President’s Blog

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.
 

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.