Golden Key International Honour Society
Encyclopedia
The Golden Key International Honour Society (formerly Golden Key National Honor Society) is an Atlanta, Georgia
-based non-profit organization
founded in 1977 to recognise academic achievement among college and university students in all disciplines.
Golden Key currently has over 400 chapters at colleges and universities in eight countries: Australia
, Canada
, India
, Malaysia, New Zealand
, South Africa
, The Bahamas
and the United States
. Golden Key is the world's largest collegiate honor society. Membership into Golden Key is by invitation only, to the top 15% of college/university 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students and top performing US graduate students in all fields of study, based solely on the criteria of their academic achievements.
in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 29, 1977.
In 2001, the society modified its name to Golden Key International Honour Society to reflect its diversity and global presence. The spelling of "Honour" was utilized to observe the more globally accepted spelling.
résumé and graduate program assistance, career planning and opportunities, leadership opportunities, networking, and member discounts. Golden Key claims that it offers more than $1,000,000 annually in scholarships and awards to its members along with a variety of other opportunities, both academic and career. Golden Key's core values include community service and its chapters are involved in a wide variety of volunteer projects in their local communities such as Habitat for Humanity, Terry Fox Run
, Make a Difference Day, and various literacy service opportunities. The Golden Key International Honour Society was among 10 organizations to receive the In2Books Community Service Award in 2010.
Golden Key is an active member of several organizations, including the Association of College Honor Societies
, an American
agency certifying college and university honor societies. Other organizations Golden Key is involved with include:
Golden Key is governed by an international Board of Directors. Its volunteer advisory structure includes the International Leadership Council, the Council of Advisors and the Council of Student Members.
student newspaper the Ubyssey claimed to have examined the society's finances and scholarship practices. Although the society claimed to "return 75 per cent of each membership as benefits and services to local chapters and their members [while the] other 25 per cent is used for administrative expenses," the Ubyssey found that in 1997 salaries, management and general expenses totalled $2,997,827, almost 47 per cent of the $6,430,054 in total expenditures. A second article found that Golden Key spent just $289,461 (US dollars) on scholarships, less than 5 per cent of their total expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997. The society now claims to spend approximately $1,000,000 annually on scholarships and awards, though it is unclear whether this allocation has remained proportional since then. All recent financials since 2008 have been made publicly available and audited by third party auditors.
In response to this controversy a decade ago, one Golden Key member recently claimed that $11 of the $80 membership fee goes to the student's local chapter. Each local chapter may use this money as they see fit. A variable amount (minimum $100) of additional funds are allocated for in-house chapter cash scholarships. The amount given for these local scholarships is based on the number of members inducted, which is then distributed by the local chapter in accordance with their determined criteria. Some criteria may include active participation in chapter service projects and meeting attendance. Most chapters divide their available chapter scholarships into three awards; one each for Sophomore, Junior and Senior students. Another Golden Key member stated that this information is anecdotal and not a general practice of the Society today.
An examination of the organization's Form 990 from the year 2009 seems to confirm that the organization spends significantly more on salaries and benefits than on scholarships. In the fiscal year ending in 2009, total scholarships (Schedule I, Part III) were $546,291, compared to salaries of over $2 million. Scholarships were less than 6% of the total revenues ($9.4 million). In addition, the organization transferred over $5 million of its assets to a new affiliated foundation.
Honorary members are elected by Golden Key. They do not necessarily endorse the validity of the Golden Key organization or participate in its activities.
Well-known honorary
members include:
Honorary members are elected by this organization and do not necessarily endorse the validity of the Golden Key organization.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
-based non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
founded in 1977 to recognise academic achievement among college and university students in all disciplines.
Golden Key currently has over 400 chapters at colleges and universities in eight countries: Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Malaysia, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, The Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Golden Key is the world's largest collegiate honor society. Membership into Golden Key is by invitation only, to the top 15% of college/university 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students and top performing US graduate students in all fields of study, based solely on the criteria of their academic achievements.
History
Golden Key was founded by a group of undergraduate students and faculty members at Georgia State UniversityGeorgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 29, 1977.
In 2001, the society modified its name to Golden Key International Honour Society to reflect its diversity and global presence. The spelling of "Honour" was utilized to observe the more globally accepted spelling.
