We're Not In West Virginia Anymore

There are many prestigious organizations on campus, such as sororities and fraternities, which students can become a part of to help boost a graduate school application, resume, or even just personal growth while having fun at the same time. Among these noteworthy organizations is the Blue Key Honor Society.  

Concord’s chapter of the Blue Key Honor Society was founded in 1926, making it the oldest organization on campus. Certainly, Blue Key has a long history of alumni from Concord, but the true prestige comes from the rigorousness of the selection process, as is explained by Dr. John David Smith, Advisor to Blue Key and a former Blue Key member. 

“You have to be a junior or senior, there’s a GPA requirement, there’s a leadership requirement and there’s a service requirement… You have to be selected. What happens is I get a list of people that are academically qualified, and then I give that list to the membership committee and they get through it and then they select the ones who would be good members and they present a slate of people to the membership, and then we have interviews.” Dr. Smith further explains that Blue Key is not just open to everyone, seeing as they can only take up to 30 members at any given time. “You have to be selected by the membership committee, then the interviewing committee, then by the membership. If there’s anyone who doesn’t want you in, you don’t get in.” 

The Blue Key Honors Society has had a long history of performing community service as well as hosting the honors banquet for all the honors groups on campus since their inception. And Concord’s chapter of Blue Key has not gone unrecognized, even on a national level. “We also participate in a national convention every year, and we have won awards- last year we won the Directors Award for the Chapter of Excellence. Because we’ve been on campus for so long, we have alumni that have been extremely successful in their field.” 

This year, they are attended the Blue Key National Conference, and according to Lucas Bolyard, President of Concord’s chapter of Blue Key, they spent the trip socializing and networking with other chapters throughout the nation, as well as listening to various speakers. This was a business-before-pleasure trip, and before they left, Bolyard stated, “We don’t plan to do any sight-seeing, but apparently they have a pretty good ice skating rink there so we might want to try that.” 

So how exactly does one become an esteemed gentleman of Blue Key? In order to become a full member, a GPA requirement of 3.0 or better must first be met, as well as having a history of leadership and service to the community. The Blue Key Honors Society looks for well rounded gentlemen of merit, so it is indeed quite prestigious and difficult to become a member. Dr. Smith claims that the prestige comes not only from the selection process itself, but from the long history of inner support that is provided from Blue Key being a student-based, student-run organization. “Because it’s such a select group of accomplished students that reinforce one another, and they reinforce being the best they can be. It really is student run, and it should be. My part is really just saying who is qualified by grades, and then after that the membership committee take it and they have to do everything from going through the initial list to narrowing that down to scheduling interviews to presenting it to the membership. If they are doing something or messing up, my job is to tell them, but they’re such accomplished gentlemen that it’s rare, as it should be.”  

Bolyard agrees, stating, “In my opinion, it’s because it’s the oldest society on campus, and it’s recognized as standing out, with people who can make a difference.” 

For those that wish to learn more about becoming a member of Blue Key Honors Society, talk to a Blue Key member such as Lucas Bolyard, Dustin Pence, Tyler Dotson, or Brian Lusk; or go to Dr. Smith in room A107B, or visit the Blue Key Honors Society website at: http://www.bluekey.org/. 

Smith couldn’t be more pleased with the work that Blue Key has done. “I’m just really proud of them. I’m proud of Blue Key as an organization, I’m proud of the members we’ve had. I’ve been the advisor for 15 years, and I’m proud of every group that’s come through. They’ve been really good guys.”