open digital edition
Xi Gamma Iota, The Old Forge chapter of Beta Sigma Phi sorority, hosted the Rome and Utica chapters at Van Auken’s Inne in Thendara on Friday, May 2 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of Beta Sigma Phi.
The Xi Gamma Iota chapter has been active in Old Forge for 41 years. The group was started in 1967 by Izzie Worthen who was looking for a non-sectarian group for women in this area.
“It was really different back then,” she said. “Women were affiliated with their own little groups, church groups or the teachers and teachers’ wives. The only place you could really see all of the girls was bowling. I was an awful bowler, but I went because you could see everybody.”
Having been a member of Beta Sigma Phi in Ithaca, Worthen was familiar with the organization, and so she started a chapter in Old Forge. Of the original seven members, four are still with the group; Mary Ann Nelson, Carol Rivet, Lorraine Stripp, and Worthen.
“Our purpose is three-fold: social, cultural, and service. Some of our social activities are traditional like our sister Christmas and Valentine parties. We also have progressive dinners, cross-country and snow shoe outings. We all strive to continue to learn and challenge ourselves with programs that we present at our bimonthly meetings. In addition, we attend plays, literary and musical events. Our service projects range from putting on the Holiday Bazaar where Beta Sigma Phi and other non-profit organizations can make money to continue their good works to making a quilt to raffle off each year to continue our Town of Webb Schools Senior Girl Scholarship Program in memory of Jinny Russell, one of our sisters. During the last few months we have donated flowers to the residents of Lakeside, donated checks to the Reagan Ehrensbeck Fund, the Beta Sigma Phi Endowment and Breast Cancer funds, The Town of Webb Historical Association, and we also walked and snowshoed in the Kiwanis Winter Challenge where the proceeds were given to the Youth Center,” Worthen said.
Beta Sigma Phi was founded in 1931 by Walter Ross in Abilene, Kan. It was started during the depression for women who were unable to attend college. He called it “The National What to Read Club.”
The group was very popular and became even more so when he changed the name to Beta Sigma Phi, which means Life, Learning and Friendship — the sorority’s motto. Today, there are over 200,000 members in 12,500 chapters in over 30 countries all over the world.
