Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society

West Valley College, Gamma Iota Chapter

Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

John welcomed advisors, officers, continuing members, and those interested in joining Alpha Gamma Sigma to the first meeting of the Spring 2008 semester. He then opened the meeting by asking those present to introduce themselves to three other people in the room, followed by establishing each of the club’s advisors and other officers.

Each of the officers gave a quick summary of who they are and what they do. Brittany is the club’s Vice-President and is responsible for the Teacher Appreciation Dinner. Laura is the Web-Master and is in charge of keeping the website up-to-date. Saba is the Treasurer and is accountable for fundraising events. Melissa (that’s me!) is the Recording Secretary and is answerable for keeping the meeting minutes. Kara is the Points Secretary and is dependable for keeping track of member’s points. Finally, yet importantly, Mandy is the ICC Representative and is responsible for obtaining approval for on-and-off-site events.

Next, Saba introduced the first fundraising opportunity of the semester, Valentines Candy Grams. During this event, the candy grams are going to be in the form of candy roses. There were sign up sheets passed around for booth sales on February 11-12, and deliveries on February 13-14. Remember, it is better to get your points requirements completed as soon as possible, so please consider taking advantage of this opportunity.

After that, Laura spoke about the State Convention and State Scholarships. As you may know, Alpha Gamma Sigma is a statewide club with chapters at most California community colleges. The State Convention is an opportunity for all chapters to assemble and participate in a weekend of seminars, activities, and fun. Best of all, this year’s State Convention is conveniently located in San Jose at the Doubletree Hotel. In terms of the State Scholarships, if you are a continuing member and have an abundance of community service or a high grade point average, you may qualify for these awards. Please refer to our website for more information about requirements and applications.

Furthermore, Tina encouraged those present to apply for Alpha Gamma Sigma for the Spring 2008 semester. First, she related the mission statement of our club, which is to promote leadership through service and fundraising. In order to quantify our mission, we require points to be earned. There are three categories of points, including fundraising, community service, and general points. For a member with no exemptions, thirty points are required per semester, with seven points for community service, seven points for fundraising, and sixteen points for general points. Ordinarily, one hour equals one point. Second, Tina spoke about eligibility. Qualified parties must have a cumulative 3.0 grade point average and have completed a minimum of 12 units from any college or university. If you did not receive an invitation letter, but believe you qualify, please contact any of the advisors for guidance. Third, Tina talked about reasons to join. She explained some people choose to join Alpha Gamma Sigma for social reasons, while others choose to join for transfer credit. In order to receive transfer credit for the Spring 2008 semester, a member must obtain a 3.0 grade point average or better and six units minimum. Please refer to applications and our website for more information. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to contact any of our advisors or officers.

Subsequently, Andy spoke about purchasing Alpha Gamma Sigma t-shirts. For those who do not know, there is a points incentive to purchasing these shirts and wearing them every Wednesday. Members are granted two general points for attending each meeting and those wearing an Alpha Gamma Sigma t-shirt are awarded an extra general point. If you are interested in purchasing a t-shirt, see Andy during his office hours in the Social Sciences Division, Office 1A on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 2:00 pm.

Next, John introduced James, the Director of the ICC. James welcomed our members to the new semester and stated he is pleased Alpha Gamma Sigma is back for another productive semester.

John closed the meeting by inviting those present to check out http://ags.sylvan.com/ for important information about the club, including applications and by-laws. In addition, he mentioned that we are currently seeking individuals wishing to become coordinators, with applications due on February 20. Coordinator descriptions and applications are also available on our website.