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It is unfortunate that your son declined an invitation to join Phi Alpha Theta. If there is any way that he can revive his invitation to be inducted, I recommend he do so, because membership is an academic honor. (Phi Alpha Theta is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, as is Kappa Omicron Nu.) The one-time initiation fee would provide your son with lifetime membership, and lifetime access to Phi Alpha Theta’s many activities and benefits. Phi Alpha Theta has a website, which your son should read through, if he hasn’t done so already.
Phi Alpha Theta provides members with more than just opportunities to attend conferences and conventions, and to participate in other scholarly activities. Members are also eligible to compete for academic scholarships, grants, awards, and prizes. Members acquire “bragging rights” which are particularly useful for history majors who graduate with a marginally marketable undergraduate degree, and therefore, often choose to upgrade their education by attending pre-professional school (usually law school) or graduate school in order to become career-competitive. (Phi Alpha Theta membership looks impressive on a pre-professional/grad school application, a resume, or a CV.) Finally, because membership is lifetime, members can continue to participate in Phi Alpha Theta’s activities and enjoy its benefits whenever, (often) wherever, and however they choose until the day they die.
I am a confirmed non-joiner. I have always loathed clubs, societies, and other organizations. Throughout my lifetime, I have voluntarily joined only a handful of such groups. I was honored to be inducted into Phi Alpha Theta (Alpha-Upsilon Chapter) nearly thirty-five years ago, and it is the organizational membership of which I am most proud. Membership might or might not have opened professional doors for me, but it certainly didn’t close any. For me, the most important benefit of membership has been the satisfaction of knowing that I earned membership.
Again, I recommend that your son take another look at Phi Alpha Theta, and if possible, join.
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