As I travel across the country and around the world, there is often some level of confusion as I discuss Beta Gamma Sigma. As members, you know that lifetime membership means you are a part of the international honor society that recognizes excellence in business subjects. However, for those non-members, and especially those located outside the United States, Beta Gamma Sigma may be a foreign (pun intended) concept.

On college and university campuses in the U.S., honor societies are well established as formal opportunities to reward outstanding scholastic effort in various subjects. Phi Beta Kappa (liberal arts and sciences, established 1776), Tau Beta Pi (engineering, 1885) and Kappa Tau Alpha (journalism, 1910) – along with Beta Gamma Sigma (1913) – are some of the oldest and most respected honor societies. They each voluntarily adhere to the rigorous standards set by the Association of College Honor Societies (www.achsnatl.org) and recognize outstanding scholarship in their specific field.

However, even in the U.S., there are other, non-honor-society organizations that are known by Greek letters. Our organization is often confused with social fraternities and sororities, and this confusion can be compounded because they also reside on college campuses. They usually have very different missions than honor societies, however.

Many social fraternities and sororities welcome members based on service and/or leadership activities. Others –
probably the best-known Greek-lettered organizations – are predominantly social in nature. While they often have scholarship, leadership and community service requirements attached to membership, their reputations are sometimes unfairly weighed down by their “Animal-House” public reputation. Especially outside the U.S., the movie “Animal House” is often the first image that comes to mind when discussing Greek-letter organizations. That is truly unfortunate. While beer drinking, partying and hazing have captured the media’s attention when it comes to these groups, most they generally do a lot of positive things for their communities.

The International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma, however, is a dynamic organization dedicated to recognizing outstanding scholarship in business subjects, as well as providing continuous lifetime assistance as its members progress in their careers. A perfect example of our commitment to lifetime enrichment is the Center for Ethical Business Leadership. This was highlighted in the last issue of the BGS International Exchange, and if you haven’t had a chance to check out the website at www.EBLCenter.org it would be well worth your time to do so.

The BGS Scholarship Program, which has awarded more than $1.4 million in student scholarships since 1988, and the Student Leadership Forum Program are both examples of assisting student members as they prepare to be future business leaders. Our efforts to provide career assistance through BGS CareerCentral and the Virtual Career and Graduate School Fairs highlight our commitment to finding valuable opportunities for lifetime members. We work with dozens of affiliate organizations – Kaplan, Becker, Princeton Review, Avis, Enterprise, Barnes & Noble.com and many, many more – to find great bargains for our members. As a Society, we promise to continue finding more opportunities for our lifetime members.

This summer the BGS Board of Governors will participate in intense Strategic Planning sessions, with the goal of setting the Society’s course for the next three to five years and beyond. The organization’s leadership recognizes this as a vital moment in Beta Gamma Sigma’s history. Never before has there been such enthusiasm for our programs among members; or a greater need for our services; or more challenges facing the world of business. As with AACSB International, Beta Gamma Sigma has shifted from an American stage to a worldwide platform. We must work to better understand the needs and wants of all of our lifetime members; especially those abroad. The global shift brings many opportunities and many challenges.

As we’ve done since 1913, we plan to assist our members as they strive to be valuable leaders in their professions and their communities. We want to be there to share in their successes and provide assistance to solve their challenges. But, as always, we’re only as good as our membership. We need your help in promoting Beta Gamma Sigma – to your employers, in your communities, to your neighbors and friends. The Society will be making a strong push in the months ahead to educate more non-members in the U.S. and around the world about the value of lifetime membership. We’re counting on you to do your part.

There’s enough bad news in the business world to fill a library. Your honor society is part of the good news. Your collegiate chapters are training and recognizing our future leaders. Your alumni chapters are offering tremendous networking, professional development, and educational opportunities. Thousands more connect on LinkedIn and other sources.

What is your lifetime role in Beta Gamma Sigma? We’re counting on you to take an active role in keeping us at the top of our game!

George E. Stevens
President of Beta Gamma Sigma