As many of you have heard — our beloved Tri Kappa Gamma Social Club has recently been re-chartered! As you might remember – this club was started back in 1986 by Lisa (Layne) Herndon, Cindy (Leeper) Shields and April (Bullock) Anthony and was recently rechartered by three young women, Brooklyn Merkord, Kelly Shelton and Desiree Tresslar. TKG has a long, rich history and our hope is that it will remain on campus for many, many years to come. We have already seen God at work throughout the re-chartering process. During this re-chartering process, there have been two precious women on our hearts and minds – Jimmie Gomez and Gayle Taylor.
And as many of you will remember, these two beloved Sponsors helped serve as our “moms” when Kappa’s first chartered and for many years during our time at ACU. And since both of these treasured women have since gone to be with our Lord and Savior — we wanted to honor them in a special way as they loved this social club and all of us so very much.
To honor their legacy, we have recently launched The TKG Jimmie Gomez & Gayle Taylor Noble Women Fund. Were ever two women who embodied our club motto more? “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who loves the Lord is to be praised,” Proverbs 31: 29-30. We will use all monies raised for this fund for marketing of TKG and club scholarships for our girls.
“My mom, Jimmie Gomez was the chapel secretary for many years. If you didn’t know her at the beginning of school, you were bound to know her REAL well when you graduated! She was loved by all who knew her because of her compassion for others. I think she and God tag teamed as encouraging warriors. Many students would come in to seek her council. She had a way of making you feel safe and not alone with whatever you were going through. I think her love for motherhood was her greatest passion so when she was asked to be a TKG sponsor, there was no hesitation! She would be honored (and a little embarrassed) to know she was having a fund named in her honor. She loved all of her Kappa girls and serving as a sponsor for so many years,” Lisa Gomez Powell, 1986 Charter Member.
“Mom loved being a sponsor. She loved getting to know all of the ladies, she loved being a shoulder to cry on, she loved being a source of advice, and she loved praying with ladies who needed it. Her position in the Dean of Student’s office gave her unique opportunities to get to know all types of students, and she always encouraged ladies to join Kappas anytime she met someone new. She was a loud and enthusiastic spokesperson for Kappas and ACU in general.Did you know she and Dad wore Kappa t-shirts everywhere? Apparently, when there were extra t-shirts from an event, she and Dad would take the ones no one else wanted. As a result, Dad still has a closet full of brand new shirts from various nineties events. He says he should never have to buy another t-shirt for the rest of his life!
She would be so pleased to know that Kappas are once again on campus. She did not know that before she passed last year. I attended the breakfast last year and she passed during the early morning hours that Sunday. Even though I had not slept in several weeks, I attended the breakfast last year because I know she would have wanted me to. Everyone at the breakfast, especially my old friends from Kappas, were extremely sweet to me and made the trip to the breakfast completely worthwhile. Thank you to all Kappas for always loving her and supporting her. Being a sponsor was one of the main things she missed after her retirement,” Teena Taylor Gunter, 1986 Charter Member
If you would like to give to TKG’s Noble Women Fund in honor of Jimmie and Gayle, please mail your check made out to TKG Alumni to Tri Kappa Gamma, 122 McGlothlin Campus Center, ACU Box 28245, Abilene, TX 79699