From the NPC Chair: A time to grow sorority membership

Dear friends,

Summer is still in full swing with heat waves across the country, but fall is in the air as colleges and universities are starting back-to-school activities, and we will soon have college football every Saturday! Hooray! This also means that fall sorority recruitment has begun across many of our campuses. It is the time of year that many of our chapters welcome new members and bring them into their sorority families, whether that is through the primary recruitment process or continuous open bidding (COB).

This time of year may bring back fond memories for those of us who joined a sorority during primary recruitment or who participated as sorority members and had conversations with many potential new members. However each of us remembers our recruitment experience, we all realize that recruitment is the lifeblood of our organizations and that we all have the opportunity to encourage relatives, young women in our hometown and community, and others we know about the benefits of sorority life. 

As I wrote about last month in the chair's message, championing the sorority experience is a priority in our strategic framework. NPC's responsibility is to promote the life-changing impact that sorority life can have on our young women today. Research I have previously mentioned shows that our members have strong positive emotions, robust relationships, life meaning, and accomplishment due to their sorority membership. The role of sorority is to foster a community where our members thrive and feel empowered to lead and champion their causes by equipping them with skills and confidence. Now is the time for us to identify and encourage young women to sign up for recruitment and join a sorority so they can become tomorrow's trailblazing women.

Everyone has their story about how their sorority membership has provided sisterhood, a home away from home, leadership opportunities, confidence, and the ability to provide care and support to others. I invite you to think about your life and how your sorority membership has changed you for the better, equipped you with exceptional skills, and provided remarkable lifelong sisters and other Panhellenic friends. I, for one, have been forever impacted by my sorority membership. I value my sorority sisters, and I treasure my many Panhellenic relationships. I hope you share similar sentiments.

This fall, let us remember how sorority has shaped our lives and strive to engage as many women as possible in the recruitment process so they may enjoy the benefits of sorority membership and our Panhellenic communities can grow and prosper now and for generations to come.​​​​​​

Interfraternally,

Cheri M. De Jong
2021-23 NPC Chair

Together as Sorority

This content first appeared in the Summer 2022 edition of "The Lyre," the official magazine of Alpha Chi Omega, and is reprinted with permission.

When you join a sorority, you enter a community. You have chapter sisters to laugh and cry with, an alumnae network to help you pursue your dreams and even a national sorority that connects you to sisters coast to coast and beyond! But have you ever thought about the even larger sisterhood you're a part of?

When you accepted your bid to your chapter, you also joined the Panhellenic community. As the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) vision states, we are all "advancing the sorority experience together." We come together as nearly 5 million sorority women across the world.

Jen Daurora (Delta chapter of Alpha Chi Omega at Allegheny College) serves on the NPC Board of Directors and points out that no matter which of the 26 NPC member organizations we are members of, we all have shared experiences including leadership opportunities, education and the ability to support our communities through philanthropy and service. And most importantly, she adds, "I think the underpinning of women supporting women rings true throughout the NPC experience."

We strive to uplift our sisters in all their endeavors, and our empowerment can extend to the Panhellenic community. It's why our collegiate chapters have Panhellenic delegates to connect the Alpha Chi Omega chapter to the larger campus, and why many cities have Alumnae Panhellenics to bring together women from all organizations for networking and making a difference.

In a time when some are questioning the value of the sorority experience, we can work together as sorority women to share the benefits we've received and that others can obtain if they are open to the experience.

"From my perspective, togetherness for NPC really means the way we leverage our collective strength to advocate for and promote the sorority experience as a whole," Jen explains. "Because while it is important that each member organization strives to be its best and each chapter strives to reach its full potential, it's important that as a community we're helping one another reach our goals as well."

How can we do that? Jen suggests that collegians let potential new members (and others!) know what makes them proud to be in a sorority, whether it's learning to manage an officer budget or having a sister notice your potential that you didn't even see in yourself. For our alumnae members, Jen recommends they share openly with their networks that they're sorority women. She also explains it's important to articulate broad benefits; the collegiate experience you had might look very different for today's student, but the opportunities and lessons are far-reaching.

Of course, while we all share a sorority experience, we also each have a story. And your story—with all of its nuances and lessons and moments that make it distinctly yours—is a powerful piece of advocating for the experience.

"Be proud of what you've gained from this experience," Jen says, "and tell your own story."

From the NPC Chairman: New Research Highlights Benefits of Sorority

Dear friends,

Summer is here! Congratulations on making it through another school year. I hope that you have had a successful year and are now enjoying your summer vacation. Reflecting on this past year, I thought about how much the sorority experience matters, including my lifelong membership journey that began more than 30 years ago. That experience has changed my life in so many ways, and my sorority and NPC service have brought me in contact with women I treasure and filled my life with joy. I also contemplate how my experiences made me into the businesswoman, mother and grandmother I am today.

