STATE OF THE SORORITY
49th National Convention
Starr Pass Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona
Here is the time for the State of the Sorority, and, ladies, it is quite a State of the Sorority. What a
beautiful location for our Convention. Nestled within the Tucson Mountain Park, the JW
Marriott Starr Pass offers an incredible experience. Surrounded by towering saguaro with their
distinctive tall trunks and curved arms and the variety of wildlife, we are fortunate to experience
the magic of the Sonoran Desert. You can't help but feel relaxed and peaceful at this resort, and I
cannot think of a better place for us to celebrate our sisterhood, reconnect with old friends and
make new friends.
When we look back at the 2008-2010 biennium, we cannot help but compare Delta Zeta to this
environment. This Sorority's innate strength and courage, built upon the foundation of our
values, allows us to change the world. Like the desert plants and animals, we flourish and
become stronger in a world that is often challenging, a world facing economic upheaval and
diminished principles.
Today we are a different Delta Zeta than the one just a few years ago. We have returned to our
roots and embraced the timeless standards that our Founders provided to make us more relevant
today than we have ever been in our history. We have adapted successfully to the challenging
climate that fraternal organizations face today. And each of our unique members, just like the
diverse plant and animal life that thrives in this beautiful desert, each member brings their special
talents to Delta Zeta to make her what she is today.
This Convention is about the enriching experience of Delta Zeta: How she enriches our lives and,
in return, how we enrich the lives of others in our communities, our chapters, our campuses, our
neighborhoods, our cities, our states and our countries. We have asked you to tell us your stories
this biennium. Whether it was a story from a Golden Rose recipient who shared with us her
lovely memories of Delta Zeta to a young collegian telling us the story of what she has
contributed to her Delta Zeta chapter this year, they are all wonderful stories. Now it is my honor
to share with you the story of this past biennium.
When we last convened in 2008, we left with the mantra that Delta Zeta is changing the world on
our lips and in our hearts and minds. And here we are two years later. So, have we changed the
world? Are we keeping our promise to enrich the lives we touch and the world we live in?
To provide enrichment for a lifetime of our membership, we continue to look at ways to
communicate with all of our membership. Social media has continued to explode in the last two
years, and Delta Zeta has embraced technology to connect and communicate in unprecedented
ways. One of the most exciting ways we have connected our members to Delta Zeta and to each
other is through our private social networking site, Metro. Launched in the fall of 2009, this
unique social network brings Delta Zetas together in a private forum sharing experiences,
networking, finding information and news and so much more.
Virtual groups in Metro let members meet in cyberspace, hold discussions, plan events, blog,
renew old friendships and make new ones. Metro is a direct connection to Delta Zeta. It is also
the home of our new line -- our new online educational program, Enriching U. Metro re-enforces
our pledge to be environmentally aware for our Pink Goes Green initiative.
Anything and everything having to do with Delta Zeta lives on Metro. If you haven't visited
Metro yet, just go to our Delta Zeta national website, click on the Metro sign and learn. And I
hope everyone has experienced it and uses it to its fullest potential.
Metro even welcomes a new member to Delta Zeta prior to her initiation and allows her to use
Metro to access new member resources and start connecting with Delta Zetas after she has
pledged. By making this important connection with the new member at this critical point in our
relationship, Delta Zeta can sow the seeds of lifetime commitment through Metro with
Generations Y, Z and beyond. It is our hope that after initiation and graduation and well into her
alumna years that each woman will continue to stay connected to Delta Zeta. Even if Metro is the
only connection she is able to maintain, she may be inclined to become more involved in Delta
Zeta as the virtual world continues to open new doors for connecting, volunteering and much
more.
In 2008, you worked diligently to communicate clearly and often with our members, our
volunteers and the world beyond Delta Zeta. While being mindful not to overwhelm them with
too many communications, we have honed our communication strategies to take advantage of the
latest technology to keep our members and those outside Delta Zeta engaged and informed.
