SORORITY WOMEN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. -- Edith Wharton, Vesalius in Zante

Each year, sorority women donate hours and dollars to support charitable causes. Last year alone we contributed 3,078,687 volunteer hours and $37,499,429 to benefit causes ranging from funding medical expenses and granting wishes for children with terminal or life-threatening medical conditions to supporting breast cancer research, serving as court advocates and promoting domestic violence awareness.

When sorority women work together toward a common cause, there are endless possibilities.

Sorority women -- collegians and alumnae alike -- actively address needs in our communities. Lessons learned in college through community-service engagement carry over to the post-graduate years, when alumnae band together to help others. Community service is an outgrowth of our sorority rituals, which inspire us to sacrifice for the greater welfare of others and extend a helping hand toward our fellow man. We are called to spread light.

Many of our College Panhellenics have chosen to coordinate their efforts to support Habitat for Humanity or Circle of Sisterhood, an organization that helps provide educational opportunities to girls and women around the world.

Some of our Alumnae Panhellenics raise funds for scholarships and donate money to support local community needs.

• Houston Alumnae Panhellenic members read to children and give more than 100 community service hours annually to the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program at an elementary school.
• For nearly 40 years the Phoenix Alumnae Panhellenic has volunteered at the Phoenix Open to help raise funds for scholarships. In addition, these volunteers collect stuffed animals as part of the Phoenix Fire Department's Teddy Bear Drive to comfort children in emergency situations.
• Chicago Northwest Alumnae Panhellenic packaged meals to feed 56 children for an entire year as part of the Feed My Starving Children campaign.
• Central New Jersey Alumnae Panhellenic members work at a bone marrow registry.
• Jacksonville Alumnae Panhellenic raises funds to support local families in need.

All NPC member organizations have inter/national philanthropies, and these alliances help mobilize their membership to make a difference in the lives of others.  

On Oct. 25, NPC will join millions of volunteers around the world in improving the lives of others by participating in USA Weekend Make A Difference Day. This is the largest national day of community service. We are asking our inter/national leaders and delegations attending the NPC annual meeting in St. Louis to bring purses and professional apparel to donate to Connections to Success, a local organization that partners with Dress For Success and helps break the poverty cycle by providing a comprehensive network of services and support.

What can you do?

• Support your NPC member organization's philanthropy.
• Combine efforts in your College and Alumnae Panhellenics and volunteer to assist in community events -- benefit walks, house construction projects, relief efforts, organizational efforts at battered women shelters and food banks.
• Donate professional attire to organizations like Dress for Success and help promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women.
• Clear out closets and bring discarded household items to collection agencies for donation or resale. Offer to pick up items from neighbors.
• Make an online donation to your charity of choice.

We can all make a difference if we take a moment to seek ways to help others. This is something that can happen on Oct. 25 and throughout the year.

Our rituals encourage us to use our gifts for good and contribute in meaningful ways as citizens in our larger communities. Let's unify our efforts and spread light.

SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS: WE ARE ON THE SAME TEAM

Within the first six weeks of the school year, college freshmen are at risk.

In the college setting, 18-year-olds experience a new sense of freedom that intersects with a new built-in social scene. Interactions are encouraged; sometimes interactions cross the line, however. Add alcohol use to the mix, and this puts students at more risk, causing judgment to be blurred. Often women and men go further than they ever intended. Mutual consent must exist. Whenever mutual consent does not exist, sexual assault does exist.

Webster's Dictionary defines sexual assault as "illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person without consent or is inflicted upon a person who is incapable of giving consent (as because of age or physical or mental incapacity) or who places the assailant (as a family friend) in a position of trust or authority." Many universities further define mutual consent as it pertains to sexual assault in their code of conduct.

The topic of sexual assault has been at the forefront of national discussions this year. White House staff and Department of Education representatives held listening sessions last winter. In late April, President Obama issued the report titled "Not Alone," which is the first report of the White House task force to protect students from sexual assault. NPC attended both sessions and had a voice.

University officials and international leaders of sororities and fraternities take sexual assault seriously. We know that sexual assault affects at least one in four college women, and these are just the women who are willing to report. Reporting is a challenge. It takes courage to come forward and talk to someone in an official capacity about it -- a campus authority, a Title IX officer or the police. Many women are reluctant to report because of the ramifications that may impact their friendships or acceptance in the academic environment and fraternal community on campus.

