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Just two weeks to finalize your Mortar Board Week plans
Detailed assistance with both planning and publicity for the week, including a helpful Visibility Resources Folder complete with sample postcards, posters and press releases, is available at www.mortarboard.org/mbweek. Get membership and selection help with these tools The privilege of selecting new members is the most important task a Mortar Board chapter completes. It is of the utmost importance that the chapter takes on this responsibility with great care, as the chapter's future success depends upon it. Pre-planning and national resources can help your chapter's process go smoothly. All resources and information related to the membership selection process can be found at www.mortarboard.org/membership. If you have questions or concerns at any time, contact the National Office or your section coordinator. Resources to help you learn about the process
Samples to use on your campus
Properly filing the Official Membership Report (OMR) The Official Membership Report (OMR) is the most important Mortar Board report of the year. It provides Mortar Board with vital demographic information about new members so their eligibility can be approved by the National Office and the data can be used for our permanent records. Your timeline regarding this report should reflect the following:
Detailed instructions for properly filing the OMR can be found on page 9 of the Membership Selection Handbook or online. Bonus! Submit your OMR by March 15 and receive free white linen folders What happens if we don't select a new chapter? Stay involved in Mortar Board: become a conference assistant! Each year, Mortar Board invites outgoing chapter members to apply to be conference assistants. If you enjoy pulling off large events, have great attention to detail, are willing to jump in where help is needed, and are enthusiastic about Mortar Board, we would love to have you! Benefits of being a conference assistant:
Applications should be submitted to the National Office on or before March 15. Candidates must be available to participate in the conference from July 22 - 25. Additionally, your chapter advisor or administrative liaison must submit a recommendation form on your behalf. Have questions about being a conference assistant? Contact Megan Stevens at mstevens@mortarboard.org. Honor your advisor with an Excellence in Advising Award nomination Chapters are encouraged to nominate outstanding advisors to be recognized for their contributions and ongoing dedication to Mortar Board with the annual Excellence in Advising Award. Chosen recipients provide outstanding service, guidance and support to a collegiate chapter and are honored at the annual Mortar Board National Conference. Nominate your advisor on or before March 15. A complete list of previous recipients is available online. If your advisor has received the award in the past five years, they are ineligible to receive the award this year. National conference deadlines and fees announced Mortar Board's biggest annual event, the Mortar Board National Conference, is scheduled to take place from Friday, July 23 through Sunday, July 25 in Chicago. Each chapter must send an official delegate in order to remain in good standing nationally. If possible, this delegate should always be the newly elected chapter president, but can be another chapter officer or member in his/her absence. Important dates
Registration costs
*Official delegates who register on or before May 15 do not have to directly pay for the conference. Their conference costs, including travel and standard hotel accommodations, are covered by the $200 conference fee each chapter is required to pay annually, as well as funding from Mortar Board, Inc. and the Mortar Board National Foundation. Delegates who register after May 15 must pay a late fee of $75. Chapter Spotlight: Indiana University of Pennsylvania
With recruitment efforts including publicity announcements in student newsletters, Mortar Board fliers, an improved website and online applications, the chapter expects to tap another amazing class of members during Mortar Board Week on February 16. These selected candidates and current members will then join for a fun orientation and social outing at a College Lodge, a relaxing log cabin off campus, complete with information about Mortar Board, snacks and sledding (if weather permits). In March, a memorable initiation and dessert reception held in a university ballroom will allow friends and family to celebrate the momentous occasion of being invited into Mortar Board. Once the initiates feel comfortable with their knowledge about Mortar Board, an officer election and transition will be held prior to the semester’s end. Lindsey DePra, the chapter president who was also elected at the 2009 Mortar Board National Conference to serve as the National Council Student Representative, has taken great pride in leading the chapter during this academic year. When asked if she could offer one piece of advice to other chapters, Lindsey said she thinks it is important to engage all chapter members in decision-making and finding opportunities for involvement. She explained, "From the start our chapter members have contributed ideas for service opportunities and social events for our group. We’ve tried to be involved in a variety of events where as many members as possible could participate…Our group definitely wouldn’t have had such a successful year if it wasn’t for all of the members contributing and making Mortar Board special." She went on to point out that it is important to take advantage of the expertise of advisors and section coordinators, who contribute great amounts of support to the chapter. She explained, "Our members are very inspired by how involved our advisors are with the group, and Katie [Chick], our section coordinator has been a huge support for us." |
Deadlines and reminders All report forms are available online and should be submitted to reports@mortarboard.org! March 15
May 15
Icebreaker of the month Marooned Supplies needed: Pens/pencils, scraps of paper, container/hat Procedure: 1. Ask each member to write down which three people (dead, alive or imaginary) they would want to have with them if stranded on a deserted island. 2. Collect all the answers and place in a container or hat. 3. Select 2-4 scraps of paper. 4. Read each name on the first sheet aloud, pausing between names. Have members raise their hands if they wrote that name, lowering their hands if the next name does not match a name on their list. 5. Ask the member with a hand still raised to come forward and introduce himself or herself and briefly explain the thought process. 6. Repeat with each scrap of paper. Variations: Instead of asking about people, you could ask for three books, movies, CDs, types of food, etc. Recruitment tip of the month Incorporate recruitment into your Mortar Board Week plans. Use the week, February 14-20, to celebrate the history of Mortar Board on your campus, promote membership by holding information sessions, meeting with potential members, sharing application forms or tapping selected candidates. White T-shirts on sale now Does your chapter need something to wear during Mortar Board Week? Our white screened tees are on sale now through February 20 for just $4.99 each, or a special bulk rate of $3.99 each for an order of 10 or more! Helpful recruitment brochures available 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:
Increase your membership applications by 10 percent All chapters have been presented with a “10 in ‘10” challenge to increase the number of applicants for each chapter by 10 percent. Based on the numbers reported by your chapter in 2009, your chapter should make it a local goal to increase campus visibility and membership recruitment, and therefore receive 10 percent more applications. If you do not know the number of applications received in 2009, please contact your section coordinator or the National Office. Alumni awards: nominations sought
Do you know an outstanding alumna or 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. Showcase your chapter's accomplishments in the national magazine The deadline to submit chapter updates or stories for the Mortar Board Forum Spring 2010 edition is Monday, March 15. Each chapter's director of communications is encouraged to submit at least one update to share with alumni, friends and members in the Mortar Board Forum each academic year. What to submit Some things you can submit are:
See what has been submitted in the past by viewing the Spring 2009 and Fall 2009 OnCampus section. How to submit it Send your 100-200 word story in a Word or text document (complete with your name, office/position and college/university) and any high-resolution pictures to mbforum@mortarboard.org. Pictures should not be embedded in your Word document. Connect with
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