In 2009, we launched our official Facebook and Twitter pages, which provide ongoing news and
live updates from events such as the Norma Minch Andrisek Leadership Conference and the
National Convention. We have over 7,000 people who follow us on Facebook and over 1,000 on
Twitter. Success stories from our alumnae, collegians and their chapters were posted
continuously on the Delta Zeta website and the Metro News Beat, the online version of The
LAMP, which provides additional photos, information and links that we don't always have space
for in the paper magazine. We encourage our chapters and our members to visit these sites at any
time.
We also want to provide our alumnae members with the tools they need to enrich Delta Zeta and
to make their volunteer experience easier and more rewarding. We provide news and information
from National Council and the National Chairmen via DZ Digest, an electronic resource, which is
updated monthly. Metro also houses a wealth of resources for volunteers in all areas.
In the fall of 2009, we launched a new collegiate chapter reporting program, Chapter, Inc., with
additional capabilities beyond our previous system. Chapter, Inc. has increased chapter
performance through the delivery of reports and trend analyses available to national, regional and
chapter officers and their advisors on their computers. The alumnae chapter reporting system is
in development and
will be launched in the upcoming biennium. We will discuss the potential of Chapter, Inc. for our
chapters when we talk about collegian experiences and alumnae involvement.
However, we know that as a multi-generational organization, there are still many Delta Zetas who
may not want to or be able to connect with us via the Internet. We are always mindful of that
segment of our membership and continue to tailor communications to them in the form of The
LAMP, our national magazine; Sidelights, our esoteric publication of the Sorority; letters via
snail mail; and other traditional communication means. This year we are also proud to mark the
100th anniversary of our national magazine.
The LAMP, which began in 1910 with 200 subscribers and issues being hand addressed for postal
delivery -- can you imagine -- to 100,000 readers today and an online version of the magazine
that remains true to our environmental commitment, which is manifested in Pink Goes Green,
and, as in past years, our communications continue to win awards from professional public
relations and communications organizations. In 2009, we received awards from the Public
Relations Society of America and the Fraternity Communications Association.
Just like the life forms that must change and adapt to the desert climate so, too, is Delta Zeta
considering changes that will prepare us for the challenges that the future holds. Proposals from
the Governance and Structure Subcommittee of the Strategic Planning Committee will provide
timely considerations to our delegates to help us navigate the changing landscapes of today's
campus and the world beyond.
The National Panhellenic Conference chairman's annual report tells us that in 2008 to 2009, all of
its member organizations experienced growth between one to five percent in new members, new
graduate members and new chapters, but just what do those numbers tell us? That in a time when
undergraduate women have many choices for involvement on their campus, they are choosing the
sorority experience. That in a time when the economy has stretched all of our financial limits,
women are choosing to spend discretionary dollars on the sorority experience. And in a time
when the value of sorority/fraternity experience continues to be questioned, women of substance
and integrity choose the sorority experience.
Delta Zeta's total membership of 229,034 members shows a steady growth for the Sorority
especially in light of a challenged economy that is still struggling to recover from the financial
setbacks and the recession that began in 2007. Our continued growth is due to our collegian and
alumnae members who share their enthusiasm and love of Delta Zeta.
We ended this biennium with 11,827 collegiate members, which is 1,084 more than we had at
the end of last biennium. We have far exceeded the goal we set of 11,000 collegiate members,
and I remain confident that our membership will continue to grow. We thank our chapters for all
of their recruitment efforts. Membership is the foundation of our organization, and we grow by
bringing new members into the Sorority.
Many of our chapters have achieved consecutive years of quota for a number of years, 5years, 25
years, 35 years and more. We have four chapters that have achieved consecutive quota for more
than 40 years here with us tonight: The Beta Tau Chapter, Nebraska Wesleyan University, 44
years; Delta Theta Chapter, University of Houston, 46 years; Alpha Chapter, Miami University,
48 years; and Sigma Chapter, Louisiana State University, is celebrating its golden anniversary by
achieving consecutive quota for 50 years. Ladies, congratulations to all of you and thank you,
again, for all of the collegians and for their support to make our membership as wonderful as it is.
