But, on a bright note for Lane, she will be jetting across the pond to Oxford to study for six weeks.  Isn’t that fabulous?  Can you imagine being 21 in London during Wimbledon and the Summer Olympics?  I have to admit I am a bit jealous … what an opportunity.  She will be back in time to start her senior year in style.

Have I mentioned that I am the president of the Mu chapter of Kappa Delta’s Parents Club?  Oh, yes, I am,  and I love it.  First of all, it works well for me since I am on the campus.  I look out my office window and see the KD Lodge.  Plus, I love getting to know the moms.  These moms are just fabulous.  Small world story for you: my college roommate who was president of Kappa Delta our senior year now has a daughter in the chapter along with Lane so she and I have gotten to reconnect!

And Ruthie, she is loving the last few weeks of school.  I really didn’t know, though, that so much went into an All-Sing or a Greek Week.  Ruthie went to practice for All-Sing almost every night of the week. And she swam on the Zeta Tau Alpha team in the Greek Olympics (came in 2^nd!).  It’s Big Sis Appreciation week now and she’s really enjoyed making her Big feel special.  The “oops” thing for Ruthie this semester was somehow or another ending up with 16 clicks left on her dining card and 19 days to do.  Hmmmmm … that’s about 1 meal a day with 16 clicks which leaves a lot of meals to figure out.  But not to worry, because the dorms at Union have kitchens. Yes, full kitchens so she can eat in the dorm.  And being the good mama that I am (I can see my children rolling their eyes now), I sent a goodie box filled with what else but microwave popcorn, pretzels, granola bars and fruit snacks. I will get the Mother of the Year award for that goodie box.

This year has flown by, hasn’t it?  I look back and see my baby girl starting her freshman year of college and me as anxious as a mother hen. Would she make friends?  Would she like the school?  Would she study? Well, I knew she would study but it’s a big change to step up to college. Would she pledge KD?  Okay, so she pledged Zeta and I’m fine with that.  What a great bunch of young ladies are in Ruthie’s chapter.  Great friends for her.

Lane will be a senior in college.  Really? I am surely not old enough for that.  After all, I’m only 21 myself!

This month, we send out a reminder to put yourself first.

When it comes to health, you are the best judge of something that may be awry. If you wait for a loved one or colleague to tell you that you’re not on your usual game, your symptoms may have waylaid you into a chronic condition.

Falling back on a cliché about prevention is too simple, but we want you to take a moment to listen to the advice of Dr. Kate Wolin, a St. Louis-based epidemiologist and Chi Omega. Dr. Wolin has good advice for women of all ages, especially about the habits that we fall into when young that will lead to potential diseases in later life.

We’re seeing startling health trends these days, from obesity to early onset of diabetes. And women are still making the same mistakes that can easily be corrected to get on a better path to health. These are minor changes in lifestyle that result in major health differences.

We can all start making quick changes during National Women’s Health Week this May 13-19 (beginning on Mother’s Day). You will find the NPC listed as a partner with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health as we help to spread the word.

Let’s start with some small steps.

• Take a friend for a brisk 30 minute walk.
• Log off your computer and head out into the fresh air.
• Jump into those pools that will open up on Memorial Day weekend.

Let’s take care of each other and ourselves. And don’t forget to take the pledge to encourage women to visit their health care professionals for checkups.

The National Panhellenic Conference has a long history of being health aware – from our Something of Value program which addresses risky behaviors on campus to the various health-related philanthropies of our member groups that educate and raise research funds for the good of all.

It is never too late to start practicing good health habits. So start now. And share your story of health with us on Facebook or Twitter. We are always glad to share good news and always willing to listen to a sister.

Jane H. Sutton
Chairman 2011-2013

Courts continually tackle the concept and attempt to interpret the right as it pertains to the nation’s education institutions – construing the differences between private and public college applications, religious beliefs, and the right as it applies to sororities and fraternities.

A unanimous decision in January by the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that the “right to freedom of association is a right enjoyed by religious and secular groups alike.”

