An eNewsletter for members of Phi Sigma Sigma
March 2014
In This Issue
LC2014: Recap
Running an Effective Standards Board
Reminders From Your Membership Managers
Apply for Scholarships!

Changes
 to Fraternity
 Dues Announced

 

On March 1, Phi Sigma Sigma announced new dues and fees, which will go into effect on July 1, 2014. For more information about the changes, click here.

Contest!

 

Where was Phi Sigma Sigma's first national headquarters located?

 

Send the correct answer to [email protected] with the subject line "Savvy Contest," by April 15 and your name will be entered to win some awesome Phi Sig swag!

 

Congratulations to December's Savvy Contest winner, Kayla Harvey, a member of the Zeta Kappa Chapter at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown!

 

The Answer: The first Phi Sigma Sigma Convention was held in 1918.

Dear ,

 

What a wonderful start Phi Sigma Sigma has had in 2014!

 

A number of exciting things have happened to our organization in the first part of the year, including our annual Leadership Conferences where our sisters got to hear inspirational words from Dr. Lori Hart of CAMPUSPEAK, The Amazing Race winner Amy Diaz (Iota Theta
 '07, Barry University), and, of course, Grand Archon Dr. Alicia Scott. Our women left the weekend feeling inspired and ready to "be the change" in their corner of the world.

 

In February, we welcomed Saint Joseph's University into our midst. The soon-to-be Iota Rho Chapter will be officially installed on April 5. We couldn't be more excited to welcome 140+ new women into our Pyramid!

 

Speaking of building our Pyramid: At the beginning of this month, Phi Sigma Sigma announced it will be recolonizing our prestigious Beta Eta Chapter at Penn State this fall! This huge accomplishment would not have been possible without help from distinguished alumna Mimi Barash. To learn more about Mimi, click here.  

 

Most of our chapters have now returned from spring break and are preparing for their final push to the end of the semester. A number of Chapter Excellence deadlines are fast approaching, so now is the time to make sure you're on track to submit materials on time so you can get the full amount of points for your submissions. As always, if you have questions regarding Chapter Excellence, or anything other concerns, please reach out to your membership manager.

 

Finally, a big congratulations to all of our chapters on a successful spring recruitment! And a warm welcome to all of our new initiates! We're happy to have you!

 

Fraternally,
  
Michelle Ardern
Executive Director
  
Reminder: please remember you may not "opt-out" of emails as a collegiate member.

2014 Leadership Conference: Be More Awesome!

LC attendees were treated to inspirational speakers and in-depth officer training

Grand Archon Alicia Scott with Dr. Lori Hart (left) of CAMPUSPEAK and The Amazing Race winner Amy Diaz (Iota Theta '07, Barry University).

 

Once again, sisters from all over the country gathered together for our annual Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.

  

LC2014 (or #LC2014, as the social media savvy might recognize it) was not just a time for sisters of different chapters to be trained and to learn from each other, it was also a celebration of our beginnings. We opened with
an inspirational message from Grand Archon Alicia Scott, who introduced our participants to Kid President and a key theme for the weekend - "Be more awesome!" Alicia gave us a number of things to think about to "be the change we wish to see in the world."

 

Dr. Lori Hart made us laugh and made us think with her presentation, "I believe in Phi Sigma Sigma ... do you?" which focused on making Greek great. She challenged us all to be true to our core purpose and to commit ourselves to our values. Really believing in Phi Sigma Sigma gives women a safe place to become the best version of themselves.

 

Our collegiate women spent time on Saturday with their fellow officers, as well as their chapters, taking part in SWOT analysis and mind-mapping exercises. These sessions allowed them to better understand their chapter's strengths and weaknesses and start to figure out the best way to continue to move forward and ensure continued success.

  

At the January Leadership Conference, Alicia Scott was the keynote speaker at Saturday evening's celebration dinner. She shared some lessons on leadership - be enthusiastic about your work; that to get cooperation, you must give cooperation; don't get angry when people test you; don't be afraid to fail; be confident, but not arrogant; pay attention to the little things; be loyal to yourself and your organization; and spread love! 

 

At LC2, we were joined by one of our distinguished sisters, The Amazing Race winner and Phi Sigma Sigma Iota Theta Chapter alumna Amy Diaz! Amy has embraced our creed, which states "a woman who serves is a woman who leads," enabling her to empower herself and others. She shared a powerful message about how "our sorority and the sorority's core values brought a sense of fearlessness to my life, which forever changed it." 

 

On the final day of LC, collegians shared their school pride by rocking their college apparel. They learned about philanthropic recruitment and participated in a small philanthropic event of their own, packing boxes with college materials to send to local high schools. At the end of a fun filled weekend, everyone left inspired by our values and ready to be more awesome! 