We initiated 8,930 new members during this biennium, which is 400 more than last biennium,
with an initiation rate of 90.97 percent. We had 10 chapters that had 100 percent initiation rate
for the
entire biennium: Lambda Kappa Chapter, University of Alabama/Huntsville; Alpha Rho
Chapter, Ohio Wesleyan University; Pi Delta Chapter, Wake Forest University; Epsilon Zeta
Chapter, Drexel University; Lambda Delta Chapter, University of Virginia; Iota Theta Chapter,
Mansfield University; Lambda Beta Chapter, University of Southern Indiana; Lambda Nu
Chapter, Auburn University/Montgomery; Pi Chapter, Eureka College; and Zeta Xi Chapter,
Lenoir-Rhyne College. Congratulations on your perfect initiation rate.
Once we have these new members, it is vital to nurture them through a meaningful education
program. The National Member Education Committee will be utilizing Enriching U to provide
an exciting, interactive and educational experience for our new members in the fall of 2010.
We also cultivate growth through a focused and well planned extension program that supports our
Pink Goes Green philosophy using virtual materials that includes customized information online
for each extension opportunity. From the first touchpoint through the invitation to colonize, we
demonstrate the enriching experience that is Delta Zeta.
During the 2008-2010 biennium, this work has resulted in extensive materials sent to 22 schools,
nine presentations made and three colonizations realized: Rollins College, in Winter Park,
Florida, which began its colonization this past spring; the University of Tennessee at
Chattanooga, which will begin its colonization efforts in August; and the University of Idaho,
which will begin in spring 2011. We also have an invitation to colonize at such time as the
Panhellenic Council votes to extend at Dartmouth University.
We are very excited tonight as we have Olivia Escalona, colony president for the Pi Zeta Colony,
and Jessica Aubrey. Girls, I know you are over there. Please stand. Please join me in welcoming
them to Delta Zeta.
There are still future reorganization opportunities at Middle Tennessee State University and
DePaul University. As with all extension efforts, though, the potential for reorganization is a
mutual decision by both the host institution and Delta Zeta. We also consider campus climate,
membership potential
and the ability for our chapter to be successful. At the same time as we are embracing extension
opportunities, we remain diligent in assuring that our existing chapters are living true the Delta
Zeta values.
It was with regret that the National Council announced in April 2010, to withdraw the charter
from the Kappa Theta Chapter at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where
the chapter was found responsible for violations of university and Delta Zeta alcohol policies.
We were deeply disappointed that the actions of a few members of the Kappa Theta Chapter
disregarded the standards of conduct and expectations of behavior that our Sorority values. We
remain in communication with the university, our Kappa Theta alumnae and parents to keep them
updated and to look for the opportunity when we might return to Virginia Tech.
It is also with great regret that the National Council withdrew the charter from the Epsilon Rho
Chapter at the Northwest Missouri State University due to low membership and academics. We
have worked closely with the university and our members and look forward to the opportunity to
return to that campus at a future date.
As an organization, it is important for us to not only provide solid support to our members but to
enhance their lives with enrichment. The National Panhellenic Conference’s Something of Value
program identifies the top risk management issues or behaviors and uses empowering exercises
and shared experiences to confront those issues and provide solutions.
In the fall of 2009, the NPC identified these top issues on today's campuses: Underaged drinking
and excessive use of alcohol, unprotected sex, acceptance of degrading images of women, and
found that overall accountability was not a priority. Our collegiate program combats these
destructive issues. This programming includes GreekLifeEdu, an online, interactive programs
designed to help students make safer and healthier choices; MentalHealthEdu, which provides
resources for alumnae advisors to work with collegiate women and direct them to the appropriate
professional help, if needed.
Tell Me Something I Don't Know, the Phi Gamma Delta Emmy award-winning video that takes a
unique look at college binge drinking based upon a real life risk management incident and
responsibility, a reality-style educational video that helps viewers understand how group
dynamics can prevent people from taking action to stop dangerous or unhealthy behaviors.
The National Risk Management Committee reports positive feedback from our chapters on those
programs and working closely with collegiate chapters and alumnae advisors and volunteers to
ensure
understanding of our compliance with Delta Zeta's risk management policies. The committee
also noted that there have been trends in personal website issues both with our members and the
campus community. The committee is addressing these issues by recommending continuing a
personal website presentation as a required program in which a guest speaker discussed personal
website issues relating to safety, employment and/or Greek image and personal website policies
reviewed by the chapter.
