Categories: Announcements, Blog
When I think about Theta Phi Alpha's impact on me, one of those areas is solidifying the desire to be involved in activities that help others. I learned what the word philanthropy meant as a collegian in the Alpha Pi chapter at Wayne State College. We planned and participated in many events that impacted not only the Wayne, NE, community but also the ones that impacted Nebraska and beyond. This was before Theta Phi Alpha had a designated philanthropy that applied to our local community. We picked up trash on the highway, planned an Easter Egg hunt for the children of Wayne, collected donations for various medical research causes, donated clothing to the women's shelter, and collected can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. I have always enjoyed participating in philanthropic activities, not only because of the impact they had on others but also because of the Theta Phi Alphas I was with.
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Recently, you received a communication from the Grand Council sharing the vision for the ideal state of Theta Phi Alpha and the strategic plan for the Fraternity for 2024-2029. The work that will be done to accomplish these strategic goals will allow the Grand Council to become a more strategic and visionary board. This is called policy governance. I want to use my blog this month to explain what policy governance is and is not and how it will benefit the Fraternity, our members, and our staff.
I love August and September. Not only is it my chance to savor the last few weeks of summer weather in Nebraska, but it is also the start of Husker football and volleyball (I'm a huge college football fan), and my social media feed floods with pictures of our members and chapters returning to campuses and welcoming new members during recruitment. I love to see the themes, the t-shirts, the balloons, and all the smiling faces. I like as many posts as I can. However, I'm always a little sad when I can't like a post because of something in the pictures that does not represent Theta Phi Alpha.
Happy Founding Day! On August 30, 1912, our Founders brought our beloved Theta Phi Alpha to life. I wonder if they thought Theta Phi Alpha would still be celebrating this day 112 years later.
As I write my blog this month, I am still smiling about the 54th National Convention held in Baltimore, Maryland. Here are my top ten favorite moments of convention in no particular order.
Another school year has come to an end. This means that Theta Phi Alpha welcomes members to the third and longest phase of membership, the alumnae phase. Our chapters wished our soon-to-be alumnae members well with the Collegian Farewell Ceremony. Graduating seniors donned their caps and gowns. Some collegians transferred to a school without a Theta Phi Alpha chapter and became alumna. However you got there; welcome to the alumnae phase! Here is my advice to our new alumnae or any alumna who needs this information.
Happy Founders’ Day! Theta Phi Alpha designates April 30th as the day we remember and thank Amelia, Dorothy, Katrina, Mildred, Selma, Otilia, Camilla, Helen, May, and Eva for founding Theta Phi Alpha. I hope you can attend a Founders’ Day celebration this spring and honor our Founders’ with a gift to the Theta Phi Alpha Foundation.
Convention is the most expensive event the Fraternity holds. Theta Phi Alpha Conventions are held biennially to conduct necessary activities in accordance with the Ritual, receive reports of the delegates and officers, elect officers, and transact necessary business. Feedback from our members who have attended and would like to attend our Convention resulted in examining all aspects of the Convention. This includes how to save costs for our members and the Fraternity that allows us to fulfill the purpose of Convention, and to create an experience of sisterhood and celebration that our members will want to be a part of.
Our 54th National Convention will be held in Baltimore, Maryland, July 10 - 14. As convention approaches, it brings back memories of my first convention in 1988 as the collegiate delegate for the Alpha Pi Chapter in Chicago, Illinois. This summer will be the 17th convention I have attended. 1988, I was in awe of the convention experience and our national organization. For the first time, I met Theta Phi Alphas, who were not members of my chapter. I talked to and took pictures with our leadership. Conversations with other collegians about their chapters resulted in learning great ideas to bring back to mine. I participated in business sessions pertinent to our entire organization, not just my chapter, and got to experience how parliamentary procedure worked. Addresses were exchanged (there were no cell phones, and long-distance phone calls were expensive at that time) of friends I had made, and I corresponded with them during the next school year. I left convention knowing I would be involved at the national level when I became an alumna, including a desire to be on the Grand Council and maybe even National President one day.
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