The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

"Partnering For Success" wound up more than the name of workshops held for chapter officers right before and throughout the 2010 Phi Kappa Phi Convention that took place in early August.

The official name of the Convention was "Traditions & Transitions: Responding to a World of Change." But partnering for success describes what the 137 chapter delegates, other chapter representatives, present and past board members, headquarters staff, awards recipients, and guests — more than 250 attendees total — did at the Kansas City, Mo., Airport Marriott over an extended weekend of brainstorming, networking, voting, celebrating, and socializing.

Highlights included:

• Partnering For Success meetings for chapter delegates and officers to learn ways to increase membership, involvement, and visibility, among other topics.

• The election of the 2010-12 Board of Directors (Diane G. Smathers is President-Elect) and Regional Representatives on the Society’s Chapter Relations Committee.

• Convening the inaugural Council of Students and electing two Vice Presidents for Students to the Board of Directors.

• Approval of the 2010-12 budget and changes to the Society’s bylaws.

• Speeches by outgoing President Robert B. Rogow, incoming President William A. Bloodworth, Jr., and Society Executive Director Perry A Snyder.

• Presentations at a formal dinner by recipients of Phi Kappa Phi Awards.

• Lunchtime talks by the 2010-12 Phi Kappa Phi Scholar, Sarah Rajala, an electrical engineer and dean of engineering at Mississippi State University, and the 2010-12 Phi Kappa Phi Artist, David Northington, a classical pianist on the faculty of University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

• Recognition of outstanding chapters.

The original version of this story ran in the fall 2010 edition of Phi Kappa Phi Forum.