The BGS Centennial Celebration

Beta Gamma Sigma is preparing to begin a nearly 18-month celebration for our Centennial. Although we don’t officially turn 100 until February 19, 2013, we plan to kickoff these celebrations in 2012 and promote a variety of special activities and programs through May 2013. We wish we could host one big party, but given a membership of over 675,000 residing in over 160 countries, we simply cannot.

Instead, we plan to take the celebration directly to the Society's members. But to do that, we need the help of our collegiate chapters. As such, we wanted to provide you with some additional information about the programs and projects we have in the works.

BGS Is Everywhere Centennial Photo Project

As a truly international honor society, Beta Gamma Sigma members are found around the world. To capture this in pictures, members are encouraged to send photos of themselves taken with an exclusive Centennial icon. This icon is a stuffed owl named after Beta Gamma Sigma's first president Fayette H. Elwell.

Professor Elwell (the stuffed owl) will be sent to every collegiate chapter this spring. Members will also be able to download a picture of him or order him on the BGS Store. The BGS website will include an exclusive section where members and chapters can upload their photos, with notable submissions highlighted monthly. Special awards will be given to winners of categories based on creativity, representation, and diversity of location.

Categories will include: For Collegiate Chapters: >> Photo with most BGS members standing around BGS Bronze Key or University Signage >> Most creative photo celebrating BGS’ Centennial For Individual Members OR Chapters: >> Photo taken furthest from BGS Central Office For Individual Members: >> Photos of self from the most countries >> Photos of self from the most US states >> Photo with most BGS members from one family >> Most unique place or photo (awarded monthly)

Participants of the Fall 2011 BGS Student Leadership Forum at Graceland posing with Professor Elwell

Fayette H. Elwell was selected the very first president of Beta Gamma Sigma on Feb. 19, 1913 at the first biennial convention of the new Honor Society. He held titles of importance with the Society for eight years and was named Beta Gamma Sigma’s “Honorary Grand President” during the BGS 50-year celebration. Now, an additional 50 years later, BGS wants to recognize the significance of Professor Elwell’s contribution to the Honor Society through this special photo contest.

BGS Gives Back

Instead of receiving gifts for its Centennial, the Society hopes for just the opposite: that members offer gifts of time and talent to their communities around the globe. The BGS Gives Back Initiative will coordinate this effort.

Wouldn’t it be fascinating to know how many hours BGS members volunteer, to how many organizations, over how many states and countries?

Imagine the level of charity that could be accomplished if only 5 percent of Beta Gamma Sigma’s 675,000 members volunteered their time. Now imagine what would happen if that number doubled or tripled. How many hours could be donated? How many organizations could be served? What impact could be made?

A special online tracking system will allow members to login and report their community service hours. The system will keep a continuous count of the hours individually contributed, as well as the cumulative hours of the entire BGS community. Members are encouraged to log their service from February 19, 2012 to March 1, 2013.

We hope that you will encourage your students to take part in this program, and to celebrate the centennial through the spirit of service.

Meet the Leaders of Business Centennial Speaker Series

Beta Gamma Sigma recognizes the importance of letting the “Best in Business” learn from the best of business. Consequently, the Society has put together a special speaker series program as a gift to its members as part of the Centennial celebration.

The Meet the Leaders of Business Speaker Series will offer the direct perspectives of top business professionals, and will serve as a great way to better yourself as a business professional while developing a deeper connection with your Honor Society.

The speaker series schedule is as follows:

Spring 2012 - Atlanta, GA
Summer 2012 - Cleveland, OH
Fall 2012 - Philadelphia, PA
Fall 2012 - St. Louis, MO
Winter 2013 - Los Angeles, CA

Beta Gamma Sigma will also hold satellite events in conjunction with selected speaker series events, allowing participants from a variety of locations to come together, network with fellow lifetime members, view the video simulcast and interact with the presenter, just as if they were there in person.

Centennial Resource Kits

While Beta Gamma Sigma as a Society will be kicking off its Centennial Celebration in February 2012, the Central Office understands that many chapters will be focusing their celebration efforts on the 2012-13 academic year, which Beta Gamma Sigma's 100th anniversary falls within. To aid chapters in commemorating the Centennial, the Central Office will be providing chapters with a special Centennial Resource Kit.

These kits will be sent to chapters in Summer 2012, and while their exact contents are still in the works, they will contain a variety of items to assist chapters in promoting the Society and the Centennial. If you have any suggestions for items to include in these kits, let Beta Gamma Sigma know. Send your suggestions to Amber Nicholson at anicholson@betagammasigma.org

Centennial Items at the BGS Store

In addition to the various items that will be made available to chapters within the Centennial Resource Kits, Beta Gamma Sigma will also be posting a variety of new items to the Beta Gamma Sigma Store and the Chapter Supply form on the BGS Online Ordering System.

The Central Office will highlight new items in upcoming B-Mails as they become available. So keep an eye out for these Centennial themed items, and let us know if you have any suggestions for additional items you would like for us to develop.