An eNewsletter for members of Phi Sigma Sigma
October 2013
In This Issue
Founders' Day Celebrations
Life on the Road
A Look Into Our New Foundation Philanthropy
New CAP System Launched
Reminders From Your Membership Managers
Celebrate Fall With Your Sisters
Help Us Get 19,130 'Likes'!

New Member Materials and 

CE Guides

 are on the way!

 

Watch those mailboxes, sisters! A packet containing the 2013-14 Chapter Excellence Program Guide, new member-related ritual ceremonies and the facilitator's guide for the Phi Program are being mailed out to chapters this week!

 

Don't forget to visit the Chapter Resources section of the Phi Sigma Sigma website for information regarding Chapter Excellence, the Phi Program and more! 

Contest!

 

How many Phi Sigma Sigma chapters were founded in the first 10 years of Phi Sig's existence?

 

Send the correct answer to [email protected] with the subject line "Savvy Contest," and your name will be entered to win some awesome Phi Sig swag!

Dear ,

   

It's hard to believe that just a few months ago, hundreds of sisters gathered in New York City, the home of our founding, to celebrate 100 years of Phi Sigma Sigma. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that refortified the bonds of sisterhood and reinvigorated our organization as a whole. 

 

As we prepare to enter our second century, Phi Sigma Sigma is as busy as ever, with new and exciting things are happening at all of our chapters.

 

Our collegians have returned to their campuses with gusto. As an organization, we've reached an all-time high during recruitment, with over 35 of our chapters reaching their MRP, thus far. In addition, our organization continues to grow exponentially, with a 10-percent increase in overall membership during the last year.

 

In addition to an incredible recruitment effort by our chapters, we've also welcomed just under 200 new members into our pyramid with the recolonization of the Theta Chapter at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The chapter will be officially installed on Dec. 7.

 

This fall also marked the launch of our improved new member program, the Phi Program, which is being piloted across all our collegiate chapters. This program is the just first part of our totally revamped member development structure and revitalized ritual. These restructured programs continue to reinforce our mission, ideals and values as we begin another hundred years of sisterhood.

 

As we celebrate our Centennial in the coming weeks, I encourage you take a moment and look at how far we've come, how much we've grown and all the wonderful things the future holds for our fraternity. Diokete Hupsala!

 
Reminder: please remember you may not "opt-out" of emails as a collegiate member.

 

Fraternally,
 
Michelle Ardern
Executive Director

How Are You Celebrating Founders' Day?    

You can share your local celebration with sisters everywhere!

 

Nov. 26 is fast approaching and collegiate and alumnae chapters internationally are planning events and activities to celebrate our sisterhood's Centennial. Let us know about your events or planned service projects by emailing [email protected].

 

Be sure to post your group's event photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And don't forget to use the #phisig100 hashtag so sisters everywhere can be a part of your celebration!

 

Please remember to share your photos with us, too! You can email all Founders' Day photos to [email protected]

Life on the Road: Our LDCs Share Their Experiences   

As they visit collegiate chapters around North America, they've learned a thing or two...   

 

Phi Sigma Sigma's leadership development consultants have been on the road since August visiting chapters across North America. In their travels, they've seen both the good and the bad. LDC Britany Frazier shares some of her observations from her visits.

 

While staying with collegians, Britany kept an eye on how women were dressed when they were out on campus and noted how important it is to look your best at all times, especially when wearing your letters. She notes this is particularly important around recruitment time when you should be looking to promote Phi Sigma Sigma.  

 

"I would be making sure I had letters on something every single day before I left my house so I could promote my sorority and other PNMs would notice my letters all around campus.  The organization's members are the biggest promoters, as well as a walking billboard," Britany said.

 

Britany's advice:

"What I like to use is something I like to call 'Your 90-Second Elevator Look.' You typically have that initial 90 seconds or less when first meeting a person before he/she forms an opinion about you or your image.

 

If members are looking polished, wearing letters, being nice and personable, then PNMs will have no reason to form a bad opinion or judgment about us and will definitely remember Phi Sigma Sigma when participating in recruitment."

 

Britany was born and raised in the Northern Kentucky area and was initiated by the Gamma Tau Chapter at Northern Kentucky University. She graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship and minor in business administration.

Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow

How can we exemplify Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation's NEW philanthropic cause?

 

This summer, the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation revealed what many of sisters had been waiting for - the announcement of our new philanthropic cause.  For the past two years, we conducted surveys, focus groups and interviews to help give our members a philanthropic cause that would connect us all to a common cause within our individual communities.

That cause is school and college readiness.

