Upcoming Event!! Second Annual Owl Prowl ...Saturday, September 11, 3:30 P.M. Hosted by the Lake Norman area subgroup, the 2nd Annual Owl Prowl is sure to be a great event! We will have the whole center to ourselves with a special presentation of live owls! Following the program will be a short, guided tour of some of the other birds rescued by the Raptor Center.
Read more about last years event below, or visit www.carolinaraptorcenter.org to learn more about supporting the Carolina Raptor Center.
First Annual Owl Prowl....Under the canopy of trees surrounding the Carolina Raptor Center (CRC), 25 Chi Omega alumnae, friends and family experienced the First Annual Owl Prowl
Aug. 22, 2009. The program began with an in-depth presentation in the CRCs outdoor amphitheatre by passing around an actual owl talon, which, surprisingly, was extremely soft and furry. The program continued using three live owls. In addition to a great-horned owl named Matilda and a barn owl named Emma, CRC educator Jamie introduced everyone to Akai, the Eastern screech owl adopted by the Charlotte Chi Omega Alumnae Association. Standing just six inches tall fully grown, Akai was immediately welcomed into the Alumnae Association. Being so small, Akai and other Eastern screech owls, are often mistaken as a young great horned owl. Due to their small stature, Eastern screech owls have adapted unique defense techniques. Their coloring and feathers that stick up on top of the head enable them to blend with the environment of the forest and appear to be part of the trees. And if that does not work, they screech an incredibly loud and irritating sound; hence the name.
The Charlotte Chi Omega Alumnae Association continues its sponsorship of Akai and asks that any area alumnae who get the opportunity to visit the Carolina Raptor Center. It's well worth the few dollars it costs to enter.
Featuring Charlotte Chi Omega Alumnae! Check out the August Issue of the Charlotte Area Alumnae Panhellenic Monthly Newsletter Alumnae Chapter Spotlight! Read about the Charlotte Chi Omega Alumnae, and learn about more ways to get involved! Ronda Brooks, Alumnae Panhellenic Director, attends the monthly meetings. The article reads:
Charlotte Chi Omega Alumnae Association- 1937 88 Current Alumnae Members Local Philanthropy: Make A Wish Foundation "There are five major events each year-Our founding day celebration: The Eleusinian Dinner April 5, a "Welcome to Alumnaehood" event for graduating seniors in June, a Fall Festival/Cookout in October and a Christmas Cookie and Ornament Exchange in December and an annual Make A Wish Foundation fundraiser. In the months without a major event, we have smaller events like movie night, wine tasting events, partnering with local charities, etc., allowing us to meet once a month. We even have a Night Owl event every second Friday of each month, which varies around Charlotte. We have recently started two sub-groups; one in the Huntersville area and one in the South Charlotte/SC area. We had eight members of our Alumnae Chapter attend our National Chi Omega Convention this year in Orlando FL. The Governing Council awarded the Charlotte Chi Omega Alumnae with the Sisterhood Award honoring the Alumnae Chapter with the best relationship with a collegiate chapter. We have alumnae who volunteer as advisors at Wingate, Winthrop, UNCC and Queens. We also have members who serve on House Corps board at Appalachian and the National Advisory Training Team. "
than 20 Chi Omegas and friends enjoyed an evening of music and dancing on stage during the matinee show of Mamma Mia Aug. 2 at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in uptown Charlotte. In the cast was Sara Braslow (Zeta Beta, University of Arizona), good friend of longtime Charlotte Chi Omega Alumnae Association member Leslie Douglas Fogarty (Zeta Beta, University of Arizona). Sara has been a part of the Mamma Mia touring company for four years, longer than any other member of cast. As dance captain, she knows all of the 20-plus dance numbers in the musical and is responsible for teaching every new cast member each routine. Sara performs a lot of different parts as well as provides back-up vocals backstage during the show. Akai, a Western Screech Owl, adopted from the Carolina Raptor Center...Located just north of uptown, the Carolina Raptor Center (CRC) is "dedicated to environmental
