Alpha Lambda Delta The Honor Society for First‐Year Students Handbook for Chapter Advisors and Officers Founded in 1924 at the University of Illinois, the Society today has more than 280 acve chapters across the United States and over one million members. Our mission is to “encourage superior academic achievement, promote intelligent living and a high standard of learning, and assist students in recognizing and developing meaningful goals in society.” The Purpose of Alpha Lambda Delta The purpose of the society shall be to encourage superior academic achievement among students in their first year in institutions of higher education, to promote intelligent living and a continued high standard of learning, and to assist students in recognizing and developing meaningful goals for their roles in society. Responsibilities of the Chapter President Be informed of the Constitution and By-Laws of Alpha Lambda Delta and the resources of the national organization. Coordinate the work of chapter officers and work with the chapter advisors. Election of the chapter officers is held annually. Recommended officers are president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, editor, historian, webmaster, junior advisor, and senior advisor. There should be a provision for the orientation of the new officers. Each officer should give a written description and evaluation of the year’s work to the successor. Call the executive officers to meet with the chapter advisors to plan the year’s program. This includes setting goals, a proposed budget, a proposed calendar of activities, reviewing report forms, and establishing financial procedures. During this meeting the chapter advisors’ responsibilities should be described to the officers. Dues for the local chapter should be determined by the needs of the chapter program. Local dues should be sufficient to cover the expense of supplies and any social event connected with the initiation ceremony; however, local dues should be kept as reasonable as possible so as to not discourage membership. Appoint chairpersons or assign officers as needed, such as initiation chair, reception or banquet chair, service and awareness month chair, publicity chair, etc. Arrange the orientation of new officers with the help of the chapter advisor. Membership See that membership eligibility lists are obtained in accordance with national membership requirements and that Pledging and Initiation are conducted in keeping with National Alpha Lambda Delta policy. The list of eligible students should be secured by the chapter advisor(s) after each curricular grading period. Honorary members may be elected by the local chapter with the approval of the chapter advisors. Honorary members may be faculty members or administrators, and are invited to join at no charge. Some of your best support may be your university’s president, provost, honors directors, first year experience staff, residence life staff, or even favorite faculty members. This is a wonderful way to recognize important figures within your university. Send invitation to membership and information materials to eligible students. Responsibility for this task is usually led by the chapter advisor. Student officers and the advisor should work closely to ensure this is accomplished accurately and efficiently. There are several ways chapters may choose to invite eligible members: Online system called MyHonorSociety (MHS) Printed letters mailed to all eligible students 1 Printed letters mailed to permanent addresses or directly to parents A combination of the above Step-by-step guides for using MHS are available on the main page of our website (http://nationalald.org), in the lower right corner. Guides explain logging into MHS, creating an invitation group, personalizing your messages, and updating chapter information. If your chapter does not use the MHS system for students to accept their membership, advisors can complete an online form to upload your membership list: http://tinyurl.com/ALDMembershipOrder Alpha Lambda Delta national office will process membership lists and then send to the chapter the certificates, pins, and any local dues collected or an invoice for national dues owed. To ensure that your membership certificates and jewelry reach your chapter in time for the initiation ceremony, we need to have your list at least two weeks prior to the initiation. It is advisable in the letter of invitation to be specific about membership procedures. Sample letters of invitation are available on the website and are also embedded as templates within the MyHonorSociety system. Responsibilities of Chapter Advisors Alpha Lambda Delta chapters need support from the university or college administration and faculty in order to make a great contribution to higher education. For this reason, it is strongly encouraged for each chapter to have two advisors who work closely with the chapter. The advisors can be either administrators or faculty members. The advisors should be selected upon recommendation of the junior and senior advisors as well as consultation of the executive board of officers. The selection committee should look in a wide variety of departments on campus including but not limited to the library, academic departments, counseling centers, orientation, honors, student life, and first year experience. The advisors specifically serve in the following ways: Be informed of the Constitution and By-Laws of Alpha Lambda Delta and the resources of the national organization. Send invitation to membership and information materials to eligible students. Student officers and the advisor should work closely to ensure this is accomplished accurately and efficiently. Sign all official forms such as those for certificates and jewelry orders, as well as annual chapter reports. Signing such forms and reports includes assisting in preparation as needed and verifying accuracy. Meet with the officers to plan the year’s program. This includes planning a proposed budget for local dues (if applicable), with a record of the balance on hand; reviewing report forms and establishing financial procedures. Act as consultants to the officers in planning pledging and initiation procedures and, in an advisor capacity, help in any way necessary in the preparation of these ceremonies. Participate in initiations or other occasions as needed. Coordinate the collection, selection, and submission of Trow and Stemler scholarship applications. 2 See that the chapter annual reports are properly completed and submitted to the national office on or before May 1. The report is to give the status of the chapter’s fiscal activities as of April 30 for the group tax return prepared by the national office for the Internal Revenue Service. Alpha Lambda Delta Initiation Checklist The following material outlines preparations for initiating new members. This information should be very helpful to advisors and officers, who may adapt it for their own chapter. Request list of eligible students (full-time with 3.5 or better grade point average) from Registrar or appropriate office. If using MHS, request full name and email address. When possible, send letters of invitation to the home address of the student. If doing this, request home/permanent address from Registrar as well. For chapters not using MHS, request name, email address, and home address. Plan method for getting information about Alpha Lambda Delta to prospective members (i.e., letter with a brochure, information session, e-mail). Select date, time, and location of initiation; schedule with appropriate office on campus. Determine method and deadline for receiving membership dues from prospective members. Decide whether or not to hold a reception or banquet following the initiation ceremony, and plan accordingly. Plan content of letter to prospective members and/or agenda for information session: Qualifications for membership Offer of membership Descriptive information about Alpha Lambda Delta Activities and programs of Alpha Lambda Delta Costs involved (i.e., membership dues - national and local) Instructions for those who wish to become ALD members (forms to complete, payment for membership dues, etc.) Date, time, and place of information session, if planned Date, time, and location of initiation ceremony Alpha Lambda Delta brochures (available for FREE, send request to [email protected]) Select and invite honorary members Provide them a description of Alpha Lambda Delta programs, activities, and purposes. Inform them of planned initiation ceremony date, time, and place. Request indication of their interest in becoming honorary members. Request resume and possible interview with those who accept membership. Information Meeting (optional) Provide the following information to prospective members in attendance: General information about Alpha Lambda Delta (history, purpose) Description of programs and activities of Alpha Lambda Delta 3 Possible activities for new members of Alpha Lambda Delta Dues and optional t-shirt costs Deadline for prospective members to decide to become members Date, time, and location of next meeting for prospective members (i.e., pledge ceremony, initiation ceremony, other activity) Distribute applications for officer positions and explain selection process Pledge Ceremony (optional) Select date, time and location of ceremony; schedule with appropriate person Purchase necessary supplies (i.e., candles, ribbons, small safety pins) Assemble needed supplies (white cloth, insignia cloth, ribbons,