November 13, 2013 – Southeast district of TBΣ

Hello SED!

My name is Brittany Lyons and I am the secretary of the Alpha Omega chapter of Tau Beta Sigma at Florida State University and we (along with our brothers of the Gamma Nu chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi) are excited to host The Eighth Note this year.

The publication is online now (at sedpublications.wordpress.com), which means that we need your help to keep it constantly updated with news and articles! We are now accepting submissions for the Eighth Note at eighthnotesubmissions@gmail.com and we would love to get an article from each and every chapter in the SED before the end of the school year!!

With the online format, we will be able to have rolling submissions which means that you can submit your articles at any time. We will also select articles from the website to be used in the print version at SED, so keep them coming!

Here’s what you can do: pick a topic that interests you (this can be anything about TBS, music, service and so on, including what makes your chapter unique), write an article that’s a minimum of 500 words, and include a photo or photos.

Submitting an article to The Eighth Note is an excellent way for sisters to get involved at the district level. I can’t wait to hear from you all and thanks for your support!

LITB,
Brittany Lyons
Secretary
Alpha Omega, Tau Beta Sigma

Hello SED,

And congratulations on surviving yet another week of this gorgeous football fall!

This year’s SED Council has been hard at work compiling information for you to ease your paperwork process. As you may know, there are several national paperwork deadlines that must be met throughout the year. The next one coming up is our Fall Activity Reports and they are due on December 1, 2013.

Other than the important National paperwork, the district collects another important document every year- the MEP (Membership Education Program). These are collected by your district officers, reviewed by your district counselors, and submitted to national headquarters. MEPs are collected to connect with the chapters and to assure the national organization that all membership candidates of Tau Beta Sigma are taught the same minimal requirements.

The MEP collection process in the SED has always been left vague and open-ended, due to the personalization aspect of each chapter. This is NOT something we want to change. However, various chapters around the SED have requested a template to ensure all the information is included. SO this year, we are not providing you with a template, but we are providing you with a check list. The “Top 10” things to put in your MEP.

After the review of last year’s collections, the SED Council has sought a more efficient way of reviewing the documents for you. This year, we have attached to this email a document containing what each individual chapter was missing from their submitted MEP last fall. Use our “Top 10” (found below) and the attached data to structure your MEP this year. MEPs are due to each chapter mentor on December 1, 2013.

MEP FAQs:

1. Should my MEP be different every year? No, MEPs should not be a brand new document each year, once you establish the needed information, you should only have to update/change as needed.

2. Will they be reviewed by a collegiate member or by a counselor? Each MEP will be reviewed preliminarily by either the SED President (Belinda Baker) or the SED VPM (Christa Hall). The official review will be done by a counselor, however, until all the “Top 10” are submitted and covered, a chapter’s MEP will not be officially reviewed.

3. Is there a length requirement? There is no word or page requirement or minimum for an MEP. We (both the district and national headquarters) are more concerned with the information contained inside.

4. What if my calendar of events is not concrete yet? If your calendar is not official yet, do not fret! We would only like an example, you can include one from this fall or last spring. (As long as we get an idea of how far apart meetings are, rituals, tests, etc.)

5. Can I still submit my MEP after the deadline or incomplete? Yes, absolutely! The idea of MEP collection is to get the best representation of your chapter and the candidate process. Imagine if a brand new transfer sister needed to run the entire process, it should be a “how-to” guide.

6. Is there a penalty for not submitting? Technically, no. However, your chapter can be placed on probation if this document is not submitted to National HQ completed and reviewed after a certain amount of time. We are trying to help you!

Below you will find the “Top 10” items to include in your MEP. As a reminder and in conclusion, both your Fall activity Report and your MEP are due on December 1, 2013. Your FAR will need to be submitted and approved via the Online Membership & Reporting System. Your MEP will need to be emailed to your SED Council Mentor. If you are unsure of who this person is, or if you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact any district council member.

“Top 10”

Table of Contents

1. Recruitment- Activities, Description, and Dates

2. Chapter, School, National Policies and Procedures

3. Bid Process- Selection of Candidates, Bid Acceptance/Decline Process

4. Candidate Requirements and Meetings

5. Big/Little Selection/Reveal Process

6. Study Material and Tests for Membership Candidates

7. National, District, Chapter Information- TBS

8. National, District, Chapter Information- KKPsi

9. Chapter Operations- Ritual Attire, GPA requirements, fees/fines, and dues

10. Calendar of Events