COMMENTARY Walk with me for a minute. database. Down memory lane; back to When you have the time and your collegiate chapter. Why did inclination to do more, you're you join Gamma Phi Beta? The invited to be more active in an really simple reason is that you alumnae group, become an were invited by young women advisor, serve on a house corpo you knew and liked. It's a bit ration board or take an interna more complicated than that, but tional office. the fact is: you had to be invited! Research also tells us that About 10 percent of our many volunteers want to do a alumnae members are involved short, well-defined job with a in some way because they were specific ending. So the natural invited to do something they conclusion is that, if Gamma Phi would enjoy. What about the Beta asks you to do something other 90 percent, you ask. Well, finite�like chair an event, at we live in a busy world. And tend a Founders Day celebra volunteer involvement some tion, or help raise funds for a what follows a bell curve: high local camp�you'll be happy to involvement before children do it. So, you are hereby invited! enter the picture; a natural Finally, there's the small is change of focus with marriage sue of geography. If you're in and children; then a rise in in Crescent City, Colorado (pop. terest as daughters reach col 3,075); Carnation, Washington lege age or children go out on (pop. 913); or Crescent, Iowa their own. (pop. 547) how do you find So if you're up to your ears in other Gamma Phi Betas and get piano and swimming lessons, involved? Many times there are soccer and softball practice, few or none, so you do just what how do you get involved in you're doing now�you read Gamma Phi Beta? The same way THE CRESCENT become a Tran you do if you're up to your ears SISter, start a crescent circle, in financial reports, budgets, write recommendations, stay in sales quotas or advertising cam touch with your chapter sisters paigns�you're invited! and see if your chapter needs This is your personal invita help with anything. tion to take a night for yourself Call me an optimist, but I and go to a local alumnae group think we all want to give a little meeting (pick a fun one, you back to Gamma Phi Beta for the need it!), read THE CRESCENT, wonderful experiences we had write recommendations, make a at our chapter. And I choose to donation to the Gamma Phi Beta believe that if you're invited to Foundation, bake cookies for get involved, YOU WILL! rush or finals at the nearby After that, there's only one chapter, or enter your career in more thing to be said. Thank formation into the SisterLink you for getting involved! CONTENTS DEADLMS FEMmS Winter 1 OF GAMMA PHI BETA September rOBs . .. making a difference 4 December 1 Spring Community volunteer and business leader Nicki Nicol is president and CEO Fall 1991 Summer March I of Nicol Scales, Inc. Fall June I Gamma Phi Beta USPS Mu Chapter 6 137-620 WE CRESCENT is Mu Chapter at Stanford University was reactivated March 2, 1991. pub EDITORS lished quarterly in Fall, Win 7 ter, Spring and Summer by the Editor Epsilon Upsilon Chapter The University of .South Dakota is home to Epsilon Upsilon, Gamma Phi Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Kris Brandt Riske Beta's newest chapter 12737 E. Euclid Drive, Engle 2405 W. Drive Gregg wood, CO 80111-6437 Sub AZ 85224 Chandler, The 1874 Society 21 scription price-SI.50. Produced Associate Editor Lynn Towsley Hamblin (Colorado) and Doris Bird Gorden (Bowling Green) in the U.S.A. by Maury Boyd & Lin Schafer Sanford launched The 1874 Society to provide educational programming and lead Associates Second class post 15704 SE 45th Court ership development for Gamma Phi Betas age paid at Englewood, CO Bellevue, WA 98006 and additional mailing offices International 27 AlumnaetColleptite News Editor Headquarters Copyright 1991, Gamma Phi Phyllis Donaldson Choat The Sorority's new home is an opportunity for all members and chapters to Beta Sorority. Build on the Pride. 2116 S. J 13th Avenue Postmaster: Please send no NE 68144 Omaha, tice of undeliverable copies on Bminess Manager mpMiEhis Form 3579 to Gamma Phi Beta Marjory Mills Shupert Foundation 21 Sorority, 12737 E Euclid Drive, International Headquarters Englewood CO 80111-6437. In Memoriam 48 Subscribers: Send changes of address, notices of mar Memorial Gifts 49 riages and deaths to Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, 12737 K Eu Alumnoe News 50 clid Drive, Englewood, CO 80111-6437 Directory 51 Cotalog 54 Cover " lAIM^, Gamma Phi Beta International Head quarters Is under construction. THE CRESCENT 3 ss^^^m^i \^:� I "Service is the rent we for the we ?