A National Philanthropic sorority focusing on art, literature, music, and speech & hearing. | | |
As we approach our upcoming convention, there are several essential tasks that must be completed. Please review the following items carefully to ensure your chapter remains on track and meets all necessary deadlines.
Bylaws and Standing Rules Amendments
If your chapter has any amendments to its bylaws or standing rules, these must be submitted by April 1, 2026. Please send them to Sandie Carlson, our National Vice President, for approval. Submissions should be sent via email to sandiecarlson@psiiotaxi.org.
Award Nominations
Nominations for the second annual Lifetime Achievement Award and Psi Ote of the Year are due by April 15, 2026. Please submit your nominations to our National Conductress, Missy Cooper. They can be sent by mail to 50 Trotters Run, Brownsburg, IN 46112, or by email to missycooper@psiiotaxi.org.
Helicon Article Submissions
All chapters are reminded that articles for the Helicon must be submitted to our National Editor, Jane Patton, no later than May 15, 2026. Please email your submissions to janepatton@psiiotaxi.org. To assist you in preparing your article, both an information letter and a sample article have been included with the March mailing. Be sure to use these resources to ensure your submission meets the required format and guidelines.
Indiana State Meeting
The Indiana State Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2026. Please note that the registration deadline is March 16, 2026. Make sure your chapter registers on time.
PCR Notification
In late March, your chapter treasurer will receive an email containing the PCR from our District Officers. Please watch for this important communication.
Convention Packets
You should receive your convention packets in the March mailing. Address any questions about registration to Carol Hawkins at carolhawkins86@yahoo.com.
National Convention Information
Our National Convention will be held June 26–28, 2026, at the Sheraton Hotel at Keystone Crossing in Indianapolis, IN. The registration deadline is May 15, 2026. Please remember to book your hotel room promptly, as rooms are filling up quickly.
Taffy Day
National President
Omega, Lebanon, IN
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Psi Iota Xi Website and Email Hosting Transition
Overview of Hosting Service Change
The Psi Iota Xi National Council has recently made the decision to change the organization’s website hosting service. This change was implemented primarily to achieve cost savings and enhance reliability. As a result of this transition, email hosting for the organization will also be affected. Chapters will continue to use their psiiotaxi.org email addresses; however, these emails will now be managed by a different service provider.
Impact on Email Mailboxes
Due to the technical limitations of the new email hosting system, only one mailbox can be assigned per email address. Consequently, the switch to the new service will render all previous mailboxes inactive. It is essential for each chapter to review and save any emails or information they wish to retain. After the transition occurs, accessing old emails will no longer be possible.
The switchover is scheduled for July 1st. After this date, all old mailboxes will be inaccessible. The council’s investigation has shown that approximately twenty chapters currently use the Psi Ote-provided email addresses.
Guidance and Next Steps
Further details about this change will be provided at the Indiana State Meeting in April and at the National Convention in June. In the meantime, chapters are strongly encouraged to examine their inboxes and ensure that any needed emails or documents are printed or downloaded to avoid loss of important information.
Taffy Day
National President
Omega, Lebanon, IN
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Chapter PCR’s will be emailed to your Chapter President and Treasurer on March 23rd and will be due back to your District Officer by May 10th.
Did you know that we now have online training for the Pre Convention Report? It can be downloaded onto your computer so that you can reference it as you work through your chapter’s PCR.
Click here to access the training.
If you’re not a chapter Treasurer, but are curious as to what the PCR entails, feel free to watch the video too.
Don’t worry, if you have any questions as you work through your PCR, you can contact your District Officer. We’re here to help!
Loyally,
Mona Knight
National Treasurer
Iota Theta, Armstrong, IL
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Need Supplies?
The National Council Sales Table will be at the Indiana State meeting for you to buy certificates and supplies.
You may pre-order and pick up at the Indiana State meeting by emailing your supply order to info@psiiotaxi.org by Friday, April 17th. If you are writing a check, please make it payable to Psi Iota Xi General Fund. Click here for the printable supply order form.
We also offer an online supply page where you can order supplies and pay via Zeffy. Click here to order supplies via Zeffy.
See you in April!
Sandie Carlson
National Vice President
Theta Kappa, Edon, OH
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“In like a lion and out like a lamb” is rumored to be the motto of the month of March. March is a month of new beginnings but also a word of action and thus far in 2026 I feel that we have been marching double time.
To march is defined by Webster’s as: to move along steadily in rhythmic stride and in step with others. When I consider this definition, I cannot help but think of the Psi Ote Chapters I have visited these past three years. Each Chapter has its own personality and marches forward steadily in their effort to serve their community and enrich the lives of others. But, as they march forward in preparation to sell cheeseballs or flowers arranging for Bingos, Speech and Hearing Clinics or Daddy Daughter Dances each member and each chapter marches forward in step with her sisters toward a common goal. Our rhythmic stride allows us to march in time with our own chapter and the efforts of every chapter as we all work in the name of Psi Iota Xi to achieve, as our song “In the Heart of Psi Iota Xi” says, our lofty aim. Alone we can do some things as we march to our own drum, but when we march together in rhythmic stride we can do many. As I look at those marching on my right and my left I am filled with pride to march in step with my Psi Ote Sisters.
