from ΑΑΞ Reporting Secretary Melissa Savoy
Phi
Theta Kappa Orientation Meeting Review
Alpha
Alpha Xi Chapter – November 4, 2015
The meeting was called to order at 3:19 p.m.
The meeting was opened with an ice breaker which posed
a question that members could answer. A
$25 gift card was given away to the person with the correct answer. It really does pay to come to chapter
meetings!
The chapter Fellowship Officer, Jessica Arriaga,
introduced herself and other officers. Omar
Demachkie is the Leadership Officer, Kennedy Agusi is Scholarship Officer, and
the Service Officer for the chapter is Jay Saadaddin. Forrest Garrett is Media Specialist, and Chapter
Secretary is Melissa Savoy. Dr. Jon Ewing
was introduced as one of the chapter advisors.
Omar introduced new members to what Phi Theta Kappa is
about and covered membership requirements and benefits. Students can hone their leadership skills and
learn how to work within a team. Members
have access to various different types of scholarships and are provided with
important tools such as how to write a resume and much more.
The Leadership officer has the responsibility of
spearheading the College Project. Omar
discussed that the annual project has an environmental focus this year. Alpha Alpha Xi will have a Richland College lake
cleanup on Saturday, November 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Professional equipment used for the cleanup
will be provided by facilities.
Volunteers are needed, so please contact Omar if interested. The project will also be presenting
environmental/recycling workshops in The Learning Center this semester and
next. Students are encouraged to sign-up
to take the workshop. Service Learning
hours may be obtained from attending the workshop.
Duties of the Scholarship officer include
communicating the status of scholarships to members and leading the chapter
Honors in Action project. Kennedy
mentioned that there are scholarships currently open that will be closing in
less than a month. Members may go to the
website for further details.
Jay discussed that duties of the Service officer
include providing members with opportunities to volunteer and work in a service
capacity. One such opportunity is the
Kids Kingdom Playground committee.
Volunteers will be building a wheelchair assessable playground for children
with disabilities. Students may go to www.signupgenius.com
to participate. This project will be
taking place in November and December, and they have various types of volunteer
opportunities held on different days.
Omar encouraged members to register for the Service
Learning program and mentioned that it is a nice addition to add to a college
resume. Students may register for
Service Learning in The Learning Center.
The Fellowship officer plans chapter events like
fundraisers and fellowship nights.
Jessica informed new members that the chapter usually has a fellowship
night approximately once a month with movies, pizza, and ice cream. The next Alpha Alpha Xi fundraiser will be
selling cakes and pies, and the date will soon be announced. Watch for an email for further details.
Jessica covered the different tiers of the Phi Theta
Kappa organization. The international
level at the top is followed by the Texas Region, District II, and finally our
local Alpha Alpha Xi chapter of Richland College.
Members who have joined Phi Theta Kappa are encouraged
to attend the Fall Induction Ceremony held in Fannin Hall Auditorium on Sunday,
November, 22. This is a special ceremony
that celebrates and recognizes your achievements. Family members and friends may attend. There will be two guest speakers, and
students will have their pictures taken by a photographer. The ceremony is from 3:00 – 4:00, but
inductees need to be there no later than 1:00 p.m. Afterward, there will be a fellowship dinner
at a local restaurant from 4:30 – 7:30.
The attire is business, so please dress accordingly; no jeans or tennis
shoes. Jackets and coats should be left
in the car as students will not walk the stage wearing them. Ladies are advised not to wear high-heels because
members will be walking across a stage and climbing risers.
Membership to join Phi Theta Kappa is a $95 one-time
fee. There are funds available for those
who have an economic need for paying club dues. Dr. Jon Ewing explained to new members that
there are scholarships available to students who cannot afford the dues. A scholarship form was provided to those
interested.
If you have not yet accepted membership, go to the Phi
Theta Kappa website, click on “Accept Membership”, and enter the same email address
from which you received your invitation.
The organization is officially called Phi Theta Kappa and is not
referred to as “PTK”. Chapter leaders
are elected at the end of the semester and hold their positions for one
year. Prior to elections being held, interested
members are given a chance to talk about why they would like a leadership
position and what they believe they can do for the chapter.
Chapter Media Specialist, Forrest, advised members of
the many different ways to stay in touch with the organization and receive news
of upcoming events. Members were urged to
sign-up for the newsletter and “Like” the chapter Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ptkaax. The chapter website address was shared www.ptkaax.blogspot.com
along with the chapter email address ptkaax@gmail.com.
Dr. Ewing mentioned to those in attendance that if
they have not yet received an invitation to join and think they are eligible, to
please verify that the requirements have been met. Members should have completed 12 credit
hours, be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours, and have at least a 3.5 GPA. If you are eligible and interested in
joining, please contact Dr. Ewing.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:04 p.m