So where do we go from here? How can we help one another?

No matter the sorority letter or badge, we are on the same team. The NPC voice is important as the large umbrella for 26 member organizations. For that reason, we have polled our College Panhellenics and member organizations to find out more about what is happening at the local levels. This is a first step.

From these results, the majority of our member organizations would like NPC to:

• Encourage sorority women to support other women.
• Collect resources and share with member organizations.
• Work with interfraternal partners on awareness efforts.
• Guide sorority women to use campus resources.
• Encourage College Panhellenics to launch awareness campaigns. 

Although sexual assault is not new to the college setting, this issue is ever evolving as to how to address it. Universities have ramped up their compliance efforts and education by hiring additional trained Title IX officers. Likewise, NPC and the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) are addressing this issue with collaborative discussions between our boards and as part of the Fraternal Government Relations Coalition legislative agenda.

Men are engaged in the discussion as well. Organizations such as Men Can Stop Rape and the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center Men's Activism Program (SAPAC) educate and empower men to understand and speak out against power-based violence. NIC recently announced the formation of a commission on sexual assault. We applaud these efforts to generate more awareness on this topic.

This is our call to action.

Frequently we find that bystander behavior is associated with sexual assault. There are times we turn our heads or ignore what we see happening leading up to the sexual violence. It is not my business, we say to ourselves. We can all learn more about appropriate ways to confront, divert attention and help a sorority sister or friend in our university community when there is potential danger.

The NPC tagline reads The Voice for Sorority Advancement. By standing side by side with our sisters, Panhellenic friends and fellow female students when they choose to report, we can have a voice as sorority women in this discussion. We can demonstrate that true sisterhood means supporting other women when they have the courage to speak up.

What else can we do?

• Join awareness campaigns on campus and help promote resources to sorority women.
• Invite a Title IX officer to a Panhellenic meeting to help educate sorority women on proper protocol when it comes to filing a report.
• Target freshmen and share campus resources where victims can get help.
• Reach out to the IFC organization and discuss this issue with fraternity men.

We must acknowledge that we are on the same team by working together as a unified coalition to create more awareness and ultimately, prevent the number of students who fall victim to sexual violence.

The time is now.

NPC Foundation: Commitment to Personal Growth

Women helping women — this is how we operate.

Established in 1995, the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) Foundation promotes values and ethics in sororities and encourages all members to be active and responsible leaders in their respective communities. Our mission is supported through the sponsorship of NPC educational and charitable programs addressing health, safety, education, leadership and general women’s issues in today’s society.

At the heart of it, the NPC Foundation raises funds and underwrites initiatives to launch and sustain women leaders.

Members of the NPC Foundation Board of Trustees recently met in Indianapolis for a

strategic planning weekend. I was pleased to participate in discussions with: President Janet Dodson, Alpha Sigma Tau, Barbara Stone, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Ann Brookshire, Pi Beta Phi, Susan Polizzotto, Sigma Kappa, and Harriet Rodenberg, Sigma Delta Tau and from the NPC Executive Committee Vice Chairman Donna King, Sigma Kappa, and Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Lynnda Hoefler, Delta Zeta. NPC Executive Director Nicki Meneley was present for she also serves as executive director of the NPC Foundation. Our discussions were facilitated by professional consultant Karyn Sneath, Sigma Kappa.

The NPC Foundation has funded NPC’s “Something of Value” program for nearly 20 years. This program continues to address risky behaviors and promote better decision making by empowering women to be change agents on their campus. Ultimately, sorority members are encouraged to create shifts in organizational culture for the greater good of the sorority community. In addition to the “Something of Value” program, the NPC Foundation offers scholarships to deserving sorority women.

With our shared commitment for personal growth, the NPC Foundation will continue to advocate for the sorority experience by opening avenues and creating opportunities. Please join us in our mission by donating to this worthy cause.

MUTUAL SELECTION

Recruitment season is upon us. The primary membership recruitment process, previously known as "rush," is underway on many of our 675 campuses in North America

The recruitment process is one of mutual selection. While active members of our sororities are preparing to greet and meet potential new members as part of the membership selection process, potential new members are learning about sororities on their college campus as part of the recruitment process. Potential new members and the sororities use values-based criteria to make membership decisions.

