WELCOME NEW CHAPTERS

We have had another good year for new chapters chartering - two new chapters during the 2009-10 school year – the Missouri Xi chapter at Harris-Stowe State University and the West Virginia Iota chapter at American Military University.

We had five chapters reactivate during the last year. They are the Louisiana Theta chapter at Our Lady of Holy Cross College, Mississippi Zeta chapter at William Carey College, Pennsylvania Xi chapter at Seton Hill University, the Illinois Gamma chapter at Bradley University and Vermont Beta chapter at Norwich University.

PI GAMMA MU DIRECTORY

Continuing demand by members of Pi Gamma Mu to obtain entries in the first-ever Pi Gamma Mu membership directory has motivated the international Board of Trustees to ask Harris Connect to extend the deadline for members to call the publisher to confirm the content of their entries. We understand that this will delay until March distribution of the copies of the directory to members who have already ordered them. Dr. Gordon E. Mercer, international president of the society, asks those who have ordered copies to accept our apology and remain patient, because the result of the extension will be a more complete directory that will be more valuable to all of us.

PHILIPPINE CHAPTERS PRESENT AT THE SCIENCE COUNCIL OF ASIA CONFERENCE

The Symposium entitled Today’s Realities Through the Lens of Social Science was the Social Science contribution to the Science Council of Asia Conference – a conference dominated by the physical, biological and medical sciences. The conference was held at the Sofitel Hotel in Manila from June 13 to 16, 2010. The Pi Gamma Mu symposium took place on June 15 in the afternoon.

The social science symposium included three papers, the abstracts of which are presented as an attachment to this report. All of the three Pi Gamma Mu chapters in the Philippines participated. Specifically, the moderator of the session was Dr. Margaret Udarbe, president of the PGM chapter of Silliman University and the paper presenters were Dr. Elena Pernia and Darlene Gutierrez, both from the University of the Philippines Alpha chapter and Dr. Exaltacion Lamberte, president of the de La Salle University Beta chapter.

PI GAMMA MU HONOR SOCIETY'S "SHADOW PRESIDENT" EVALUATES AND ADVISES PRESIDENT OBAMA

At the 2008 Pi Gamma Mu triennial international convention held in Atlanta, Ga., Eric Knutson was elected by students from colleges and universities across the United States to be the honor society's "shadow president." Pi Gamma Mu believes that students and government benefit when students are more involved in democracy. Eric, as shadow president, was given the responsibility to evaluate the new president's activities and give him policy advice. Originally from Schuyler, Neb., Eric graduated with a B.S. in History, summa cum laude, from Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb., in May, 2009.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITES

MEMBERSHIP IS AN EMPLOYMENT PLUS

Membership in Pi Gamma Mu may affect the Civil Service rating at which a person enters Federal Service. Preferential treatment for honor society members was granted by the US Civil Service in 1973 and is continuing. A letter from the US Civil Service states, “Membership in a national honorary society meets one of the requirements for entrance at the GS-7 level in numerous professional and technical occupations in the Federal service. However, applicants must meet all of the requirements as described in the particular Federal Job Announcement covering the position for which they apply.”

HONOR CORDS

For those of you graduating this year, there are honor cords available at the Pi Gamma Mu office. You can proudly wear these attractive royal blue and white cords at your graduation. The price of the cords is $15.00 each plus $2.95 for shipping and handling. It is quite an honor to be a member of Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society and honor cords are our most popular item. Please plan ahead and order your honor cords early. Send your check and return mailing address to headquarters or call (620-221-3128) to give us a credit/debit card.

HALL OF FAME AWARD

In 2004 the Board of Trustees established the Pi Gamma Mu Hall of Fame. Th first inductees were announced during the Triennial Convention in 2005. They were Pi Gamma Mu Founder, Dean Leroy Allen, former Executive Secretary Effie Urquhart, forer Executive Director Ina Turner Gray and former board member Dr. C. Howard Paterson. At the 2006 board meeting, the board announced that board member emeritus Dr. Scott Johnson was being included in the Hall of Fame. The 2008 Triennial Convention saw Dr. Orville Menard, former board president, and Dan Quigley, long time board attorney, join the Hall of Fame in the Honoree Extraordinaire category.

PI GAMMA MU SOLICITS YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT

While Pi Gamma Mu is not the largest or wealthiest of the 62 national and international honor societies affiliated with the national Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS), arguably our international officers and trustees and our chapter sponsors are the hardest-working volunteers who can be found in any of the societies.

Please, would you consider being one of our tenacious partners? We gratefully accept donations of any size.

CHAPTERS IN ACTION

The Maryland Epsilon chapter at Coppin State University, as well as other groups on their campus, took on a grand project recently. They sponsored and participated in a community service activity to clean up a neighborhood that had been neglected for some time. View the Powerpoint presentation they put together of this helpful project. Other chapters might consider doing something similar in their area.

A MATTER OF ETHICS

The Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) chose a three-tier national project on ethics: A Matter of Ethics. This project was such a huge success, they voted to continue their ongoing efforts for another three years. This will allow ACHS honor societies to unite in a common program and provide opportunities for collaboration of individual societies on campuses. Each campus may choose their topic of ethics as they see fit. Participation in this national project would be voluntary and vary by discipline, chapter, and size. The hope is that colleges and surrounding communities will become more aware of the various facets of ethical issues, and to serve as role models of ethical behavior for members of the academic community.

DOES YOUR CHAPTER HAVE A BANNER?

Our PGM banners have been very popular, and we have had to reorder more. These banners are great to use at your initiation ceremonies, and you can display them in a prominent spot to advertise your chapter. The banners are made of two thicknesses of heavy royal blue nylon with white fringe on the top and bottom, a white cord and tassels with which to hang the banners, and our key pin design screen printed in white. The banners come with a gold rod through the top. They are ready to hang on a wall, or over a podium. The new banners are 2 feet by 3 feet in size. The price is $75, so order one for your chapter soon.