International Badge Day - March 1

The 26 member organizations of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) are celebrating International Badge Day March 1, 2010, an annual event during which sorority women everywhere honor their Greek affiliations by wearing their badge or letters. This year's theme is "Keep Your Fraternal Experience Close to Your Heart."

Watch for a Pi Phi on American Idol

Illinois Eta Katelyn Epperly is in the Top 24 of the TV show "American Idol." Did you tune in on Tuesday to watch her perform? First round of results is tonight.

Spotlight on Programming: Literacy!

Spring Spotlight: Fraternity Day of Service! This annual Pi Beta Phi event unites members of all ages through our effort to advance literacy.

Pi Beta Phi’s Literacy Vision:Pi Beta Phi is dedicated to philanthropic and community service efforts that will remove the barrier of illiteracy.

How can alumnae organizations support the fraternity literacy vision? Alumnae support literacy in a number of ways: through unique partnerships with organizations on a local and international level, through financial support, through club programming and so much more.

Why Literacy?

• People who can read tend to be more successful and have more earning capacity.
• Literate parents set their children up for successful and healthy lives.
• Illiteracy is a factor in the rate of homelessness, domestic abuse, poverty and lack of healthcare.
• 80 percent of citizens in prison didn’t finish high school; half of those can’t read or write at all.
• Increasing high school graduation rates by just one percent would save $1.4 billion in costs associated with jails and prisons.

The Fraternity’s commitment to literacy dates back almost 100 years to the founding of a settlement school in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Pi Phi was solely responsible for all education in Gatlinburg from 1912-1969.

Pi Phi continues to support literacy and education for children and families. Pi Beta Phi will once again be celebrating Fraternity Day of Service with the Make your Mark for Literacy Bookplate campaign. Your event should be planned on or around March 2, 2010 — Dr. Seuss’ birthday!

After last year’s Fraternity Day of Service, many Pi Phi alumnae clubs provided Headquarters with feedback about their events. Many groups began planning their events months in advance. Because of this, we wanted to get your bookplates to you even earlier to make your planning easier.

All alumnae clubs will receive 50 bookplates for their 2010 Fraternity Day of Service project. For those clubs planning large events, we would be happy to send your club additional bookplates. Please e-mail Special Events Coordinator Julie Ravensberg at julier@pibetaphi.org to order. Additional bookplates will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Arrow is now Online

The Winter issue of The Arrow is now online! Check out the PDF to learn more about the history of The Arrow (we celebrated our 125th anniversary this year!), relaunch of our Leading with Values program, latest news at Holt House and our A List. Go to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pibetaphi) or Twitter with us (www.twitter.com/pibetaphihq) and let us know what you think about our latest issue

Arrowmont Update

Pi Phi Posts Arrowmont Lease Update

Confusion resulting from a recent Arrowmont press release has prompted the Fraternity to issue the following clarification regarding the lease extension. Log into eSisters to read it now!

League of Women Voters celebrates 90 years

Ninety years ago, Carrie Chapman Catt* first proposed a League of Women Voters to "finish the fight" and work to end all discrimination against women. And so the League of Women Voters was founded on Valentine's Day in 1920, six months before the ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.

More information on how the League is celebrating this anniversary milestone can be found here

*Carrie Chapman Catt, Iowa Gamma (deceased)
Suffragist. One of the driving forces behind the 19^th amendment and founder of the National League of Women Voters.

"To the wrongs that need resistance, to the right that needs assistance, to the future in the distance, give yourselves."

~Carrie Chapman Catt (Iowa Gama) from her commencement address to Iowa State University's graduating class of 1921

North Carolina Triangle Alumnae Club – Holiday Heritage Tea

Group Photo: NC Triangle Alumnae Club wrapping up a great afternoon tea (12/13/2009)
Listed from Right to Left
Renee Rosiek (in the back behind piano), Amy Dailey, Lori Haight, Margaret Forbes, Diane Woodard, Elizabeth Chacon, Theresa Sprain, Amy Lorenzen, Kim Van Horn, Ginger King

The North Carolina Triangle Alumnae Club hosted its third annual Holiday Heritage Tea at The Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill, NC on December 13, 2009. The afternoon was filled tasting new teas, sampling sweet and savory treats and socializing with sisters.

Philanthropy and Literacy was the theme of the event and there was a fun corresponding program for the attendees. The Pi Phis were arranged into teams, with a team captain, and then participated in a Pi Beta Phi Literacy Timeline “Scramble”

Each team captain was given a list of dates and scrambled Pi Beta Phi literacy initiatives. The women were asked to match-up the literacy program with the correct date. After the team captains presented their answers the entire group discussed the dates with the matching initiative. It was an interactive way to highlight Pi Beta Phi’s commitment to literacy. For almost 100 years, Pi Bet Phis have been helping children and families read. It is an incredible feat and one that continues to grow. The literacy timeline was pulled from the Pi Beta Phi website and the Fraternity Heritage Manual: Arrows, Angels and Admiration.

The tea was a lovely event. The women enjoyed the Pi Phi Fellowship and it was nice time to reflect on Pi Beta Phi’s dedication to literacy and it’s almost century of innovative programs.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all Pi Phi angels...

and a very happy birthday to Region 2 Alumnae Director Sande!

Louisville Alumnae Club shares literacy with community

The Louisville Alumnae Club (above) donated over 100 books to Churchill Downs Learning Center.

Please share how you are helping spread literacy throughout your community. Leave a comment or send us an email.