stewardship and the conservation of birds of prey, through education, research, and the rehabilitation of injured and orphan raptors." Thousands of school children each year experience birds of prey firsthand through presentations at local schools as well as field trips to the center itself. Acres full of trails with habitats set into the natural setting of the woods makes the CRC a truly unique experience. In addition to its educational programs, the CRC is also involved in research with universities and other wildlife facilites throughout the U.S. The owls, hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey that have come to call the CRC home would have perished had they not been rescued by area residents and CRC staff. Learn more about the CRC and see pictures of Akai at carolinaraptorcenter.org. (Photo by Sean Merewood. Courtesty of Carolina Raptor Center)
"Welcome to Alumnaehood" Event at Carowinds Theme Park...The heat and humidity could not keep a group of Chi O Alumnae from enjoying a day of roller coasters and water rides at Carowinds June 20. Starting with a good drenching on the Rip Roarin' Rapids, some of the group went on to enjoy the thrill of the rides while others made their way to Boomerang Bay, the water park inside Carowinds, to dip their toes in the cool water. Midway through the day everyone met back up and enjoyed a picnic under the shade trees. "This would not be something I would've thought I would enjoy, but I'm really glad I came," said Marty Nass, ARIC chair (Omicron Delta, Carnegie Mellon University). "It really has been a great day." Everyone grabbed a beach towel and sunscreen after filling up on lunch to spend the remainder of the day at Boomerang Bay. First on the to-do list was a
leisurely float in the tubes down the Crocodile Run. Once everyone was able to get on their tubes, some needing more help than others, a nice, lazy drift around the river and under the rainfall cooled everyone off. Spread out on lounge chairs, everyone took turns relaxing in the beach entry of the wave pool and napping. The day ended as all Chi Omega functions do - with hugs! (Upper Left Photo, from left: Martha Nass, Molly Nass, Olivia Ward Smith and Jessica Alford; Lower Right Photo, from left: Matha Nass, Jennifer Pitts Taylor, Olivia Ward Smith, Samantha Starling, Jessica Alford, Molly Nass, Wendy Van Essendelft and Stephanie Carlson)
Wine Tasting Event at Dolcetto Wine Bar.....A great time was had by all at the wine tasting May 26 held at the new Dolcetto Wine Bar in Piedmont Row near South Park. The tasting included three wines and two choices from the appetizer menu. For just $15 per person, Dolcetto provided a buffet of gourmet fruits and cheeses and a bruschetta that paired quite well with the wine selections. A crisp, white pinot grigio, the lightest of the reds, a pinot noir, and a cabernet sauvignon accompanied the food selections for a delicious combination. Everyone in attendance raved about the sisterhood as well as the food and wine saying it is definitely an eventworth repeating. (photo, from left: Jaimee DeFrancesco, Martha Nass, Stephanie Carlson, Jennifer Pitts Taylor, Wendy Van Essendelft and Holly Buchanan; top from left, Amanda Franzblau, Molly Nass and Jessica Alford)
Spring Eleusinian Dinner at Ooh La La's.......
For years, members of the Charlotte Chi Omega Alumnae Association have gathered in honor of the Fraternity���s founding for a Spring Eleusinian dinner. This year was no different. Coming together at Ooh La La���s (formerly La Tea Da���s) near uptown Charlotte, members were treated to a spring buffet featuring fresh fruits and cheeses, humus, pimento cheese and delectable desserts. Ooh La La���s owner, Rachel Seeley (Pi, Kappa, Appalachian State University), took over the location from La Tea Da���s owner Janet Woodson (Pi Kappa, Appalachian State University). She was more than happy to host the event and continue what has become a tradition for the Charlotte Chi Omegas. ���I���ve been a member for years and can���t remember a time we didn���t meet at La Tea Da���s to celebrate the Fraternity���s founding,��� said A.H. Samantha Starling (Theta Lambda, Wingate University). ���We are so glad Rachel helped keep that tradition alive by hosting our Eleusinian.���In coming years, the board is planning to hold the Spring Eleusinian dinner April 5 so it will be held on the actual day of the founding. Keeping the date and location consistent will also make it easier for members and non-members wishing to come celebrate remember where and when the event is held each year. Dinner is included as part of membership. The cost for non-members is normally around $10. (Photo, front, from left: Rachel Seeley, Stephanie Carlson, Samantha Starling, Jenn Taylor, Wendy Van Essendelft, Marty Nass; back, from left, Amanda Franzblau, Lindsay Greenwood, Donna Duke, Nicole Ayala and Linda Paulinz,)