Running an Effective Standards Board  

Supreme Council Legal Counsel Barbara Glas gives some advice on setting expectations

 

Being called to standards board is not something an sister wishes to experience.

 

But, by following set procedures and setting realistic expectations for members, the experience doesn't have to be traumatic. Barbara Glas, who serves as legal counsel to Supreme Council, shares some advise on running standard board meetings and setting expectations for your chapter.

 

Expectations: Make sure conversations are being had with the women about the chapter's expectations. We can't hold women accountable if we don't let them know what we expect of them. When a woman is called to standards board, it should be clear that she failed to meet the expectations that are set in place for members. One easy way to do this is to share a section of the constitution with the chapter at meetings.

 

Due Process: Be sure the chapter standards board is giving the member procedural fairness (due process). At this year's Leadership Conference, MALs received a mock standards board script and report. It is highly recommended the MAL and standards board follow those materials.

 

Important things to remember:

 

-Any member being called to standards board must be given at least 24 hours notice
-You must give the member an opportunity to be heard

 

Be Proactive vs. Reactive: Chapters must follow Phi Sigma Sigma policies and procedures, but also college/university policies, especially if they are stricter, along with state and federal law
or provincial law. These supersede Phi Sigma Sigma international and chapter level policies and procedures. Familiarize yourself with these rules and laws and tailor your chapter's policies so they properly adhere to them.

 

Sometimes things may happen, but by knowing and enforcing the rules, you can try to reduce risk and prevent more serious issues. You don't want to have to manage serious issues after they've already happened. You can protect your chapter by following procedures and policies.
This makes risk management and standards policy education and training crucial.

 

Advisors: What is the advisor's role in standards board procedures? While an advisor cannot call members to standards board and cannot conduct standards board meetings, it is important for the chapter to keep the advisor informed about what's going on. Honest communication between an advisor and the standards board about why members are being summoned can only help the chapter in the long run.

A Few Words From Your Membership Managers 

Dani and Jamie offer some friendly reminders and tips for success

 

Congratulations to all of the new members entering the pyramid this semester! To ensure a smooth transition, please remember: new members must log into the website, acknowledge their policies and pay their new member fees three days prior to initiation. Once that has been done, the new members need to have their status updated to "Collegians" at least three days prior to initiation so they can take the Fraternity education exam (passing is a requirement for initiation). If new members' statuses are not changed at least three days prior to initiation, the chapter runs the risk that the will not be switched over in time. This will result in the chapter being charged an IWOP (initiated without permission) fine.

 

Just as a reminder, there are big Chapter Excellence deadlines coming up in April. If you have any questions, please contact your Membership Manager!

 

As always, if you have questions or concerns, please contact Dani or Jamie 

Foundation Scholarships and Educational Grants

Apply for scholarships and grants before April 10!

 

The generosity of alumnae, collegiate and alumnae chapters, individual members and friends, has enabled the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation to maintain a strong educational grant and scholarship program. Educational grants and scholarships are awarded to both collegiate and graduate members to help our sisters aim high. Applications are now available and are due by April 10.


Click here for more information.
 

 

UIFI Scholarships

  

The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation will award at least eight scholarships to collegiate sisters to attend the 2014 Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI). These scholarships will include registration and travel to UIFI.

 

UIFI is the premier undergraduate interfraternal leadership experience. It supports the principles of community, interfraternalism, leadership and creating positive change.  

  • 99 percent of the UIFI participants in 2012 indicated that they would recommend UIFI to a peer.
  • 95 percent indicated that they have seen continued personal growth as a result of UIFI. 

This scholarship opportunity is brought to you by our generous donors and your chapter giving!

 

Click here for more information. Applications are due by March 31.

 

Philanthropy Toolkit: Guide for Collegiate Chapters 

Learn today. Lead tomorrow.

 

The goal of the toolkit is to provide a collection of resources to support our members in their philanthropic efforts that are centered on our philanthropic cause.

 

We recognize the need for current and real solutions to your everyday philanthropic activities.  With this in mind, the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation will work hard to meet your needs and provide for you what we believe to be a wealth of meaningful resources that keep you engaged and excited about school and college readiness while impacting your local campus, neighborhoods, town and city. The mark that you leave in your volunteer service is as important as the gains you accomplish in your academic or career pursuits!

 

Your input and suggestions to future versions of the toolkit are invaluable and are sought after since you are our servant leaders on the front line making a difference in people's lives.  Input and suggestions may be submitted to [email protected]

 

Click here for more information.

 

Learn more about our new cause: School and College Readiness.

 

Support the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation by shopping at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation. Click here to begin shopping now!

 

Coming soon: Philanthropy Toolkit: Guide for Alumnae & Alumnae Chapters