Exec Board takes on St. Louis
Writer, Graphics: Savannah T. / Chapter submitted Photos
Every January, the Pi Beta Phi National Headquarters hosts a convention in St. Louis, California called the Pi Phi College Weekend. Exec Boards from all of the Pi Phi chapters around the world are invited to come to the weekend event and learn more about leadership. All of the new Exec Board members will go to breakout rooms and meet sisters from other chapters that hold the same position as well as everything there is to know about their specific position. The Exec Board at Florida Beta Chapter of Pi Phi at Florida State attended the convention and reflected on their experiences there as well as the award they won.
What were your feelings going into this event?
Karianne B., President: I was mostly excited to get to know the other Pi Phi’s from across the country and their chapters. There was so much we all learned from each other, we could have talked for weeks. I think it’s such a unique experience to be in a hotel with over 1,500 of your sisters, all with the common goal of bettering the organization and our own chapters.
How does this weekend give you the leadership skills necessary to lead your chapter as a member of exec?
Karianne B.: College Weekend gave me a lot of confidence in my position to be able to take on the year and make it the best it could be. We were provided with so many resources and that reinforced the excitement of holding our positions. Specifically in the chapter president breakout session, we learned a little bit about each executive board position, director position, and the Grand Council to know where to turn at any point.
Can you discuss the specific of what you learned that benefitted your specific position?
Grace T., VP of Risk Management: I learned a lot about the new structure of Exec and the ability to delegate power because of the introduction of director positions. VP of Risk Management overlooks the Director of Social Events, so I learned a lot about contracts, event planning, and member safety. I also learned about our new Member Conduct Committee, which focuses on the wellness of members.
Valerie E., VP of Finance: I learned many of the technical aspects of VP Finance/Housing. This includes things like bank reconciliations, writing chapter checks, and paying bills. However, some of the most important things I learned were about how to get members informed on chapter finances. I gained an understanding of how to break down dues so that everyone, parents included, could easily understand where their money was going. I also learned that every chapter across the country has different housing situations and how to budget so that we can make upgrades to our house in the near future. The most important part of my role is communication and strengthening relationships with members over a topic that can be kind of hard sometimes – money. This conference led us through different exercises and activities to get better at handling these sensitive situations.
Shelby B., VP of Operations: As Vice President of Operations, I handle a lot of things behind the scenes, like rosters and membership status. We use a website called eReports to plan logistically, so throughout the weekend they taught us all the tips and tricks of the eReports, which has been super helpful for my position. Since the executive board was restructured this year, VPO was a new position, so the weekend helped me better understand my duties and obligations to the chapter!
How does this weekend help you bond with your fellow sisters on Exec?
Grace T.: We really got to bond this weekend because we really only knew each other going into the event. Meals were always fun because we got to come together after being separated in breakout sessions. We also had the chance to get to know our Alumni Advisory Committee Chairman, Tabitha.
How did this trip impact the way you view your sisterhood and Pi Phi?
Grace T.: Every time I get to see Pi Phis from around the country come together, it solidifies why I love this sisterhood. Alumni presence is always really cool because it shows how our value of lifelong commitment plays out. I love seeing how there are so many different women that make up our sisterhood but we are all bonded together with three letters.
Karianne B.: With input from the outside world and society, sometimes Greek life can be viewed as petty and inauthentic. College Weekend reminded me of the great impact we are able to make as a chapter, and on a national scale. I met so many intelligent, inspired, and dedicated women who are doing all they can to support their sisters and me. There is something so special about that.
Why is it important to meet the other leaders in Pi Phi chapters around the country?
Grace T.: It is important because it gives us the chance to learn from others in similar situations. We were grouped in our breakout sessions based on chapter similarities, so I got to hear from women that come from similar schools as me. It is really beneficial to learn from other collegians that know where you’re coming from.
What is your favorite memory from the trip?
Grace T.: My favorite memory is the final group dinner because I felt very accomplished after a weekend of learning and it was fun to celebrate our award together!
Valerie E.: My favorite memory is exploring downtown St. Louis and taking pictures at the arch with my sisters. It was freezing cold but really inspiring to be able to see the famous landmarks and take a break from meetings together.
Shelby B.: I would have to say my favorite memory from the trip is the ice cream/popsicle party. Everyone got together and ate ice cream while dancing on the dance floor. Karianne and I even did the worm!
Can you describe the award you won that weekend?
Karianne B.: Pi Beta Phi at Florida State won the #3 Fundraising Chapter Award for the 2019 year. There are over 150 Pi Beta Phi chapters around the world, so the magnitude of this award for our chapter means everything. Our national philanthropy is Read>Lead>Achieve, which aims to spread childhood literacy through fundraising for literacy programming, and hands-on work. At FSU, we host 2 philanthropy events per year to raise money. We were able to raise over $50,000 in 2019 between all 4 events. The fundraising award is decided by taking the total amount donated and dividing it by chapter members to try and be as fair as possible.
How did it feel to win this award? What did this recognition mean for your chapter?
Karianne B.: Some of FL Beta’s greatest accomplishments have been what we achieve through our philanthropy. For years, twice a week, we have been working hands-on with the kindergarteners at Springwood Elementary to spread childhood literacy in any way we can. This year, we expanded to also work weekly with a local homeless shelter. Our chapter has really bonded over our philanthropy and being able to do service together. It has become such a core aspect in our sisterhood. The fundraising award presentation counted down from the #10 spot and we thought for sure we would be 8 or 9. It was an unreal feeling to be able to accept the award for #3. Our executive board, alumni advisors, and national advisors were all on their feet screaming. We got to spend time with the Grand President after receiving the award to tell her all about how we accomplished this milestone. After a rough few years of Greek life at FSU, it meant so much to our chapter to be recognized by Headquarters for the hard work we’re doing to be better, to be positive, and be women of service.