ATTEND THE 2014 TRIENNIAL INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION!

Help Pi Gamma Mu Celebrate its 90th Anniversary and Plan its Future – October 16-18, 2014 in N. Charleston, SC.

Next month's Pi Gamma Mu triennial international convention promises to be both an exciting celebration of our 90th anniversary and a productive time of planning for the future. We want you to be there, but deadlines for hotel and convention registrations are approaching!

Pi Gamma Mu student members and other lifetime members are encouraged to submit papers for consideration for presentation at the triennial international convention. All students who have their proposals accepted will receive some funding from PGM (either a one's night stay at the convention hotel or "free" conference registration). Now is the time to plan your trip; now is the time to decide to submit a research paper; now is the time to request support from your local institution for travel funds.

CONVENTION FUNDS AVAILABLE TO CHAPTERS

Each chapter is building a reserve of convention funds at the international office. It grows every time you send applications for membership and initiation fees. The Convention Reserve Fund was established by action of the International Board of Trustees to encourage more chapters to participate in convention activities.

ELECTION OF INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS

Each active chapter is entitled to one vote in the election of international and regional officers of Pi Gamma Mu. These votes must be cast by sending your ballot to headquarters no later than September 25, 2014. According to the Pi Gamma Mu Constitution, the chapter president is to consult with the chapter's members and cast that vote.

TOUR OF CHARLESTON

If you are planning on coming to this year's Pi Gamma Mu Triennial Convention from October 16th through the 18th, then you are in for a treat. We have many wonderful experiences waiting for you, one of which is the Saturday afternoon trip into the heart of downtown historic Charleston, guided by Absolutely Charleston.

Our shuttle buses will arrive at the hotel at 1:15 p.m. to gather us into air conditioned comfort as we travel 7 miles into the downtown area. We will leave the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 1:30 promptly and arrive at the Charleston Welcome Center at 1:50 where our two licensed tour guides will board our buses and the fun begins!

CALL FOR STUDENT PAPERS

Pi Gamma Mu student members and alumni are encouraged to submit papers for consideration for presentation at the triennial international convention. All students who have their proposals accepted will receive some funding from Pi Gamma Mu (either a one night's stay at the convention hotel or "free" conference registration) and the authors of one or two papers will be asked to submit their papers for publication in the International Social Science Review, our peer-reviewed journal. Now is the time to plan your trip; now is the time to decide to submit a research paper; now is the time to request support from your local institution for travel funds. Proposals are due September 15, 2014.

CALLING ALL CHAPTERS – Submit a poster for the Chapter Development Showcase

What has your chapter been up to? Pi Gamma Mu members have traditionally been very active on college campuses and we bet this year has been no exception. We would love to know what activities you have been involved in with your chapter. There is no better way to share that information than to create a poster for the Triennial PGM Convention in Charleston, South Carolina. On Saturday morning, October 18th, 2014 students will have the chance to display their posters and tell everyone about the exciting happenings on their campus.

THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE REVIEW IS NOW ONLINE

We are thrilled to announce that the International Social Science Review (ISSR) is now an online journal. The ISSR is the peer-reviewed professional journal of Pi Gamma Mu. This format change is an exciting advancement for Pi Gamma Mu's prestigious academic journal, which saw Vol. 88, Issue 3 going live online in May. Housed on the University of North Georgia's site, the journal is now accessible to everyone - no subscription required.

NOW ACCEPTING CREDIT CARD AND PAYPAL PAYMENTS ONLINE

The Pi Gamma Mu international honor society has always prioritized excellent customer service and continues progress toward this goal by accepting credit card payments and PayPal payments for merchandise orders online. For the first time in our history, customers can purchase items such as honor cords, keypins, and polo shirts with the click of a mouse.

HISTORY OF CHARLESTON

If you are planning on coming to this year's Pi Gamma Mu Triennial Convention from October 16th through the 18th, then you are in for a treat. We have many wonderful experiences waiting for you, one of which is the Saturday afternoon trip into the heart of downtown historic Charleston, guided by Absolutely Charleston.

Our shuttle buses will arrive at the hotel at 1:15 p.m. to gather us into air conditioned comfort as we travel 7 miles into the downtown area. We will leave the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 1:30 promptly and arrive at the Charleston Welcome Center at 1:50 where our two licensed tour guides will board our buses and the fun begins!

TOM CARSEY TO PROVIDE KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT THE PI GAMMA MU CONVENTION THIS OCTOBER

We are pleased to announce that Thomas M. Carsey will be the keynote speaker at the 2014 Triennial Convention this October. In keeping with Pi Gamma Mu's recent focus on utilizing advancing technologies, Carsey's address will focus on "Social Sciences in the Digital Age". Carsey is the Pearsall Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is also the Director of the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science.

