From the NPC Chairman: Listening and learning in order to lead the way

Dear friends,

The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) mission states we are the premier advocacy and support organization for the advancement of the sorority experience. But, what does advocacy really mean? Simply speaking, our mission is to promote the interests of our 26 member organizations. 

Guided by our Advocacy Building Blocks, NPC accomplishes our advocacy in many ways. Our advocacy includes engaging with policymakers as part of our government relations work to manage our campus concerns review process with college/university administrators and fraternity/sorority life personnel. It also includes our work to promote NPC and our member organizations with other stakeholder groups, such as the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA), NASPA, the American Council on Education (ACE), the Anti-Hazing Coalition or the Coalition of Higher Education Associations for Substance Abuse Prevention (CoHEASAP). Finally, NPC's advocacy also encompasses our actions to promote the sorority experience by creating awareness with potential members and their caregivers through TheSororityLife.com, our social media channels and our NPC-led national marketing campaigns. 

While NPC is helping promote the women's-only social sorority experience through our advocacy, each member organization is engaged in various other specific issues within their organizations. The 2021-23 NPC Board of Directors has taken the last month to engage in a listening tour of our member organizations. Each director has connected with member organization leadership and been involved in discussions that include:

• Confirming the strategic priorities of member organizations.
• Reviewing NPC's strategic priorities and their alignment with member organizations.
• ​​​​Discussing how to achieve those priorities together.
• Leveraging our collective strength.
• Identifying the most pressing issues about the sorority experience.

It has been a fascinating and informative exercise for the board. Listening to our member organizations has helped us recognize new challenges, verify alignment in areas and identify additional opportunities for NPC to continue its advocacy and support for all sorority members.

As the board gets ready for its upcoming fall meeting later this month, we must know what our member organizations have acknowledged as the most critical issues affecting them and how NPC can support them. I am pleased to report that leaders of our member organizations have been delighted we have asked questions, listened intently and are committed to action. Their input is crucial as the board reviews NPC's strategic priorities to ensure we are aligned in addressing the most pressing concerns that sorority women face today. A clear vision for the future, created with input from all internal and external stakeholders, led by the board, is imperative and is a board priority.

It goes without saying the past year and a half have been challenging for everyone. But, who would have ever imagined virtual recruitment on the scale we had last fall? It just goes to show that when sorority women put their mind to something – it happens! Challenges have led to significant action and change for our organizations. This listening tour has enabled NPC to find joint alignment, areas for continued change and additional and refined action items. This board is ready to take the next step to further amplify our advocacy and support for our member organizations and showcase the incredible impact of sorority women and our organizations worldwide.

Interfraternally,

Cheri M. De Jong
2021-23 NPC chairman

From the NPC Chairman: Honoring 'Votes for Women' By Exercising Your Right to Vote

Dear friends,

Aug. 26, 2020, marked 100 years since the declaration of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting American women the right to vote – a right known as women’s suffrage. The women’s suffrage movement began in 1848, and for the next 72 years, women fought diligently to secure the right to vote. It is these women – including Panhellenic sorority women Carrie Chapman Catt, Alice Duer Miller, the Rev. Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, among others – who rallied for "Votes for Women" and we have them to thank for expanding women’s rights and creating opportunities for future generations.

At the heart of democracy is the right to vote, and generally speaking, most of us take our voting rights seriously and cast our ballot on election day. It’s part of our duty as community citizens and every vote really does count. If you aren’t registered to vote, this is a reminder that the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) supports and encourages not only our members but all women to pursue economic, social and political equity, along with leadership and civic engagement.

One of NPC’s six advocacy building blocks is citizenship/service showing that Panhellenic women are committed to participating as active citizens to improve both campus and local/state/federal communities. Our goal is to instill the understanding and value that good citizenship is important for caring for others, respecting the law and improving community, and that volunteering teaches women of all ages compassion and understanding. Both citizenship and service ultimately advocate for the causes which we are each personally passionate about. By participating in the democratic process, we are helping to shape the world in which we want to live.

Register and make your plan to vote.

Record turnout at the polls is expected this year in the U.S., and the generational shift of eligible voters continues. According to a study by Pew Research, the youngest Americans – millennials (born 1977-1995) and Generation Z (born 1996-TBD) – will be poised to exercise their political muscle in November, making up 37% of the electorate. Generation X (born 1965-1976) makes up 25% of the electorate. Also, Gen Z is set to surpass the Silent Generation (born 1945 and before) in the size of the electorate for the first time and Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) remain the generation with the largest share of the voting-eligible population. Interestingly, millennials will make up a smaller share of the electorate than they did in the last presidential election, even as their population numbers have grown due to immigration.

Women continue to have the power to make a difference through their votes in 2020. The collective power of women's voices and votes can and will affect outcomes in our communities and at the national level. I encourage you to become an educated voter, exercise your power and encourage other women to register to vote if they have not done so. Let’s do our part and honor those women who came before us who fought for the rights and privileges of which we enjoy today.

Panhellenically,

Carole J. Jones

NPC chairman