This is why we call this process mutual selection. 

The Panhellenic Compact is one of our Unanimous Agreements binding each NPC member organization. This compact defines a potential new member's eligibility for sorority membership. In addition, College and Alumnae Panhellenics are required to operate according to these agreements, as are all individual chapter members.

NPC has several position statements related to recruitment activities:

• NPC Position Statement on Primary Recruitment
• NPC Position Statement on Membership Selection
• NPC Position Statement Against Discrimination
• NPC Position Statement on Standards of Conduct
• NPC Position Statement on Right of Association as Women's-Only Organizations
• NPC Position Statement on Right to Assemble

These statements reinforce our respect for each NPC organization to follow its internal membership selection procedures, provided it follows state and federal laws.

It is interesting to note the evolution of the recruitment process. We know that in the beginning, the most basic and urgent questions in NPC centered on recruitment. Sorority pioneers believed that competition was beneficial as long as it was tempered by a commitment to fair play. NPC representatives denounced women having dual membership in NPC member organizations and established college matriculation as a prerequisite for pledging. These policies continue to apply to the membership recruitment process today. Our predecessors also went on record as early as 1904 against the "rush evils" of undue expense and "elaborate parties." Today, our campuses are to host a "no frills" recruitment approach and encourage chapter members and potential new members to focus on conversations and shared interests. 

NPC continues to work with our College and Alumnae Panhellenics to implement appropriate recruitment formats and procedures. Our Release Figure Methodology (RFM) specialists and NPC area advisors provide guidance. RFM specialists support College Panhellenics and NPC member organizations by recommending carry figures for every chapter. NPC area advisors provide helpful advice by interpreting NPC policies and procedures. Suffice to say, professional volunteers and NPC office staff stand ready to assist in various ways. 

It is a point of pride to see College Panhellenics articulate the mutual selection aspect of the recruitment process. Recently, the College Panhellenic at Texas Tech University posted a recruitment statement on its website. This type of communication helps provide better understanding on many levels. 

Surging recruitment numbers in recent years tell us that college women see value in what sororities offer. This corresponds with the number of women who pursue college degrees. NPC is riding the wave of momentum at this point in history. 

It is exhilarating to be on campuses for Bid Days and witness the distribution of sorority invitations. Nothing can compare with watching the joy on the faces of those who realize that they have found their new sorority home. 

Our ultimate goal is that every woman will find the perfect match. Harmony is achieved when both the potential new member and the active sorority women make their membership decisions through a values-based, mutual selection process.

SORORITY LETTERS: PROMOTING OUR BRAND

At college commencement ceremonies this spring, I was pleased to see so many sorority women wearing their colorful stoles and letters with their graduation attire. These letters let others know that we place value in our sorority membership. We are promoting our brand.

People do not always assign our letters with a particular NPC organization, but rather they see the letters and think sorority. Therefore, it is up to each of us to advocate for the sorority brand and openly share how sorority membership enhances the college experience.

• We can talk about friendship as the basis for the founding of our organizations.  
• We can talk about ways we make a difference as sorority women — as leaders on campus and in our communities; as caring citizens engaged in outreach efforts and charitable causes; and as scholars who value academic achievement and career pursuits.  
• We can talk about the benefits of mentorship that comes with intergenerational support from alumnae advisors and near peer relationships within our chapters.  
• We can talk about how lifelong commitment translates into sisters who are there for us in good times and challenging times.
• And we can talk about how our ritual and highest teachings provide the moral compass in our lives.  

This promotion of our brand should happen 365 days a year — not just during recruitment.

How are you promoting our brand? Are you talking about your positive sorority membership experience?

Ritual: Learn it. Live it. Teach it. Expect it.

Summertime provides time to reflect on many aspects of fraternal life, including ritual.

Last summer, I had the privilege of serving as a facilitator at the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI). This is the premier leadership program for the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC). It was a memorable time that reinforced my commitment to and passion for the sorority experience.

There were nearly 100 professionals and students housed in a sorority facility on the University of Indiana campus in Bloomington. This group of strangers quickly became family. Our discussions related to common challenges as leaders and opportunities to change the status quo by getting back to basics of respective rituals.

UIFI follows a philosophy whereby all those involved have a shared experience. We were divided into small-group meetings, known as "chapter meetings." This allowed for hearty debate, soulful conversations and brainstorming of ideas.