NPC’s governing documents, known as our Unanimous Agreements, hold the same.

NPC member groups exist as women-only private social organizations and the legal reasoning was adopted in Unanimous Agreement X in November 2011. Congress recognized in Title IX of the Education Act Amendments of 1972 that fraternities and sororities were exempt from the prohibition against gender discrimination and could therefore maintain their single sex membership policies.

This is not a right that we take lightly.

Most recently in the news we’ve followed the actions of Vanderbilt University, a private school that has been going very public in discussing an all-comers policy.

According to Timothy M. Burke, general counsel for the NPC, VU is requiring that for a student group to be recognized and receive university benefits that come with “recognition” privileges, the student group must admit anyone who wants to join and anyone should be eligible to run for a leadership position – even if they don’t adhere, accept or follow the same beliefs.

Though Vanderbilt has exempted our organizations from the all-comers policy as a private school, it is pushing forward with the discussion as are other private schools under the blanket of intellectual freedoms.

Other legal observers and religious leaders are already finding flaws with the logic.

Charles Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt, told The Tennessean newspaper that “such a policy promotes discrimination in the name of nondiscrimination.”

Sororities are watching the news and ready to monitor what’s at stake for us on the nation’s campuses. As Burke pointed out in his paper delivered to Stetson Law School’s National Conference on Law and Higher Education: “The right to associate with others of like beliefs should be recognized and supported across the political and social spectrum of college campuses.”

That’s true of the most controversial and ardent of advocacy groups that vie for recognition on a college campus where many of us first found our public voices as young women.

You will find many of our fraternal groups engaged and present in their policy discussions and resolutions as well – from the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors to the North-American Interfraternity Conference.

NPC’s stance, adopted and agreed upon by all 26 of our member sororities, is clearly spelled out in Unanimous Agreement X. The issue is important for us to monitor and to speak up about as campuses review and adopt policies that may be out of sync with current legal opinions and case law.

Jane H. Sutton
Chairman 2011-2013
National Panhellenic Conference Inc.

And Lane…did I mention yet that she got accepted into a British Studies program that will send her to London for 6 weeks this summer?  And did I mention she will be there during the Olympics?  And did I mention that she is doing her Honors paper on American’s fascination with the British Monarchy?  I mention all this to say that Lane is a very happy young lady.  I so appreciate all that Millsaps College does to give its students so many opportunities to enlarge their world (and for all those Kappa Delta’s reading this, yes, I did just throw in some Kappa Delta language).

Then there is me…I have been lucky enough in the past few weeks to visit Union University and work with the Kappa Delta chapter there (yeah, Zeta Beta!) and spend the weekend with Ruthie, shopping, seeing all her new Zeta memorabilia and meeting her friends.  Then I came back to Jackson where I worked with the Mu chapter of Kappa Delta in my role as president of the Parents Club.  The chapter held their Emerald Evening event, a fundraiser to benefit Prevent Child Abuse America (Kappa Delta national philanthropy) and a local organization in the Jackson area.  I held my first parents club meeting (and yes, I was nervous, I hate to speak in front of people) and it was very productive.  The meeting afforded me the opportunity to meet many Kappa Delta moms (and Millsaps parents which is helpful since I work in Alumni and Parent Relations at Millsaps).  It is really cool that one of the freshman members of the chapter is my college roommate’s daughter.

It definitely is a small world out there (and you can now sing the Small World song all day in your head…)!

International Badge Day was started by NPC in 1997. The event coincides with National Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. This is the also the fourth year we’re observing diversity and our shared sorority experience with other interfraternal groups including the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the National Multicultural Greek Council, the National Asian Pacific Islander American Panhellenic Association and the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations.

As we organize our International Badge Day celebrations across the country on Monday, March 5, there’s more to be done on the behalf of women in this nation – such as supporting the National Women’s History Museum. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York are shepherding the legislation to find a permanent home for the museum in Washington, D.C.

You can view names of well-known women on the petition who support the museum, such as actress Meryl Streep (the group’s national spokeswoman). Notably, titles are missing from those who have signed, perhaps in a gesture that women are not always known best by their titles but by their personal accomplishments.

