Beta Theta Pi Earns Laurel Wreath Award

Oxford, Ohio, December 9, 2002 - Beta Theta Pi Fraternity was honored with the North-American Interfraternity Conference's prestigious Laurel Wreath award at the NIC annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, December 6.

The award is for individuals or programs that best exemplify the advancement of fraternal ideals and is based upon special acts of outstanding support for the Interfraternity community. Now in its fifth year, Beta Theta Pi's Men of Principle initiative as re-established the Fraternity's founding principles and has advanced leadership, academics, recruitment, community relationships and alumni relations.

All 126 Beta chapters and colonies have access to Beta's Men of Principle initiative resources, and 34 chapters are fully-partnered with the Initiative. Results from the partnered chapters include a 17 percent increase in recruitment numbers during a one year period, all partnered chapters earned a 3.0 grade-point average or better and 83 percent
were above the all-fraternity academic mark and 73 percent were above the all-men's average on their respective campuses. Leadership experiences for collegians increased 53 percent in three years and 98 percent of the Fraternity's advisory team volunteer positions (alumni and interfraternal friends) were filled last year.

Beta Theta Pi was one of three organizations to earn the Laurel Wreath award. Other winners included Phi Kappa Tau and the firm of Patton Boggs LLP in Washington, DC. Accepting the award on behalf of the Fraternity was Beta Theta Pi Administrative Secretary Stephen Becker and Men of Principle Director Scott Allen.

Founded in 1839 at Miami University, Beta Theta Pi is dedicated to scholarship, brotherhood and community service. The Fraternity has more than 118,000 members, including some 6,400 collegians on 126 campuses in Canada and the United States.