About the Association of Boston

How can you stay connected to Phi Beta Kappa in Boston?

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The Phi Beta Kappa Association of Boston has a three-fold mission:

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1. Provide a forum in which PBK members can actively foster the love of learning throughout life, while supporting the original Phi Beta Kappa values of free inquiry, sound analysis, and open discussion.

2. Promote excellence in the liberal arts and sciences by supporting scholarship, community service, and cultural interests.

3. Bring together PBK members to celebrate unity within diversity and to build friendships by participating in events and activities in the historical, cultural, and sports rich city of Boston and the Greater Boston Area.

History

The Phi Beta Kappa Association of Boston was chartered in October of 2001.

The Boston Association held its first meeting on October 30th, 2001 and was officially chartered at the 40th triennial council. Over the years PBK Boston has hosted a variety of programs, showcasing not only local scholars but also lecturers from the National PBK Traveling Scholars Program, as well as social and networking events. The Association continues to develop a diverse membership base and fosters the PBK motto, “love of learning is the guide of life,” through its activities.

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PBK Boston Constitution (click here)

From PBK Boston President Thomas Laage (Nov, 2019):

Dear Members and Friends of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of Boston,

We would like to invite you to participate and contribute to our mission of uniting members of PBK in the greater Boston area to promote scholarship, friendship, and cultural interests.

Our association, together with the Phi Beta Kappa Society and The Institute of Liberal Arts of Boston College, recently hosted a well-attended and very stimulating Key Connections panel discussion on social media titled “In Media Res(t): Social Media Now.”

Three panelists, including the Secretary and CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, Fred Lawrence, former Dean of the George Washington University law school and recent President of Brandeis, participated in examining the impact and management of these new forms of communication in our society. We had refreshments and enjoyable conversation afterwards at the Fulton 511 auditorium at Boston College, where the event was held.

This was only the most recent example of the many activities that our association sponsors annually, with the aim of bringing together Boston area members of PBK in an atmosphere of friendship, love of learning, and ethical values. These have included ongoing book club meetings, musical concert opportunities, social and networking events, and more specific theme events such as a tour of the art of the Boston Public Library, attendance at a dramatization of quantum mechanics at the MIT Museum, and a poetry slam in Central Square Cambridge, all with the opportunity to meet and socialize with other members and friends of PBK.

If you graduated from a school far from the Boston area, we are pleased to function as your local alumni organization and help to provide a social milieu for you among our diverse membership.

Our dues are devoted solely to supporting our activities and to our annual $1000 scholarship, awarded to a sophomore, junior, or senior student attending a college with a PBK chapter in the Greater Boston area, in a competition based on an essay about love of learning, their transcripts, and letters of recommendation.

Friends and significant others of members are always welcome at our events and we would encourage you to add your name and email address to our mailing list even if you are not in a position to contribute financially at this time.

Please visit our website at www.pbkboston.org and click on the Membership tab at the top of the home page for more information. (If you graduated from college in the last 12 months, there are no dues levied for your first year of membership in calendar year 2019 or 2020.)

Whether you become a member or not, I look forward to meeting you soon at an upcoming event!

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Best regards,

Thomas Laage

President, PBK Association of Boston

Officers

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