About the Circle
Mission Statement:
We, the members of the Gettysburg Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, intend to encourage the growth of our own members whilst promoting leadership opportunities on campus. We aim to recognize our members based on achievements in scholarship, athletics, campus or community service, religious activities and campus government, journalism, publications, speech, and the mass media, and creative and performing arts. By providing mutual support and advice to similar organizations and developing leadership opportunities to the Gettysburg College campus at large, the members of this Circle seek to improve the understanding of leadership and to hone leadership skills in others.
The Gettysburg College Circle of the Omicron Delta Kappa Society abides by and adheres to the follow mission and statement of purpose:
1. The society provides a forum enabling different leaders from all aspects of college life to come together and share ideas.
2. The society allows for the further development of these leaders as they participate in programs offered through the society.
3. The society allows members to learn about leadership and followership and how to apply these skills to teambuilding.
4. The society allows members to establish networks that may prove beneficial to their future.
5. The society provides members with the opportunity to make use of their leadership and followership skills by holding programs, events, and activities that benefit the campus community and allow other students on campus to enhance their leadership experience.
Gettysburg College Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa Constitution and By-Laws:
Article I: Name
Section 1: The name of this Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa Society, Inc., shall be the Gettysburg College Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa.
Article II: Meetings
Section 1: Regular meetings for the transaction of business shall be held once a month at such a time and place as may be designated by the circle. Additional meetings may be called at any time as determined necessary by the executive board.
Section 2: There shall be one meeting each year for the selection of new members. This topic shall be addressed at the first meeting of the fall semester, and current members shall be encouraged to assist in the grading of applications.
Section 3: The initiation of new members shall be held within four weeks after the respective selections, the time and place to be provided for at the selection meeting. The Secretary shall notify all current members of this meeting as soon as the time and place are designated.
Section 4: A quorum for the transaction of regular business shall consist of a majority of all voting members of the circle; but for the election of officers, two-thirds of the voting members shall be required to constitute a quorum. Voting members are initiated members in good standing who are on campus at the time voting is being conducted.
Article III: Executive Board and Committees
Section 1: The officers of the circle shall be comprised of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer/Senate Representative, Historian/Secretary, and Public Relations/Events Chair.
Section 2: All officers of the circle shall be elected by secret ballot at the December meeting, except where there is only one nominee, and a majority of the total votes cast shall be necessary to elect officers. Each candidate will be allowed one minute to give a speech, and a quorum of members must be present. In instances wherein three or more members are running for a position, if a quorum is not reached by any one candidate, then the top two scoring members will advance to another round of voting. The term of the officers shall be one calendar year. The Faculty Advisor remains an exception to this rule and shall serve for as long as he or she is able. Ideally, the Faculty Advisor will also be the Director of the Garthwait Leadership Center.
Section 3: The responsibilities of the President shall be as follows: to organize and conduct meetings; communicate with national headquarters; serve as a liaison between the circle and its advisor; and seek out and apply for grants that would be beneficial to the circle.
Section 4: The responsibilities of the Vice-President shall be as follows: process and assist with grading for all the applications; organize and conduct induction; and determine if a committee is necessary for any specific projects, and, if so, to lead that committee.
Section 5: The responsibilities of the Treasurer/Senate Representative shall be as follows: to preserve the financial integrity of this circle; report the current balance to members at monthly meetings; notify applicants of acceptance/rejection; and to attend campus Senate meetings, thereby representing the Omicron Delta Kappa organization.
Section 6: The responsibilities of the Historian/Secretary shall be as follows: to record minutes of all meetings, and to send out minutes of general meetings to all members; to record attendance at all meetings; and to preserve the history of this circle.
Section 7: The responsibilities of the Public Relations/Events Chair shall be as follows: to organize all campus-wide events on behalf of Omicron Delta Kappa. This Chair will be responsible for arranging times, locations, and activities associated with these events, and will also be responsible for these events’ publicity.
Article IV: Applications and Elections of New Members
Section 1: Possible candidates for membership will either be mailed or e-mailed an application by the circle if they meet the requirement of being in the top third of their class. Applicants must either be current juniors or seniors at the time of receiving an application. Applications will be given two to three weeks to complete the application, and all applications must be submitted by the first week in October.
Section 2: Current members will grade the applications blindly based off of the established grading rubric. All grading should be completed within two weeks of receiving all of the applications. The circle may accept as many applicants as would be beneficial as determined by the executive board, but roughly one-third of acceptances should be of the senior class and two-thirds of acceptances should be of the junior class.
Section 3: Applicants shall be notified of their election/rejection immediately after scoring is complete by the Secretary, and shall have to pay the $70 membership fee to the Treasurer before initiation unless approved otherwise by the Treasurer.
Section 4: Initiation should be conducted between three and four weeks after applicants are accepted (or within the first two weeks of November). For applicants who are abroad or unable to attend fall initiation, a separate initiation should be conducted in early spring.
Section 5: Faculty and administration members may receive an honorary induction with the approval of current Omicron Delta Kappa members. A maximum of three members may be inducted each year, each from a different department. The faculty or administration members must demonstrate high academic standards, involvement in extra-curricular activities, and a strong relationship with students. Ideally, they will have provided internship or research opportunities to students, and gone above and beyond the call of their positions, in general. These members must be nominated by a current member who will provide information about them to the circle on their behalf.
Article V: Amendments and Suspensions of By-Laws
Section 1: These laws may be amended in instances of a quorum by a three-fourths vote of the current members present at a voting meeting. An amendment must be approved by the Faculty Advisor before it goes into effect.
Section 2: In case of an emergency, any part of the by-laws may be suspended by a three-fourths vote of the voting members present, but only for a single meeting.
Section 3: Any member in good standing may propose an amendment in written form at any point in time. The amendment must be presented and discussed amongst all members at the next meeting, and will be voted on at that time.
Honors and Awards
2017 Circle of Distinction
2016 Circle of Distinction