As we march forward together this month, I wish you time filled with the first breath of spring. I look forward to seeing many of you at National Convention in June.
Pam Gunterman
Northwest District Officer
Theta Delta, Bremen, IN
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"Celebrate what you want to see more of."--Tom Peters
Perhaps you have a sister in your chapter who has gone above and beyond for your local chapter and community this Psi Ote year. Or maybe you have a long-time active sister whose efforts for your chapter and community have been quieter but add up to some pretty significant good work.
And perhaps...you have one of each!
I hope you will celebrate them in some way at home, but we'd like to celebrate two of them at convention. Nominate them for either Psi Ote of the Year or our second annual Lifetime Achievement Award!
Nominating instructions, requirements, and link to online submission form will be in the national packet that chapter Presidents will receive via email on or around March 1. The deadline for submissions is April 15, and we will contact the winners' chapters by May 20.
I want to clarify that while I will be receiving and preparing the submissions for the committee to review and make selections, I will redact identifying information in the copies they receive, and when the committee meets, I will facilitate the discussion but have no vote in the final decisions.
You are welcome to email me if you have questions.
I cannot wait to see your nominations, and to give out the awards on June 27 in Indianapolis!
Missy Cooper
National Conductress
Gamma Nu, Brownsburg, IN
missycooper@psiiotaxi.org
317-605-4567
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Understanding Convention 2026 Registration Fees
Organizing Convention 2026 is a significant undertaking, and it is important to understand how registration fees are allocated. Hosting such an event involves considerable expenses, and the process can be overwhelming due to the high costs involved.
Currently, the registration fee for our Convention is set at $50.00 per attendee. This amount only covers a limited number of items, while the host chapter is responsible for additional expenses, often offset by fundraising efforts conducted years in advance.
The largest expense associated with the convention is Audio Visual services, which are essential for the event and currently cost around $10,000.00 for basic support. Another significant expense is the cost of registration bags provided to attendees.
Given an estimated attendance of three hundred individuals, the total collected registration fees reach approximately $15,000.00. The priority for these funds is covering essential Audio-Visual services, which represent the largest single expense for the convention. After accounting for this, about $5,000.00 is left to allocate toward the purchase of registration bags and their contents.
Each attendee receives a bag, with the cost of a quality bag ranging from $8.00 to $10.00, excluding any items placed inside. In addition to these bags, printing reports for folders and program books incurs further expenses, which can exceed $1,000.00. These factors together highlight the ongoing challenge of managing convention costs while striving to provide valuable attendee experience.
This breakdown highlights how quickly expenses add up and demonstrates why registration fees alone are not sufficient to cover all convention costs, so when you ask to be relieved of paying the registration fee, this explains why it is difficult to grant that request by the host chapter. We all want to have fun at Convention and expect it to be worth our time to attend. Just understand that it takes many years of financial planning and fundraising to accomplish the goal!
If you have ever wondered where your Convention 2026 registration money goes, here’s the scoop: most of it vanishes into the “magic hat” of Audio-Visual expenses and those fancy bags everyone loves to collect. Even with $15,000.00 in registration fees, it’s barely enough to keep the lights (and microphones) on—so unless you want to watch PowerPoints by candlelight, fundraising is necessary! That’s why requests to skip the fee usually get a polite “nope” from the host chapter. In short, making Convention awesome takes years of planning, saving, and a lot of spreadsheets—and every dollar counts for the fun ahead!
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The Indiana State Meeting will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Ivy Tech Conference Center, 261 Commerce Drive, Marion, IN 46953. This is the same location as the 2025 Indiana State Meeting.
The Friday Night Welcome Party will be held at the historic Hostess House Mansion, 723 W. Fourth Street, Marion, IN 46952, from 7pm-9pm on Friday, April 24, 2026.
Registration packets were emailed to Indiana chapter presidents in January. If you have not received your packet or have questions about the 2026 Indiana State Meeting, please contact Indiana State President Tori Harrell. Her email is toriharrell@outlook.com.
Tori Harrell
Indiana State President
Gamma Tau, Marion, IN
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Important Indiana State Meeting Deadlines:
- 3/16/26 - Registration Deadline
- 3/16/26 - Sales Room Registration Deadline
- 4/10/26 - Friday Night Welcome Party RSVP toriharrell@outlook.com
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Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel at Keystone Crossing Convention Hotel Information:
- $169 per night per room
- Last day to book at this rate is Friday, May 22, 2026
- Rate includes complimentary self-parking in attached hotel parking garage and complimentary guestroom Wi-Fi
- You can call the Sheraton Indianapolis for reservations: (888) 627-7814
- Ask to make a reservation within the Psi Iota Xi Convention 2026 Group Room Block
Click on the button below to reserve your rooms online:
| | National Council - We are here to assist YOU! | | |
National Council is available to talk with Chapters and members anytime questions or concerns arise. Please don't hesitate to reach out to National Council if they can assist you.
