mother’s

signature from 1950 and Kay found a book that she made for the chapter. So many rich years of history that should make us all

proud to be Gamma Phi Betas at the University of Washington. Thank you to this team a great job! The memorabilia has been re-organized and some of the photos, books, etc., have been framed and are featured in the display case in the Date Room. Please come by the house and check it out!

Sandra Waugh Joins House Corporation BoardLastly, I would like to announce Sandra Waugh as the newest member to the House Corporation Board. Sandra has taken over for Kris Radke Ilgenfritz ’81, who has taken on a larger role within her company. Thank you to Kris for your many years of passion and commitment to her role on the board! She will be missed. We welcome Sandra, who is newly retired and already making an impact on the board and the chapter.

We are so excited for the new school year and the new pledge class. If you are interested in helping out in any way, please let me know. Next summer we are looking at a major remodel of the kitchen, which will bring lots of projects and fundraising. It is great to be a Gamma Phi!

,Q�Ɨ.(Laurie Black ’81President, Lambda House Corporationlb@laurieblack.com

LAMBDA CHAPTER OF GAMMA PHI BETA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

FALL2015

Good luck and congratulations to all of our recent graduates!

Alumnae,

come visit

4529 17th

Avenue this fall!

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LAMBDA NEWS

Gamma Phi Sisterhood Stands the Test of Time for June Hellenthal Vynne ’40A t 93 years young, June Hellenthal Vynne ’40 still wakes up

surrounded by her Gamma Phi Beta sisters. The Park Shore Retirement Community in Seattle is home to several Gamma Phis, including Judi Mounger Jacobson ’55, Dorothy Broadfoot Strong ’42, Jill Runstad Hally ’56, Alice Wanamaker ’36, Betty McDougall ’52, Judi Gardiner ’53, and Solveig Thomson ’47. These ladies are a true testament to the bonds of our sisterhood.

June remembers there were only about 13 girls in her pledge class, as this was post-depression and during the war. As an undergraduate, Lambda Chapter was the whole package for June. “Of course I was proud! I was proud because of the people I met through Gamma Phi and the things we were doing.” She remembers pledge class ski trips and her father taking June and her friends out in his boat.

After graduation, June devoted her time to her husband and three children. As a busy mother, June was very involved in many different activities, including sailing and PTA, scouting, and church choir. Sailing was a family affair and passion for the Vynne family. June’s Lambda Chapter friends have stayed an important part of her life. There was a group of five Lambda ladies who stayed in Seattle and were in the same orthopedic group for 68 years together. Their husbands and families got along very well, so the ladies continued to stay close friends and often celebrated New Year’s Eve together. “We really became a family,” June said.

Still today, June reminisces on the lessons Gamma Phi Beta taught her all those years ago. “It teaches you how to serve and be a good citizen and help out wherever you can. I still always have my eye out for things or people I can help.”

After living in Friday Harbor, Washington, for 35 years and serving on several boards, June recently returned to Seattle where she celebrated her 93rd birthday with a family weekend at her daughter’s house with five tents in the yard. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, and still exercises.

Gamma Phi Beta Prepared Carol Koehler ’65 for an

Ethical, Involved LifeTo Carol Koehler ’65, being a member of

Lambda Chapter felt like being on a winning team with great members. “I felt like I had 100 new friends, and I have to admit, I loved almost every minute of it.”

Living with 100 women and being a part of an organization with a purpose had a great impact on Carol. “I learned to be more organized, to be persuasive in some cases and compromising in others, to be charitable and helpful to others, and to set the example myself—all pretty important lessons in life.” She hopes today’s undergraduates know that Gamma Phi is great training for life and that there will be opportunities to be good leaders and good followers—both important skills.

Carol spent almost 20 years serving on the House Corporation Board, overseeing updates and renovations of the chapter house in the ’80s and ’90s. She also got to know some amazing Lambda women while serving. “Patsy Matz ’56 and Berta Sorenson were both outstanding, respected women who were devoted to Gamma Phi. They never disappointed in their leadership.”

