By Jennifer Cady
Province Day Director
‘Province Day 101’
Province Day weekend is an exciting time in Sigma Alpha Iota where members from a province join together to celebrate music, sisterhood, and fraternity spirit. Successful province days do not just happen. They require careful planning and preparation to yield the highest level of benefit for our members.
Secure a Date – the host chapter should secure a date as soon as possible, keeping in mind safe travel, college campus schedules, holidays, etc. By publicizing the date well in advance, the host chapter provides an opportunity for more members of the fraternity to reserve the date in their personal calendars.
Mandatory Events – Each province day is required to have a formal opening and closing ritual. Also, a musicale is required as part of the schedule of events for the day.
Inviting a National or Regional Officer – one of the functions of province day is to help chapters and individual members realize the bigger scope and perspective of Sigma Alpha Iota. Utilize the national and regional officers and directors as a valuable resource.
Work together – enlist the help of members from other chapters in the province. This lightens the load of the host chapter while at the same time promotes increased attendance. Examples include: having at least one member from each chapter perform on the musicale, providing centerpieces, taking part in ritual ceremonies, or requesting participation in workshops or panel discussions.
Focus – center the province day weekend around a main theme or event, in consultation with the Province Officer. The host chapter should design the weekend around the keynote speaker or main topic to be discussed.
Have Fun! – Contagious laughter and genuine friendship go a long way in designing a wonderful province day. We want our members to have such a great time that they look forward to coming back again year after year!