To support the museum initiative, sign your name on the petition. You can also spread the word on Facebook and Twitter.

Don’t forget your own Panhellenic history and pride this month by wearing your sorority badge or letters. You can extend your International Badge Day celebration beyond March 5, and find many resources to use on the NPC website, including a sample editorial, news release, FAQ and more.

This year’s theme is “Wear Your Letters on Your Heart.” Abby Cowart, a Phi Mu from Spring Hill College, designed the event logo.

If you know of a chapter or alumnae group that is sharing their pride in a unique way, let us know by posting special celebration notes, pictures and videos on the International Badge Day Facebook event page and on Twitter.

As we display our Panhellenic pride this month and join with sisters across the globe, do your best to represent women in the best light and under the best of circumstances. Be proud of who you are, what you do and the organizations you represent – on March 5 and every day.

I realize it is now February and we are one month in to 2012, but this blog is more of a reflection of one’s past year and how it impacts one’s future so the Tennyson quote seems right on. I was sitting in a yoga class toward the conclusion of last year and I had an epiphany of sorts. My instructor was asking us to set our intention for the particular hour together and shared her own insight about the “No’s” in her life; those desires that she had that did not come to fruition and also the boundaries that she personally had to set with certain relationships that were seemingly unhealthy. She shared with us how she had come to discover that when there is a “No” in one’s life, the law of balance ensures that a “Yes” will follow. All we have to do is be open to it. Perhaps this means that setting a boundary (a “No”) in a relationship allows for the relationship to change for the better or become less important, and not getting the job offer after several interviews means that there is a different opportunity that is a better fit for us in relation to where we are in our lives.  It seems simple … out of a “No” comes a “Yes”.

My epiphany came in the form of a discovery as to what my role is as a parent to my four children, in particular my daughter who is embarking on her final semester of her junior year.  As she has matured, gaining momentum in her career and academic pursuits, she has attempted to become involved in various experiences whether they be internships, running for a sorority office, mentoring relationships, honor society memberships, etc. She has been chosen to participate in some of these yet not been selected for others. There is obvious disappointment amidst some feelings of success.

I have learned my role to be one of encourager, inspirer and processor. Encouraging the taking of risks and living wholeheartedly, inspiring my daughter to see her strengths and possibilities, and processing the “Yes’” and, more importantly, the “No’s”.  Aha!  This I can do! This is my epiphany!  Perhaps for our daughters their disappointments might include a relationship ending, a leadership opportunity not to be, being passed over for an internship and so on. As parents we can fill in the blanks with the “No’s” for our own children and also point out the “Yes” that they may not be able to see (a new friendship or free time to explore another interest, selection to an honor society or campus organization where one will meet new faces, a different work experience in a different city … you get the idea.)

I reflect on all my own personal “No’s” and “Yes’” and see their connectedness. I am grateful for this awareness so I can pass this on to my daughter as she is faced with her own. Now that Mary Claire has 5+ semesters and some summer school under her belt, I can look back at a bigger picture and see the semesters that were perhaps more challenging academically or more of a heartache for her emotionally. I can point out to her the peaks when she was “on fire” about school and life and what was going on and when she pulled back a bit in retreat.  All of these experiences are necessary for growth and maturation.  This is our role as a parent of a college age daughter or son:  To encourage, to inspire and to process. Blessings to you in this new year of parenting …

The only thing that isn’t small stuff, is the reason you’re on this earth in the first place: to find that portion of the world’s lost heart that only you can ransom with your love…

-author Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance

But Panhellenic women are offered a valuable option – through scholarship. Last year, NPC member groups awarded $2.8 million in scholarships to more than 1,600 members for undergraduate and graduate studies.

To put those numbers in perspective, average tuition and fees at public colleges rose 8.3 percent this year and, with room and board, now exceed $17,000 a year, according to the College Board. Approximately 28 percent of full-time private nonprofit four-year college students are enrolled in institutions charging $36,000 or more yearly in tuition and fees.

