Eta Gamma Chapter Hosts Southern District Meeting

The Eta Gamma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Coffeyville Community College hosted the fall district meeting of the Kansas Region on the CCC Campus with a special fellowship activity held at the Dalton Defenders Museum.  The event was held Saturday, September 22, with chapters from Butler, Labette, Independence, Chanute, Cowley, and Coffeyville in attendance.  The Kansas Region officer team was in charge of the morning’s presentation.  Officers presenting included Vice President of Correspondence, John Googe of Tau Theta; Vice President of Alumni Relations, Marcie Ryan, Pittsburg State University; Vice President of the Northern District, Ramona Nelson, Mu Delta; and Vice President of the Southern District, Caitlin Shepard, Eta Gamma.  The morning’s agenda included the presentation of the Kansas Region 2012-2013 Honors in Action Project and Region goals.  The attendees also reviewed the Kansas Region by-laws and were informed of information from the international Society.  Chapter planning and officer information were also presented.

Dalton Lockwood and Mercades Price were in charge of the morning refreshments.  Before breaking for lunch, Wendy Alvey presented a program on the famous Dalton Raid in Coffeyville and Juliana Hughes from Pittsburg presented a program on Team Tenn-Kan, Tennessee and Kansas Region Phi Theta Kappans supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  Members from the Coffeyville chapter will participate in the St. Jude Marathon December 1.

The meeting adjourned to the Dalton Defenders Museum where a barbeque lunch was served on the museum’s front street.  Guests for the luncheon were Monte Magner, a Wilson County Sheriff, who portrays Dick Broadwell in the raid reenactments and Janie and John Edwards from Anderson, Missouri.  Mr. Wagner spoke to the group regarding history and trivia of the Dalton Raid and how he prepares himself to play the Broadwell role.  He volunteers his time to help with the raid and serves as vice president of Dalton Defenders Incorporated.  The Edwards have been reenactors since 2002 and have participated in the Jesse James Day in Pineville, Missouri.  In the Coffeyville reenactment, Janie Edwards portrays Lucius Baldwin’s mother while John portrays Alex McKenna.  Both were attired in Native American handcrafted attire for their Phi Theta Kappa appearance.

Following the luncheon, members participated in a Riding with the Daltons Scavenger Hunt that took the students to Onion Creek, the Dalton Home, Elmwood Cemetery and several points on the plaza and museum.  Winners of the scavenger hunt were Robert Tennyson, Rhyan Sawyer, Archie Huskey and Caitlin Shepard.