Years later, Carol still reflects on how Gamma Phi helped her become who she is today. “We had to be responsible to, and sometimes for, our sisters. We had to be organized, to follow the rules, to be a good friend to have good friends, to be a good model to the younger girls. And we were all in it together. Those core values of leadership, scholarship, service, and loyalty were an integral part of our formation as young women. We did ‘aspire to excellence,’ and strove to be ethical and accountable for our behavior, and our friendships were enduring. I can’t imagine how different my life would be had I not been a Gamma Phi.”

Carol and her husband have three children, Chris, Erika, and Anne, who have given them five (soon to be six) grandchildren. She enjoys golfing at the Broadmoor in Seattle and Ironwood in Palm Desert, playing bridge, and participating in her investment, book, and movie clubs. They also travel and spend lots of time with their grandchildren. “Is there anything better?” Connect with Carol via e-mail at carollkoehler@comcast.net.

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Please join us on November 8 at 11 a.m. for the Reunite Brunch at the chapter house to honor our 75-year members of the class of 1940 (June Vynne’s class) and the 50-year members of the class of 1965 (Carol Koehler’s class). I know both June and Carol would love to meet you and see you all there!

W ith summer now over, Lambda Chapter could not be more excited for fall quarter at the University of Washington. The campus is

buzzing with new faces and we are so excited to welcome new women into our member class of 2015 during formal fall recruitment! These next few months will be filled with Husky football games, alumnae events, and long days in the campus libraries, and we can’t wait!

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM HUGELY SUCCESSFULIn fall 2014, Lambda Chapter implemented a new scholarship program consisting of mentors, meetings with Scholarship Chairwoman Kelley Sinnock ’12, and an incredible amount of self-accountability required of our members. This program has been hugely successful, and in the spring quarter of 2015, Lambda had an astounding 53 members on the Dean’s List with a GPA above 3.5. Our members consistently maintain a GPA above the University of Washington’s all-women and all-Greek averages. At a competitive school such as the UW, this is an accomplishment to be proud of!

CRESCENT CLASSIC BASEBALLTOURNAMENT A SUCCESS

In May 2015, we had our first-ever Crescent Classic Baseball Tournament event, a week-long competition open to all fraternal organizations on campus. Our members love hosting events in our beautiful house, especially when they end in an all-girl dance party! All money raised throughout the week was donated directly to Girls on the Run. We are so proud to be “strong women building strong girls!”

RECRUITMENT WEEK SHOWS

LAMBDA’S STRENGTHS

Recruitment week is always a yearly highlight at Lambda Chapter and we are so proud of

our initiated members and the hard work they put in each year. Each and every member of our chapter demonstrates Gamma Phi Beta’s four core values of love, labor, learning, and loyalty, and this truly comes alive in our recruitment process. Please contact our membership vice president, Soley Olafsson ’12, with any recruitment recommendations or questions.

FALL SISTERHOOD EVENTSFall quarter is jam-packed with fun activities for both our collegiate and alumnae members. We will kickstart the quarter with an all-chapter sisterhood retreat. Along with grab-a-dates and fall formal date functions, we have our annual pumpkin carving sisterhood and alumnae trick-or-treat. We will also be celebrating our sisterhood on November 8 with a Founder’s Day brunch at 11 a.m. More details on these events can be found on page 4.

0(0%(56�,192/9('�2876,'(�2)�ƊƜƉ�At Lambda Chapter, we encourage and support our members to be involved in as many campus and community projects as possible. We have members who travel abroad each quarter, who are on the boards of their majors and presidents of campus clubs, and many of our members participate in intramural and university athletics. We value community service and encourage our members to donate their time to many local organizations

such as Northwest Harvest Food Bank or Girls on the Run.

