EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article was written and submitted by Maureen Childs, a member of the Fall 1989 Pledge Class at AXO, a SUNY Canton sorority. The class includes one St. Lawrence County resident Melissa Sweet who attended a reunion in Florida.

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“Once an AXO always an AXO” and “Three Weeks for a Lifetime” are mottos of our sorority, Alpha Chi Omicron. The sisterhood was established on October 22, 1923 at SUNY Canton, with the goal of providing an avenue for like-minded women to form meaningful connections. Little did we know that the pledge we made to each other decades before, would result in the kind of lifelong friendships that exist today. Our bond of intimacy and camaraderie continues to transcend time, and our resilience remains on wavering.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of this very special sisterhood, a group of 18 members from the pledge classes of Fall 1987 through Spring 1990 reunited in Destin, Florida in August. Attendees traveled from New York, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, and Florida.

Many sisters had not seen each other in over 30 years, and described the intensity of raw emotion they felt when coming face to face with one another again. When the girls were asked the most memorable or meaningful aspect of their Destin experience, the responses were a true testament of the depths of a connection that is difficult to put into words.

Many sisters described how effortless it was to be able to pick up where we left off so many years ago, and feel safe to be vulnerable to share our lives now with each other without judgment. Others fondly remembered reminiscing over stories of the past, and sharing late nights of laughter and, yes, tears as well. One sister said, “I felt accepted and known. What can I say? You guys get me.”

Another stated, “I left there feeling unbelievably full. I am not sure I can say I have ever felt that kind of bond with another group of girls to this degree ever before in my life.”

To this day, AXO continues to grow on the campus of SUNY Canton with the same values and traditions that have been passed down through each planet class, generation to generation, a century later.

Alpha Chi Omicron is the oldest Greek organization on campus to be, both, recognized by the college and still eligible to recruit new members. This is another testament to the strength of our sisterhood and our perseverance to remain a unified presence on the campus of SUNY Canton. This would not be possible without the contributions of each individual member over the past 100 years.

It is important to also recognize that without the vision, dedication, and foresight of the original founding members, this amazing organization would not exist today. It would not have been, and continue to be, the catalyst for the immeasurable bonds of connection that have stood, and will continue to stand the test of time for many years to come.

The 10 original members of Alpha Chi Omicron are Claire Burns, Olive Buckley, Lois Thomas, Catherine Kerry, Ada Holloway, Grace Borden, Ivan Herrick, Josephine Collins, Katherine Ingram, and Charity Goff.