Many of you have similar stories of how your sorority experience has significantly impacted your life. Whether your experience was 30 or 40 years ago or as recently as last year, the effect has been powerful and one that I want to explore alongside some recent research findings.

NPC and member organization leaders and volunteers recently attended a Zoom presentation by Dr. J. Patrick Biddix regarding his latest Panhellenic sorority research on belonging and well-being. I noted a few key takeaways from the research that I believe support how impactful the sorority experience is for young women today.

• Sorority women generally feel a stronger sense of belonging and satisfaction at school v. non-sorority women.
• A vast majority, 75-80% of sorority women, agree that their organizations support and respect individuals and unique differences among their members and welcome and appreciate culturally different views of their members.
• A vast majority, 75-80% of sorority women, agree they feel comfortable having open discussions about race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, religion and mental health and well-being.
• Our members show strong positive emotion, engagement, robust relationships, life meaning and accomplishment due to their sorority membership.

We all know that increased well-being leads to positive emotions and satisfaction with life, and that can increase member retention and overall student success. Positive general comments reflect that women value their experience and feel support and respect from their sisters. They also value their leadership skills and ability to grow and develop into influential leaders.

While the sorority experience is highly valued, there is room for improvement. Specifically, some women indicate struggles with diversity, equity and inclusion. This is an area that continues to evolve where we as NPC and our member organizations must continue education and awareness to promote a culture shift in our members, including collegiate members, alumnae and advisors. For our experience to remain valuable and relevant for years to come, all of us must work together to create a more welcoming and inclusive Panhellenic community.

Overall this research provides important insights as we strive to extend our message about the power of sorority and the positive impacts of membership. So, as you relax on these long summer days, reflect on your experience as a sorority woman and what you value the most. Is it the lifelong leadership skills you acquired or the invaluable friendships you still have from those good old college days? Whatever it may be, hold on to those thoughts and share them with others to promote an unforgettable and valuable experience so that others may flourish as a result of the sorority experience.

Interfraternally,

Cheri M. De Jong
2021-23 NPC chairman

From the NPC Chairman: A Reflection on Increasing Access and Equity in the Sorority Experience

Dear friends,

Last June, as our nation was filled with sadness and sincere reflection, the NPC Board of Directors made a commitment to more substantively and candidly engage about race and confront racism. It was past time that we acknowledged that racism, within society and within the Panhellenic community, was not an issue we could address simply through kindness or greater respect for one another. Instead, we made the commitment to carefully consider structural and systemic reasons that too many women of color did not view our organizations as places where they feel welcoming, understood or heard.

It's important now that we take stock of the progress made in the past year, and of the work still to come, to identify reforms and eliminate structural and systemic barriers to the sorority experience. 

To help us follow through on our commitments, one of the major steps the board took was to appoint the NPC Access and Equity Advisory Committee (AEAC) to provide recommendations on how to increase access to the sorority experience and equity across NPC policies and procedures. Building on the feedback from NPC’s listening tours and committee members' experiences and expertise, you may recall this group has provided guidance, particularly in three areas:

1. Auditing of Unanimous Agreements, policies and best practices. Based on the committee’s recommendations, several proposals for changes to these items were adopted by the Council of Delegates earlier this year. 
2. Consulting on inclusion of diversity factors for NPC workforce recruitment. As much as we focus on recruiting new members to the sorority experience so too must we focus on recruiting new individuals to the professional and volunteer workforce responsible for advocating for and supporting that experience, and the committee shared their expertise in this area.
3. Identifying barriers to access created by norms and practices at the campus level. Here, the committee has helped identify additional areas for education and changes regarding recruitment and Panhellenic operations to further remove barriers to sorority membership.  

The board also asked the AEAC to provide some additional guidance, including reviewing template documents and advising on marketing. The committee will be wrapping up its work and submitting recommendations for the board to review in mid-June after the publication of this message. So, more to come on that.

As the AEAC worked to fulfill its charge, NPC also engaged in parallel initiatives. As an example, NPC began a partnership with the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform for two companion research studies that will evaluate cultural competency and diversity, equity and inclusion within NPC-affiliated sorority chapters. The two studies will measure the level of cultural competency among sorority women at both minority-serving institutions and at predominantly white institutions. Researchers will also identify best practices for strengthening competency and enhancing inclusion within sorority chapters and communities. This pair of studies reflect shared commitment from the Piazza Center and NPC to foster more inclusive sorority communities. 

