The second National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) meeting took place on September 19, 1903 with two additional groups, Chi Omega and Alpha Chi Omega, joining the original seven – Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Alpha Phi, Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta and Delta Delta Delta – who had met on May 24, 1902. The locale, the Columbus Safe Deposit Vaults in Chicago, remained the same. The name of the organization changed several times throughout the early years, including calling it a congress rather than a conference.
Five by-laws were submitted to the national organizations by the first Conference body and the purpose of the second meeting was to receive the reports and to determine what additional action was needed.
Chi Omega did not have a representative at the first NPC meeting. Edith Warlaw, S.H. (National President), to whom the invitation had been sent in 1902, had been sick for months with typhoid fever. May Miller, an alumna of the Xi Chapter at Northwestern University who would later go on to serve as Chi Omega’s National Treasurer from 1904-14, was the delegate to the second meeting in Chicago. (The italicized quotes are from her report.) “One hot summer day the post-man brought a letter containing my appointment as Chi Omega’s delegate to the Inter-Sorority Conference, to be held September 19, in Chicago. Joy reigned supreme within my breast for the next few days, for I was again to visit my alma mater, and have another chat with my sisters of Xi.”
Her account in the October 1903 Eleusis continued, “As the time came for my departure, I realized my responsibilities more than ever, and ‘my enthusiasm decreased in inverse ratio to the square of the distance.'”
She traveled to Chicago with Flora Boles, sister of Chi Omega founder Ina May Boles and a pledge of the Chi Omega chapter at Northwestern. “At 10:00 Saturday morning, the conference was called in the Columbus Memorial Building. So a few minutes before the appointed time I found my way into the assembly room, where I was cordially welcomed. A copy of the minutes of this meeting appears elsewhere in The Eleusis, so I shall not write much detail. The utmost informality prevailed throughout.”
She met the representatives of the other eight organizations. They were: Alpha Chi Omega, Mabel Siller; Alpha Phi, Ruth Terry; Delta Delta Delta, Alma Fick; Pi Beta Phi, Elizabeth Gamble; Gamma Phi Beta, Lillian Thompson; Kappa Alpha Theta, Laura B. Norton; Delta Gamma, Blanche Garten; and Kappa Kappa Gamma, Virginia Sinclair.
Lillian Thompson, a member of Gamma Phi Beta’s second chapter at the University of Michigan, was Gamma Phi’s National Panhellenic Conference Delegate for 34 years. She served as chairman of the 1913 meeting.
The meeting was called to order by Lillian Thompson, who was elected secretary. Laura Norton was elected chairman. “The conference could not make rules, only mere suggestions, as none of the delegates had power to bind their respective councils to any course of conduct as outlined in this meeting.”
Each representative gave a report and agreement was mixed on several points, but there was consensus about a single issue, “One idea seemed prevalent among the representatives, i.e., that there should be no pledging before matriculation. Next session will be something definite drawn up concerning the length of time after matriculation for bidding and pledging. One of the greatest influences in favor of a short period is the chapter house. In many colleges there are local compacts, which are working admirably, but many more have violent rushing seasons and take ‘what they can, as soon as they can.’
“Thus we considered questions until after hours; then went to lunch at Field’s. Of course fraternity matters were talked, but not along the lines of our meeting. The question of organizing alumnae chapters or associations was thoroughly considered, and it was the emphatic opinion of all that they should be formed, and that as soon as possible. But questions as to what shall be their vote in conference meetings, or just how much authority an alumna should be permitted to wield were left unanswered.”
The other great success of the meeting was the motion made to form Panhellenic Councils at every campus where two or more NPC groups had chapters. The council’s purpose was to “discuss and act on all matters of inter-sorority interest in the colleges and universities in which they exist.” The chapter first established in each institution was asked to organize the council. NPC asked that the councils be organized “as soon after Thanksgiving as possible.”
At the afternoon session, “a discussion of National Inter-Sorority organizations occupied our attention, and while they were not particularly sanctioned, it was thought advisable to urge all Greek girls to cooperate with college clubs in order to avoid narrowing influence, a result which occurs frequently where one confines too closely her work and time to one organization, or clique of girls. Moreover, besides breaking down this barrier of seclusiveness, an association with local clubs, literary and debating societies, and the Y.W.C.A., its work in the past and its work in the future, came in for a considerable portion of our attention. It was the consensus of opinion that every sorority recognized and felt the need of the good work of the religious society, and it was the determination of every delegate present to go back to her sorority with the cry and exhortation, ‘More active work among Greeks in the Y.W.C.A.’ Why should the Greeks leave this most important factor of college life almost entirely in the hands of the non-fraternity women? The religious features of the weekly ‘frat-meeting’ can not take the place of the weekly devotional services of the Y.W.C.A.. Nor does this apply to girls alone, but also to our ‘Greek heroes.’ Shall Chi Omega be more indifferent about this than others? No! That our Supreme Governing Council orders otherwise should of itself be sufficient stimulus. One seed sown at the conference, which is expected to take root and bear fruit, is a plan for impromptu inter-sorority meeting at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. This place is the center of Y.W.C.A. activity in this section. Every summer large numbers of college religious workers spend the season at Lake Geneva. Among this large gathering engaged in God’s work are many Greeks of different sororities. To get together, to talk over religious field of the various colleges, to plan and to outline work for the next school year, especially with the view of interesting more Greeks in religious work, is surely a desirable achievement.”
The delegates also voted on the future of the organization, “The last action of the conference was in reference to future inter-sorority meetings. A motion was carried that these conventions should be held annually. It was left optional with the sorority represented whether its delegate to the next conference be active or not. At this meeting all the delegates were inactive.”
The size of the group at this second meeting was limited to the nine representatives, “No visitors were present during the session of the delegates, for the reason that the latter occupied all the room. It is to be hoped that in succeeding years a larger assembly room may be had and that all visiting Greeks may be welcomed, and there will be many, for inter-sorority enthusiasm is growing rapidly.
“The conference will be called next year by Delta Gamma, as its representative was the only delegate present whose term of office on the Governing Board does not expire before next year. This matter settled, conference adjourned, all delegates declaring that the meeting had been highly successful and hoping that they might again be together in similar gatherings.”
The National Panhellenic Conference will be meeting shortly for its 2012 session, and just as it was at this meeting in 1903, cooperation and working for the success of the women’s fraternity system is its goal.
My thanks to Chi Omega’s Archivist, Lyn Harris, who shared with me May Miller’s account of the second meeting.
To find out what took place at the first NPC meeting, read the post at http://wp.me/p20I1i-7N
The 1911 NPC meeting is featured at http://wp.me/p20I1i-6C and http://wp.me/p20I1i-6l
