In the Loop from Alpha Sigma Alpha National Council

Month/Year

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UMKC Colony members.

Our Alpha Sigma Alpha Colony at the University of Missouri - Kansas City (UMKC) will be installed as our Theta Omicron Chapter on March 19, 2011. Members of the installation team include Melissa Merriam, EE, vice president of operations, Aly Campbell, ZZ, installing officer and colony development coordinator, Megan Brower, QG, leadership consultant and Katie Matis, DH, membership growth coordinator. Notes of congratulations may be sent to the chapter at the following address:

Crystal King

5050 Oak St. Apt. #320

Kansas City, MO 64112

Extension update

Also in the arena of sorority extension, Alpha Sigma Alpha has accepted the invitation to colonize at Southern Connecticut State University in the fall of 2011. A formal press release will be distributed soon. Extension visits and presentations will be made at West Texas A & M University on March 21, Indiana University, April 6, and Ferrum College, VA, on a date to be determined. Proposals have also been submitted to State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo and University of Central Florida. Other campuses that have recently opened up for extension include Mississippi State University, Capital University, OH, Franklin and Marshall College, PA, University of Cincinnati, OH, and Vanderbilt University, TN.

Alumnae involvement

Alumnae from 18 cities have contacted national headquarters with alumnae chapter interest and five additional cities are in the process of forming alumnae chapters. Alumnae in four cities have indicated interest in forming alumnae associations, including one in Ontario, Canada, who is already in the process of contacting area alumnae. If you are interested in getting involved in or starting an alumnae chapter or association, please contact Rachael Candee, volunteer & alumnae coordinator at rcandee@alphasigmaalpha.org . She'd love to hear from you.

Advisor appreciation

Alpha Sigma Alpha has created new programming for National Panhellenic Conference's (NPC) Advisor Appreciation Month this April. Collegiate chapters will be celebrating the month with weekly events to commemorate the service of advisory board members in their chapter. Please join us in thanking our many wonderful advisors for their tremendous, front-line service to our collegiate chapters!

Leadership Development Institute

The Emma Coleman Frost Leadership Development Institute LDI logo 2011 (LDI) is in July in St. Louis and Pittsburgh. Alumnae, advisors and volunteers have had the opportunity to apply to serve as small group facilitators for LDI this summer. The application deadline was March 1, 2011, and facilitators will be selected and notified by April 1, 2011.

Collegiate chapters will receive registration materials this month and will need to register by the May 1 deadline. Collegiate chapters must send four women to LDI, but are highly encouraged to send more from their chapter. Alpha Sigma Alpha is excited to unveil a new curriculum at LDI in partnership with the Leadership Institute - Women with Purpose.

Advisor certification program

Alpha Sigma Alpha and the Alpha Sigma Alpha Foundation are pleased to announce the advisor certification program which will coincide with each 2011-12 District Day. The advisor certification includes training on chapter operations, problem-solving, sorority policies and other topics relevant to advisory board members. The program offers new and experienced advisors the opportunity to learn, refresh skills and get inspired. More information about the advisor certification program will be available this summer. We hope all of our advisors will take advantage of this great opportunity coming this fall!

Beta Lambda Chapter members.

Membership recruitment

Our overall target for membership recruitment for 2010-11 is 2,075 new members. As a reminder, during the fall recruitment season, our chapters recruited 1,320 new members and reached the fall target. The spring target for recruitment is 770 and thus far our chapters have officially reported recruiting 492 new members, which represents 64 percent of our target. There are several new members included on the Officer Portal that are still pending approval which would bring us to 77 percent of our spring target. Special thanks to Katie Matis, DH, membership growth coordinator, the leadership consultants and our many volunteers who are working directly with the chapters in the area of recruitment.

Alpha Sigma Alpha credit card

Alpha Sigma Alpha has an ongoing partnership with MBNA, Bank of America. For every credit card ordered by a member, Alpha Sigma Alpha receives royalties. These royalties are used to off-set sorority operational expenses. MBNA will be sending a mailing at their expense in June to Alpha Sigma Alpha members. Please note that MBNA does not own Alpha Sigma Alpha's mailing list and does not sell it to third-party vendors.

Organizational pride

Alpha Sigma Alpha was well represented at Greek conferences in February 2011. Katie Matis, DH, membership growth coordinator, attended the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV) Central conference and Eleanor Williams, A, Third Alternate NPC Delegate attended the Northeast Greek Leadership Association (NGLA) conference. Thank you for representing us so well!

Alpha Sigma Alpha Foundation

Thank you from the Foundation

Alumnae and collegiate women attending District Day events this year exceeded all fundraising goals at the seven events that took place. The Foundation raised more than $30,000 at the events during the fall and spring semesters. A part of this

success is attributed to the new Foundation Chapter Challenge where collegiate and alumnae chapters competed for prizes for the most money raised and most creative fundraiser. The Foundation, along with the help of district volunteers, looks forward to making this challenge a tradition at the annual regional events. Thanks to everyone who participated in reaching this goal!

Foundation staff change

Jenn Bach, QZ, Foundation operations manager, will be leaving staff to return to Minneapolis with her fianc� to be closer to family. Her last day on staff will be March 29. Please join us in thanking Jenn for her two years of service and dedication to the Foundation and wish her well with the move, upcoming wedding and future endeavors.

The Alpha Sigma Alpha Foundation is currently accepting applications and recommendations for the part-time position of Foundation assistant. The Foundation assistant works with the Foundation development coordinator to achieve fundraising goals, provide donor cultivation and acknowledgement and plan and prepare for the Foundation's role at events. For more information about this opportunity, visit the Alpha Sigma Alpha website.