In addition, the challenges of the past year have offered us an opportunity to test changes to the ways in which we recruit members and begin eliminating more barriers to membership. Based on the work of the AEAC and the relevancy research conducted last summer, the Board of Directors has recently commissioned five recruitment reform projects that are a focus for the next year. 

• As part of the larger Cost of Membership initiative, which I addressed in my April message, NPC is examining the costs associated with Panhellenic recruitment and has already begun to offer recommendations to address the growing concern. These recommendations include a policy addition to remove tiered registration pricing and late fees, as well as a new best practice that encourages a virtual first round whenever possible, helping decrease costs related to space rental, transportation, décor, attire, etc., while also focusing on substantive conversation between PNMs and chapter members. Additionally, an updated best practice encourages a minimal administrative fee to cover only essential recruitment costs.
• The Recruitment Reform Task Force has been charged to re-imagine fully structured recruitment allowing more flexibility and authenticity to further reduce barriers and create a more welcoming environment for prospective members. 
• The Education and Transparency Task Force has been charged to make recommendations for a standard potential new member (PNM) orientation to provide consistent and accurate education to all PNMs and their caregivers. At the same time, NPC staff and the Panhellenic Recruitment Committee are working to execute recommendations focused on creating improved guidance and education for College Panhellenics on budgeting and dues as well as increasing emphasis on the PNM experience instead of competition with other chapters on campus over space and décor.
• The Panhellenic Recruitment Committee also will continue its work in developing new education and resources to better support alternative recruitment approaches and formats.
• A Marketing Advisory Committee will provide guidance to the NPC staff on projects such as developing new resources for College Panhellenics to widely promote the sorority experience.

Amid all of this activity at the NPC level, I also want to call your attention to the work being done at the member organization level. During the last year, NPC member organizations have developed their own structures to examine diversity, equity, access and inclusion factors in their organizations. As a result, many organizations have altered or removed legacy policies or changed requirements for letters of recommendation in order to create a more level playing field and make it easier to join a Panhellenic sorority. 

Together we have accomplished so much, but there is still much work to be done to make the sorority experience more welcoming, inclusive and accessible. We will continue to share our progress with you in messages like this one and on our website. 

***

As this is my last message as the NPC chairman, I want you to know it has been my honor and privilege to serve as NPC chairman and I look forward to great things ahead. My thanks to each of you–members of the NPC family, partners and colleagues. Without your dedication and attention, NPC could not and would not be the organization it is today.

Panhellenically,

Carole J. Jones
NPC Chairman

From the NPC Chairman: Pausing to give thanks

Dear friends,

Between the COVID-19 pandemic, discussions about racial injustice, natural disasters and struggling economy, it’s easy to get stressed out and have feelings of anxiety. And, as Thanksgiving approaches in the United States, the worry of how to celebrate this year or the disappointment that you may be spending the holiday away from family and friends due to travel restrictions or safety concerns, just adds to the stress we are already feeling about the year 2020.

However, as we pause to give thanks for our many blessings, we are also given the opportunity to take a deeper look and recognize all the things that we may take for granted in our day-to-day lives – the family we love, the friends we cherish and the blessings we have received.

During this season of Thanksgiving, I hope you will join me in reflecting on the things I am most grateful for as we continue to advance the sorority experience:

• All of us, collegians and alumnae, being open to change and adapting as we faced a pandemic (something none of us has ever experienced before).
• The flexibility and commitment our RFM specialists, College Panhellenic area advisors, other volunteers and staff showed as they took on the frontline role of working with campuses as recruitment contingencies were planned and implemented.
• The successes our College Panhellenics found as virtual or hybrid recruitments were safely implemented.
• Outstanding programming our College Panhellenic officers and chapter leaders successfully hosted virtually.
• Successful marketing campaigns on both the national and local levels promoting the value of the sorority experience regardless of how that experience is delivered.
• The fraternity/sorority advisors who have supported our members throughout probably the toughest academic term they have ever experienced.
• Our NPC partners who work to provide a meaningful and rewarding sorority experience for our members.
• The undying support we give each other as we continue to have difficult and meaningful conversations as we work together in creating a welcoming, inclusive Panhellenic community that our current and future members deserve.
• Learning to be more flexible, to focus on the positive, to slow down and to be a better listener.
• Our friends and families who support our fraternal efforts.

My thanks to each of you for your commitment to ensuring the values and ideals of sorority are preserved. I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving filled with abundance and love. May the good things in life be yours not only at Thanksgiving but throughout the coming year.

Panhellenically,

Carole J. Jones
NPC Chairman

From the NPC Chairman: An Update on COVID-19 and the Sorority Experience

Dear friends,

This time of year is usually filled with Alumnae Panhellenic scholarship luncheons and end-of-year celebrations for our collegiate chapters as they say goodbye to their senior members. Instead we find ourselves at home striving to keep connections with each other while practicing social distancing. For the first time, many of us are working or attending class remotely and dealing with the challenges of work and family in the same physical space.

