2018 Convention Re-Cap
Two of our alumnae were lucky enough to attend the 2018 Delta Zeta Sorority National Convention in San Francisco, CA. Check out our PCCA President, Amy Gamble's, experience below and check back next week to hear more from Stephanie Belgley, our PCCA Vice President!
What made you want to attend convention this year?
Well, as a CCD, I get the privilege of attending our biennial convention and representing the Pi Sigma Chapter at the University of Texas at Dallas as a voting delegate. In all honesty though, I have dreamed of attending the Delta Zeta National Convention since I was in college. It was a goal for me- you might even call it a bucket list item. When the business meeting was called to order and Diane welcomed us all to the 53rd Delta Zeta National Convention, I teared up a little. It was a very special moment and honor for me and one that I won’t soon forget. Alumnae Presidents are also eligible to be voting delegates. However, a delegate may only represent one entity and cast one vote. About 19 alumnae chapters were represented at this year’s convention. Given the cost (about $2,000), most chapters find it cost prohibitive to send a delegate unless the convention is local or they are up for an award!
How is convention different for an alumnae versus a collegian?
Since this was my first convention, I didn’t really know any different so everything was pretty fantastic to me! I appreciated the opportunity to meet so many fantastic Delta Zeta alumnae who represent our organization as volunteers in so many different ways. It takes a little work to find out all the ways you can volunteer, but seriously…there are hundreds of volunteer positions and we need you to fill them! This organization only succeeds through the work of our gracious volunteers. And sitting nearly front row for acoustic concert with Matt Nathanson wasn’t so bad either ;) The Pi Sigma chapter met quite a few other officers and members from chapters, which gave them insight, inspiration, and connections. They especially enjoyed our networking dinner where we got a preview of how the Truly Connected networking conferences work. The women had a chance to connect with professionals in their future field of employment and that was meaningful. In addition, being a new chapter, this was the first time the chapter would have been eligible for awards. Up until this point, they didn’t have much interest in how to win those, but the closing banquet and awards ceremony certainly inspired them to set some solid goals over the next two years.
What was the most meaningful part of this year's convention for you?
The most meaningful part of the convention for me was spending time with my roommate and our fellow CCDs. Full disclosure- my roommate was Stephanie Begley. We live 3 miles apart, but our busy lives don’t allow for us to spend time together just having fun. We made many memories and found a lot of inspiration from each other that we can apply to our college chapters and PCCA. We came out energized and ready for more! We also spent time touring San Francisco, dining, and celebrating with Delta Zetas from San Antonio, Florida, Indiana, and Iowa. Those were fun moments and brought me back to why I love this sorority so much. It doesn’t matter which chapter you came from, what state you live in, or even what role you hold in the chapter…we are sisters…we include each other and fun, adventures, and shenanigans follow closely behind. Oh, the business meeting was really memorable too. I know, what kind of dork
considers a business meeting a meaningful memory?!? I loved watching the formality of the proceedings and the respect afforded each other as we debated topics like membership status changes and dues increases. The college dues increase was particularly intense and the general body really fought to understand the reasons for the increase. We debated it for over an hour. In the end, it was a unanimous vote of “yes” to pass the increase with slight changes to the proposed motion. The feeling of unity was amazing.
What advice would you give to collegians and young alumnae interested in attending convention?
Do it! Yes, it is a monetary investment, but if you can do it at least once, it is so worth it. The energy of the event connected me back to what I love so much about my sorority. We are bonded by a pledge of steadfast friendship and love for one another. We give of our hearts, minds, talents, and resources all to benefit one another and the world we live in. It is pretty special to share that with 513 Delta Zetas over four days. The next one is in Palm Desert/Palm Springs in 2020. Start saving now and I’ll see you there!
Did you do anything fun in SF?
We saw the Golden Gate Bridge, drove through The Presidio, ate lunch on the Pacific Ocean, saw the Full House house and “Painted Ladies”, ate ice cream at Girradelli, made videos on the carousel, and had Chinese food in Chinatown. We even had a day of Speech and Hearing Awareness at Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. Basically, we bombarded the area in our hot pink sweatshirts. That was pretty fun!
