Fall 2011 Updates

A special welcome to our PGM newbies-- you will be inducted in the November induction ceremony. This blog is one of the means in which we comunicate with our Pi Gamma Mu community- so please check often for news and updates.

The things that are certain in life are death and taxes... and CHANGE!

This year the format of the induction ceremony will change as Pi Gamma Mu will be doing a joint induction with the Criminal Justice Honor Society, and it will be a luncheon event for students, faculty, and administration. This promises to be a lovely event, just as the evening dinners have been in the past. The luncheon will be at 1 PM on Friday, November 11.
We will still have a student speaker, and do our usual food drive collection. Non-perishable food items from "old" PGM-ers are welcome and may be dropped off at any time at the College of Social & Behavioral Science offices. In this time of economic stress, your food donations are welcomed by those in need. We usually give our donations to the Claymont Community Center, who serve a wide geographic area.

This is also a reminder to complete your service projects for the past year, and be sure to update your info on the Discussion Boards ad include pictures when possible. If you cannot attach pics then email them to Mr. Scott George, who is the Co-Advisor for this chapter.

Chapter Co-Advisor Scott George will be holding several PGM meetings to get you engaged with several of the service projects, as well as the Polar Bear Plunge. No doubt you have heard from Stephanie Sczcerba about the Polar Bear Plunge. Many kudos to Stephanie for organizing this event! We hope to have great participation from you this year and will be enjoying a great social time and brunch at the Rehoboth Beach site before we plunge!!

In the spirit of maintaining a sense of community, ALL Pi Gamma Mu members are invited to attend our first annual alumni group gathering at Kid Shelleen's in March. This year we got our PGM alumni group off the ground and invite you all to stay connected with Pi Gamma Mu even after you graduate! Many kudos to Rick Carter, Melody Jones, Patricia Spratley, and Stephanie Sczcerba for kicking the alumni group off to a good start! Our goal is to establish an active and vibrant PGM- BETA Chapter alumni community who can serve as a valuable social and professional network for each other.

Be sure to keep the alumni office posted regarding your change of address or email-- in the meantime-- remember Scholarhip & Service! Keep well- JPB

Alumni Picnic- Sept. 2011

A small, but dedicated group of Pi Gamma Mu Alumni gathered on the Campus Green for the Alumni Picnic today. Stephanie Sczcerba holds a flyer for the Polar Bear Plunge and Prof Dalia Nichols holds a flyer for the March social a Kid Shelleen's.

Throughout the event Pi Gamma Mu members stopped by to say "Hi" and enjoy the great food!

It was a time of talking and connecting-- getting to know each other outside the classroom, talk about career goals, progress in grad school, the job market, and network. Keeping the Delaware BETA Chapter connected is an important goal for this group, as they've planned several events in the coming year to provide opportunities to socialize and be support for one another.

September Alumni Picnic

Reminder-- Join us for the Wilmington Alumni Picnic on Saturday, Sept. 17 at the New Castle campus.

Check out the website for details: http://www.wilmu.edu/alumni/index.aspx

Fall 2011 Alumni Weekend

Did you get yours in the mail?

I'm referring to the brochure about the Fall 2011 Alumni Weekend. For PGMers this will be our first Alumni Group gathering-- we'll have Pi Gamma Mu alumni t-shirts available for $9. each (they're navy blue with white lettering).

We will also have a photographer take our inaugural PGM Alumni Group photo--so please pln to attend, or comment on this page to let us know how you'd like to be involved in the alumni group.

Wilmington University in the News

We made the newswire today with the press release about the new CAST program:
http://media-newswire.com/release_1155102.html

The Child Advocacy Studies Certificate comes at a time when our society has experienced two high profile cases of child maltreatment-- the Caylee Anthony trial and the Earl Bradley trial in Sussex County.

Check out the CAST program description on the Wilmu website-- and let us know what you think!
http://www.wilmu.edu/behavioralscience/childadvoc_cert.aspx

Alumni Chapter Being Formed

PI GAMMA MU Delaware BETA Chapter Alumni Chapter
This afternoon we broke exciting new ground, as Pi Gamma Mu members met with a representative from the Wilmington University Alumni Office to form a new PGM BETA Alumni Chapter. PGM members Rick Carter, Melody Jones, Stephanie Sczcerba, and Patricia Spratley, are co-chairs of this new group. The PGM BETA Chapter will focus on continuing the spirit, mission, and values of Pi Gamma Mu by developing an organization where PGMers can stay connected to Wilmu. The alumni group also intends to become a vehicle where BETA Chapter members can socialize, network, and enjoy each other’s company at annual events; continue service to others; and encourage, recognize, and celebrate excellence in each other’s achievements throughout life.
If you’d like to sign up to join the PGM alumni group--- stay tuned…. The founding members are working hard to set up a Facebook page, will be sending out letters and emails about the newly formed alumni group , and recruit members to join them in this effort.
Plans are already underway to get together at the Annual Alumni Picnic Event on the New Castle campus on Saturday, Sept. 17.

