In the Winter 2020 edition of The Scroll, Phi Delta Theta featured the People of Phi Delt 2030, a collection of stories that personify the strategic initiatives of the Fraternity’s new strategic plan.
Support
Written by Province President Dan McHenry, West Virginia ’83
It can be said that the middle of someone’s life is an opportune time for introspection and asking the question, “How might I be able to influence and impact those around me in a more meaningful way and outside of my typical day-to-day work? I have put in a lot of hard work resulting in worthwhile life experiences, great successes, some challenges, and leading so many great people. How can I take some of that input into my life, and turn it into something that would benefit others? How can I give back?”
I started my career with Price Waterhouse as a consultant. From there I gained valuable experience and honed my skills in the field of professional employee organizations (PEO). I had built and eventually sold two successful companies and was finding great satisfaction in building my current consulting practice and can recall the day in 2014 when I received an email inquiry from Phi Delta Theta asking of my possible interest in serving a local Florida Phi Delta Theta chapter by serving on its Chapter Advisory Board.
The chapter was struggling but by serving as the CAB Chairman, we made great strides in two years. After several years, I was asked to consider a province president role and because of my good experiences and level of engagement working with the General Fraternity, I said ‘yes.’ I am disappointed to say that the initial chapter I had served lost its charter a couple of years after I had moved on to the province president role.
I now advise four chapters at universities which are more than 100 miles from home, but I have managed to work my province president tasks around client visits. A typical day could have me meeting with university officials in the morning followed by chapter officers, then meet a client, and after that I head over to another chapter to do a similar dance. Often, phone calls are enough for the kind of relationship- building and accountability expected of an effective province president.
At the recent General Officers Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, I was asked to be part of a panel of other effective province presidents where I shared techniques and tips when it comes to building effective Chapter Advisory Boards (CABs).
My return to Phi Delta Theta as a volunteer and province president plus working with such great men has added a tremendous amount of joy and satisfaction to my life. I am proud to be a Phi.
Written by Myra Duritsch, Chapter Support Coordinator and Dylan Berg, Director of Chapter Services
Over the last year, the chapter services team focused on creating new support opportunities for regional and local volunteers. We released a new Chapter Advisory Board (CAB) certification in March 2019 that provides the latest insights and tools for local volunteers to be effective in their roles. The certification focuses on growing the Fraternity, understanding the responsibilities of CAB positions, relating to today’s college student, working with campus partners, and keeping our members safe.
Our Phi Delt 2030 goal is to have 1,250 certified CAB members with five members on each CAB by 2030. The Fraternity’s regional volunteers (province presidents) are a vital part of recruiting and maintaining volunteers while actively supporting our chapters. In fact, in-person province president visits increased 85 percent in 2018–2019
In early 2019, province presidents rose to the challenge to serve their regions further by hosting Province Retreats throughout North America which laid a solid foundation to deliver regional education to undergraduates and volunteers.
Our volunteers are crucial to our success. In October 2019, General Headquarters hosted the Fraternity’s the second General Officers Conference this biennium. Participants took part in sessions covering CAB recruitment, chapter planning, and supporting chapters through engagement.
Throughout our next strategic plan Phi Delt 2030 we will continue to mobilize volunteers through new quarterly educational opportunities for CABs and House Corporations, enhanced volunteer recruitment and placement, enhanced usage of an advisory board effectiveness survey, and the development and education around key performance indicators for volunteer that will drive chapter success and retention.