Activities
Golden Key offers a number of services for its members. These includerésumé and graduate program assistance, career planning and opportunities, leadership opportunities, networking, and member discounts. Golden Key claims that it offers more than $1,000,000 annually in scholarships and awards to its members along with a variety of other opportunities, both academic and career. Golden Key's core values include community service and its chapters are involved in a wide variety of volunteer projects in their local communities such as Habitat for Humanity, Terry Fox Run
Terry Fox Run
The Terry Fox Run is an annual non-competitive charity event held in numerous regions around the world in commemoration of Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox, and his Marathon of Hope, and to raise money for cancer research....
, Make a Difference Day, and various literacy service opportunities. The Golden Key International Honour Society was among 10 organizations to receive the In2Books Community Service Award in 2010.
Golden Key is an active member of several organizations, including the Association of College Honor Societies
Association of College Honor Societies
The Association of College Honor Societies , founded in 1925, is a predominantly American organization that serves a number of functions with respect to national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies...
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
agency certifying college and university honor societies. Other organizations Golden Key is involved with include:
- National Collegiate Honors CouncilNational Collegiate Honors CouncilThe National Collegiate Honors Council is the United States non-profit professional association of undergraduate honors programs, colleges, directors, deans, faculty, staff, and students...
(NCHC) - National Association of Student Personnel AdministratorsNational Association of Student Personnel AdministratorsNASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education is the leading voice for student affairs administration, policy, and practice, and affirms the commitment of the student affairs profession to educating the whole student and integrating student life and learning...
(NASPA) - Association of International Educators (NAFSA)
- National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA)
- American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
Golden Key is governed by an international Board of Directors. Its volunteer advisory structure includes the International Leadership Council, the Council of Advisors and the Council of Student Members.
Controversy
Concerns were raised over a decade ago about the apparently large gap between the amount of money spent on salaries and the amount spent on giving out scholarships. Articles in the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
student newspaper the Ubyssey claimed to have examined the society's finances and scholarship practices. Although the society claimed to "return 75 per cent of each membership as benefits and services to local chapters and their members [while the] other 25 per cent is used for administrative expenses," the Ubyssey found that in 1997 salaries, management and general expenses totalled $2,997,827, almost 47 per cent of the $6,430,054 in total expenditures. A second article found that Golden Key spent just $289,461 (US dollars) on scholarships, less than 5 per cent of their total expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997. The society now claims to spend approximately $1,000,000 annually on scholarships and awards, though it is unclear whether this allocation has remained proportional since then. All recent financials since 2008 have been made publicly available and audited by third party auditors.
In response to this controversy a decade ago, one Golden Key member recently claimed that $11 of the $80 membership fee goes to the student's local chapter. Each local chapter may use this money as they see fit. A variable amount (minimum $100) of additional funds are allocated for in-house chapter cash scholarships. The amount given for these local scholarships is based on the number of members inducted, which is then distributed by the local chapter in accordance with their determined criteria. Some criteria may include active participation in chapter service projects and meeting attendance. Most chapters divide their available chapter scholarships into three awards; one each for Sophomore, Junior and Senior students. Another Golden Key member stated that this information is anecdotal and not a general practice of the Society today.
An examination of the organization's Form 990 from the year 2009 seems to confirm that the organization spends significantly more on salaries and benefits than on scholarships. In the fiscal year ending in 2009, total scholarships (Schedule I, Part III) were $546,291, compared to salaries of over $2 million. Scholarships were less than 6% of the total revenues ($9.4 million). In addition, the organization transferred over $5 million of its assets to a new affiliated foundation.
Honorary members
Well-known honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
members include:
- Roberta BondarRoberta BondarRoberta Bondar,is OC, O.Ont, FRCP, FRSC is Canada's first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space. Following more than a decade as NASA's head of space medicine, Bondar became a consultant and speaker in the business, scientific and medical communities.-Education:Roberta Bondar had...
, Canada's First Female Astronaut - Adrienne ClarksonAdrienne ClarksonAdrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
, former Governor General of CanadaGovernor General of CanadaThe Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II... - Cooper Randall, Australian Biochemist
- William J. Clinton, Former US President
- Ujjal Dev Singh DosanjhUjjal DosanjhUjjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, PC, QC, is a Sikh Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost...
