Hunter Hodge, vice president of leadership for Phi Theta Kappa, shares the 2015 five-star chapter plan with the honor society at the Beta Nu chapter meeting Monday in the craft room. Hodge and his colleagues aspire to “expand our presence in the community.” Photo by Tress-Marie Landa
Bylaw revisions could take awhile.
By Kyle R. Cotton
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
With freshly elected officers and a desire to move past recent controversy that removed the president from office, this college’s Phi Theta Kappa Beta Nu chapter reconvened Monday to discuss the organization’s activities and how they should proceed.
Hunter Hodge, engineering sophomore and vice president of leadership, discussed the road map the PTK organization gives to all of its chapters across the US.
Hodge said the chapter as a group can pull together and make a return to a five-star rating.
The honor society for two-year colleges reduced the Beta Nu chapter at this college to a two-star rating for the fall semester based on society criteria for each star level.
“We can lay the ground work for future generations of Phi Theta Kappa to easily do this so that we have standards in place and a format on how we do things,” Hodge said.
Hodge wants new members to be easily incorporated.
“Due to the restructuring we are undergoing, we are technically at a one to two star level, but we will rapidly in the next few months be at a three-star level,” Hodge said. “We as your leaders, and myself in particular are committed to getting things streamlined and getting it done so that we can get back on track and get to the level of leadership that we should be at this college.”
Hodge said he wants to start incorporating people into the process so the next officers aren’t lost when they are elected.
Hodge also highlighted their upcoming meeting at 3:30 p.m. March 2 in the student learning assistance center in Room 707 of Moody Learning Center, where they’ll have a workshop for using Orgsync.com software, five-star status and orientation for new members.
“This is the chance for you as Phi Theta Kappa members to not help make your chapter better, but also you as an individual,” Hodge said.
Among those plans could be a revision of the bylaws.
Club adviser and astronomy Professor Roger Stanley said the organization is operating under 2011 bylaws and any decision concerning the bylaws must first be approved in a vote by PTK members.
“We are trying to modernize the bylaws and there are a few that are obsolete, referencing awards and positions that haven’t been given out in years,” Stanley said. “No final decision has been made on the bylaws and it’s an ongoing discussion.”
Stanley said he doesn’t expect the bylaws to be presented to members until at least March 16 and said, “It may take awhile.”
Speech sophomore Kim Briana-Lorine, despite being removed from the post of president, received the white house’s bronze Presidential Service award for completing more than 100 hours of community service.
“When I first came here I didn’t even know about Phi Theta Kappa or even where Loftin was, and since I joined Phi Theta Kappa it brought out the spirit of service in me,” Lorine said. “The true reward was the people I got to help.”
For information on the honor society, call Stanley at 210-486-0058.
