Be a part of the action: national due dates approaching March 15

Active participation by alumni is essential to Mortar Board. There are many opportunities to be involved locally and nationally.

Submit your news to the Forum! Email your information to mbforum@mortarboard.org on or before March 15.

Forum submissions due March 15
Share your story with Mortar Boards around the world! You can send information about your awards, honors, professional accomplishments and family life to mbforum@mortarboard.org.

If you respond on or before March 15, your news will be included in the Spring 2011 edition of the Mortar Board Forum.

Nominations for National Council due March 15
Becoming a part of the National Council gives members and alumni unique opportunities they won't be able to experience anywhere else, like:

• being a part of the governing body of a national honor society,
• meeting members from all over the country at the national conference and serving as a national representative of Mortar Board,
• networking with student leaders and diverse professionals,
• making decisions and being a part of vital projects that will greatly affect Mortar Board, and
• using distinctive talents and building new skills to help Mortar Board be a nimble and member-centered society.

Visit our website to learn more about the positions and how to nominate yourself or another qualified candidate.

Governance recommendations
Do you have ideas or recommendations for the Mortar Board Governance Committee to consider? Governance recommendations can be e-mailed to governance@mortarboard.org. March 15 is the deadline for all recommendations.

Delegates to the Mortar Board National Conference make governance decisions and elect the National Council. Collegiate members and advisors annually attend the National Conference, with one representative from each collegiate chapter (almost always the president) serving as official delegate.

New faces at the National Office

Jennifer Bergman and Becky Fullmer have joined the Mortar Board National Office staff as the development and operations specialist and the communications manager, respectively.

Jenny is a 2005 graduate of The Ohio State University and has honed her skills working at Ohio Wesleyan University and the American Cancer Society, bringing expertise in areas of development, event planning, marketing, communications and fundraising to Mortar Board. She replaces Mary Cay Kuder, who retired November 30.

Becky brings nearly ten years of advanced communications, public relations and nonprofit experience to her role of communications manager. Becky graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English from The Ohio State University. She counts her initiation into Mortar Board in the spring of 1999 as one of the highlights of her college experience.

Join us on LinkedIn

Would you like to network with other
Mortar Boards? Join our LinkedIn group!

LinkedIn is a professional social networking site where you can exchange ideas and information. Many of the discussions on LinkedIn center on career development and job seeking--what a wonderful resource for new Mortar Board graduates and alumni alike.

With over 1,700 current members and new alumni joining every day, the Mortar Board LinkedIn group offers alumni a chance to reconnect with former classmates, network with other Mortar Boards and share thoughts and ideas.

If you want to be a part of the discussion, request to join the group today!

A page from our history

Mary Washington College Installation, May 24, 1959

This photo was included with an article in the October 1959 edition of the Mortar Board Quarterly. The Cap & Gown chapter at Mary Washington College, now the University of Mary Washington, became the 103rd chapter of Mortar Board.

The installation was held during examinations, but it was fit into the busy campus schedule so the class of 1959 could be included. Rose Bennett, author of the article, stated, "The excitement of this new honor, a reality at last after so much suspense and eagerness, caused examinations to be relegated temporarily to a secondary place."

The Cap & Gown chapter has continued a tradition of excellence since then, and was a recipient of Mortar Board's Silver Torch Award at the 2010 National Conference.

With 93 years of history, Mortar Board has countless stories that demonstrate the honor of becoming a Mortar Board. The Mortar Board Historical Publication Committee is continuing its work to compile these stories into a book planned to celebrate Mortar Board's centennial.

Learn more about the committee's work and how you can help record the Mortar Board story at www.mortarboard.org/history.

Mortar Board alumni spotlight

Want to read stories and hear about the accomplishments of your fellow Mortar Boards? Check out our blog!

The Mortar Board blog will be the place to read alumni spotlights, hear news from collegiate chapters, and get stories and information from the National Office. You can find our blog at http://blog.mortarboard.org/.

Subscribe to the blog or follow us on Facebook or Twitter to find out when new stories are posted. If you have ideas for blog posts, send us a note at mbforum@mortarboard.org.

Each year, incoming chapter presidents and other officers have the chance to attend the Mortar Board National Conference, where they experience first hand the rich traditions and history of our society.

They learn from each other, share ideas and thoughts, and become equipped to lead their chapters through the upcoming year.

Mortar Board covers the cost of each chapter's official delegate—usually the chapter president. But the conference could also provide invaluable leadership development training for other chapter officers.

Often chapters do not have the funds to cover the cost of other officers' conference registration. Through our pay it forward campaign, you can help with the cost of sending the chapter president or other officers to the National Conference.

We have all had professors, mentors, or advisors who were instrumental in our own leadership development. Now you can "pay it forward" and help develop new Mortar Board leaders!

Read more about the Mortar Board National Conference and find out how you can help.