UIFI takes student leaders on a five-day journey that sets forth blueprints for change. These are intended to be taken back to chapters and communities, as well as incorporated into day-to-day lives. The curriculum is thoughtful and deliberate in guiding participants along the training continuum where they finally reach their call to action. One of the most memorable moments was when the students stood in front of the group with their fraternity brothers and sorority sisters and recited their open creeds. Significant words and phrases were repeated for all to hear - in unison.

Lessons taught in our rituals are intended to be applied to our daily routines. Symbolism has meaning to us, and it should inspire us and remind us how we can live more fulfilling lives.

Sorority and fraternity membership has the potential to lift up the entire university community. The recent findings by Gallup give credence to the fact that sorority membership contributes to the well-being of college alumnae . We can talk about who we are and what we do, but our actions speak louder than words.

We need to live our ritual. We need to teach it. And we need to expect it from our members and fraternal friends.

So let's do it.

Let's demonstrate what it means to be a Panhellenic woman by putting values into action - FOR GOOD.

Let's empower our members to make necessary changes in their organizations and insist on alignment with our fraternal values found in our rituals - FOR GOOD.

Let's extend our helping hand and build bridges with others - FOR GOOD.

Take time to think about what ritual means to you and how you can use it to advance sorority. And talk about it.

Connect at Conventions

Many NPC inter/national organizations will host their conventions in June and July. Conventions offer first-class leadership training and special recognitions in addition to opportunities to connect with sorority sisters from coast to coast. These are important sisterhood gatherings that provide members the bigger picture of their own organizations.

In 1982, I attended my first national sorority convention. It was quite a privilege to represent The University of Tulsa chapter as president. I traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona, with another chapter officer, chapter advisors and the house corporation president. We met other delegates, enjoyed elegant meals, heard inspirational speeches, witnessed ritual performed with the model initiation and participated firsthand in the election of our national leaders. This experience made a lasting impression on me. It gave me a greater sense of the depth and breadth of our national organization, and it planted seeds for my future involvement.

Because of my convention experience, I applied, during my senior year, to travel for my organization as a national consultant. I will never forget the phone call I received from the national president with that job offer. Traveling as a national consultant was a golden opportunity that allowed me to share my skills with other women and empower them to lead their local chapters. My travels confirmed my calling to continue my involvement with my sorority as an alumna.

National leaders who I admired saw something in me to be developed. The sorority setting provided me with opportunities to learn and grow. One thing led to another – I traveled to chapters, led workshops at national meetings and served as a chapter advisor before being invited to join the NPC delegation. Later I would have the honor of being slated and elected by the Chi Omega convention assembly to the governing council, just as I had witnessed at my first convention.

Chi Omega instilled my love for fraternity and set me on this course. NPC recognized the passion in my heart and took me another mile down the road. Through my involvement with these two organizations, I have been changed for good.

This summer, these 18 NPC member organizations will host conventions:

June 18-21	Sigma Kappa	Henderson, Nevada
June 25-29	Alpha Phi	Rancho Mirage, California
June 25-29	Chi Omega	Orlando, Florida
June 25-29	Delta Gamma	Phoenix
June 25-29	Kappa Kappa Gamma	Houston
June 25-29	Zeta Tau Alpha	Los Angeles
June 26-29	Alpha Sigma Tau	Atlanta
June 26-29	Kappa Alpha Theta	Orlando, Florida
June 26-29	Sigma Delta Tau	Washington
July 2-5	Delta Delta Delta	Indianapolis
July 2-5	Phi Mu	Boca Raton, Florida
July 8-13	Theta Phi Alpha	New Orleans
July 9-12	Alpha Gamma Delta	Indianapolis
July 9-12	Alpha Sigma Alpha	San Antonio
July 9-13	Delta Zeta	Tucson, Arizona
July 9-13	Gamma Phi Beta	Bellevue, Washington
July 11-14	Alpha Chi Omega	Palm Desert, California
July 24-27	Delta Phi Epsilon	Lake Buena Vista, Florida

There are dozens of stories like mine. What is your first convention story? How did it impact your life?

On behalf of the NPC Executive Committee, I send warm wishes for a successful summer season of conventions. May our organizations continue to flourish abundantly with old and new friendships. May you learn new things to help you advance your sorority experience.