I could not be more honored to call myself a Gamma Phi Beta; the women I surround myself with are inspiring and motivating. Joining the Greek community was a choice I will always be proud of. Go Greek, and go Gamma Phi!

,Q�Ɨ.(�Jenny Erickson ’12Chapter Presidentuwgpb@outlook.com

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GAMMA PHI BETA

Actives Excited to Be Back at 17th Avenue for Fall Quarter

Twins Hana and Evyn Newman ’12 take a day off from their summer internships to conquer the Silver Lake hike.

Devin Kruse ’14, Rachel Phillips ’14, and Ava Nassirian ’14 take a quick break on the Lambda sun porch from a busy day talking to potential

new members at UW’s Greek Preview.

Lambda sisters enjoy spending time together over the summer. Our Crescent Classic Baseball

Tournament last spring raised money

for Girls on the Run.

Lambda Chapter of Gamma Phi BetaP.O. Box 398Seahurst, WA 98062

Address Service Requested

Attention: This newsletter is intended for Gamma Phi Beta alumnae and parents. If your

daughter is still attending the University of Washington, she will receive a copy at the

chapter house. If she is no longer in school, please send us her permanent address to

update our records. Thank you.

Save the Date for Fall Events

HomecomingSaturday, October 17

UW vs. Oregon

Alumnae Trick or Treat NightThursday, October 29, 5 p.m.

Founder’s Day Reunite BrunchSunday, November 8, 11 a.m.

Welcome, New Lambda SistersTia AdlerSeattle, Wash. Ballard High School

Ashley BeckerBuckley, Wash.Bonney Lake High School

Erica Blume Seattle, Wash. Bishop Blanchet

Randi BuccatSan Diego, Calif.Del Norte High School

Gretchen Chase North Bend, Wash.Mount Si High School

Madeline CrowleySeattle, Wash. Bishop Blanchet

Aashna DevThousand Oaks, Calif.Viewpoint School

Drew DudleySan Ramon, Calif. California High School

Margaret GardnerGig Harbor, Wash.Bellarmine Preparatory School

Terry GarfieldBellevue, Wash.Sammamish High School

Katherine GilbertGig Harbor, Wash.Gig Harbor High School

Kathryn Hansen Gig Harbor, Wash.Peninsula High School

Margaret HungerMoraga, Calif.Campolindo High School

Hailey JensenEdmonds, Wash.Meadowdale

Bethany Johnson Monroe, Wash.Monroe High School

Marilyn Jones Spokane, Wash. Mead High School

Julianne LaneBellevue, Wash.Newport High School

Emily LindnerDanville, Calif.San Ramon Valley High School

Melissa LongBellevue, Wash. Interlake High School

Alexandra Megard-MurphyLake Forest Park, Wash.Shorecrest High School

Calli MillangAuburn, Wash. Auburn Riverside

Mariah MillerBellingham, Wash.Bellingham High School

Olivia MurphyBellevue, Wash.Bishop Blanchet

Olivia OplingerSeattle, Wash. Ballard

Maria PerlaSeattle, Wash. Nathan Hale High School

Grace PhelanEdmonds, Wash. King’s High School

Sara Pinto Davis, Calif. Davis Senior High School

Hannah Sadat-TehraniSan Mateo, Calif. Sacred Heart Prep

Jennifer ScharrerBainbridge Island, Wash.Bainbridge High School

Emma SchweigerNapa, Calif. Napa High School

Karissa ShapardBellevue, Wash.Interlake High School

Chloe SheaRichland, Wash.Richland High School

Gabby ShelleyNewport Beach, Calif.Newport Harbor High School

Serena SkidmoreSeattle, Wash. Bishop Blanchet

Julia SteinbergBellevue, Wash. Newport

Isa Sunde Kirkland, Wash.Juanita High School

Talia VestalSanta Barbara, Calif.Santa Barbara High School

Whitney WerksmanLas Vegas, Nev. Bishop Gorman High School