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Who We Are
The Panhellenic Council (PHC) is the governing body for all 10 National Panhellenic Council (NPC) sororities on the UC San Diego campus and unites every sorority woman, regardless of individual affiliation. Together the Council members strive for overall Greek unity, while working to unite the sorority women and strengthen their values through cooperation, common interest, talents, and skills brough from each chapter. Panhellenic provides many opportunities for involvement in campus life and also in the Greek community outside of one's individual sorority.
The Council is headed by ten executive board members, representing most of the NPC sororities, and an advisor that oversees all council programs and activities. Each sorority is allowed to have a voice on issues involving the Greek community at UCSD by having representatives speak for their chapter in the bi-weekly Panhellenic Council meetings. The council meets to discuss policies, Greek issues, and to plan activities for the sororities in order to promote good inter-sorority and Greek Community relationships. Everyone works together to make the Greek community a positive and active influence on the UCSD campus.
Our Creed
At the start of every Pahellenic Council meeting, all ten executive board members and about 20 women representing all of the chapters at UCSD recite this creed as a reminder of the principles upion which our chapters were founded.
"We, as Undergraduate Members of women's fraternities, stand for good scholarship, for guarding of good health, for maintenance of fine standards, and for serving, to the best of our ability, our college community. Cooperation for furthering fraternity life, in harmony with its best possibilities, is the ideal that shall guide our fraternity activities.
We, as Fraternity Women, stand for service through the development of character inspired by the close contact and deep friendship of individual fraternity and Panhellenic life. The opportunity for wide and wise human service, through mutual respect and helpfulness, is the tenet by which we strive to live."
The History of the National Panhellenic Conference
Early histories of women's fraternities contain accounts of "rushing and pledging agreements" or "compacts" among fraternities on various campuses, and also many stories of cooperation and mutual assistance. However, no actual Panhellenic organization existed and no uniform practices were observed. By 1902, it was obvious that some standards were needed, so Alpha Phi invited Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Chi Omega and Chi Omega to a conference in Chicago on May 24. Alpha Chi Omega and Chi Omega were unable to attend. The remaining seven groups met and the session resulted in the organization of the first interfraternity association and the first intergroup organization on college campuses. (National Interfraternity Conference for men's fraternities was organized in 1909, now called the North-American Interfraternity Conference).
This meeting, and the next few, resulted in several mutual agreements, especially regarding pledging. Up to this time, no guidelines had been set, and women could be pledged to groups before enrolling in college and, indeed, even belong to more than one group.
The fact that NPC is a "Conference" is significant to the NPC philosophy because the organization is a conference, not a congress. It enacts no legislation except for the conduct of its own meetings. Other than the basic UNANIMOUS AGREEMENTS which all groups have voted to observe, NPC confines itself to recommendations and advice, and acts as a court of final appeal in any College Panhellenic difficulty. One of its greatest services is providing Area Advisors for College Panhellenics and Alumnae Panhellenics.
Our Insignia
The shield is a protective influence for our entire membership.
A lamp denotes leadership, scholarship and enlightenment.
The laurel wreath signifies victory, or achievement of ideals.
While the sword piercing the wreath indicates willingness to fight for ideals, symbolizing, too, penalty of obligation; also bravery, achievement and discipline.
The mantling surrounding the shield is the protecting cloak that education gives us, and a protective influence of organization.
Thus, there in the mantle is inscribed the name of the National Panhellenic Conference.
Our Thoughts
We, the members of the University of San Diego Panhellenic Association, stand behind the goals of recruitment for promoting opportunities for the development of undergraduates through membership in women's fraternities. We support the goals of recruitment as being the following: to give each potential member maximum opportunity to pledge; to provide fraternity experience to as many as possible; and to maintain adequate strength in the fraternity chapters. We uphold and honor the University of California, San Diego's Recruitment Guidelines and the National Panhellenic Conference's Unanimous Agreements through our thoughts, words, and actions. We believe that the highest level of trust should exist between chapter members and the chapters in Panhellenic in order to ensure a spirit of cooperation and harmony. As a member of the University of California, San Diego Panhellenic Association, we shall stand by these ideals which guide our actions.
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