I have been a member of a Pi Beta Phi alumnae club since I graduated from college. Each club welcomed me with open arms. The wonderful women I have met and the instant connections have been a comfort and a joy.
When we moved to the exact middle of nowhere, as I like to call it, Dan and I drove a U-Haul from Massachusetts to southern Illinois. We rented a car and I drove him to the airport in St. Louis. He was flying east to get our car, our three young children, and a helper (his mother) to start another drive east while I organized the house.
Since I was in St. Louis and it was a weekday, I made it my business to find the Pi Beta Phi Central Office, as Headquarters was then known. In pre-GPS days, I armed myself with maps. I recall that I became horribly lost, but I somehow managed to find it. Executive Director Ginny Fry, whom I had met at the reinstallation of my chapter a few months before, greeted me like an old friend. It was thrilling to see the office where the work of the organization was being done!
There was not an alumnae club within 120 miles. I knew that I had to try to begin one because the Pi Phis in southern Illinois probably didn’t know what they were missing, and, moreover, I wanted those Pi Phi connections. I contacted Ginny for the list of members in the area. The first meeting took place at my home with a handful of Pi Phis in attendance. Although none of us knew one another, we became quick old friends. Pi Phis who were unable to come expressed their enthusiasm.
The club was chartered in 1991. It has never had more than 15 members; percentage-wise that is terrific, for this isolated area. The closest Illinois chapter is about 3 hours away. We meet for lunch several times a year. I usually do the very informal program (“Fran tell us about ….”). We give to Pi Phi’s philanthropic efforts and we try, best as we can with the limited number of members, to do what is required of us.
Over the years, we’ve lost members to chapter eternal. When new members join, they are amazed by the camaraderie we have. We’re meeting for lunch today and it will be fun to be together again. I just had an e-mail from a member who was planning to attend, but had to cancel at the last minute. She asked me to convey her regrets and she implored us to have fun; “we always do!” she added.
I have also attended alumnae club gatherings of other National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) organizations. The sisterhood and the feelings of finding a long-lost friend were exactly the same. Had I not known those women were wearing crescents and lyres, I would have sworn they were Pi Phis. While active chapter life is what most collegians join for, life-long alumnae connections is the value added treat of membership.
To those NPC women who are graduating this year, I strongly encourage you to become an active alumna member. While collegiate membership is for a finite time, alumna membership is life-long. Although they are different experiences, they can also be exactly the same!
The Southern Illinois Alumnae of Pi Beta Phi, in conjunction with the Pi Beta Phi Foundation and First Book, recently donated 500 books to the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale. About half of the club membership is in the picture.
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