This biennium again reintroduces our new integrated chapter reporting system, Chapter, Inc. This
program acts as a management tool for chapter officers and their advisors as well as Regional
Directors, Regional Collegiate Coordinators, National Chairmen and National Council. Realtime reporting features allows us to monitor the health of a given chapter. Chapter officers and
advisors will use chapter education to see in which areas a chapter operations may excel and
which areas need more attention.
Delta Zeta continues to lead the way in leadership development by nurturing and inspiring our
collegiate leaders who will take the seed of this leadership knowledge and spread them to their
campuses, communities and the world.
June of 2009 marks the first time that the Norma Minch Andrisek Leadership Conference was
held in the place of Delta Zeta's founding at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The legacy tours
such participants to notable locations on Miami's campus and through the National Historical
Museum and National Headquarters to learn more about the Sorority's history and our Founders.
For many of our collegiate leaders who attended and walked in our Founders' footsteps, the
conference was an amazing and energizing experience. They returned to the chapters to share
what they had learned and to help members fulfill their potential and that of the Sorority.
The innovative philosophy of the “Radical Leap” by Steve Farber has been integrated into every
aspect of the leadership training for Delta Zeta with a focus on cultivating love, generating
energy, inspiring audacity and providing proof to help our, members connect the sorority
experience to our core principles.
To recognize the outstanding leadership and achievements of our chapters, Delta Zeta launched
the Annual Awards program in 2010. The Annual Awards allow Delta Zeta to recognize those
chapters' activities, programs, special events, milestones or initiatives that are outstanding
achievement in core value areas on an annual basis and are separate from the Convention awards,
which recognize chapters to achieve and sustain excellence in both years of the biennium. We
had 63 chapters participate this year with a total of 415 submissions for the various categories.
We are most excited to announce the inaugural winners at the Annual Awards at the Community
Purpose Dinner on Friday night.
Learning is the highest priority of the collegiate experience. Academic excellence is the
foundation of the Sorority, too, and every chapter encourages high scholarship. In 2009, Delta
Zeta chapters were required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.7, which was
previously 2.6. This increase in the required cumulative chapter GPA, as well as an adherence to
GPA standards for new members, encourages our chapters to continue to realize a higher standard
of academic achievement. As of the latest academic report, we have a national grade point of
average of 3.07. Congratulations to our collegians for your continued work in academics.
Many sororities and fraternities are struggling to remain relevant in this environment as fraternity
membership is an expenditure that many families with children in college are quick to forego.
Parents of inbound college students may view fraternities and sororities as serving only as a
social function and not the broader value of fraternal life. Delta Zeta is dedicated to reaching out
to our
parents and our families to educate them about the benefits of sorority life. They receive
welcome letters at the new member and initiate levels, are encouraged to browse our member
education website and visit our families and friends page on our national website.
Parents of today's students are involved in every aspect of their child's life. We are mutually
committed to optimizing their child's collegiate experience through programs and activities that
strengthen character, builds self-esteem, develops habits for healthy living and fosters learned
responsibility to themselves and others.
As a member of the university communities where Delta Zeta has its chapters, we are part of
serving the mission of these higher institutions. Today there are important factors that affect that
partnership. "For the majority of college campuses today, engagement issues are key and
fraternities and sororities are all about engagement," says Dean Richard N. McKaig, Dean of
Students and Vice-Provost for Student Affairs at Indiana University in Bloomington. We must
always be mindful of how we, as members of Delta Zeta, ensure that this relationship thrives and
continues to advance for the greater good from a freshman student who is a new member to our
national officers.
Our members continue to be engaged and support the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act
or CHIA as we commonly call that. This past biennium, we had a record number of Delta Zetas
apply to participate in a congressional visit on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C. We appreciate
all of our
collegians and alumnae leaders who, on their campuses and communities, continue to work hard
to promote the Greek life experience.
