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What is the Panhellenic Council?

      In 1891 Kappa Kappa Gamma invited Alpha Phi, Delta Gamma, Delta Delta Delta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Beta Phi to gather together in Boston. The group had one more informal meeting and then fell silent for nine years, until Alpha Phi issued a new invititation to the same women's fraternities with the addition of Alpha Chi Omega and Chi Omega to come together for a formal meeting. These women's fraternities made up the world's first interfraternal association, The Inter-Sorority Conference (Later renamed the National Panhellenic Conference). Many of their discussions focused on recruitment. The leaders decided that competition among the groups is natural and can be beneficial as long as it was monitered by a commitment to "fair play". Many of the plans still in effect today, i.e. officer rotation, and positions held on the council, were established in the early years of Panhellenic.

   

     Today the National Panhellenic Conference recognizes and governs twenty six sororities nation wide. Here at Saint Joseph's University the Panhellenic Council is the governing body for the four sororities present on campus. The council also runs the Potential New Member side of recruitment and oversees that the sororities are following formal panhellenic recruitment rules throughout recruitment week. As the founders of Panhellenic unanimously agreed it is important that bonds are formed between chapters to create an overall positive environment that cherishes and values the girl-power and impact women's fraternities can have on the community.

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