N P C
U P D A T E
H I S T O R Y / H E R I TA G E Alpha Phi Celebrates NPC Centennial Alpha Phi’s history in the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) traces to its beginning. Exactly 100 years ago, Alpha Phi called the 1902 meeting that led to the founding of NPC. At the turn of the 20th century, recruitment was chaotic. Where freshmen arrived at colleges and universities via trains, sorority members waited a few stations prior, boarded the trains and pledged new members on the spot. There were even cases of women joining two sororities. In 1900, Margaret Mason (Whitney), who had just graduated from Michigan (Θ), was elected national president of Alpha Phi. Dismayed at the frenzied recruitment practices, she called a meeting of sorority representatives in Chicago in May 1902 to discuss regulating recruitment. Attending the meeting were representatives of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Pi Beta Phi, Delta Gamma, Delta Delta Delta, Gamma Phi Beta and Alpha Phi. The delegates voted to continue meeting annually, and thus was born the Intersorority Conference, which later changed its name to the National Panhellenic Conference. This was the first permanent inter-Greek organization. The corresponding men’s organization, now called the North American Interfraternity Conference, was not founded until 1909. Officers of NPC serve in rotation based on the year in which their organization joined NPC. Sally McCall Grant (Γ-DePauw) is Alpha Phi’s third chairman, serving 2001-03. Previous chairmen were Cora Allen McElroy (B-Northwestern), 1911-12, and Margaret Coshun Hutchinson (Ψ-South Dakota), 1953-54.
Cynthia Reid Is Panhellenic Woman of the Year Cynthia Kitch Reid ( Oklahoma City) was named Oklahoma City’s Panhellenic Association’s 2002 Panhellenic Woman of the Year. She represents the Oklahoma City Cynthia Reid alumnae chapter. FALL 2002
Coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life Douglas N. Case presents the San Diego State Panhellenic Chapter Advisor of the Year award to Gamma Alpha Chapter Adviser Amy Podratz.
San Diego State Awards Alpha Phi Adviser San Diego State ( A) Chapter Adviser Amy Wright Podratz ( J-CSU/Long Beach) was named Panhellenic Chapter Advisor of the Year during the university’s Interfraternity Council/Panehellenic Awards Banquet. Andrea Choquette Is Greek Woman of the Year Andrea Choquette ( Texas) is the University of Texas’ 2001-02 Greek Woman of the Year. The award was presented to her at the annual Order of Omega National Honor Society Banquet in April. Nominations for both Andrea Choquette Greek Man and Greek Woman of the Year were open to all five Greek councils at UT (Panhellenic, Interfraternity Council, Texas Asian Panhellenic Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council and United Greek Council). Andrea also was profiled in a “Greek Spotlight” article in the university’s student newspaper, the Daily Texan. Those profiled are nominated by staff within the Office of the Dean of Students.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR NPC’S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION! Oct. 12, 2002 Chicago Marriott Oak Brook, Ill. Information and alumnae and collegiate registration forms are available on the new NPC Web site at www.npcwomen.org.
NPC OFFICE 3905 Vincennes Road, Suite 105 Indianapolis, IN 46268 317.872.3185 317.872.3192 (fax) npccentral@npcwomen.org www.npcwomen.org
NPC Foundation Honors Alpha Phi Collegian Jennifer Spear ( S-Rensselaer) was one of four collegians who received a National Panhellenic Conference Foundation regional scholarship. The junior was selected out of 116 applicants. PAGE
T H I RT Y- O N E