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A little friendly competition between Mortar Board chapters certainly doesn't hurt - it only helps those in need. The University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC) are competing in a Cross-Town Show-Down Book Drive this year from February 11 - 15, during Mortar Board Week. Each chapter will attempt to collect the most book donations from faculty, staff and students at their respective universities. At the end of the week, they will join to celebrate the winner and share in the selection of the beneficiary. In a related style devoted to the national Reading is Leading initiative, Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati will hold a contest called the “Mortar Board Crosstown Fundraiser.” Each chapter will collect donations to support the Cincinnati Public School system, and funds raised will go to the system to purchase math textbooks for those in grades 9 - 12. The winning chapter gets the pride that comes with winning, but both chapters will share in the glory of giving. Rather than compete, some chapters work together to enjoy the opportunity to get to know each other and benefit a worthy cause. This year marks the 7th anniversary of San Diego State University (SDSU) and the University of San Diego (USD) joining forces for their backpack stuffing event. The chapters collect school supplies, then join with the San Diego alumni chapter to stuff backpacks for children of low-income families. Each chapter then chooses a recipient - last year, USD donated the backpacks to a low-income middle school in San Diego and SDSU choose an orphanage in Mexico. To find out all the great things chapters are doing to celebrate Mortar Board’s 90th anniversary, check out this list. To add your chapter's event, please e-mail mbforum@mortarboard.org. Selection by Consensus: your method for selecting new members Each Mortar Board chapter should select new members using a model called Selection by Consensus. This model utilizes multiple rounds of voting and requires candidates to be approved by 80 percent of the general membership. Chapters must select no more than 50 candidates or 1.5 percent of the junior class (whichever is higher), and no fewer than 15 candidates or 10 percent of the junior class, (whichever is lower). An advisor must be present, and it is recommended that a practice selection meeting be held prior to the actual selection process. Round one: Subsequent ballot rounds: After group discussion of the remaining candidates, conduct another round of voting. The maximum number of votes one may cast is limited to 50 minus the number selected in the first round; the minimum should be 15. Candidate names are never eliminated from the list, and each may be considered more than once in successive rounds. After each subsequent round, the names of those who received 80 percent of votes are declared selected for membership into Mortar Board. Discussion and balloting/rounds continue until the chapter does not select anyone on three consecutive ballots/rounds. At that time, the selection process shall be considered complete. More information on the Selection by Consensus method can be found in the Membership Selection Handbook.
Updated Mortar Board brochures are available, free of charge, to each chapter. These are great for displaying at informational tables during the selection process! To request your brochures, simply e-mail mortarboard@mortarboard.org with the following information:
Don’t have time to request the shipment? Print a high-resolution version yourself or take a peek at what you’re ordering online today. Do you know how your membership materials will be received? It’s selection time. Below is a brief outline of the selection process:
In order to receive pins and certificates, your chapter must complete the Official Membership Report (OMR). This form reports candidates your chapter has selected for national approval. It is important that each chapter submit their OMR two weeks before tapping to allow time for approval of candidates, tapping, generation of certificates and the shipment of your materials.
This month, a new orientation package will be sent ahead to help with your orientation planning. Please read and become familiar with the material that has been sent in advance as a way to share the benefits of a having a Mortar Board chapter on your campus:
If you need additional copies of the Member Guide after you determine your chapter size, please let the National Office know. Chapters who have already submitted their OMR will receive combined orientation and certificate packages. Have other questions? All the membership selection information you need is available at www.mortarboard.org/membership. Reading is Leading/Mortar Board Week photo contest deadline approaching The chapter to submit the MOST photos of their group in action at Reading is Leading or Mortar Board Week events will win free T-shirts for their entire chapter. Just be sure to send your photos in an e-mail or CD to the following address, postmarked by February 29. If you win, we’ll contact you asking for a list of quantities and sizes, so be prepared!
