Mortar Board
 

Turned in my application today to be considered for Mortar Board. The app for the other senior Honorary is due next week.

Is anyone here a member of Mortar Board?
Has it helped you later on, having it on your resume?
Is there a lot of things to do with it after you've graduated, or is it one of those one year things?

When I was in college, you had to be a woman to be in Mortar Board and the men joined Blue Key, ODK (women could go ODK too), or locals like Auburn's Spades. Generally, you had to choose 1 so several people could have honors.

I went ODK but later ended up being advisor to the U of Hawaii's Hui Po'okela chapter (meant 'The Chosen Ones') and Mississippi State's chapter of Mortar Board. Like any major honor society, Mortar Board looks great on applications!

I was a member, but I didn't do anything. The chapter tried to do a lot, but everything they did was always on Sunday nights, which is when all the GLOs have their meetings. I tried explaining this to the President, but she didn't care. There were almost no Greeks in the group at all. It's supposed to be big on leadership- but only knew a very few people when I joined. Very few people in the group were leaders in anything else.

If I had to do it again, I wouldn't have bothered. They didn't do anything that I was interested in (the cooked a spaghetti dinner once a month at Family House- again on Sunday), and they were so anti-greek. ODK has been much more impressive on my resume- no one has ever asked me about MB. In order to conserve space, I might actually drop MB from my resume.

The only thing they want from you after you graduate is money. I have no clue if they even have alumni chapters. All I know is that they send out newsletters fairly frequently.

Mortar Board
 

It was a big deal at Vanderbilt when I was in school. Only around 10 were chosen. It, like anything else, can be a big part of your life or not such a big part of your life depending on how much you want to put into it...
Silver

Interesting to hear how it is different at various places.

Here at Nebraska, the vast majority (over 70%) are greek. It's a big deal to all the greek houses. They take about 25 here.

I was initiated into ODK earlier this year. Our circle only just started about 5-6 years ago so it hasn't become a very big deal yet. It's not limited to seniors so it also doesn't hold the prestige.

Our other Senior honorary is called the Innocents Society, probably very similar to the Spades organization mentioned by Carnation. Little bit more selective as they only take 13, but again very heavily greek.

We don't get tapped or tackled in until early april or so, but I'll be sure to let everyone know if I made

whats mortar board?

Daughter number one was in Gold Key and a Greek letter honorary which I can't remember. She may have been in Mortar Board, but I don't remember for sure. That may have fallen through the cracks when she transferred schools. I'll have to ask her.

I was a member at The University of Akron. I tried to do stuff with them, but it always seemed to conflict with my schedule. I would not say it was a huge deal then, it is not even on my resume anymore and did nothing when it was. I do not know how it is at Akron now though.

Mortar Board is a National Senior Honorary Society. Used to be only for women but went coed in the 70's.

More at www.mortarboard.org