We also have reached out to many Greek professionals and members of other organizations to
help facilitate conferences and assist in the development and growth of our members'
experiences. We have received wonderful feedback from these friends of Delta Zeta or FODZ, FO-D-Z, which is what we have grown to call them, our FODZ. One of our FODZ, Jason Bosch,
from Lynn University, stated, "Delta Zeta has a powerful purpose and creed and members who
believe in realizing the inspiring words found in these two statements."
If we are going to create a better future for our world, we need leaders who have the courage to
be ethical and compassionate leaders. Delta Zeta can be a driving force for that change. Simply
living your own life in congruence with the Delta Zeta Creed makes a positive difference. And
Delta Zetas are making positive contributions to society every day through the work you do in
your chapters and communities.
We continue to assess the needs of our membership. And in April of 2009, the Regional Director
Program pilot was launched. This pilot position was introduced to support the Regional
Collegiate Coordinator position, which, in turn, would enhance the support of our college chapter.
The National Council has reviewed the feedback and evaluations of this pilot to determine if the
position of the Regional Director should be permanent. National Council will be making those
recommendations at this Convention for your consideration.
We also evaluated our special committees this past biennium. As we discussed, special
committees are created for a specific purpose and that some of those original purposes have
changed or merged with other committees. After careful consideration, the Council voted to
dissolve the Sorority Education Committee as its purpose is being proposed as part of the History
Committee, the Status Committee and the Technology Development Committee. We are
appreciative of all of the hard work and dedication of Lynne Ciervo, Judy Harwood and Melissa
Waldron. Please join me in recognizing and thanking them.
Connecting through social networks, planned events, volunteering, alumnae chapters and chapter
associations that powers involvement in the Sorority, whether an alumnae is an advisor,
community leader or loyal member, with our celebrated membership anniversary recognition, we
are trained to be in connection with our alumnae and learning about the amazing women in our
sisterhood through the stories they send us, which are now published in The LAMP.
During the biennium, we welcomed eight alumnae chapters to our ranks. We are honored to meet
our sisters from Arizona and the surrounding areas face to face for this convention. And as we
did with the collegiate side of Delta Zeta, we are piloting a new position, the State Alumnae
Chairman, which would draw upon an alumna's connections and knowledge of her state
ultimately with the goal to develop a team that will give her state every opportunity to provide
meaningful alumnae experiences to its alumnae.
Metro, our private social networking, is connecting more alumnae to each other and to Delta Zeta.
We are also pleased to offer many resources and valuable programs to our alumnae such as
JobBound, which is also available to job seeking collegians, with resources unique to Delta Zeta
members such as a jobs guide and videos to help our members fulfill their career potential. And,
by the way, we will be introducing our keynote speaker, Brad Karsh, founder of JobBound, just a
little later.
Through the Alumnae Academy and other educational programs, we continue to invest in our
alumnae leaders. As in any amount of work or success, nothing can be accomplished without the
dedication and commitment of many. It takes a community. We thank our alumnae volunteers
from the National Council and National Chairmen to the Regional Directors and Regional
Collegiate Coordinators to the College Chapter Directors and the Chapter Advisors to the Area
Alumnae Directors and their chairmen to the Alumnae Chapter Presidents and their chapter
officers to the National Panhellenic and Alumnae Delegates to the Delta Zeta Foundation Board
and to the many alumnae who may only be able to volunteer an afternoon at a recruitment event
or refer a potential member to Delta Zeta. We treasure all of you as you enrich Delta Zeta
through your talents. Thank you.
And speaking of alumnae, at this Convention, you will meet our 2009 Woman of the Year, actor,
comedian and breast cancer awareness advocate, Marcia Wallace, from the Delta Nu Chapter.
Marcia joins the ranks of previous Delta Zeta Women of the Year and women of achievement
who are being honored through a very special exhibit at the National Historical Museum at
National Headquarters, in Oxford, Ohio.
Delta Zeta's story is that of the women who founded her, the women who helped her grow and the
women whose experiences in this Sorority become the foundation for their success and
recognition after college. These women who have achieved national recognition for their
professional or volunteer service are honored with the Woman of the Year award or distinguished
as women of achievement. In order to make this exhibit possible, the lead gift has been made to
the Delta Zeta foundation by Sara Procter Carruthers, Alpha Chapter.
