Sweetheart Dance will be February 11, 2012 at the Tanoan Country Club, time-6:00 p.m, $37.00 per person. The theme is "Vintage", and music will be provided by a DJ.
Sign up sheets and money need to be turned in by the February City Council meeting.
The beautiful invitations were given to all chapters and City Council members.
VALENTINE CELEBRATIONS IN BETA SIGMA PHI
Every February, across many countries,tokens of love are exchanged in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The patron saint—St. Valentine is shrouded in mystery. Historically, February has long been a month of romance containing vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman traditions. Legends abound—one contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. At this time the Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men citing single young men made better soldiers than married men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of this decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. He was ordered put to death by Claudius when his activities were found out. Another says Valentine was martyred for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. It is said Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself while in prison to the daughter of his jailer who visited with him. It was a letter signed “From your Valentine”. One celebration was where all the young women put their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman (this was outlawed as ‘unchristian’ romantic pairing). In 498 A.D, Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14th St. Valentine’s Day. The oldest known valentine still in existence was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife in 1415. This note is in the manuscript collection of the British Library in London.
In Great Britain, Valentine’s Day began to be popular around the seventeenth century and by the mid eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. Americans probably began exchanging handmade valentines in the early 1700’s. In the 1840’s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America. She is known and the “Mother of Valentines”.
With this history lesson, it is only natural that Beta Sigma Phis have a traditional event to honor friends and lovers during the month of St. Valentine’s Day. All people and especially women have an emotional need to love and be loved.
Forty years ago when my family moved to Albuquerque, I transferred from an Independence, MO. Chapter to Xi Alpha Kappa. In this chapter, every September we elected a Queen /Sweetheart to be our chapter representative throughout the year. The Honoree was given a tiara, had photos taken and a special celebration event within the chapter. City Council had a Valentine Luncheon where each chapter’s Queen was introduced to all ‘sisters’ of City Council. City Council also planned a Valentine Dance for Queens and their escorts to be honored. Many chapters had a cocktail or dinner party before the dance. The City Council event evolved to include snacks at the dance, breakfast after the dance and a full meal before the dance. We had a live band, small combo or disc jockey to provide a wide variety of music for listening and dancing. At an appropriate hour, usually 9 p.m., a formal presentation was made of the Queens and their escorts. The couples were introduced individually for each chapter to support.
The Valentine Luncheon has been combined with other events and is now a part of the Honor’s Luncheon each fall. Likewise, the Valentine Dance has evolved from only a Dance to our current presentation. As our membership has grown and the family structures of today have changed there are many more obligations of our time for life. Change is inevitable and we must embrace it! See you at the Valentine Event.
By Janice Swope
03/07/09 Update: We received this e mail from Claire Higgins with Preceptor Alpha Tau in Independence, MO in response to Janice's memories of Valentine's celebrations in Independence, MO:
This message is for Janice Swope. I read your article about Valentines Dance in Independence MO and yes it is still happening. It was this past Sat in spite of 6 inches of heavy snow on the ground and it was just as you remembered it: cocktail hour, dinner, presentation of the Queens, pictures and dance. Queens were presented by Dan Roberts a radio disc jockey with a perfect voice. Although I didn't get to attend this year I hear it was lovely.-- Claire Higgins Preceptor Alpha Tau Independence MO