 

Phi Sigma Sigma members expressed a desire for more opportunities to volunteer locally and to make a significant difference in the lives of others. Additionally, they wanted a cause that had both international reach and local appeal. We believe we chose a cause that truly encapsulates all of what our members were seeking. School and college readiness offers sisters the opportunity to make a limitless difference in their local community. Our work will change, empower and support children and people of all ages.

 

The journey is just beginning - with our philanthropic cause in place; it is time to get to work. Since the announcement, there have been questions as to what the next steps are. To help explain our new philanthropy, we have put together a video, talking points and project ideas. You and your chapter can utilize these tools to educate new and current members on school and college readinessThe next step is to select a premier charity. We will research and select a partner that best fits our needs and philanthropic goals.  Stay tuned for further announcements with more tools and information.

 

VIDEO: A 6-minute video about the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation that can be screened during philanthropy night, chapter meetings, sisterhoods or campus events. Click here to download and view the videoNote: you will need to login to the Phi Sigma Sigma website. We recommend you download the video onto your computer to optimize viewing.

TALKING POINTS: "Learn today. Lead tomorrow." We encourage you to utilize the 
Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation's announcement to create talking points for your chapter.

PROJECT IDEAS: Adopt project ideas for philanthropy night, and throughout the year, to support our new cause - school and college readiness. 
Click here to download project ideas.

 

Questions: [email protected]

 

For more updates, be sure to follow us on facebook

 

New Calendar, Attendance and Points System Launched!   

It's now easier for chapters to track attendance and Chapter Excellence deadlines

 

Over the summer, Phi Sigma Sigma announced the launch of our new Calendar, Attendance and Points System (CAPS). The calendar portion of this system is available to all collegiate and alumnae chapters, and the attendance and points system is available to collegiate chapters.

Features for this new system include:

  • Easy to populate chapter calendar which will be automatically pre-populated with CE deadlines and events such as Leadership Conferences and Convention.
  • Chapter specific attendance statuses.
  • Chapter specific attendance groups (if applicable to your chapter).
  • Online access for all chapter and advisory board members to attendance and point system records.
  • New and copied EVFs can be linked to Calendar events which in turn automatically link the attendance numbers.

The manual for this new system can is available here.

 

Two features things were added since the manual was written:

  • Weekly reminder email messages go to all chapter members and advisors each Sunday
  • A List Format poke point at the top of the calendar which pops up a new window with full list of events for the month including all details for all events.

 

While some chapters have already begun using the new system, we are expecting all chapters to use this system to build their spring calendars for CE submission, which is due on Dec. 1.

 

We encourage you to make use of this system as soon as possible. Your membership manager is well versed on the system and available to help you with using these new tools so please contact her with any questions. Questions regarding the program can also be sent to [email protected].

 

Note:  The weekly event reminder emails come from iMIS automatically. Some sisters are writing back to iMIS telling me that they will not be able to attend certain events. It is important to contact sister in charge of each event directly. Do not respond to the reminder emails from iMIS.

A Few Words From Your Membership Managers 

Dani and Jamie offer some friendly reminders and tips for success

 

Jamie and Dani

November is just around the corner, which means chapters will be holding annual executive board elections. Now is the time to start thinking about positions you are interested in holding and to begin shadowing current officers.

 

As fall recruitment wraps up, be sure to submit your post-recruitment recap as well as your recruitment plan for the spring semester. Both are due by Nov. 1 and must be uploaded to the Phi Sigma Sigma website to receive full credit for your chapter's Chapter Excellence score!

 

If you have Bid Day photos from fall recruitment that you'd like to share, be sure to email them to us!  

Sisterhood Events for the Fall!   

Gather your sisters together for some fun activities before the first snowflakes fall!   

 
Apple Picking - Find a local orchard and organize a day trip to pick some delicious apples! Later, you can make apple pie for the chapter. Yum!
 

Pumpkin Carving - Time to show off your design skills! Be it silly or scary, a jack-o-lantern carving contest will show which sister has the best knife skills!

 

Safe Halloween Events - Many community groups organize safe trick-or-treating events for kids to keep them off the streets on the spookiest night of the year. Chapters can contact local community and youth centers for volunteer opportunities.

 

Sisterhood Thanksgiving - Prep the turkey! Before the chapter heads home for the year's most delicious holiday, show how grateful you are for your sisters by hosting a pre-Thanksgiving feast.

Help Us Reach 19,130 'Likes' By Founders' Day!

Can we reach our goal by Nov. 26?

 

In honor of Founders' Day and our 100th anniversary, we're aiming to connect with as many of our sisters as possible through social media. In that spirit, we are aiming to hit 19,130 Facebook 'likes' by Nov. 26. 
 
Our Facebook page and other social media channels are a great way to get organization news, important updates and keep up with what's going on with Phi Sigs everywhere!