Forum photo contest
| Congratulations to Northern Illinois University's Pleiades chapter on winning the Forum photo contest! We had some really great photo entries -- be sure to look for your chapter photos in the On Campus section of the next Forum! |
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Dear {{{firstname}}},
We know you are working hard to have your chapter make its mark on campus. You are building on the traditions of the members who have come before you, and we thank you for the time and effort you are putting in to your chapter!
As important as your other chapter events are, selecting new members is the most important way to ensure the continued success of your chapter.
Completing your Chapter Action Plan (CAP) should have given you a general framework for your selection process. Though the actual selection season is still a few months away, take the time now to develop a comprehensive strategy for recruitment and selection. Trust us – a little prep time now will pay huge dividends when it is time to select!
Whatever questions you may have about this process, we are here to help. Your section coordinator and the National Office are happy to help in any way that we can. The Membership Selection Handbook is also a great resource to use.
And, remember: tapping is sometimes the first real, personal experience that new members have. It is something that many Mortar Boards remember forever. We challenge you to make your selection and tapping worthy of your chapter and of our Society!
Megan Stevens
Assistant Executive Director for Chapter Development
Why membership selection is so important
You know that Mortar Board is different. More than just an honor that you can list on a résumé, membership in Mortar Board is about actively serving your campus community. Through your participation, you learn not only practical leadership skills, but you learn how to leverage your influence and connections for the good of your community.
How can your chapter really fulfill that vision unless you select the best and brightest leaders to carry on that work?
Even a single “off” year for recruitment and selection can have a significant effect on the traditions you – and all of the classes before you – have worked so hard to put in place.
Think of yourselves as stewards of your chapter. You work to build upon existing traditions and find opportunities to serve in new ways. But you are also “holding” the legacy of the chapter for the classes that will follow you. A successful selection is one of the most important ways you steward your chapter.
Selection P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N
There are seven steps to having a successful selection. You can find more information on these steps in the Membership Selection Handbook, but here are the basics for a perfect selection:
| P-E-R-F-E-C-T SELECTION |
Plan – Planning is such an essential part of this process! You got a great start on your planning with your CAP. Now you can start to solidify your strategies and the specific steps you will take throughout selection.
Engage – Engage your chapter members in this process. Talk to them about their own selection. Why was it important? What are the great things you have experienced together so far? Build enthusiasm for your chapter’s legacy. You will need your entire membership involved in this process, so get them involved early!
Reach out – You will find TONS of great tips on how to recruit members in the Membership Selection Handbook. Just keep in mind that recruitment is not limited to students. The faculty and staff on your campus can be a great resource for you! They know the stellar students in their departments. Just think about how great it would feel to be nominated for membership by the faculty and staff of your program!
Formulate – Don’t worry, this doesn’t really involve math. This is all about your chapter determining who your ideal candidates really are. Of course, you will select based on our Society’s ideals of scholarship, leadership and service. But take the time to discuss, as a group, what that means to your chapter. Find helpful discussion questions and topics in the Membership Selection Handbook.
Elect – This is when you will really get down to business. Find the steps and procedures to make your selection run smoothly in the Membership Selection Handbook. Choose a date for your chapter’s selection meeting. Make sure to give everyone ample notice, as all members must be present. Remember that selection is absolutely, 100% confidential. Results must not be discussed outside of your chapter.
Check – Now that you’ve selected your members, you will need to fill out an Official Membership Report (OMR) and submit it to the National Office. This is a vital step in the process! You may not tap new members until your OMR is approved by the National Office.
For the sake of everyone’s sanity, you should turn it in at least two weeks prior to your tapping. This is a quick process and we can generally turn around your OMR within 48 hours.
Tap – Tapping day is SO MUCH FUN! You will get to see the excitement and surprise on your new members’ faces when you arrive. Tapping is not the same as initiation, but is a step that occurs after a candidate applies and has been selected, but before being formally initiated.
It is simply a way to publicly (and memorably) let candidates know that they have been chosen to become Mortar Boards. The phrase “tapping” comes from literally tapping a new member with a mortarboard to signify selection for membership. Tapping is a great way to be visible on your campus. Make your tapping worthy of your chapter and of Mortar Board!
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After your tapping, you will plan for orientation, initiation and your chapter’s transition to the new class. Those topics will be discussed in depth in future issues of this newsletter.
Finally, have we mentioned yet that there is a great resource where you can find all of the information you will need for a successful selection? It’s called the Membership Selection Handbook.
How to get in touch with eligible candidates
So you know that candidates must be in the top 35 percent of their class and have at least junior standing (they must have at least one semester/term to serve as an active member prior to graduation). How do you get to these students to invite them to apply?
Ask your registrar for a list of eligible students. If the registrar’s office cannot provide you with these names, it may be able to send out an email message to these students on your behalf. The easiest and most cost-effective way to contact prospective members is via email.
Ask faculty and staff for recommendations. As mentioned above, faculty and staff can be a valuable resource for you! Actively publicize your selection season to them. Send them emails or put notices in the faculty newsletter. Make it easy for them to find a nomination form!
Word of mouth. Word of mouth can be one of the most powerful and effective ways to recruit new members. People listen to people they trust. Ask your members and advisors to put the word out to their personal networks. Make presentations to other student organizations. Are there Mortar Board alumni on your campus? Get them involved in your recruitment.
General publicity. Fliers, chalking, banners and information sessions are all important parts of publicizing Mortar Board to the general student body.
OMR Jeopardy
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Let’s play a game called OMR Jeopardy. There is this Microsoft Excel form, called the Official Membership Report (OMR) that you will use to report your candidates to the National Office. See if you can answer these questions:
Answer: An Excel form that lists all of your candidates for membership, including your candidates for honorary membership.
Question: What is an OMR? (Okay, we pretty much gave you the answer to that one.)
Answer: An exciting event that can’t take place until your OMR has been approved by the National Office.
Question: What is tapping?
Answer: A box of “goodies” for your new chapter members, including membership certificates, pins and member guides, that is sent after your OMR is approved by the National Office.
Question: What is a membership box? (You will need this for your tapping, which is ANOTHER reason why you must submit your OMR before you tap!)
Answer: At least two weeks before your planned tapping date.
Question: When should the OMR be submitted to the National Office?
Answer: 48 hours
Question: What is the amount of time the National Office will need to approve your OMR. (See? If you turn it in two weeks before your tapping, we can get it approved, get your certificates printed and then mail you your membership box in plenty of time. No sweating things at the last minute!!)
Those are the basics. There are three parts to the form and it is really easy to fill out. Please take the time to understand and know all of the proper OMR procedures!
Virtual Book Drive update: over $11,000 raised so far
Mortar Board chapters have raised over $11,000 to support our Virtual Book Drive with First Book. With the funds raised so far, more than 4,700 books will be given to children in need!
We know that more chapters will be raising funds in the last few weeks of the drive. Thank you all for your deep commitment to support our national project, Reading is Leading. Together, we can help children establish a foundation for lifelong learning.
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