Submission Guidelines Step 1 of 3 33% My Soror. My Sister Greek. First off, I want to say thank you for taking the time to write your own love letter. It will be an honor to read each and every one. I got the idea for this book while riding in the car on a beautiful summer day with Sorors (of course). A Soror was teasing me about how much I love on Sorors and said I should write a love letter. And like the nerd I am, I wrote it down in my notes for another day. But the idea of writing love letters to my Sorors stuck. I quickly realized that it is not just my own Sorors who have been the bomb.com in my life. But there are women from other Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLO) who have been instrumental in my growth. And they would have something amazing to say. I want to strip away all the business and bureaucracy of our Sororities and highlight the joy of being in each of our organizations. The joy exists in the sisterhood. Here are the guidelines for how to write a great letter entry to be considered for the book or complementary video project. This process is open to women from all Black Greek Letter Organizations recognized by the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), as well as organizations recognized by the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO). If you are a member of a band Sorority or other type of service Sorority, please indicate that with your submission for consideration. You MUST be a duly initiated member of your organization. Our panel of readers is comprised of members of each of the four (4) Black Greek Letter sororities of the “Divine 9” and from the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO). If you are a member of another Sorority and your letter is selected, we will need to verify your membership. This is a letter. Even though you won’t mail it, it will be printed like a letter would be if you received it in the mail. So think of the Soror or Sister Greek who you will be writing your letter to before you get started. There are 12 categories to choose from and they are outlined below. You must pick one category to write your letter about. If you’d like to submit more than one letter for consideration, you have to submit each entry separately. You can write this letter to a Soror or Sister Greek who is living or deceased. We all love a good story, but even the best story has limits. You will have a maximum word count of 1000 words so make it good. Your letter is yours; it really is. But if you need to change the name of the Soror you are writing to or any details of events, so you don’t “put all your business in the street”, I encourage you to consider a different person or topic. Why? Because all of the stories will be read and these are love letters. Do NOT write any disparaging stories about your Sorority. That means - don’t submit something that will shine a negative light on you, your chapter and/or your organization. I understand that every story of sisterhood isn’t sunshine and daisies; but these are love letters, dear hearts, not “reads”, so there will be no telling anyone off. I mean...If you submit that, we will still read it, but it won’t be selected. Do not submit any ritualistic words or phrases as a part of your submission. We do NOT want to have to give your letter the side-eye because you wrote something out of protocol. Okay, now that we’ve gotten the business out of the way, we are ready for the fun stuff. Here are the categories for submission: Worth The Wait This is for the Soror who became a member of your organization after a long wait. Maybe you wanted to join when you were in undergrad but there were obstacles in the way: there was no chapter, the chapter was suspended or you didn’t make line or [insert your story here]. Or maybe you moved so many times after undergrad, you always missed the opportunity to join a graduate/alumnae chapter. Write a letter about your experience becoming a member after 5 or more years out of undergrad. I Almost Didn’t Make It This is for the Soror who almost didn’t make line. Maybe you were studying abroad and weren’t plugged in during undergrad. Maybe you traveled so much for work that you missed the announcement for Rush. Maybe a family member was ill. Or your grades weren’t quite right the year before. Maybe you just “messed up”. Whatever your reason -- somehow -- you were invited to join and were fortunate enough to make it. Write a letter to the Soror who was instrumental in making it happen for you (and tell us your story too). I’m Sorry This is for the Soror who messed up. Big or small but big enough that you’re not talking anymore. Whether it was a falling out with your line sister, your big sister, your sands or another Soror, you’re not talking anymore. Taking responsibility and genuine apologies go a long way and it’s never too late to say “I’m Sorry”. It’s time to move forward. Write a letter to the Soror whom you have fallen out with and let her know how you feel and that you’re ready to make amends. To My Younger Self This is for the Soror who has lived some years and has advice to offer her “younger self”. What would you tell your 18 year old self about college? About Sorority life? What lessons do you know today that you wish you had known “back then”? Write a letter to your younger self that prepares her for life as a member of your organization. My Sands, My Linesister, My Ship Your Back. Your Front. Your Shadow. Your linesister. You can choose your friends but you don’t get to choose your line sisters. It’s so amazing that life (and your process) brings you into the same orbit as women you might not have otherwise met or hung out with. But by the time you became a member of your organization, you couldn’t imagine life without them. Write a letter to your line sister(s) that expresses how much your unique journey with them means to you. My Legacy Children are gifts. And having girls who can possibly carry on your legacy as a member of your