Her generosity allows Delta Zeta to make the roots in the National Historical Museum compatible
with the presentation and a symbol for those who visit. It will provide new display cabinets to
showcase women of achievement with photos, histories and memorabilia. Each woman will be
placed in a discipline in her interest: The arts; entertainment; sports and communication;
education; law; government and the military; and medicine; social and community service. This
exhibit is and was the vision of Norma Andrisek, Past National President and Vice President of
the Museum.
Norma, thank you for bringing this inspiring exhibit to life. It is truly going to be beautiful. And
we encourage anyone, when it is complete, to come to Headquarters and visit. Right now, it is
not so good.
The Delta Zeta Foundation continues to not only preserve the Sorority's past but to look to her
future for providing leadership development and bringing the leadership experience from the
classroom to the community by investing in the tomorrows of our collegians and alumnae. In the
2008-2010 biennium, the Foundation was proud to award $210,000 in scholarships to deserving
collegiate and alumnae members pursuing their education. In addition, our collegians understand
the importance of giving back to the Foundation and proved it with a total of over $78,000 in
donations to the 1902 Loyalty Society during the biennium.
The Foundation also supports educating our volunteers about the mission and work of Delta Zeta.
That mission, of course, includes community purpose and service to others.
Our members understand that accepting responsibility for self and others truly enriches the world
we live in. Service to others is an essential part of Delta Zeta. In our creed, we promise, "To
those whom my life may touch in slight measure, may I give graciously of what is mine." We
nurture and sustain the communities of which we are a part through our care and compassion.
Our collegiate and alumnae members donate over $900,000 annually to their local communities
and our national philanthropy for speech and hearing and the Painted Turtle camp, served their
communities through more than 280,000 service hours each year, made over 800 Build-A-Bears
with hearing aids for children receiving the gift of hearing at the Starkey Hearing Foundations
Mission, continue to make crafts for children with chronic illness at the Painted Turtle camp, and
over 100 of our women volunteered at the Painted Turtle camp. We sponsored the House Ear
Institute Family Camp, which is an annual event for families with children with hearing loss. We
donated $50,000 to sponsor a family weekend at the Painted Turtle camp. And we sponsored
hearing missions at the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
Our collegiate and alumnae members enrich the world around us in many other ways, too. Many
of our chapters were ready to help after the Haitian earthquake struck in January of 2010. They
collected shoes and donations, sent packages and volunteered their time. Our members are
always there to help others. And with the recent Gulf oil spill, flooding in Tennessee, tornados in
Arkansas and the Midwest and other national disasters, Delta Zeta stands ready to assist and
provide support.
Through our shared values in Delta Zeta, Pink Goes Green, our environmental initiative, compels
members to demonstrate the principles of enriching through caring for the planet. Pink Goes
Green involves members, their families and friends and our neighbors in a sustainable, mutualpurpose endeavor. Since launching Pink Goes Green in early 2008, 1,338 people have taken the
green pledge. Eighty-two percent of the traffic to the site has been new visitors, 54 percent have
come from referring sites such as our National website and Metro and 31 percent from Internet
search engines. Next to the Pink Goes Green homepage, the Pink Goes Green blog is the second
most popular site – or page visited on the site.
Our National Housing Corporation is encouraging recycling and energy savings at all of its
houses and houses in local house corporations are urged to do the same. The National Housing
Corporation is also looking at ways to build new homes using environmentally friendly materials.
National Headquarters is also doing its part. The LAMP magazine is offered online for those
who want to receive the publication this way, and the magazine uses mixed-source paper,
meaning, it is from a well managed forest, controlled sources and recycled wood or fiber.
Webinar is an online meeting that helps control the cost of training and travel. All
communications to official families are sent electronically.
Well, ladies, our purpose began 108 years ago. It is sustainable, renewable and lives in the hearts
and minds of Delta Zeta women just like you. We share a common purpose: To plant the seeds
that make life fuller, more meaningful and more rewarding. Within Delta Zeta, we call that
enriching. We perpetuate the goal of enriching through everything we do for Delta Zeta and the
world. Together we are enriching lives and we are changing the world. Thank you for all that
you do.