Mortar Board INK: President and Vice President Officer Guide

Mortar Board Officer Guide: Chapter President and/or Vice President

As a Mortar Board chapter president, you should thoroughly understand the function of the national society and all chapter officers. In order to best do this, you should download and read both the Officer & Advisor Handbook and the Membership Selection Handbook. In addition, this condensed officer guide may help you understand your role.

Start off right: stay in touch with the Mortar Board National Office and your section coordinator

While your Mortar Board chapter has strong local traditions and obligations to fulfill, it is also a vital part of the national society. In order for Mortar Board to continue to grow and improve as an honor society, regular communication with both the National Office and your regional section coordinator is key.

If your chapter sends out regular minutes, updates or newsletters, please add your section coordinator to the distribution list.
Pay close attention to all required and optional reports as well as important dates. The Mortar Board report forms page and national Google calendar may help you keep track of these responsibilities.
Always visit the website for the most up-to-date version of forms, handbooks and guides rather than saving these files locally.
Monitor payment of chapter and membership fees (national membership fee, local membership fees, and the conference fee). National membership fees and the conference fee should be submitted to the National Office one week after initiation. Local membership fees can be kept by the chapter.
Submit your chapter’s success stories. The National Office loves to hear about how a chapter is doing. Share your accomplishments by submitting articles to the Mortar Board Forum, applying for national awards or simply by sending an e-mail to mortarboard@mortarboard.org. We want to know how you are doing, and enjoy honoring these achievements with awards!

Review your chapter responsibilities

Call chapter meetings and establish a regular meeting schedule
Preside fairly at chapter meetings
Facilitate chapter goal-setting
Meet with other officers regularly; at the first meeting, ascertain that chapter accounts are current and cleared with the National Office
Encourage, support and motivate the chapter
Update college/university administration on chapter activities
Be familiar with national Bylaws and policies, as well as with chapter bylaws and policies
Thoroughly review the national Chapter Minimum Standards and make sure these requirements are being met
Review and maintain chapter files during the year
Verify plans and implementation of the next chapter’s orientation; preside over initiation of new chapter members
Implement transition/orientation of new officers, advisors and the transfer of resources, files
Encourage members to remain in contact with Mortar Board after graduation

Know your national responsibilities

Make sure that the Officer Address Information Form has been submitted so all officers and advisors can receive the INK and other pertinent information throughout the year
Communicate with National Office and section coordinators as needed or requested
Ensure that all national reports are submitted as complete as possible by the deadline; the president is personally responsible for submitting the Officer Address Information Form, the Chapter Planning Calendar and the Chapter Annual Report, and may additionally be responsible for submitting other required reports or delegating that responsibility to other officers
Verify that the following reports were completed and sent by the indicated officer (see below)

Oversee all reports due throughout the year

Report form	Due date	Responsible officer
Officer Address Information Form	May 15 (or ASAP if not yet submitted)	President
Chapter Planning Calendar	October 15	President
Chapter Project Grant application*	October 15	President or other member or officer such as a service chair or director of communications
Forum submissions*	October 15	Director of communications, historian or president
Virtual Book Drive ends*	November 16	President, service chair or other officer
Membership Recruitment and Selection Plan (MRSP)	December 15	Membership chair, vice president or president
Mortar Board Week Visibility Grant*	December 15	President or other member or officer such as a service chair or director of communications
Fellowship applications and recommendations due*	January 31	Any member
Excellence in Advising nomination*	March 15	Any member or officer
Alumni award nomination*	March 15	Any member
Conference assistant application*	March 15	Any member
Forum submissions*	March 15	Director of communications, historian or president
National conference registration	May 15	Newly-elected chapter president (or other officer in his/her absence)
Official Membership Report (OMR)	Immediately after member selection, before tapping	Membership chairperson, vice president or president
Chapter Annual Report	May 15	President
Chapter Financial Report	May 15	Treasurer
Advisor Annual Report	May 15	Advisor
Historian Annual Report	May 15	Historian
Final OMR and fees	Varies, no later than May 15	Membership chairperson, treasurer
Officer Address Information Form	May 15	President (outgoing or incoming)
Golden Torch Award nomination form*	May 15	Chapter officer or section coordinator
Project Excellence Award nomination form*	May 15	Any chapter officer or member
Most Improved Chapter Award nomination forms*	May 15	Chapter officer, section coordinator or other national representative
Chapter Project Grant application*	May 15	President, advisor or other representative

*Optional

Sample timeline for chapter president or vice president

This timeline is meant to serve as a guideline only and does not incorporate all necessary responsibilities, such as those required by individual colleges and universities.

Summer (May - August)
- Attend the annual national conference in Chicago
- Plan early for all scholarship, leadership, service and fundraising projects that will occur throughout the school year

Fall (September - November)
- Begin general membership meetings (held at least monthly throughout the academic years) and officer meetings
- Participate in fall campus activities
- Create a plan for membership selection (the Membership Recruitment and Selection Plan, due December 15) with the membership chair
- Make sure that all necessary reports due on October 15 are submitted on time

Winter (December - February)
- With the membership chair, submit the Membership Recruitment and Selection Plan (MRSP) by December 15
- Participate in winter campus activities
- Apply for a Mortar Board Week visibility grant (optional) by December 15
- Begin the membership selection process, typically headed by the membership chair (practice the selection process, publicize applications, accept applications, select members, report selected members to the National Office on the Official Membership Report, tap members approved by the National Office, hold an orientation, collect dues, initiate new members and submit all fees to the National Office)
- Encourage chapter members to apply for Mortar Board’s national postgraduate fellowships by January 31
- Celebrate national Mortar Board Week February 14-20, 2010

Spring (March - May)
- Ensure that the Official Membership Report (OMR) and all necessary fees have been submitted to the Mortar Board National Office immediately following initiation
- Hold officer elections
- Hold a chapter and officer transition
- Encourage the new chapter president to register to attend the annual national conference during the registration period, March 15 - May 15
- Participate in spring campus activities
- Make sure all necessary reports due on March 15 and May 15 are submitted on time

Read the monthly Mortar Board INK

The Mortar Board INK, distributed September through May from e-mail address enews@mortarboard.org, serves as a resource for officers and advisors of Mortar Board. This important newsletter includes:

National deadlines
Important reminders
Chapter highlights
Important announcements
Ideas for projects, fundraisers and more

Officers and advisors reported in the Officer Address Information Form receive this newsletter. Please make sure all officers are reported on this form and subscribe.

Important Downloads

Officer & Advisor Handbook