Why mentoring is the responsibility of every sister

One of the best ways to strengthen the Sisterhood is by helping members of your chapter develop a better understanding of P.E.O. You make a difference when you serve as an officer or hostess, chair a committee or give a program. Yet perhaps the best way to deepen sisterly relationships is by becoming a P.E.O. mentor.

What is a mentor?

A mentor is an experienced individual who helps and guides another individual’s development. The term “mentor” originated from Homer’s poem The Odyssey. When Odysseus, king of Ithaca went to fight in the Trojan War, he entrusted his kingdom to Mentor. Mentor oversaw the education of Telemachus, Odysseus’ son.

What is a P.E.O. mentor?

A P.E.O. mentor is a sister who guides the development of another P.E.O., helping her learn the ways and customs of our organization.

When is mentoring appropriate?

New members. New members benefit greatly from learning about P.E.O. from a chapter mentor. Research tells us that initiates who become active participating members of their local chapter within the first three years feel more connected to their sisters and are much less likely to become inactive.

Transfers. Members who transfer into your chapter may be recent college graduates who were initiated into their mother’s chapter before leaving for college, or an unaffiliate member who hasn’t been actively participating for quite some time. These members may benefit from having a P.E.O. mentor who will help remind them of meeting protocol and other P.E.O. matters.

Nonparticipating members. Every chapter has sisters who, for one reason or another, are not able from time to time to actively participate. If this description applies to one of your close chapter friends, be
intentional about staying in touch with her and keeping her informed about chapter life. This will help her feel more comfortable about returning to active participation when the time and circumstances are right.

Reinstated members. Depending upon the amount of time a reinstated sister has been inactive, she may find it useful to have the counsel of a good mentor who will help her become acquainted with new P.E.O. customs. If a sister has recently reinstated into your chapter, ask her if she would like help in this area. Be mindful that some reinstated sisters may need more mentoring than others.

Who can be a P.E.O. mentor?

Every sister with a heart for P.E.O. and the desire to help her chapter sisters develop a deeper understanding of the Sisterhood can be a mentor. P.E.O. was founded more than 140 years ago by seven college girls who treasured their friendship. This sentiment is still one of the driving forces in our organization and serves as the foundation for P.E.O. mentoring.

How to be a P.E.O. mentor

Teach by example. When you are actively participating in chapter life, other members see your passion and enthusiasm for P.E.O. Do your best to exemplify the Objects and Aims and your sisters will take notice.

Offer information. P.E.O. is a fluid, growing organization that changes to meet the needs of our members and the women we serve. Stay informed about P.E.O. customs, newprojects and other opportunities. Share these enthusiastically with the sisters you mentor.

Be patient and encouraging. P.E.O. membership lasts a lifetime. Know that your encouragement and patience will help each sister you mentor find the best way to participate in our sisterhood based upon her respective time, talent and interests.

Provide appropriate challenges. Effective mentoring will deepen your friendships and provide you with insight into your sisters’ leadership potential. Appropriately challenge your sisters to take an office, serve on a committee (maybe with you?), act as hostess or give a program.

Be there. Know what’s going on in your mentee’s life and provide sisterly support when appropriate. Let her know she can call on you for help, advice or to answer any questions she may have about P.E.O.

How to develop a mentoring program in your chapter.

Now that you understand how important it is to nurture each sister, consider implementing a mentoring program in your chapter.

• Implement a mentoring program for new members as they are initiated. Feel free to use the Mentoring New Members resource in the online tool box as a template to create something similar for your chapter.
• Ask the corresponding secretary to fill out the Chapter Statistics Worksheet and read the numbers aloud at a chapter meeting.
• Based on your chapter’s individual statistics, identify sisters who may need nurturing. Remember to include new members as well as transfers, nonparticipating and reinstated members.
• Once you’ve identified members who may benefit from mentoring, assign sisters who will mentor them on a one-to-one basis.
• Choose mentors who are knowledgeable and passionate about P.E.O. Consider having the president or membership committee chairman assign the mentors.
• Decide how long each mentoring relationship will last. While it’s recommended that initiates be mentored for a period of three years, the length of time needed to mentor your transfers, nonparticipating and reinstated members should be evaluated individually.

When sisters feel accepted and purposeful, they are more likely to introduce their friends to P.E.O. As our membership grows, it gives us the resources we need to fund our projects, giving birth to new educational opportunities and expanding our worldwide outreach. Keep that in mind each time you interact with a new member or communicate with a P.E.O. sister who has moved to a new community or chosen inactive status. Membership is the responsibility of every member. When done intentionally, mentoring effectively enhances sisterly friendships and helps grow a strong organization.

Membership Resources Available in the Online Tool Box

International Chapter’s Membership Team has developed a comprehensive online tool box to help you grow and strengthen your chapter’s membership.

Contents include counsel for membership materials, resource documents, programming ideas, membership forms, SCMA Pilot Programs and new membership initiatives. New documents are added frequently and can be downloaded, printed or viewed directly from your personal computer.

This tool box is located on the P.E.O. website on the membership page. Look for the .

The following documents referenced in this article can be found in the online membership tool box for local chapters.

• Chapter Statistic Worksheet—located in the Programming panel.
• Mentoring New Members—located in the Resource Document panel.