The women of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), both collegiate and alumnae, know how to manage through difficult times. You already know how to dig deep and you know that the steps we take individually are for the greater good. The COVID-19 pandemic that is causing challenges all over the world is also causing challenges for NPC and its 26 member organizations. But our volunteers and staff have been working diligently to support our College and Alumnae Panhellenics as well as member organizations. For example, the Disruption to Panhellenic Operations Task Force considered potential impacts the pandemic will have on our Panhellenic communities, particularly if disruptions to class schedules or campus operations continue into the fall semester. NPC is now working to act on many of the task force’s recommendations in order to get additional processes in place and tools in the hands of College Panhellenics. That work also includes the formation of the Recruitment Contingencies Task Force to examine a myriad of scenarios that could impact recruitment in fall 2020, and potentially beyond, to help College Panhellenics plan accordingly. (For more information on NPC's COVID-19 response, visit our Coronavirus Resources page.)

We don’t know exactly what the days ahead will look like, but we do know that financial damage inflicted on our organizations could force a change in workforce plans and organizational structure. We also know NPC has met and overcome every challenge we have faced over the years. The Conference spent the better part of 30 years dealing with the upheaval of two world wars and the Great Depression. Financial considerations were of enormous impact, and after the collapse of the American economy in 1929, NPC’s message of belt-tightening took on unprecedented seriousness.

In the mid-1950s, as a result of a wave of traditionalism, female college enrollment dropped to its lowest level since before 1920 and our organizations fought to survive amongst public criticism of Greek-letter organizations. The 1960s and early 70s took a toll on every fraternal group. However, a time of severe pressure – when the sorority world might easily have splintered into self-serving factions – proved to be a time of magnificent solidarity.

This pandemic will be no exception. Without question, we will be living a new reality as students return to campus, and this new reality will affect our organizations’ recruitment and retention of members. The nature of higher education and the environments in which students will be operating most likely will be drastically changed, so how do we preserve valuable sorority experiences while adapting and evolving to meet new needs?
     
NPC’s focus on the future of sorority is now more than ever the organization’s most important role and the most valuable contribution we can make to the sorority community. The NPC Board of Directors is focused on what the sorority landscape will look like this fall and into the year 2021. At this time, there are so many more questions than answers. We are listening to what you are feeling, fearing and experiencing so we can project what the sorority community will look like tomorrow and in the next 12 to 18 months. By drawing on our collective strength and rich history, the Conference and our member organizations can meet this latest challenge together. 

Panhellenically,

Carole J. Jones
NPC chairman

The Special Story of a Sorority Pin

The founding of sororities began well over 150 years ago, when the term sorority hadn’t even been conceived, giving each of the 26 NPC member organizations a deep and rich history. Every member of one of these 26 organizations has her own story and journey within the greater Panhellenic community. Recently the story of one lifelong sorority member was brought to attention after her daughter-in-law Launi Elliott, a member of Delta Delta Delta, found a Zeta Tau Alpha membership badge among her mother-in-law's things after her passing. Elliott then contacted the NPC office in Indianapolis for guidance on returning the pin.

NPC office staff connected Elliott with the Zeta Tau Alpha International Office to shed some light on the history of the badge. Here’s the story of the owner and the badge:

The badge belonged to Edith May Lyons, or May as she was often referred to. May was initiated on May 4, 1929, as a charter member of the Beta Rho chapter at the University of Manitoba located in Canada. May went on to receive her master’s degree in science while also participating in research at the University of Toronto.

May’s badge had been found in a leather case that held a pearl-accented badge attached to a Beta Rho gold guard. Also in the case was a white violet 50-year member pin, truly highlighting that sorority isn’t for four years - it is for life. Within Zeta Tau Alpha, it is customary to return a members badge after she passes, bury it with her if requested or pass it to a legacy member. Seeing as there were no legacy members to pass the badge too, Elliott thought it best to return the badge. Now the badge and its contents have been safely returned to the Zeta Tau Alpha International Office. May’s badge will sit proudly in the ZTA Historical and Educational Center, set to open later this year at the International Office.

In correspondence with Elliott, Zeta Tau Alpha Archivist Patti Cords Levitte stated the Balfour leather case was in “the best condition I’ve ever seen for one of those – usually they are falling apart from age.” Levitte also stated that having “the badge of a charter member to display is very special.”

May’s story is a great reminder of why sorority women wear our badges proudly each year on International Badge Day. This year International Badge Day will take place on Monday, March 4. Sorority women around the world will be proudly displaying their badges and their pride in being a lifelong sorority woman.