Perspectives: What Sorority Means to Me

Sororities have always been a place for women to gather, build friendships, support academic pursuits, develop leaders and provide a sense of belonging. As the needs of women have changed, sorority has adapted to fit those needs. Today, while class instruction and the sorority experience may look and feel different on many campuses due to COVID-19, sorority is adapting to provide these benefits and the opportunity for real, personal connections through a virtual experience. Through it all, sisterhood and the benefits of the sorority experience remain.

Here are some of those benefits as voiced by collegiate members:

"My sorority helped me turn my college campus into a place that I can call home. These women started as strangers and are now some of my closest friends in the world. And, I know I can look to them to help in every aspect of my life – from academics to life advice." 
-Patricia, Tulane University (in a Her Campus/TheSororityLife.com Instagram story video)

"One of the things that I have loved most about being in my chapter has been the support system. More specifically, my sorority family has been my best support system ... These women are always here for me when I’m feeling down, need advice or just want someone to talk to and have made me feel at home, while being so far from home."
-Bridget, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (full story)

"I was worried about losing that connection with my sisters when we left campus (in spring 2020 due to the pandemic). But, I’ve found a new appreciation for our sisterhood. Sisterhood is in the little things. The texts, the FaceTime calls and the memories we create together make me that much more grateful to have my sisters in my life!"
-Bri, NPC intern for TheSororityLife.com (full story)

A Message From the NPC Chairman: Living our values and telling the positive story of sorority

Summertime…and the living is easy! That is certainly a phrase we all need to heed so we can use the summer months to step back from our busy lives, slow down a bit and approach the fall and new academic year refreshed and ready to recruit new members.

As sorority members, we all know our organizations provide great value to every member and to every potential member on campus. Our respective groups were founded on ideals and standards of behavior that respectable members of society would applaud. However, even though collectively, we are one of the largest, most visible and most active values-based organizations on college and university campuses, the perception–and too often the reality–is that fraternities and sororities have fallen away from their values. That said, it’s all of our responsibilities, collegians and alumnae, to live our values and tell the positive sorority story.

• Every NPC organization is guided by founding principles and values that serve as a moral beacon for its members. We use educational programming to help our members incorporate these principles and values into their daily lives, and our emphasis on values helps college women develop the moral foundation for their future actions.
• We are the nation’s largest network of young volunteers. Sorority women are committed to improving the world in which we live. Each year, NPC-affiliated collegians and alumnae donate more than $28 million to worthy causes and volunteer almost five million hours in their communities. Our emphasis on volunteerism prepares members for a lifetime of community involvement.
• Our comprehensive leadership programs teach values-based management skills to our members and our members graduate with the management and interpersonal skills needed to excel in today’s work environment.

Then there’s the softer side. Sorority membership provides our members with a safe environment for personal growth and development. Friendship is the cornerstone of sorority membership and it was friendship that brought together the founders of all 26 member organizations.

There’s also the support we give one another as Panhellenic sisters, enabling us to meet the challenges we face in today’s world. NPC has a rich history that embodies unified coalitions among women. I am certain that each of you, as a collegian or alumna, has experienced the power of Panhellenic women working together.

All of these components–living our values, volunteerism, philanthropy, leadership programming and friendship–are part of each of our stories. It’s our responsibility to share our experiences so that the young women participating in recruitment today will have heard about our organizations long before they enter college. We are the best public relations we have.

So, this summer, as potential new members consider sorority membership, remember to share your sorority story and promote the sorority experience!

Interfraternally,

Carole J. Jones
NPC Chairman 2017-19

From the NPC Chairman: Cultivating character on a daily basis

“We as Fraternity Women, stand for service through the development of character inspired by the close contact and deep friendship of individual fraternity and Panhellenic life.” 

 From The Panhellenic Creed

Character is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual. As sorority women and members of the National Panhellenic Conference, we all strive to cultivate positive character traits, and as our collegiate members prepare to return to college campuses across North America, I encourage each of us, as sorority women, to cultivate our character on a daily basis.

As I think about potential new members and what characteristics they look for in the sorority women they meet, the following characteristics come to mind: kindness, humility, honesty, social intelligence and self-control. What characteristics would you add to my list?

On September 26, there is an opportunity to join millions of people around the globe to further cultivate your character by participating in Character Day, a global initiative where school districts, universities, organizations and families of all sizes screen films on the science of character development offered from different perspectives. Resources for planning a Character Day event include short films, discussion materials and a global live cast question and answer session.

View Character Day resources.

Character Day is an advocacy program of Let It Ripple, a California-based film studio that produces mini-documentaries often focuses on social justice issues. NPC was introduced to Let It Ripple through our relationship with Vision 2020. Since 2011, NPC has been a national ally of Vision 2020 and has supported the work of their staff to make equality a national priority through shared leadership among women and men with an initial focus on business and government, where decisions are made, policies set and resources allocated.

Now in its fifth year, Character Day has grown from having 1,500 events in its first year to more than 133,000 events in 125 countries and all 50 states in 2017. I encourage you to learn more by watching this short clip: https://vimeo.com/159254643

To sign up your Panhellenic or organization for Character Day, please click here.

