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Mortar Board Week is just one month away
Detailed assistance with Mortar Board Week planning and publicity is available at www.mortarboard.org/mbweek. Gain campus visibility Incorporate recruitment Campus service projects Social events Helpful resources Tapping, orientation and initiation: keys to membership success Membership selection is vital to the success of your Mortar Board chapter. Beyond the selection meeting and submitting candidates to the National Office for approval, the events that follow are essential to future membership involvement: Tapping Orientation Initiation Complete resources and information related to the membership selection process can be found at www.mortarboard.org/membership. Use your national @mortarboard.org e-mail address Mortar Board works with Google in order to provide chapters with a reliable, free e-mail service as well as several other Google applications, including Google Calendar, Docs and Sites. With 7 GB of storage, your Mortar Board Gmail allows your chapter to store important data, newsletters and minutes to pass down from one year to the next. Simply log in at http://chapter.mortarboard.org to access your chapter's account.Google services available through Mortar Board
Finding your username and password National Mortar Board brochure: a great tool  Mortar Board brochures are available, free of charge, to each chapter. These are great for displaying at informational tables.
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. Apply for a postgraduate fellowship on or before January 31 Planning to go to graduate school? Each year, the Mortar Board National Foundation awards fellowships to members pursuing further study in graduate or professional school. Thousands of dollars will be available for Mortar Board fellowships for the 2011-2012 academic year, with applications due on or before January 31, 2011. The Mortar Board Fellowship Selection Committee has designed applications to provide for a streamlined, yet thought-provoking application process that allows each applicant to showcase her/his accomplishments and plans. This committee reviews all completed applications. A completed application for a Mortar Board National Foundation fellowship consists of three parts, outlined below. The deadline for receipt of the completed application (all three parts*) is January 31, 2011.
Chapter Spotlight: University of Washington
The Tolo chapter is full of rich history and traditions. In fact, it is the university’s oldest honor society, founded locally in 1909 (it was chartered as a Mortar Board chapter in 1925). Over the past few years, the chapter has fine-tuned its recruitment and selection procedure in order to maximize the Mortar Board experience for incoming and outgoing students. The chapter has found that by selecting new members in early February, they are able to allow for an extended transition and let each class to get to know three classes – their own, the class before and the class after. This, coupled with strong alumni relations and support of Mortar Board's ideals of scholarship, leadership and service, has built a strong foundation for the chapter. The 2009 recipient of Mortar Board’s highest chapter honor, the Ruth Weimer Mount Chapter Excellence Award, the Tolo chapter is well-known on campus for a number of celebrated traditions. For faculty, the most popular custom is undoubtedly the Mortar Board Excellence in Teaching Award, presented to an outstanding professor who has gone above and beyond. Chapter members enjoy the important connections they are able to make as a result of being in Mortar Board. One reward in particular is the ability of the chapter to have an intimate brunch with the university president nearly every year. At the most recent brunch held this fall, a sincere discussion with Interim President Phyllis M. Wise revealed some initiatives the chapter may want to take on to support higher education during a distressed economy. While the chapter devotes service to the university, members also find time to be actively engaged in Mortar Board projects such as the national project, “Reading is Leading,” and will hold an event to support literacy in underfunded Seattle schools during Mortar Board Week. Throughout the week, the Tolo chapter will also provide students with free coffee and spread the word about Mortar Board membership. "Every successful chapter relies on the participation and support of its members to thrive. In order to have a really strong chapter, it is necessary to not only support the diversity of interests and strengths of your members, but also create a unified group of people," Chapter President Margaux Blitch advised. She continued, "Taking time to get to know each other is key to a cohesive group, and a cohesive group is key to success." |
Deadlines and reminders All reports can be submitted to reports@mortarboard.org! Due January 15 Due January 31
February 13-19, 2011 Due March 15
Due May 15
FEATURED DOWNLOADS
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 member here.
Icebreaker of the month: Supplies: - Pennies (enough for each chapter member and advisor to have one) with recent years, none before 1996 - A small sheet of paper with the text below and attached penny. Happy New Year! Here is your Mortar Board penny for 2011. Whether you keep it in your pocket, purse, wallet, or at home, it will always bring you strength and courage. Each of your fellow Mortar Board members has a penny too – combined we all make 25 cents (or the equivalent amount for your chapter) – It is important to remember during this year that each of us is only a penny, but together we are always more valuable! Procedure: Have members and advisors introduce themselves (name, major, any Mortar Board offices or committees) and tell a brief story from the year on their penny. Recruitment tip of the month With the start of a new term, you have an opportunity to catch students’ enthusiasm and remind them about becoming involved with Mortar Board. Make sure you spread the word about membership in a variety of ways including e-mail, chalking, fliers, word-of-mouth, campus mail and more. "Buzz" tip of the month Every chapter member is a potential walking billboard for Mortar Board. Encourage members to wear Mortar Board t-shirts or hoodies. |
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Having problems viewing this e-mail? View it as a Web site or download a printer-friendly version. You are being sent this e-newsletter because you have been reported as an officer or advisor for your chapter of Mortar Board. If you are no longer a chapter officer or advisor and have already reported this to your local chapter, you may unsubscribe from this newsletter. January 2011 Mortar Board INK | Volume XV, Issue V |
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Mortar Board Week, held February 13 - 19, 2011, is the perfect time for chapters to hold events and celebrate the founding of Mortar Board. Depending on your chapter's size and local campus activities, you may choose to hold one event for the week or host daily activities. 