-' -w^ pay space occupy on earth." rOBs making a difference " 'Service is the rent we pay for the space we company retired or resigned, the Texas recession occupy on earth' is one of my mother's favorite hit, a substantial law suit against the company expressions," explained Nicki Nicol (S. Method was filed and a union attempted to organize ist), president and CEO of Nicol Scales, Inc., one employees. of the largest distributors of weighing and mea As each crisis occurred, Nicki stepped into the suring equipment in the Southwest. breach and shouldered more and more of the "She and Dad set such a good example for me day-to-day management of the company, finally through their industry and community activities becoming president in 1985 and CEO in 1989. She that it seems natural for me to follow their exam has revamped the company and brought it back to ple," she concluded. profitability while overseeing the care of her Nicki credits her experience as rush chairman parents. for Alpha Xi Chapter for her introduction to man Still remembering her mother's maxim, Nicki agement, both of time and people. Her musical enthusiastically became involved in Dallas. The and theatrical talents helped chapter members Junior League, Shakespeare Festival, Dallas The prepare skits and songs to entertain rush guests. ater Center, Junior Achievement, Family Guidance She designed an award-winning homecoming dis Center, American Red Cross and Visiting Nurses play which won second place honors "because the Association all benefitted from her artistic and judges didn't think a bunch of women could have management talents. She became the first woman designed and built the mechanical system without member of the Downtown Dallas Rotary Club. some help!" During the past several years, Nicki has fo A Gamma Phi Beta sister's summer experience cused much of her time on business, community as a Winant-Clayton Volunteer led Nicki to spend and industry activities. She was a delegate to the her final college summer in the same program of 1986 White House Conference on Small Business community service. Nicki's summer assignment and participated in the 1987 class of Leadership was in the Canning Town area of London, doing Texas. social work at the Mayflower Family Centre. She's After helping in one of President George Bush's still a part of the Winant-Clayton Volunteers, hav earlier campaigns while still in New York, Nicki ing served as its American president and continu has continued to work in Republican political ing as a board member. campaigns. Her political skills have been honed After receiving a marketing degree, Nicki through her community work: first in New York, worked in the research department of one of the as president of her apartment building's tenant Federated Stores. She took her musical, dance and association and, more recently, as head of the theatrical skills to New York where she continued community development association for the area her career in retailing with the Allied Stores of Dallas where her company's building is located. chain. She joined the Blue Hill Troupe, which pro Following in her parent's footsteps, Nicki is a duced Gilbert and Sullivan operas and performed member of the board of directors and governor of benefits for charitable organizations. the Texas district of the International Society of While in New York, Nicki became the first Weighing and Measurement. This year, she is woman management consultant hired by Booz, chaired the organization's national conference in Allen and Hamilton. In 1972 she joined Benton San Antonio. and Bowles Advertising Agency as senior project Occasionally, Nicki does take time for herself. director in the research department. She moved to She's participated in several long distance bike account management and worked on various ac races (including the Hotter Than Hell 100� a 100 counts including Eckrich Meats, Sara Lee, Pledge mile race through the Texas summer heat) and and E.F. Hutton. enjoys preparing gourmet meals. Travel is high on In 1980 Nicki moved back to Dallas to join her her agenda of fun things to do as well as attend parents in the family business, Nicol Scales, Inc. ing theatrical, dance and musical productions. Then, tragedy struck. In a three-year period, both Nicki Nicol is a female manager in a purely her parents suffered debilitating illnesses, two masculine field, a community and industry volun other members of the senior management of the teer and a credit to Gamma Phi Beta. THE CRESCENT Mu were initiated at the home of Also attending the celebra Chapter Carol Clarke (Calif.-Berkeley) tion were Director of Extension Stanford under the direction of Interna Karen Wander Kline (Iowa St.), University tional Ritual Chairman Audrey Province XIII Alumnae Director Weldon Shafer (Missouri).