This February, NPC celebrates the “Month of the Scholar.”

We first began recognizing academic achievement with the Month of the Scholar initiative in 2000. NPC also provides a special planning resource to members to make sure academic excellence is top of mind throughout the college year. You can download “Academic Excellence: A Resource for College Panhellenics” on our website.

All NPC member groups stress academic achievement as a core purpose and set minimum standards for performance. According to NPC survey data, the average Grade Point Average (GPA) for reporting NPC member groups in the spring semester of 2010 was 3.18 on a 4.0 scale. For the fall semester of 2010, the average GPA for reporting NPC member groups was a 3.16 on a 4.0 scale. Most NPC member groups require their leaders to have higher GPAs in order to be elected or appointed to a position within collegiate chapters.

Rewarding our Panhellenic scholars on campus is accomplished in a number of creative ways – from publishing campus newspaper ads recognizing women with top grades to offering resume and job fair prep sessions. At some colleges, Panhellenic women with 3.5 GPAs or higher are recognized with a special half-time ceremony at basketball games or provided a free drink ticket to a local coffee shop.

While academic excellence is a founding tenet for the National Panhellenic Conference, all 26 member groups have resources in place to assist women headed to college providing yet another incentive for women to consider sorority life. The source of scholarship funding is also diverse from individual donors, local chapters, alumnae groups and member organizations. There is no bottom to the well of generosity that NPC women seem to deliver routinely for their sisters, especially if it means providing financial assistance to graduate.

If you can donate to a scholarship fund this month, we encourage you to do so. It may mean all the difference to a young woman’s potential contribution to the world.

Jane H. Sutton
Chairman 2011-2013

But let me backtrack a bit. Yes, Ruthie has finished her first semester of college and on the whole, it was a great semester.  Lots of new friends for her, the fun and joy of being a part of the Zeta Tau Alpha organization, dates, parties, and oh, yes, the studying.  Yes, you really do have to study in college.  It’s quite the lesson to learn that college is NOT a continuation of high school, isn’t it?

For me, it’s been quite an education having two daughters in college.  Wow, I have learned a lot.  Walking the line between two daughters in different sororities, not comparing schools, giving my youngest more freedom, no pushing my oldest to hard … I promise you, it has been quite eye opening.  And I am not so sure that I have been successful at being the mom of two college women.  Have I given them the tools they need to face grownup situations?  Can they really make it without me?

And now the second semester is underway at Millsaps for Lane and Ruthie starts back in a week.  Time to gear myself up for all the fun ahead.  Wait … am I ready for another semester of two in college?? Standby… I’ll let you know quickly!

NPC has now made one of those stops as easy as friending on Facebook.

Our organization has launched RecruitmentPrep, an online tool that should make the process of recruitment simple, friendly and easy to follow.

While there are many recruitment guides that exist, none have been done in partnership with the NPC – the one reliable and valid source of information by sorority women and for sorority women.

As we’ve expanded to reach targeted audiences in recent years with targeted messaging, this has been long on our “to do” list.

A standard guidebook already in print may cost $20 – the same cost for our online tool. But those texts are not generated by the one and only organization steeped in 110 years of sorority history. With that foundation, NPC is constantly updating and repurposing for today’s young women.

Pushing out to pilot campuses across the nation this upcoming recruitment season, the site will become even better as we engage our participants to provide feedback and help us fine tune this important tool.

As times change, NPC changes. We advance sorority with every decision made by women. Join us as the recruitment season begins anew in 2012 on campuses across the nation. And stay with us as we plan for the next adventure.

Jane H. Sutton
Chairman 2011-2013

Though, I’m no longer blogging for SororityParents.com on a regular basis, I just wanted to share with my readers how proud I am as a Panhellenic parent. My daughter Emily was elected Panhellenic President at Appalachian State University!  Here is the article in the paper and a picture we took at her installation. Thanks for letting me share our journey with you.

http://www.theappalachianonline.com/campus/8308-interfratenity-panhellenic-councils-elect-new-executive-officers