CONVENTION 2021
Hanging from every Pi Beta Phi arrow badge made since 1934 are 12 links of chain. Each of those links represents one of our 12 founders and the everlasting bonds of friendship they created for all Pi Phi sisters. The theme of Pi Beta Phi's 73rd Biennial Convention, Linked through Friendship, honored those bonds as members around the globe came together in celebration of Pi Beta Phi sisterhood.
A Pi Phi First There’s just something special about the energy at a Pi Phi convention — the feeling of rekindling old friendships, making new connections, sharing once-in-a-lifetime experiences and charting a course for the future of the sisterhood. When it became clear that the COVID-19 pandemic would make it impossible to hold a traditional, in-person convention, Fraternity leaders called on each other to reframe this challenge as an opportunity. How could Pi Phi provide a premier convention experience in a virtual format? How could we invite more sisters to share in the celebration, recognize the achievements of our members, chapters and clubs, and highlight the talents and strengths of our members in new ways? Months of brainstorming, researching and planning paid off. Pi Phi’s first-ever virtual convention was also its best attended, with 2,052 sisters joining in programming over the weekend. Missouri Alpha MOLLY SHEN, a television news anchor in Seattle, served as convention emcee. At the opening General Session on Friday night, Molly recapped the multitude of life-altering events that occurred during the past biennium — a global pandemic, civil unrest rooted in social injustice and significant challenges to the fraternity and sorority community, to name a few. Yet Molly also reminded convention guests that Pi Phi has experienced — and overcome — every one of these challenges in its 154-year history. “Coming together ... for this convention shows triumph,” she said. “It is a victory. It will be an important part of our story forever more. It will be what defines the future of our sisterhood.” As she welcomed Convention attendees Friday night, Grand President MARLA NEELLY WULF, Kansas Beta, 10
outlined three messages she hoped Pi Phis would take away from the event. “First … Pi Beta Phi is resilient,” she said. “As Molly shared, over our 154-year history, our Fraternity has seen some things and we’ve always made it through. Second, Pi Beta Phi membership is relevant. Friendship and leadership are timeless and what we do best. And finally, you have great reason to be proud of our sisterhood. As an organization we have much to celebrate, and we will take time to do just that.”
Making an Impact At every convention, we share the most recent chapter in the story of Pi Phi’s literacy work by describing the impact Pi Phi made during the last biennium — and this chapter looks different than any other in our history. Just a week after Pi Phi’s 2020 Fraternity Day of Service Signature Events took place, the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close and children’s reading programs to pause. As students transitioned to distance learning, the need for reading and educational materials in homes and classrooms became even more critical. Pi Phis found creative ways to stay connected to students, raise funds for our Foundation and volunteer in our communities — and our actions continued to make a big difference at a time when help was needed most. Our efforts were made possible by hundreds of dedicated Pi Phi literacy volunteers, as well as the generous donors who made gifts to The Literacy Fund at Pi Beta Phi Foundation. Because we chose to participate, donate and advocate for literacy, each of us is ONE who made a difference. We showed what we can accomplish — together — through the power of reading. Learn more and see our impact video at pibetaphi.org/literacy.
