It’s been five years since our first winter-hosted Regional Leadership Conferences (RLCs). The feedback that we have received in recent years from our attendees and facilitators has indicated that it’s time for a change to this experience. The national headquarters staff has been hard at work collecting quantitative and qualitative information from our collegiate members and used that feedback to make significant changes for the 2020 RLCs.

Here is what you need to know about what is to come:

• All officer nuts and bolts training will be removed from the RLCs. We are excited to offer virtual training sessions, via Zoom meeting, in late fall that will help facilitate comprehensive role-specific learning for each officer. These sessions will also foster relationships between chapter leaders and the national volunteers who support them. More details will be available in the coming weeks.
• The 2020 RLCs will shift the focus to solely leadership and personal skill development, focusing on the five member development competencies developed in 2016 that are used by Sigma Kappa:
  •  - Career Readiness
  •  - Holistic Personal Wellness
  •  - Meaningful Relationships
  •  - National & Global Citizenship
  •  - Self-Awareness & Development
• Each chapter will be expected to send ten members from their chapters. The only two individuals required to attend are the chapter president and advisory board supervisor. The remaining eight spots can be filled by any member of the chapter. Officers and non-officers are all welcome, and who each chapter brings is up to them!

 

2020 RLC Dates and Locations

Registration is open now through December 2. Contact your chapter president if you need to register.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

How should my chapter decide who attends the RLCs?

 

With the changes coming to the RLCs in 2020, any of your chapter members can attend! If your chapter is having trouble choosing who to send, here are a few ideas for you to try:

 

• Have interested members submit letters of interest to the chapter president to read at an upcoming chapter meeting. Your chapter can vote on who to send based on the letters of interest.
• Write down the the names of all members interested in attending on slips of paper and draw their names out of a hat. Those names that are drawn are the ones who will attend.
• Allow chapter members to nominate members who they think should attend the RLCs based on their leadership potential.

Remind your chapter members that they don’t need the label of an officer title to make a difference in the chapter, and that attending the RLCs should be something open to everyone!

 

What do attendees at the RLCs need to wear?

We are encouraging RLC attendees to have some fun with their attire in 2020 by participating in some themed days! Here are the suggested attire expectations:

• Friday – Travel to the RLCs representing your school spirit! College or university themed clothing is suggested for this day.
• Saturday – Show us what makes you feel empowered as a woman! Do you have a favorite superhero or mantra you live by? Allow your attire to reflect that! Please no politically affiliated attire.
• Sunday – Share your Sigma Kappa spirit! Wear your Sigma Kappa letters proudly as we close out the RLC experience.

 

On all days attendees are encouraged to wear jeans and pack layers as hotel meeting rooms can sometimes be chilly. Clothing items like ripped jeans, pajama pants, slippers, and leggings are not appropriate for the RLCs.

 

What do we do if we experience delays or bad weather while traveling to the RLCs?

When traveling to and from the RLCs, safety is our top priority. Chapters are encouraged to use common carriers for transportation (flying, taking the train or renting a bus) whenever possible to minimize the need for individuals driving. Should your chapter choose to drive, please use the designated/event driver form located in the chapter president resources. If inclement weather impacts travel to or from the RLC, please inform your location’s lead registration staff member and they will help you plan how to remain safe during your travels. 

 

Where are the nuts and bolts going?

All officer nuts and bolts training will be moved into virtual training sessions, via Zoom meetings, in December that will help facilitate comprehensive role-specific learning for each officer. These sessions will also foster relationships between chapter leaders and the national volunteers who support them.

 

Where does chapter action planning happen?

It will be left up to each individual chapter executive council to determine how and when they want to hold a chapter action planning session. Once chapter elections have completed, your new officers can determine how they want to approach this part of building out their goals as a team.

 

Questions

More information about the RLCs is available by contacting: 

• Gina Farrar, meeting and events specialist, for all travel questions, at gfarrar@sigmakappa.org
• Mary Phillips, director of educational programs, for content and all other questions, at mphillips@sigmakappa.org

 

WHEN:	Friday, June 28 – Sunday, June 30, 2019
WHERE:	Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center 1800 Highway 26E Grapevine, Texas 76051-9641
VENDORS	Coastal Greek | Wooly Threads
SCHEDULE:	Get excited for a full weekend! Our Volunteer Summit schedule is designed to maximize your time and get you the information you need most in order to thrive in your volunteer role. The official program will kick off with breakfast Saturday morning.  We’re planning three dynamic keynote sessions focused on exploring your strengths using the StrengthsFinder assessment, understanding current trends in higher education and how they impact you as volunteers, and digging into diversity and inclusion and what those topics mean for us as a women’s organization. Add to that two dedicated blocks of time for meeting with your team so you can focus on building those relationships that will help you succeed. We will conclude the weekend by 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. Click here to view our full schedule. We can’t wait to welcome you in Dallas for this full weekend!
KEYNOTE SESSIONS:	StrengthsFinder Kirstin DeMartino, PhD Kirstin DeMartino currently serves as the Assistant Director of Student Involvement at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she leads Student Leadership Programs. Prior to her current role, she served as a campus-based fraternity/sorority advisor for nine years.She has earned a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a M.E. in Student Affairs from Iowa State University, and a PhD in Higher Education Administration from Saint Louis University. Kirstin became a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach in 2018 and her Signature Themes are Adaptability, Communication, Woo, Input and Empathy. She is also an alumna of Alpha Phi.      Trends in Higher Education Cassie Gerhardt, PhD Cassie Gerhardt currently serves as the Associate Dean of Students at the University of North Dakota (UND).  In this role, Cassie provides vision and leadership for student engagement and retention initiatives facilitated by the Memorial Union, Wellness & Health Promotion, Student Diversity & Inclusion, and Student Involvement & Parent Programs.  Cassie chairs the Behavioral Intervention Team and is a member of the Care Team.   Cassie is an active volunteer for her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, and currently serves as President of the National Housing Corporation Board.  She is also actively involved in AFA and NASPA.   Diversity + Inclusion Sam Centellas Sam Centellas is the Executive Director and CEO of La Casa de Amistad a Latino Youth and Community Center on the West Side of South Bend, Indiana. He loves working with college students and more importantly fraternities and sororities. He started his own consulting group and travels speaking and working with college students around the country on many topics including hazing, risk management, diversity, eating disorders, and membership accountability. Sam has served on the National Board of Directors for Gamma Sigma Alpha in Los Angeles, the Western Region Greek Association in San Francisco, and his own fraternity, Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Inc. in Iowa City and was a founding Board Member of the National Hazing Prevention Organization the organizers of National Hazing Prevention Week.
TRAVEL:	Ground Transportation: Complimentary ground transportation is available to and from the hotel. You may contact the hotel to request a shuttle in the following ways: by courtesy phones located in baggage claim or by calling the hotel’s main number at 817-481-8444. You will be directed to pick up the van at the airport’s lower level. The shuttle is white with the hotel’s name on the side. Drivers: For those members driving, there is complimentary parking at the hotel. When driving to the airport, please use this address: 2009 Anderson Gibson Road, Grapevine, TX, 76051.
QUESTIONS:	Travel: Check out the Sigma Kappa’s Travel Policy first, then contact Gina Farrar, meetings and events specialist, 317-381-5511, with questions related to Canyon Creek. Registration: Contact Sarah Eller, director of alumnae services, 317-381-5518, for changes in your registration. Programming: Contact Mary Phillips Carlson, director of educational programs, 317-381-5509, with questions regarding the summit agenda or educational topics.

  

Frequently Asked Questions

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