Contact us at: info@psiiotaxi.org
| | | Eta Alpha, Nashville, IN, initiated two new members in January. Kathy Smith-Andrews and Cassi Stratton, welcome to Psi Iota Xi! | | Gamma Nu, Brownsburg, recently welcomed six new members into the chapter. Welcome to the sisterhood ladies! | | |
Have you ever wished you could invite all Psi Ote sisters to your chapter's fundraiser or special event?
If you are planning an event or fundraiser (in person or virtual) and would like to share your invitation with Psi Ote Sisters from other chapters, let us know. The newsletter is great way to reach many sisters and hopefully increase your attendance or sales!
Electronic money transfer apps like Zeffy and Venmo plus virtual platforms like Facebook Live make it possible for even our most distant sisters to participate in another chapter's fundraisers with ease. You can support your sisters across the organization, and you might even get a few ideas for your own chapter!
Advertising in the newsletter is easy, just email JanePatton@PsiIotaXi.org and she will do the rest.
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Birthday Celebration Boxes
Submitted by Andrea English, Gamma Beta, Remington, IN
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Dear Sister, As I sit here writing this article, I am reminded of just how powerful our Psi Iota Xi sisterhood truly is. In December, my good friend Andrea Niedenthal and I spent our annual BFF weekend together. During that time, she shared an idea she had for creating birthday celebration boxes in memory of a beloved Psi Iota Xi sister from the Zeta Tau chapter, Suzy Richey Mann, who lost her battle with cancer. Andrea explained that she planned to create 59 celebration boxes and donate them to her local food pantry. Suzy’s birthday would have been her 59th, and Andrea felt that number was a meaningful way to honor her.
Suzy had been heavily involved with her local food pantry, and Andrea felt this was a fitting way to honor Suzy’s legacy and continue her work in her memory. Each celebration box contained a foil pan with a lid, a box cake mix, frosting, and a can of Sprite, party plates, balloons and a candle. The Sprite could be substituted for the eggs and oil typically needed to prepare the cake mix, making it easier for families to celebrate.
I thought this was a wonderful idea, so I decided to create six celebration boxes myself. I also shared the idea with my chapter members, and everyone eagerly pitched in. We gathered a variety of items, including pans, cake mixes, balloons, napkins, birthday crowns, birthday buttons, and candles.
We brought all the supplies to our meeting and began assembling the celebration boxes together. In no time at all, ten members worked together to create eighteen celebration boxes to donate to our local food pantry. It was truly inspiring to see how quickly our sisters came together to turn a simple idea into a meaningful act of service, honoring Suzy’s memory while bringing joy to others in our community.
I encourage every chapter to make at least 10 boxes and donate them to local food pantries. After sharing this idea on Facebook, organizations in other states are also participating. In memory of a sister, this small initiative is having a lasting impact, ensuring Suzy’s legacy continues.
| | The ladies from Omega, Lebanon, IN, are the hostesses of the 2026 National Convention. Final preparations are being completed to make sure everyone has an amazing convention! | | Alpha Chi, Hagerstown, IN, hosted friends old and new at their recent Get Acquainted Party. Such a great way to find prospective members! | | Eta Alpha, Nashville, IN, held a cookie exchange during the December meeting. | |
National Convention 2027
Theta Kappa, Edon, OH, will host the 2027 National Convention at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne, IN.
National Convention 2028
Iota Theta, Armstrong, IL, will host the 2028 National Convention.
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National President
Taffy Day, Omega
National Vice President
Sandie Carlson, Theta Kappa
National Secretary
Terri Resler, Alpha Psi
National Treasurer
Mona Knight, Iota Theta
National Advisor
Mickie Hansen, Upsilon
National Project Chair
Valerie Helms-Mejia, Alpha
National Editor
Jane Patton, Alpha Omicron
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National Conductress
Missy Cooper, Gamma Nu
Northeast District Officer
Lauren Burk, Gamma Sigma
Northwest District Officer
Pam Gunterman, Theta Delta
East Central District Officer
Beth Vipond, Gamma Tau
West Central District Officer
Pam Karle, Gamma Xi
Southeast District Officer
Carol Good, Alpha Theta
Southwest District Officer
Erin Schroering, Iota Lambda
| | If you have any questions about this newsletter, the National Website or have an address/phone/email update please contact your National Editor Jane Patton, janepatton@psiiotaxi.org or 812-881-9064 (call/text). | |
Psi Iota Xi National Office
3905 Vincennes Road, Suite 303
Indianapolis, IN 46268
317.471.3512
info@psiiotaxi.org
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