Sorority chapter celebrates 50 years

FORT RECOVERY –– Fifty years later, a local chapter of a national philanthropic organization is still going strong.

Theta Zeta, the Fort Recovery chapter of Psi Iota Xi, is celebrating fifty years of active service Wednesday. The chapter of the sorority for women started in 1971 with 18 charter members. Currently, there are 40 members actively involved, 14 of which have been involved more than 20 years.

Two of its active members, Cathy Etzler and Elaine Romer, have been involved since the philanthropic sorority’s beginning. Both women are in their 70s and are the last two active members of the original 18.

“We’re either crazy, or, I don’t know,” Etzler laughed.

“We’re still going,” Romer added. “We’re not going to quit.”

They noted if not for the Portland chapter, Gamma Alpha, and sorority member Eileen West, the chapter wouldn’t have started. West, who is now deceased, served as the first president of the Fort Recovery chapter.

Theta Zeta’s first fundraising event was a garage sale in the ’70s. The group of women sold everything at the sale –– even a pair of sunglasses and an ashtray left on the checkout table.

“You didn’t dare let anything lay,” Romer said, laughing.

In the last 50 years, the local group has donated around $600,000 to the community and other projects. Fundraising events through the years have included garage sales, bake sales and dinners. It hosted a holiday craft bazaar for 14 years and “Oodles of Noodles,” a chicken and noodles meal.

Theta Zeta publishes a community calendar and donates to food drives. It also sponsors local junior high and summer writing contests, gives three $500 scholarships to Fort Recovery High School seniors each year and contributes to various school and community clubs or projects.

Almost 125 years ago, five Muncie Central High School girls and three teachers started the original Psi Iota Xi chapter, Alpha. (Their first fundraiser was a bake sale.) It was the first Greek letter organization of its kind in Indiana, according to its website.

And although it started in a high school, Psi Iota Xi was and is still today a philanthropic organization. Its main focus is raising funds to improve areas of speech, hearing, art, literature and music.

Psi Iota Xi has approximately 106 chapters across Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Kentucky. At convention each year, the group donates about $1 million to organizations.

Every few years, a candidate is chosen for a long-term fundraising project. The group then raises more than $100,000 for the project over the course of several years. Some of its candidates in the past included Carle Institute, Illinois, for research using Magnetic Resonance Imaging with cleft palate surgeries; Riley Hospital for Children to research speech with children using cochlear implants; and Northwest Ohio Stuttering Clinics for operations and client scholarships.

Romer compared actively raising funds for projects like cochlear implant research to being a teacher.

“It’s the thank you — sometimes it’s the unseen thank you,” she said.

Etzler served as the organization’s national president in 2015. She started in 2003 as a district officer and served in multiple national officer positions before her presidency.

She presented checks to various groups, including Riley Hospital, where she witnessed a child’s reaction to hearing for the first time. She said being involved at the national level in this way has motivated her to raise more funds.

“When you do those kind of things, it’s easy. It’s like, oh my gosh, I’ll go sell 25 more cake rolls,” Etzler said.

Psi Iota Xi plans to hold a private 50th anniversary celebration for its members June 12. Any women 18 years or older are welcome to join. For more information, go to psiiotaxi.org.

“It is a great organization for anyone who wants to meet people and do some good,” Etzler said, repeating a phrase from the organization’s closing verse recited at meetings. “Give cheer. Give cheer to those about you.”