On March 30, Syracuse University Golden Key International Honour Society members took home the Northeast Region Best Communication with Headquarters Award, an early start to the organization's celebration of its fourteen-year presence at SU this month.
At the organization's Manhattan convention in March, the award presentation was made before an audience of people from 40 colleges and universities. The award was based on the regional director's observations of and interactions with each chapter throughout the year. The SU chapter was chosen from more than 40 chapters based on its members' abilities to keep the regional director informed through regular phone calls, E-mails, meeting minutes and updates.
The chapter, which was chartered at SU in 1989, includes hundreds of members and honorary members on the campus. The society is comprised of more than 330 chapters located in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and Malaysia. Its membership is based on GPA. The organization hosts various service events throughout the academic year.
In recent years, the chapter has also received awards for Most Improved Chapter, Honorable Mention Key Chapter, Outstanding Northeast Adviser of the Year and International Leader of the Year award, and hosted the Northeast regional conference.
The International Honour Society celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2002; during the celebration, the SU chapter inducted 168 new members and four honorary members.
"We are very proud of our chapter and its members' accomplishments," says Lena Rose Orlando, Golden Key faculty adviser and assistant director of student affairs. "We look forward to further serving our community and building a group of outstanding upperclassmen."
On campus, the organization has won the Chancellor's Award for Public Service (CAPS), and several University Creating Opportunities for Recognizing Excellence (C.O.R.E.) awards. The organization's annual Shadow Day project, which allows Seymour Elementary School students to follow a Golden Key member for a day, has been used as a model at various conventions. This program is conducted in conjunction with University College.
