Today is a happy day in the life of Omicron Delta Kappa. Later this afternoon, the Guilford College Circle in Greensboro, N.C. will be installed. Guilford College will become our 291st active circle.
Guilford is a unique institution in that it has a Quaker heritage. One of the things I especially appreciate about the school is that everyone is on a first-name basis. It is clearly a campus that celebrates all faiths and ways of life.
On my way back from a planning trip in Lexington, before I actually started as O∆K’s Executive Director, I sat next to a young man on the flight from Charlotte to Indianapolis. Given that I like college students, and this person looked like a college student, I asked if he was enrolled somewhere and we started a great conversation.
The young man was Blake Brown, a native of Kokomo, Ind. who was a sophomore at Guilford College. He was a member of the men’s tennis team, a student assistant with public safety and active in several student organizations. He was clearly a leader and someone who we would embrace in O∆K, if only we had a chapter at Guilford.
We talked about his career interests and aspirations. I was very impressed when he handed me a business card that he had identifying himself as a student at Guilford. I gave him one of my newly minted O∆K business cards, and we stayed in touch about some internship opportunities he was exploring in Indiana.
About six months after I had officially started in the position, I got an email from Blake. Although I had mentioned Omicron Delta Kappa to him, our staff had not yet followed up about a establishing a circle at Guilford College. I was delighted when I learned that Blake was actively working with Steve Moran and Emily Lott to bring O∆K to their school.
Although, I suspect that Guilford College would have been a school to establish a circle even without my chance interaction with Blake, it does please me to know that a plane conversation had something to do with it at this time. While snakes on a plane are a little scary, if Blake’s on a plane, the possibilities are great!
Congratulations to all of the members of the Guilford College Circle and welcome to O∆K!
