The New Five Star Chapter Development Program:
Building Strong Chapters Step-by-Step
Suppose you wanted to start your own business, where would you begin? Well, if you were smart, you'd create a business plan. Your business plan would show your goals for the business, and would also serve as a roadmap for the structure and growth of the business.
In the same way, the new Five Star Chapter Development Program is designed to serve as a "business plan" for your chapter. The program will give your chapter a vision and help you establish goals for what you want to achieve, as well as serve as the foundation for developing a strong chapter. Betsy Donnelly, New England Region Central Vice President and member at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, knows firsthand the impact of the Five Star Program. "We used the program as our business plan; it was our foundation to build everything the chapter wanted to accomplish," said Donnelly. "Using it this way helped us to maintain focus and we were able to achieve the goals that we had set." The Five Star Chapter Development Program incorporates basic chapter administration, the International Service Program, the Honors Study Topic, a college project, regional and international activities, and the Hallmark Awards Program. As a result of the program, your chapter will learn how to organize and plan for the year, thus further developing your chapter.
"I believe the Five Star Program is an excellent tool especially for chapters who are just beginning to become active on their campus or for new chapter officers by helping them set goals and measure their progress," said Sondra Holbert, Ohio Region President and chapter president at Washington State Community College in Marietta, Ohio. "Our chapter has been a Five Star Chapter for seven years and it has helped us plan a comprehensive program to implement on our campus each year." Those of you who are familiar with the Five Star Chapter Development Program are probably thinking, why do we keep calling it "new"? More than a decade after the establishment of the Five Star Chapter Development Program, a Task Force of Society constituents, including regional coordinators, advisors, members, alumni and Headquarters staff, reviewed the program and recommended changes to help make the program even stronger. These step-by-step enhancements help develop a chapter on the local, regional and international level and build a firm foundation for a chapter's continued growth.
Some Highlights of the New Five Star Program Include:- ALL chapters will be on the same calendar year, running from January to December 2005. Why is this important? The new January-December timeline streamlines the Five Star Chapter Development Program for all 29 regions, making it easier to explain to new officers and advisors and making the program more consistent and fair for all chapters.
- ALL Five Star Forms can now be submitted online.
- ALL Five Star Forms can now be submitted by advisors and chapter presidents. Conveniently, your advisor will be notified any time forms are submitted from your chapter.
- To help keep your chapter on track, advisors and chapter presidents will now receive automatic reminders regarding upcoming Five Star deadlines.
- You will also be able to monitor your chapter and region's Five Star progress on the Phi Theta Kappa website at www.ptk.org/fivestar/!
With changes such as these, you will quickly experience the many benefits of the new Five Star Chapter Development Program. Be sure to take advantage of such a great "business plan" for your chapter, and you are bound to succeed!
Katie Fox serves as the 2004-05 International Vice President for Phi Theta Kappa's Division I, representing the Carolinas, Middle States, New England, New York, Ohio and Virginia Regions. She is a business administration and communications student at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. Contact Katie.