Interfraternally,

Carole Jones

NPC chairman 2017-19

Sample Character Day Resources: 

A poster of The Periodic Table of Character Strengths is included in the free, hands-on discussion kit. Also included in the kit: A deck of 44 conversation cards with discussion guides, questions for all ages and quotes related to the poster.

Promoting the benefits of the sorority experience

When each of us chose to become a member of a fraternal organization, we found lifelong friends, support to excel in studies and opportunities for leadership development and community service. What many of us probably did not expect was the bond rooted in Greek traditions that we not only share with members of our specific fraternity or sorority, but also with members of other fraternal organizations.

There are more than 4 million sorority women and more than 4.5 million fraternity men – that’s a lot of people who share a common bond of sisterhood and brotherhood. Think about those numbers and the networking opportunities! If you are a college student embarking in a summer job or internship, or even beginning your first full-time job after graduation, you are joining a work environment where you no doubt will have the opportunity to network with fellow fraternity and sorority alumni. By talking about your fraternal experiences, you most likely will be opening doors to endless possibilities in career and volunteer opportunities.

I speak from experience. When I interviewed for my first job, the person interviewing me asked about my sorority experience listed on my resume. She shared she was a member of Kappa Delta, and we “clicked” immediately. She hired me on the spot. I’m convinced it’s because we bonded over sorority life.

Whether you joined a fraternal organization two months ago, five years ago or 50 years ago, hopefully, your experience, like mine, was amazing. So, don’t be afraid to tell your story even when it is sometimes hard to be a fraternity or sorority member. Our organizations have become tarnished by heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking, hazing and lack of responsibilities. The activities of fraternity and sorority members that have led to deaths, mental and physical injury, poor academic achievement and health problems are a contradiction to our rituals and founding principles.

Therefore, we have to have conviction to fight the negative and promote the positive. We are the best public relations we have. When asked why you belong to or are still involved in a sorority, tell them why. Talk about the friendships you’ve made, the experiences and lessons that have helped shape who you are, the skills you’ve developed and the memories you’ve created.

For sorority alumnae, it’s our responsibility and privilege to give collegiate members and young alumnae the assistance they need in building relationships as they seek job opportunities. We should also be telling our sorority stories and sharing our experiences so young women participating in recruitment today will have heard the good news about our organizations or know someone who is a member long before they enter college.

The bond of fraternity and sorority membership is strong. We know it inside our hearts and inside our communities. To ensure others can continue to share in this bond, we must also be strong in telling others about our positive experiences and the benefits of membership we all enjoy.

Interfraternally,

Carole J. Jones

NPC chairman 2017-19

Thanking those who serve our Panhellenic communities

April is Advisor Appreciation Month for the National Panhellenic Conference, and April 15-21 is National Volunteer Week in the United States and Canada. These two events celebrate both the importance of volunteering and the value of volunteers.

Advisor Appreciation Month is a time to thank all those people who advocate for the sorority experience on a daily basis. Whether it’s a fraternity/sorority advisor on your campus, an NPC area advisor for your College or Alumnae Panhellenic or members of your chapter’s alumnae advisory team and corporation board, these individuals are making an important impact by nurturing and empowering women and supporting sorority life. (Looking for Advisor Appreciation Month resources to help you thank advisors? You can find them on our website.)

National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to thank volunteers who lend their time, talent, voice and support to causes they care about in their communities. There are so many organizations that rely on volunteer support, and NPC is fortunate to have the commitment of many volunteers who give selflessly of themselves. 

While volunteering is a form of service, many volunteers will tell you they get more than they give. Developing new skills, finding meaningful personal connections and helping collegians understand the value of service are all reasons to pay it forward to ensure the success of sororities for generations of women to come.

If you are volunteer, you have answered the call through your actions of service, support and generosity. You are helping to advance the future of sorority by giving of a precious resource – your time. Realizing how many different people and organizations are vying for your time, we at NPC express our sincere gratitude to you for choosing to spend time advancing the sorority experience.

For those of us who benefit from the guidance of advisors and volunteers, every little bit we can do to make them realize their time is well spent is an investment in the future of sorority. Showing appreciation during Advisor Appreciation Month and National Volunteer Week is important, but what about on a day-to-day basis? I encourage you to show your gratitude by writing thank you notes, sending birthday cards, greeting them by name, nominating them for volunteer awards, accepting their individuality and saying, “It’s always good to see you.”  

Volunteers are the lifeblood of NPC and our individual member organizations. Showing appreciation goes a long way in retaining those people who are committed to supporting our organizations and promoting the sorority experience. Please join me in thanking advisors and other volunteers during April as well as throughout the year.

