Chapter in the Spotlight: Alpha Chi Nu

The Alpha Chi Nu chapter, from Southern Maine Community College, became well known to other chapters within the region through a great presentation by an international student from Malawi during this past spring’s Regional Convention.   Solomon Nkhalamba, Alpha Chi Nu Vice President of Service and All-State Academic Team member from the state of Maine for 2009, served as the spokesperson for Better World Books and explained to the chapters in attendance about how he led his chapter to work with the Better World Books program. 

As a small chapter, they were struggling with how to recruit enough active members after recently reactivating as a One-Star chapter.   They used the Better World Book Drive, collecting books for children in Africa, as a way to gain awareness on campus and as a fundraising tool for their chapter.  Taking the lead in the project, Solomon was the main contact to the Better World Books headquarters.   He ordered the drive’s collection boxes and researched and distributed the boxes to different locations on campus to get the most attention from students, faculty, and staff, as well asthe community.  Under Solomon’s leadership, the chapter was very successful in promoting the project to others and the drive was extremely successful.  Additionally, Solomon took on the responsibility of entering the book’s information into the Better World Books website to make sure that the books are eligible for the program.  This takes much patience and effort on the computer; however, Solomon understood it was a way to increase the amount of money the chapter would raise from this fundraiser.

During the 2008-2009 school year, Alpha Chi Nu submitted 117 books that were accepted by Better World Books, and raised $117 for the chapter.  The ineligible books were donated to Goodwill. This is a great project that Alpha Chi Nu will continue to participate in for the upcoming year.  More than that, the chapter wants to have a book sale with the books that are ineligible to be submitted to Better World Books and then donate the money to a local charity.

This project is fun, easy and very effective.  It is a good start for small chapter and can even be turned into a great project for the Honors in Action program.  If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact the Regional Officers so that we can direct you to the Better World Books representative in your area or put you in contact with the Alpha Chi Nu chapter for tips on making the project successful.  Thank you to Solomon and Alpha Chi Nu for their contribution!

Summer Academies

NERA, the New England Region Alumni Association, is very pleased to be offering its first-ever Honors in Action Chapter Officer Academy and the 2009 New England Region Advisor Education Conference! The academy and conference will be held simultaneously on Saturday, July 18 at Massasoit Community College in Brockton, Massachusetts, hosted by the Alpha Kappa Upsilon chapter. The cost for all attendees is $10, which includes a catered lunch. To register, visit the NERA Summer Academies website.

Attendance at both of these academies will help chapter leaders get started on the right foot as they begin the 2009 – 2010 year and work towards their goals for excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Fellowship. Although the speakers have not yet been finalized, the general schedules for both the Honors In Action Chapter Officer Academy and the Advisor Education Conference are available.

We hope to see you in Brockton this July! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact NERA Southern Vice President Ashley Odell.

Final 2009 – 2010 Regional Officer Elected

Andy Clicquot, a member of the Alpha Kappa Upsilon chapter at Massasoit Community College, has been elected to the vacant second officer-at-large position for the New England Region.

A Criminal Justice major, Andy is a New York native but was raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He returned to the United States in summer 2007 for college and was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa in October 2008. Andy says that Phi Theta Kappa “is a united family devoted to supporting its members and its communities” and that he will work as officer-at-large “to bring the chapters together, along with the rest of the team.”

The regional constitution that was approved by chapters last year calls for a full regional election at the Regional Convention held every March. Any remaining positions after that election are filled through a special election at the International Convention in April. If any vacancies remain after that election, as one did this year, the Regional Advisory Board elects the remaining officers.