Overview

The Gamma Beta Phi Society is an honor and service organization for students in colleges and universities in the United States. It is non-secret, nonprofit, and coeducational, and membership therein does not exclude a student from membership in any other organization.

A chapter of the Society may be established in any two-year or four-year academic institution identified by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers in their handbook for acceptance of academic credit as offering academic credit acceptable for transfer to other two-year and four-year academic institutions.

The name of the organization is derived from the initial letters of the three Greek words for education, life, and friendship. It signifies that education and friendship constitute the basis of a full and happy life. The motto of Gamma Beta Phi is Progressus per Eruditioneum (progress through education), and its watchwords are Scholarship, Service and Character.

Back to top


Coat of Arms

The various features of the coat of arms of the Gamma Beta Phi Society have distinct meaning within the scope of heraldry. The helmet is symbolic of the knight, and the scroll at the top of the coat of arms represent his tattered tunic which has been torn in his fight for truth and justice. The three stars at the top of the shield stand for the moral and spiritual values in life for which all members of Gamma Beta Phi strive.

The three letters on the ribbon across the center of the shield represent the ideals of the organization. Gamma is the initial letter of the Greek word "gnosis" for "knowledge" or "education." Beta is the initial letter of the Greek word "bios" meaning "life": Phi is the initial letter of the Greek word "philios" meaning "love" or "friendship." These three put together signify that education and friendship constitute the basis of a full and happy life.

The eagle with the outstretched wings at the base of the shield stands for loyalty to country. The olive branch in the right claw being emblematic of our national dedication to the cause of peace, while the arrows in the left claw indicate our readiness to fight for justice and freedom. The ebony of the ribbon across the center of the shield signifies the dignity and strength of the fellowship of the organization.

The gold surface of the shield stands for the golden bond of friendship which binds together the members of the society.

The words "SCHOLARSHIP," "SERVICE," and "CHARACTER," inscribed on the ribbon around the base of the shield, are the watchwords of the organization and represent the ideals and purposes of the Gamma Beta Phi Society.

Back to top
 

History

The Gamma Beta Phi Society was chartered on March 22, 1964, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Created by a group of Southern college educators, it grew out of the high school Beta Club, and Dr. John H. Harris, founder of that organization, served as the Society's Executive Secretary for its first decade. Under the tutelage of the next Executive Secretary, Dr. Aaron Todd, the Society was revitalized, new chapters steadily added, and the headquarters moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. By 1983, it was evident that a single individual could no longer manage the growing organization. The National Executive Committee created the position of National Executive Director, conducted a regional search, and hired a dedicated former member, Mrs. Margaret McCauley, to fill the post. (Mrs. McCauley's contract has been renewed every five years since that time.) After Dr. Todd's resignation in 1985, Mr. Russell McCauley was elected by the organization's Senate as National Executive-Treasurer, a position he served as for the next four years. At that time the central administrative office moved to its present location of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In 1992, as the Society continued to grow, a National Business Manager was added; in 2002, that position was elevated to Assistant Executive Director. Since 1994, Mr. Jimmy McNutt has held that office.

Today Gamma Beta Phi has chapters all across the United States, from the Virgin Islands to Hawaii. It regularly inducts over 10,000 academically strong students who share its mission of promoting education and providing service to their colleges and communities. Chapters are managed locally by elected officers and college advisors, and loosely organized into states or regions. Annually, chapter representatives may attend both a state or regional conference, usually a Fall event, and the National Convention, held each Spring. In the past decade, National Conventions have been held in locations such as Nashville, San Antonio, and New Orleans. Currently, there are approximately 40,000 active student members of Gamma Beta Phi, and their numbers and commitment to the Society's ideals continue to grow.

The Arizona State University Chapter is one of four chapters in the state of Arizona. With more than 500 members, the ASU chapter remains among Gamma Beta Phi's largest, maintaining its status as an active voice on campus as well as an caring legion of volunteers that dedicates its time to serving the community at large.

Back to top


Objectives

The Gamma Beta Phi Society's main objectives include the following:

• To recognize and encourage individual excellence in education.

• To promote the development of leadership ability and character in its members.

• To foster, disseminate, and improve education through appropriate service projects.

Back to top

Member Requirements

To remain in good standing in the Arizona State University Chapter of Gamma Beta Phi, each member MUST:

• Attend at least two (2) regularly scheduled meetings (or recognized equivalent) per semester,

• Perform six (6) hours of community service through Gamma Beta Phi or other nonprofit organization per semester,

• Maintain at least a 3.25 GPA,

• Pay annual chapter dues in the amount of $15.00 each fall, and

• Submit a Log Form with their documented meeting and community service points each semester.

Should a member fail to meet these requirements, he or she will be put on probation.   

Any member on probation must fulfill the same requirements with an additional six (6) hours of community service, in addition to raising his or her GPA to an acceptable level (where applicable) and paying any outstanding dues. If a member is placed on probation more than once during membership, this may be grounds for removal from Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society and a loss of the privileges granted therein.

For additional information about our organization, please visit our national website: www.gammabetaphi.org.