In Late 1958 to early 1959 many young engineers moved to the Melbourne area to work for Radiation (now Harris).  While the men are working, the women, who are the wives of this new engineering and computer population, are at the clothesline. As two women in particular chat at the clothesline, Ann Smith and Scooty Gettys, they soon discover that both had been members of national sororities while in college. The idea is soon hatched to place an ad in the local Melbourne Times, asking for sorority women to gather.  The first organizational meeting was held in February of 1959 in the living room of Holy Trinity Church.  Fourteen charter members were present, Ann Smith was elected the 1^st President, and the group called themselves PANHELLENIC ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH BREVARD.            

The women make the decision to raise funds to award a scholarship to a deserving local high school senior girl attending a Florida college or university.  To raise these funds, they hold a dance in 1960 at the Tradewinds Hotel and Club in Indialantic.  In addition to fund-raising, bridge was the common activity amongst the Panhellenic ladies and formal groups were organized for morning play, afternoon play, and evening play.  Bridge Luncheons were also held to raise funds and recruit new members to Panhellenic.  The membership meeting took place regularly in the evening on the first Wednesday of the month.  I think you have heard this before, but it really is true that it was VERY DIFFICULT to schedule a hairdresser’s appointment or find a babysitter on the first Wednesday of every month! 

In 1967 a second yearly fundraiser was added to sustain the growth and Easter Village was born.  This was a large holiday event which included arts and craft booths, retailer vignettes, and fashion shows with children.  Easter Village continued at the Melbourne Civic Auditorium for 11 years. Since then, many other fundraisers have been added including: a cookbook, a follies performance, Breakfast with Santa, Bunny Brunch, wrapping paper sales, rummage sales, River Rendezvous parties, Girls with Pearls luncheon and many more.  Through this Melbourne Alumnae Panhellenic (MAP) as we called today has raised over $200,000 in college scholarships to over 150 deserving students.

Group activities have always been an integral part of Panhellenic fun and certainly help to solidify the bonds of friendship and sisterhood.  A couple’s gourmet dinner activity was held for 30 years and has recently been resurrected.  The Bookers Book Club has been together for over 20 years and is not your average book club!  These industrious ladies follow up their reading selections with both national and international travel that highlight the novels they have read!  For instance, after they read Under the Tuscan Sun, they arrange a group outing to Florence, Italy.   They also visited Savannah and Winter Park after reading books set in these cities.

Panhellenic ladies began organized activities in the 1960’and 70’s and over the years have participated in dozens and dozens of amazing events! The ladies have gone to Micanopy to visit the home of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and lunched in the Yearling Restaurant, they have picked strawberries in the fields of SW Palm Bay that are now completely developed, they have paddled kayaks among the islands of Cocoa Beach and driven across the state of Florida on a one day “sunrise to sunset” road trip. And, of course, the milestone events in their own families have always been celebrated together such as weddings, baby showers, anniversary parties, and retirement parties. 

Panhellenic has enriched the lives of all of us! We think back to that 1959 clothesline and the ladies chatting as the laundry dried in the breeze.  Who would have thought their conversation that day would have such a profound effect on OUR lives.

This is an abbreviated version of what was written and presented by Teresa McNeight at our 60^th anniversary luncheon. Thank you to Ivalee Simmons and Michelle Everett who have also provided information about MAP’s history,