From college campuses to elegant hotels and even rustic lake retreats, Tri Delta has held our Conventions in a remarkable variety of venues over the years. But the 1915 Convention may just hold the record for the most unusual location: Camp Asilomar in Monterey County, California.
Built on Asilomar State Beach in 1913 as a conference ground for the YWCA’s annual leadership camp for young women, the location was likely selected through the connections of several Tri Delta leaders involved with the YWCA.
Sisterhood by Train
The business meetings were scheduled for Aug. 2-5, but the festivities began on July 24 in Chicago when the Tri Delta Special train, containing 10 carloads of members, left the station on its seven-day sightseeing journey to California.
A stop in Denver gave Tri Deltas a chance to see the mountains and enjoy the clear, cool air before reboarding. In Colorado Springs, buses took members to dinner at Cliff House in Manitou. In Salt Lake City, sightseeing trips were followed by an organ recital at the Tabernacle.
In Los Angeles, Tri Deltas enjoyed more sightseeing, a trip to Redondo Beach and dinner at the Alpine Inn atop Mt. Lowe. In San Diego, the train riders visited Coronado Beach and the Panama California Exposition.
Between stops, members on the weeklong journey enjoyed getting to know Tri Delta sisters, seeing musicales performed by the train’s staff and singing Tri Delta songs.
From Rustic Tents to “Cozy” Hotel Rooms
The train arrived at Camp Asilomar on Saturday, July 31. The weary travelers were greeted by their hostesses, Pi Chapter from the University of California-Berkeley, and shown to their tent “rooms,” which had 12-inch square mirrors over narrow shelves serving as dressers. Meals were served in the dining tent, except for one night on the beach where clam chowder was served.
A day spent exploring the beach and countryside was followed by four productive days of work on Fraternity business.
Members of the Grand Council explore the beach. 
Theta Delta members from the University of Oregon.
At the close of Convention, Tri Deltas boarded the train to head home. On the way, they enjoyed a garden party at Pi Chapter and a picnic lunch on the Stanford campus hosted by Omega Chapter. Returning to Claremont Hotel that evening, they found that 125 of their reservations had been lost, causing members to squeeze six to eight in a room.
Thankfully, the rest of their travel home was uneventful. But the trip remained a fond memory for many Tri Deltas who made this remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime journey.
Follow Along for Convention 2022!
And, in just one week, Tri Deltas will once again return to California for our 60th Biennial Convention, June 24-26—this time in San Diego! While there won’t be a seven-day long train journey nor tents for attendees to sleep in, there will be plenty of sisterhood and celebration! Even if you aren’t able to attend in person, you can follow along for session-by-session updates in The Trident online, watch for highlights on social media or even attend virtually from the comfort of your couch!