Graduating? Run for alumni representative on the National Council Would you like to continue your Mortar Board experience? Serve on the board of directors of a national nonprofit organization? Make vital decisions impacting Mortar Board’s future? If you answered yes, then you may want to run for at two-year term on the Mortar Board National Council as an alumni representative. One person will be elected at this year’s national conference (July 25-27, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio) to serve as the alumni representative. Specific duties include serving as a liaison to the alumni committee and assisting with alumni programming. National Mortar Board historians need YOU The Mortar Board Historical Publication Committee is seeking assistance from every collegiate chapter in a project to write a book highlighting Mortar Board’s century of scholarship, leadership and service. Please help the chapter by naming a historical liaison (NOT the chapter historian) to remain as a contact for the committee over the next few years. This person at your college or university may be a longtime Mortar Board advisor, a Mortar Board alumnus, or a student affairs employee. Send this person's name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address to Mortar Board Historical Publication Committee Chair Martha Tykodi at history@mortarboard.org. Chapter spotlight: Purdue University 
Purdue University’s Barbara Cook chapter of Mortar Board, a former Ruth Weimer Mount Chapter Excellence Award recipient, is a portrait of success. The group diligently works to incorporate Mortar Board’s three key ideals of scholarship, leadership and service into their events. Despite their numerous ongoing traditions and activities throughout the year, the group looks forward to three large events each year, all of which are remarkably successful. The first is a school calendar listing all university events, sold to faculty, staff and students, named the "Mortar Board." This tradition was first started in 1945 and continues today with 2007-2008 sales hitting approximately 21,000. The second is the Mortar Board Leadership Conference, a one-day conference attracting more than 300 Purdue students, nominated by faculty, staff and student organizations. There, participants are able to attend three different break-out sessions on various aspects of leadership development, as well as hear from several motivational speakers. The third is the chapter’s Reading Extravaganza, a Reading is Leading event that brings more than 500 local schoolchildren to hear stories read by Purdue celebrities and Mortar Board members. Some famous readers include former member and current New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and former Purdue First Lady Patty Jischke. On top of these three great events, the chapter still finds time to participate in numerous service events, give to charitable causes, host a Freshman Scholar Athlete Dessert, sponsor a Women of Purdue reception and recognize individuals with awards and $25,000 in fellowships. With so much on their plate, it is difficult to understand how the chapter makes it work. One key to success is that each member is either an officer or committee chair, and serves on at least two other committees. Despite the fact that it seems strenuous, every member has at least one specified duty that keeps members focused and dedicated throughout the year. When asked what the most important thing about being chapter president is, Thomas Jeschke gave two incredible bits of advice. In his opinion, it is important to remember that all members have been selected as a result of their involvement, and are likely very busy with school and other activities. He recommends a president be aware of this and respect the time of chapter members, running meetings in an efficient and organized manner. He summed it all up by pointing out the importance of recognition for those who perform. In his words, “A president should be the last person to take credit when something goes right, and the first person to take it when something goes wrong.” |
Deadlines & Reminders Before tapping Official Membership Report (OMR) (Due immediately after selection and before tapping of new members) March 15 Mortar Board Forum magazine submissions due Alumni Award nomination form due Conference assistant application due National Council nomination form due Excellence in Advising Award nomination form due National conference registration opens May 15 Final OMR and fees (or within one week of initiation) Officer Address Information Form (or immediately following chapter officer elections) National conference registration due Chapter reports due: Annual chapter award nominations due: Golden Torch Award nomination form Project Excellence Award nomination form Most Improved Chapter Award nomination forms Chapter Project Grant application due Chapter website Award nomination form Only two weeks left to save with Mortar Board Week sale Mortar Board’s white screened tees are on sale now through February 15 for just $7 each, or a special bulk rate of $6 each when chapters order five or more! The sale ends soon, so get your T-shirts today! Alumni awards: nominations sought Do you know an outstanding alumnus? Mortar Board is currently accepting nominations for the Alumni Achievement Award and Distinguished Lifetime Membership Award. Learn more about specific qualifications for each award or nominate an alumnus here. Icebreaker of the month The Paper Exercise Supplies needed: 8 ½ x 11 sheets of paper for each member * Give each member of the group, including the facilitator, an 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper. Instructions: 1. Fold the paper in half. * Allow members to open their eyes. * Members will see that this resulted in many different shapes of paper. This explains the need for two-way communication. People perceive instructions differently, thus resulting in many different designs. Therefore, it is important to properly communicate what one wants. If time permits, you may choose to put members into pairs. Have the pairs sit back to back and repeat the exercise using two way communications and find that the patterns will be more what the communicator desired.
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New brochure available