Head lor the Hills Omega Lambda Chi girls retreat for unity Un ity was the underl y ing theme for Omega Lambda Chi members during their fi rst fall retreat away from Searcy, Sept. 27-28. In years past, the wome n 's so– cial club h~ld fall retreats in the homes of sponsors or other conve– nient locations. The four-year-old club hoped to do things a little differently this year, and traveled to Crowl ey's Rid ge, n ear Paragould, Ar k. "We d ecided to make it a rea l retrea t wi th a camping expe ri– ence," senior LeahEddy, president of Omega Lambda Chi, sa id. "We wanted to just fellowship, w hich we don' t always ha ve the chance to do [on campus]. " Blessed with good weather and s urrounded by na ture, the club stayed in th ree cabins w ith a lake nearb y. "We wanted to go the re to re– a ll y get away from the dis trac tions a round campus," junior Ambe r Larson, devo tional director, said. ''It was nice to be able to hang out wi th ju st the g irls." Friday nig ht included a hand– fu l of unity building ac ti v ities for the club. The ladies made new door s ign s for themselves a nd the up– coming induction class. The retreat also included sing– ing a round a campfire and smores. C hri s ty Thompson , Ome ga Lambda Ch i sponsor, s poke to the cl ub. Her message for the week– end came from Philippians 2: 1-4. "We wanted to just fel– lowship, which we don't always have the chance to do [on cam– pus]," - Senior Leah Eddy "It was g reat to hea r from he r," Eddy said. "She was just reall y ex– cited about being around us and that was nice." After a wa ter balloon fight, mem– bers retired to the cabins for group devotionals and prayer requests. "Part of [the p urpose of the re– treat} was becoming more un ified before we [inducted] the new pledge class," sophomoreChrissieMartinez said. Saturday, th e club had a chance to split into groups for more devo– tional time. The club beli eved everyone came away w ith a stronger sense of unity and a be tte r understand– ing of the club mo tto, "sisters for e te rnity." "For me, it was getting to know the girls I didn't know before and it was getting even closer to the ones I did know," Martinez said. With unity as the theme, many of the girls :eturned feeling closer and Membersof Omega Lambda Chi pray together during a retreat to Crowley's Ridge. The group's escape from campus, Sept. 27-28, allowed members to spend time together away from the distractions of campus life. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Aven) At Omega Lambda Chi's fall retreat, sophomore Leigh Anne Seymore reflects on a message from one of the weekend's speakers. The retreat was an effort to grow closer to both God and each other. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Aven) • • 218 social clubs appreciated the focuson servingoth– ers. "Because we a re a newer club, wea re still developinga personality but we have always wa nted to be seen as a group of girls serv ing oth– ers," Edd y sa id. The women of Omega Lambd a Chi kep t more than just t-shirts for memories. They kep t what the Y' learned about each other. " It made me really appreciate the club more and the tight-knit bond we have," Edd y said. "I could just te ll we needed tha t time." Many other social clubs provided ac ti vities to e ncourage spiritual growth for members. Delta Gamma Rho, Kappa Gamma Epsilon arid King'sMen a lsoorganl.zed spirituai retreats. A number of clubs formed p rayer group s. These smaller gatherings provided an opportunity to connect with other members on a personal level. Delta Chi Delta members were responsible fo r praying for another member for the entire year. The club opted for this new for– mat because they wanted to do away w ith any groupin gs that rrtightcause cliques to form w ithin the club. P i Ka ppa Epsilon met on Wednes– day nights to have their own time of devotion. Social clubs p rovided anotherop– portunity for fellowship and spiri– tua l g rowth on campus. - Rynn Sau l
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