International Badge Day

International Badge Day is just six weeks away, and I’m very excited for this celebration of sorority membership and sisterhood. Our potential on Badge Day is immense, as there are over 4,000,000 initiated sorority members. You can make your move and help us celebrate by wearing your badge on Monday, March 5, and by reading about and sharing the history of all our member groups’ badges over the next few weeks.


Alpha Chi Omega:
• The design for the Alpha Chi Omega badge which appealed the most to the Founders was a replica of the harp because it seemed in keeping with the founders’ musical interest.
• Looking to Greek mythology, they found that the first instrument played by the gods on Mt. Olympus was a lyre.
• The jeweled golden lyre is adorned by 22 pearls.


Delta Gamma:
• 1873 – “Hope” was the watchword of Delta Gamma when founded at The Lewis School in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Thus the gold letter “H” with the Greek letters engraved on the crossbar became the insignia .
• 1877 – The traditional symbol of hope is the anchor and because it was considered more decorative than the original, Alpha chapter adopted Corinne Miller’s design of the badge.
• 1905 – A uniform, smaller design of the badge was adopted by the fourteenth Delta Gamma Fraternity and is still being used today.

Phi Mu:
• In 1852, Philomathean Society Founder and first president, Mary Ann DuPont Lines, wore the first badge, which was fashioned from a $20 gold piece her father gave to her when she entered Wesleyan College.
• The Phi Mu badge is the same barbed quatrefoil shape as the Philomathean badge; the main change occurred in 1904 when the open motto, “Les Soeurs Fideles” was removed and the Greek letters “FM” were added.
• Phi Mu was the first NPC organization to allow the badge to be worn as a ring or pendant. The 1974 Convention voting body made that decision, with the National President casting the vote that carried the motion

Alpha Phi:
• In October 1872, right after the founding of the Fraternity, Alpha Phi’s founding members ordered the fraternity’s very first badges from Stone and Ball Jewelers of Syracuse, New York.
• The official badge of Alpha Phi was adopted at the 1908 Convention held in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Prior to the adoption of the official badge, members designed their own badges, often choosing the design known as the “Lazy Phi.” This design incorporated the letter “Phi” lying on its side.

Chi Omega:
• Chi Omega’s first badge was crafted from dental gold by one of Chi Omega’s founders, Dr. Charles Richardson, as he was a dentist by trade.
• It was not until a vote at the 1906 Convention that Chi Omega badges were standardized in size and the stones were restricted to only diamonds or pearls.
• In the 1980s, the Governing Council determined that an alumna may wear the badge on a ring or pendant, or on the collar of a suit or dress. Collegians must wear it only over their heart.

Service and Gratitude

I knew from the moment I was asked to be the NPC Chairman that my time would undoubtedly be about service. NPC is all about serving its member groups, collegians and alumnae. Service is a founding tenant for many of our organizations and it is something we all do gladly. This past weekend I had the distinct honor of also serving as hostess to the Executive Committee as they joined me at my home for our annual January retreat. It was a relaxing and productive meeting as we outlined how we could best serve our constituents in the coming year. Below are some of the topics we discussed:

• Long-range plan
• 2012 annual meeting
• Work of special committees
• 2013 regional leadership conference program topics
• NPCWomen.org website upgrades and redesign

I left the weekend feeling fulfilled and excited for what lies ahead, but mostly grateful for the four women who have agreed to serve alongside me for the next two years.

Check out additional photos from our weekend together.

My Favorite Winter Recipe

Every season brings a meal that fits your mood, the weather and traditions. My favorite meal for the winter season is chicken and dumplings. Try my quick and easy chicken and dumplings recipe this winter to warm your family.

Chicken and Dumplings
1 2/3 cups reduced fat biscuit mix
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
2/3 cup skim milk
4 (16 oz.) cans chicken broth
Roasted chicken from grocery store (use as much or as little chicken you like)

Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Add milk, stirring just until moistened.

Bring chicken broth to boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Drop biscuit mixture by heaping tablespoons full into broth. Cook 3-5 minutes, adding chicken to pot. Test to see when dumpling is fluffy in the center.

Serve immediately!

New Year’s Resolutions

The history of resolutions dates back to the Babylonians, 4,000 years ago. During their New Year, in March, they would return borrowed items to friends and neighbors and resolve to pay back debts. This was followed by the Romans when January became the month to celebrate the New Year. The month was named after the god Janus, and he was depicted as having two faces, one looking back and one looking forward. It was thought that at the New Year, like Janus, you should look back and reflect on the past year and look forward to plan for the New Year.

Unlike the Babylonians and Romans, I don’t make a new year’s resolution. Instead, I have a resolution that I live by each day. This advice came from my mother when my daughter, Mary Leah was born. Mom said, “Do the best you can do every day.” I encourage you to make this resolution too. Happy New Year!