Founders’ Day Remarks 2015
Hello! I am {INSERT NAME AND TITLE}. It’s such a privilege to be surrounded by all of my Alpha Phi
sisters for our 143rd Founders’ Day celebration in {INSERT CITY}! On behalf of the Fraternity and
Foundation Board and Staff, I’d like to extend my sincerest gratitude to you all for sharing in this festive
celebration with us!
Holding the title of Alpha Phi is a significant honor. Our membership in this fraternity is possible through
the accomplishments of great women from generations past. Trailblazers in a time when women were
expected to follow. Hattie, Martha, Ida, Jane, Kate, Elizabeth, Rena, Louise Clara and Clara. Writers.
Lecturers. Entrepreneurs. Teachers. Trustees. Mothers. Wives. Philanthropists.
Though the 143 years between 1872 and 2015 may seem vast, the similarities between then and now
are many. The tie which unites us is not only a circle of friends, but similar challenges. Early members
struggled with facilities, retention, finances, recruitment and scholarship just as we do today. As was
declared in 1875, we have made amazing strides in establishing Alpha Phi chapters all over the United
States – and beyond. The vision established by our Founders for Alpha Phi was worldly even by today’s
standards, and it is our pleasure to strive tirelessly bring their vision to fruition.
As we gather here today, I’d like to share with you some of the fraternity achievements of this past year
that I believe would make our Founders proud:
Recruitment numbers continue to soar across the country. We are seeing record setting quotas on
many campuses, and Greek systems where we have chapters are healthy. We welcomed 8,047 new
members and 49 chapters recruited in the #1 position.
We continue to focus on improving the recruiting strength of our chapters. Our international
recruitment staff and volunteers carefully monitor accept/regret percentages, cross-preferences and
anecdotal information from our local volunteers to evaluate recruitment success and strategize for
future recruitments.
We welcomed 4 new alumnae chapters and 86 alumnae initiates 59 of which are Alpha Phi mothers.
Our leadership programs are expanding. We continue to elect and train chapter leaders with a more
defined officer election and transition process. The Emerging Leaders Institute continues to thrive, and
this summer 196 rising sophomores and juniors spent a week during one of four sessions, gaining a
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better understanding of their leadership styles and clarifying their values in an encouraging
environment.
This year we held our second Leadership Fellows Program. 33 upper class women spent a week in
Chicago focusing on career preparedness and transitioning to life as an involved alumna. These women
will receive leadership training and mentorship throughout the year. Both the Fellows Program and ELI
are fully funded by Foundation grants.
In the area of alumnae, we are growing our number of annual and life-time dues paying members and
continue to use the PHI form to match alumnae to volunteer opportunities. If you haven’t already – I
encourage you to visit the Alpha Phi website and fill out your PHI form.
Bringing Alpha Phi to universities with large chapter sizes and to campuses that add prestige to our
brand continues to be a priority. Alpha Phi installed one new chapters at St. Francsis this past year and
recolonized at Iowa State and Willamette.
Alpha Phi has brand new colonies at Ole Miss, UNC-Chapel Hill, Yale and University of North Florida. We
will have a fifth colony in January at UC/San Diego. On the housing front, we are very excited to
announce the opening of three new houses: LSU, Georgia Tech, and Iowa State. The National Housing
Corporation holds the title to 6 properties.
Alpha Phi is 164 collegiate chapters strong and when these colonies are installed in the spring of 2015,
Alpha Phi will have grown to 169 collegiate chapters.
We’re experiencing growth at the Foundation, too, thanks to the generosity of our donors and the
incredible philanthropic efforts of our chapters.
For the first time, Alpha Phi collegiate chapters raised more than $2.3 million in an academic year for
the Foundation through our Red Dress program! These events range from galas and 5Ks to talent
competitions and tournaments. These events provide leadership opportunities and demonstrate the
power of philanthropy.
The Foundation continues to be committed to advancing leadership development in our women. To that
end, this past year we invested over $660,000 in leadership training and educational programs led by
Alpha Phi International Fraternity.
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In February, the Foundation awarded its second $100,000 Heart to Heart Grant to Geisinger Health
System. This grant will be used to fund a personalized medicine and education program focused on
keeping women's hearts healthy.
This year, through the genorosity of its donors, Alpha Phi Foundation awarded it largest
scholarship sum to date with $208,750 in need-based and merit- based scholarships given to 20
graduate and 46 undergraduate members. These sisters exemplify academic excellence,
outstanding service and dedicated involvement on their campuses and in their communities.
The support of our members extended beyond scholarships to include 99 assistance grants to sisters in
crisis through our Forget Me Not Fund. In addition to financial assistance, these grants provide the
greatest gift of all: the knowledge that our sisters care and are always here to help.
If our Founders could bear witness to our achievements decades and generations later, I’d like to think
they would be proud of the women who followed in their footsteps, and pleased with the progress
Alpha Phi has made. And they would be honored that their vision continues and is thriving every day in
chapters, on campuses and in communities across North America. At a time of great hardship and great
hope, they had the courage to face barriers and the fortitude to move past them. They were leaders,
they were scholars…they were role models.
We are their legacy, but we are also the caretakers of that legacy. You can care for this legacy by paying
your alumnae dues and making a gift to Alpha Phi Foundation. Your gift is an investment in our
sisterhood and our future. You can use the donation envelopes and due forms on your table to make
your gift or to pay your alumnae dues today. We are so appreciative of all that you do for Alpha Phi. As
donors, dues payers, volunteers and alumnae living and honoring the values of our Founders, you keep
their vision alive.
Let us show our gratitude for all that the Original Ten gave our sisterhood – and therefore to us.
Happy Birthday, Alpha Phi…and Happy Founders’ Day, sisters!
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