, Canadian lawyer and politician - Bill CosbyBill CosbyWilliam Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
, Entertainer - Archbishop Emeritus Desmond TutuDesmond TutuDesmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
(Nobel Peace Prize Laureate) - Ronald W. Reagan, Former US President
- Ian ThorpeIan ThorpeIan James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most...
, Olympic Gold Medalist - Elie WieselElie WieselSir Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel KBE; born September 30, 1928) is a Hungarian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and...
, Nobel Laureate and Author - Riaan ManserRiaan ManserRiaan Manser is a solo-adventurer, based in South Africa. Riaan was probably the second person to circumnavigate the African continent, mostly by bicycle - 37,000 km through 34 countries in two years and two months...
- Solo adventurer and motivational speaker - Clem Sunter - Professional speaker, scenario planner and author
- Tupac Amaru Shakur - Entertainer
- Nicol DavidNicol DavidDatuk Nicol Ann David is a Malaysian female professional squash player. She is currently ranked world number 1 in women's squash, and is the first Asian woman to achieve this...
- No.1 women's squash player in the world - Quentin BryceQuentin BryceQuentin Bryce, AC, CVO is the 25th and current Governor-General of Australia and former Governor of Queensland....
- Governor General of Australia - Professor Patrick McGorryPatrick McGorryPatrick Dennistoun McGorry FRCP FASSA FRANZCP AO PhD MD is an Australian psychiatrist, best known for his development of the early intervention services for youth....
- Australian of the Year 2010 - Richard DaleyRichard DaleyRichard Daley may refer to:*Richard J. Daley , Mayor of Chicago , father of Richard M. Daley*Richard M. Daley , Mayor of Chicago , son of Richard J. Daley...
- Mayor of Chicago - Eddie SuttonEddie SuttonEddie Sutton is an American former college head coach with 36 years of Division I basketball coaching experience at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State , and the University of San Francisco...
- Former Men's Basketball Coach at Oklahoma State - Dolly PartonDolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
- Entertainer - Ted StevensTed StevensTheodore Fulton "Ted" Stevens, Sr. was a United States Senator from Alaska, serving from December 24, 1968, until January 3, 2009, and thus the longest-serving Republican senator in history...
- Former U.S. Senator - Donny OsmondDonny OsmondDonald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
- Entertainer - Julian BondJulian BondHorace Julian Bond , known as Julian Bond, is an American social activist and leader in the American civil rights movement, politician, professor, and writer. While a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, during the early 1960s, he helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating...
- Civil Rights Activist - Joseph P. Kennedy IIJoseph Patrick Kennedy IIJoseph Patrick Kennedy II is an American businessman and Democratic politician.He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the 8th congressional district of Massachusetts from 1987 to 1999. In 1979 he founded and led until election to the U.S...
- Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives - Thomas MeninoThomas MeninoThomas Michael "Tom" Menino is the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, United States and the city's first Italian-American mayor...
- Mayor of Boston - Tim TebowTim TebowTimothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
- Former Heisman Trophy Winner at the University of Florida and current quarterback for the Denver Broncos - Tom AllenTom AllenThomas Hodge "Tom" Allen is a former member of the United States House of Representatives representing , and the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008 against Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins. Allen lost to Collins .Allen was first elected in 1996, defeating Republican...
- Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives - Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
- Bestselling Author - Mike Krzyzewski - Men's Basketball Coach at Duke University
- Bobby BowdenBobby BowdenRobert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden is a retired college football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons...
- Former Head Football Coach at Florida State University - Charlie CristCharlie CristCharles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
- Former Governor of Florida - Jim PerdueJim PerdueJim Perdue has been the Chairman and advertising spokesman of Perdue Farms since 1991. He is a third generation leader of the company founded by his grandfather in 1920....
- Chairman of Perdue Farms - Myron RolleMyron Rolle-Tennessee Titans:Rolle was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on June 14, 2010. However, the Tennessee Titans released him a year later on September 2, 2011.-Personal:...
- Rhodes Scholar and current member of the NFL's Tennessee Titans - Margaret AtwoodMargaret AtwoodMargaret Eleanor Atwood, is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history; she is a winner of the Arthur C...
- Canadian Author and Poet
Honorary members are elected by this organization and do not necessarily endorse the validity of the Golden Key organization.