The time has come for convention. What is convention? Glad you asked! We can break down convention into our 3 cardinal principles to make things relate a little more.
Leadership
At convention, we must update and reorganize our national constitution and bylaws. We grow every day and our constitution and bylaws are intended to reflect our current membership and operations. We must update you all on the budget, our growth since the last convention, new changes that are around the corner, or new initiatives that have already been put in place. When we communicate and work on these we call them “Business Sessions.”
One session is for legislative review and is run following Robert’s Rule of Order. Have you forgotten Robert’s Rules or has your chapter put a spin on it? Here is a refresher. During business sessions, you will be seated beside the other delegate from your chapter where you will be given a yellow rose. The yellow rose has two main purposes:
- Twirl if you like something a sister said; and
- Hold up if you have a question, statement, or we are voting.
The flow of business sessions depends on which legislative agenda is being reviewed – consent or discussion. Discussion agenda means there will be a discussion on each proposal that is submitted, it will be considered, and each proposal will be voted on individually as well. The consent agenda indicates there will be a discussion on all items together instead of separately and all items will be voted on at the same time. Items on this agenda are usually minor adjustments like grammatical errors, removing items that we no longer use, or basic operational updates. If you want to know more about this, review the legislation here.
Another business session includes the State of the Sorority. This is where you are filled in on everything OPA from the national level including membership trends, service impact, and member engagement activity. Outside of business sessions, we also want to improve your leadership so we offer Conference Style Sessions you can attend. These will range in focus on the three pillars and you have an option on which ones to attend. We recommend that delegates from each chapter attend different sessions to maximize the information you will gain.
This year we will also be introducing something new, Consultation Cafe! During this time, we will have national team members ready to answer any questions you may have that are specific to your chapter. So this will allow you to get one and one attention with the chapter health team, the Board of Directors, the communications team, and so forth! These will occur every morning before we start the day.
Service
I know you didn’t think we were going to all come together and not serve? This year we will be making blankets for a local chapter of Project LINUS. For more information on this project here is the link.
We will also highlight the amazing service you all did this year at the banquet. Awards will be given out based on service projects and some leadership. If you haven’t applied yet, now is the time. The due date is June 1st. All applications are available on OPAportal.
Sisterhood
We are all so passionate about service, but we must remember we want to know who you are. We want to bond and connect with you. So we have a few featured activities including the rodeo and line dancing. Thursday features the option to take part in line dancing or game night! Friday features the option to go to the rodeo (at an extra cost) or a game night. During both of these times, snack rooms will be available to socialize in and decompress. Saturday is the awards gala which will feature lots of photos, food, and awards. We are going to do a group photo right before the gala. Sometimes there is a little surprise that you don’t see coming.
Now, you might be wondering what you will do with your free time? And just like it sounds that time is free for you to use. You can explore Fort Worth by doing a little shopping, site seeing, visiting local restaurants, partaking in additional services, etc. Convention is the best time to meet sisters from across the country, so we would love it if you would hang out and get to know other sisters from different chapters as well. If you want to be connected in a GroupMe (group messaging app) with other convention attendees or to coordinate rideshare to/from the airport, please fill out this form.
And MORE
There are just so many things to know so here is a little section that hopefully answers all your questions. We will also have an FAQ page and if you have any questions after that please reach out to the convention team by emailing events@omegaphialpha.org.
COVID-19
99% of current registrants have indicated that they are vaccinated against COVID-19. If wearing a mask feels best for you, this is a judgment-free zone. We ask that all attendees test negative no more than 72 hours prior to the start of the convention.
Food, Food, and Food!
Each day we will be providing a continental breakfast which is included with the lodging fees. Lunch will be provided on Thursday and Dinner on Saturday. All other meals are up to you for deciding what you would like and for payment.
Hospitality Suites for Actives and Alumni
Every day we will also be offering a Snack Station for Alums and Actives attending the event. This will be a designated room in the hotel that you can visit to grab snacks or just sent in during allotted times. These times are Thursday and Friday during the 1-2 pm break and after scheduled activities in the evening from 9-11 pm.
Headshots
If you had the privilege of attending the convention in 2019 at Norfolk, Virginia you may know that we had headshots for all sisters. This will continue and will take place all day Saturday.
Lyft Code
We are pleased to offer a Lyft discount code for your travel from and to the airport or train station. Here is the link for the code. It will only work between Wednesday, July 13th -Sunday, July 17th.
When is everyone getting in?
Everyone will get in at different times depending on if they are flying, driving, or even taking the train. If you are flying or taking the train and want to coordinate the possibility of sharing a ride with another sister to save on costs, please submit this form and we will follow up in late June.
Hotel Accommodations
We will be staying at the Springhill Suites by Marriott Stockyards in Fort Worth Texas. Here are directions if you need them. All of our business meetings, breakout sessions, service project and awards gala will primarily occur in this hotel. You are free to explore outside the hotel, but you will not have to travel for convention-related events unless you are attending the alumni luncheon or rodeo.
All room reservations begin on Wednesday July 13th and the earliest you can check-in is 3 p.m.. Check out is at 11 a.m. on Sunday July 17th. If you have any issues with this please let us know sooner rather than later. You will most likely be rooming with who you requested. Final roommate information will be provided no later than July 1st, notifications will be sent out.
When it is time to check into your room, you should NOT be required to present a credit card for incidentals, but you can if you would like. If they ask you to provide a card, please kindly remind the hotel staff that our room charges (room and tax) are being billed to Omega Phi Alpha’s master account.
What to bring?
We will be providing you all with a packet that contains the legislative agenda, the national constitution, a place to take notes, and the itinerary for convention. Here is a list of what to bring (please note this isn’t fully encompassing)
- Toiletries
- Cleanser/makeup remover
- Sunscreen
- Toothpaste/Toothbrush
- Deodorant
- Bobby pins, hair ties, etc.
- Brush or comb
- Makeup (if you would like)
- Body Wash/Soap
- Lotion
- Clothes
- 1 outfit for service
- OPA shirts, sneakers, and comfy pants
- 3 Business Casual Outfits (for the business sessions and conference-style sessions)
- A couple of regular outfits for activities (game night, rodeo, exploring)
- 1 “fancier or cute” outfit for the banquet
- PJs
- Undergarments
- 1 outfit for service
- Electronic Items
- Charger
- Phone
- Laptop (Only if you have additional work to do or prefer to take notes that way)
- iPad (Only if you have additional work to do or prefer to take notes that way)
- Other Things
- Medicines
- Watch (If you like)
- Money
- COVID Vaccine Card or Proof of Negative Covid Test no more than 72 hours before arrival
I know that was a lot, take it all in and get excited to be immersed in friendship, leadership, and service. I truly hope this blog answered any questions you may have.
Before you go, here is one of my favorite quotes when I am excited about something. “Life is meant to be joyful, fun, adventurous, meaningful, and exciting. Having people you cherish come along for the ride is truly a blessing. Cultivating and maintaining these meaningful relationships is such an important part of life.” ― Anil Sinha
There will be more information to come, but I can’t wait to see you there.
– XoXo A Pre-Pandemic Sister