If you'd like to get involved please leave a comment or go to the Wilmu Alumni website for contact information.

What's New With Wilmu's Pi Gamma Mu? (DE BETA Chapter)

As one of our "older" (meaning in years of membership) PGMu-ers once said "What's new at the Mu at Wilmu?"

We are in the process of organizing a PGM Delaware BETA Chapter Alumni Group! There are so many of you now who have graduated, so we're trying to figure out how to staying connected.

We're also thinking out the purpose of the alumni group. Should it be to socialize, to aid in professional development, to mentor upcoming students, to network, and/or to continue our service projects?

How can this alumni group provide leadership for the Pi Gamma Mu Delaware BETA Chapter?

Please post your comments here :).

Polar Bear Plunge Success!

Today 6 Pi Gamma Mu Polar Bears plunged on behalf of Delaware Special Olympics! This was the 20th year of the event, and over 3,000 polar bears took the plunge. The air temperature was 42 degrees and the water temp was 34 degrees, but the sunshine and high spirits made this all worth while! Team Pi Gamma Mu at Wilmington University raised over $1400. for the cause!!! Yay team!

Honestly, it wasn't so bad-- it felt rather "refreshing" and those of us who plunged today would recommend it to others to experience :)!

Staying Connected

Hi Everyone- Once you graduate it seems as though you've fallen off a cliff, so we hope that this blog will keep you connected to the DE BETA Chapter even after you've gone on to bigger and better things! Feel free to post comments and let us know if you would like to join in establishing an alumni chapter. The Wilmington University Alumni picnic is always held in September of each year. Is anyone interested in attending?

Polar Bear Plunge

On Sunday, February 6, members of the PGM Delaware BETA Chapter will be participating in the Lewes Polar Bear Plunge taking place in Rehoboth Beach, DE. The vent raises funds for Delaware Special Olympics.

Please consider signing up to join us in this service project effort. It is a lot of fun and there will be plenty of hot chocolate for afterwards!

Please check the DE Special Olympics website: http://www.plungede.org/

2010 Induction Ceremony

Wilmington University’s Delaware BETA Chapter of the Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society inducted 104 new members on Friday, November 12, 2010. Nearly 300 people attended the event held in the Doberstein Admissions Center on the New Castle campus.
Students and their families travelled from both New Jersey campuses as well as downstate Delaware to attend the event. Several guest speakers punctuated the evening. Former chapter officer Patricia Spratley inspired students by sharing her journey of academic success in the face of adversity. Claymont Community Center’s Development Director Greg Munson was on hand to accept the food donated by all those who attended the induction ceremony for CCC’s food closet. In addition, representative from the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Stephanie Ferrell and Sara Mersch, were on hand to accept the used cellphones collected by honor society members this Fall.
In addition to inducting students, the BETA Chapter also inducted 4 adjunct faculty members in recognition of their dedication to students, emphasizing academic excellence, and helping to prepare students for future careers. Adjunct faculty Scott George, Angus Maclennan, Karen Spring, and Ron Stephenson were inducted into the honor society. According to incoming President Rick Carter, “You have been role models for our students… You have responded to students in a thoughtful, sensitive manner while still maintaining academic integrity. You have shown students how to use technology and emphasized the importance of using technology in the world today. By your example, you have modeled excellence in teaching and learning. These are qualities stressed by Pi Gamma Mu International.”

Welcome to the Delaware BETA Chapter!

The Delaware BETA Chapter of the Pi Gamma Mu Society is made up of students majoring in the social and behavioral sciences at Wilmington University. The Delaware BETA was started in 2007. Pi Gamma Mu is an international honor society for students majoring in the social sciences. The mission of Pi Gamma Mu is to encourage and promote excellence in the social sciences and to uphold the ideals of scholarship and service. Pi Gamma Mu, was founded in Kansas in 1924. Rear Admiral Richard Byrd served for a time as Honorary National President of Pi Gamma Mu, in 1928 carrying the Society's flag to the Antarctic. Two presidents of the Philippines were members of the Society, and one U. S. president joined as a student—Lyndon B. Johnson. Membership in Pi Gamma Mu Delaware Beta Chapter is open to Wilmington University students who meet stringent academic requirements and agree to participate in service projects.