PEA RIDGE — Many of the young parents attending the array of community events in Pea Ridge - the Pea Ridge Fair, the Easter egg hunt and the Christmas parade - were not born when Dorothy Williams and nine other ladies chartered the Beta Alpha Sorority in town and began sponsoring the fair. For nearly half a century, the ladies of Beta Alpha Sorority have worked behind the scenes to provide family activities for the community. The annual Christmas parade was begun more than 10 years ago and is also sponsored by the sorority.
Now, the club is seeking new members. Prospective members are invited to meet at 4 p.m. Saturday at the City Park to learn more about the organization.
The small group of ladies who comprise the sorority are expanding their borders and inviting new members to join.
The annual Easter egg hunt and the senior citizen Thanksgiving dinner are sponsored by Beta Alpha, as is the road block to collect money for St. Jude during the Mule Jump. The sorority always sponsors children off the angel tree during Christmas. They assist with the community food pantry and have taken dinner to needy families.
The ladies serve cookies at the baccalaureate every year.
Williams, a charter member, remembers the early days.
“Pansy Gastineau started it in 1964,” Williams recalled, addingthat there had to be 10 members to get a charter. She said those original members, in addition to herself, were Joann Mayfield, Sue Smith, Florence Ella Bolain, Pansy Gastineau, Mildred Whitmer, Kathy Knox and Nancy Wells.
A photograph taken at the 25th anniversary shows Elsa Beckman, Jenny Krouse, Shelby Knapp, Marge Paggett and Williams.
“Pansy was in a chapter in Wichita” and wanted to start one here, Williams said.
“I have seen unknown talents blossom ... talent which would have remained dormant were it not for the nourishment of fellowship,” Williams said, recalling the many years of working alongside fellow sorority members to accomplish projects in their community.
The annual fair began as a celebration of the town’s centennial in 1950, then was sponsored by the Jaycees. Williams said the club took on the fair in the mid-1960s.
As for the Christmas parade, “We’d participated in the Rogers parade and we decided we needed one here.”
“If you build it, they will come,” Ruthie Talburt said. “I decided to try to build it. Erwins came with three big trucks ... that was sometime in the mid-’90s.”
The Thanksgiving dinner began by being served downtown in the old Extension Homemakers building (which now houses the museum). “We just wanted to do something for the senior citizens,” Talburt said.
Both Williams and Talburt said when they started the Easter egg hunt 20 years ago, no one was having them, but many places do now.
“When we started it, we had it at Oak Ridge (the retirement center) for the people who lived there. The residents had morefun than the kids, they enjoyed watching the kids,” Talburt said.
Karen Kitterman, one of the newer members, joined in 2007.
“This is also an organization for men,” Kitterman said, adding that husbands and wives work side by side on many projects.
The group, which has had as many as 20 members, now has six, making it more difficult to get the work done.
Along with the annual fair, the sorority sponsors the Miss Pea Ridge and junior Miss Pea Ridge pageants, along with the contests for the babies, tiny tots and teeny tots.
“We can get more work done when we have nine to 12 members,” Williams said. “We’re more like sisters; we know each other’s families ... we look after one another.”
The sorority meets monthly forbusiness and has a monthly social. They keep track of their hours and report to the state. Those hours of work behind the scenes to sponsor the public events, have garnered the group awards on the state level.
All commended Linda Kitterman for infusing life in to the chapter when it was ebbing. A couple of the faithful members had died and the group was down to five members. Williams said Kitterman joined andencouraged others to join.
Ruthie Talburt joined in 1977. She was “girl of the year” one year on the state level.
“I’m a life active member,” Talburt said, proudly displaying some of the club’s many awards for The Golden Lamp; the Love Fund; third place for Philanthropic for the most money raised per member and a first place Disaster Fund Award.
Williams said she was aschool teacher and had a child, when she was first in the club, but found time for the meetings and enjoyed the family activities for socials. Talburt said she worked at Daisy when she first joined the club.
Kitterman works, but said she believes the time invested is well worth it.
“It’s great for personal growth. When I moved to the community, it helped me to get to know more people,” Kitterman said.
“The best aspect of it is the philanthropic work. It’s great doing so much for the community. I don’t think the community realizes how much we support the events. It’s a lot to put on ourselves with no help.”
Kitterman said many employers require their employees to provide community service and membership with Beta Alpha fulfills that goal.
“It’s all for one and all for one,” Talburt said.
News, Pages 1 on 09/22/2010