Interfraternally,

Carole J. Jones

2017-19 NPC chairman

Facing challenges, embracing opportunities … together

Carole J. Jones NPC Chairman 2017-19 As I begin my term as the 2017-19 chairman of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), I look forward to two years filled with opportunity and promise. I also look to what’s ahead with clear eyes and honest expectations. Over the past 10 years, NPC member organizations have benefited from a strong, consistent expansion of the sorority community. Now research shows we are entering a more challenging period.  The number of college-aged students will decline. Moreover, the geographic make up of students will be a mismatch with the geographic locations of the strongest fraternity/sorority communities. Beyond that, NPC and our member organizations will face six trends arising from generational change:  -Financial stress. Tuition costs continue their steep rise. Fewer parents will be able to financially support their children’s aspirations and students will need to borrow more for educational expenses. As a result,  financial obligations will remain an obstacle to sorority membership. -Diversity. The racial and ethnic makeup of college students is rapidly changing. Soon, the largest groups of high schoolers will include students of Hispanic heritage, students with lower family incomes and students who are the first in their family to attend college. Historically, these segments have been under-represented in undergraduate ranks and unable or unwilling to travel far for college.  The good news is women continue to outnumber men in incoming freshman classes. The expected increase in students of color provides opportunities to broaden the appeal of sorority membership. -Technological acceleration. Our expectations for and use of technology will continue to grow. Yet members of each generation – baby boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z – view technology with different utility. NPC and our member organizations must recognize each generation’s technological needs and preferences and identify where we can use technology to our benefit. -The redefined family. The definition of family continues to change, with more divorces, remarriages, single parenting and same-sex relationships. Families also are more mobile. These changing family dynamics will affect the behavior and needs of our members as well as impact our ability to attract and retain volunteers. -“Me” branding. In the college course “The Branding of Me,” Gary Kayye, adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina School of Media and Journalism, notes how many Gen Z students have put personal brand building into overdrive. The expression of their personal identities is central to the world in which they live. They harness social media to build an online brand to help them get that first job or prove their potential worth to employers. Still, this generation came of age during the Great Recession and have already faced life’s setbacks. Many care about social causes, but they might express their passion differently. Rather than joining organizations, they often first turn to the digital world to promote change. - Changes in work/life balance. Baby boomers are rethinking their “work, work, work” mentality as they grow older, while younger generations say “no way” to working 24/7. Knowledge workers want to work remotely, a trend enabled by technology. These changes impact what we ask of volunteers and challenge us to create meaningful, rewarding volunteer experiences.   These six trends are just the beginning. Student alcohol consumption remains problematic, and heavy drug use is rising. Many students struggle with mental health issues. High rates of sexual assault threaten all students on campus, primarily women. All these trends and issues underscore the importance of NPC and member organizations working together to meet these challenges head on and embrace the opportunities. We must all read widely, consider deeply and take action where we can together to advocate for the sorority experience and work to preserve the single-gender experience. I am grateful to serve alongside each of you. I look forward to our bright, promising future together.

Read “Adventure in Friendship” to learn the history of NPC and how we and our member organizations have adapted to and led change over the past 115 years.

Interfraternally,

Carole J. Jones Chairman 2017-19

Reflecting With Courage and Conviction

Preparing to assume leadership of a task force, a committee or an organization demands an individual prepare mentally and sometimes physically for the rigors of that role. In October 2015, I accepted the awesome responsibility of leading the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) as chairman. NPC is composed of 26 inter/national sororities representing nearly 5 million women worldwide, with chapters on over 670 college campuses and more than 3,700 alumnae associations in communities across the globe. 

In a large public setting in front of Panhellenic partners, industry collaborators, family and friends, I pledged to lead with courage and conviction during a time when the pendulum has swung to a place where advocating for, defending and protecting the very existence of the sorority membership experience is the rule of the day. With a legion of volunteers and professional staff, NPC tackles the challenges one by one, day by day as women of courage and conviction commit to ensuring a rich, meaningful and value-added sorority membership experience. For the passion and dedication of these individuals, I cannot say thank you enough.

 

Building on the work of previous courageous sorority leaders, my vision for NPC included advanced training opportunities for skill building and empowerment of young women; enhancing NPC’s partnerships with college and university administrations; continuing a strong partnership with the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC); and most important, seeking proactive opportunities to make the positive case for sorority whenever and wherever possible.

 

Reflection is only natural as a leader moves to the finish line. Was my vision shared? What was accomplished? Who did I meet along the way to promote change? Were there missed opportunities? When doing a mental inventory of those questions and more, I am reminded of the timeless leadership model of NPC and the expectation a seamless transition will occur from one leader to the next, helping ensure a forward trajectory. That leader, working together with a highly motivated and competent professional staff and alongside a legion of dedicated volunteers, will champion the mission, vision and purpose of NPC. I believe that is the charge framing the service of the NPC chairman; it guides her leadership and is reflected in what shapes her service. Oct. 28 marks the transition in NPC leadership. Please join me in welcoming Carole Jurenko Jones, Alpha Omicron Pi, as she assumes the chairmanship.    

My sincere appreciation and special thank you to all who made the journey with me and provided the opportunity to serve the women of the National Panhellenic Conference.

As NPC leadership passes from one member organization to another, our collective
Panhellenic values bolster our courage and conviction to advance sorority together.

Interfraternally,

Donna C. King Chairman 2015-17