Comprised of 11 girls with ages ranging from 8th grade to seniors in high school, The Sigma Nu, chapter #V385 in Calhoun is a philanthropic organization for young women.
Elan's membership is youth driven, providing 8th grade middle school and high school age members with opportunities to develop personal leadership skills through service-oriented activities.
It provides a base for students to develop their best personal qualities as they develop the intellectual skills to make a positive impact in their community. ELAN provides an avenue for youth to receive the positive recognition they deserve for doing positive things.
The sponsor for the youth organization is Debbie Glore, a member of the local Calhoun chapter Delta Nu, also a local Calhoun philanthropic organization for adults.
ELAN and Delta-Nu are both a part of the Epsilon Sigma Alpha (ESA) international organization dedicated to community philanthropy.
The idea to initiate a youth philanthropic organization began when Glores’ granddaughter accompanied her to a Delta-Nu rush party to promote the organization and welcome new members.
Glores’ granddaughter and several of her friends, who are all in middle school, expressed an interest in the organization and helping others.
Thus the Sigma Phi chapter of ELAN gained its membership charter with ESA in July and are proud to have 11 members with installed officers.
Officers are: President Macy Wilbanks; Vice-President - Caitlin Densmore; Secretary - Alexandria Hunt; Treasurer – Cameron Quinn; Philanthropics Chair – Kyra McDougal; Awards Chair – Julianna Hunt; Historian – Teagan Lovingood; Social Chair – Peyton Robinson; Publicity Chair – Cayla Turley; Education Chair – Jennifer Slyer and Chaplain – Kayla Holcomb, and Glores serves as ELAN’s adult sponsor.
The girls are inducted into the organization normally through the reference of another member, but through word of mouth Sigma Phi members include girls from Ashworth Middle School, Sonoraville Middle School, Sonoraville High School, and Gordon Central.
According to Glores, the girls are already very active with school, and parent involvement and support of each of the members is a big deal.
A one-time registration fee of $45 dollars and monthly dues are required of the girls. Philanthropic projects committed to by the teenage members include but are not limited to: Sarah’s Snacks – this is a ministry to provide snacks and microwaveable meals to the children being treated for pediatric cancer and blood disorders and their families at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga.
Many of the ELAN girls attended school with Sarah Williams who passed away June 2010 after battling Neuroblastoma for five years.
Not only will Sigma Phi be collecting snacks on an on-going basis, but the girls also voted to form a team and play in the third annual Sarah Williams Memorial Mud Volleyball Tournament, which will be held on Saturday, September 8. Team Entry fees are $250 with all proceeds going to Sarah’s Snacks.
Sigma Phi is looking for sponsorship for the tournament and if anyone is willing to make a donation to help sponsor the Sigma Phi team, email debbiejglore@yahoo.com.
Also on Sigma Phi’s Service Project calendar from now until December is the Sock Challenge for the military troops Christmas Goody Bags, collections at WalMart for Military War Dogs, learning to sew and make pillowcases for St Jude, assisting Delta Nu with their Bunco for St. Jude event, volunteering for Frontier Day at New Echota, Georgia State Historical Site, and the Give Thanks Walk for St Jude in Atlanta.
The Sigma Phi, local chapter is the only ELAN youth philanthropic organization with ESA in Georgia and is growing nationally, as it was only started by ESA a few years ago, according to Glores.
ESA is a leadership and service organization that was founded in 1929 for women and today has a network of more than 1000 chapters internationally.
Each year, ESA members help to raise millions of dollars for charitable causes and provide more than 650,000 hours of hands-on service in their local communities.
This year ESA celebrates 40 years of partnering with St Jude. Additionally ESA chapters support military troops through the Hope for Heroes program, the homeless and hungry through with the Hats for Hope program, education through the Literacy program, Georgia state parks and many other community organizations.
This year, at the 2012 ESA International Convention, ESA was able to present a check to The St Jude Children’s Hospital for $11,455,895.
For more information regarding ELAN or ESA for adult women, email me at debbiejglore@yahoo.com or visit www.esageorgia.com.
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