Ontario Beta Rho Master Ottawa, Ontario

Beta Rho Master’s membership is made up of interesting and interested women who work and play well together. We are 18 in number and hold meetings in our homes on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. Ottawa has become a large city so we are zoned-East for driving convenience. Our members support our chapter events, city council events, and our community. We welcome visitors, transferees or potential new members. Many of us visit BSP’s International website for information or inspiration or use the internet for communication to other sisters in this area or around the world.

For this year 2006-2007, we have adopted International’s theme, 75 Years Young. As always, our theme extends to our meetings and our socials.

· Our History

Our history begins as Xi Gamma Psi in 1974. Our membership was filled with active fun-loving women and we grew and grew and grew until, with BSP International and BSP Ottawa City Council approval, ten members progressed to the newly chartered, zoned-East, Preceptor Alpha Phi. Our Chapter flourished and we enjoyed our activities together, building our membership until it was strong enough for ten members to progress to the newly chartered, zoned-East, Laureate Alpha Upsilon. This took place in 1985, again with the approval of BSP International and BSP Ottawa City Council. In 2003, with the majority of our membership eligible for a Master degree, all 19 of us were granted the Charter of Ontario Beta Rho Master Chapter. We are proud that four of those original ten members remain active today and two of them, Vera Wilson (2004) and Marie Tilk (2005) have celebrated 50 years in Sorority.

· Overview of our Current Years Activities

· Program

Interesting programs are a unique part of the fellowship within Beta Rho Master.

In keeping with the theme, 75 Years Young, we began the year with two mini programs to illustrate how varied the program could be. One of the programs took us along memory lane with excerpts of various musical renditions through the years as we guessed the name of the song and the artist that made it famous. The second mini program brought back happy memories of the games we played as children. Everyone contributed skipping rhymes and told anecdotes of remembrances of their childhood.

Our next program was of Fashions of the 30’s with pictures and information on the evolution of materials used, the various patterns of hats, suits and gloves, and how the Depression and War influenced what we wore.

One of our members attended a private boarding school in her youth, and gave us thumb-nail sketches of Attending Boarding School and Living Life in Trafalger Castle, built in 1850 and boasting secret passages. We heard her Valedictorian address, which clearly expressed her thoughts as a young woman, and a poem which exemplifies her thoughts of her time at school and the woman she is now.

Since our next program was close to Remembrance Day, our program was about the war years and the remembrances of a child without a father at home. Wonderful WWII music played in the background and we were treated to viewing newspapers with headlines of all the major war events as well as photographs during that time.

Our next program was presented by a very talented sister who entertained us with piano musical renditions of composers of the 30’s – the Gershwin’s, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Hammerstein and many more. Interesting antidotes, a sing-along, and a quiz made this program a hit!

We learned about the youth of one of our members who is a true native of this area. She grew up in Cyrville, a French area, talked about her siblings, and the many aspects of living as one of ten children, and showed us pictures of her family and her home. She told us about her Catholic school, the games they played, and some of her interests growing up. After she married, she talked about her own family and her time in Germany where she learned to speak the language.

Our Christmas meeting consisted of dinner, a short meeting, a program, and an exchange of a Secret Sister Christmas ornament. The Christmas program, presented by Marie Tilk was about members remembrances of Christmas pasts. She compiled their memories of foods and festive good will; the joyous excitement of Christmas mornings; special family memories; the impact of community; the decorations and the perfect trees. Marie ended her program with an appeal to not only remember Christmas past, but to remember others, positive things, and to be thankful for our many blessings.

Another sister told us of the joys and challenges of leaving PEI to live in Montreal, attending McGill University on a scholarship and her lasting relationship with her room mate.

Two of our members took us on a tour with pictures and words of the facilities, flower displays, memorials, structures, the marsh, and so much more at the Beechwood Cemetery.

We look forward to the programs throughout the year as it gives us a more intimate insight into our sisters’ lives and experiences.

· Social

Our sisters enjoy social times together and at our mixed socials, our husbands enjoy the camaraderie and good food provided. Beta Rho Master sisters support City Council events – the Fall Dinner, the Preferential Tea, the CC Christmas Meeting, Rituals, and Founder’s Day.

To celebrate the theme, 75 Years Young, we were invited to a Beginning Day High Tea. We all wore long skirts, with some sisters wearing hats and gloves as most certainly would have been appropriate apparel in earlier times. An antique hand-crocheted table cloth adorned the tea table laden with delicious and beautiful food. Finger sandwiches, condiments, trays of sweets including delicate scones with cream and jam tempted us all. Candles and flowers contributed to the ambience.

In October, an Italian Night Mixed Social Dinner was enjoyed complete with delicious food and great camaraderie.

We celebrated the holiday season by having a catered dinner with turkey and all the trimmings for members and husbands. Sisters shared Christmas dinner, followed by a short meeting, a program, and then Santa delivered Secret Sister Christmas decorations. This is one of our warmest of Beta Rho Master Traditions. What wonderful memories are evoked as we decorate our homes each year with past Christmas decorations!

Plans for socials during the rest of the year include a Card Night (mixed) in February, a movie night in March, our Birthday Party in May and the Closing Party (mixed) in June.

At our Birthday Party, we reveal Secret Sister Names and exchange a gift. We also add our personal age - a penny a year (and now we round it up to the nearest even amount) to our treasury. Another warm tradition of Beta Rho Master!

· Service

Our major service project throughout the year is to support Cornerstone, a charity for mentally challenged and homeless women. At Christmas time, each of us provided several Christmas bags filled with basic necessities for the women of Cornerstone. We provide them with baking ingredients so that they can make Christmas goodies, and we hold a clothing drive for them.

Instead of exchanging Christmas gifts with each other, we contribute money to purchase talking books for CNIB.

Beta Rho Master supports City Council service projects and donates money to International. Many of our members are involved with worth-while service and volunteer projects in their church or the community.

· Our Membership

Vera Wilson - 50 Years (2004)

Vera joined a Ritual Chapter of BSP in 1954 in Moncton, NB. After moving to Ottawa, Vera moved steadily through Ritual Chapters, Zeta and zoned Xi Gamma Psi, progressed and was a Charter Member of Preceptor Alpha Phi, Laureate Alpha Upsilon and now Beta Rho Master. She has held every office and actively takes part in all events at Chapter level and City Council level. Of her many achievements over the years, she is proud of coordinating the furnishing of a BSP room at the Riverside Hospital. Professionally, Vera was a Registered Nurse. A true BSP, Vera is a sharing, caring sister.

Marie Tilk - 50 Years (2005)

After leaving high school for the working world, Marie was at a loss to find an outlet after the many extra-curricular things she had left behind. Nu Phi Mu was the answer! After less than a year, the Ritual Chapter became weak through lack of members, so the young women of Nu Phi Mu were invited to progress. Some of those original women are still friends. As Marie moved from city to city and degree to degree, she always found lasting friendships and interesting women who shared their experiences and taught her life skills. After raising a family, Marie returned to the workforce and developed a professional career in Management Consulting, specializing in Technical Writing and Training. She continues to instruct Christopher Leadership Courses (Public speaking, confidence-building, presentation and human resource skills) and facilitates at Bereaved Families as a volunteer. Marie is forever grateful to be a part of an organization that over the years has supported her, has made her laugh, has provided warm relationships, and has given her an opportunity to know and respect a fine group of women.

SC Alder
Mar/07