THE SWEETGRASS BASKET TRADITION
– SEE A LIVE DEMONSTRATION AT THE 2014 CONVENTION

Pi Gamma Mu's Triennial International Convention, in October of 2014, promises to include a plethora of historic sights including a live demonstration of traditional sweetgrass basket making. For students studying any of the social sciences this will be the place to be from October 16-18th. Keep tuned to our convention website and upcoming newsletters as we tell you about the activities, seminars and workshops, presentations, tours of Charleston, and people you will meet at the convention.

MAKE YOUR CHAPTER A PI GAMMA MU STAR

Now there are two ways to make your chapter a Pi Gamma Mu Star.

1. Increase your chapter's number of new initiates by 20% or more as compared to the previous academic year.

2. Add a link to the Pi Gamma Mu "Start a Chapter" webpage to your chapter's website.

PI GAMMA MU FOCUSES ON ITS FUTURE AND NEEDS YOUR HELP

This year at the Triennial International Convention, Pi Gamma Mu will be placing a special focus on its strategic plan for the future and we want your input. The board of trustees will be spending time in pre-convention strategic planning meetings and invite all stakeholders to participate in an open Strategic Planning Session on Thursday October 16th at 2:00 p.m. Your input is important to us and we hope that you participate in this very important session focusing on the future of Pi Gamma Mu.

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE PROJECT - Bring a stuffed animal to the convention

In recent years, a feature of our convention has involved both fun and community service. We encourage each delegate to bring to the convention a stuffed animal, perhaps something with your school's logo. On Thursday evening we will collect the stuffed animals for donation to a local organization that can distribute them to children in need.

CONNECT WITH ΠΓΜ ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND LINKEDIN

Here at Pi Gamma Mu, we see social media as another way for us to carry out our mission to encourage scholarship and to foster cooperation and service among our members. Now you can connect with us and other members and supporters of Pi Gamma Mu on the social networking sites you like to use. We welcome your comments, posts, and photos of chapter activities.

STUDENT MEMBERS CAN RUN FOR OFFICE!

Pi Gamma Mu invites student members to run for office! At each triennial international convention, the student members elect two students to serve on the international Board of Trustees for the new triennial (three-year) period. Both student trustees then attend the annual board meetings during that triennium and participate actively in governing Pi Gamma Mu.

Board membership is a sign of respect and accomplishment, particularly if it happens when one is still a student. But it is certainly a significant career milestone at any age.

NEWS FROM THE WEST VIRGINIA IOTA CHAPTER OF PI GAMMA MU
American Military University/American Public University

From hosting the Speaker Series to working on a variety of service projects, the West Virginia Iota Chapter has been busy this year!
Starting in January, the Chapter hosted a variety of Speaker Series lectures including topics about a deployment in support of Hurricane Sandy, SWAT paramedicine and sovereign citizens. The lectures provided interesting insights to our members highlighting issues involving sociological, logistical and training concerns.

ACHS MEMBERSHIP PROTECTS THE LEGITIMACY OF HONOR SOCIETIES

Pi Gamma Mu is one of 66 members of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS), which is the authority on standards and definitions for the honor society movement. ACHS has stepped up efforts to alert the higher education community to the standards of traditional honor societies. In contrast, some new so-called honor societies exist online and allow self-nomination, accepting fees with no questions asked. If in doubt about an organization, you can check out the ACHS Web site (www.achsnatl.org) for the list of honor societies that are members.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

Anytime you move, such as after graduation, please notify the Pi Gamma Mu office immediately. This will prevent your mailings from being interrupted or discontinued. The International Social Science Review is returned to us by the post office, which is an additional expense for the international office to absorb. Just mail a change-of-address card, post card, or letter to Pi Gamma Mu, 1001 Millington St., Suite B, Winfield, KS 67156. If you prefer, you can send an E-mail message ([email protected]), or go to our Web site (www.pigammamu.org) to change your address information. We need your name, as well as your old and new address. Thank you very much for taking a few minutes to keep your information current.

When you graduate, please give us a new E-mail address if you have been using your college address to receive your Pi Gamma Mu Newsletter. At some point (each college is different), your college E-mail address will be eliminated and you will no longer receive the newsletter or other information from Pi Gamma Mu.

CONTACT US

Regular mail: 1001 Millington St., Suite B, Winfield, KS 67156
Telephone: (620) 221-3128
Email addresses:

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