The Journey
A newsletter for chapter advisors, chapter officers, and regional officers.
May 2000 Issue
Journey Challenge 2000: The Real Reason Why Your Chapter Should Accept the Challenge
International Officer Editorial by Wade Hale, 1999-2000 International Vice President for the New England/ Middle States Region
It's another membership drive. They just want more members. It's a numbers game with an impossible goal set by people who have no idea what it's like for our chapter. How many of you have heard these sentiments, or others like them expressed?
Last year, as a chapter president, I heard these comments. So, I am sure that you did, too. Now, as an International Officer, I still occasionally hear them – along with questions like, “Is membership so low that we need these drives?” The answer to that is a resounding NO. In fact, last year's Journey Challenge was wildly successful. Nearly 400 chapters increased their membership by 20 percent or more. The Challenge was so successful that, with great regret, the awards for meeting the challenge had to be mailed to avoid using at least two entire Convention General Sessions just for presenting the awards!
So, that being said, why another challenge? The answer is quite simple. It is another membership drive and we do want more members. BUT, the challenge is not for the reasons you may be thinking.
First, the acceptance rate of membership in Phi Theta Kappa prior to the first Journey Challenge was rather dismal. Fewer than 15 percent of those students who had earned the rights to membership ever accepted their invitations. With the first Journey Challenge the acceptance rates increased, in some cases quite dramatically.
When you think about all the benefits and scholarship opportunities available through membership, however, shouldn't we be well over acceptance rates of 50 percent? Are we really doing all that we can if a majority of students are not accepting an honor they have already earned? Of course not, that's why there is a Journey Challenge 2000.
What do you say when someone tells you it's all about numbers and all about money? When your chapter members want to know why you are asking them to work as hard as they did to meet the first Challenge, you have to tell them they are absolutely right.
You see each member of our Society is a resource. Each additional member is one more possible pre-screened excellent recruit for senior institutions looking for outstanding transfer students. Your membership tells the recruiters that you are a member of the top echelons of academia. You earned your way here via your GPA. Your membership is an indicator to them that you can meet the challenges their schools provide, and that you are likely to do so at the top of the class.
There really is power in numbers! The more Phi Theta Kappa members we have, the more senior institutions we can attract to offer Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships, and the more funding these four-year institutions will be willing to set aside for those important scholarships that you are eligible to receive simply because you are a Phi Theta Kappa member! In the end, a little more hard work to build membership now can lead to much greater benefits for all Phi Theta Kappans. So, it is about the money ... your money.
The 1999-2000 International Officers are asking you to continue the momentum of the first Journey Challenge with Journey Challenge 2000. Your efforts were well received. More eligible students than ever before had a greater understanding of the benefits of Phi Theta Kappa membership and chose to join our family. We think it can be done again. Here's what we're asking for:
- Give us just one more –
If your chapter increased its 1999 membership by 20 percent or more, we are asking that
you induct the same number of members as you did in 1999 plus just one more member.
- Try again – If your chapter did not increase its 1999 membership by 20 percent, we challenge you to try again. Your challenge goal will be the same as it was last year.
- For the Regions – Yes, we did include another challenge for the regions. We cannot meet our goals of fully informed candidates for membership without your help. We are challenging each region to help spread the word. To meet the Regional Journey Challenge 2000, 70 percent of the chapters in a region must accept the challenge AND 40 percent of those chapters accepting the challenge must achieve their goal.
Chapters and regions must formally accept the Journey Challenge 2000. We are encouraging acceptance via e-mail at journey.challenge@ptk.org.