organization is arguably one of the greatest benefits of membership. Some might say it is the cherry on top. Whether that young women is your daughter, granddaughter, niece, goddaughter, sister OR mama, having a legacy (and I would say being a legacy) is both an honor and comes with great responsibility. This is for the Soror who has a legacy or is a legacy. Write a letter to your legacy (even if she isn’t of age yet) telling her how much your organization means to you and what you hope for her if she decides to pursue membership. And if you already have a Soror/legacy, write a letter about what that experience means to you. I Forgive You This is for the Soror who has been holding onto “stuff” for years. Maybe it was a disagreement gone terribly wrong. Perhaps it was over something really serious. You might not even remember what exactly happened (but the feelings of disappointment, anger or resentment remain). Write a love letter to that Soror letting her know that you forgive her. That it’s time to move on. If we are really being honest, forgiveness is not for them. Forgiveness is for you. My Spec Special. Spec. Spesh. No matter how you say it (or how you spell it), she is the Soror you have a special relationship with. You’ve worked on this relationship over the years and grown together. More than a Soror, she is also among your closest friends and confidantes. Whether you asker her to be your Special or you were asked, write a letter that loves on your very special relationship. The Ace, The Tail, The Rock Listen, every number is special (I happen to think 3’s are amazingly fantastic). But there is no denying that there are a few positions on any line that play a particularly integral role in line mechanics, line dynamics and line relations, like the ace, the tail and “the rock”. Being a solo is a special kind of experience, unique to the women who have come into their respective organizations without line sisters. Being a tail, holding a sense of accountability for the women who quite literally stand before them. Being “the rock”, that woman charged with the conscience, consciousness and memory of her sisters. Write a love letter to that Soror (who is an ace, tail, rock or solo) or write a letter about your experience as one of these Sorors. The Business Of Sisterhood If we can be honest, no matter what organization you belong to, the business side of sisterhood can be tough. There’s nothing warm and fuzzy about policies and procedures or elections and plenaries. And sometimes, in our pursuit of getting the business done, the sisterhood can fall in priority. But because we handle business, many of us have been able to pursue educational opportunities, advance in our careers, create growing businesses and maneuver any room we enter. Write a letter to a Soror whose ability to “handle business” has influenced your life in the best way. Sisterhood Through Transition Life can come at you fast and it seems like the only currency we don’t get to replenish is time. Whether it’s celebrating career success, dealing with loss, having kids, health, marriage, divorce, or any life change, your Sorors are there to catch you, lift you and carry you through to the other side. Write a letter to a Soror whose support made all the difference during your time of transition. Game-Changing Women - Women Who Shaped Me We all have one or two or a dozen. There are women who have poured into us and helped shape us into the women we are today. For some, it may be your mother, grandmother or godmother. For others, it may be your chapter advisor. It may be a chapter president, pastor, prayer partner or older Soror with 50 plus years of service. Write a letter to that Soror telling her how transformative your experience has been because of her. I understand that my membership will be confirmed & I agree to the terms and conditions.* Yes This Copyright Assignment is made by and between You (hereinafter referred to “Assignor”) and KISHSHANA PALMER. WHEREAS, Assignor also known as Volunteer)is the owner of all right, title and interest in and to the submitted poem, story or literary work (hereinafter referred to as Works); and WHEREAS, Assignor is desirous of assigning all right, title, and interest to the copyrights (and all renewals and extensions of them) to Kishshana Palmer of KISHSHANA & Co., Inc., a New York Corporation having a principal business address of 5 Penn Plaza, 23rd Floor; New York, New York 10001 (hereinafter referred to as "Assignee"), and Assignee is desirous of acquiring all right, title, and interest in and to said Copyrights. NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of Volunteer's personal and moral satisfaction in seeing the needs, goals and teachings of KISHSHANA PALMER further expanded and promoted, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged by Volunteer, the parties hereto agree as follows: Assignor hereby assigns to Assignee, all right, title and interest throughout the world in and to the Copyrights (and all renewals and extensions of them), together with the right to recover for damages and profits, and all other remedies for past infringements thereof. Signed on* Assignor Signature* Name* First Last Email* Phone*What Organization are you with?*Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.Gamma Phi OmegaAlpha Pi SigmaKappa Delta ChiLambda Theta NuLambda Pi UpsilonLambda Pi ChiSigma Iota AlphaSigma Lambda UpsilonChi Upsilon SigmaOmega Phi BetaOtherEnter your organization's name*When were you initiated?* Chapter of InitiationTerm of InitiationFallWinterSpringSummerAre you a legacy?*YesNoAre you active?*YesNoWould you like to be anonymous?*YesNoLetter Category*Worth The WaitI Almost Didn’t Make ItI’m SorryTo My Younger SelfMy Sands, My Linesister, My ShipMy LegacyI Forgive YouMy SpecThe Ace, The Tail, The RockThe Business Of SisterhoodSisterhood Through TransitionGame-Changing Women - Women Who Shaped MeYour Letter*Would you like to be considered for our docufilm?*YesNo
